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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.

Lorwyn Changeling

Species Lorwyn: First Light

The changelings of Lorwyn are charismatic shapeshifters able to crudely mimic the forms of creatures and plants. Unlike most shapeshifters, however, their innate powers don’t allow them to

truly disguise themselves; rather, their transformations are purely surface level. No matter their form, Lorwyn changelings keep their key traits: blue-green skin, tufts of tentacle-like fur, and bulbous

Gnoll Witherling

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

against each other, perhaps to determine who rules a war band or because of extreme starvation. Even under ordinary circumstances, gnolls that are deprived of victims for too long struggle to control

the remains back to a semblance of life in the form of a gnoll witherling. Witherlings travel with their comrades and try to kill anything in their path. They don’t eat and aren’t motivated

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

Grung Elite Warrior

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

Amphibious. The grung can breathe air and water. Poisonous Skin. Any creature that grapples the grung or otherwise comes into direct contact with the grung’s skin must succeed on a DC 12

secrete a substance that is harmless to them but poisonous to other creatures, and sometimes that substance has a special effect based on the grung’s color (see “Variant: Grung Poison&rdquo

Grung Wildling

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

Amphibious. The grung can breathe air and water. Poisonous Skin. Any creature that grapples the grung or otherwise comes into direct contact with the grung’s skin must succeed on a DC 12

gold. All grungs secrete a substance that is harmless to them but poisonous to other creatures, and sometimes that substance has a special effect based on the grung’s color (see “Variant

Grung

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

Amphibious. The grung can breathe air and water. Poisonous Skin. Any creature that grapples the grung or otherwise comes into direct contact with the grung’s skin must succeed on a DC 12

effect based on the grung’s color (see “Variant: Grung Poison”). They also use this venom to poison their weapons. Variant: Grung Poison A creature poisoned by a grung can suffer an

Leprechaun

Monsters Quests from the Infinite Staircase

roll to use, potentially turning the failure into a success.Leprechauns are manifestations of the Feywild rules of hospitality and reciprocity. These rules infuse leprechauns with a deep connection to

ideas into vivid illusions. A leprechaun’s adherence to Feywild rules affords it tremendous luck, but this fortune comes at a cost. These same magical strictures compel leprechauns to use their

Circlet of Human Perfection

Magic Items Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage

and weight. The circlet chooses the physical characteristics of the form, such as age, gender, skin color, hair color, and voice. Except for size, the wearer’s statistics and racial traits don’t change, nor do items worn or carried by the wearer. Removing the circlet ends the effect.

Irda Seeker

Monsters Monstrous Compendium Vol. 2: Dragonlance Creatures

Humanoid it has seen. Any equipment the seeker is wearing or carrying isn’t transformed, and the seeker’s statistics don’t change. The seeker reverts to its true form if the seeker is

teachings, some of them adopted the philosophies of other deities. Those irda who don’t serve the Dragon Queen live in hidden communities across Krynn, avoiding the eyes of their creator and her

Maw Demon

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

Lord of Savagery’s gullet. Maw demons appear among gnoll war bands that worship Yeenoghu, usually summoned as part of ritual offerings of freshly slain Humanoids made to him. The gnolls don&rsquo

Contents table. Maw Demon’s Stomach Contents d8;{"diceNotation":"1d8","rollType":"roll","rollAction":"Stomach Contents"} Stomach Contents 1 Intact wine skin with wine still in it

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.

Irda Veil Keeper

Monsters Monstrous Compendium Vol. 2: Dragonlance Creatures

’s statistics don’t change. The veil keeper reverts to its true form if the veil keeper is reduced to 0 hit points or if the veil keeper uses an action to end the transformation

philosophies of other deities. Those irda who don’t serve the Dragon Queen live in hidden communities across Krynn, avoiding the eyes of their creator and her minions. Distantly related to oni, ogre

B'rohg

Monsters Spelljammer: Adventures in Space

;rohgs are broad-shouldered, four-armed Giants, 15 feet tall, with burnt-orange skin. They have flat noses, pointed ears, and long hair that grows down the backs and sides of their otherwise bald

its bare hands. B’rohgs communicate with one another using grunts and basic hand signals; they have no spoken or written language. They prefer to be left alone and for that reason don’t

Hag of the Fetid Gaze

Monsters Candlekeep Mysteries

inspection. For example, the hag could appear to have smooth skin, but someone touching her would feel her rough flesh. Otherwise, a creature must take an action to visually inspect the illusion and

with her.Three Green Hag (Coven Variant);green hags named Dread Morgan, Vile Sazha, and Auntie Greenbones were once rivals who dwelled in an area of the Feywild coterminous with the High Forest. A

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

Variant Aasimar

Species Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)

This aasimar variant originally appeared in the Dungeon Master's Guide as an example for creating your own races. Whereas tieflings have fiendish blood in their veins, aasimar are the descendants of

celestial beings. These folk generally appear as glorious humans with lustrous hair, flawless skin, and piercing eyes. Aasimar often attempt to pass as humans in order to right wrongs and defend

