SC5e Part 1

by Stormchaser

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The Stormchaser D20 RPG
Part 1: Creating a Character

Chapter 1: Step-by-Step Characters

Your first step in playing an adventurer is to imagine and create a character of your own. Your character is a combination of game statistics, roleplaying hooks, and your imagination. You choose a species (such as human or halfling) and a class (such as fighter or wizard). You also invent the personality, appearance, and backstory of your character. Once completed, your character serves as your avatar in the game.

Before you dive into step 1 below, think about the kind of adventurer that you want to play. You might be a courageous fighter, a skulking rogue, a fervent cleric, or a flamboyant wizard. Or you might be more interested in an unconventional character, such as a brawny rogue who likes hand-to-hand combat, or a sharpshooter who picks off enemies from afar. Do you like fantasy fiction featuring dwarves or elves? Try building a character of one of those species. Do you want to be the toughest adventurer at the table? Consider a class like barbarian or paladin.

Once you have a character in mind, follow these steps in order, making decisions that reflect the character you want. Your conception of your character might evolve with each choice that you make. What's important is that you come to the table with a character that you're excited to play.

Throughout this chapter, we use the term character sheet to mean whatever you use to track your character, whether it's a formal character sheet, some form of digital record, or a piece of notebook paper.

1. Choose a Species

Every character belongs to a species, one of the many intelligent humanoid species in Arden. The most common player character species are dwarves, elves, halflings, and humans. Some species also have races, such as mountain dwarf or wood elf. Chapter 2 provides more information about these species, as well as the less widespread species of dragonborn, gnomes, half-elves, half-orcs and tieflings.

The species you choose contributes to your character's identity in an important way, by establishing a general appearance and the natural talents gained from culture and ancestry. Your character's species grants particular species traits, such as special senses, proficiency with certain weapons or tools, proficiency in one or more skills, or the ability to use minor spells. These traits sometimes dovetail with the capabilities of certain classes (see step 2). For example, the species traits of lightfoot halflings make them exceptional rogues, and high elves tend to be powerful wizards. Sometimes playing against type can be fun, too. Half-orc paladins and mountain dwarf wizards, for example, can be unusual but memorable characters.

Your species also increases one or more of your ability scores, which you determine in step 3. Note these increases and remember to apply them later. Record the traits granted by your species on your character sheet. Be sure to note your starting languages and your base speed as well.

2. Choose a Class

Every adventurer is a member of a class. Class broadly describes a character's vocation, what special talents they possess, and the tactics they are most likely to employ when exploring a dungeon, fighting monsters, or engaging in a tense negotiation. The character classes are described in chapter 3.

Your character receives a number of benefits from your choice of class. Many of these benefits are class features. Capabilities (including spellcasting) that set your character apart from members of other classes. You also gain a number of proficiencies: armour, weapons, skills, defences and sometimes tools. Your proficiencies define many of the things your character can do particularly well, from using certain weapons to telling a convincing lie.

On your character sheet, record all the features that your class gives you at 1st level.

Level

Typically, a character starts at 1st level and advances in level by adventuring and gaining experience. A 1st-level character is inexperienced in the adventuring world, although they might have been a soldier or a pirate and done dangerous things before.

Starting off at 1st level marks your character's entry into the adventuring life. If you're already familiar with the game, or if you are joining an existing campaign, your GM might decide to have you begin at a higher level, on the assumption that your character has already survived a few harrowing adventures.

Record your level on your character sheet. If you're starting at a higher level, record the additional elements that your class gives you for your levels past 1st.

Hit Points and Hit Dice

Your character's hit points define how tough your character is in combat and other dangerous situations. Your hit points are determined by your Hit Dice (short for Hit Point Dice).

At 1st level, your character has 1 Hit Die and the die type is determined by your class. You start with hit points equal to the highest roll of that die, as indicated in your class description. (You also add your Constitution modifier, which you'll determine in step 3.) This is also your hit point maximum.

Record your character's hit points on your character sheet. Also record the type of Hit Die your character uses and the number of Hit Dice you have. After you rest, you can spend Hit Dice to regain hit points (see "Resting" in chapter 8).

Proficiency Bonus

The table that appears in your class description shows your proficiency bonus, which is +2 for a 1st-level character. Your proficiency bonus applies to many of the numbers that you'll be recording on your character sheet:

  • Attack rolls using weapons that you're proficient with
  • Attack rolls with spells that you cast
  • Ability checks using skills that you're proficient in
  • Ability checks using tools that you're proficient with
  • Defences that you're proficient in

Your class determines your weapon proficiencies, your defence proficiencies and some of your skill and tool proficiencies. (Skills are described in chapter 7, tools in chapter 5.) Your background gives you additional proficiencies and some species give you more proficiencies. Be sure to note all of these proficiencies, as well as your proficiency bonus, on your character sheet.

Your proficiency bonus can't be added to a single die roll or other number more than once. Occasionally, your proficiency bonus might be modified (doubled or halved, for example) before you apply it. If a circumstance suggests that your proficiency bonus applies more than once to the same roll or that it should be multiplied more than once, you nevertheless add it only once, multiply it only once and halve it only once.

3. Determine Ability Scores

Much of what your character does in the game depends on their six abilities: Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma. Each ability has a score, which is a number that you record on your character sheet.

The six abilities and their use in the game are described in chapter 7. A quick reference for what qualities are measured by each ability follows below:

  • Strength measures athleticism and bodily power.
  • Dexterity measures agility, reflexes, balance and poise.
  • Constitution measures health, stamina and vital force.
  • Intelligence measures acuity, recall and analytical skill.
  • Wisdom measures awareness, intuition and insight.
  • Charisma measures confidence and eloquence.
Physical Mental
Power Strength Charisma
Finesse Dexterity Intelligence
Resistance Constitution Wisdom

There are a number of different methods used to generate ability scores. Each of these methods gives a different level of flexibility and randomness to character generation.

Species modifiers are applied after the scores are generated.

After assigning your ability scores, determine your ability modifiers using the Ability Scores and Modifiers table. To determine an ability modifier without consulting the table, subtract 10 from the ability score and then divide the result by 2 (round down).

Low Fantasy

Roll 3d6, rerolling all 1s, and add the dice together. Record the total and repeat the process until you have six numbers. Assign these results to your ability scores as you see fit.

This method is quite random, and some characters may have clearly superior abilities. This randomness can be taken one step further, with the totals applied to specific ability scores in the order they are rolled. Characters generated using this method are difficult to fit to predetermined concepts and are best designed around their ability scores.

If you don't like the idea of randomly determining ability scores, you can spend 25 points on the Ability Score Point Cost table, or use the Low Fantasy Array instead:
14, 13, 12, 12, 11, 10.

Standard Fantasy

Roll 4d6. Discard the lowest die result and add the three remaining results together. Record the total and repeat the process until you generate six numbers. Assign these totals to your ability scores as you see fit.

If you don't like the idea of randomly determining ability scores, you can spend 27 points on the Ability Score Point Cost table, or use the Standard Array instead:
15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8.

High Fantasy

Roll 4d6, rerolling all 1s. Discard the lowest die result and add the three remaining results together. Record the total and repeat the process until you generate six numbers. Assign these totals to your ability scores as you see fit.

This method is less random than Low Fantasy and tends to create characters with above-average ability scores.

If you don't like the idea of randomly determining ability scores, you can spend 40 points on the Ability Score Point Cost table, or use the High Fantasy Array instead:
16, 15, 14, 14, 13, 12.

Customising Ability Scores

The method described here allows you to build a character with a set of ability scores you choose individually.

Your GM will tells you how many points you have to spend on your ability scores. The cost of each score is shown on the Ability Score Point Cost table. For example, a score of 14 costs 7 points. Using this method, 17 is the highest ability score that you can end up with, before applying racial increases, and 8 is the lowest.

This method of determining ability scores enables you to create a set of three high numbers and three low ones, a set of numbers that are above average and nearly equal, or any set of numbers between those extremes.

Ability Score Point Cost
Score Cost Score Cost
8 0 13 5
9 1 14 7
10 2 15 9
11 3 16 12
12 4 17 15

4. Describe Your Character

Once you know the basic game aspects of your character, it’s time to flesh them out as a person. Your character needs a name. Spend a few minutes thinking about what they look like and how they behave in general terms.

Using the information in the chapter 4, you can flesh out your character’s physical appearance and personality traits. Choose your character’s alignment (the moral compass that guides his or her decisions) and ideals. Chapter 4 also helps you identify the things your character holds most dear, called bonds, and the flaws that could one day undermine them.

Your character's background describes where they came from, their original occupation and their place in the world.

A background gives your character a background feature (a general benefit), a background feat and a number of character points, as described below.

Character Points

When creating a character, you gain 6 character points from your background and a number of additional character points equal to:

your proficiency modifier + your Intelligence modifier

These points are spent as described in the Character Point Costs table.

Character Point Costs
Benefit Cost
Feat 8
Increase an Ability Score by 1 (Max 20) 4
Skill Expertise (requires proficiency) 3
Skill Proficiency 2
Cantrip (if available to class) 2
Tool Expertise (requires proficiency) 2
Tool Proficiency 1
Subskill (requires proficiency) 1
Weapon Group Proficiency 1
Language Proficiency 1
  • The same subskill may be selected multiple times to increase the level of a subskill.
  • Proficiencies granted by your class may be sacrificed in exchange for their equivalent value, which may be redistributed to another category.
  • When you permanently increase your Intelligence modifier or your proficiency modifier, you may spend additional points as normal. Proficiencies learned by spending points cannot be lost once gained.

Your Character's Abilities

Take your character’s ability scores and species into account as you flesh out their appearance and personality. A very strong character with low Intelligence might think and behave very differently from a very smart character with low Strength.

For example, high Strength usually corresponds to a burly or athletic body, while a character with low Strength might be scrawny or plump.

A character with high Dexterity is probably lithe and slim, while a character with low Dexterity might be either gangly and awkward or heavy and thick-fingered.

A character with high Constitution usually looks healthy, with bright eyes and abundant energy. A character with low Constitution might be sickly or frail.

A character with high Intelligence might be highly inquisitive and studious, while a character with low Intelligence might speak simply or easily forget details.

A character with high Wisdom has good judgment, empathy, and a general awareness of what’s going on. A character with low Wisdom might be absent-minded, foolhardy, or oblivious.

A character with high Charisma exudes confidence, which is usually mixed with a graceful or intimidating presence. A character with a low Charisma might come across as abrasive, inarticulate, or timid.

5. Choose Equipment

Your class and background determine your character’s starting equipment, including weapons, armour and other adventuring gear. Record this equipment on your character sheet. All such items are detailed in chapter 5.

Instead of taking the gear given to you by your class and background, you can purchase your starting equipment. You have a number of gold pieces (gp) to spend based on your class, as shown in chapter 5. Extensive lists of equipment, with prices, also appear in that chapter. If you wish, you can also have one trinket at no cost (see the "Trinkets" table at the end of chapter 5).

Your Strength score limits the amount of gear you can carry. Chapter 7 has more information on carrying capacity.

Armour

Armour grants Damage Reduction (DR), which represents how well protected your character is. However, not all characters wear armour.

Your character needs to be proficient with armour to wear and use it effectively. Your armour proficiencies are determined by your class. There are drawbacks to wearing armour if you lack the required proficiency, as explained in chapter 5.

Weapons

For each weapon your character wields, calculate the modifier you use when you attack with the weapon and the damage you deal when you hit.

When you make an attack with a weapon, you roll a d20 and add your proficiency bonus (but only if you are proficient with the weapon) and the appropriate ability modifier.

  • For attacks with melee weapons, use your Strength modifier for attack and damage rolls. A weapon that has the finesse property, such as a rapier, can use your Dexterity modifier instead.
  • For attacks with ranged weapons, use your Dexterity modifier for attack and damage rolls. A melee weapon that has the thrown property, such as a handaxe, can use your Strength modifier instead.

6. Come Together

Most characters don't work alone. Each character plays a role within a party, a group of adventurers working together for a common purpose. Teamwork and cooperation greatly improve your party's chances to survive the many perils in the world. Talk to your fellow players and your GM to decide whether your characters know one another, how they met, and what sorts of quests the group might undertake.

Beyond First Level

As your character goes on adventures and overcomes challenges, they gain experience. Eventually, this leads to an advancement in capability called gaining a level.

Class Features and Hit Dice

When your character gains a level, their class often grants additional features, as detailed in the class description. Some of these features allow you to increase your ability scores. You can’t increase an ability score above 20. In addition, every character's proficiency bonus increases at certain levels.

Each time you gain a level, you gain 1 additional Hit Die. Roll that Hit Die, add your Constitution modifier to the roll and add the total (minimum of 1) to your hit point maximum. Alternatively, you can use the fixed value shown in your class entry, which is the average result of the die roll (rounded up).

When your Constitution modifier increases by 1, your hit point maximum increases by 1 for each level you have attained. For example, if your 7th-level fighter has a Constitution score of 17, when he reaches 8th level, he increases his Constitution score from 17 to 18, thus increasing his Constitution modifier from +3 to +4. His hit point maximum then increases by 8.

Wealth by Level

The Character Wealth by Level table lists the amount of treasure that each PC is expected to have at a specific level, in addition to their first level starting equipment from background and class.

Note that this table assumes a standard fantasy game. Low-fantasy games might award only half this value, while high-fantasy games might double the value. It is assumed that some of this treasure is consumed in the course of an adventure (such as potions and scrolls) and that some of the less useful items are sold for half value so more useful gear can be purchased.

