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Returning 35 results for 'survival of rules drive variant'.
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survival of rules driven variants
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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
against each other, perhaps to determine who rules a war band or because of extreme starvation. Even under ordinary circumstances, gnolls that are deprived of victims for too long struggle to control
service to Yeenoghu or dedicated to the survival of their kin, gnoll war bands seek to soften up foes with surprise attacks and to leave no survivors alive.PoisonRampage. After the witherling reduces a
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
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
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
1
A ruthless shipping magnate has bribed a dragon turtle to attack competitors’ vessels and drive them out of business.
2
A curious dragon turtle swam upriver from the sea and is now
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.
Goliath
Legacy
This doesn't reflect the latest rules and lore.
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Species
Elemental Evil Player's Companion
mock folk who rely on society’s structures or rules to maintain power.
Survival of the Fittest
Among goliaths, any adult who can’t contribute to the tribe is expelled. A lone goliath has
single mistake can bring doom to an entire tribe, while an individual’s heroic effort can ensure the entire group’s survival.
Goliaths thus place a premium on self-sufficiency and
Backgrounds
Spelljammer: Adventures in Space
: Athletics, Survival
Tool Proficiencies: Navigator’s tools, vehicles (space)
Equipment: A belaying pin (club), a set of traveler’s clothes, a grappling hook, 50 feet of hempen rope, and a
gravity isn’t present, the following rules apply:
Impeded Melee. When making a melee attack with a weapon, a creature that doesn’t have a flying or swimming speed (either naturally or
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
monsters
":"Piercing"} Piercing damage, and the target’s Speed is halved until the end of its next turn.General of a demoralized occupying army, Vladeska Drakov rules what little of Falkovnia hasn’t been
, sleep deprivation, and the endless demands of terrified troops and civilians drive her toward outbursts of paranoia and violence.
Drakov’s Domain
Falkovnia is altered by Drakov’s
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
defend the weak and oppose evil. Your honor is as important to you as your life.
Skill Proficiencies: Athletics, Survival
Languages: Two of your choice
Equipment: An insignia of rank, a deck of cards
Backgrounds
Ghosts of Saltmarsh
presence (and that of your companions) a secret.
Suggested Characteristics
In general, smugglers value survival, and then profit, above other things. One could be a part of a larger
’s Code. I uphold the unwritten rules of the smugglers, who do not cheat one another or directly harm innocents. (Lawful)
3
All for a Coin. I’ll do nearly anything if it
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
Backgrounds
Ghosts of Saltmarsh
home, the rain your shelter, and the crashing waves your battle cry.
Skill Proficiencies: Athletics, Survival
Tool Proficiencies: Vehicles (water, land)
Equipment: A dagger that
difficult and struggle to say the right thing in social situations.
3
My intensity can drive others away.
4
I hold grudges and have difficulty forgiving others.
5
I become irrational when
Folk Hero
Legacy
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Backgrounds
Basic Rules (2014)
tyrants and monsters that threaten the common folk everywhere.
Skill Proficiencies: Animal Handling, Survival
Tool Proficiencies: One type of artisan’s tools, vehicles (land
.
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
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
classes
Player’s Handbook
: Animal Handling, Athletics, Insight, Investigation, Nature, Perception, Stealth, or Survival
Weapon Proficiencies
Simple and Martial weapons
Armor Training
Light and Medium armor and
.
Gain the Ranger’s level 1 features, which are listed in the Ranger Features table. See the multiclassing rules to determine your available spell slots.
Ranger Features
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.
Backgrounds
Ghosts of Saltmarsh
art of fishing, and the promise of the eternal horizon.
Skill Proficiencies: History, Survival
Languages: One of your choice
Equipment: Fishing tackle, a net, a
might not.
D6
IDEAL
1
Camaraderie. Good people make even the longest voyage bearable. (Good)
2
Luck. Our luck depends on respecting its rules — now
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
Monsters
Fizban's Treasury of Dragons
without the boredom. (Chaotic)
6
Control. Everyone is welcome, as long as they follow my rules. (Lawful)
Crystal Dragon Adventures
The Crystal Dragon Adventure Hooks table offers
drive the yetis out.
3
An adult crystal dragon and an elf archmage have been friends for centuries and often go stargazing together on the peaks of their favorite mountains, but the dragon is
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->Monster Manual
their pools. Rule 2: Before you drink from a fountain or pool, toss a copper coin into it. It’s a small price to pay for your life!
—X the Mystic’s
Rules of Dungeon Survival
Water Weird Large
appearance is enough to drive off foes, but if forced to fight, water weirds crush enemies within their fluid coils. Water weirds might protect a site for generations and learn much about their
Yuan-ti Pureblood
Legacy
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Species
Volo's Guide to Monsters
of purebloods and slaves are thrown at opposing forces in the hope of allowing the malisons and abominations time to escape.
Survival First
Yuan-ti are likely to retreat or flee from conflict if
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->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.
Backgrounds
Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide
Proficiencies: Survival, plus one from among Arcana, History, and ReligionTool Proficiencies: Your choice of a gaming set or a musical instrumentLanguages: Any one of your choiceEquipment: Your
with me to pursue my destiny.
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
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Volo's Guide to Monsters
Survival of the Fittest Among goliaths, any adult who can’t contribute to the tribe is expelled. A lone goliath has little chance of survival, especially an older or weaker one. Goliaths have little
pull his or her weight in the tribe. Typically, such a goliath dies attempting to keep up, or the goliath slips away in the night to seek the cold will of fate. In some ways, the goliath drive to outdo
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->Eberron: Rising from the Last War
Variant Half-Orc or Human: Mark of Finding If your half-orc or human character has the Mark of Finding, the following traits replace the character’s racial traits in the Player’s Handbook, aside
if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray. Hunter’s Intuition. When you make a Wisdom (Perception) or Wisdom (Survival
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
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->Spelljammer: Adventures in Space->Boo’s Astral Menagerie
on the asteroid’s air envelope for survival, or it might not need to breathe air. Similarly, a mimic stowing away aboard a spelljamming ship might be an ordinary specimen or one that has adapted to
life in Wildspace. You can turn any terrestrial creature into a Wildspace-dwelling variant by giving it the following trait, if nothing else: Unusual Nature. The creature doesn’t require air.
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Player’s Handbook
the DM might have you use the travel pace rules below. If you need to know how fast you can move when every second matters, see the movement rules in “Combat” later in this chapter. Marching Order
increased pace again (see chapter 6 for a selection of mounts for sale). The Dungeon Master’s Guide has rules that affect which pace you can choose in certain types of terrain. Travel Pace
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Fated Flight of the Recluse
arriving before their supplies run out. This section references the rules and guidance in the “Journeys in the Skies” section of chapter 7 of Eberron: Forge of the Artificer. Weather At the beginning of each
(Survival) checks made to avoid getting lost, as shown in the Airship Travel Conditions table. Airship Travel Weather 1d6 Weather 1–3 Clear skies 4–5 Light Precipitation 6 Heavy precipitation Piloting