Because the land of Hyrule has such a wide variety of races, before selecting your character class and type you will select a race.
Your race will determine a lot about your character’s culture and may restrict choices you can make later in character creation. If you have your heart set on a specific class, skip ahead and check to see if it is available to all races. If not, you will need to select an appropriate race to take that class.
The history of Hyrule and the related kingdoms from the Legend of Zelda series is incredibly long and splits into multiple timelines. Each entry in the overall series is populated by a unique subset of the many races Nintendo has created over time. Sometimes, it simply wouldn’t make sense to allow your players to select from the full list of races, especially the minor ones. But even the major five races are not always represented, with Gerudo and Rito being the least common.
Think about which game your campaign is modeled off, timeline placement (if that interests you), or even simply what sort of adventure you would like your players to have. Then, decide which of the major and minor races would make sense to allow.
You might also consider having a race present in your game which is available for NPCs or even enemies, but that your players cannot select from. Let them know during character creation what their options are.
Add these steps to the process on page 29 of the Ryuutama rules, before the ‘Choose a Class’ section:
Choose a Race
Record your race on your character sheet, and make a note of any requirements that will affect your choices later on in character creation.
Then, choose and record your race skills. You should have two — some races, like Hylians, are allowed to pick both, but some races, like Gorons, have one race skill that is common to all members of that race.
Hylians are a race of humans who have learned resilience through the eras, and are known for their adaptability and the wide variety of tasks they can master. However, they are also rather fragile, and have trouble in extreme environments without special equipment.
Requirements
Your STR skill must begin at 4 or 6
A typical Hylian adult is between 4.5 and 5.5 feet tall, with rare exceptions outside that size. Hylians come in all shapes and Earth-typical human skin tones, hair colors, and eye colors.
All Hylians have pointed ears and it is rare to see a strong jaw or large nose on a Hylian (though they can get quite long!).
Members of the Sheikah tribe do not necessarily consider themselves Hylians, but they are almost identical genetically. The exception is that all Sheikah have white hair from birth, and many have red or bright golden eyes that are not typical of the general Hylian populace. It is not clear if the special abilities of some Sheikah are genetic or divine in origin.
Hylians mature at a typical human rate, and tend to live somewhere between 70 and 100 years. Though some (particularly Sheikah) live much longer than that, they do not age any slower than their shorter lived fellows, and can get quite wizened in their advanced age.
Race Skills
select two
Perseverent
You never give up, no matter the circumstance.
You gain a Fumble Point automatically at the start of a session. It does not carry over between sessions.
Scavenger
You have a keen eye that assists when scrounging up food, materials, or other collected items.
Add +1 to checks when searching for rations, collecting monster parts, or seeking items.
Gadgeteer
You always have a tool for the job. And if all fails, blow it up!
You have a free small bomb bag or an empty bottle. Treat each upgrade price for bags as if it were one level lower after the initial purchase, and get a 10 rupee discount on other containers!
Requirements: You must pick the Technical Type
Mystical
Your bloodline is especially attuned to the underlying magic in the world.
You know one low-level spell from the Incantation list that you cannot lose.
Requirements: You must pick the Magic Type
Improvised Fighting
It’s dangerous to go alone, so you never do.
You can fight with a weapon outside of your Weapon Mastery without incurring a penalty, except for Heavy Blades and Hammers and Clubs.
Requirements: You must pick the Attack Type
Gerudo are an all female society– with no male Gerudo born in living memory. They are known for their strong will and stronger bodies, and for their ability to thrive in even the most extreme of climates.
Requirements
You must be female, and your starting STR must be 6 or 8
An adult Gerudo is typically between seven and nine feet tall, and the vast majority have darker skin and large noses compared to Hylians, and they all have unnaturally red hair. Their culture encourages a certain level of fitness, but Gerudo still come in a wide variety of body types.
Most Gerudo have pointy ears, but those fathered by humans from outside Hylia occasionally have rounded ears. In earlier eras, all Gerudo have rounded ears; it is unknown why this changed with time.
Gerudo mature at the same rate as most humans and typically live between 60 and 100 years, though legend tells of some Gerudo who used dark magic to live an unnaturally long time.
