Skeleton Heritages
Source Player Core pg. 41 2.0
You select a heritage at 1st level to reflect abilities passed down to you from your ancestors or common among those of your ancestry in the environment where you were born or grew up. You have only one heritage and can’t change it later. A heritage is not the same as a culture or ethnicity, though some cultures or ethnicities might have more or fewer members from a particular heritage.
Any creature that has bones in its body can potentially be raised as a skeleton, so skeleton adventurers reflect the full diversity of living beings in the world. Choose one of the following skeleton heritages at 1st level.
Compact SkeletonLegacy Content
Source Book of the Dead pg. 55For tasks that require a lighter touch,
gnome,
goblin, and
halfling remains are more suitable than a larger creature's. These smaller, nimbler skeletons fit well in a traveling chest, can be forced through tight spaces, and more easily avoid detection. Your size is Small instead of Medium. You gain the
Quick Squeeze feat, even if you aren't trained in
Acrobatics. Tight spaces not tight enough to require the
Squeeze activity aren't difficult terrain for you.
Legacy Content
Source Book of the Dead pg. 55Humans, and those who are physically closest to them, are the favored material of necromancers. They are readily available, and their physiology has been studied the most extensively, so these skeletons can be easily mass-produced. Despite their name, fodder skeletons make rather mobile foot soldiers due to how efficiently they transfer necromantic energy within their bodies. You have a base Speed of 30 feet, instead of 25 feet.
Legacy Content
Source Book of the Dead pg. 56Inhuman skeletons are often created for both their deadly physical attacks and their terrifying appearances. Beasts and monstrous humanoids with the strangest skeletons tend to be the centerpiece of the collection of a necromancer skilled enough to raise one. You gain a claw, horn, tail, or wing unarmed attack that deals 1d6 damage. A claw deals slashing damage, a horn deals piercing damage, and a tail or wing deals bludgeoning damage. This unarmed attack is in the
brawling group and has the
finesse and
unarmed traits.
Legacy Content
Rare Source Wake the Dead #4 pg. 28Constructed from the bones of various shapechanging creatures, shifting skeletons retain a measure of reconfigurability, allowing them to shift forms. You gain the Rearrange Bones action.
Source Wake the Dead #4 pg. 28
(
manipulate) You arrange your bones into the form of a Small or medium humanoid's skeleton. This doesn't change your normal Speeds, Strikes, or senses. If you are wearing heavy clothing or impersonating a skeleton, this counts as setting up a disguise for the Impersonate use of Deception, and grants a +1 status bonus to those Deception checks.
Legacy Content
Source Book of the Dead pg. 56Certain hazardous conditions are not suitable for the average skeleton, so a necromancer might choose to reanimate the bones of a
dwarf,
orc, or other creature with a reputation for sturdiness. You have 10 Hit Points instead of 6 and gain the
Diehard feat.
Versatile Heritages
Source Player Core pg. 74 2.0The peoples of Golarion are many, and they have a long history of intermingling or dabbling with forces capable of altering the very fabric of a mortal body or soul. The children born to such parents might have traits from each of their parents or physiological manifestations of the forces their ancestors were influenced by, manifesting as a specific heritage.
Click here for the full rules on Versatile Heritages.
Legacy Content
Uncommon Source Advanced Player's Guide pg. 34 2.0Ancestry Page AasimarYou descend from celestials or were touched by the celestial realms, gaining an air of awe and grace, as well as features distinctive to your celestial forebears. You gain the
aasimar trait, in addition to the traits from your ancestry. You also gain
low-light vision, or you gain
darkvision if your ancestry already has low-light vision. You can choose from aasimar feats and feats from your ancestry whenever you gain an ancestry feat.
Source Player Core pg. 82 2.0Ancestry Page AiuvarinYou have elves, or possibly other aiuvarins, in your family tree. You have pointed ears and other telltale signs of elf heritage. You gain the
elf trait, the
aiuvarin trait, and
low-light vision. In addition, when you gain an ancestry feat, you can choose from aiuvarin and elf feats in addition to those from your ancestry.
Legacy Content
Uncommon Source Ancestry Guide pg. 75 3.0Ancestry Page AphoriteYou were born with a connection to
Axis, the Plane of Law. You gain the
aphorite trait, in addition to the traits from your ancestry. You also gain
low-light vision, or you gain
darkvision if your ancestry already has low-light vision. You can choose from aphorite feats and feats from your ancestry whenever you gain an ancestry feat.
Uncommon Source Rage of Elements pg. 47 2.0Ancestry Page ArdandeYou descend from wood elementals or have some other heritage influenced by the elemental
Plane of Wood. You might have green, mossy skin, vines that grow from your head instead of hair, or thin appendages that resemble twigs. You gain the
ardande trait, in addition to the traits from your ancestry. You also gain
low-light vision, or you gain
darkvision if your ancestry already has low-light vision.
