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Returning 35 results for 'some of rule diameter variant'.
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
refuse to recognize my rule over these waters suffer my displeasure. (Lawful or Evil)
5
Preservation. I am the ocean’s steward, tending reefs and waters to ensure that they remain unspoiled
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
the surface world. (Any)
4
Supremacy. Creatures who refuse to recognize my rule over these waters suffer my displeasure. (Lawful or Evil)
5
Preservation. I am the ocean’s steward
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.
to untie a knot or slip out of one. Here’s an optional rule for determining the effectiveness of a knot. The creature who ties the knot makes an Intelligence (Sleight of Hand) check when doing so. The
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide
expended. Variant: Training to Gain Levels As a variant rule, you can require characters to spend time between adventures training or studying before they gain the benefits of a new level. This
variant slows the passage of time in the game world, which can help support a more realistic or gritty tone in your campaign. If you choose this option, after earning enough Experience Points to attain a
Monsters
Fizban's Treasury of Dragons
great thinkers, and spur adventurers to heroic deeds. They sometimes give guidance to those in need or request help from adventurers to encourage them to greatness.
As a rule, moonstone dragons are
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
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
)
3
Curiosity. I want to know about everything that enters my domain, especially oddities from the surface world. (Any)
4
Supremacy. Creatures who refuse to recognize my rule over these waters
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)
remembering where you are in the list can bog the game down. If you want quicker combats, at the risk of those combats becoming unbalanced, try using the side initiative rule. Under this variant, the
Initiative Variants This section offers different ways to handle initiative. Initiative Score With this optional rule, creature don’t roll initiative at the start of combat. Instead, each creature
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)
the following variants. Choose whichever one best suits your campaign. Ability Check Proficiency With this variant rule, characters don’t have skill proficiencies. Instead, each character has
distinction among characters. For example, a character can’t choose to emphasize persuasion or intimidation; he or she is equally adept at both. Background Proficiency With this variant rule, characters don’t
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->Fizban's Treasury of Dragons
Creating a Shadow Dragon Use the Shadow Dragon Personality Traits and Shadow Dragon Ideals tables to inspire your portrayal of distinctive shadow dragon characters. If you use the variant rule in the
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)
Difficulty Class It’s your job to establish the Difficulty Class for an ability check or a saving throw when a rule or an adventure doesn’t give you one. Sometimes you’ll even want to change such
ability score of 20 still needs a 19 or 20 on the die roll to succeed at a task of this difficulty. Variant: Automatic Success Sometimes the randomness of a d20 roll leads to ludicrous results. Let’s
Yuan-ti Pureblood
Legacy
This doesn't reflect the latest rules and lore.
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Species
Volo's Guide to Monsters
the blood, as it once did.
Because their population is so small, the yuan-ti are aware they are vulnerable in open warfare. Instead, their current plans assume they will never rule outwardly in
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
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Fizban's Treasury of Dragons
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
my rule over these waters suffer my displeasure. (Lawful or Evil)
5 Preservation. I am the ocean’s steward, tending reefs and waters to ensure that they remain unspoiled. (Lawful)
6
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Spelljammer: Adventures in Space->Astral Adventurer’s Guide
ballistae and crossbows 1,000 feet Beyond the range of most ranged weapons Initiative The Dungeon Master’s Guide presents a variant rule called side initiative, which is ideal for ship-to-ship engagements
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Xanathar's Guide to Everything
Areas of Effect on a Grid The Dungeon Master’s Guide includes the following short rule for using areas of effect on a grid. Choose an intersection of squares as the point of origin of an area of
square, it affects that square. That rule works, but it can require a fair amount of on-the-spot adjudication. This section offers two alternatives for determining the exact location of an area: the
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)
Players Award Inspiration As a DM, you have a lot to track during the game. Sometimes you can lose track of inspiration and forget to award it. As a variant rule, you can allow the players to handle
spice that you can use to enhance your campaign. Some DMs forgo using inspiration, while others embrace it as a key part of the game. If you take away anything from this section, remember this golden rule
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Locathah Rising
enveloped by the surrounding coral. About five feet from the sandy ocean floor there’s a sizeable hole, about fifteen feet in diameter, in its hull. A faint green light emanates from somewhere inside
be a powerful ally for the party, though the tortle’s vow to never harm humanoids is not negotiable. Amble doesn’t necessarily expect others to follow this rule, but will encourage them to do so
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Monster Manual (2014)
Fire Snake Fire Snakes. Salamanders hatch from eggs that are two-foot-diameter spheres of smoldering obsidian. When a salamander is ready to hatch, it melts its way through the egg’s thick shell and
, slavery under the efreet has impacted the culture of free salamanders. They rule their own societies according to the efreet model, in which larger and stronger salamanders claim dominion over their lesser
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Spelljammer: Adventures in Space->Light of Xaryxis
and disappears.