Race Skills
select Desert Native and one more
Desert Native
You have lived in the desert your whole life.
Hot climates and weather count as one difficulty category less than normal, and desert is only difficulty category 2. With you as a guide, your party does not suffer movement penalties with the desert.
Bold
You take life head on and are hard to faze.
When you suffer the [Shock] status effect due to encountering surprising or frightening monsters and situations, decrease the severity by 2.
social Graces
As part of the preparations you made to go on your journey, you studied the cultures and social mores of other races.
You have an easier time with contested checks involving charm or etiquette, and can choose to roll your highest stat twice. I.E. for Negotiation checks, if you have 6 INT and 8 SPI, you can use [SPI + SPI] instead.
Guardian of the Chief
You have trained your whole life in the service of the Gerudo chief.
Choose medium blades or polearms as a Mastered Weapon. You get a scimitar or a spear, respectively. If you already have your choice as a Mastered Weapon, you gain a +2 to accuracy checks with that weapon.
The Goron are an incredibly strong, sturdy race thanks to the rock-like nature of their skin. They can withstand extraordinary heat and pressure, but suffer in the cold and cannot swim. It is a common belief among other races that all Goron are male, especially since they have a propensity to call each other “Brother”… but perhaps that’s simply a case of cultural misunderstanding?
Requirements
Your starting STR must be 8. You cannot wear armor.
Race Skills
select a boulder subtype, and one more
Boulder
Your skin is rock-like and powerful.
You can withstand the most extreme hot terrain and weather, reducing their difficulty by one, but cold terrain and weather have their difficulty increased by one.
You have a natural defense of 2.
Additionally, you can tuck your head and limbs in and form a boulder shape with your body, and roll around quickly. You cannot typically attack in this form or use objects that require your hands, but can move an extra 2 squares during combat if you began the round curled up.
Attack Type
You’ve learned to hurl your body from a long distance.
You can use a [STR + DEX] accuracy check to do 1 heart of damage with a range of 5 squares. You cannot go through obstacles or up anything but the smoothest of elevation (such as a ramp).
At level 3 and 7, the number of hearts this attack does increases by 1.
Defensive Type
Your skin is extra hard, even for a Goron, and you are covered in more rocky protrusions than most.
You take one half heart less damage when hit. This increases to 1 heart at level 3, and 2 hearts at level 7. When curled up and using the Defense action, you can defend an ally in a different combat area.
Iron Stomach
While most Goron require certain kinds of rocks to eat, you will happily consume any rock, mineral, or earth.
You only consume a food ration every other day (skip the second ration of your session, and so forth).
Broad Back
You sure have a big back!
Your carrying capacity is +4, and goes up to +5 if your STR becomes 10 or higher.
The Rito are a avian-esque people with the gift of flight who thrive in the colder temperatures of the higher altitudes they call home. They are a graceful and skilled people, taking pride in everything they do, from their flying techniques to their art.
Requirements
Your starting Dex must be 6 or 8.
*Note: these Rito are based on the ones from Breath of the Wild.
Race Skills
(choose Flight and one more)
Flight
Your beautiful feathers are not just for show!
You can fly at the same speed that you walk. However, your legs are not strong enough to propel you upwards, so you must find an updraft or leap from a high (15 foot or more) place to take off. When in flight, you can move over obstacles that are no more than 20 feet tall or across rivers without issue.
Enemies on the ground have -1 accuracy to hit you for every 20 feet up you go.
Musical Spirit
The Rito people have a natural affinity for song, and your connection to music is especially deep.
You can take the Minstrel Skill ‘Music’. If you are already a Minstrel, once per scenario, you can do a [INT + SPI] check with a TN of 9 to learn a second terrain or weather song that scenario. For every failure, add 1 to your next check of this kind.
Good Graces
You provide a service of some kind (i.e. messenger, search and rescue, aerial scouting) which has given you a good reputation across Hyrule.
When meeting an NPC, you can do a [SPI + SPI] check with a TN determined by the DM.
