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Variant Rules

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Xanathar's Guide to Everything

Variant Rules A shared campaign might use some variant rules to handle certain aspects of the game. The Adventurers League, for instance, has variant systems for gaining levels and acquiring treasure

. These “house rules,” presented below, serve as a sort of common language, ensuring that the rewards all characters receive are equivalent no matter what kind of adventure a character experienced.

Amnizu

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

have no personalities or memories; they’re driven only by the desire to commit evil. The amnizus that patrol here drill the rules of the Nine Hells into the new arrivals’ minds and marshal

them into legions. Amnizu (Summoner Variant);Variant: Devil Summoning Some amnizus have an action that allows them to summon other devils: Summon Devil (1/Day). The amnizu summons 2d4

Allip

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

allip’s choice that the allip can see. Constructs and Undead are immune to this effect.When a creature uncovers a secret that a powerful being has protected with a mighty curse, the result is often

the creation of an allip. Secrets protected in this manner range in scope from a demon lord’s true name to the hidden truths of the cosmic order. The creature acquires the secret, but the curse

Mind Flayer Nothic

Monsters Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk

(Insight) check. If the nothic wins, it magically learns one fact or secret about the target. The target automatically wins if it is immune to being charmed.A nothic is a monstrous creature with

terrible talons and a single great eye. When driven to violence, it uses its horrific gaze to rot the flesh from its enemies’ bones.

Nothic Legacy

Monsters Basic Rules (2014)

Charisma (Deception) check against the nothic’s Wisdom (Insight) check. If the nothic wins, it magically learns one fact or secret about the target. The target automatically wins if it is immune to

being charmed.A nothic is a monstrous creature with terrible talons and a single great eye. When driven to violence, it uses its horrific gaze to rot the flesh from its enemies’ bones.

Cultist (Knights of the Black Sword)

Monsters Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden

(1d6 + 1);{"diceNotation":"1d6+1","rollType":"damage","rollAction":"Scimitar","rollDamageType":"slashing"} slashing damage.The Knights of the Black Sword are a secret society of cultists devoted to

Levistus, the archdevil who rules Stygia, the sixth layer of the Nine Hells, from the confines of an ice prison from which he cannot escape. Most of the cultists are Icewind Dale natives who would

Cult Fanatic (Knights of the Black Sword)

Monsters Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden

","rollDamageType":"piercing"} piercing damage.The Knights of the Black Sword are a secret society of cultists devoted to Levistus, the archdevil who rules Stygia, the sixth layer of the Nine Hells, from the

Anvilwrought Raptor

Monsters Mythic Odysseys of Theros

the land while carrying or seeking vital information for their masters.The first anvilwroughts were created by the god of the forge, Purphoros. He gave the secret of breathing life into these metal

sands of time or are guarded by ancient monsters. Constructed Nature. An anvilwrought doesn't require air, food, drink, or sleep. VARIANT: ANVILWROUGHT RAPTOR FAMILIAR Some anvilwrought raptors are

Variant Human Legacy

Species Basic Rules (2014)

If your campaign uses the optional feat rules from the Player’s Handbook, your Dungeon Master might allow these variant traits, all of which replace the human’s Ability Score Increase trait.

Inspired (Hashalaq variant)

Monsters Eberron: Rising from the Last War

are spread throughout Khorvaire as well. Beggars and generals, mayors and merchants might all be secret servants of the Dreaming Dark. Such Inspired have to willingly accept quori possession, but the

Dreaming Dark has long experience in weaving dreams that can convince mortals to surrender their bodies. VARIANT: QUORI VESSEL The Inspired are vessels for quori spirits, allowing the quori to

Inspired (Tsucora variant)

Monsters Eberron: Rising from the Last War

throughout Khorvaire as well. Beggars and generals, mayors and merchants might all be secret servants of the Dreaming Dark. Such Inspired have to willingly accept quori possession, but the Dreaming Dark

has long experience in weaving dreams that can convince mortals to surrender their bodies. VARIANT: QUORI VESSEL The Inspired are vessels for quori spirits, allowing the quori to manifest a portion

Inspired (Kalaraq variant)

Monsters Eberron: Rising from the Last War

heard of the Inspired lords in Riedra — never realizing that Inspired are spread throughout Khorvaire as well. Beggars and generals, mayors and merchants might all be secret servants of the

