Search Results
All Results
Characters
Compendium
Spells
Items
Monsters
Vehicles
Forums
Returning 35 results for 'settings of rules dark variant'.
Other Suggestions:
setting of rules dark variants
sitting of rules dwarf variant
setting of rules draw variant
setting of runes dark variant
settings of rules dwarf variant
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.
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft
Dark Fantasy Settings Sinister individuals leave their marks upon dark fantasy domains, whether as oppressive architecture, unavoidable propaganda, or scars upon an exploited environment
. Alternatively, the setting might exhibit the effects of a disaster—perhaps an event that gave rise to brutal powers. Such scars appear both upon the setting and upon its inhabitants. Dark Fantasy Settings d8
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
Monsters
Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden
Dark Devotion. The fanatic has advantage on saving throws against being charmed or frightened.
Spellcasting. The fanatic is a 4th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC
he's tight with Levistus. He rules the roost by sheer force of personality, though it chafes him that Hethyl Arkorran has more respect and influence within the cult. Kadroth doesn't involve Avarice
Monsters
Eberron: Rising from the Last War
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
that guide and empower them, but the truth is far darker. The Inspired are the mortal hosts of the nightmare spirits of Dal Quor, and they carry out the foul agenda of the Dreaming Dark.
Any humanoid
Monsters
Eberron: Rising from the Last War
and empower them, but the truth is far darker. The Inspired are the mortal hosts of the nightmare spirits of Dal Quor, and they carry out the foul agenda of the Dreaming Dark.
Any humanoid who can dream
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
Monsters
Eberron: Rising from the Last War
the nightmare spirits of Dal Quor, and they carry out the foul agenda of the Dreaming Dark.
Any humanoid who can dream can volunteer to serve as a quori vessel. But the Inspired of Sarlona are humans
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
Monsters
Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden
Dark Devotion. The cultist has advantage on saving throws against being charmed or frightened.
Icy Doom. When the cultist dies, its corpse freezes for 9 days, during which time it can’t be
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
Monsters
Eberron: Rising from the Last War
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
they carry out the foul agenda of the Dreaming Dark.
Any humanoid who can dream can volunteer to serve as a quori vessel. But the Inspired of Sarlona are humans bred to be such vessels. They have no
Monsters
Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden
Dark Devotion. The fanatic has advantage on saving throws against being charmed or frightened.
Spellcasting. The fanatic is a 4th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC
","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
Monsters
Monstrous Compendium Vol. 4: Eldraine Creatures
Queen, who rules from a castle called Dynnistan. It isn’t known whether these legends are based on any true experience or are simply the result of imagination trying to account for a terrifying and
called lich-knights or fell horsemen.
In stark contrast to the knights of Eldraine, the deathless riders are without virtue of any kind. They are few in number—unless many more lurk in the dark
Variant Human
Legacy
This doesn't reflect the latest rules and lore.
Learn More
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.
Monsters
Eberron: Rising from the Last War
quori's Possession for 24 hours after succeeding on the saving throw or after the possession ends.Quori
Dal Quor is the plane of dreams and is currently dominated by a dark power known as il-Lashtavar
, or the Dreaming Dark. Il-Lashtavar is served by a host of aberrations that are the embodiments of dreams and nightmares — the quori. Because it is difficult for anything to physically travel to or
Monsters
Eberron: Rising from the Last War
after the possession ends.Quori
Dal Quor is the plane of dreams and is currently dominated by a dark power known as il-Lashtavar, or the Dreaming Dark. Il-Lashtavar is served by a host of aberrations
guide the quori race, and the Devourer of Dreams — the personal emissary of the Dreaming Dark — is of this order. Although the kalaraqs never fight one another overtly, each has its own agenda, and
Criminal / Spy
Legacy
This doesn't reflect the latest rules and lore.
Learn More
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
.
Skill Proficiencies: Deception, Stealth
Tool Proficiencies: One type of gaming set, thieves’ tools
Equipment: A crowbar, a set of dark common clothes including a hood, and a pouch
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
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
Monsters
The Book of Many Things
encounter.
Variant: Servants of Living Stars
Some stars in the sky are Elder Evils, alien beings of godlike power from the reality-defying Far Realm.
A living portent can be a fragment of these beings
Whisperer. A purple star whose guidance and minions seem to help for a time but whose influence inevitably leads to disaster.