- On a success, they either know you or your (positive) reputation precedes you, giving your party situational +1 bonus to social checks.
- On a failure, they’ve never heard of or met you.
- On a critical, you’ve definitely done them a good favor in the past. You party gets a +2 bonus to social checks
- On a fumble, you brought them bad news or did a poor job, giving your party a -1 penalty to social checks.
Ace Archer
You are very handy with a bow. You get a +1 to accuracy checks when attacking from over 2 squares away. You can also use your bow as normal within melee.
Requirements: Mastered Weapon: bow
Zora are aquatic, incredibly proud people. Due to the fact that they rarely leave Hyrule’s waterways due to discomfort, they are more isolated than other races and have a reputation for being mysterious, aloof, or even hostile. However, Zora tend to be a curious and even playful bunch if someone outside of the tribe has the chance to get to the know them well.
Requirements
Must return to a water source regularly; if you did not do so within the last two days, subtract 1 from your condition check each day following that.
When in Arid or Hot weather and terrain, suffer Exhaustion 4 after two days without a water source, increasing by two for every two subsequent days under those conditions.
Ruto and her party find themselves in the Gerudo desert and spend two days without encountering a water source, and she forgot to pack potions! She was able to bathe in a river the day before they got to the desert, so begins counting the days, hoping she will be able to get to water or a city soon.
On the first and second mornings, Ruto is fine, but by the third morning she is dry and uncomfortable, and takes a -1 to her condition check and, because the area is both Arid and Hot, suffers Exhaustion 4. She rolled a 6 for her condition check today, so is at Condition 5, and doesn’t suffer any penalties, but is feeling pretty nervous.
The party doesn’t roll very well that day, and spend another day without finding a water source for Ruto to refresh in or a source of magic potions. When she wakes up, she rolls a 6 on her Condition check again, but is now at Condition 4 thanks to the -2 penalty. Her exhaustion is still at 4, so her d8 Spirit is reduced to d6.
Finally, that day they find a vendor with some (overpriced!) Cool Skin Potions, and are able to afford 2. Ruto takes one immediately, which reduces her Exhaustion to 0 and restores her Spirit to d8. She saves the next one to see if she feels better or worse in the morning, since she will be at a -3 penalty for the next Condition check unless things look up soon!
You will want to be sure to provide access to purchase/make magical potions to mitigate the condition check penalty. For example:
| Price (R) | Size | Effect/Explanation | |
| Cool Skin Potion | 50 | 1 | Mitigates the effect of hot temperatures; lasts 8 hours |
Zora are usually between five and six feet tall as adults, though members of the royal bloodline can grow to frankly massive sizes. What a Zora looks like depends very deeply on their personal bloodline and the era in which they live. Amongst themselves, Zora distinguish between the two major branches as Ocean Zora and River Zora, though this seems to have almost no relationship to where they actually reside!
Ocean Zora
So-called Ocean Zora have smooth, dolphin-like skin, limbs with fins of varying complexity, and heads that mimic the shape of various fish or other finned sea creatures. An average Zora is teal or blue in tone, but some are black or even more rarely, bright red. Their eyes are large and expressive, with pointed teeth useful for shredding fish.
River Zora
These Zora evolved to be rough, scaly, with large eyes and gaping mouths. They are either green or dark teal, they are wide, with stumpy limbs and flipper-like feet. In some eras, Zora of this type are extremely hostile and are even considered monsterous by other races, but there are examples of more peaceful River Zora as well.
Race Skills
(choose Powerful Swimmer and one more)
Powerful Swimmer
You are at home in the water, and can move at stunning speed while swimming.
You only need to make hard exercise [STR + DEX] checks if swimming in unnaturally turbulent water, and you can breathe underwater. You also get a +2 to any [DEX] checks performed in or under water.
Extreme Swimmer
Rapids and even waterfalls can’t stop you.
Your powerful muscles allow you traverse through even turbulent water as though it were still, and you can even traverse upward through a waterfall. Be careful not to leave your companions too far behind…
Innate Magic
Zora are a mystical people, and some have special powers.
Choose one of the following abilities.