Dreaming Dark. Such Inspired have to willingly accept quori possession, but the Dreaming Dark has long experience in weaving dreams that can convince mortals to surrender their bodies. VARIANT: QUORI

Wereraven Legacy

monsters Curse of Strahd

, modestly give money to charity. They take steps to keep magic items out of evil hands by stashing them in secret hiding places. Characters as Wereravens. The Monster Manual has rules for characters

Amnizu (Summoner Variant)

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

, where it flows through Dis and Stygia. They collect the souls arriving in the form of lemure;lemures (see the Monster Manual). Lemures have no personalities or memories; they’re driven only by the

desire to commit evil. The amnizus that patrol here drill the rules of the Nine Hells into the new arrivals’ minds and marshal them into legions.Fire, PoisonCold; Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from Nonmagical Attacks that aren't Silvered

Young Dragon Turtle

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

explicitly include dragon turtles in the variant rules for making a dragon a spellcaster, you can apply those rules to these aquatic dragons.) Dragon Turtle Personality Traits d8

Inspired

Monsters Eberron: Rising from the Last War

merchants might all be secret servants of the Dreaming Dark. Such Inspired have to willingly accept quori possession, but the Dreaming Dark has long experience in weaving dreams that can convince mortals to

surrender their bodies. VARIANT: QUORI VESSEL The Inspired are vessels for quori spirits, allowing the quori to manifest a portion of their power while the vessel is possessed. An Inspired can

Jermlaine

Monsters Mordenkainen's Fiendish Folio Volume 1

attempts to hunt them down and fashion cloaks and other material from their skin. Such experiments have yet to yield a functional magic item, and the jermlaine's hatred of outsiders is driven in part by

their assumption that any who meet them seek to harvest them for such experiments. Secret Lairs. Because they are hunted for food or for their skin, jermlaine take care to hide their lairs away from

Dragon Turtle Wyrmling

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

characters, and use the Dragon Turtle Spellcasting table to help select spells for a spellcasting dragon. (Though the Monster Manual doesn’t explicitly include dragon turtles in the variant rules for

making a dragon a spellcaster, you can apply those rules to these aquatic dragons.) Dragon Turtle Personality Traits d8;{"diceNotation":"1d8","rollType":"roll","rollAction":"Trait"} Trait

Dhampir Legacy

Species Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

. You might have such a connection, but dread what would happen if others in your insular community found out. Darkon. The Kargat, this shattered domain’s secret police, supposedly know the secret

lineage option, follow these additional rules during character creation. Ability Score Increases When determining your ability scores, you increase one of those scores by 2 and increase a different

Criminal - Baldur's Gate

Backgrounds Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus

underbelly of civilization, and you have survived up to this point by flouting the rules and regulations of society. Skill Proficiencies: Deception, Stealth Tool Proficiencies: One

Guild took over your family business, ran it into the ground, and burned the building for insurance money. You were driven into crime yourself, but you’ll never work for the Guild. You take

Avarice

Monsters Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden

challenge, even when the odds are clearly stacked against her. Seeing other wizards as a threat, paranoia rules her life. Avarice has been a member of the Arcane Brotherhood for almost two years. She

fantasizes about rising to fame and prominence in record time and hopes that plundering the lost Netherese city of Ythryn will turn her fantasies into reality. The tiefling has the secret support of the

Criminal / Spy Legacy

Backgrounds Basic Rules (2014)

than most people to the world of murder, theft, and violence that pervades the underbelly of civilization, and you have survived up to this point by flouting the rules and regulations of society

; specifically, you know the local messengers, corrupt caravan masters, and seedy sailors who can deliver messages for you. Variant Criminal: Spy Although your capabilities are not much different

Astral Drifter

Backgrounds Spelljammer: Adventures in Space

For longer than you can remember, you have traversed the Astral Sea. There, you experienced firsthand the wonders of the Silver Void: you stopped aging and no longer felt hunger or thirst. Driven by

lasting impression on you. This deity saw fit to share one secret or obscure bit of cosmic lore with you. Work with your DM to determine the details of this knowledge and its impact on the campaign. Roll

Hobgoblin

Species Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

Hobgoblins trace their origins to the ancient courts of the Feywild, where they first appeared with their goblin and bugbear kin. Many of them were driven from the Feywild by the conquering god

fantastical race. If you select a fantastical race, follow these additional rules during character creation. Ability Score Increases When determining your character’s ability scores, increase one score