Hadar, the Dark Hunger. A cinder-red dying star that siphons life from its
Monsters
Eberron: Rising from the Last War
Feedback","rollDamageType":"psychic"} psychic damage.Quori
Dal Quor is the plane of dreams and is currently dominated by a dark power known as il-Lashtavar, or the Dreaming Dark. Il-Lashtavar is
. Hashalaq quori have studied their mortal prey for centuries. Inhabiting human bodies as Inspired (Hashalaq variant);Inspired has granted the hashalaq a deep understanding of the hedonistic urges of
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
monsters
Dragonlance and Ravenloft campaign settings. If you want to give Soth a unique relationship to the Domains of Dread, consider these possibilities:
The nature of Soth’s curse creates aspects of
effects end immediately.
Lord Soth’s Lair
Lord Soth rules from Nedragaard Keep, a twisted, copy of his accursed fortress on Krynn, Dargaard Keep. Nedragaard Keep grows and withers over time like
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
Monsters
Infernal Machine Rebuild
. Among the largest was the thessalkraken—a slightly smaller variant of the legendary kraken, resembling that great tentacled titan but with a jagged-toothed maw that drips constantly with
acid.A Thessalkraken’s Lair
A thessalkraken lives in the dark depths, usually a sunken rift or a cavern filled with detritus, treasure, and the remains of sacrificial victims.
Lair Actions
On
Aasimar
Legacy
This doesn't reflect the latest rules and lore.
Learn More
Species
Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse
dark eyes
3
Starkly colored hair
4
An unusual hue tinting your shadow
5
A ghostly halo crowning your head
6
Rainbows gleaming on your skin
Creating Your Character
At
1st level, you 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
Backgrounds
Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus
unquestioned, and impress those on the lookout for wealthy patrons. You are welcome in the Upper City and may stay there after dark without being harassed or evicted. Your word is accepted over others&rsquo
; 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
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
type of gaming set, thieves’ tools
Equipment: A crowbar, a set of dark common clothes including a hood, and a pouch containing 15 gp
Criminal Origins
Criminals are pervasive in Baldur
Reborn
Legacy
This doesn't reflect the latest rules and lore.
Learn More
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
, but you aren’t any longer. You now possess only your lineage’s racial traits.
When you create a character using a lineage option, follow these additional rules during character creation
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Player's Handbook (2014)
have been published as official settings for the D&D game. The legends of the Forgotten Realms, Dragonlance, Greyhawk, Dark Sun, Mystara, and Eberron settings are woven together in the fabric of the
villains. Some races have unusual traits in different worlds. The halflings of the Dark Sun setting, for example, are jungle-dwelling cannibals, and the elves are desert nomads. Some worlds feature races
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Basic Rules (2014)
have been published as official settings for the D&D game. The legends of the Forgotten Realms, Dragonlance, Greyhawk, Dark Sun, Mystara, and Eberron settings are woven together in the fabric of the
villains. Some races have unusual traits in different worlds. The halflings of the Dark Sun setting, for example, are jungle-dwelling cannibals, and the elves are desert nomads. Some worlds feature races
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
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Ravenloft: The Horrors Within
and now rules the mortal realm. Villain Torments In dark fantasy adventures, a villain’s power is often rooted in the villain’s own suffering. Choose from or roll on the Dark Fantasy Torments table to
desperate or reluctant heroes resisting evil. Even in the grimmest settings, desperation and hope fan the flames of resistance. Adventure Hooks Plots in dark fantasy adventures range from street-level
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Heroes of the Borderlands
Resting Unlike in the other two adventure settings, the keep is a safe place to rest and resupply. The characters can freely take Long Rests in the keep. For more on resting, see the D&D Beyond Basic Rules.
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Lost Mine of Phandelver
adventure. It also introduces the world of the Forgotten Realms, one of the game’s most enduring settings, and it teaches you how to run a D&D game. The Basic Rules contain the rules you need to adjudicate situations that arise during the adventure.
Yuan-ti Pureblood
Legacy
This doesn't reflect the latest rules and lore.
Learn More
Species
Volo's Guide to Monsters
; Elminster
The serpent creatures known as yuan-ti are all that remains of an ancient, decadent human empire. Ages ago their dark gods taught them profane, cannibalistic rituals to mix their flesh
primordial world heeded the prayers of these people and hissed dark demands into their ears. The people tainted their souls by performing human sacrifices in the name of the gods, debased their flesh by
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Xanathar's Guide to Everything
Rewards Adventures in a shared campaign that uses variant rules for gaining levels and acquiring treasure (such as those described below) don’t include experience point awards or specific amounts and kinds of treasure.