spies of rules details variant - Search

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.

Drow Shadowblade

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

other houses. In communities free of Lolth’s sway, they serve as spies tasked with foiling the plots of that demon lord’s cult. In any role they take on, they move undetected until the

-forming in the Abyss, siphoning its essence into themselves. drow shadowblade (summoner variant);Variant: Demon Summoning Some drow shadowblades have an action that allows them to summon a demon

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

Anvilwrought Raptor

Monsters Mythic Odysseys of Theros

"} piercing damage.Prized among Meletis's thaumaturges, anvilwrought raptors are often crafted in the form of a hawk or an owl. Most serve as messengers and spies, flying over the busy streets or high over

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.

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

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

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

Arasta

Monsters Mythic Odysseys of Theros

within her hair, and sacrificing themselves in her defense if they must. See “Myths of Nylea” in chapter 2 for more details on the tragedy of Arasta. Arasta as a Mythic Encounter Arasta

those who enter her domain unbidden almost never go unnoticed, for Arasta can sense the slightest vibration along her web hair, and her children act as spies on her behalf. Lair Actions On initiative

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

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

Kenku Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

a talent for learning and memorizing details. Thus, ambitious kenku can excel as superb spies and scouts. A kenku who learns of clever schemes and plans devised by other creatures can put them to use

kenku make an easy living serving as messengers, spies, and lookouts for thieves’ guilds, bandits, and other criminal cartels. A network of kenku can relay a bird call or similar noise across the

Hobgoblin Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

Hobgoblins are relentless soldiers that cleave to rigid tactics and orders. I fear their less-predictable scouts and spies more. — Volo War is the lifeblood of hobgoblins. Its glories are

each other with immediate hostility. Only a truly great warlord can force legions to work together as an army if Maglubiyet has not called forth a host. Hobgoblins have a code of honor. Its details vary from legion to legion, but it’s always brutal. — Volo

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.

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.

Yuan-ti Pureblood Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

with that of snakes, producing a caste-based society of hybrids in which the most snakelike are the leaders and the most humanlike are spies and agents in foreign lands. Humans Transformed The

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

House Thuranni

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

House Thuranni The story of the Shadow Schism that sundered House Thuranni from its kindred in House Phiarlan is a tangled knot of mystery. The surface details of the tale seem simple enough. About

the new political powers of Khorvaire, and the division of Thuranni from Phiarlan embodies that new reality. From his enclave in Regalport (in the Lhazaar Principalities), Baron Elar d’Thuranni rules a

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

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

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.

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

Ideal Minions

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Volo's Guide to Monsters

create new things, they have a talent for learning and memorizing details. Thus, ambitious kenku can excel as superb spies and scouts. A kenku who learns of clever schemes and plans devised by other

. For this reason, many kenku make an easy living serving as messengers, spies, and lookouts for thieves’ guilds, bandits, and other criminal cartels. A network of kenku can relay a bird call or similar

Strength

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Basic Rules (2014)

lift. For a Tiny creature, halve these weights. Variant: Encumbrance The rules for lifting and carrying are intentionally simple. Here is a variant if you are looking for more detailed rules for

determining how a character is hindered by the weight of equipment. When you use this variant, ignore the Strength column of the Armor table. If you carry weight in excess of 5 times your Strength score, you

Elf Queen's Palace

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Scions of Elemental Evil

nods in appreciation. She continues: “What I am about to tell you requires the utmost discretion,” the queen says. “My spies have uncovered evidence of several new cults based in the Temple of

Elemental Evil. The cultists are planning the widespread death of innocents across this region, and I won’t stand for it. “My spies infiltrated Nulb, a village near the temple, and stole a record book from

Activating a Magic Item

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

Activating a Magic Item It usually takes a Magic action to activate a magic item. The item’s user might also need to do something special. The description of each item category or individual item details how an item is activated. Certain items use the following rules for their activation.

Monk

classes Basic Rules (2014)

serve as spies or assassins at the command of their leader, a noble patron, or some other mortal or divine power. The majority of monks don’t shun their neighbors, making frequent visits to

important mission beyond the cloister? Perhaps you were cast out because of some violation of the community’s rules. Did you dread leaving, or were you happy to go? Is there something you hope to

Strength

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Player's Handbook (2014)

a Tiny creature, halve these weights. Variant: Encumbrance The rules for lifting and carrying are intentionally simple. Here is a variant if you are looking for more detailed rules for determining how

a character is hindered by the weight of equipment. When you use this variant, ignore the Strength column of the Armor table in chapter 5. If you carry weight in excess of 5 times your Strength score

Activating an Item

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Basic Rules (2014)

details how an item is activated. Certain items use the following rules for their activation. If an item requires an action to activate, that action isn't a function of the Use an Object action, so a feature such as the rogue's Fast Hands can't be used to activate the item.

Chapter 4: Personality and Background

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Basic Rules (2014)

that class and race define. This section expounds on the details that distinguish characters from one another, including the basics of name and physical description, the rules of backgrounds and languages, and the finer points of personality and alignment.

Search Results