Folk Hero Legacy

Backgrounds Basic Rules (2014)

after I led a symbolic act of protest against it. 9 A celestial, fey, or similar creature gave me a blessing or revealed my secret origin. 10 Recruited into a lord’s army, I rose to

. d6 Flaw 1 The tyrant who rules my land will stop at nothing to see me killed. 2 I’m convinced of the significance of my destiny, and blind to my shortcomings and the risk of

Entertainer Legacy

Backgrounds Player’s Handbook (2014)

liking to you. Variant Entertainer: Gladiator A gladiator is as much an entertainer as any minstrel or circus performer, trained to make the arts of combat into a spectacle the crowd can

any place that features combat for entertainment — perhaps a gladiatorial arena or secret pit fighting club. You can replace the musical instrument in your equipment package with an inexpensive

Goliath Legacy

Species Elemental Evil Player's Companion

the responsibility to earn a place in the tribe or die trying. Driven Competitors Every day brings a new challenge to a goliath. Food, water, and shelter are rare in the uppermost mountain reaches. A

skills. This dedication to competition has a dark side. Goliaths are ferocious competitors, but above all else they are driven to outdo their past efforts. If a goliath slays a dragon, he or she might

Urchin Legacy

Backgrounds Player’s Handbook (2014)

, and a pouch containing 10 gp FEATURE: CITY SECRETS You know the secret patterns and flow to cities and can find passages through the urban sprawl that others would miss. When you

shaped by lives of desperate poverty, for good and for ill. They tend to be driven either by a commitment to the people with whom they shared life on the street or by a burning desire to find a better

Orzhov Representative

Backgrounds Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica

, Leomund's secret chest 5th geas Your magic tends to manifest as swirling shadows, brilliant light, or sometimes the momentary appearance of shadowy spirit forms. Your spells might

the flesh as long as possible, and as a spirit afterward. (Any) Bonds d6 Bond 1 The unbearable weight of my debt has driven me to desperation. 2 I’m duty-bound

Baphomet Legacy

Monsters Out of the Abyss

, the Horned King and the Prince of Beasts. He rules over minotaur;minotaurs and others with savage hearts. He is worshiped by those who want to break the confines of civility and unleash their bestial

natures, for Baphomet envisions a world without restraint, where creatures live out their most savage desires. Cults devoted to Baphomet use mazes and complex knots as their emblems, creating secret

Ancient Dragon Turtle

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

table to help select spells for a spellcasting dragon. (Though the Monster Manual doesn’t explicitly include dragon turtles in the variant rules for making a dragon a spellcaster, you can apply

those rules to these aquatic dragons.) Dragon Turtle Personality Traits d8;{"diceNotation":"1d8","rollType":"roll","rollAction":"Trait"} Trait 1 I speak slowly and deliberately

Smuggler

Backgrounds Ghosts of Saltmarsh

presence (and that of your companions) a secret. Suggested Characteristics In general, smugglers value survival, and then profit, above other things. One could be a part of a larger

’s Code. I uphold the unwritten rules of the smugglers, who do not cheat one another or directly harm innocents. (Lawful) 3 All for a Coin. I’ll do nearly anything if it

Inheritor

Backgrounds Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

your adventuring career, you can decide whether to tell your companions about your inheritance right away. Rather than attracting attention to yourself, you might want to keep your inheritance a secret

trinket 4 An article of clothing 5 A piece of jewelry 6 An arcane book or formulary 7 A written story, song, poem, or secret 8 A tattoo or other body marking

Investigator

backgrounds Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

the mysteries you’re embroiled in are local crimes or realm-spanning conspiracies, you’re driven by a personal need to hunt down even the most elusive clues and reveal what others would

suffered, even while still being pursued by the law. 6 You survived the destructive use of a magic device that wiped out your home. Members of a secret organization found you. You now work with them

City Watch / Investigator

Backgrounds Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

easily pick out the dens of criminal activity in a community, although you’re more likely to be welcome in the former locations rather than the latter. Variant: Investigator Rarer

cost many lives, and I would do anything to keep that mistake secret. 4 My hatred of my enemies is blind and unreasoning. 5 I obey the law, even if the law causes misery. 6 I’d rather eat my armor than admit when I’m wrong.

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