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Alter Self

Spells Player’s Handbook

. Aquatic Adaptation. You sprout gills and grow webs between your fingers. You can breathe underwater and gain a Swim Speed equal to your Speed. Change Appearance. You alter your appearance. You decide

your Unarmed Strike, and you use your spellcasting ability modifier for the attack and damage rolls rather than using Strength.

Animate Dead

Spells Player’s Handbook

at the same time, issuing the same command to each one). You decide what action the creature will take and where it will move on its next turn, or you can issue a general command, such as to guard a

creature again before the current 24-hour period ends. This use of the spell reasserts your control over up to four creatures you have animated with this spell rather than animating a new creature

Create Undead

Spells Player’s Handbook

command any of them at the same time, issuing the same command to them). You decide what action the creature will take and where it will move on its next turn, or you can issue a general command, such as to

this spell on the creature before the current 24-hour period ends. This use of the spell reasserts your control over up to three creatures you have animated with this spell rather than animating new ones

Drow Inquisitor

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

, and their authority is equaled only by that of the drow matron mother of the noble houses. Anyone they decide is at odds with the hierarchy faces painful interrogation and usually an excruciating death

. Variant: Demon Summoning Drow Inquisitor (Summoner Variant);Variant: Demon Summoning Some drow inquisitors have an action that allows them to summon a yochlol. Summon Demon (1/Day). The drow

Bronzefume

Monsters Princes of the Apocalypse

western end of the lake, waiting for the water prophet to decide the time is right to seize control of the river. If a boat ventures into her half of the lake, Bronzefume surfaces to investigate. The

dragon turtle attacks only if she's sure those she meets are intruders, such as if she sees water cultists fighting the characters. Bronzefume prefers to attack boats rather than people. Given a choice between attacking a character and damaging a boat that character is on, she opts for the boat. Fire

Swarmkeeper

classes Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything

force in battle, as well as helpful company for the ranger. Some Swarmkeepers are outcasts or hermits, keeping to themselves and their attendant swarms rather than dealing with the discomfort of others

chapter 3 of Tasha's Cauldron of Everything. Also, remember that the swarm’s appearance is yours to customize, and don’t feel confined to a single appearance. Perhaps the spirits’ look changes with the ranger’s mood or with the seasons. You decide!

Create Undead Legacy

Spells Basic Rules (2014)

can command any or all of them at the same time, issuing the same command to each one). You decide what action the creature will take and where it will move during its next turn, or you can issue a

hours, you must cast this spell on the creature before the current 24-hour period ends. This use of the spell reasserts your control over up to three creatures you have animated with this spell, rather

Animate Dead Legacy

Spells Basic Rules (2014)

command to each one). You decide what action the creature will take and where it will move during its next turn, or you can issue a general command, such as to guard a particular chamber or corridor. If you

-hour period ends. This use of the spell reasserts your control over up to four creatures you have animated with this spell, rather than animating a new one. At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell

Swarmkeeper (TCoE)

classes Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything

force in battle, as well as helpful company for the ranger. Some Swarmkeepers are outcasts or hermits, keeping to themselves and their attendant swarms rather than dealing with the discomfort of others

chapter 3 of Tasha's Cauldron of Everything. Also, remember that the swarm’s appearance is yours to customize, and don’t feel confined to a single appearance. Perhaps the spirits’ look changes with the ranger’s mood or with the seasons. You decide!

