Gloaming

Gloamings are a race of pixie-like planetouched native to the Plane of Shadow in the Great Wheel cosmology of Dungeons & Dragons, looking something like an elfin halfling with naturally luminescent skin, cat-like eyes, and large, darkly furred, moth-like wings. Aarchistic, whimsical and downright contrarian, they often migrate between the Plane of Shadow and the Underdark, and sometimes even appear on the surface. They were introduced in the "Underdark" splatbook for Dungeons & Dragons 3rd Edition Forgotten Realms.

Racial Fluff

A gloaming is a pale-skinned humanoid with catlike eyes and dark, furry wings. Her skin is naturally luminescent, and she can control its glow, choosing a degree of illumination from none to as bright as a torch. A typical gloaming has one or more tattoos that create interesting shading effects when her skin glows. Her eyes have slightly oval pupils and reflect light like a cat’s. This property makes them seem almost metallic in dim light, though in ordinary light they appear gray, green-gray, blue-gray, or violet-gray. A gloaming’s wings may be black or any deep shade of brown or gray.

Gloamings speak Undercommon. Most also speak several other languages that they have learned in their travels. Names: Like human names, gloaming names vary greatly, and none are truly typical. Further complicating matters is the fact that a gloaming is called one name by his parents when he is a child, then chooses another name for himself as an adult. It’s not unusual for gloaming names to be drawn from completely disparate cultures.

Gloamings are compulsive travelers, so they usually remain strangers among other races. Their curiosity often manifests as wanderlust, and indeed most gloamings display a great drive to explore. Different gloamings pursue different interests and goals, so finding more than four or five of them together for a long time is atypical. Adventuring gloamings are the norm rather than the exception. The curiosity of these creatures and their general inability to settle in any one place for long compel many of them to take up the adventuring life. The discoveries an adventurer makes and the uncertainty of the profession greatly appeal to them. Though gloamings are naturally long-lived, the urge to travel and explore comes early, so few of them live to reach old age. Gloamings are curious beings who pride themselves on their individualism. The difficult conditions in the Underdark quickly teach them caution and the merits of working with others. While their inquisitiveness may lead them to choose the adventuring life, it does not make them completely foolish risk-takers. In a similar manner, their individuality tends to express itself in ways that do not interfere with working with other gloamings or members of other races.

Gloaming philosophies and behavior run the gamut of possibilities, but they are usually contrary to the dominant alignment of the area. For instance, chaotic evil communities rarely include chaotic evil gloamings, but they might have gloamings of any other alignment. Likewise, the gloamings who live among mostly neutral beings are generally inclined toward extremes of behavior on both the lawful-chaotic and the good-evil axis.

Gloamings usually spurn organized religion or any predetermined philosophy that dictates behavior and norms. Thus, gloaming clerics are almost nonexistent.

Though gloamings are rampant individualists, almost all share similar attitudes toward a few other races—in particular the drow, the mind flayers, and the planetouched.

Gloamings harbor a deep-seated, racial hatred of the drow. One legend holds that the drow learned how to cast the cloak of dark power spell only after capturing, torturing, and experimenting on many unfortunate gloamings, and the attitude of the latter toward dark elves tends to lend credence to this tale.

Interestingly, mind flayers often leave gloamings unmolested unless provoked. Illithids find gloaming brains unpalatable, and experience has shown that the luminescent, winged humanoids make poor slaves.

Gloamings are fascinated with other planetouched races, especially genasi and tieflings. They view such beings as kindred spirits of interplanar descent and sometimes even call them cousins.

Aside from drow, mind flayers, and planetouched, gloamings have no universally held opinions of other races. Likewise, no other race has had enough contact with gloamings to form widespread opinions or prejudices.

Virtually all gloamings choose the gloaming region regardless of where they actually live. Gloamings who have gained knowledge and experience in Toril often turn their attention to the planes and travel there as well.

Racial Crunch

-2 Strength, +2 Dexterity, -2 Wisdom, +2 Charisma

Native Outsider

Small

Base Land Speed 20 feet, Fly 40 feet with Average maneuverability

Light Blindness (Ex): Abrupt exposure to bright light (such as sunlight or a daylight spell) blinds a gloaming for 1 round. In addition, she takes a –1 circumstance penalty on all attack rolls, saves, and checks while operating in bright light. Gloamings are eligible to take the Daylight Adaptation feat from the FORGOTTEN REALMS Campaign Setting.

Shadow Spells: Gloamings have a racial predilection for shadow-based spells. They cast illusion (shadow) spells at +1 caster level.

Racial Bonuses: A gloaming has a +2 racial bonus on saves against illusion (shadow) spells or effects and a +4 racial bonus on saves against psionic abilities, such as those possessed by mind flayers or yuan-ti. She also gains a +4 racial bonus on Move Silently checks.

Low-Light Vision: A gloaming can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, or similar conditions of poor illumination. She retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.

Luminescence (Ex): As a standard action, a gloaming can make her skin provide illumination equal to that produced by any light source up to and including a torch, or she can mute the glow altogether. A gloaming’s luminescence lasts until she chooses to change it. When a gloaming dies, her luminescence fades to nothing over the course of 10 minutes.

A gloaming has Portal Sensitive as a bonus feat.

Automatic Language: Undercommon. Bonus Languages: By character region.

Favored Class: Sorcerer (Shadowcaster came later, but would be just as appropriate)

Level Adjustment: +2.