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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.

Cittern

Equipment

A cittern, distinguished by its pear-shaped bowl, produces a pleasing, richer sound. See the Player's Handbook for more details on Musical Instruments.

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

Geryon Legacy

Monsters Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes

. If Geryon dies, these effects fade over the course of 1d10;{"diceNotation":"1d10","rollType":"roll"} days. VARIANT: SOUND THE HORN Geryon can have an action that allows him to summon enslaved

minotaur;minotaurs. Sound the Horn (1/Day). Geryon blows his horn, which causes 5d4;{"diceNotation":"5d4","rollType":"roll","rollAction":"Sound the Horn"} minotaur;minotaurs to appear in unoccupied spaces

Geryon

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

–6). As a reaction when this creature takes damage, it can roll a d10 and subtract the number rolled from the damage. Geryon (Variant);VARIANT: SOUND THE HORN Geryon can have an action that

allows him to summon enslaved minotaurs. Sound the Horn (1/Day). Geryon blows his horn, which causes 5d4;{"diceNotation":"5d4","rollType":"roll","rollAction":"Sound the Horn"} minotaur;minotaurs

Anvilwrought Raptor

Monsters Mythic Odysseys of Theros

Keen Sight. The raptor has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight. Recorded Mimicry. The raptor can mimic any sound, including voices, it has heard in the last 24 hours. A

sands of time or are guarded by ancient monsters. Constructed Nature. An anvilwrought doesn't require air, food, drink, or sleep. VARIANT: ANVILWROUGHT RAPTOR FAMILIAR Some anvilwrought raptors are

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.

Wereraven Legacy

monsters Curse of Strahd

, 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

piercing damage (no ability modifier applies to this damage) and carries the curse of lycanthropy; see the “Player Characters as Lycanthropes” sidebar in the lycanthropes entry in the Monster Manual for details.

Owlin

Species Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos

that extend from their back and shoulders. Like owls, owlin are graced with feathers that make no sound when they move or fly, making it easy for them to sneak up on you in the library. Your owlin

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

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

Inheritor

Backgrounds Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

determine your inheritance from among the possibilities in the table below. Work with your Dungeon Master to come up with details: Why is your inheritance so important, and what is its full story? You might

prefer for the DM to invent these details as part of the game, allowing you to learn more about your inheritance as your character does. The Dungeon Master is free to use your inheritance as a story

Noble Legacy

Backgrounds Basic Rules (2014)

your line or even a spiritual member of the family? These details help establish your family and your title as features of the world of the campaign. Skill Proficiencies: History, Persuasion Tool

. 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

Kenku Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

sound they hear, from a halfling’s voice to the noise of rocks clattering down a hillside. However, kenku cannot create new sounds and can communicate only by using sounds they have heard

. Most kenku use a combination of overheard phrases and sound effects to convey their ideas and thoughts. By the same token, kenku have no ability to invent new ideas or create new things. Kenku can

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

Noble - Baldur's Gate

Backgrounds Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus

your line or even a spiritual member of the family? These details help establish your family and your title as features of the world of the campaign. The patriars of Baldur’s Gate live in the

; 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

Reborn Legacy

Species Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

Memories table to inspire its details. Lost Memories d6 Memory 1 You recall a physically painful moment. What mark or scar on your body does it relate to? 2 A memory brings

, but you aren’t any longer. You now possess only your lineage’s racial traits. When you create a character using a lineage option, follow these additional rules during character creation

Folk Hero Legacy

Backgrounds Basic Rules (2014)

to sound smarter. 8 I get bored easily. When am I going to get on with my destiny? d6 Ideal 1 Respect. People deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. (Good

. d6 Flaw 1 The tyrant who rules my land will stop at nothing to see me killed. 2 I’m convinced of the significance of my destiny, and blind to my shortcomings and the risk of

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

Plasmoid

Species Spelljammer: Adventures in Space

internal organs of the usual sort. Their bodies are composed of cells, fibers, plasma-like ooze, and clusters of nerves. These nerves enable a plasmoid to detect light, heat, texture, sound, pain, and

constrict to produce sound. When plasmoids sleep, they lose their rigidity and spread out and are thus sometimes mistaken for a rock or some other feature of the environment. Creating Your Character When

Draconic Races

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

section offers three variant dragonborn race options that can be used to create a character with clear connections to a specific draconic ancestry. When you’re making a new character using one of these races, use the rules under “Creating Your Character” to fill out the details.

Dimir Operative

Backgrounds Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica

don’t share it. 3 I like to sound mysterious, because wisdom hidden grows deeper with time. 4 I have no patience with people who get in my way. 5 I love hearing about other

d6 Flaw 1 I like secrets so much that I’m reluctant to share details of a plan even with those who need to know. 2 I would let my friends die rather than reveal my true

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.

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

5b. Tower Heights

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

(Athletics) check. The Leaper. Any creature that climbs the tower hears a horrified scream. The sound of the scream originates from above, passes any climbers, moves to the tower’s floor, and then repeats

sound and a powerful wind issuing from above. Any creature that climbs more than 30 feet up the tower, using the stairs or otherwise, must make a DC 15 Strength saving throw. On a successful save, the

General Features

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Lost Mine of Phandelver

Basic Rules). Sound. The sound of water in the cave muffles noises to any creatures that aren’t listening carefully. Creatures can make a DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check to attempt to hear activity

in nearby chambers. Stalagmites. These upthrust spires of rock can provide cover (see “Cover” in the Basic Rules). Stream. The stream that flows through the complex is only 2 feet deep, cold, and slow

Folk Hero - Baldur's Gate

Backgrounds Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus

’m confident in my own abilities and do what I can to instill confidence in others. 6 Thinking is for other people. I prefer action. 7 I misuse long words in an attempt to sound smarter

1 The tyrant who rules my land will stop at nothing to see me killed. 2 I’m convinced of the significance of my destiny, and blind to my shortcomings and the risk of failure. 3

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

Yuan-ti Pureblood Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

have changed over time. Some yuan-ti add more sibilants to their birth names to create an exaggerated hissing sound, based on one’s personal preference and whether an individual’s anatomy

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

Operating an Airship

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Eberron: Forge of the Artificer

Eberron. Supplementing the rules for vehicles in the Player’s Handbook, this section details rules for handling airships. The rules for specific ships appear later in this chapter.

Damage Types

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

Damage Types Attacks and other harmful effects deal different types of damage. Damage types have no rules of their own, but other rules, such as Resistance, rely on the types. The Damage Types table

-rending energy Radiant Holy energy, searing radiation Slashing Claws, cutting objects Thunder Concussive sound

Damage Types

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

Damage Types Attacks and other harmful effects deal different types of damage. Damage types have no rules of their own, but other rules, such as Resistance, rely on the types. The Damage Types table

-rending energy Radiant Holy energy, searing radiation Slashing Claws, cutting objects Thunder Concussive sound

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.

Rest Variants

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)

Rest Variants The rules for short and long rests presented in chapter 8 of the Player’s Handbook work well for a heroic-style campaign. Characters can go toe-to-toe with deadly foes, take damage to

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

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