Character Wealth by Level
PC Level Wealth PC Level Wealth
1* - 11 4022 gp
2 60 gp 12 4947 gp
3 120 gp 13 5872 gp
4 239 gp 14 6797 gp
5 393 gp 15 7629 gp
6 542 gp 16 12363 gp
7 691 gp 17 17097 gp
8 1339 gp 18 21831 gp
9 1987 gp 19 28458 gp
10 2912 gp 20 35085 gp

*For 1st-level PCs, see backgrounds and character starting equipment.

Chapter 2: Species

A visit to one of the great cities in the world overwhelms the senses. Voices chatter in countless different languages. The smells of cooking in dozens of different cuisines mingle with the odors of crowded streets and poor sanitation. Buildings in myriad architectural styles display the diverse origins of their inhabitants.

The people themselves are of varying size, shape, and colour, dressed in a dazzling spectrum of styles and hues. Many different species are represented, from diminutive halflings and stout dwarves to majestically beautiful elves, mingling among a variety of human ethnicities.

Scattered among the members of these more common species are the true exotics. A hulking dragonborn here, pushing his way through the crowd, and a sly tiefling there, lurking in the shadows with mischief in her eyes. A group of gnomes laughs as one of them activates a clever wooden toy that moves of its own accord. Half-elves and half-orcs live and work alongside humans, without fully belonging to the species of either of their parents, and there, well out of the sunlight, is a lone dark elf trying to make his way in a world that fears his kind.

Choosing a Species

Humans are the most common people in the world, but they live and work alongside dwarves, elves, halflings, and countless other fantastic species. Your character belongs to one of these peoples.

Not every intelligent species of the multiverse is appropriate for a player-controlled adventurer. Dwarves, elves, halflings, and humans are the most common species to produce the sort of adventurers who make up typical parties. Dragonborn, gnomes, half-elves, half-orcs, and tieflings are less common as adventurers. Dark elves, a race of elves, are also uncommon.

Your choice of species affects many different aspects of your character. It establishes fundamental qualities that exist throughout your character’s adventuring career. When making this decision, keep in mind the kind of character you want to play. For example, a halfling could be a good choice for a sneaky rogue, a dwarf makes a tough warrior, and an elf can be a master of arcane magic.

Your character's species not only affects your ability scores and traits but also provides the cues for building your character's story. Each species' description in this chapter includes information to help you roleplay a character of that species, including personality, physical appearance, features of society, and racial alignment tendencies. These details are suggestions to help you think about your character; adventurers can deviate widely from the norm for their species. It’s worthwhile to consider why your character is different, as a helpful way to think about your character’s background and personality.

Species Traits

The description of each species includes species traits that are common to members of that species.

(Species armour proficiencies stack with class armour proficiencies to reduce the time to don and doff armour of that kind by one weight category.)

The following entries appear among the traits of most species:

Ability Score Increase

Every species increases one or more of a character’s ability scores.

Age

The age entry notes the age when a member of the species is considered an adult, as well as the species' expected lifespan. This information can help you decide how old your character is at the start of the game. You can choose any age for your character, which could provide an explanation for some of your ability scores. For example, if you play a young or very old character, your age could explain a particularly low Strength or Constitution score, while advanced age could account for a high Intelligence or Wisdom.

Alignment

Most species have tendencies toward certain alignments, described in this entry. These are not binding for player characters, but considering why your dwarf is chaotic, for example, in defiance of lawful dwarf society can help you better define your character.

Size

Characters of most species are Medium, a size category including creatures that are roughly 4 to 8 feet tall. Members of a few species are Small (between 2 and 4 feet tall), which means that certain rules of the game affect them differently. The most important of these rules is that Small characters have trouble wielding unwieldy weapons, as explained in chapter 5.

Speed

Your speed determines how far you can move when traveling (see Chapter 8) and fighting (see Chapter 9).

Languages

By virtue of your species, your character can speak, read, and write certain languages. Chapter 4 lists the most common languages. A free choice of language is worth 1 character point.

Races

Some species have races. Members of a race have the traits of the parent species in addition to the traits specified for their race. Relationships among races vary significantly from species to species and world to world.

Aasimar

    Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score rises by 2.

Alignment. Imbued with celestial power, most aasimar are good. Outcast aasimar are most often neutral or even evil.

Size. Aasimar have the same range of height and weight as humans.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Darkvision. Blessed with a radiant soul, your vision can easily cut through darkness. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern colour in darkness, only shades of gray.

Celestial Resistance. You have resistance to necrotic damage and radiant damage.

Healing Hands. As an action, you can touch a creature and cause it to regain a number of hit points equal to your level. Once you use this trait, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.

Light Bearer. You know the light cantrip. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for it.

Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Celestial.

Race. Four races of aasimar exist: protector aasimar, scourge aasimar, fallen aasimar and herald aasimar. Choose one of them for your character.

Protector Aasimar

    Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score rises by 1.

Radiant Soul. Starting at 3rd level, you can use your action to unleash the divine energy within yourself, causing your eyes to glimmer and two luminous, incorporeal wings to sprout from your back.

Your transformation lasts for 1 minute or until you end it as a bonus action. During it, you have a flying speed of 30 feet, and once on each of your turns, you can deal extra radiant damage to one target when you deal damage to it with an attack or a spell. The extra radiant damage equals your level.

Once you use this trait, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.

Scourge Aasimar

    Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score rises by 1.

Radiant Consumption. Starting at 3rd level, you can use your action to unleash the divine energy within yourself, causing a searing light to radiate from you, pour out of your eyes and mouth, and threaten to char you.

Your transformation lasts for 1 minute or until you end it as a bonus action. During it, you shed bright light in a 10-foot radius and dim light for an additional 10 feet, and at the end of each of your turns, you and each creature within 10 feet of you take radiant damage equal to half your level (rounded up). In addition, once on each of your turns, you can deal extra radiant damage to one target when you deal damage to it with an attack or a spell. The extra radiant damage equals your level.

Once you use this trait, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.

Fallen Aasimar

    Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score rises by 1.

Necrotic Shroud. Starting at 3rd level, you can use your action to unleash the divine energy within yourself, causing your eyes to turn into pools of darkness and two skeletal, ghostly, flightless wings to sprout from your back. The instant you transform, make a proficient Charisma attack roll vs the Charisma Defence of other creatures within 10 feet of you that can see you. On a hit, they become frightened of you until the end of your next turn.

Your transformation lasts for 1 minute or until you end it as a bonus action. During it, once on each of your turns, you can deal extra necrotic damage to one target when you deal damage to it with an attack or a spell. The extra necrotic damage equals your level.

Once you use this trait, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.

Herald Aasimar

    Ability Score Increase: Your Dexterity score rises by 1.

Radiant Mobility: Starting at 3rd level, you can use your action to unleash the divine energy within yourself, causing your eyes to glimmer and your feet to glide on waves of divine light.

Your transformation lasts for 1 minute or until you end it as a bonus action. During it, you have a speed of 60 feet, and once on each of your turns, you can deal extra radiant damage to one target when you deal damage to it with an attack or a spell. The extra radiant damage equals your level.

Once you use this trait, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.

Dragonborn

    Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score rises by 2 and an additional attribute, determined by your draconic ancestry, rises by 1.

Alignment. Dragonborn have an innate inclination towards certain alignments (see table).

Size. Your size is Medium.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern colour in darkness, only shades of gray.

Draconic Ancestry. You have draconic ancestry. Choose one type of dragon from the Draconic Ancestry table. Your attribute bonus, breath weapon and damage resistance are determined by the dragon type, as shown in the table.

Red/Gold: Emperor's Awe. You may choose either the Intimdiation (Savagery) or Persuasion (Leadership) subskill and increase it by one level.

Blue/Bronze: Cloud Step. Sand and water are not considered difficult terrain and you can walk upon them as if on solid ground

Green/Brass: Conversationalist. You can speak, read, and write one additional language of your choice.

Black/Copper: Dragon's Den. You gain a burrowing speed of 30 ft and can hold your breath for 1 hour.

White/Silver: Ice Walk. You can move across and climb icy surfaces without needing to make an ability check, and difficult terrain made of ice or snow doesn't cost you extra movement.

Gemstone: Psionic Mind. You can telepathically speak to any creature you can see within 30 feet of you. You don't need to share a language with the creature, but the creature must be able to understand at least one language. Your communication doesn't give the creature the ability to respond to you telepathically.

Breath Weapon. As a bonus action, or as a replacement for one of your attacks when you take the attack action, you can exhale destructive energy. Your draconic ancestry determines the size, shape, and damage type of the exhalation.

When you use your breath weapon, make a proficient Constitution attack roll vs each creature in the area. The Defence that the target uses is determined by your draconic ancestry. On a hit, a creature takes 1d6 damage for every 2 character levels that you have, or half as much damage on a miss.

You can use your breath weapon a number of times equal to half your Constitution modifier (round up, minimum of 1), as shown on the table below. The number of uses resets when you complete a short or a long rest.

Constitution Score Uses/Rest
15 or less 1
16-19 2
20 3

Damage Resistance. You have resistance to the damage type associated with your draconic ancestry.

Languages. You can speak. read, and write Common and Draconic. Draconic is thought to be one of the oldest languages and is often used in the study of magic. The language sounds harsh to most other creatures and includes numerous hard consonants and sibilants.

Draconic Ancestry
Dragon Type Alignment Attribute Bonus Damage Type Breath Weapon
Gold Lawful Good Charisma Fire 15 ft. cone (Dexterity defence)
Silver Lawful Good Constitution Cold 15 ft. cone (Constitution defence)
Bronze Lawful Good Wisdom Lightning 5 by 30 ft. line (Dexterity defence)
Copper Chaotic Good Dexterity Acid 5 by 30 ft. line (Dexterity defence)
Brass Chaotic Good Intelligence Fire 5 by 30 ft. line (Dexterity defence)
Red Chaotic Evil Charisma Fire 15 ft. cone (Dexterity defence)
Blue Lawful Evil Wisdom Lightning 5 by 30 ft. line (Dexterity defence)
Green Lawful Evil Intelligence Poison 15 ft. cone (Constitution defence)
Black Chaotic Evil Dexterity Acid 5 by 30 ft. line (Dexterity defence)
White Chaotic Evil Constitution Cold 15 ft. cone (Constitution defence)
Amethyst Neutral Evil Dexterity Necrotic 30 ft. range, 5 ft. sphere (Con defence)
Emerald Chaotic Neutral Charisma Psychic 30 ft. range, 5 ft. sphere (Con defence)
Ruby Lawful Neutral Constitution Thunder 30 ft. range, 5 ft. sphere (Con defence)
Sapphire True Neutral Wisdom Force 30 ft. range, 5 ft. sphere (Wis defence)
Topaz Neutral Good Intelligence Radiant 30 ft. range, 5 ft. sphere (Con defence)

Dwarf

Kingdoms rich in ancient grandeur, halls carved into the roots of mountains, the echoing of picks and hammers in deep mines and blazing forges, a commitment to clan and tradition and a burning hatred of goblins and orcs. These are common to all dwarves.

Short and Stout

Bold and hardy, dwarves are known as skilled warriors, miners and workers of stone and metal. Though they stand well under 5 feet tall, dwarves are so broad and compact that they can weigh as much as a human standing nearly two feet taller. Their courage and endurance are also easily a match for any of the larger folk.

Dwarven skin tones range from a pale limestone-like colour to a deep brown, but the most common shades are light brown or tan, like certain tones of earth. Their hair, worn long but in simple styles, is usually black, gray, or brown, though paler dwarves often have red hair. Male dwarves value their beards highly and groom them carefully.

Long Memory, Long Grudges

Dwarves can live to be 500 years old, so the oldest living dwarves often remember a very different world. This longevity grants them a perspective on the world that shorter-lived races, such as humans and halflings lack.

Dwarves are solid and enduring like the mountains that they love, weathering the passage of centuries with stoic endurance and little change. They respect the traditions of their clans, tracing their ancestry back to the founding of their most ancient strongholds in the youth of the world, and don't abandon those traditions lightly. Part of those traditions is devotion to the gods of the dwarves, who uphold the dwarven ideals of industrious labour, skill in battle, and devotion to the forge.

Individual dwarves are determined and loyal, true to their word and decisive in action, sometimes to the point of stubbornness. Many dwarves have a strong sense of justice, and they are slow to forget wrongs they have suffered. A wrong done to one dwarf is a wrong done to the dwarf’s entire clan, so what begins as one dwarf’s hunt for vengeance can become a full-blown clan feud.

Clans and Kingdoms

Dwarven kingdoms stretch deep beneath the mountains where the dwarves mine gems and precious metals and forge items of wonder. They love the beauty and artistry of precious metals and fine jewelry and in some dwarves this love festers into avarice. Whatever wealth they can’t find in their mountains, they gain through trade. They dislike boats, so enterprising humans and halflings frequently handle trade in dwarven goods along water routes. Trustworthy members of other races are welcome in dwarf settlements, though some areas are off limits even to them.

The chief unit of dwarven society is the clan and dwarves highly value social standing. Even dwarves who live far from their own kingdoms cherish their clan identities and affiliations, recognize related dwarves and invoke their ancestors’ names in oaths and curses. To be clanless is the worst fate that can befall a dwarf.

Dwarves in other lands are typically artisans, especially weaponsmiths, armourers, and jewelers. Some become mercenaries or bodyguards, highly sought after for their courage and loyalty.

