Human Ancestry Feats

Prerequisites: spellcasting class feature

Through study of multiple magical traditions, you’ve altered a spell to suit your spellcasting style. Choose one cantrip from a magical tradition other than your own. If you have a spell repertoire or a spellbook, replace one of the cantrips you know or have in your spellbook with the chosen spell. If you prepare spells without a spellbook (if you’re a cleric or druid, for example), one of your cantrips must always be the chosen spell, and you prepare the rest normally. You can cast this cantrip as a spell of your class’s tradition.

If you swap or retrain this cantrip later, you can choose its replacement from the same alternate tradition or a different one.

The short human life span lends perspective and has taught you from a young age to set aside differences and work with others to achieve greatness. You gain a +4 circumstance bonus on checks to Aid.

Your adaptability manifests in your mastery of a range of useful abilities. You gain a 1st-level general feat. You must meet the feat’s prerequisites, but if you select this feat during character creation, you can select the feat later in the process in order to determine which prerequisites you meet.

Special You can select this feat multiple times, choosing a different feat each time.

Your powerful ego makes it harder for others to order you around. If you roll a success on a saving throw against a mental effect that attempts to directly control your actions, you critically succeed instead. If a creature rolls a failure on a check to Coerce you using Intimidation, it gets a critical failure instead (so it can’t try to Coerce you again for 1 week).

You were raised to be ambitious and always reach for the stars, leading you to progress quickly in your chosen field. You gain a 1st-level class feat for your class. You must meet the prerequisites, but you can select the feat later in the character creation process in order to determine which prerequisites you meet.

Your ingenuity allows you to learn a wide variety of skills. You gain the trained proficiency rank in two skills of your choice.

You’ve familiarized yourself with a particular weapon, potentially from another ancestry or culture. Choose an uncommon simple or martial weapon with a trait corresponding to an ancestry (such as dwarf, goblin, or orc) or that is common in another culture. You gain access to that weapon, and for the purpose of determining your proficiency, that weapon is a simple weapon.

If you are trained in all martial weapons, you can choose an uncommon advanced weapon with such a trait. You gain access to that weapon, and for the purpose of determining your proficiency, that weapon is a martial weapon.

Prerequisites: Adapted Cantrip, can cast 3rd-level spells

You’ve continued adapting your magic to blend your class’s tradition with your adapted tradition. Choose a cantrip or 1st-level spell from the same magical tradition as your cantrip from Adapted Cantrip. You gain that spell, adding it to your spell repertoire, spellbook, or prepared spells just like the cantrip from Adapted Spell. You can cast this spell as a spell of your class’s magical tradition. If you choose a 1st-level spell, you don’t gain access to the heightened versions of that spell, meaning you can’t prepare them if you prepare spells and you can’t learn them or select the spell as a signature spell if you have a spell repertoire.

You’ve learned how to handle situations when you’re out of your depth. You gain the Untrained Improvisation general feat. In addition, you can attempt skill actions that normally require you to be trained, even if you are untrained.

Prerequisites: Cooperative Nature

You have developed a soul-deep bond with your comrades and maintain an even greater degree of cooperation with them. If you are at least an expert in the skill you are Aiding, you get a success on any outcome rolled to Aid other than a critical success.

Prerequisites: Clever Improviser

Trigger: You attempt a check using a skill you’re untrained in.

A stroke of brilliance gives you a major advantage with a skill despite your inexperience. Gain a +4 circumstance bonus to the triggering skill check.

You’ve learned to split your focus between multiple classes with ease. You gain a 2nd-level multiclass dedication feat (for more about multiclass archetypes, see page 219), even if you normally couldn’t take another dedication feat until you take more feats from your current archetype.

If you’re a half-elf, you don’t need to meet the feat’s ability score prerequisites.

Prerequisites: Unconventional Weaponry, trained in the weapon you chose for Unconventional Weaponry

You’ve continued to advance your powers using your unconventional weapon. Whenever you gain a class feature that grants you expert or greater proficiency in certain weapons, you also gain that proficiency in the weapon you chose for Unconventional Weaponry.

