PowerStar's page

OK. I see it now.

Race traits and racial traits, despite similar names, are different things.

Racial traits are the abilities you get for being a race, like darkvision or stonecunning. Those are locked in and cant be swapped around.

RACE traits are a category of character trait that, like regional traits and religion traits, appear regularly in the Pathfinder Companion line. You'll want to check those books out for the various race traits you can swap out for by taking the Adopted basic trait. If you don't have or don't use Pathfinder Companion products, then just ignore the Adopted trait because it does nothing for you.

But stonecunning IS swappable as of Advanced. So how can you say Darkvision isn't allowed, when harder to explain traits, like Dwarven Magic Resistance IS allowed? I understand the difference between Race traits and Racial traits, however no-where in any of the books I've seen differentiates this. In fact, it lists everything under racial traits in the books, even the stat adjustments and size, which are OBVIOUSLY race traits. If just being adopted by dwarves could qualify you for magic resistance.. Why then couldn't darkvision?

Mike J wrote:

If traits are allowed, just take the Adopted trait and choose a race with Darkvision/low-light vision.

Benefit: Select a race trait from your adoptive parents’ race.

That just lets you grab a trait that's otherwise specific to a given race, not a racial ability like darkvision.

I'm not certain I totally agree. I understand what your saying, but I do not see where the books actually delineate this. Further, Magic Resistant is allowed as a choice via adopted, and it's rather difficult to explain why another race could possess this via adopted by dwarves, but it's allowed; so why NOT darkvision?

Magic Resistant: Some of the older dwarven clans are particularly resistant to magic. Dwarves with this racial trait gain spell resistance equal to 5 + their character level. This resistance can be lowered for 1 round as a standard action. Dwarves with this racial trait take a –2 penalty on all concentration checks made in relation to arcane spells. This racial trait replaces the hardy racial trait.