before beings diffusing crafting races

The Archfey Legacy

Classes Player’s Handbook (2014)

Your patron is a lord or lady of the fey, a creature of legend who holds secrets that were forgotten before the mortal races were born. This being’s motivations are often inscrutable, and

sometimes whimsical, and might involve a striving for greater magical power or the settling of age-old grudges. Beings of this sort include the Prince of Frost; the Queen of Air and Darkness, ruler of the

Chitine

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

, attracting spiders and other beings that serve her. Anywhere chitines set up a colony quickly becomes a webshrouded, gloomy, and treacherous place. Chitines resemble spiders, but they behave more like

floors, walls, structures, objects, and traps that benefit the colony. A warrior might be responsible for crafting web armor (which is as tough as hide or leather), while a group of workers might be

Variant Aasimar

Species Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)

This aasimar variant originally appeared in the Dungeon Master's Guide as an example for creating your own races. Whereas tieflings have fiendish blood in their veins, aasimar are the descendants of

celestial beings. These folk generally appear as glorious humans with lustrous hair, flawless skin, and piercing eyes. Aasimar often attempt to pass as humans in order to right wrongs and defend

Elf Legacy

Species Basic Rules (2014)

of many other races. They are slightly shorter than humans on average, ranging from well under 5 feet tall to just over 6 feet. They are more slender than humans, weighing only 100 to 145 pounds

enjoy simple yet lovely jewelry. A Timeless Perspective Elves can live well over 700 years, giving them a broad perspective on events that might trouble the shorter-lived races more deeply. They are

Giff

Species Spelljammer: Adventures in Space

Giff are tall, broad-shouldered folk with hippo-like features. Some have smooth skin, while others have short bristles on their faces and the tops of their heads. As beings of impressive size and

divine beings who created giff have likewise been forgotten. Their titanic petrified bodies drift on the Astral Sea, isolated and unrecognizable in their current forms. Although they don’t realize

Changeling Legacy

Species Eberron: Rising from the Last War

in stable communities where changelings are true to their nature and deal openly with the people around them. Some are orphans, raised by other races, who find their way in the world without ever

specific purpose and then might never be used again. However, many changelings develop identities that have more depth. They build an identity over time, crafting a persona with a history and beliefs. This

Hadozee

Species Spelljammer: Adventures in Space

branch. Today, hadozees are sapient, bipedal beings eager to leave behind the fearsome predators of their home world and explore other worlds. In addition to being natural climbers, hadozees have feet

of the game’s fantastical races. If you create a character using a race option presented here, follow these additional rules during character creation. Ability Score Increases When

Bugbear Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

; Elminster Bugbears feature in the nightmare tales of many races — great, hairy beasts that creep through the shadows as quiet as cats. If you walk alone in the woods, a bugbear will reach out

. Shiftless, Savage Layabouts When they’re not in battle, bugbears spend much of their time resting or dozing. They don’t engage in crafting or agriculture to any great extent, or

Aarakocra

Species Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

A winged people who originated on the Elemental Plane of Air, aarakocra soar through the sky wherever they wander. The first aarakocra served the Wind Dukes of Aaqa—mighty beings of air&mdash

violent end on an adventure. Members of some races, such as dwarves and elves, can live for centuries. If typical members of a race can live longer than a century, that fact is mentioned in the race

Githyanki

Species Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

cultivated over eons in the Astral Plane. Now all githyanki can use their psychic bond with that plane to access splinters of knowledge left behind by beings who travel, live, and die among the silver

character in the D&D multiverse is about a century, assuming the character doesn’t meet a violent end on an adventure. Members of some races, such as dwarves and elves, can live for

Vedalken

Species Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica

feelings about them. To members of other races, vedalken often seem cold, even emotionless. That assessment isn’t fair—they feel emotion every bit as intensely as other folk do, but they are

affiliation, they put their intelligence to use in crafting and improving things, whether those things are laws, procedures, or magical sciences. Vedalken believe that the path toward the impossible

Lizardfolk Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

smooth-skins is far greater. Despite their alien outlook, some lizardfolk make an effort to understand and, in their own manner, befriend people of other races. Such lizardfolk make faithful and