Gods, Gold, and Clan

Dwarves who take up the adventuring life might be motivated by a desire for treasure. For its own sake, for a specific purpose, or even out of an altruistic desire to help others. Other dwarves are driven by the command or inspiration of a deity, a direct calling or simply a desire to bring glory to one of the dwarf gods. Clan and ancestry are also important motivators. A dwarf might seek to restore a clan’s lost honour, avenge an ancient wrong the clan suffered, or earn a new place within the clan after having been exiled. Or a dwarf might search for the axe wielded by a mighty ancestor, lost on the field of battle centuries ago.


Slow To Trust

Dwarves get along passably well with most other races. "The difference between an acquaintance and a friend is about a hundred years", is a dwarf saying that might be hyperbole, but certainly points to how difficult it can be for a member of a short-lived race like humans to earn a dwarf’s trust.

Elves. "It’s not wise to depend on the elves. No telling what an elf will do next; when the hammer meets the orc's head, they're as apt to start singing as to pull out a sword. They're flighty and frivolous. Two things to be said for them, though: They don't have many smiths, but the ones they have do very fine work. And when orcs or goblins come streaming down out of the mountains, an elf's good to have at your back. Not as good as a dwarf, maybe, but no doubt they hate the orcs as much as we do."

Halflings. "Sure, they're pleasant folk. But show me a halfling hero. An empire, a triumphant army. Even a treasure for the ages made by halfling hands. Nothing. How can you take them seriously?"

Humans. "You take the time to get to know a human, and by then the human’s on their deathbed. If you're lucky, they've got kin. A child or grandchild, maybe, who's got hands and heart as good as theirs. That's when you can make a human friend and watch them go! They set their hearts on something, they'll get it, whether it’s a dragon’s hoard or an empire’s throne. You have to admire that kind of dedication, even if it gets them in trouble more often than not."

Dwarf Names

A dwarf’s name is granted by a clan elder, in accordance with tradition. Every proper dwarven name has been used and reused down through the generations. A dwarf’s name belongs to the clan, not to the individual. A dwarf who misuses or brings shame to a clan name is stripped of the name and forbidden by law to use any dwarven name in its place.

Male Names: Adrik, Alberich, Baern, Barendd, Brottor, Bruenor, Dain, Darrak, Delg, Eberk, Einkil, Fargrim, Flint, Gardain, Harbek, Kildrak, Morgran, Orsik, Oskar, Rangrim, Rurik, Taklinn, Thoradin, Thorin, Tordek, Traubon, Travok, Ulfgar, Veit, Vondal

Female Names: Amber, Artin, Audhild, Bardryn, Dagnal, Diesa, Eldeth, Falkrunn, Finellen, Gunnloda, Gurdis, Helja, Hlin, Kathra, Kristryd, Ilde, Liftrasa, Mardred, Riswynn, Sannl, Torbera, Torgga, Vistra

Clan Names: Balderk, Battlehammer, Brawnanvil, Dankil, Fireforge, Frostbeard, Gorunn, Holderhek, Ironfist, Loderr, Lutgehr, Rumnaheim, Strakeln, Torunn, Ungart

Dwarf Traits

Your dwarf character has an assortment of inborn abilities, part and parcel of dwarven nature.

Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score rises by 2.

Age. Dwarves mature at the same rate as humans, up to the age of 12. After this point their mental development continues similarly to human children, but their physical development progresses only half as fast. The majority of dwarven puberty is complete at the age of 24 and they are considered ‘of age’ at 30. Although dwarves are capable of reproduction from around the age of 20, they typically start families between the age of 150 and 250. At the age of 250 a dwarf is considered middle-aged and elder dwarves are over 350 years old. The truly venerable live to be 450 or older. Very few dwarves live past 500.

Alignment. Most dwarves are lawful, believing firmly in the benefits of a well-ordered society. They tend toward good as well, with a strong sense of fair play and a belief that everyone deserves to share in the benefits of a just order.

Size. Dwarves stand between 4 and 5 feet tall and average about 150 pounds. Your size is Medium.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 25 feet. Your speed is never reduced by wearing armour.

Darkvision. Accustomed to life underground, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern colour in darkness, only shades of gray.

Dwarven Resilience. Poison attack rolls have disadvantage to hit you. You have advantage on defence checks against poison and you have resistance against poison damage (explained in chapter 9, "Combat").

Dwarven Combat Training. You are proficient with simple axes and simple bludgeoning weapons. If your class grants proficiency with simple axes or simple bludgeoning weapons, you gain proficiency in martial axes or martial bludgeoning weapons, respectively. You treat any weapon with the word "dwarven" in its name or properties as a martial weapon. If your class grants proficiency with martial axes or martial bludgeoning weapons, you gain 1 proficiency point. If your class grants proficiency with both martial axes and martial bludgeoning weapons, you gain 2 proficiency points.

Tool Proficiency. You gain proficiency with the artisan’s tools of your choice: smith’s tools, brewer’s supplies, or mason’s tools.

Stonecunning. Whenever you make an Intelligence (History) check related to the origin of stonework, you are considered proficient in the History skill and add double your proficiency bonus to the check, instead of your normal proficiency bonus

Languages. You can speak, read, and write Dwarven and one local human language of your choice. Dwarven is full of hard consonants and guttural sounds, and those characteristics spill over into whatever other language a dwarf might speak.

Race. Two main races of dwarves populate the world: hill dwarves and mountain dwarves. Choose one of these races.

Hill Dwarf

As a hill dwarf, you have keen senses, deep intuition, and remarkable resilience.

Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score rises by 1.

Dwarven Toughness. Your hit point maximum increases by 1, and it increases by 1 every time you gain a level.

Mountain Dwarf

As a mountain dwarf, you're strong and hardy, accustomed to a difficult life in rugged terrain. You're probably on the tall side (for a dwarf), and tend toward lighter colouration.

Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score rises by 2.

Dwarven Armour Training. You have proficiency with light and medium armour.

Elf

Elves are a magical people of otherworldly grace, living in the world but not entirely part of it. They live in places of ethereal beauty, in the midst of ancient forests or in silvery spires glittering with faerie light, where soft music drifts through the air and gentle fragrances waft on the breeze. Elves love nature and magic, art and artistry, music and poetry and the good things of the world.

Slender and Graceful

With their unearthly grace and fine features, elves appear hauntingly beautiful to humans and members of many other races. They are slightly taller than humans on average, ranging from well over 5 feet to around 6½ feet tall. They are more slender than humans, weighing only 100 to 145 pounds. Males and females are about the same height, and males are only marginally heavier than females.

Elves' coloration typically encompasses the normal human range. Some more exotic elven races also have skin in shades of copper, bronze, or almost bluish-white, hair of green or blue and eyes like pools of liquid gold or silver. Elves have no facial and little body hair. They favor elegant clothing in bright colours, and they enjoy simple yet lovely jewelry.

A Timeless Perspective

Elves can live up to 1000 years, giving them a broad perspective on events that might trouble the shorter-lived races more deeply. They are more often amused than excited and more likely to be curious than greedy. They tend to remain aloof and unfazed by petty happenstance. When pursuing a goal, however, whether adventuring on a mission or learning a new skill or art, elves can be focused and relentless. They are slow to make friends and enemies and even slower to forget them. They reply to petty insults with disdain and to serious insults with vengeance.

Like the branches of a young tree, elves are flexible in the face of danger. They trust in diplomacy and compromise to resolve differences before they escalate to violence. They have been known to retreat from intrusions into their woodland homes, confident that they can simply wait the invaders out. However, when the need arises, elves reveal a stern martial side, demonstrating skill with sword, bow and strategy.

Hidden Woodland Realms

Most elves dwell in small forest villages hidden among the trees. Elves hunt game, gather food, and grow vegetables, and their skill and magic allow them to support themselves without the need for clearing and plowing land. They are talented artisans, crafting finely worked clothes and art objects. Their contact with outsiders is usually limited, though a few elves make a good living by trading crafted items for metals (which they have no interest in mining).

Elves encountered outside their own lands are commonly traveling minstrels, artists, or sages. Human nobles compete for the services of elf instructors to teach swordplay or magic to their children.

Exploration and Adventure

Elves take up adventuring out of wanderlust. Since they are so long-lived, they can enjoy centuries of exploration and discovery. They dislike the pace of human society, which is regimented from day to day, but constantly changing over decades, so they find careers that let them travel freely and set their own pace. Elves also enjoy exercising their martial prowess or gaining greater magical power and adventuring allows them to do so. Some might join with rebels fighting against oppression and others might become champions of moral causes.


Haughty but Gracious

Although they can be haughty, elves are generally gracious even to those who fall short of their high expectations, which is most non-elves. Still, they can find good in just about anyone.

Dwarves. "Dwarves are dull, clumsy oafs. But what they lack in humor, sophistication, and manners, they make up in valor. And I must admit, their best smiths produce art that approaches elven quality."

Halflings. "Halflings are people of simple pleasures, and that is not a quality to scorn. They're good folk, they care for each other and tend their gardens, and they have proven themselves tougher than they seem when the need arises."

Humans. "All that haste, their ambition and drive to accomplish something before their brief lives pass away—human endeavors seem so futile sometimes. But then you look at what they have accomplished, and you have to appreciate their achievements. If only they could slow down and learn some refinement."

Elf Names

Elves are considered children until they declare themselves adults, some time after the hundredth birthday, and before this period they are called by child names.

On declaring adulthood, an elf selects an adult name, although those who knew him or her as a youngster might continue to use the child name. Each elf's adult name is a unique creation, though it might reflect the names of respected individuals or other family members. Little distinction exists between male names and female names; the groupings here reflect only general tendencies. In addition, every elf bears a family name, typically a combination of other Elvish words. Some elves traveling among humans translate their family names into the local human language, but others retain the Elvish version.

Child Names: Ara, Bryn, Del, Eryn, Faen, Innil, Lael, Mella, Naill, Naeris, Phann, Rael, Rinn, Sai, Syllin, Thia, Vall

Male Adult Names: Adran, Aelar, Aramil, Arannis, Aust, Beiro, Berrian, Carric, Enialis, Erdan, Erevan, Galinndan, Hadarai, Heian, Immeral, Ivellios, Laucian, Mindartis, Paelias, Peren, Quarion, Riardon, Rolen, Soveliss, Thamior, Tharivol, Theren, Varis

Female Adult Names: Adrie, Althaea, Anastrianna, Andraste, Antinua, Bethrynna, Birel, Caelynn, Drusilia, Enna, Felosial, Ielenia, Jelenneth, Keyleth, Leshanna, Lia, Meriele, Mialee, Naivara, Quelenna, Quillathe, Sariel, Shanairra, Shava, Silaqui, Theirastra, Thia, Vadania, Valanthe, Xanaphia

Family Names (Common Translations): Amakiir (Gemflower), Amastacia (Starflower), Galanodel (Moonwhisper), Holimion (Diamonddew), Ilphelkiir (Gemblossom), Liadon (Silverfrond), Meliamne (Oakenheel), Naïlo (Nightbreeze), Siannodel (Moonbrook), Xiloscient (Goldpetal)

Elf Traits

Your elf character has a variety of natural abilities, the result of thousands of years of elven refinement.

Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score rises by 2.

Age. Although elves reach physical maturity at about the same age as humans, the elven understanding of adulthood goes beyond physical growth to encompass worldly experience. An elf typically claims adulthood and an adult name around the age of 100 and can live to be 750 years old.

Alignment. Elves love freedom, variety, and self-expression, so they lean strongly toward the gentler aspects of chaos. They value and protect others’ freedom as well as their own, and they are more often good than not.

Size. Elves range from well over 5 feet to around 6½ feet tall and have slender builds. Your size is Medium.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Low-Light Vision: Elves can see twice as far as humans in conditions of dim light.

Keen Senses. You have proficiency in the Perception skill.

Fey Ancestry. You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can’t put you to sleep.

Trance. Elves don't need to sleep. Instead, they meditate deeply, remaining semiconscious, for 4 hours a day. While meditating, you can dream after a fashion; such dreams are actually mental exercises that have become reflexive through years of practice. After resting in this way, you gain the same benefit that a human does from 8 hours of sleep.

Languages. You can speak, read, and write Elvish and one local human language of your choice. Elvish is fluid, with subtle intonations and intricate grammar. Elven literature is rich and varied, and their songs and poems are famous among other races. Many bards learn their language so they can add Elvish ballads to their repertoires.

Race. Ancient divides amongst the elven people resulted in six main races: high elves, wood elves, sea elves, dark elves, shadow elves and fey elves. Choose one of these races.

High Elf

As a high elf, you have a keen mind and a mastery of at least the basics of magic. Many high elves are haughty and reclusive, believing themselves to be superior to other species and races. They are fair of face with alabaster skin, light blonde, light brown, or jet black hair and blue or green eyes.

Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence score rises by 1.

Elf Weapon Training. You are proficient with martial blades and martial bows. You treat any weapon with the word "elven" in its name or properties as a martial weapon. If your class grants proficiency with martial blades or martial bows, you gain 1 proficiency point. If your class grants proficiency with both martial blades and martial bows, you gain 2 proficiency points.

Cantrip. You know one cantrip of your choice from the wizard spell list. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for it.

Extra Language. You can speak, read, and write one extra language of your choice.

Wood Elf

As a wood elf, you have keen senses and intuition and your fleet feet carry you quickly and stealthily through your native forests. Wood elves are frequently more friendly than high elves, with olive skin, dark brown, red, or ocasionally dark blonde hair and green, brown, or hazel eyes.

Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score rises by 1.

Elf Weapon Training. You are proficient with martial blades and martial bows. You treat any weapon with the word "elven" in its name or properties as a martial weapon. If your class grants proficiency with martial blades or martial bows, you gain 1 proficiency point. If your class grants proficiency with both martial blades and martial bows, you gain 2 proficiency points.

Fleet of Foot. Your base walking speed rises to 35 feet.

Mask of the Wild. You can attempt to hide even when you are only lightly obscured by foliage, heavy rain, falling snow, mist, and other natural phenomena.

Fey Elf

Fey elves are elves native to the Feywild, a realm of beauty, unpredictable emotion, and boundless magic. A fey elf is associated with one of the four seasons and has colouration reminiscent of that season, which can also affect the fey elf’s mood:

Summer is the season of boldness and aggression, a time of unfettered energy.

Autumn is the season of peace and goodwill, when summer’s harvest is shared with all.

Winter is the season of contemplation and dolor, when the vibrant energy of the world slumbers.

Spring is the season of cheerfulness and celebration, marked by merriment as winter’s sorrow passes.

Some fey elves remain associated with a particular season for their entire lives, whereas other fey elves transform, adopting characteristics of a new season. When finishing a long rest, any fey elf can change their season. A fey elf might choose the season that is present in the world or perhaps the season that most closely matches the fey elf’s current emotional state. For example, a fey elf might shift to autumn if filled with contentment, another fey elf could change to winter if plunged into sorrow, still another might be bursting with joy and become a fey elf of spring and fury might cause a fey elf to change to summer.

The following tables offer personality suggestions for eladrin of each season. You can roll on the tables or use them as inspiration for characteristics of your own.

Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score rises by 1.

Fey Step. As a bonus action, you can magically teleport up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space you can see. Once you use this trait, you can’t do so again until you finish a short or long rest.

When you reach 3rd level, your Fey Step gains an additional effect based on your season; if the effect requires a saving throw, the DC equals 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier:

Autumn. Immediately after you use your Fey Step, up to two creatures of your choice that you can see within 10 feet of you must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be charmed by you for 1 minute, or until you or your companions deal any damage to it.

Winter. When you use your Fey Step, one creature of your choice that you can see within 5 feet of you before you teleport must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be frightened of you until the end of your next turn.

Spring. When you use your Fey Step, you can touch one willing creature within 5 feet of you. That creature then teleports instead of you, appearing in an unoccupied space of your choice that you can see within 30 feet of you.

Summer. Immediately after you use your Fey Step, each creature of your choice that you can see within 5 feet of you takes fire damage equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1 damage).

d4 Spring Personality Trait
1 Every day is the greatest day of your life.
2 You approach everything with enthusiasm, even the most mundane chores.
3 You love music and song. You supply a tune yourself if no one else can.
4 You can’t stay still.
d4 Spring Flaw
1 You overdrink.
2 Toil is for drudges. Yours should be a life of leisure.
3 A pretty face infatuates you in an instant, but your fancy passes with equal speed.
4 Anything worth doing is worth doing again and again.
d4 Summer Personality Trait
1 You believe that direct confrontation is the best way to solve problems.
2 Overwhelming force can accomplish almost anything. The tougher the problem, the more force you apply.
3 You stand tall and strong so that others can lean on you.
4 You maintain an intimidating front. It’s better to prevent fights with a show of force than to harm others.
d4 Summer Flaw
1 You are stubborn. Let others change.
2 The best option is one that is swift, unexpected, and overwhelming.
3 Punch first. Talk later.
4 Your fury can carry you through anything.
d4 Autumn Personality Trait
1 If someone is in need, you never withhold aid.
2 You share what you have, with little regard for your own needs.
3 There are no simple meals, only lavish feasts.
4 You stock up on fine food and drink. You hate going without such comforts.
d4 Autumn Flaw
1 You trust others without a second thought.
2 You give to others, to the point that you leave yourself without necessary supplies.
3 Everyone is your friend, or a potential friend.
4 You spend excessively on creature comforts.
d4 Winter Personality Trait
1 The worst case is the most likely to occur.
2 You preserve what you have. Better to be hungry today and have food for tomorrow.
3 Life is full of dangers, but you are ready for them.
4 A penny spent is a penny lost forever.
d4 Winter Flaw
1 Everything dies eventually. Why bother building anything that is supposedly meant to last?
2 Nothing matters to you, and you allow others to guide your actions.
3 Your needs come first. In winter, all must watch out for themselves.
4 You speak only to point out the flaws in others’ plans.

Sea Elf

Sea elves fell in love with the wild beauty of the ocean in the earliest days of the world. While other elves traveled from realm to realm, the sea elves navigated the deepest currents and explored the waters. Today, they live in small, hidden communities in the ocean shallows .

Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score rises by 1.

Sea Elf Training. You are proficient with martial polearms, simple flexible weapons and simple crossbows. If your class grants proficiency with simple flexible weapons, you gain proficiency in martial flexible weapons. You treat any weapon with the word "elven" in its name or properties as a martial weapon. If your class grants proficiency with martial polearms or martial flexible weapons, or simple crossbows, you gain 1 proficiency point. If your class grants proficiency in two of the above, you gain 2 proficiency points. If your class grants proficiency in all three of the above, you gain 3 proficiency points.

Child of the Sea. You have a swimming speed of 30 feet, and you can breathe air and water.

Friend of the Sea. Using gestures and sounds, you can communicate simple ideas with any beast that has an innate swimming speed.

Languages. You can speak, read, and write Aquan.

Shadow Elf

Sworn to the Raven Queen’s service, the mysterious shadow elves venture into the material plane from the shadowfell to advance her will. Once they were fey like the rest of their elven kin, and now they exist in a strange state between life and death. Fey elves and shadow elves are like reflections of each other: one bursting with emotion, the other nearly devoid of it.

Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score rises by 1.

Necrotic Resistance. You have resistance to necrotic damage.

Blessing of the Raven Queen. As a bonus action, you can magically teleport up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space you can see. Once you use this trait, you can’t do so again until you finish a long rest.

Starting at 3rd level, you also gain resistance to all damage when you teleport using this trait. The resistance lasts until the start of your next turn. During that time, you appear ghostly and translucent.

Dark Elf

Dark elves have skin that resembles charcoal or obsidian, as well as stark white or pale yellow hair. They commonly have very pale eyes (so pale as to be mistaken for white) in shades of lilac, silver, pink, red, and blue. They tend to be smaller and thinner than most elves.

Drow adventurers are rare. Check with your Game Master to see if you can play one.

Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score rises by 1.

Darkvision. Accustomed to life underground, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern colour in darkness, only shades of gray.

Sunlight Sensitivity. You have disadvantage on attack rolls and on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight when you, the target of your attack, or whatever you are trying to perceive is in direct sunlight.

Dark Elf Magic. You know the dancing lights cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the faerie fire spell once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. When you reach 5th level, you can cast the darkness spell once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.

Dark Elf Weapon Training. You are proficient with martial blades and simple crossbows. You treat any weapon with the word "elven" in its name or properties as a martial weapon. If your class grants proficiency with martial blades or simple crossbows, you gain 1 proficiency point. If your class grants proficiency with both martial blades and simple crossbows, you gain 2 proficiency points.

Half Elf

Walking in two worlds but truly belonging to neither, half-elves combine what some say are the best qualities of their elf and human parents: human curiosity, inventiveness, and ambition tempered by the refined senses, love of nature, and artistic tastes of the elves. Some half-elves live among humans, set apart by their emotional and physical differences, watching friends and loved ones age while time barely touches them. Others live with the elves, growing restless as they reach adulthood in the timeless elven realms, while their peers continue to live as children. Many half-elves, unable to fit into either society, choose lives of solitary wandering or join with other misfits and outcasts in the adventuring life.

Of Two Worlds

To humans, half-elves look like elves, and to elves, they look human. In height, they're on par with both parents, though they're neither as slender as elves nor as broad as humans. They range from 5 to 6½ feet tall and from 100 to 180 pounds, with men only slightly taller and heavier than women. Half-elf men do have facial hair, and sometimes grow beards to mask their elven ancestry. Half-elven coloration and features lie somewhere between their human and elf parents, and thus show a variety even more pronounced than that found among either race. They tend to have the eyes of their elven parents.

Diplomats or Wanderers

Half-elves have no lands of their own, though they are welcome in human cities and elven forests. In large cities in regions where elves and humans interact often, half-elves are sometimes numerous enough to form small communities of their own. They enjoy the company of other half-elves, the only people who truly understand what it is to live between these two worlds.

In most parts of the world, though, half-elves are uncommon enough that one might live for years without meeting another. Some half-elves prefer to avoid company altogether, wandering the wilds as trappers, foresters, hunters, or adventurers and visiting civilization only rarely. Like elves, they are driven by the wanderlust that comes of their longevity. Others, in contrast, throw themselves into the thick of society, putting their charisma and social skills to great use in diplomatic roles or as swindlers.

Excellent Ambassadors

Many half-elves learn at an early age to get along with everyone, defusing hostility and finding common ground. As a race, they have elven grace without elven aloofness and human energy without human boorishness. They often make excellent ambassadors and go-betweens (except between elves and humans, since each side suspects the half-elf of favouring the other).

Half-Elf Names

Half-elves use either human or elven naming conventions. As if to emphasize that they don’t really fit in to either society, half-elves raised among humans are often given elven names, and those raised among elves often take human names.

Half-Elf Traits

Your half-elf character has some qualities in common with elves and some that are unique to half-elves.

Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score increases by 2, and two other ability scores of your choice increase by 1.

Age. Half-elves mature at the same rate humans do and reach adulthood around the age of 20. They live much longer than humans, however, often exceeding 180 years.

Alignment. Half-elves share the chaotic bent of their elven heritage. They value both personal freedom and creative expression, demonstrating neither love of leaders nor desire for followers. They chafe at rules, resent others’ demands, and sometimes prove unreliable, or at least unpredictable.

Size. Half-elves are about the same size as humans, ranging from 5 to 6 feet tall. Your size is Medium.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Darkvision. Thanks to your elf blood, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as 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.

Fey Ancestry. You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can’t put you to sleep.

Skill Versatility. You gain 4 character points.

Languages. You can speak, read, and write Elvish and one human language (typically the language of your human parent, or the local language if not the same). Additionally, you gain 1 character point.

Human

In the reckonings of most worlds, humans are the youngest of the common races, late to arrive on the world scene and short-lived in comparison to dwarves, elves, and dragons. Perhaps it is because of their shorter lives that they strive to achieve as much as they can in the years they are given. Or maybe they feel they have something to prove to the elder races, and that’s why they build their mighty empires on the foundation of conquest and trade. Whatever drives them, humans are the innovators, the achievers, and the pioneers of the worlds.

A Broad Spectrum

With their penchant for migration and conquest, humans are more physically diverse than other common races. There is no typical human. An individual can stand from 5 feet to a little over 6 feet tall and weigh from 125 to 250 pounds. Human skin shades range from nearly black to very pale, and hair colors from black to blond (curly, kinky, or straight); males might sport facial hair that is sparse or thick. A lot of humans have a dash of nonhuman blood, revealing hints of elf, orc, or other lineages. Humans reach adulthood in their late teens and rarely live even a single century.

Variety in All Things

Humans are the most adaptable and ambitious people among the common races. They have widely varying tastes, morals, and customs in the many different lands where they have settled. When they settle, though, they stay: they build cities to last for the ages, and great kingdoms that can persist for long centuries. An individual human might have a relatively short life span, but a human nation or culture preserves traditions with origins far beyond the reach of any single human’s memory. They live fully in the present, making them well suited to the adventuring life, but also plan for the future, striving to leave a lasting legacy. Individually and as a group, humans are adaptable opportunists, and they stay alert to changing political and social dynamics.

Lasting Institutions

Where a single elf or dwarf might take on the responsibility of guarding a special location or a powerful secret, humans found sacred orders and institutions for such purposes. While dwarf clans and halfling elders pass on the ancient traditions to each new generation, human temples, governments, libraries, and codes of law fix their traditions in the bedrock of history. Humans dream of immortality, but (except for those few who seek undeath or divine ascension to escape death’s clutches) they achieve it by ensuring that they will be remembered when they are gone.

Although some humans can be xenophobic, in general their societies are inclusive. Human lands welcome large numbers of non-humans compared to the proportion of humans who live in nonhuman lands.

Exemplars of Ambition

Humans who seek adventure are the most daring and ambitious members of a daring and ambitious race. They seek to earn glory in the eyes of their fellows by amassing power, wealth, and fame. More than other people, humans champion causes rather than territories or groups.


Everyone's Second-Best Friends

Just as readily as they mix with each other, humans mingle with members of other races. They get along with almost everyone, though they might not be close to many. Humans serve as ambassadors, diplomats, magistrates, merchants, and functionaries of all kinds.

Dwarves. "They're stout folk, stalwart friends, and true to their word. Their greed for gold is their downfall, though."

Elves. "It’s best not to wander into elven woods. They don't like intruders, and you'll as likely be bewitched as peppered with arrows. Still, if an elf can get past that damned racial pride and actually treat you like an equal, you can learn a lot from them."

Halflings. "It’s hard to beat a meal in a halfling home, as long as you don't crack your head on the ceiling. Good food and good stories in front of a nice, warm fire. If halflings had a shred of ambition, they might really amount to something."