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

Investigation rather than Athletics. Suggested Characteristics Use the tables for the soldier background below as the basis for your traits and motivations, modifying the entries when appropriate to

Noble - Baldur's Gate

Backgrounds Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus

wish to use the background’s standard feature might have gained their standing in Baldur’s Gate from business rather than inheritance. Skill Proficiencies: History, Persuasion Tool

; 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

Criminal / Spy Legacy

Backgrounds Basic Rules (2014)

; 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

new place is note the locations of everything valuable—or where such things could be hidden. 4 I would rather make a new friend than a new enemy. 5 I am incredibly slow to trust. Those

Firbolg Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

the group’s needs, but the effect each action will have on the forest and the rest of the natural world. Firbolg tribes would rather go hungry than strain the land during a famine. Hidden

Shepherds As caretakers of the land, firbolgs prefer to remain out of sight and out of mind. They don’t try to dominate nature, but rather seek to ensure that it prospers and survives according to its

Yuan-ti Pureblood Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

can more easily pronounce the name in this altered form. An adopted name of this sort is recognized as a variant of the birth name, rather than a unique name unto itself. A yuan-ti might refer to

of evil that calls for them to butcher or eradicate all who oppose them. In keeping with their goal of domination, the yuan-ti would rather capture potentially useful opponents than kill them. They use

The Big Picture

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

, Greyhawk, Dragonlance, and Mystara don’t stray very far from those assumptions. Settings such as Dark Sun, Eberron, Ravenloft, Spelljammer, and Planescape venture further away from that baseline. As you create your own world, it’s up to you to decide where on the spectrum you want your world to fall.

The Big Picture This book, the Player’s Handbook, and the Monster Manual present the default assumptions for how the worlds of D&D work. Among the established settings of D&D, the Forgotten Realms

Adult Moonstone Dragon

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

often difficult because I’m so easily distr… oh my goodness, is that circlet made of silver? 7 I find the waking world tedious and mundane and would much rather spend my time asleep

a night hag (coven variant);night hag coven are determined to prevent an adult moonstone dragon from contacting creatures in the dream realm, and the dragon has no idea why. 7 An adult

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

Selesnya Initiate

Backgrounds Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica

1 I never raise my voice or lose my temper. 2 I feel the pains and joys of everyone around me, friend or foe. 3 I would rather make a friend than thwart an enemy. 4 I’m

Selesnya contact; you can decide if the contact is an ally or a rival. 10 I have a sibling in the Simic Combine, and we argue every time we see each other.

Swapping Roles

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Heroes of the Borderlands

Swapping Roles Playing a character and being the Dungeon Master aren’t permanent roles. Trading places is easy. Whenever you begin play or whenever the Player Characters decide to leave one of the

adventure’s three settings—the Caves of Chaos, the Keep on the Borderlands, or the Wilderness—determine who will be the DM for the upcoming section. The previous DM can either make a new character of a level equal to the other characters or play as the new DM's now-available character.

Reborn Legacy

Species Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

sensations or visions of the past to come rushing back. Rather than sleeping, reborn regularly sit and dwell on the past, hoping for some revelation of what came before. Most of the time, these are dark

’re free to follow those suggestions or to ignore them. Whichever scores you decide to increase, none of the scores can be raised above 20. If you are replacing your race with a lineage, replace

Rogue

classes Basic Rules (2014)

would rather make one precise strike, placing it exactly where the attack will hurt the target most, than wear an opponent down with a barrage of attacks. Rogues have an almost supernatural knack for

world where dire rats—and wererats—haunt the sewers. As adventurers, rogues fall on both sides of the law. Some are hardened criminals who decide to seek their fortune in treasure hoards

Leveling Up

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

expended. Variant: Training to Gain Levels As a variant rule, you can require characters to spend time between adventures training or studying before they gain the benefits of a new level. This

variant slows the passage of time in the game world, which can help support a more realistic or gritty tone in your campaign. If you choose this option, after earning enough Experience Points to attain a

Tying Knots

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

Sleight of Hand with Intelligence, rather than Dexterity. This is an example of how to apply the rule in the “Variant: Skills with Different Abilities” section in chapter 7 of the Player’s Handbook.

