By far the most common race inhabiting the Demiplane of Dread, human characters are the standard by which all others are judged.
Description
Humans are the shortest lived of any demihuman races. Seldom does one of these folk live to see the age of one hundred years, even in less sinister places than the Demiplane of Dread. The average Ravenloft human male stands about six feet tall and weighs one hundred seventy pounds. Females are shorter and lighter, as a rule. Table 69: Human Physical Characteristics can be used to determine the height, weight, and other characteristics of a human character.
Table 69: Human Physical Characteristics
| Trait | Formula | |
| Height, Male | 60+2d10 inches | |
| Height, Female | 59+2d10 inches | |
| Weight, Male | 140+6d10 pounds | |
| Weight, Female | 100+6d10 pounds | |
| Starting Age | 15+1d4 years | |
| Maximum Age | 90+2d20 years |
| Age | Years | Effects | ||
| Middle (1/2 Base Max.) | 45 | -1 Srt/Con; +1 Int/Wis | ||
| Old (2/3 Base Max.) | 60 | -2 Str/Dex; -1 Con; +1 Wis | ||
| Venerable (Base Max.) | 90 | -1 Str/Dex/Con; +1 Int/Wis |
The men and women of Ravenloft range from the fair-skinned folk of Dementlieu or Richemulot to the ruddy, olive complexions of the men and women of Hazlan and Nova Vaasa. Hair and eye color also vary greatly from one realm to another. Within the confines of reason, a player is free to describe his human character however he wishes (subject to Dungeon Master approval).
The clothes worn by the inhabitants of various domains reflects the nature of life in a given region. The sections of this book describing the various domains include specific types of clothing, arms, and armor for each realm. When a player creates a character from Ravenloft, he should describe his character in a manner suited to his homeland. Minor deviations are okay, but most of Ravenloft's folk are conservative and somewhat xenophobic, so any marked change or highly eccentric variation should be approved by the Dungeon Master.
Personality
Although humans are the most diverse race in Ravenloft, it is possible to make some general comments them.
As a people, those native to the Demiplane of Dread are far more xenophobic and suspicious than their peers on other worlds. No matter where in Ravenloft they hail from, people have learned to mistrust strangers and fear the unknown. Anything different is, by definition, potentially dangerous and frightening.
Although individual customs vary from domain to domain, every region of this shadowy land is rich with traditions and practices believed to repel (or lure) bad luck, evil spirits, ghouls, and so on. So intense is the belief in the supernatural that it even overshadows the typical person's prejudice to outsiders. In most cases, the superstitions of a stranger will be respected. To do less is to invite disaster. After all, the newcomer might know something you do not.
Because the various realms of Ravenloft are drawn from a multitude of places, any period in history or social structure is likely to be found somewhere in the Mists. As one might expect, any individual's outlook on life (and death) is largely based upon the values of his society.
Perhaps the most important element of human psychology in Ravenloft concerns the mysterious Vistani. The men and women of Ravenloft almost universally distrust these traveling gypsies and make them ready scapegoats for any mystery or unsolved crime.
Ability Scores
For all their differences in dress, behavior, and physical appearance, people are people. As such, no special adjustments are made to a human character's ability scores.
Special Abilities
The men and women of Ravenloft are not gifted with infravision or otherwise able to do things that human beings from other lands find impossible. This is not to say, however, that no difference exists between a person born in Lamordia and another person raised in Zherisia. Chapters Two, Three, and Four contain character adjustments that reflect the nature of life in Ravenloft's domains.