Human Names and Ethnicities

Having so much more variety than other cultures, humans as a whole have no typical names. Some human parents give their children names from other languages, such as Dwarvish or Elvish (pronounced more or less correctly), but most parents give names that are linked to their region’s culture or to the naming traditions of their ancestors. The material culture and physical characteristics of humans can change wildly from region to region.

Human Traits

It’s hard to make generalisations about humans, but your human character has these traits.

Ability Score Increase. One ability score of your choice rises by 2, and two different abilities of your choice rise by 1. Alternatively, four ability scores of of your choice each rise by 1.

Age. Humans reach adulthood in their late teens and live less than a century.

Alignment. Humans tend toward no particular alignment. The best and the worst are found among them.

Size. Humans vary widely in height and build, from barely 5 feet to well over 6 feet tall. Regardless of your position in that range, your size is Medium.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Defiant. Humans are known to be stubborn and often refuse to give up, even against the worst odds. You can add your proficiency die to an attack roll or skill check after rolling. You must then finish a short or long rest before you can use this feature again.

Versatile Proficiency. You gain 4 character points.

Languages. You can speak, read, and write your native tongue. Additionally, you gain 1 character point. Humans typically learn the languages of other peoples they deal 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.

Race. Many diverse races of humans populate the world. Optionally, you may choose one of the examples listed below.

Norscan

As a Norscan, you have the following special traits:

Ability Score Increase. You must pick Strength and Constitution as two of your species ability score increases.

Frost Born. You have resistance to cold damage.

Kobold

    Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score rises by 2 and an additional attribute, determined by your draconic ancestry, rises by 1.

Alignment. Kobolds have an innate inclination towards certain alignments (see table).

Size. Your size is Small.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern colour in darkness, only shades of gray.

Draconic Ancestry. You have draconic ancestry. Choose one type of dragon from the Draconic Ancestry table. Your attribute bonus and damage resistance are determined by the dragon type, as shown in the table.

Draconic Ancestry
Dragon Type Alignment Attribute Bonus Damage Type
Gold Lawful Good Charisma Fire
Silver Lawful Good Constitution Cold
Bronze Lawful Good Wisdom Lightning
Copper Chaotic Good Strength Acid
Brass Chaotic Good Intelligence Fire
Red Chaotic Evil Charisma Fire
Blue Lawful Evil Wisdom Lightning
Green Lawful Evil Intelligence Poison
Black Chaotic Evil Strength Acid
White Chaotic Evil Constitution Cold
Amethyst Neutral Evil Strength Necrotic
Emerald Chaotic Neutral Charisma Psychic
Ruby Lawful Neutral Constitution Thunder
Sapphire True Neutral Wisdom Force
Topaz Neutral Good Intelligence Radiant

Damage Resistance. You have resistance to the damage type associated with your draconic ancestry.

Pack Tactics. You have advantage on an attack roll against a creature if at least one of your allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn't incapacitated.

Prehensile Tail. You can make unarmed strikes with your tail, which can also be equipped with special weapons (see Chapter 5).

Sunlight Sensitivity. You have disadvantage on attack rolls and on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight when you, the target of your attack, or whatever you are trying to perceive is in direct sunlight.

Languages. You can speak, read and write Common and Draconic.

Chapter 3: Classes

Adventurers are extraordinary people, driven by a thirst for excitement into a life that others would never dare lead. They are heroes, compelled to explore the dark places of the world and take on the challenges that lesser women and men can’t stand against.

Class is the primary definition of what your character can do. It’s more than a profession; it’s your character’s calling. Class shapes the way you think about the world and interact with it and your relationship with other people and powers in the multiverse. A fighter, for example, might view the world in pragmatic terms of strategy and maneuvering, and see herself as just a pawn in a much larger game. A cleric, by contrast, might see himself as a willing servant in a god’s unfolding plan or a conflict brewing among various deities. While the fighter has contacts in a mercenary company or army, the cleric might know a number of priests, paladins, and devotees who share his faith.

Your class gives you a variety of special features, such as a fighter’s mastery of weapons and armour, and a wizard’s spells. At low levels, your class gives you only two or three features, but as you advance in level you gain more and your existing features often improve. Each class entry in this chapter includes a table summarizing the benefits you gain at every level, and a detailed explanation of each one.

Adventurers sometimes advance in more than one class. A rogue might switch direction in life and swear the oath of a paladin. A barbarian might discover latent magical ability and dabble in the sorcerer class while continuing to advance as a barbarian. Elves are known to combine martial mastery with magical training and advance as fighters and wizards simultaneously. Optional rules for combining classes in this way, called multiclassing, appear in chapter 6.

Thirteen classes define the spectrum of typical adventurers.

Chapter 3.1: Barbarian

Chapter 3.2: Bard

Chapter 3.3: Cleric

Chapter 3.4: Druid

Chapter 3.5: Engineer

Chapter 3.6: Fighter

Chapter 3.7: Monk

Chapter 3.8: Paladin

Chapter 3.9: Ranger

Chapter 3.10: Rogue

Chapter 3.11: Sorcerer

Chapter 3.12: Warlock

Chapter 3.13: Wizard

Class Features

Abilities marked with ᵀ were added in Tasha's Cauldron of Everything.

Defence Proficiencies by Class
Class Fixed Defence Proficiency Elective Defence Proficiency
Barbarian Constitution Strength, Dexterity, or Wisdom
Bard Charisma Any
Cleric Wisdom Constitution or Charisma
Druid Wisdom Any Physical
Engineer Intelligence Any Physical
Fighter Any Physical Any Physical
Monk Wisdom Any Physical
Paladin Charisma Not Intelligence
Ranger Wisdom Not Charisma
Rogue Dexterity Any
Sorcerer Charisma Constitution or Wisdom
Warlock Spellcasting Ability Corresponding Physical Attribute (Str/Cha, Dex/Int, or Con/Wis)
Wizard Intelligence Wisdom or Charisma

Spellcasting

Prepared Spellcasters

In addition to the spells that they can prepare each day, clerics, druids, paladins and wizards have a list of spells that are always prepared, as defined by the character's subclass. This list includes two spells of each spell level from 1st to 5th, for a total of 10 additional spells prepared when they gain the ability to cast 5th level spells.

Spontaneous Spellcasters

In addition to the spells that they learn at each level, bards, rangers, sorcerers and warlocks learn additional spells, as defined by the character's subclass. The list of additional spells that they learn is comprised of two spells of each spell level from 1st to 5th, for a total of 10 additional spells known when they gain the ability to cast 5th level spells.

Ability Score Improvement

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you increase one ability score of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature. Additionally, take a feat of your choice.


Variant: Proficiency Features

Some class features, such as a Barbarian's Rage or a Bard's Bardic Inspiration use a die with the same scaling as a single-classed character's proficiency modifier; 1d4, 1d6, 1d8, 1d10, 1d12. If you want to change the feeling of how the class plays, you could adjust the following features to use the flat proficiency modifier, instead of the corresponding die, or vice versa.

  • Barbarian's Rage
  • Bard's Bardic Inspiration
  • Fighter's Superiority Dice
  • Monk's Unarmed Damage Die
  • Ranger's Hunter's Mark

Chapter 4: Personality & Backgrounds

Characters are defined by much more than their species and class. They're individuals with their own stories, interests, connections, and capabilities beyond those that class and race define. This chapter 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.



Character Details

Your character's name and physical description might be the first things that the other players at the table learn about you. It’s worth thinking about how these characteristics reflect the character you have in mind.

Name

Your character’s species description includes sample names for members of that species. Put some thought into your name even if you're just picking one from a list.

Sex

You can play a male or female character without gaining any special benefits or hindrances. Think about how your character does or does not conform to the broader culture's expectations of sex, gender, and sexual behavior. For example, a male dark elf cleric defies the traditional gender divisions of dark elf society, which could be a reason for your character to leave that society.

You don't need to be confined to binary notions of sex and gender. The elf god Corellon Larethian is often seen as androgynous, for example, and some elves in the multiverse are made in Corellon’s image. You could also play a female character who presents herself as a man, a man who feels trapped in a female body, or a bearded female dwarf who hates being mistaken for a male. Likewise, your character’s sexual orientation is for you to decide.

Height and Weight

You can decide your character’s height and weight, using the information provided in your species description or on the Random Height and Weight table. Think about what your character’s ability scores might say about his or her height and weight. A weak but agile character might be thin. A strong and tough character might be tall or just heavy.

If you want to, you can roll randomly for your character’s height and weight using the Random Height and Weight table. The dice roll given in the Height Modifier column determines the character’s extra height (in inches) beyond the base height. That same number multiplied by the dice roll or quantity given in the Weight Modifier column determines the character’s extra weight (in pounds) beyond the base weight.

Other Physical Characteristics

You choose your character’s age and the colour of his or her hair, eyes, and skin. To add a touch of distinctiveness, you might want to give your character an unusual or memorable physical characteristic, such as a scar, a limp, or a tattoo.

Random Height and Weight
Species, Race Base Height Height Modifier Base Weight Weight Modifier
Dragonborn 5’6" +2d8 175 lb. × (2d6) lb.
Dwarf, hill 3’8" +2d4 115 lb. × (2d6) lb.
Dwarf, mountain 4’ +2d4 130 lb. × (2d6) lb.
Elf, dark 4’9" +2d6 75 lb. × (1d6) lb.
Elf, fey 4’10" +2d12 90 lb. × (1d4) lb.
Elf, high 4’10" +2d10 90 lb. × (1d4) lb.
Elf, sea 4’10" +2d8 90 lb. × (1d4) lb.
Elf, shadow 5’ +2d8 90 lb. × (1d4) lb.
Elf, wood 4’10" +2d10 100 lb. × (1d4) lb.
Gnome 2’11" +2d4 35 lb. × 1 lb.
Half-elf 4’9" +2d8 110 lb. × (2d4) lb.
Half-orc 4’10" +2d10 140 lb. × (2d6) lb.
Halfling 2’7" +2d4 35 lb. × 1 lb.
Human 4’8" +2d10 110 lb. × (2d4) lb.
Human, norscan 4’10" +2d10 130 lb. × (2d4) lb.
Tiefling 4’9" +2d8 110 lb. × (2d4) lb.

Age

Advanced age can bring with it modifiers to attribute scores. Age brackets vary with species. These effects are described individually and are not cumulative. Dwarves move Charisma to the set of attributes receiving penalties with age and Constitution to those receiving bonuses.

Age Bracket Effects
Middle Age -1 to Str, Dex or Con. +1 to Int, Wis or Cha.
Elderly -1 to two of Str, Dex and Con. +1 to two of Int, Wis and Cha. Movement speed is reduced by 5 ft.
Venerable -1 to Str, Dex and Con. +1 to Int, Wis and Cha. Movement speed is reduced by 5 ft.

Alignment

A typical creature in the game world has an alignment, which broadly describes its moral and personal attitudes. Alignment is a combination of two factors: one identifies morality (good, evil, or neutral), and the other describes attitudes toward society and order (lawful, chaotic, or neutral). Thus, nine distinct alignments define the possible combinations.

These brief summaries of the nine alignments describe the typical behavior of a creature with that alignment. Individuals might vary significantly from that typical behavior, and few people are perfectly and consistently faithful to the precepts of their alignment.

Lawful good (LG) creatures can be counted on to do the right thing as expected by society. Gold dragons, paladins and most dwarves are lawful good.

Neutral good (NG) folk do the best they can to help others according to their needs. Many celestials, some cloud giants and most gnomes are neutral good.

Chaotic good (CG) creatures act as their conscience directs, with little regard for what others expect. Copper dragons, many elves and unicorns are chaotic good.

Lawful neutral (LN) individuals act in accordance with law, tradition, or personal codes. Many monks and some wizards are lawful neutral.

Neutral (N) is the alignment of those who prefer to steer clear of moral questions and don't take sides, doing what seems best at the time. Lizardfolk, most druids and many humans are neutral.

Chaotic neutral (CN) creatures follow their whims, holding their personal freedom above all else. Many barbarians and rogues and some bards, are chaotic neutral.

Lawful evil (LE) creatures methodically take what they want, within the limits of a code of tradition, loyalty, or order. Devils, blue dragons and hobgoblins are lawful evil.

Neutral evil (NE) is the alignment of those who do whatever they can get away with, without compassion or qualms. Many dark elves, some cloud giants and goblins are neutral evil.

Chaotic evil (CE) creatures act with arbitrary violence, spurred by their greed, hatred, or bloodlust. Demons, red dragons and orcs are chaotic evil.

Alignment in the Multiverse

For many thinking creatures, alignment is a moral choice. Humans, dwarves, elves and other humanoid species can choose whether to follow the paths of good or evil, law or chaos.

Alignment is an essential part of the nature of celestials and fiends. A devil does not choose to be lawful evil, or tend towards lawful evil, but rather it is lawful evil in its essence. If it somehow ceases to be lawful evil, it changes into something new, a transformation worthy of legend.

Most creatures that lack the capacity for rational thought do not have alignments. They are unaligned. Such a creature is incapable of making a moral or ethical choice and acts according to its bestial nature. Sharks are savage predators, for example, but they are not evil; they have no alignment.

Languages

Your species indicates the languages your character can speak by default, and your background might give you access to one or more additional languages of your choice. Note these languages on your character sheet.

Choose your languages from the Standard Languages table, or choose one that is common in your campaign. With your GM’s permission, you can instead choose a language from the Exotic Languages table or a secret language, such as thieves’ cant or the tongue of druids.

Some of these languages are actually families of languages with many dialects. For example, the Primordial language includes the Auran, Aquan, Ignan, and Terran dialects, one for each of the four elemental planes. Creatures that speak different dialects of the same language can communicate with one another.

