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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.

Summon Aberration

Spells Player’s Handbook

You call forth an aberrant spirit. It manifests in an unoccupied space that you can see within range and uses the Aberrant Spirit stat block. When you cast the spell, choose Beholderkin, Mind Flayer

, or Slaad. The creature resembles an Aberration of that kind, which determines certain details in its stat block. The creature disappears when it drops to 0 Hit Points or when the spell ends. The

Summon Construct

Spells Player’s Handbook

You call forth the spirit of a Construct. It manifests in an unoccupied space that you can see within range and uses the Construct Spirit stat block. When you cast the spell, choose a material: Clay

, Metal, or Stone. The creature resembles an animate statue (you determine the appearance) made of the chosen material, which determines certain details in its stat block. The creature disappears when

Summon Fey

Spells Player’s Handbook

You call forth a Fey spirit. It manifests in an unoccupied space that you can see within range and uses the Fey Spirit stat block. When you cast the spell, choose a mood: Fuming, Mirthful, or Tricksy

. The creature resembles a Fey creature of your choice marked by the chosen mood, which determines certain details in its stat block. The creature disappears when it drops to 0 Hit Points or when the

Summon Elemental

Spells Player’s Handbook

You call forth an Elemental spirit. It manifests in an unoccupied space that you can see within range and uses the Elemental Spirit stat block. When you cast the spell, choose an element: Air, Earth

, Fire, or Water. The creature resembles a bipedal form wreathed in the chosen element, which determines certain details in its stat block. The creature disappears when it drops to 0 Hit Points or when

Summon Undead

Spells Player’s Handbook

: Ghostly, Putrid, or Skeletal. The spirit resembles an Undead creature with the chosen form, which determines certain details in its stat block. The creature disappears when it drops to 0 Hit Points or

You call forth an Undead spirit. It manifests in an unoccupied space that you can see within range and uses the Undead Spirit stat block. When you cast the spell, choose the creature’s form

Summon Beast

Spells Player’s Handbook

You call forth a bestial spirit. It manifests in an unoccupied space that you can see within range and uses the Bestial Spirit stat block. When you cast the spell, choose an environment: Air, Land

, or Water. The creature resembles an animal of your choice that is native to the chosen environment, which determines certain details in its stat block. The creature disappears when it drops to 0 Hit

Summon Fiend

Spells Player’s Handbook

You call forth a fiendish spirit. It manifests in an unoccupied space that you can see within range and uses the Fiendish Spirit stat block. When you cast the spell, choose Demon, Devil, or Yugoloth

. The creature resembles a Fiend of the chosen type, which determines certain details in its stat block. The creature disappears when it drops to 0 Hit Points or when the spell ends. The creature is

Summon Celestial

Spells Player’s Handbook

You call forth a Celestial spirit. It manifests in an angelic form in an unoccupied space that you can see within range and uses the Celestial Spirit stat block. When you cast the spell, choose

Avenger or Defender. Your choice determines certain details in its stat block. The creature disappears when it drops to 0 Hit Points or when the spell ends. The creature is an ally to you and your allies

Ghostblade Eidolon

Monsters Mythic Odysseys of Theros

identity in order to escape the Underworld as a Returned, its identity manifests as a spirit-like eidolon. While eidolons possess many of the skills and details related to their past lives, they're

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

Flitterstep Eidolon

Monsters Mythic Odysseys of Theros

, it has advantage on the attack roll.When a mortal soul traumatically sacrifices its identity in order to escape the Underworld as a Returned, its identity manifests as a spirit-like eidolon. While

eidolons possess many of the skills and details related to their past lives, they’re disconnected from those experiences, choosing to wander the world or brood in haunts they’re drawn to in

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.

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

Your body hosts a possessing spirit that shares its memories and replaces your missing appendages with phantasmal limbs. 8 In public, you pass as an unremarkable individual, but you can feel the

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

Murgaxor's Orb

Magic Items Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos

Roiling green mist fills this glass orb, which the exiled Strixhaven mage Murgaxor once used in foul magical experiments. Murgaxor’s spirit has infused the orb, which he uses to spread a

creatures bearing the curse. This aura is distinctive, but in a way detect magic offers no further details about. Destroying the Orb. Murgaxor’s orb has AC 18; 20 hit points; immunity to necrotic

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

Lord Soth of Sithicus (DMR)

monsters

cares nothing for his domain. But should noteworthy threats or remarkable individuals appear, he seeks to crush or enlist them. The only exception is the spirit of his treacherous former ally, Caradoc

battle, Caradoc refused to capture her spirit unless Soth bargained with Takhisis to restore Caradoc to life. Enraged, Soth tried to destroy Caradoc as the Mists rose around them. When the Mists faded

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

Harengon

Species Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

Harengons originated in the Feywild, where they spoke Sylvan and embodied the spirit of freedom and travel. In time, these rabbitfolk hopped into other worlds, bringing the fey realm’s

fairy or the harengon in this section, follow these additional rules during character creation. Ability Score Increases When determining your character’s ability scores, increase one score by 2

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

Dhampir Legacy

Species Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

their lineage. Dhampir Origins d8 Origin 1 You are the reincarnation of an ancestor who was a vampiric tyrant. 2 Your pact with a predatory deity, fiend, fey, or spirit causes

lineage option, follow these additional rules during character creation. Ability Score Increases When determining your ability scores, you increase one of those scores by 2 and increase a different

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

Investigator

backgrounds Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

did it set you on the path to investigating other mysteries? Roll on or choose details from the First Case table to develop the mystery that started your career as an investigator. First Case

told you went missing for weeks. When you were found, you had no memory of being gone. Now you search to discover what happened to you. 3 You helped a spirit find peace by finding its missing

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.

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

Séances

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

them as a way to free her children. Consult the “Escaping the House” section at the end of the adventure for details on the specific climaxes each spirit drives the plot toward.

Séances At certain times in the adventure, characters have the opportunity to commune with the House of Lament’s spirits, contacting them directly through a series of séances involving a spirit

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.

12. Residential Caves

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Out of the Abyss

chased out a family trying to settle within (see area 12a). 12a. Vazuk’s Home Vazuk was a simple leatherworker who died in the drow invasion. His spirit awoke when a family moved into what used to be

his home, then began to throw fits and terrorize any creatures coming near. Vazuk is a specter (use the poltergeist variant). He can’t be turned while inside his former home. He attacks the characters

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