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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.

Control Flames

Spells Elemental Evil Player's Companion

direction, provided that wood or other fuel is present in the new location. You instantaneously extinguish the flames within the cube. You double or halve the area of bright light and dim light cast by the

flame, change its color, or both. The change lasts for 1 hour. You cause simple shapes—such as the vague form of a creature, an inanimate object, or a location—to appear within the

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

Shape Water

Spells Elemental Evil Player's Companion

flow of the water as you direct, up to 5 feet in any direction. This movement doesn’t have enough force to cause damage. You cause the water to form into simple shapes and animate at your

direction. This change lasts for 1 hour. You change the water’s color or opacity. The water must be changed in the same way throughout. This change lasts for 1 hour. You freeze the water

Gazer

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

isn’t being worn or carried, the gazer moves it up to 30 feet in any direction. The gazer can also exert fine control on objects with this ray, such as manipulating a simple tool or opening a

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

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.

Scissors of Shadow Snipping

Magic Items The Wild Beyond the Witchlight

next dawn. The shadow (variant);detached shadow is rooted to the spot where it was snipped until you use a bonus action to cause it to behave in one of the following ways, either of which is possible

only if you can see the shadow: You control the shadow’s movements and can make the shadow move up to 30 feet across a solid or liquid surface, in any direction you choose (including along

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

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

of existence as the Ythryn mythallar, you can use an action to cause it to fly in any direction you choose at a speed of 30 feet. All matter within 500 feet of the device moves with it. The Ythryn

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

Hashalaq Quori

Monsters Eberron: Rising from the Last War

range of simple shapes. A point of blue light suspended within its tendrils serves as the hashalaq's sensory organ, which can be moved around to suit the creature's current shape. The Power of Pleasure

. 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

Owlin

Species Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos

Distant kin of giant owls from the Feywild, owlin come in many shapes and sizes, from petite and fluffy to wide-winged and majestic. Owlin have arms and legs like other Humanoids, as well as wings

additional rules during character creation. Ability Score Increases When determining your character’s ability scores, increase one of those scores by 2 and increase a different score by 1, or

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

Thessalkraken

Monsters Infernal Machine Rebuild

thrown up to 40 feet in a random direction and knocked prone. If a thrown target strikes a solid surface, the target takes 3 (1d6);{"diceNotation":"1d6","rollType":"damage","rollAction":"Fling

. 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

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

Gazer (Familiar Variant)

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

less that isn’t being worn or carried, the gazer moves it up to 30 feet in any direction. The gazer can also exert fine control on objects with this ray, such as manipulating a simple tool or

’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

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

Sibriex

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

Contamination. The sibriex emits an aura of corruption 30 feet in every direction. Vegetation withers in the aura, and the ground in the aura is difficult terrain for other creatures. Any creature

-shaping they provide. Variant: Flesh Warping Creatures that encounter a sibriex can be twisted beyond recognition. Whenever a creature fails a saving throw against the sibriex’s Warp Creature

Githzerai

Species Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

and reforming without purpose or direction, until a creature exerts deliberate will to stabilize it. Through their potent psionic power, githzerai carved a home for themselves amid the chaos. As the

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

Spell Scroll Legacy

Magic Items Basic Rules (2014)

copied. Whether the check succeeds or fails, the Spell Scroll is destroyed. VARIANT: SCROLL MISHAPS A creature who tries and fails to cast a spell from a spell scroll must make a DC 10

the intended target, the spell takes effect normally. If the caster was not the intended target, the spell goes off in the general direction of the intended target, up to the spell’s maximum range, if the target has moved away.