Access Varisian ethnicity or New Thassilon nationality

You have tattoos on your body corresponding to one of the ancient Thassilonian schools of magic. Choose one of the following schools of magic: abjuration (shield), conjuration (tanglefoot), enchantment (daze), evocation (electric arc), illusion (ghost sound), necromancy (chill touch), or transmutation (sigil). You can cast the associated cantrip (listed in parentheses) as an innate arcane spell at will.

Trigger: You critically fail a Diplomacy check.

Access Keleshite nationality

You grew up in the proud Padishah Empire, where even insults have a certain poetic wit. Reroll the triggering Diplomacy check, using the second result.

Access Chelaxian nationality You know more about the habits of devils than is entirely safe. You gain a +2 circumstance bonus to Perception checks against devils and saving throws against their abilities. In addition, whenever you meet a devil in a social situation, you can immediately attempt a Diplomacy check to Make an Impression on that creature rather than needing to converse for 1 minute. You take a –5 penalty to the check. If you fail, you can engage in 1 minute of conversation and attempt a new check at the end of that time rather than accepting the failure or critical failure result.

Special If you have the Glad-Hand skill feat, you don’t take the penalty to your immediate Diplomacy check if the target is a devil.

Prerequisites Tian-Dan ethnicity Many Tian-Dan claim to have dragon blood in their veins, and in your case, this is true—you can spit energy, and you might have an especially visible sign of your draconic heritage. Choose one of the following cantrips: acid splash, electric arc, produce flame, or ray of frost. You can cast this spell as an innate arcane spell at will, and when you cast it, the spell’s energy emerges from your mouth.

Prerequisites: Nidalese ethnicity

Gloom holds few terrors for you, and the pall of darkness over Nidal has made you comfortable in dim light. You gain low-light vision.

Trigger: You are affected by an emotion effect.

Access Taldan nationality

Taldan pride means you never show weakness. Roll a Deception check and compare the result to any observing creatures’ Perception DCs. On a success, that creature believes you were unaffected by the emotion effect. A creature tricked in this manner can’t benefit from the emotion effect and can’t use abilities that require you to be under this emotion effect; for example, if you successfully use this ability to trick a will-o’-wisp (Pathfinder Bestiary 333) into believing you aren’t under a fear effect, it can’t use its Feed on Fear ability on you.

Trigger: You roll a critical failure on a saving throw against an emotion effect.

Access Vudrani ethnicity

You center yourself and call to mind the Vudrani monastic ideals of mindfulness and self-knowledge. You fail the save against the emotion effect instead of critically failing.

Access Shoanti ethnicity

You grew up among the Shoanti tribes, with the spirits watching over you, and they offer you guidance. You gain the trained proficiency rank in the skill listed for your quah (or another skill of your choice, if you’re already trained in that skill). You gain the Assurance skill feat in that skill, as the spirits’ help guides your actions.

Lyrune-Quah Religion

Shadde-Quah Athletics

Shriikirri-Quah Nature

Shundar-Quah Diplomacy

Sklar-Quah Intimidation

Skoan-Quah Medicine

Tamiir-Quah Acrobatics

Access Lirgeni nationality

The ancient Saoc Brethren were the masters of astrology, and while your knowledge may be but a pale shadow of their wisdom, it still comes in handy. You recall the stars’ predictions about your current situation. If your next action requires you to attempt one or more skill checks, roll 1d8. On a result of 6, 7, or 8, you gain a +2 circumstance bonus to the first such skill check you attempt. On a 3, 4, or 5, you gain a +1 circumstance bonus. On a 2, you gain nothing. On a 1, you take a –1 circumstance penalty to the skill check.

Prerequisites: You have a spellcasting class feature with the divine or primal tradition

Access Erutaki ethnicity

You know the truth behind old stories that tell of sending a fetish of bone and sinew to seek vengeance. These old magics allow you to conjure constructs with ease. Add the summon construct spell to your spell list. The constructs you summon have a distinct ivory scrimshaw appearance, and if you include a drop of blood, lock of hair, or other portion of a creature’s body as part of the spell’s material component, the summoned construct gains a +4 status bonus to Perception checks to sense or locate that creature.

