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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

Gazer

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

kill. Gazer (Familiar Variant);Variant: Gazer Familiar Spellcasters who are interested in unusual familiars find that gazers are eager to serve someone who has magical power. Unless its master is

familiar, forming a telepathic bond with its willing master, provided that the master is at least a 3rd-level spellcaster. While the two are bonded, the master can sense what the gazer senses as long as

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.

Neothelid

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

Creature Sense. The neothelid is aware of the presence of creatures within 1 mile of it that have an Intelligence score of 4 or higher. It knows the distance and direction to each creature, as well

as each creature’s Intelligence score, but can’t sense anything else about it. A creature protected by a mind blank spell, a nondetection spell, or similar magic can’t be perceived in

Anvilwrought Raptor

Monsters Mythic Odysseys of Theros

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

. While the two are bonded, the master can sense what the anvilwrought senses, as long as they are within 1 mile of each other. Fire, Poison

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

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

Kruthik Hive Lord

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

":"Acid Spray","rollDamageType":"acid"} acid damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.A hive lord rules each kruthik hive. When the hive lord dies, the surviving members of the

floor with their sharp legs. In addition to having an acute sense of smell, kruthiks can see in the dark and can detect vibrations in the earth around them. They take the scent of their own dead as a

Phantom Warrior

Monsters Curse of Strahd

soldier or knight who perished on the battlefield or died performing its sworn duty. It appears like a translucent version of its living self. Task Driven. Although one is often mistaken for a ghost, a

master or because it believes it must perform a task to satisfy its honor or sense of duty. For example, a guard who dies defending a wall might return as a phantom warrior and continue guarding the

Gazer (Familiar Variant)

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

, the master can sense what the gazer senses as long as they are within 1 mile of each other. If its master causes it physical harm, the gazer will end its service as a familiar, breaking the

’t kill. Variant: Gazer Familiar Spellcasters who are interested in unusual familiars find that gazers are eager to serve someone who has magical power. Unless its master is strict, a gazer

Sailor - Baldur's Gate

Backgrounds Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus

the Gray Wavers—the Flaming Fist harbor guards—and have a sense of how to operate the city’s mechanized cranes. Variant Sailor: Pirate You spent your youth under the sway of a

during the voyage. Baldur’s Gate Feature: Smuggler’s Sense You’re familiar with the docks of Baldur’s Gate, the movement of inspectors and tax collectors, the way cargo and

Allip

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

what spawned this monstrosity. Strange phrases echo through their minds, and weird visions occupy their dreams. The sense that some colossal truth sits just outside their recall plagues them for days

remains hidden, its victim is gradually overcome by frantic energy. A scholar, driven by sudden insights to work night and day, produces reams of text with little memory of exactly what the documents

Fog Giant

Monsters Mordenkainen's Fiendish Folio Volume 1

cloud giants in the ordning—the set of values and expectations that determines their rank in giant society—is driven by wealth. Those cloud giants foolish or unlucky enough to have their

intimidation to get their way. A fog giant seeks out news and rumors of treasures that appeal to its sense of refinement, then tracks down and treats owners of those treasures to a show of force. Kicking

Ygorl, Lord of Entropy

Monsters Mordenkainen's Fiendish Folio Volume 1

of eternity. It has no sense of empathy or compassion, driven only to unmake so that the resulting base elements of reality can fuel the multiverse’s endless cycles of creation and destruction

to parley with Ygorl are known to have been driven to madness in the process. Death and Destruction. Ygorl’s most notable possession is an adamantine scythe with the slaad word for death

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

Ythryn Mythallar

Magic Items Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden

rest within 30 feet of it, meditating on the mythallar. Up to eight creatures can be attuned to it at one time; otherwise, the Ythryn mythallar follows the attunement rules in the Dungeon Master&rsquo

;s Guide. If a ninth creature tries to attune to the mythallar, nothing happens. All creatures attuned to the Ythryn mythallar can sense when the device is being used. A creature attuned to the device

Shapechange Legacy

Spells Basic Rules (2014)

so. You can't use any special senses you have (for example, darkvision) unless your new form also has that sense. You can only speak if the creature can normally speak. When you transform, you

rules for the original form, with one exception: if your new form has more hit points than your current one, your hit points remain at their current value.

