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Returning 35 results for 'strive of rules due variant'.
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.
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
Species
Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)
This aasimar variant originally appeared in the Dungeon Master's Guide as an example for creating your own races.
Whereas tieflings have fiendish blood in their veins, aasimar are the descendants of
goodness on the Material Plane without drawing undue attention to their celestial heritage. They strive to fit into society, although they usually rise to the top, becoming revered leaders and honorable heroes.
Backgrounds
Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen
Prerequisite: Dragonlance Campaign
You have trained to be a valorous warrior known as a Knight of Solamnia. Strict rules guide your every action, and you work to uphold them as you strive to
Wereraven
Legacy
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monsters
Curse of Strahd
everyone else. Although skilled at blending into society, they keep mostly to themselves, respect local laws, and strive to do good whenever possible.
In their human and hybrid forms, wereravens favor
, 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
Variant Human
Legacy
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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.
Sailor
Legacy
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Backgrounds
Player’s Handbook (2014)
Master will determine how long it takes to get where you need to go. In return for your free passage, you and your companions are expected to assist the crew during the voyage.
Variant Sailor: Pirate
more than one deserving soul to a briny grave. Fear and bloodshed are no strangers to you, and you’ve garnered a somewhat unsavory reputation in many a port town.
Variant Feature: Bad
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
Backgrounds
Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus
the Gray Wavers—the Flaming Fist harbor guards—and have a sense of how to operate the city’s mechanized cranes.
Variant Sailor: Pirate
You spent your youth under the sway of a
. Fear and bloodshed are no strangers to you, and you’ve garnered a somewhat unsavory reputation in many a port town.
Variant Feature: Bad Reputation
If your character has a sailor
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
Species
Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen
diminutive Humanoids who look like humans with pointed ears and diverse appearances. Kender have a supernatural curiosity that drives them to adventure. Due to this inquisitiveness, many kender find
others might become professional thieves.
Creating Your Character
If you create a kender character, follow these additional rules during character creation.
Ability Score Increases
When
Backgrounds
Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus
Being who you are, you could never be a hero. Whether due to your class, your people, your family, or your sins, something about you prevents you from effectively pursuing the path you’ve
their faceless selves.
d8
Personality Trait
1
I’m earnest and uncommonly direct.
2
I strive to have no personality — it’s easier to forget what’s hardly
Deep Dragon Wyrmling
Legacy
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Monsters
Fizban's Treasury of Dragons
another, and we would all do well to prioritize that kinship. (Any)
3
Mystery. I appreciate a question I cannot answer, so I strive to be an enigma for other creatures. (Any)
4
Adaptability
it to the surface world. Lost and confused, the wyrmling has been captured by a group of cruel adventurers.
3
A deep dragon wyrmling whimsically rules over a worshipful group of kobolds, sending
Backgrounds
Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus
the organization due to incompetence or after offending a more powerful member, and now shuffle for scraps to survive.
You are an experienced criminal with a history of breaking the law. You have
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
Criminal / Spy
Legacy
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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
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
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Planescape: Adventures in the Multiverse->Sigil and the Outlands
garbage that gathers in Sigil’s alleys and sewers. Common and giant rats are found throughout the Cage, as are variant cranium rats known as squeakers (further detailed in Morte’s Planar Parade). Adapted
virtually nonexistent due to the scarcity of arable land. Outside of private gardens and the occasional community plot, the only plant that flourishes in the City of Doors is razorvine, a prickly
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.
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->The Radiant Citadel
Lifestyle and Society Denizens of the Radiant Citadel strive to sustain an egalitarian society. Every citizen is entitled to a basic income that affords them the necessities of living and dignity in
served without charge. All housing is public, distributed, and administered through the city’s councils. Since the city’s resources are limited due to the Citadel’s relatively small area and its strange
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
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Journeys through the Radiant Citadel
Lifestyle and Society Denizens of the Radiant Citadel strive to sustain an egalitarian society. Every citizen is entitled to a basic income that affords them the necessities of living and dignity in
served without charge. All housing is public, distributed, and administered through the city’s councils. Since the city’s resources are limited due to the Citadel’s relatively small area and its strange
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
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->D&D Beyond Basic Rules
Fear and Mental Stress Due to the nature of their vocation, adventurers tend to be less susceptible to fear and mental stress than common folk. Whereas a farmer might flee in terror from a bear or an
apparition, adventurers are made of sterner stuff. That said, certain creatures and game effects can terrify or fray the mind of even the most stalwart adventurer. If you plan to use any of these rules, discuss them with your players at the start of the campaign.
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.
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft
creature is halted in its movement and can’t climb higher due to the strong wind. On a failed save, it is thrown from the stairs and takes 10 (3d6) bludgeoning damage upon landing in area 5a. The wind
by a vindictive poltergeist (a variant specter) that tries to use its Telekinetic Thrust to throw characters from the stairs.
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.
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
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide
Fear and Mental Stress Due to the nature of their vocation, adventurers tend to be less susceptible to fear and mental stress than common folk. Whereas a farmer might flee in terror from a bear or an
rules, discuss them with your players at the start of the campaign. See “Ensuring Fun for All” in chapter 1.
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
Yuan-ti Pureblood
Legacy
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Species
Volo's Guide to Monsters
old times.
Yuan-ti Ideals
d6
Ideal
1
Greed. I display my wealth as a sign of my power and prosperity. (Evil)
2
Aspiration. I strive to follow the path toward becoming
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->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
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Eberron: Rising from the Last War
finding lost items. 3 Justice for All. The powerful often escape justice due to their wealth and influence. Their victims sometimes turn to you, hoping you’ll help set things right. 4 Help Law
Enforcement. The city watch must obey the rules to bring criminals to justice. When the rules need to be bent or broken, they turn to you for help. 5 Uncover Secrets. You put your inquisitive skills to use
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Quests from the Infinite Staircase
Technology This section presents technological devices and weapons that have special rules. The items are presented in alphabetical order. See the Dungeon Master’s Guide for more information on
including such technology in your game, you can limit the number of energy cells the characters discover during their adventures. Most devices are useless without them. Due to their rarity, these items
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
those rules to these aquatic dragons.) Dragon Turtle Personality Traits d8 Trait
1 I speak slowly and deliberately, pausing to reflect after (or sometimes in the middle of) each utterance
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Lost Mine of Phandelver
banditry. The most recent Lionshield caravan due in Phandalin never arrived. (It was attacked and its cargo captured by the Cragmaw goblins.) The master of the Phandalin post is a sharp-tongued human
, all of which are for sale to interested buyers. (For prices, see “Adventuring Gear” in the Basic Rules.) Linene has a few scruples, however, and won’t sell weapons to anyone she thinks might be a