Halaster Blackcloak

Monsters Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage

form is that of a tall, gaunt, male human, but he uses magic to take on many other visages and shapes. No matter what form he wears, the Mad Mage giggles and mutters incessantly. Contrary to appearances

ghostly, 1-foot-diameter humanoid eye surrounded by motes of light. The sensor is stationary, though Halaster can reorient the eye to face in any direction. Halaster can see through the eye as though he

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

reversed within that room. Any creatures or objects in the room when this happens fall in the direction of the new pull of gravity, unless they have some means of remaining aloft. Baphomet can ignore the

Orcus

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

Dungeon Master’s Guide.Orcus’s Lair Orcus makes his lair in the fortress city of Naratyr, which is on Thanatos, the layer of the Abyss that he rules. Surrounded by a moat fed by the

of Death. This creature emanates a deathly aura that extends 30 feet in every direction from its space while it isn’t incapacitated. The aura is blocked by total cover. While in the aura, the

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

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

Rewards

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.

Yuan-ti Pureblood Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

, the yuan-ti will do so—and they actually prefer these tactics to open warfare. Because abominations and malisons can change into the shapes of snakes, they can keep their presence hidden and

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

Creating a Dragonmarked Character

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

Creating a Dragonmarked Character Dragonmarks manifest on certain members of a few species, represented in the rules by variant race options: For humans and half-orcs, a dragonmark is a variant race

that replaces traits associated with those races. For half-elves, a dragonmark is a variant race that lets you keep some half-elf traits and replace others with the traits associated with your mark

Area of Effect

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->D&D Beyond Basic Rules

Area of Effect The descriptions of many spells and other features specify that they have an area of effect, which typically has one of six shapes. These shapes are defined elsewhere in this glossary

: Cone Cube Cylinder Emanation Line Sphere An area of effect has a point of origin, a location from which the effect’s energy erupts. The rules for each shape specify how to position its

Human Traits

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Player's Handbook (2014)

HUMAN TRAITS If your campaign uses the optional feat rules from chapter 6, your Dungeon Master might allow these variant traits, all of which replace the human’s Ability Score Increase trait

with, including obscure dialects. They are fond of sprinkling their speech with words borrowed from other tongues: Orc curses, Elvish musical expressions, Dwarvish military phrases, and so on. VARIANT

Area of Effect

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Player’s Handbook

Area of Effect The descriptions of many spells and other features specify that they have an area of effect, which typically has one of six shapes. These shapes are defined elsewhere in this glossary

: Cone Cube Cylinder Emanation Line Sphere An area of effect has a point of origin, a location from which the effect’s energy erupts. The rules for each shape specify how to position its

Control Flames

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

that fits within a 5-foot cube. You affect it in one of the following ways: You instantaneously expand the flame 5 feet in one direction, provided that wood or other fuel is present in the new

cause simple shapes — such as the vague form of a creature, an inanimate object, or a location — to appear within the flames and animate as you like. The shapes last for 1 hour. If you cast this spell

Control Flames

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Princes of the Apocalypse

that fits within a 5-foot cube. You affect it in one of the following ways: You instantaneously expand the flame 5 feet in one direction, provided that wood or other fuel is present in the new

cause simple shapes — such as the vague form of a creature, an inanimate object, or a location — to appear within the flames and animate as you like. The shapes last for 1 hour. If you cast this spell

Tying Knots

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

Tying Knots The rules are purposely open-ended concerning mundane tasks like tying knots, but sometimes knowing how well a knot was fashioned is important in a dramatic scene when someone is trying

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.

Exploring This Level

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage

anything it touches. The ooze is never more than 5 feet deep in any given location and is difficult terrain. It moves slowly in the direction indicated by the wavy arrows on map 19 and also behaves

like it’s alive, occasionally extruding harmless pseudopods or amorphous shapes that bear passing resemblances to familiar creatures.

Shape Water

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Princes of the Apocalypse

movement doesn’t have enough force to cause damage. You cause the water to form into simple shapes and animate at your direction. This change lasts for 1 hour. You change the water’s color or opacity. The

fits within a 5-foot cube. You manipulate it in one of the following ways: You instantaneously move or otherwise change the flow of the water as you direct, up to 5 feet in any direction. This

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