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

Wereraven Legacy

monsters Curse of Strahd

light weapons. They are reluctant to make bite attacks in raven form for fear of spreading their curse to those who don’t deserve it or who would abuse it. A Kindness of Wereravens. Wereravens

, 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

Sibriex

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

-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

The color of the target’s hair, eyes, and skin becomes blue, red, yellow, or patterned. 06–10 The target’s eyes push out of its head at the end of stalks. 11–15 The

Water Genasi

Species Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

, Plant, Undead. These types don’t have rules themselves, but some rules in the game affect creatures of certain types in different ways. For example, the cure wounds spell doesn’t work on a

skin is often shades of blue or green, sometimes a blend of the two. If they have a human skin tone, there is a glistening texture that catches the light, like water droplets or nearly invisible fish

Frost Giant Everlasting One

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

. Those who don’t shrink from such visions or report them to priests of Thrym receive more of the same. If a frost giant comes to relish these dreams and nightmares, as some do, Vaprak sets a

fails to heed Vaprak’s visions, injuries the frost giant sustains heal wrong, resulting in discolored skin; warty scars; and vestigial body parts, such as extra digits, limbs, and even heads. The

Nightveil Specter

Monsters Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica

leathery skin is stretched tight over its skull, where its eyes are empty sockets. Its body is mottled with bony plates, and great wings stretch from its shoulders. Undead Nature. A Nightveil specter

and its gloamwing mount don’t require air, food, drink, or sleep.PoisonNecrotic; Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from Nonmagical Attacks

Air Genasi

Species Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

, Humanoid, Monstrosity, Ooze, Plant, Undead. These types don’t have rules themselves, but some rules in the game affect creatures of certain types in different ways. For example, the cure wounds

winds. Air genasi’s skin tones include many shades of blue, along with the full range of human skin tones, with bluish or ashen casts. Sometimes their skin is marked by lines that seem like cracks

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

Shadar-kai

Species Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

, Beast, Celestial, Construct, Dragon, Elemental, Fey, Fiend, Giant, Humanoid, Monstrosity, Ooze, Plant, Undead. These types don’t have rules themselves, but some rules in the game affect creatures

’s grim energy. Shadar-kai have ashen skin tones, and while they’re in the Shadowfell, they also become wizened, reflecting the somber nature of that gloomy plane. Like other elves

Guild Artisan / Guild Merchant Legacy

Backgrounds Player’s Handbook (2014)

in the guild’s good graces. Variant Guild Artisan: Guild Merchant Instead of an artisans’ guild, you might belong to a guild of traders, caravan masters, or shopkeepers. You don&rsquo

Wilfred Godefroy

monsters

. Wilfred makes one Object Slam attack.Lord Wilfred Godefroy rules the afterlife of all who die in Mordent. Arrogant, impatient, and vengeful, the Darklord seeks any opportunity to exert his control and

. He uses his control over the dead to influence the living, threatening to harm his victims’ dead loved ones if they don’t obey his fickle commands. A generation ago, the creators of the

Chromatic Dragonborn

Species Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

, Humanoid, Monstrosity, Ooze, Plant, Undead. These types don’t have rules themselves, but some rules in the game affect creatures of certain types in different ways. For example, the cure wounds spell doesn’t work on a Construct or an Undead.

Dragonborn with chromatic ancestry claim the raw elemental power of chromatic dragons. The vibrant colors of black, blue, green, red, and white dragons gleam in those dragonborn’s scaled skin

Gem Dragonborn

Species Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

, Dragon, Elemental, Fey, Fiend, Giant, Humanoid, Monstrosity, Ooze, Plant, Undead. These types don’t have rules themselves, but some rules in the game affect creatures of certain types in different ways. For example, the cure wounds spell doesn’t work on a Construct or an Undead.

, and topaz—gleam in these dragonborn’s scaled skin and course through their veins. Theirs are the wonders of the mind, the force of will, the brilliant light of insight, and the resounding

Noble Legacy

Backgrounds Basic Rules (2014)

inheritance that no one cares what you do, as long as you don’t embarrass the family? How does the head of your family feel about your adventuring career? Are you in your family’s good graces, or

. 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

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

Proficiency Bonus Legacy

Rules

(History) checks. In general, you don’t multiply your proficiency bonus for attack rolls or saving throws. If a feature or effect allows you to do so, these same rules apply.

Characters have a proficiency bonus determined by level, as detailed in chapter 1. Monsters also have this bonus, which is incorporated in their stat blocks. The bonus is used in the rules on ability

Hexblood Legacy

Species Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

, Dragon, Elemental, Fey, Fiend, Giant, Humanoid, Monstrosity, Ooze, Plant, Undead. These types don’t have rules themselves, but some rules in the game affect creatures of certain types in different

enter into bargains with hags gain their deepest wishes but eventually find themselves transformed. These changes evidence a hag’s influence: ears that split in forked points, skin in lurid

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