You can choose from ardande feats, geniekin feats, and feats from your ancestry whenever you gain an ancestry feat.
Uncommon Source Player Core pg. 76 2.0Ancestry Page ChangelingYour mother was a hag. Your eyes' heterochromia is the most obvious signifier of this parentage, but you likely also have a slighter build, paler skin, and darker hair than most members of your other parent's ancestry. You gain the changeling trait. You also gain low-light vision, or you gain darkvision if your ancestry already has low-light vision. You can select from changeling feats and feats from your other parent's ancestry whenever you gain an ancestry feat.
Uncommon Source Player Core 2 pg. 42 1.1Ancestry Page DhampirYou are the scion of a
vampire, half living and half
undead, gifted with uncanny charm and grace, a bloodless pallor, and elongated incisors. You gain the
dhampir trait, in addition to the traits from your ancestry. You have the
void healing ability, which means you are harmed by vitality damage and healed by void effects as if you were undead. You also gain
low-light vision, or you gain
darkvision if your ancestry already has low-light vision. You can select from
dhampir feats and feats from your ancestry whenever you gain an ancestry feat.
Uncommon Source Player Core 2 pg. 44 1.1Ancestry Page DragonbloodYou're descended in some way from a dragon. Your physical features might show this outwardly, with a pair of draconic horns, patches of scaly skin, or even a tail, or you might develop an internal reserve of draconic power. You gain the
dragonblood trait, in addition to the traits from your ancestry. Add
Draconic to your ancestry's list of additional languages (allowing you to choose it as a language if your Intelligence modifier is positive). When you roll a success on a saving throw against a
fear effect, you get a critical success instead. You can choose from
dragonblood feats and feats from your ancestry whenever you gain an ancestry feat.
Draconic Exemplars
Some abilities reference your draconic exemplar, which is a specific type of dragon from which you draw your draconic powers—typically the type of dragon whose blood runs in your veins. You can choose your exemplar when you create your character, but are only required to choose one when you select a feat or other option that requires you to have one (such as Breath of the Dragon). This means your draconic nature might be a mystery to you for some time. The table below lists the dragons from Monster Core and their specifications. The dragon breath entry lists if the given breath uses a Fortitude
(F), Reflex
(R), or Will
(W) saving throw. If you choose a dragon from a different source, work with your GM to determine if you have access to it.
| Dragon | Tradition | Speeds | Dragon Breath |
| Adamantine | Primal | Burrow | Cone of bludgeoningR |
| Conspirator | Occult | Climb | Cone of poisonF |
| Diabolic | Divine | - | Cone of fireR |
| Empyreal | Divine | - | Cone of spiritR |
| Fortune | Arcane | - | Cone of forceR |
| Horned | Primal | Swim | Cone of poisonF |
| Mirage | Arcane | Climb | Cone of mentalW |
| Omen | Occult | - | Cone of mentalW |
Source Player Core pg. 83 2.0Ancestry Page DromaarOrcish strength emboldens your bloodline. You have a green tinge to your skin and other indicators of orc heritage. You gain the
orc trait, the
dromaar trait, and
low-light vision. When you gain an ancestry feat, you can choose from dromaar and orc feats in addition to those from your ancestry.
Uncommon Source Player Core 2 pg. 48 1.1Ancestry Page DuskwalkerThanks to an ancient bargain, your soul has been reborn as a duskwalker, a planar scion with a connection to
psychopomps and the
Boneyard. You gain the
duskwalker trait. You also gain
low-light vision, or you gain
darkvision if your ancestry already has low-light vision. Neither your body nor your spirit can ever become
undead. You can select from
duskwalker feats and feats from your ancestry whenever you gain an ancestry feat.
Legacy Content
Uncommon Source Ancestry Guide pg. 96 3.0Ancestry Page GanziYour blood is touched by primal chaos. You gain the
ganzi trait in addition to the traits from your ancestry. You gain resistance to a single damage type equal to half your level; at the beginning of each day, determine randomly whether this resistance applies to acid, electricity, or sonic damage. You also gain a +1 circumstance bonus to saving throws against effects that would cause you to gain the
controlled condition. You can choose from ganzi feats and feats from your ancestry whenever you gain an ancestry feat.
Uncommon Source Tian Xia Character Guide pg. 36PFS Note Characters from Tian Xia have access to this uncommon heritage
Ancestry Page HungerseedOne of your parents was an oni or a hungerseed. You possess a pair of horns, ranging in size from conical nubs to lengthy protrusions. You might have other signs of your parentage, such as colorful skin, fangs and claws, or a third eye in your forehead. You gain the
oni trait. You gain a horns unarmed attack that deals 1d6 piercing damage and is in the
brawling group. You can select from hungerseed feats and feats from your other parent's ancestry whenever you gain an ancestry feat.