Standard Languages
Language Typical Speakers Script
Varies by Region Humans Varies
Dwarvish Dwarves Dwarvish
Elvish Elves Elvish
Giant Ogres, giants Dwarvish
Gnomish Gnomes Dwarvish
Goblin Goblinoids Dwarvish
Halfling Halflings Local Human Script
Orc Orcs Dwarvish
Exotic Languages
Language Typical Speakers Script
Abyssal Demons Infernal
Celestial Celestials Celestial
Draconic Dragons, dragonborn Draconic
Deep Speech Mind flayers, beholders
Infernal Devils Infernal
Primordial Elementals Dwarvish
Sylvan Fey creatures Elvish
Undercommon Underworld traders Elvish

Personal Characteristics

Your character’s personality is comprised of an array of traits, mannerisms, habits, beliefs, and flaws that give a person a unique identity. Fleshing it out will help you bring them to life as you play the game. Four categories of characteristics are presented here: personality traits, ideals, bonds, and flaws. Beyond those categories, think about your character’s favorite words or phrases, tics and habitual gestures, vices and pet peeves, and whatever else you can imagine.

Each background presented in this chapter includes suggested characteristics that you can use to spark your imagination. You're not bound to those options, but they're a good starting point.

Personality Traits

Give your character two personality traits. Personality traits are small, simple ways to help you set your character apart from every other character. Your personality traits should tell you something interesting and fun about your character. They should be self-descriptions that are specific about what makes your character stand out. “I’m smart” is not a good trait, because it describes a lot of characters. “I’ve read every book in Candlekeep” tells you something specific about your character’s interests and disposition.

Personality traits might describe the things your character likes, his or her past accomplishments, things your character dislikes or fears, your character’s self-attitude or mannerisms, or the influence of his or her ability scores.

A useful place to start thinking about personality traits is to look at your highest and lowest ability scores and define one trait related to each. Either one could be positive or negative: you might work hard to overcome a low score, for example, or be cocky about your high score.

Ideals

Describe one ideal that drives your character. Your ideals are the things that you believe in most strongly, the fundamental moral and ethical principles that compel you to act as you do. Ideals encompass everything from your life goals to your core belief system.

Ideals might answer any of these questions: What are the principles that you will never betray? What would prompt you to make sacrifices? What drives you to act and guides your goals and ambitions? What is the single most important thing you strive for?

You can choose any ideals you like, but your character’s alignment is a good place to start defining them. Each background in this chapter includes six suggested ideals. Five of them are linked to aspects of alignment: law, chaos, good, evil, and neutrality. The last one has more to do with the particular background than with moral or ethical perspectives.

Bonds

Create one bond for your character. Bonds represent a character’s connections to people, places, and events in the world. They tie you to things from your background. They might inspire you to heights of heroism, or lead you to act against your own best interests if they are threatened. They can work very much like ideals, driving a character’s motivations and goals.

Bonds might answer any of these questions: Whom do you care most about? To what place do you feel a special connection? What is your most treasured possession?

Your bonds might be tied to your class, your background, your race, or some other aspect of your character’s history or personality. You might also gain new bonds over the course of your adventures.

Flaws

Finally, choose a flaw for your character. Your character’s flaw represents some vice, compulsion, fear, or weakness. In particular, anything that someone else could exploit to bring you to ruin or cause you to act against your best interests. More significant than negative personality traits, a flaw might answer any of these questions: What enrages you? What’s the one person, concept, or event that you are terrified of? What are your vices?

Inspiration

Inspiration is a rule the game master can use to reward you for playing your character in a way that’s true to his or her personality traits, ideal, bond, and flaw. By using inspiration, you can draw on your personality trait of compassion for the downtrodden to give you an edge in negotiating with the Beggar Prince. Or inspiration can let you call on your bond to the defense of your home village to push past the effect of a spell that has been laid on you.

Gaining Inspiration

Your GM can choose to award the party inspiration for a variety of reasons. Typically, GMs award it when a player plays out their character's personality traits, gives in to the drawbacks presented by a flaw or bond, and otherwise portrays their character in a compelling way. Your GM will tell you how you can earn inspiration in the game. Examples include:

  • Great roleplaying moments, deep storytelling with dramatic effect, rich detail in describing combat.
  • Working together as a team to overcome extraordinary odds, defeating difficult opponents, and progressing the story when it is not openly directed by the GM.
  • Creating a dramatic moment important to their character, or contributing to an important scene involving other player characters that advances their development.

Additionally, you can reward another player for inspiration, due to good roleplaying, clever thinking, or simply doing something exciting in the game. When another player character does something that really contributes to the story in a fun and interesting way, nominate that character for inspiration.

The party can store points up to the number of players in the group.

Using Inspiration

Any player in the party can spend inspiration at any time to:

  • Increase one player’s initiative by +10 for one combat
  • Remove one failed death save
  • Reroll a single damage roll rolled by a player or the GM.
  • Reroll one attack roll or skill check by a player and choose between the two results.
  • Have the GM roll twice when rolling on a random effect table and the party chooses one of the possible results.

A character may reroll a single die roll using inspiration a maximum number of times equal to their proficiency bonus.

Backgrounds

Every story has a beginning. Your character’s background reveals where you came from, how you became an adventurer, and your place in the world. Your fighter might have been a courageous knight or a grizzled soldier. Your wizard could have been a sage or an artisan. Your rogue might have gotten by as a guild thief or commanded audiences as a jester.

Choosing a background provides you with important story cues about your character’s identity. The most important question to ask about your background is what changed? Why did you stop doing whatever your background describes and start adventuring? Where did you get the money to purchase your starting gear, or, if you come from a wealthy background, why don’t you have more money? How did you learn the skills of your class? What sets you apart from ordinary people who share your background?

The sample backgrounds in this chapter provide both concrete benefits (features, proficiencies, and languages) and roleplaying suggestions.

Each background provides a character with a feature, 6 character points, a background feat and a package of starting equipment. A background feat may be a species feat, a skill feat, a tool feat, or other feat marked ᴮᴳ. If you use the optional rule from chapter 5 to spend coin on gear, you do not receive the starting equipment from your background.

A background also contains suggested personal characteristics based on your background. You can pick characteristics, roll dice to determine them randomly, or use the suggestions as inspiration for characteristics of your own creation.

Acolyte

You have spent your life in the service of a temple to a specific god or pantheon of gods. You act as an intermediary between the realm of the holy and the mortal world, performing sacred rites and offering sacrifices in order to conduct worshipers into the presence of the divine. You are not necessarily a cleric. Performing sacred rites is not the same thing as channeling divine power.

Choose a god, a pantheon of gods, or some other quasi-divine being from among those listed in appendix B or those specified by your GM, and work with your GM to detail the nature of your religious service. Were you a lesser functionary in a temple, raised from childhood to assist the priests in the sacred rites? Or were you a high priest who suddenly experienced a call to serve your god in a different way? Perhaps you were the leader of a small cult outside of any established temple structure, or even an occult group that served a fiendish master that you now deny.

Equipment

A holy symbol (a gift to you when you entered the priesthood), a prayer book or prayer wheel, 5 sticks of incense, vestments, a set of common clothes and a pouch containing 15 gp.

Feature: Shelter of the Faithful

As an acolyte, you command the respect of those who share your faith, and you can perform the religious ceremonies of your deity. You and your companions can expect to receive free healing and care at a temple, shrine, or other established presence of your faith, though you must provide any material components needed for spells. Those who share your religion will support you (but only you) at a modest lifestyle.

You might also have ties to a specific temple dedicated to your chosen deity or pantheon, and you have a residence there. This could be the temple where you used to serve, if you remain on good terms with it, or a temple where you have found a new home. While near your temple, you can call upon the priests for assistance, provided the assistance you ask for is not hazardous and you remain in good standing.

Suggested Characteristics

Acolytes are shaped by their experience in temples or other religious communities. Their study of the history and tenets of their faith and their relationships to temples, shrines, or hierarchies affect their mannerisms and ideals. Their flaws might be some hidden hypocrisy or heretical idea, or an ideal or bond taken to an extreme.

d8 Personality Trait
1 I idolise a particular hero of my faith, and constantly refer to that person’s deeds and example.
2 I can find common ground between the fiercest enemies, empathizing with them and always working toward peace.
3 I see omens in every event and action. The gods try to speak to us, we just need to listen.
4 Nothing can shake my optimistic attitude.
5 I quote (or misquote) sacred texts and proverbs in almost every situation.
6 I am tolerant (or intolerant) of other faiths and respect (or condemn) the worship of other gods.
7 I’ve enjoyed fine food, drink, and high society among my temple’s elite. Rough living grates on me.
8 I’ve spent so long in the temple that I have little practical experience dealing with people in the outside world.

d6 Ideal
1 Tradition. The ancient traditions of worship and sacrifice must be preserved and upheld. (Lawful)
2 Charity. I always try to help those in need, no matter what the personal cost. (Good)
3 Change. We must help bring about the changes the gods are constantly working in the world. (Chaotic)
4 Power. I hope to one day rise to the top of my faith’s religious hierarchy. (Lawful)
5 Faith. I trust that my deity will guide my actions. I have faith that if I work hard, things will go well. (Lawful)
6 Aspiration. I seek to prove myself worthy of my god’s favor by matching my actions against his or her teachings. (Any)
d6 Bond
1 I would die to recover an ancient relic of my faith that was lost long ago.
2 I will someday get revenge on the corrupt temple hierarchy who branded me a heretic.
3 I owe my life to the priest who took me in when my parents died.
4 Everything I do is for the common people.
5 I will do anything to protect the temple where I served.
6 I seek to preserve a sacred text that my enemies consider heretical and seek to destroy.
d6 Flaw
1 I judge others harshly, and myself even more severely.
2 I put too much trust in those who wield power within my temple’s hierarchy.
3 My piety sometimes leads me to blindly trust those that profess faith in my god.
4 I am inflexible in my thinking.
5 I am suspicious of strangers and expect the worst of them.
6 Once I pick a goal, I become obsessed with it to the detriment of everything else in my life.

Charlatan

You have always had a way with people. You know what makes them tick, you can tease out their hearts’ desires after a few minutes of conversation, and with a few leading questions you can read them like they were children's books. It’s a useful talent, and one that you're perfectly willing to use for your advantage.

You know what people want and you deliver, or rather, you promise to deliver. Common sense should steer people away from things that sound too good to be true, but common sense seems to be in short supply when you're around. The bottle of pink-coloured liquid will surely cure that unseemly rash, this ointment (nothing more than a bit of fat with a sprinkle of silver dust) can restore youth and vigour, and there’s a bridge in the city that just happens to be for sale. These marvels sound implausible, but you make them sound like the real deal.

Equipment

A set of fine clothes, a disguise kit, tools of the con of your choice (ten stoppered bottles filled with coloured liquid, a set of weighted dice, a deck of marked cards, or a signet ring of an imaginary duke) and a pouch containing 15 gp.

Favorite Schemes

Every charlatan has an angle he or she uses in preference to other schemes. Choose a favorite scam or roll on the table below.

d6 Scam
1 I cheat at games of chance.
2 I shave coins or forge documents.
3 I insinuate myself into people’s lives to prey on their weakness and secure their fortunes.
4 I put on new identities like clothes.
5 I run sleight-of-hand cons on street corners.
6 I convince people that worthless junk is worth their hard-earned money.

Feature: False Identity

You have created a second identity that includes documentation, established acquaintances, and disguises that allow you to assume that persona. Additionally, you can forge documents including official papers and personal letters, as long as you have seen an example of the kind of document or the handwriting you are trying to copy.

Suggested Characteristics

Charlatans are colourful characters who conceal their true selves behind the masks they construct. They reflect what people want to see, what they want to believe and how they see the world. However, their true selves are sometimes plagued by an uneasy conscience, an old enemy, or deep-seated trust issues.

d8 Personality Trait
1 I fall in and out of love easily and am always pursuing someone.
2 I have a joke for every occasion, especially occasions where humor is inappropriate.
3 Flattery is my preferred trick for getting what I want.
4 I'm a born gambler who can’t resist taking a risk for a potential payoff.
5 I lie about almost everything, even when there’s no good reason to.
6 Sarcasm and insults are my weapons of choice.
7 I keep multiple holy symbols on me and invoke whatever deity might come in useful at any given moment.
8 I pocket anything I see that might have some value.
d6 Ideal
1 Independence. I am a free spirit. No one tells me what to do. (Chaotic)
2 Fairness. I never target people who can’t afford to lose a few coins. (Lawful)
3 Charity. I distribute the money I acquire to the people who really need it. (Good)
4 Creativity. I never run the same con twice. (Chaotic)
5 Friendship. Material goods come and go. Bonds of friendship last forever. (Good)
6 Aspiration. I'm determined to make something of myself. (Any)
d6 Bond
1 I fleeced the wrong person and must work to ensure that this individual never crosses paths with me or those I care about.
2 I owe everything to my mentor, a horrible person who's probably rotting in jail somewhere.
3 Somewhere out there, I have a child who doesn't know me. I'm making the world better for him or her.
4 I come from a noble family, and one day I’ll reclaim my lands and title from those who stole them from me.
5 A powerful person killed someone I love. Some day soon, I’ll have my revenge.
6 I swindled and ruined a person who didn't deserve it. I seek to atone for my misdeeds but might never be able to forgive myself.
d6 Flaw
1 I can’t resist a pretty face.
2 I'm always in debt. I spend my ill-gotten gains on decadent luxuries faster than I bring them in.
3 I'm convinced that no one could ever fool me the way I fool others.
4 I'm too greedy for my own good. I can’t resist taking a risk if there’s money involved.
5 I can’t resist swindling people who are more powerful than me.
6 I hate to admit it and will hate myself for it, but I’ll run and preserve my own hide if the going gets tough.

