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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.

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

Molydeus

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

. If the target has at least one head and the molydeus rolled a 20 on the attack roll, the target is decapitated and dies if it can’t survive without that head. A target is immune to this effect

that doesn’t affect the weapon’s capabilities. Molydeus (Summoner Variant);Variant: Demon Summoning You can give a molydeus the ability to summon other demons. Summon Demon (1/Day

Madcap

Monsters Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus

been. A redcap’s desire to slay is rooted in its will to survive. VARIANT: MADCAPS A madcap is a redcap that soaks its hat in demon ichor instead of blood. Contact with demon ichor makes the

Duergar Stone Guard

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

outbursts of frustration and despair is not always easy. Similarly, duergar tend to be very community-minded—in the Underdark, all must cooperate to survive. Among the duergar of the Forgotten

Realms, creation is a fiercely passionate process. They tend to favor works that are sturdy and grand, but in a bare, stripped-down fashion that favors geometric forms. The strongholds they design are

Duergar Kavalrachni

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

community-minded—in the Underdark, all must cooperate to survive. Among the duergar of the Forgotten Realms, creation is a fiercely passionate process. They tend to favor works that are sturdy

and grand, but in a bare, stripped-down fashion that favors geometric forms. The strongholds they design are blocky and stark, and the weapons they forge are blatantly tools of violence. While others

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.

Handy Haversack Legacy

Magic Items Basic Rules (2014)

large central pouch can hold up to 8 cubic feet or 80 pounds of material. The backpack always weighs 5 pounds, regardless of its contents. Placing an object in the haversack follows the normal rules

breathing creature is placed within the haversack, the creature can survive for up to 10 minutes, after which time it begins to suffocate. Placing the haversack inside an extradimensional space created

Heward's Handy Haversack Legacy

Magic Items Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)

large central pouch can hold up to 8 cubic feet or 80 pounds of material. The backpack always weighs 5 pounds, regardless of its contents. Placing an object in the haversack follows the normal rules

breathing creature is placed within the haversack, the creature can survive for up to 10 minutes, after which time it begins to suffocate. Placing the haversack inside an extradimensional space created

Duergar Despot

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

community-minded—in the Underdark, all must cooperate to survive. Among the duergar of the Forgotten Realms, creation is a fiercely passionate process. They tend to favor works that are sturdy

and grand, but in a bare, stripped-down fashion that favors geometric forms. The strongholds they design are blocky and stark, and the weapons they forge are blatantly tools of violence. While others

Duergar Soulblade

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

the Underdark, all must cooperate to survive. Among the duergar of the Forgotten Realms, creation is a fiercely passionate process. They tend to favor works that are sturdy and grand, but in a bare

, stripped-down fashion that favors geometric forms. The strongholds they design are blocky and stark, and the weapons they forge are blatantly tools of violence. While others may decry their creations

Duergar Xarrorn

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

survive. Among the duergar of the Forgotten Realms, creation is a fiercely passionate process. They tend to favor works that are sturdy and grand, but in a bare, stripped-down fashion that favors

geometric forms. The strongholds they design are blocky and stark, and the weapons they forge are blatantly tools of violence. While others may decry their creations as cold and bare of ornamentation to

Sailor Legacy

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

You spent your youth under the sway of a dread pirate, a ruthless cutthroat who taught you how to survive in a world of sharks and savages. You’ve indulged in larceny on the high seas and sent

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

Sailor - Baldur's Gate

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

dread pirate, a ruthless cutthroat who taught you how to survive in a world of sharks and savages. You’ve indulged in larceny on the high seas and sent more than one deserving soul to a briny grave

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

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

Duergar Mind Master

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

of frustration and despair is not always easy. Similarly, duergar tend to be very community-minded—in the Underdark, all must cooperate to survive. Among the duergar of the Forgotten Realms

, creation is a fiercely passionate process. They tend to favor works that are sturdy and grand, but in a bare, stripped-down fashion that favors geometric forms. The strongholds they design are blocky

Duergar Warlord

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

-minded—in the Underdark, all must cooperate to survive. Among the duergar of the Forgotten Realms, creation is a fiercely passionate process. They tend to favor works that are sturdy and grand

, but in a bare, stripped-down fashion that favors geometric forms. The strongholds they design are blocky and stark, and the weapons they forge are blatantly tools of violence. While others may decry

Criminal - Baldur's Gate

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

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

Deep Gnome

Species Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

renders them difficult to locate. These abilities have enabled them to survive for generations among the perils of the Underdark. Like other gnomes, deep gnomes can live for centuries, up to 500 years

. Creating Your Character At 1st level, you choose whether your character is a member of the human race or of a fantastical race. If you select a fantastical race, follow these additional rules during

Lizardfolk

Species Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

survive with just their wits in situations that would be deadly for other folk. Because of that fact, many lizardfolk myths state that their people were placed by the gods in the Material Plane to guard

level, you choose whether your character is a member of the human race or of a fantastical race. If you select a fantastical race, follow these additional rules during character creation. Ability Score

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

Tower of Storms

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dragon of Icespire Peak

3rd level, but lower-level characters can survive if they’re cautious and rest often. Before running this location, review the underwater combat rules in the Basic Rules.

Identifying a Magic Item

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

properties. The command word to activate a ring might be etched in tiny letters inside it, or a feathered design might suggest that it’s a ring of feather falling. Wearing or experimenting with an item can

what happens. You then say the character jumps unexpectedly high. Variant: More Difficult Identification If you prefer magic items to have a greater mystique, consider removing the ability to identify

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

Apocalyptic Subclasses August 21, 2025

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Unearthed Arcana

Apocalyptic Subclasses August 21, 2025 Get ready for the end of a world with the latest innovations from the D&D Game Design Team! This document presents four new subclasses for the Druid (Circle

of Preservation), Fighter (Gladiator), Sorcerer (Defiled Sorcery), and Warlock (Sorcerer-King Patron). The material uses the rules in the Player's Handbook. Learn more about this playtest directly from the designers in this article!

Credits

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Descent into the Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth

Credits Lead Designer: Justice Ramin Arman Designer: Dan Dillon Rules Developer: Ron Lundeen Art Director: Fury Galluzzi Lead Editor: Judy Bauer Editor: Hannah Rose Graphic Designer

: Bill Benham, Siera Bruggeman, Robert Hawkey Product Manager: Natalie Egan D&D Beyond Product Manager: Jeff Turriff Digital Design Team: Jay Jani, Sean Stoves, Adam Walton

Domain Features

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Ravenloft: The Horrors Within

Domain Features Hazlan is known for the following features: Eye of Hazlik. Inhabitants claim the eyelike design called the Eye of Hazlik bears Hazlik’s blessing and wards off dangerous magic. In

truth, the symbol is a sensor for Hazlik’s magical surveillance. Magocracy. The wizard Hazlik rules Hazlan. His apprentices have free rein to exploit the land and its people to further their magical

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.

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.

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

Modifying a Class

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

tell you how to design new class features. The best place to start is by looking at other class features, or at spells, feats, or any other rules for inspiration. You’re almost certainly going to have

some missteps, as features that seem good on the surface fall apart in play. That’s all right. Everything you design will need to be playtested. When introducing new class features, be sure the

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