Legacy Content
Uncommon Source Ancestry Guide pg. 101 3.0Ancestry Page IfritYou descend from
fire elementals or bear the mark of the Inner Spheres, and your features illustrate the influence that elemental fire has over you. You gain the
ifrit trait, in addition to the traits from your ancestry. You gain resistance to fire equal to half your level (minimum 1), and you treat
environmental heat effects as if they were one step less severe (incredible heat becomes extreme, extreme heat becomes severe, and so on). You can choose from ifrit feats and feats from your ancestry whenever you gain an ancestry feat.
Uncommon Source Player Core pg. 78 2.0Ancestry Page NephilimYour nature is influenced by celestials, fiends, or monitors. This manifests as a combination of features that belie your heritage, such as golden eyes, a halo, horns, or a tail. You gain the nephilim trait, in addition to the traits from your ancestry. You gain low-light vision, or you gain darkvision if your ancestry already has low-light vision. You can choose from nephilim feats and feats from your ancestry whenever you gain an ancestry feat.
Legacy Content
Uncommon Source Ancestry Guide pg. 105 3.0Ancestry Page OreadAn
earth elemental ancestor has influenced your bloodline, and your features highlight this elemental planar connection. You might have a crystalline or metallic sheen to your skin or hair, rough and stony flesh, or glittering gemstone eyes. You gain the
oread trait, in addition to the traits from your ancestry. You also gain
low-light vision, or you gain
darkvision if your ancestry already has low-light vision. You can choose from oread feats and feats from your ancestry whenever you gain an ancestry feat.
Legacy Content
Rare Source Dark Archive pg. 119Ancestry Page ReflectionYou were created as a duplicate of another creature, intentionally or accidentally, though you might not know of your origins. Other than a minor mark or two, you look just like your progenitor. You gain the
reflection trait, in addition to the traits from your ancestry. You don't need to attempt
Deception checks to
Impersonate your progenitor unless you're interacting with people who know them personally or you do something known to be out of character for them. The GM might require you to roll a Deception check in other circumstances, such as if you're mirror-risen and interacting with someone who has seen an accurate likeness of your progenitor and might notice a distinguishing feature on the reverse side. You can choose from reflection feats and feats from your ancestry whenever you gain an ancestry feat.
Legacy Content
Uncommon Source Ancestry Guide pg. 110 3.0Ancestry Page SuliYou are descended from a
janni or otherwise embody a dichotomy of opposing elemental planar forces. You gain the
suli trait, in addition to the traits from your ancestry. You also gain
low-light vision, or you gain
darkvision if your ancestry already has low-light vision. You can choose from suli feats and feats from your ancestry whenever you gain an ancestry feat.
Legacy Content
Uncommon Source Ancestry Guide pg. 114 3.0Ancestry Page SylphYou are descended from
air elementals or were born under the element's influence. You gain the
sylph trait, in addition to the traits from your ancestry. You also gain low-light vision or darkvision if your ancestry already has low-light vision. You can choose from sylph feats and feats from your ancestry whenever you gain an ancestry feat.
Uncommon Source Rage of Elements pg. 51 2.0Ancestry Page TalosYour physical features reflect the influence a
zuhra or other metal elemental has had over your bloodline. Your skin likely has a metallic sheen, ranging from the dull luster of raw ore to the gleaming polish of a new blade, with the wear of age or hardship taking the form of tarnish, rust, or scouring. Your hair might resemble spun gold, coiled steel, copper wiring, or braided chains. You gain the
talos trait, in addition to the traits from your ancestry. You gain resistance to electricity equal to half your level (minimum 1). You can cast the
detect metal cantrip as an arcane innate spell at will. A cantrip is heightened to a spell rank equal to half your level rounded up.
You can choose from talos feats, geniekin feats, and feats from your ancestry whenever you gain an ancestry feat.
Legacy Content
Uncommon Source Advanced Player's Guide pg. 39 2.0Ancestry Page TieflingYou descend from fiends or bear the mark of the fiendish realms, manifesting as some unusual feature that belies your heritage, such as horns or a tail. You gain the
tiefling trait, in addition to the traits from your ancestry. You also gain
low-light vision, or you gain
darkvision if your ancestry already has low-light vision. You can choose from tiefling feats and feats from your ancestry whenever you gain an ancestry feat.
Legacy Content
Uncommon Source Ancestry Guide pg. 118 3.0Ancestry Page UndineA
water elemental ancestor influences your bloodline. You gain the
undine trait, in addition to the traits from your ancestry. You gain a swim Speed of 10 feet and the
amphibious trait. Like all creatures with the amphibious trait, you can breathe both water and air. You can choose from undine feats and feats from your ancestry whenever you gain an ancestry feat.