Access Ulfen ethnicity

You trained with shields and weapons as soon as you were old enough to hold them, eager to win honor and glory for yourself. You gain the Shield Block reaction and are trained in your choice of the battle axe or longsword.

Access Kellid ethnicity

You and your family have fought long and hard against witches, particularly the winter witches of Irrisen, and you’ve learned to be wary of their curses and the otherworldly powers their patrons grant. You gain a +1 circumstance bonus to saving throws against curses, and to saving throws against spells cast by a witch or hag. If you roll a success on a saving throw against a curse or a spell cast by a witch or hag, you get a critical success instead.

Prerequisites: Gloomseer (page 12)

Zon-Kuthon smiles upon you—even if you curse his name—granting you pitch-black eyes that allow you to see in shadows and darkness. You gain darkvision.

Prerequisites: Arcane Tattoos (page 11)

You expand your tattoos to encompass greater magic. Choose a 1st-level arcane spell from the same school as your Arcane Tattoos, either a common spell or another to which you have access. You can cast that spell once per day as an innate arcane spell.

Prerequisites: Bonuwat ethnicity

You have been blessed by the sea, granting you the ability to swim like a fish. You gain a 15-foot swim Speed.

Special If you have the Bonuwat Wavetouched background (Lost Omens World Guide 94), you can take this feat at 1st level instead of 5th.

Prerequisites: Dragon Spit (page 12)

The blood of the Dragon Kings runs strong in your veins. Your draconic heritage is clearly visible, with hair that is almost entirely crimson, azure, or the like, and that shines like a dragon’s scales. You can cast the dragon breath sorcerer bloodline spell (Pathfinder Core Rulebook 403) as an innate arcane spell once per day, but you can use only the dragon breath that is associated with your heritage and that matches the energy type of your Dragon Spit feat. At 12th level and every 3 levels thereafter, the spell is heightened by an additional spell level.

Prerequisites: Saoc Astrology (page 12)

In the past, you would have been a proud initiate of the Saoc Brethren. Today, you carry on their legacy. When you use Saoc Astrology, roll 1d4 instead; on a 1, you take a –1 penalty to the skill check. On any other result, you gain a circumstance bonus of that value (for instance, a +3 circumstance bonus on a 3).

Prerequisites: Garundi, Mauxi, or Tian-Yae ethnicity

Your ancestors hailed from the flying cities of the Shory, and a few simple tricks have come down through the ages to you. You can cast 4th-level fly on yourself as an innate arcane spell once per day.

Prerequisites: Ornate Tattoo (page 13)

Your tattoos are a work of eldritch genius, a masterpiece of art, magic, and skin. Choose a 3rd-level arcane spell from the same school as your Arcane Tattoos, either a common spell or another to which you have access, including a lower-level spell heightened to 3rd level if you wish.

You can cast that spell once per day as an innate arcane spell.

Prerequisites: Jadwiga ethnicity, wintertouched human heritage (page 11)

You can trace your direct descent from one of the Queens of Irrisen and thus from Baba Yaga herself. Your resistance to cold increases to 5 + half your level, and you can cast 5th-level wall of ice as an innate arcane spell once per day.

Prerequisites: Nidalese ethnicity

Thousands of years ago, your ancestors made a pact with Zon-Kuthon. He has not forgotten, even if you might wish he had. You can take 1 damage to mix blood and shadows to cast 5th-level creation as an innate divine spell. You can use this ability as often as you wish, but you can have only one such object in existence at a time. If the object encounters bright light, the spell ends and the object dissolves into shadows.

Prerequisites: Garundi, Mauxi, or Tian-Yae ethnicity; Shory Aeromancer (page 14) or ability to cast fly

Unique in Golarion’s history, the Shory people developed fighting styles dedicated to combat in the air. You gain a +2 circumstance bonus to Acrobatics checks to Maneuver in Flight and a +5-foot status bonus to your fly Speed whenever you are flying via magic.