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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

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

Jermlaine

Monsters Mordenkainen's Fiendish Folio Volume 1

attempts to hunt them down and fashion cloaks and other material from their skin. Such experiments have yet to yield a functional magic item, and the jermlaine's hatred of outsiders is driven in part by

overwhelming waves. In the heat of battle, individual jermlaine gladly throw themselves on their enemies' weapons to clear the way for their allies' attacks. Hidden Threat. The jermlaine's skin is rough

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.

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

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

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

Humanoid Mutate

Monsters Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk

influence of the Far Realm affects Humanoids, the resulting creature might be a thing of nightmares. Multitudinous webbed wings sprout haphazardly along this mutate’s body. Its skin becomes clammy and

as smooth as a salamander’s. Some intelligent Humanoid mutates retain their personalities from before they were exposed to the Far Realm. Some, driven by the allure of otherworldly powers, seek

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

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

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

Air Genasi

Species Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

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

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

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

Water Genasi

Species Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

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

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 When

Reigar

Monsters Spelljammer: Adventures in Space

stormy seas of Ysgard until the gods of that plane transformed them. They have bioluminescent freckles and the ability to change the coloration of their skin. A glory (or halo) surrounds each of them. This

land. When the endless battles there grew tiresome, some reigar ventured to the Astral Sea and Wildspace in search of glory. Many are driven by artistic pursuits, but each reigar has their own notion

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

Shadar-kai

Species Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

’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

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

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

Star Spawn Hulk

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

glistening, translucent skin. Pale and seemingly lidless eyes glare balefully from a face distorted by too many teeth and too little nose. Hulks are seldom encountered without a commanding star spawn

seer nearby. A hulk appears to have little will of its own and is driven to protect its master. Star Spawn The Material Plane represents only one small part of the multiverse. Beyond the best

Chromatic Dragonborn

Species Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

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

. If you select one of the dragonborn races in this chapter, follow these additional rules during character creation. Ability Score Increases When determining your character’s ability scores

Gem Dragonborn

Species Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

, 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

the game’s fantastical races. If you select one of the dragonborn races in this chapter, follow these additional rules during character creation. Ability Score Increases When determining your

Deep Dragon Wyrmling Legacy

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

; black-and-gray hide is smooth like a salamander’s, and their eyes are pale. As they age, their spore breath causes fungi to bloom across their skin, especially around the head and neck. Their

it to the surface world. Lost and confused, the wyrmling has been captured by a group of cruel adventurers. 3 A deep dragon wyrmling whimsically rules over a worshipful group of kobolds, sending

Bavlorna Blightstraw

Monsters The Wild Beyond the Witchlight

submerged. As the hours pass between each immersion, her movements become more ponderous and her skin audibly cracks as she moves. Bavlorna lives like a hermit. She is frazzled, impatient, paranoid

time: one reflects the past, another reflects the present, and the third reflects the future. These hags are utter wickedness distilled into corporeal forms, driven by a lust for secrets that can be

Hexblood Legacy

Species Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

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

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

Aasimar Legacy

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

Githyanki

Species Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

children can reach adulthood. A lanky people with skin tones of yellows, greens, and browns, githyanki complement their physical prowess with psionic might, instilled in them by mind flayers and

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

Goliath Legacy

Species Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

essence of their ancestors’ mountainous home, goliaths stand between 7 and 8 feet tall and have a wide array of skin tones resembling different types of stone. 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 Score

Hadozee

Species Spelljammer: Adventures in Space

that are as dexterous as their hands, even to the extent of having opposable thumbs. Membranes of skin hang loosely from their arms and legs. When stretched taut, these membranes enable hadozees to

of the game’s fantastical races. If you create a character using a race option presented here, follow these additional rules during character creation. Ability Score Increases When

Giff

Species Spelljammer: Adventures in Space

Giff are tall, broad-shouldered folk with hippo-like features. Some have smooth skin, while others have short bristles on their faces and the tops of their heads. As beings of impressive size and

character is a member of the human race or one of the game’s fantastical races. If you create a character using a race option presented here, follow these additional rules during character creation

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