; Instead, aggressive, stronger creatures register to the lizardfolk as fearsome beings to be avoided if possible. If such creatures attack, lizardfolk flee, fighting only if cornered. Lizardfolk aren

Changeling

Species Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

changelings develop identities that have more depth, crafting whole personas complete with histories and beliefs. A changeling adventurer might have personas for many situations, including negotiation

end on an adventure. Members of some races, such as dwarves and elves, can live for centuries. If typical members of a race can live longer than a century, that fact is mentioned in the race’s

Giants: World Shakers

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Volo's Guide to Monsters

the giants and their kin know for certain is that they are sibling races. Humanoids such as elves, humans, and dwarves are more similar in size and shape than the disparate giant types are to one

another, but those races have no shared heritage. In contrast, every true giant, regardless of type, can trace its ancestry directly to Annam the All-Father. Most giants believe that Annam took a number

Star Spawn

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes

moment’s contact with such a place is enough to plunge a mortal mind into madness. Yet beings do exist that are native to these realms: beings that are eternally hungering, searching, warring, sometimes

dreaming. These Elder Evils are far older than most of the mortal races and always horrific to humanoid minds. However much they might desire to enter and dominate the Material Plane, the Elder Evils

Roleplaying a Mind Flayer

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Volo's Guide to Monsters

Personality Traits d8 Personality Trait 1 I never let pass an opportunity to show my contempt for lesser beings. 2 I like to flavor my meals by engendering positive emotions in my victims before feeding on

them. 3 So as not to taint my thoughts, I avoid telepathically communicating with lesser beings when possible. 4 I never eat unless the victim is conscious and aware. 5 I’m very picky. I feed only on

Hill Giant

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Monster Manual

usually find their needs met by nature’s bounty. What the wilderness doesn’t provide, hill giants make, crafting clothes, tools, and weapons from rocks, wood, and hides. When they encounter strangers, hill

hill giants from their homes into other people’s lands. Some displaced hill giants might steal what they need or seek revenge for their losses by causing ruin among smaller beings. Others might take up

Type

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Lost Mine of Phandelver

Type A creature’s type speaks to its fundamental nature. The following types of monsters can be encountered in this adventure. Aberrations. Utterly alien beings that have no place in the natural

. Giants. Humanoid-like creatures that tower over humans and their kin. Humanoids. Bipedal peoples of the civilized and savage world, including humans and a tremendous variety of other races, including

Dragons

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Eberron: Rising from the Last War

Khorvaire without contact with Argonnessen, and some dragons have been twisted by the daelkyr or corrupted by fiends; any of these could be an antagonist if the adventure you’re crafting calls for a cruel

don’t consider the impact of their actions on lesser beings; if a Chamber dragon must destroy a human village to foil the plans of a demon, it will do so without hesitation.

Esoteric Martial Arts

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Candlekeep Mysteries

beings have and how ki can not only be attacked, but also stolen. The book opens with theories on how the natural energies of the primordial trifecta—soul, essence, and mind—can be combined. It notes

attachment. Following the sections on spiritual and medicinal wisdom is one on the crafting of magic items that augment the user’s martial abilities, with grisly details of how the authors obtained such

Human

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Guildmasters' Guide to Ravnica

, no current guildmaster is human. But humans are lieutenants, advisors, and strategists in many guilds. Their ambition and drive propel them toward the top, but the sheer might of beings such as

shape the names of most of Ravnica’s humans. Humans sometimes borrow names from other races, but they have a rich pool of traditional names to draw from. The use of family names seems to be a peculiarly

Crimes and Punishment

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes

and evil, but tinged with elven sensibilities. When someone takes the life of another, for instance, the elves have a unique way of delivering justice. Like most civilized beings, elves consider

engaged in. Of these, exile is the most severe punishment. The surface elves’ attitude toward murder — which some races see as bordering on blasé — is carried to the extreme by the drow, who have elevated

Kobold

Species Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

Underdark near the lairs of the earliest dragons. In some lands, kobolds serve chromatic or metallic dragons—even worshiping them as divine beings. In other places, kobolds know too well how

is about a century, assuming the character doesn’t meet a violent end on an adventure. Members of some races, such as dwarves and elves, can live for centuries. If typical members of a race can