Criminal - Baldur's Gate

Backgrounds Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus

always occur in shady venues. Variant Criminal: Spy Although your capabilities are not much different from those of a burglar or smuggler, you learned and practiced them in a very

could be hidden. 4 I would rather make a new friend than a new enemy. 5 I am incredibly slow to trust. Those who seem the fairest often have the most to hide. 6 I don’t pay

Rest Variants

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

within an inch of their lives, yet still be ready to fight again the next day. If this approach doesn’t fit your campaign, consider the following variants. Epic Heroism This variant uses a short rest

to regain spell slots of 6th level or higher. Gritty Realism This variant uses a short rest of 8 hours and a long rest of 7 days. This puts the brakes on the campaign, requiring the players to

Inspiration for the DM

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->The Book of Many Things

Inspiration for the DM Another way to use the inspiration deck is to make its effects available to monsters and villains. In this variant, each time a player expends inspiration, the DM also draws a

card from the deck. Rather than adding it to the communal hand, you keep that card secret until you play it on behalf of one of the characters’ opponents. You can play your inspiration cards soon

Izzet Engineer

Backgrounds Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica

protocols will lead us toward progress more surely than any belief system. (Lawful) 5 Fun. I love my job! Despite the dangerous working conditions, there’s nothing I’d rather do

me with conflicted feelings. 5 I helped a minor Gruul chieftain acquire an Izzet weapon. 6 Roll an additional Izzet contact; you can decide if the contact is an ally or a rival. 7

Kenku Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

kenku, constant attempts to mimic noises can come across as confusing or irritating rather than entertaining. You can just as easily describe the sounds your character makes and what they mean. Be clear

. Kenku thieves, con artists, and burglars adopt animal noises, typically those common in urban settings. In this manner, kenku can call out to each other while those who overhear them mistake them for

Simic Scientist

Backgrounds Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica

Everything I do is an attempt to impress someone I love. Flaws d6 Flaw 1 I have a rather embarrassing mutation that I do everything I can to keep hidden. 2 I’m more

make a nice sideshow act. 9 I left the Selesnya — and a lover — behind when I joined the Simic. 10 Roll an additional Simic contact; you can decide if the contact is an ally or a rival.

Paladin

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

Paladin The Oath of the Crown’s utility for your campaign comes from its ability to capture neutral paladins, those whose code of conduct is focused on the law rather than on moral principles. Its

divine spellcasting makes it tricky to use as a tool for every knightly order, but it’s a great option for a theocracy. You could also decide that the spells a paladin casts aren’t divine in origin, but arcane.

Visitors

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Keys from the Golden Vault

Visitors Klax’s traders and Vrakir himself are visitors rather than full-time occupants. You can determine whether Vrakir and the traders are present by rolling a d10 and a d20. A result of 1 or 2 on

the d10 indicates that Vrakir is present. A result of 1 or 2 on the d20 indicates that Klax and her crew are present. Alternatively, you can decide that Vrakir is either present or absent depending

Campaign Setting

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

your needs, which has the added benefit of challenging your players’ expectations. The D&D Settings table describes several established campaign settings. D&D Settings Setting Description Dark Sun

material about the campaign setting, other than what you create for yourself. Whether you create a setting from scratch or borrow elements from established settings, the result needs to resonate with

Yuan-ti Names

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

sort is recognized as a variant of the birth name, rather than a unique name unto itself. A yuan-ti might refer to itself by its birth name, by its adopted name, or (especially among purebloods) by a

Variant Abilities

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

Variant Abilities When a beholder’s dream-imagination runs wild, the result can be an offspring that has an unusual or unique set of abilities. Rather than the standard powers of a beholder’s central

eye and eyestalks, the creature has one or more variant abilities — guaranteed to surprise any enemies who thought they knew what they were getting themselves into. This section provides several

Purple Dragon Knight

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

, rather than one. Bulwark Beginning at 15th level, you can extend the benefit of your Indomitable feature to an ally. When you decide to use Indomitable to reroll an Intelligence, a Wisdom, or a

knighthood. Banneret serves as the generic name for this archetype if you use it in other campaign settings or to model warlords other than Purple Dragon knights. Rallying Cry When you choose this archetype at

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