“The emperor has ascended!” the priest announces. “His spirit is one with the light of Xaryxis. As his firstborn heirs, Prince Xeleth and Princess Xedalli are both in line to rule
desperation, demands a chance to prove her innocence in a trial by combat—a request that Xeleth mocks: “Only someone who bears one of the starlight rings can challenge for the right to rule,” says the prince
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)
an action. Applying an oil might take longer, as specified in its description. Once used, a potion takes effect immediately, and it is used up. VARIANT: MIXING POTIONS
A character might drink one
fade, or it crumbles into dust. Unless a scroll’s description says otherwise, any creature that can understand a written language can read the script on a scroll and attempt to activate it. VARIANT
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
adjacent to the square you’re in. (The rule for diagonal movement sacrifices realism for the sake of smooth play. The Dungeon Master’s Guide provides guidance on using a more realistic approach.)
If
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Monster Manual (2014)
found on the Material Plane. The rest reside on the Elemental Planes, where they rule from lavish palaces and are attended by worshipful servants. Genies are as brilliant as they are mighty, as proud as
wind, a flash of fire and smoke, or a burst of water and foam. Rule or Be Ruled. Mortal servants validate a genie’s power and high self-opinion. A hundred flattering voices are music to a genie’s ears
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Candlekeep Mysteries
evil serpentfolk are here for a particular purpose, and as a rule they have no quarrel with anyone who doesn’t directly threaten their plan or try to impede what they’re doing.) The ground throughout
of wood and mud bricks has been turned into a prison where the evil yuan-ti are holding some of the followers of the Scaled Mother. The hemispherical building, 20 feet high and 50 feet in diameter, is
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->The Wild Beyond the Witchlight
challenge the monarch for the right to rule. The grounds are 20 feet in diameter. Combatants are shackled by one wrist or ankle to a 10-foot length of chain attached to the tree. Each chain has AC 19
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Fizban's Treasury of Dragons
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
druid spells feels different from one who casts warlock spells. You can also give a dragon spells of a higher level than the variant rule allows, but such a tweak might increase the dragon’s
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Monster Manual (2014)
and magical properties when brought to the surface. VARIANT: DROW MAGIC ARMOR AND WEAPONS
Drow often wear magic armor and carry magic weapons that lose their enhancement bonuses permanently if they
social ladder are drow of low birth and the occasional non-drow captive. Matriarchal Rule. Lolth, through her faithful priestesses, dictates the rules of drow society, ensuring that her orders and plots
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage
60-foot-diameter fountain adorned with eight statues that represent the Dark Seldarine (the drow pantheon). Cracked tiles fanning out from the fountain form a web-like mosaic on the floor.
Guards
corner. These docile reptiles are used as mounts by the drow scouts in area 25b and have the Spider Climb trait (see the “Variant: Giant Lizard Traits” sidebar in appendix A of the Monster Manual
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Monster Manual (2014)
whose icy touch can render a foe all but helpless in combat. VARIANT: ICE DEVIL SPEAR
Some ice devils have the following action options.
Multiattack. The devil makes two attacks: one with its spear
a hemispherical dome up to 20 feet in diameter.
When the wall appears, each creature in its space is pushed out of it by the shortest route. The creature chooses which side of the wall to end up on
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Fizban's Treasury of Dragons
affecting the dragon’s challenge rating (as noted under “Customizing Dragons” earlier in this chapter). Likewise, if you use the Monster Manual variant rule to make dragons innate spellcasters, you could
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Player's Handbook (2014)
every foot it moves there, and it has disadvantage on attack rolls and Dexterity saving throws. Attack rolls against the creature have advantage while it’s in the smaller space. VARIANT: PLAYING ON A
least 1 square of movement left, even if the square is diagonally adjacent to the square you’re in. (The rule for diagonal movement sacrifices realism for the sake of smooth play. The Dungeon Master’s
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Ghosts of Saltmarsh
face of defeat and find reinforcements, they might instead press the attack.
As an optional rule to reflect this ferocity, a sahuagin that comes within 30 feet of a hostile creature that doesn’t have
diameter, supporting the roof above. All archways are 10 feet wide and 10 feet high. Illumination No permanent light sources exist inside the stronghold, since the sahuagin have no need of them. In
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide
and attempt to activate it unless its description notes otherwise. Staffs Items in the Staff category vary widely in appearance: some are of nearly equal diameter throughout and smooth, others are
determine it randomly. Ammunition. If a magic weapon has the Ammunition property, ammunition fired from it is considered magical for the purpose of any rule that cares whether a weapon is magical or
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage
dim light for an additional 10 feet.
Altar and Shield. Between the alcoves, an iron altar traced with silver and shaped like a giant anvil rests beneath a round, 10-foot-diameter iron shield
maxims include: “No matter how much wealth and power you have, it’s never enough.” “The fight never ends. Take what you deserve and destroy all who stand in your way.” “Let no emotion rule you
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Out of the Abyss
of the following environments, modified as you wish to suit the creatures in the encounter.
Caves. Most caves in the Labyrinth are small (up to 30 feet in diameter), with uneven floors featuring
party regardless of its size. If there are five or more quaggoths in the group, one of them is a quaggoth thonot (see the “Variant: Quaggoth Thonot” sidebar in the “Quaggoth” entry of the Monster
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Volo's Guide to Monsters
before the death kiss gets into melee range. Thus, out of self-preservation, a death kiss usually submits to the rule of a beholder that it encounters, though it might attempt to escape as soon as its
anything weaker than itself. Its body is about 4 feet in diameter, with six eyestalks, a central eye (sometimes surrounded by multiple smaller eyes), and four small grasping tentacles near its mouth. It