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Returning 35 results for 'some of rather diverse variant'.
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
classes
Basic Rules (2014)
Bards of the College of Lore know something about most things, collecting bits of knowledge from sources as diverse as scholarly tomes and peasant tales. Whether singing folk ballads in taverns or
following the tenets of a deity. A noble who keeps such a bard as a herald or advisor knows that the bard would rather be honest than politic.
The college’s members gather in libraries and
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
This doesn't reflect the latest rules and lore.
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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
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
Yuan-ti Pureblood
Legacy
This doesn't reflect the latest rules and lore.
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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
Species
Acquisitions Incorporated
.
Reality is a descent into chaos punctuated by brief flashes of order, whence we arose and so imagine it to be the norm rather than a distant outlier. That-Which-Endures held entropy back for a mere instant
became the verdan covered an enormous area. As the verdan fled to the surface world, they emerged in culturally diverse locations. Some found themselves near dwarven strongholds, others near elven
Human
Legacy
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Species
Basic Rules (2014)
and conquest, humans are more physically diverse than other common races. There is no typical human. An individual can stand from 5 feet to a little over 6 feet tall and weigh from 125 to 250 pounds
, humans champion causes rather than territories or groups.
Human Names and Ethnicities
Having so much more variety than other cultures, humans as a whole have no typical names. Some human parents
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron
—humans are innovative, adaptable, and aggressive, always pushing their limits and pursuing new ideas. Humans are extremely diverse; a barbarian from the Demon Wastes has little in common with a Brelish
Lhazaar pirate with a knack for the mystic arts. The variant human presented in the Player’s Handbook provides an additional opportunity to capture some of the flavor of Eberron. Does your choice of skill proficiency and feat reflect the culture you were raised in?
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.
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
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
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
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron
The Shape of the District The heart of Callestan is the plaza called the Bridge. This central square serves as an open market and speaker’s corner. It’s not on a bridge; rather, the center of the
goblins, kobolds, and gnolls have taken up residence in a block of condemned tenements known as the Kennels. Aside from this, Callestan is incredibly diverse, and members of any race can be found
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
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
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Out of the Abyss
nalfeshnee named Slaughtertusk to watch over the crevasse and prevent any creature from approaching the device. Slaughtertusk would rather be helping the Horned King track down and kill Yeenoghu. The
nalfeshnee is bored with its assigned task, although it knows better than to disobey the Horned King. Still, rather than immediately destroying any intruders, it toys with them for as long as possible
Backgrounds
Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica
clade — a diverse group of individuals combining disparate talents in pursuit of a common goal — or a researcher on a specialized, short-term project focused on addressing an immediate
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
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Eberron: Rising from the Last War
ogres and mangy gnolls, King Boranel’s legendary courage has apparently faltered. We can only assume he means to yield to Cyre next.
Thanks to the guidance of the hags, the diverse inhabitants of
until medical attention can be obtained. Harpies in the taverns of Droaam use their hypnotic songs to entertain rather than to harm. When you bring creatures from Droaam into the campaign, consider how
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Basic Rules (2014)
College of Lore Bards of the College of Lore know something about most things, collecting bits of knowledge from sources as diverse as scholarly tomes and peasant tales. Whether singing folk ballads
monarch or following the tenets of a deity. A noble who keeps such a bard as a herald or advisor knows that the bard would rather be honest than politic. The college’s members gather in libraries and
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Planescape: Adventures in the Multiverse->Turn of Fortune’s Wheel
adventure, the first time a character dies, invite all the players to create two variant versions of their character using the guidance in this section, then continue the adventure. Prepared Incarnations
“Running Glitch Characters” section. Let players discover that dead characters return in new incarnations during play rather than revealing this outright. When an incarnation appears, they are attuned to
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Player's Handbook (2014)
College of Lore Bards of the College of Lore know something about most things, collecting bits of knowledge from sources as diverse as scholarly tomes and peasant tales. Whether singing folk ballads
monarch or following the tenets of a deity. A noble who keeps such a bard as a herald or advisor knows that the bard would rather be honest than politic. The college’s members gather in libraries and
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Journeys through the Radiant Citadel
—believed to be death herself—is the patron spirit of the city. She is a capricious figure who wishes to be celebrated rather than feared. While numerous festivals are held throughout the year, the most
this event are marked by colorful citywide parades that display San Citlán’s diverse culture. Olvidados In rare circumstances, the deceased remain in San Citlán as Undead following the Night of the
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Basic Rules (2014)
rolls and Dexterity saving throws. Attack rolls against the creature have advantage while it's in the smaller space. VARIANT: PLAYING ON A GRID If you play out a combat using a square grid and
miniatures or other tokens, follow these rules.