Fire Spitter
Although it is considered taboo to do so in front of outsiders, you can spit fireballs! To use them in Combat, make a [DEX + DEX] accuracy check and expend 4 MP. If the fireball hits, it does 2 hearts of damage.
Electric Shock
Your have control over an electric charge in your body, and can discharge it for 4 MP. Anyone touching you or within 1 square (2 in water) will be shocked for 1 heart of damage and cannot move on their next turn. Anyone attacking a stunned creature gains +2 to their accuracy check.
Wealth of Knowledge
As a long lived race, Zora have an extensive historical record and accurate first hand accounts of events in the world. You have studied these records thoroughly, and are simply full of facts!
Gain a +2 bonus to any checks to recall facts about a location, event, or historical figure, or when making or supporting a Direction check. However, you are very proud and cannot be supported in your own Direction checks.
Deku Scrubs are strange, ornery creatures who seem to be living wood. Although many people would only ever encounter one or two Deku Scrubs at a time in Hyrule, there are entire enclaves of these unusual people in some parts of the wider world. Deku Scrubs come in many shapes and forms – tough and scrawny, simple-minded and guileful – but they almost always have to compensate for some obvious flaw.
Requirements
Being made of wood, you are, of course, flammable. You suffer an extra heart of damage from any fire based attack. If you travel in an extremely hot environment (close to lava, for example), you will burst into flames unless sufficiently protected by special gear or magic.
You must take either the standard or specialized set when determining your starting ability scores.
Deku Scrubs range wildly in physical size, but the largest is perhaps 3 feet tall. This height may be any particular proportion of leg, body, head, and hair-like foliage. The more ornate this foliage is, the more important a Deku Scrub is (or wishes to appear!).
A Deku Scrub’s face and body, if visible, is a medium brown with a smooth texture and the grain of a fine polished wood. Their small, round eyes glow red or orange above a circle, log-like mouth that is oddly flexible. Some Deku Scrubs have arms and some don’t appear to, but who knows what they look like when they’re hiding away!
Nobody knows how long a Deku Scrub can live — since Deku Scrubs don’t really visually age it’s hard for outsiders to tell the difference between and old and a young Deku Scrub. Still, they do have familial structure, so Deku Scrub must be born and grow, but a baby Deku Scrub is not a common sight. Some say that Deku Scrubs can live hundreds upon hundreds of years, just like a tree, but still others say Deku Scrubs are the transformed souls of lost wanderers.
Whatever the case may be, a Deku Scrub would likely be happy to part with the truth for a small fee!
Race Skills
select Into the Woods and one more
Into the Woods
You know all the ins and outs of the forest, especially how to take advantage of it for concealment.
You gain a +1 bonus to travel checks in the Woods, Deep Forest and Jungle terrains. You can conceal yourself as a shrub wherever you would typically find one (even in flower pots and beds!) and gain a +1 bonus to Stealth checks while doing so.
Business Scrub
You can use the Trader skill as if you were a Merchant, with no restriction on the number or type of items when selling. You cannot achieve a price change higher than 30% (all results above a 10 result in a 30% change to the buying or selling price.
If you have the Merchant class, in addition to being able to sell anything, you may reroll a haggling roll once per Journey. If you chose to reroll, or to try and sell an undesirable item, you will incur the above effect. Otherwise, use the table under Trader to determine the result.
Deku Spin
You’ve mastered a secret spinning maneuver that almost makes you lighter than air!
You can move a distance of (Dex/2) meters in a single dash, carrying you safely across the surface of any body of liquid as long as you end your movement of solid ground. In combat, you ignore difficult terrain due to water as long as your movement ends on solid ground. While moving, you can use an action to attack an enemy you pass by with a [DEX+STR] accuracy check. This deals a half heart of damage.
Pea Shooter
Your face is a small canon.
You can naturally produce large bubbles of spit that can be shot in a straight line, with a range of 5. It takes 2 MP to shoot one, and they do 1 heart of damage normally.
If you find deku nuts or other projectiles, you may shoot them instead of a bubble; projectiles like this take no MP to shoot, have a range of 7, but only do a half heart of damage.