Variant Rules for Races

Bloodlines (Unearthed Arcana p.19) Only minor and intermediate bloodlines are available for PCs. Bloodlines must be taken at level 1. Other or higher bloodlines are available with DM approval only and must follow the guidelines for creating bloodlines on p. 31.

Powerful Races at Level One (Player’s Guide to Faerun p.190) Following the guidelines presented in the Player’s Guide, players may choose to start with any number ‘levels’ in their race, but must have at least one class level. If a player cant not, or chooses not to take the entire level adjustment, and instead follow the guidelines for ‘advancing’ in the race, then said player must explain this in their background. For example, a Drow that has recently come to the surface may have lost some of her racial abilities due to the sun, or possibly the character is not yet an adult.

Lycanthropes (Dragon Magazine #313) Not so much a race, as a template, a player may start with as many levels as she so chooses of any one lycanthrope template. Taking the template grants Control Shape (wis) as a class-skill to all classes, and access to the feats detailed there for lycanthropes.