Squares. Each square on the grid represents 5 feet.
Speed. Rather than moving foot by foot, move square by square on the grid. This means you use your speed
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Xanathar's Guide to Everything
tier 2 adventure. 1 treasure point is awarded for every 1 hour played in a tier 3 or tier 4 adventure. As with the variant rules for gaining levels, this award is based on the adventure’s projected
playing time, rather than the actual time a group spent at the table. If a character completes an adventure of a tier higher than that character’s tier, the character receives 1 additional treasure point
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)
emphasize action-packed heroics. For such campaigns, consider allowing inspiration to be spent after a d20 roll, rather than before. This approach turns inspiration into a cushion against failure — and
your campaign is one where you let the dice fall where they may. It’s a good option for gritty campaigns or ones where the DM focuses on playing an impartial role as a rules arbiter. Variant: Only
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)
opportunity to develop the character’s story and that of your world, rather than shutting down possibilities. Substituting Class Features If one or more features of a given class don’t exactly fit the theme
an existing feature that can be used as a model? How does the new class feature compare to other features of the same level? Variant: Spell Points One way to modify how a class feels is to change how
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Journeys through the Radiant Citadel
The Speakers for the Ancestors face incredible challenges in their role. They must maintain the internal stability of a large and diverse city and ensure its people are treated equally and fairly
complex relationship with her homeland. While she loves Akharin Sangar, she refuses to bend to the will of its angelic ruler, Atash. Rather than oppose him directly, she plays a delicate political game
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Eberron: Rising from the Last War
investigators, focused on tracking people down or gathering information. More likely, you’re a diverse team with a range of skills that allow you undertake a variety of different missions on your
Sleight of Hand and Stealth skills. Confiscators are often rogues, and many have a history of stealing for profit rather than national interest. Hunter. The Hunter stalks humanoid prey, for purposes
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Eberron: Rising from the Last War
dungeon deep below the Library of Korranberg. Through the use of magical transportation, heroes can reach a wide range of environments over the course of an adventure, and thus deal with a diverse
circumstances, rather than the direct influence of the gods. As a result, you can’t assume that a gold dragon is good or a beholder is evil; only in the case of celestials, fiends, and certain other
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->The Radiant Citadel
The Speakers for the Ancestors face incredible challenges in their role. They must maintain the internal stability of a large and diverse city and ensure its people are treated equally and fairly
complex relationship with her homeland. While she loves Akharin Sangar, she refuses to bend to the will of its angelic ruler, Atash. Rather than oppose him directly, she plays a delicate political game
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Player's Handbook (2014)
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 attention to the risks in a
prison for a crime that I committed. I’m okay with that. Variant Criminal: Spy Although your capabilities are not much different from those of a burglar or smuggler, you learned and practiced them in a
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Basic Rules (2014)
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 attention to the risks in a
prison for a crime that I committed. I’m okay with that. Variant Criminal: Spy Although your capabilities are not much different from those of a burglar or smuggler, you learned and practiced them in a
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Fizban's Treasury of Dragons
Given the opportunity, I eat to excess and then fall into a long, deep sleep.
4 I would rather let my fearsome reputation scare away intruders than fight them off.
5 Other dragons would
proficiencies, particularly if the dragon spends time in Humanoid form. Spells. The Monster Manual’s variant rule about making dragons innate spellcasters is an easy way to add variety to dragons
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Monster Manual (2014)
fears. Mind flayers will sometimes harvest a brain rather than devour it, using it as part of some alien experiment or transforming it into an intellect devourer. QUALITH
On the rare occasion that
the effect on itself on a success.
VARIANT: MIND FLAYER ARCANIST
A few mind flayers supplement their psionic power with arcane spells. However, they are regarded as deviants by their illithid