Criminal

You are an experienced criminal with a history of breaking the law. You have spent a lot of time among other criminals and still have contacts within the criminal underworld. You're far closer than most people to the world of murder, theft, and violence that pervades the underbelly of civilisation, and you have survived up to this point by flouting the rules and regulations of society.

Equipment

A crowbar, a set of dark common clothes including a hood and a pouch containing 15 gp.

Criminal Specialty

There are many kinds of criminals, and within a thieves’ guild or similar criminal organisation, individual members have particular specialties. Even criminals who operate outside of such organisations have strong preferences for certain kinds of crimes over others. Choose the role you played in your criminal life, or roll on the table below.

d8 Specialty
1 Blackmailer
2 Burglar
3 Enforcer
4 Fence
5 Highway robber
6 Hired killer
7 Pickpocket
8 Smuggler

Feature: Criminal Contact

You have a reliable and trustworthy contact who acts as your liaison to a network of other criminals. You know how to get messages to and from your contact, even over great distances; 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 from those of a burglar or smuggler, you learned and practiced them in a very different context: as an espionage agent. You might have been an officially sanctioned agent of the crown, or perhaps you sold the secrets you uncovered to the highest bidder.

Suggested Characteristics

Criminals might seem like villains on the surface, and many of them are villainous to the core. But some have an abundance of endearing, if not redeeming, characteristics. There might be honour among thieves, but criminals rarely show any respect for law or authority.

d8 Personality Trait
1 I always have a plan for what to do when things go wrong.
2 I am always calm, no matter what the situation. I never raise my voice or let my emotions control me.
3 The first thing I do in a new place is note the locations of everything valuable, or where such things could be hidden.
4 I would rather make a new friend than a new enemy.
5 I am incredibly slow to trust. Those who seem the fairest often have the most to hide.
6 I don't pay attention to the risks in a situation. Never tell me the odds.
7 The best way to get me to do something is to tell me I can’t do it.
8 I blow up at the slightest insult.
d6 Ideal
1 Honour. I don’t steal from others in the trade. (Lawful)
2 Freedom. Chains are meant to be broken, as are those who would forge them. (Chaotic)
3 Charity. I steal from the wealthy so that I can help people in need. (Good)
4 Greed. I will do whatever it takes to become wealthy. (Evil)
5 People. I’m loyal to my friends, not to any ideals, and everyone else can take a trip down the Styx for all I care. (Neutral)
6 Redemption. There’s a spark of good in everyone. (Good)
d6 Bond
1 I'm trying to pay off an old debt I owe to a generous benefactor.
2 My ill-gotten gains go to support my family.
3 Something important was taken from me, and I aim to steal it back.
4 I will become the greatest thief that ever lived.
5 I’m guilty of a terrible crime. I hope I can redeem myself for it.
6 Someone I loved died because of a mistake I made. That will never happen again.
d6 Flaw
1 When I see something valuable, I can’t think about anything but how to steal it.
2 When faced with a choice between money and my friends, I usually choose the money.
3 If there’s a plan, I’ll forget it. If I don't forget it, I’ll ignore it.
4 I have a “tell” that reveals when I'm lying.
5 I turn tail and run when things look bad.
6 An innocent person is in prison for a crime that I committed. I'm okay with that.

Entertainer

You thrive in front of an audience. You know how to entrance them, entertain them, and even inspire them. Your poetics can stir the hearts of those who hear you, awakening grief or joy, laughter or anger. Your music raises their spirits or captures their sorrow. Your dance steps captivate, your humor cuts to the quick. Whatever techniques you use, your art is your life.

Equipment

A musical instrument (one of your choice), the favor of an admirer (love letter, lock of hair, or trinket), a costume and a pouch containing 15 gp.

Entertainer Routines

A good entertainer is versatile, spicing up every performance with a variety of different routines. Choose one to three routines or roll on the table below to define your expertise as an entertainer.

d10 Entertainer Routine
1 Actor
2 Dancer
3 Fire-eater
4 Jester
5 Juggler
6 Instrumentalist
7 Poet
8 Singer
9 Storyteller
10 Tumbler

Variant Entertainer: Gladiator

A gladiator is as much an entertainer as any minstrel or circus performer, trained to make the arts of combat into a spectacle the crowd can enjoy. This kind of flashy combat is your entertainer routine, though you might also have some skills as a tumbler or actor. Using your By Popular Demand feature, you can find a place to perform in any place that features combat for entertainment. Perhaps a gladiatorial arena or secret pit fighting club. You can replace the musical instrument in your equipment package with an inexpensive but unusual weapon, such as a trident or net.

Suggested Characteristics

Successful entertainers have to be able to capture and hold an audience’s attention, so they tend to have flamboyant or forceful personalities. They’re inclined toward the romantic and often cling to high-minded ideals about the practice of art and the appreciation of beauty.

d8 Personality Trait
1 I know a story relevant to almost every situation.
2 Whenever I come to a new place, I collect local rumors and spread gossip.
3 I'm a hopeless romantic, always searching for that "special someone".
4 Nobody stays angry at me or around me for long, since I can defuse any amount of tension.
5 I love a good insult, even one directed at me.
6 I get bitter if I'm not the center of attention.
7 I’ll settle for nothing less than perfection.
8 I change my mood or my mind as quickly as I change key in a song.
d6 Ideal
1 Beauty. When I perform, I make the world better than it was. (Good)
2 Tradition. The stories, legends, and songs of the past must never be forgotten, for they teach us who we are. (Lawful)
3 Creativity. The world is in need of new ideas and bold action. (Chaotic)
4 Greed. I’m only in it for the money and fame. (Evil)
5 People. I like seeing the smiles on people’s faces when I perform. That’s all that matters. (Neutral)
6 Honesty. Art should reflect the soul; it should come from within and reveal who we really are. (Any)
d6 Bond
1 My instrument is my most treasured possession, and it reminds me of someone I love.
2 Someone stole my precious instrument, and someday I’ll get it back.
3 I want to be famous, whatever it takes.
4 I idolise a hero of the old tales and measure my deeds against that person’s.
5 I will do anything to prove myself superior to my hated rival.
6 I would do anything for the other members of my old troupe.
d6 Flaw
1 I’ll do anything to win fame and renown.
2 I'm a sucker for a pretty face.
3 A scandal prevents me from ever going home again. That kind of trouble seems to follow me around.
4 I once satirised a noble who still wants my head. It was a mistake that I will likely repeat.
5 I have trouble keeping my true feelings hidden. My sharp tongue lands me in trouble.
6 Despite my best efforts, I am unreliable to my friends.

Folk Hero

You come from a humble social rank, but you are destined for so much more. Already the people of your home village regard you as their champion, and your destiny calls you to stand against the tyrants and monsters that threaten the common folk everywhere.

Equipment

A set of artisan’s tools (one of your choice), a shovel, an iron pot, a set of common clothes and a pouch containing 10 gp.

Defining Event

You previously pursued a simple profession among the peasantry, perhaps as a farmer, miner, servant, shepherd, woodcutter, or gravedigger. But something happened that set you on a different path and marked you for greater things. Choose or randomly determine a defining event that marked you as a hero of the people.

d10 Defining Event
1 I stood up to a tyrant’s agents.
2 I saved people during a natural disaster.
3 I stood alone against a terrible monster.
4 I stole from a corrupt merchant to help the poor.
5 I led a militia to fight off an invading army.
6 I broke into a tyrant’s castle and stole weapons to arm the people.
7 I trained the peasantry to use farm implements as weapons against a tyrant’s soldiers.
8 A lord rescinded an unpopular decree after I led a symbolic act of protest against it.
9 A celestial, fey, or similar creature gave me a blessing or revealed my secret origin.
10 Recruited into a lord’s army, I rose to leadership and was commended for my heroism.

Feature: Rustic Hospitality

Since you come from the ranks of the common folk, you fit in among them with ease. You can find a place to hide, rest, or recuperate among other commoners, unless you have shown yourself to be a danger to them. They will shield you from the law or anyone else searching for you, though they will not risk their lives for you.

Suggested Characteristics

A folk hero is one of the common people, for better or for worse. Most folk heroes look on their humble origins as a virtue, not a shortcoming, and their home communities remain very important to them.

d8 Personality Trait
1 I judge people by their actions, not their words.
2 If someone is in trouble, I'm always ready to lend help.
3 When I set my mind to something, I follow through no matter what gets in my way.
4 I have a strong sense of fair play and always try to find the most equitable solution to arguments.
5 I'm confident in my own abilities and do what I can to instill confidence in others.
6 Thinking is for other people. I prefer action.
7 I misuse long words in an attempt to sound smarter.
8 I get bored easily. When am I going to get on with my destiny?
d6 Ideal
1 Respect. People deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. (Good)
2 Fairness. No one should get preferential treatment before the law, and no one is above the law. (Lawful)
3 Freedom. Tyrants must not be allowed to oppress the people. (Chaotic)
4 Might. If I become strong, I can take what I want. What I deserve. (Evil)
5 Sincerity. There’s no good in pretending to be something I’m not. (Neutral)
6 Destiny. Nothing and no one can steer me away from my higher calling. (Any)
d6 Bond
1 I have a family, but I have no idea where they are. One day, I hope to see them again.
2 I worked the land, I love the land, and I will protect the land.
3 A proud noble once gave me a horrible beating, and I will take my revenge on any bully I encounter.
4 My tools are symbols of my past life, and I carry them so that I will never forget my roots.
5 I protect those who cannot protect themselves.
6 I wish my childhood sweetheart had come 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 blind to my shortcomings and the risk of failure.
3 The people who knew me when I was young know my shameful secret, so I can never go home again.
4 I have a weakness for the vices of the city, especially hard drink.
5 Secretly, I believe that things would be better if I were a tyrant lording over the land.
6 I have trouble trusting in my allies.

Guild Artisan

You are a member of an artisan’s guild, skilled in a particular field and closely associated with other artisans. You are a well-established part of the mercantile world, freed by talent and wealth from the constraints of a feudal social order. You learned your skills as an apprentice to a master artisan, under the sponsorship of your guild, until you became a master in your own right.

Equipment

A set of artisan’s tools (one of your choice), a letter of introduction from your guild, a set of traveler’s clothes and a pouch containing 15 gp.

Guild Business

Guilds are generally found in cities large enough to support several artisans practicing the same trade. However, your guild might instead be a loose network of artisans who each work in a different village within a larger realm. Work with your GM to determine the nature of your guild. You can select your guild business from the Guild Business table or roll.

As a member of your guild, you know the skills needed to create finished items from raw materials (reflected in your proficiency with a certain kind of artisan’s tools), as well as the principles of trade and good business practices. The question now is whether you abandon your trade for adventure, or take on the extra effort to weave adventuring and trade together.

Feature: Guild Membership

As an established and respected member of a guild, you can rely on certain benefits that membership provides. Your fellow guild members will provide you with lodging and food if necessary, and pay for your funeral if needed. In some cities and towns, a guildhall offers a central place to meet other members of your profession, which can be a good place to meet potential patrons, allies, or hirelings.

Guilds often wield tremendous political power. If you are accused of a crime, your guild will support you if a good case can be made for your innocence or the crime is justifiable. You can also gain access to powerful political figures through the guild, if you are a member in good standing. Such connections might require the donation of money or magic items to the guild’s coffers.

You must pay dues of 5 gp per month to the guild. If you miss payments, you must make up back dues to remain in the guild’s good graces.

Variant Guild Artisan: Guild Merchant

Instead of an artisans’ guild, you might belong to a guild of traders, caravan masters, or shopkeepers. You don't craft items yourself but earn a living by buying and selling the works of others (or the raw materials artisans need to practice their craft). Your guild might be a large merchant consortium (or family) with interests across the region. Perhaps you transported goods from one place to another, by ship, wagon, or caravan, or bought them from traveling traders and sold them in your own little shop. In some ways, the traveling merchant’s life lends itself to adventure far more than the life of an artisan.

