Races
DevaImmortal spirits who embody virtue, born and reborn to mortal life in the worldDragonbornDwarfMasters of stone and iron, dauntless and unyielding in the face of adversityEladrinGraceful warriors and wizards at home in the eldritch twilight of the FeywildElfRacial paragon path onlyGithzeraiAscetic and disciplined, masters of body and mindGnomeSlight, sly tricksters of the Feywild who excel at avoiding noticeGoliathTribal nomads of the mountains, strong as the rock and proud as the peakHalf-ElfBorn heroes and leaders who combine the best features of humans and elvesHalf-OrcFierce warriors who combine human resolve with orc savageryHalflingQuick and resourceful wanderers, small in stature but great in courageHumanAmbitious, driven, pragmatic—a race of heroes, and also a race of villainsMinotaurCaught between savagery and civilization, these warriors struggle against the beast withinShardmindRaw psionic energy barely contained in a body of gleaming crystalline shardsShifterFerocious heirs of the wild, the perfect fusion of civilized race and wild beastTieflingHeirs of a shattered empire who live in the shadows and do not fear the darkWildenNature’s guardians—hunters and destroyers, keepers of ancient knowledge Racial Paragon Paths
Most paragon paths are specific to particular classes. This section presents racial paragon paths, which are specific to races included in this book and in the Player’s Handbook. The only prerequisite for any of these paths is that you be a character of the appropriate race. Only a dwarf can be a firstborn of Moradin, for example, and you must be a half-orc to take the bloodfury savage path. A racial paragon path is an exemplar of a race’s defining characteristics. A scion of Arkhosia is not just any dragonborn hero: He or she is one of the finest examples of certain qualities that set dragonborn apart from other races.
Exemplars of the half-elf race do not pursue a paragon path; instead, they take the Versatile Master feat in Chapter 3.
Choosing a Racial Paragon Path: When you reach 11th level, you can choose a racial paragon path instead of another paragon path (see Player’s Handbook, page 53). You gain the features and the powers of the path at the levels specified in the racial paragon path’s description.
Implements: If your racial paragon path includes powers that have the implement keyword, you can use your class’s implements, as well as implements you can use because of a feat, with those powers. When you wield a magic version of such an implement, you can add its enhancement bonus to the attack rolls and the damage rolls of your racial paragon path powers that have the implement keyword. Without an implement, you can still use these powers.
Building on the racial paragon paths presented in Player’s Handbook 2, the paragon paths in the rest of this chapter are intended for this book’s races.