Loxodon

Species Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica

guilds is their sense of the size of the community they belong to. For loxodons in the Selesnya Conclave, their community is the world and all living beings in it—everything valuable, meant to live

often translate them into titles, such as Hierarch, Revered, Grandmother, Healer, or Saint, when interacting with other races. Male Names: Bayul, Berov, Brooj, Chedumov, Dobrun, Droozh, Golomov, Heruj

Elves

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide

, who developed subraces in the world, elves brought their divisions with them, settling into separate kingdoms by type. Beings of immense power, the first elves explored and settled the world, bringing

long, slow decline, and many of their kind took part in the great Retreat to their refuge on Evermeet. As the elves increasingly withdrew from the world, other races and civilizations rose to prominence

Kobold Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

races have little good to say about kobolds, but they do admit that the little reptilians do respectable tunnel work using simple tools. If a band of kobolds is enslaved by more powerful creatures

they were demigods — mighty beings of divine descent. This isn’t a casual sort of worship or lip service; kobolds are awed in the presence of a dragon, as if an actual avatar of a deity

Creating a Race or Subrace

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)

Creating a Race or Subrace This section teaches you how to modify existing races, as well as create new ones. The most important step in customizing or designing races for your campaign is to start

the race compelling from a storytelling standpoint? What is the race’s relationship to the other playable races? What classes and backgrounds are well suited to members of the race? What are the race’s

Autognome

Species Spelljammer: Adventures in Space

Autognomes are mechanical beings built by rock gnomes. Sometimes, because of a malfunction or a unique circumstance, an autognome becomes separated from its creator and strikes out on its own. An

fantastical races. If you create a character using a race option presented here, follow these additional rules during character creation. Ability Score Increases When determining your character’s

Plasmoid

Species Spelljammer: Adventures in Space

Plasmoids are amorphous beings with no typical shape. In the presence of other folk, they often adopt a similar shape, but there’s little chance of mistaking a plasmoid for anything else. They

you create your D&D character, you decide whether your character is a member of the human race or one of the game’s fantastical races. If you create a character using a race option

Type

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Monster Manual (2014)

, which have no rules of their own. Aberrations are utterly alien beings. Many of them have innate magical abilities drawn from the creature’s alien mind rather than the mystical forces of the world

, including the creatures simply called elementals. Others have biological forms infused with elemental energy. The races of genies, including djinn and efreet, form the most important civilizations on the

Bugbears

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Volo's Guide to Monsters

Bugbears Bugbears feature in the nightmare tales of many races — great, hairy beasts that creep through the shadows as quiet as cats. If you walk alone in the woods, a bugbear will reach out of the

, Savage Layabouts When they’re not in battle, bugbears spend much of their time resting or dozing. They don’t engage in crafting or agriculture to any great extent, or otherwise produce anything of value

Type

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Basic Rules (2014)

types, which have no rules of their own. Aberrations are utterly alien beings. Many of them have innate magical abilities drawn from the creature's alien mind rather than the mystical forces of the world

called elementals. Others have biological forms infused with elemental energy. The races of genies, including djinn and efreet, form the most important civilizations on the elemental planes. Other

Seven Things to Know

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Eberron: Rising from the Last War

necessities. Advances in magic item creation have led to everything from self-propelled farming implements to sentient, free-willed beings created in artificers’ forges. With the aid of rare crystals

called dragonshards, dragonmarks can be made more powerful, elementals can be controlled and harnessed, and magic items can be crafted and shaped. New Races. In addition to the common player character

Vedalken

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Guildmasters' Guide to Ravnica

rather than their feelings about them. To members of other races, vedalken often seem cold, even emotionless. That assessment isn’t fair — they feel emotion every bit as intensely as other folk do, but

their guild affiliation, they put their intelligence to use in crafting and improving things, whether those things are laws, procedures, or magical sciences. Vedalken believe that the path toward the

The Path to Perfection

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes

fruits of their labors with the same love that members of other races reserve for their children. A dwarf’s works are built to last for centuries, to carry a legacy into the world long after the dwarf is

. Dwarves pursue perfection. This chase is foolish. There is no one pure truth of anything. Minds as Rigid as Stone Although the dwarves’ obsessive pursuit of perfection in the arts of crafting leads them

D&D Beyond

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