Noble Legacy

Backgrounds Basic Rules (2014)

unfamiliar with work or discomfort, a former merchant just elevated to the nobility, or a disinherited scoundrel with a disproportionate sense of entitlement. Or you could be an honest, hard-working

. Variant Noble: Knight A knighthood is among the lowest noble titles in most societies, but it can be a path to higher status. If you wish to be a knight, choose the Retainers feature (see the sidebar

Satyr Legacy

Species Mythic Odysseys of Theros

importantly—it feels really good. Driven by instinct and intuition, most satyrs prove unpredictable, following their sense of wonder wherever it leads. Very Odd Indeed Satyrs are known for their

Satyrs have a well-earned reputation for their good spirits, gregarious personalities, and love of revels. Most satyrs are driven by simple desires, to see the world and to sample its every pleasure

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

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

Minotaur

Species Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

Minotaurs are barrel-chested humanoids with heads resembling those of bulls. Blessed with a supernaturally strong sense of direction, minotaurs make great navigators. Some sages believe minotaurs

choose whether your character is a member of the human race or of a fantastical race. If you select a fantastical race, follow these additional rules during character creation. Ability Score Increases

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

hell hound without flinching. 6 I enjoy being strong and like breaking things. 7 I have a crude sense of humor. 8 I face problems head-on. A simple, direct solution is the best path to

Returned Palamnite

Monsters Mythic Odysseys of Theros

throws against any effect that turns undead. Unreadable Face. The Returned is immune to any effect that would sense its emotions or read its thoughts. Wisdom (Insight) checks to ascertain the

. They think and speak and even feel emotions based on their new experiences, but given their circumstances, those emotions tend to be muted. VARIANT: RETURNED KAKOMANTIS Although the dead typically

Crab Folk

Monsters Mordenkainen's Fiendish Folio Volume 1

bad luck a gull might happen to land near a crab folk lair and utter the right combination of cries to summon up this ancient compulsion. Driven to action, the crab folk rampage along the coast

crab folk have little sense of what drives them, but they understand that the effigy represents a mother and creator who must be obeyed. Legend holds that the green hag preferred to travel in the

Investigator

backgrounds Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

You relentlessly seek the truth. Perhaps you’re motivated by belief in the law and a sense of universal justice, or maybe that very law has failed you and you seek to make things right. You

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

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

Tortle

Species Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

’t have a unified story of how they were created, but they all have a sense of being mystically connected to the natural world. Carrying their shelter on their backs gives tortles a special

select a fantastical race, follow these additional rules during character creation. Ability Score Increases When determining your character’s ability scores, increase one score by 2 and

Hexblood Legacy

Species Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

creating a hexblood, ask your DM if it makes sense for your character to have ties to one of the following Domains of Dread (detailed in Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft): Hazlan. The bizarre magic

player, unless the DM rules otherwise. Creating Your Character At 1st level, you choose whether your character is a member of the human race or of one of the game’s fantastical races

Noble - Baldur's Gate

Backgrounds Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus

unfamiliar with work or discomfort, a former merchant just elevated to the nobility, or a disinherited scoundrel with a disproportionate sense of entitlement. Or you could be an honest, hard-working

; without question, and any corruption among guards or government officials tends to work in your favor, not against you—at least until you make some effort to expose it. Variant Noble: Knight A

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

Arasta

Monsters Mythic Odysseys of Theros

; petty rivalries, Arasta was once one of Nylea’s most beloved dryad companions. Phenax’s bitterness saw her transformed into an arachnid monstrosity and driven into the darkest depths of the

it a risk, though, for those who Klothys finds unworthy might be driven mad. There, within Enorasi’s hollow trunk, Arasta awaits the next would-be prophet to make her meal. Her webs stretch

Dhampir Legacy

Species Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

experiment changed your body, making you reliant on others for vital fluids. Dhampirs in the Domains of Dread When creating a dhampir, ask your DM if it makes sense for your character to have ties

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

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