Rather than proficiency with artisan’s tools, you might be proficient with navigator’s tools or an additional language. Instead of artisan’s tools, you can start with a mule and a cart.


d20 Guild Business
1 Alchemists and apothecaries
2 Armourers, locksmiths, and finesmiths
3 Brewers, distillers, and vintners
4 Calligraphers, scribes, and scriveners
5 Carpenters, roofers, and plasterers
6 Cartographers, surveyors, and chart-makers
7 Cobblers and shoemakers
8 Cooks and bakers
9 Glassblowers and glaziers
10 Jewelers and gemcutters
11 Leatherworkers, skinners, and tanners
12 Masons and stonecutters
13 Painters, limners, and sign-makers
14 Potters and tile-makers
15 Shipwrights and sailmakers
16 Smiths and metal-forgers
17 Tinkers, pewterers, and casters
18 Wagon-makers and wheelwrights
19 Weavers and dyers
20 Woodcarvers, coopers, and bowyers

Suggested Characteristics

Guild artisans are among the most ordinary people in the world, until they set down their tools and take up an adventuring career. They understand the value of hard work and the importance of community, but they're vulnerable to sins of greed and covetousness.

d8 Personality Trait
1 I believe that anything worth doing is worth doing right. I can’t help it. I'm a perfectionist.
2 I'm a snob who looks down on those who can’t appreciate fine art.
3 I always want to know how things work and what makes people tick.
4 I'm full of witty aphorisms and have a proverb for every occasion.
5 I'm rude to people who lack my commitment to hard work and fair play.
6 I like to talk at length about my profession.
7 I don't part with my money easily and will haggle tirelessly to get the best deal possible.
8 I'm well known for my work, and I want to make sure everyone appreciates it. I'm always taken aback when people haven't heard of me.
d6 Ideal
1 Community. It is the duty of all civilised people to strengthen the bonds of community and the security of civilisation. (Lawful)
2 Generosity. My talents were given to me so that I could use them to benefit the world. (Good)
3 Freedom. Everyone should be free to pursue his or her own livelihood. (Chaotic)
4 Greed. I'm only in it for the money. (Evil)
5 People. I'm committed to the people I care about, not to ideals. (Neutral)
6 Aspiration. I work hard to be the best there is at my craft. (Any)
d6 Bond
1 The workshop where I learned my trade is the most important place in the world to me.
2 I created a great work for someone, and then found them unworthy to receive it. I'm still looking for someone worthy.
3 I owe my guild a great debt for forging me into the person I am today.
4 I pursue wealth to secure someone’s love.
5 One day I will return to my guild and prove that I am the greatest artisan of them all.
6 I will get revenge on the evil forces that destroyed my place of business and ruined my livelihood.
d6 Flaw
1 I’ll do anything to get my hands on something rare or priceless.
2 I'm quick to assume that someone is trying to cheat me.
3 No one must ever learn that I once stole money from guild coffers.
4 I'm never satisfied with what I have. I always want more.
5 I would kill to acquire a noble title.
6 I'm horribly jealous of anyone who can outshine my handiwork. Everywhere I go, I'm surrounded by rivals.

Hermit

You lived in seclusion (either in a sheltered community such as a monastery, or entirely alone) for a formative part of your life. In your time apart from the clamor of society, you found quiet, solitude, and perhaps some of the answers you were looking for.

Equipment

A scroll case stuffed full of notes from your studies or prayers, a winter blanket, a set of common clothes, a herbalism kit and 5 gp.

Life of Seclusion

What was the reason for your isolation, and what changed to allow you to end your solitude? You can work with your DM to determine the exact nature of your seclusion, or you can choose or roll on the table below to determine the reason behind your seclusion.

d8 Life of Seclusion
1 I was searching for spiritual enlightenment.
2 I was partaking of communal living in accordance with the dictates of a religious order.
3 I was exiled for a crime I didn't commit.
4 I retreated from society after a life-altering event.
5 I needed a quiet place to work on my art, literature, music, or manifesto.
6 I needed to commune with nature, far from civilisation.
7 I was the caretaker of an ancient ruin or relic.
8 I was a pilgrim in search of a person, place, or relic of spiritual significance.

Feature: Discovery

The quiet seclusion of your extended hermitage gave you access to a unique and powerful discovery. The exact nature of this revelation depends on the nature of your seclusion. It might be a great truth about the cosmos, the deities, the powerful beings of the outer planes, or the forces of nature. It could be a site that no one else has ever seen. You might have uncovered a fact that has long been forgotten, or unearthed some relic of the past that could rewrite history. It might be information that would be damaging to the people who consigned you to exile, and hence the reason for your return to society.

Work with your GM to determine the details of your discovery and its impact on the campaign.

Other Hermits

This hermit background assumes a contemplative sort of seclusion that allows room for study and prayer. If you want to play a rugged wilderness recluse who lives off the land while shunning the company of other people, look at the outlander background. On the other hand, if you want to go in a more religious direction, the acolyte might be what you're looking for. Or you could even be a charlatan, posing as a wise and holy person and letting pious fools support you.

Suggested Characteristics

Some hermits are well suited to a life of seclusion, whereas others chafe against it and long for company. Whether they embrace solitude or long to escape it, the solitary life shapes their attitudes and ideals. A few are driven slightly mad by their years apart from society.

d8 Personality Trait
1 I’ve been isolated for so long that I rarely speak, preferring gestures and the occasional grunt.
2 I am utterly serene, even in the face of disaster.
3 The leader of my community had something wise to say on every topic, and I am eager to share that wisdom.
4 I feel tremendous empathy for all who suffer.
5 I'm oblivious to etiquette and social expectations.
6 I connect everything that happens to me to a grand, cosmic plan.
7 I often get lost in my own thoughts and contemplation, becoming oblivious to my surroundings.
8 I am working on a grand philosophical theory and love sharing my ideas.
d6 Ideal
1 Greater Good. My gifts are meant to be shared with all, not used for my own benefit. (Good)
2 Logic. Emotions must not cloud our sense of what is right and true, or our logical thinking. (Lawful)
3 Free Thinking. Inquiry and curiosity are the pillars of progress. (Chaotic)
4 Power. Solitude and contemplation are paths toward mystical or magical power. (Evil)
5 Live and Let Live. Meddling in the affairs of others only causes trouble. (Neutral)
6 Self-Knowledge. If you know yourself, there’s nothing left to know. (Any)
d6 Bond
1 Nothing is more important than the other members of my hermitage, order, or association.
2 I entered seclusion to hide from the ones who might still be hunting me. I must someday confront them.
3 I'm still seeking the enlightenment I pursued in my seclusion and it still eludes me.
4 I entered seclusion because I loved someone I could not have.
5 Should my discovery come to light, it could bring ruin to the world.
6 My isolation gave me great insight into a great evil that only I can destroy.
d6 Flaw
1 Now that I’ve returned to the world, I enjoy its delights a little too much.
2 I harbor dark, bloodthirsty thoughts that my isolation and meditation failed to quell.
3 I am dogmatic in my thoughts and philosophy.
4 I let my need to win arguments overshadow friendships and harmony.
5 I’d risk too much to uncover a lost bit of knowledge.
6 I like keeping secrets and won’t share them with anyone.

Noble

You understand wealth, power, and privilege. You carry a noble title, and your family owns land, collects taxes, and wields significant political influence. You might be a pampered aristocrat unfamiliar with work or discomfort, a former merchant just elevated to the nobility, or a disinherited scoundrel with a disproportionate sense of entitlement. Or you could be an honest, hard-working landowner who cares deeply about the people who live and work on your land, keenly aware of your responsibility to them.

Work with your GM to come up with an appropriate title and determine how much authority that title carries. A noble title doesn't stand on its own. It’s connected to an entire family, and whatever title you hold, you will pass it down to your own children. Not only do you need to determine your noble title, but you should also work with the GM to describe your family and their influence on you.

Is your family old and established, or was your title only recently bestowed? How much influence do they wield, and over what area? What kind of reputation does your family have among the other aristocrats of the region? How do the common people regard them?

What’s your position in the family? Are you the heir to the head of the family? Have you already inherited the title? How do you feel about that responsibility? Or are you so far down the line of inheritance that no one cares what you do, as long as you don't embarrass the family? How does the head of your family feel about your adventuring career? Are you in your family's good graces, or shunned by the rest of your family?

Does your family have a coat of arms? An insignia you might wear on a signet ring? Particular colours you wear all the time? An animal you regard as a symbol of 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.

Equipment

A set of fine clothes, a signet ring, a scroll of pedigree and a purse containing 25 gp.

Feature: Position of Privilege

Thanks to your noble birth, people are inclined to think the best of you. You are welcome in high society, and people assume you have the right to be wherever you are. The common folk make every effort to accommodate you and avoid your displeasure, and other people of high birth treat you as a member of the same social sphere. You can secure an audience with a local noble if you need to.

Variant Feature: Retainers

If your character has a noble background, you may select this background feature instead of Position of Privilege.

You have the service of three retainers loyal to your family. These retainers can be attendants or messengers, and one might be a majordomo. Your retainers are commoners who can perform mundane tasks for you, but they do not fight for you, will not follow you into obviously dangerous areas (such as dungeons) and will leave if they are frequently endangered or abused.

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 instead of the Position of Privilege feature. One of your commoner retainers is replaced by a noble who serves as your squire, aiding you in exchange for training on his or her own path to knighthood. Your two remaining retainers might include a groom to care for your horse and a servant who polishes your armour (and even helps you put it on).

As an emblem of chivalry and the ideals of courtly love, you might include among your equipment a banner or other token from a noble lord or lady to whom you have given your heart in a chaste sort of devotion. (This person could be your bond.)

Suggested Characteristics

Nobles are born and raised to a very different lifestyle than most people ever experience, and their personalities reflect that upbringing. A noble title comes with a plethora of bonds. Responsibilities to family, to other nobles (including the sovereign), to the people entrusted to the family’s care, or even to the title itself. But this responsibility is often a good way to undermine a noble.

d8 Personality Trait
1 My eloquent flattery makes everyone I talk to feel like the most wonderful and important person in the world.
2 The common folk love me for my kindness and generosity.
3 No one could doubt by looking at my regal bearing that I am a cut above the unwashed masses.
4 I take great pains to always look my best and follow the latest fashions.
5 I don't like to get my hands dirty, and I won’t be caught dead in unsuitable accommodations.
6 Despite my noble birth, I do not place myself above other folk. We all have the same blood.
7 My favour, once lost, is lost forever.
8 If you do me an injury, I will crush you, ruin your name, and salt your fields.
d6 Ideal
1 Respect. Respect is due to me because of my position, but all people regardless of station deserve to be treated with dignity. (Good)
2 Responsibility. It is my duty to respect the authority of those above me, just as those below me must respect mine. (Lawful)
3 Independence. I must prove that I can handle myself without the coddling of my family. (Chaotic)
4 Power. If I can attain more power, no one will tell me what to do. (Evil)
5 Family. Blood runs thicker than water. (Any)
6 Noble Obligation. It is my duty to protect and care for the people beneath me. (Good)
d6 Bond
1 I will face any challenge to win the approval of my family.
2 My house’s alliance with another noble family must be sustained at all costs.
3 Nothing is more important than the other members of my family.
4 I am in love with the heir of a family that my family despises.
5 My loyalty to my sovereign is unwavering.
6 The common folk must see me as a hero of the people.
d6 Flaw
1 I secretly believe that everyone is beneath me.
2 I hide a truly scandalous secret that could ruin my family forever.
3 I too often hear veiled insults and threats in every word addressed to me and I'm quick to anger.
4 I have an insatiable desire for carnal pleasures.
5 In fact, the world does revolve around me.
6 By my words and actions, I often bring shame to my family.

Outlander

You grew up in the wilds, far from civilisation and the comforts of town and technology. You've witnessed the migration of herds larger than forests, survived weather more extreme than any city-dweller could comprehend, and enjoyed the solitude of being the only thinking creature for miles in any direction. The wilds are in your blood, whether you were a nomad, an explorer, a recluse, a hunter-gatherer, or even a marauder. Even in places where you don't know the specific features of the terrain, you know the ways of the wild.

Equipment

A staff, a hunting trap, a trophy from an animal you killed, a set of traveler’s clothes and a pouch containing 10 gp.

Origin

You've been to strange places and seen things that others cannot begin to fathom. Consider some of the distant lands you have visited, and how they impacted you. You can roll on the following table to determine your occupation during your time in the wild, or choose one that best fits your character.

d10 Origin
1 Forester
2 Trapper
3 Homesteader
4 Guide
5 Exile or outcast
6 Bounty hunter
7 Pilgrim
8 Tribal nomad
9 Hunter-gatherer
10 Tribal marauder

Feature: Wanderer

You have an excellent memory for maps and geography, and you can always recall the general layout of terrain, settlements, and other features around you. In addition, you can find food and fresh water for yourself and up to five other people each day, provided that the land offers berries, small game, water, and so forth.

Suggested Characteristics

Often considered rude and uncouth among civilised folk, outlanders have little respect for the niceties of life in the cities. The ties of tribe, clan, family, and the natural world of which they are a part are the most important bonds to most outlanders.

d8 Personality Trait
1 I'm driven by a wanderlust that led me away from home.
2 I watch over my friends as if they were a litter of newborn pups.
3 I once ran twenty-five miles without stopping to warn to my clan of an approaching orc horde. I’d do it again if I had to.
4 I have a lesson for every situation, drawn from observing nature.
5 I place no stock in wealthy or well-mannered folk. Money and manners won’t save you from a hungry owlbear.
6 I'm always picking things up, absently fiddling with them, and sometimes accidentally breaking them.
7 I feel far more comfortable around animals than people.
8 I was, in fact, raised by wolves.
d6 Ideal
1 Change. Life is like the seasons, in constant change, and we must change with it. (Chaotic)
2 Greater Good. It is each person’s responsibility to make the most happiness for the whole tribe. (Good)
3 Honour. If I dishonour myself, I dishonour my whole clan. (Lawful)
4 Might. The strongest are meant to rule. (Evil)
5 Nature. The natural world is more important than all the constructs of civilisation. (Neutral)
6 Glory. I must earn glory in battle, for myself and my clan. (Any)
d6 Bond
1 My family, clan, or tribe is the most important thing in my life, even when they are far from me.
2 An injury to the unspoiled wilderness of my home is an injury to me.
3 I will bring terrible wrath down on the evildoers who destroyed my homeland.
4 I am the last of my tribe, and it is up to me to ensure their names enter legend.
5 I suffer awful visions of a coming disaster and will do anything to prevent it.
6 It is my duty to provide children to sustain my tribe.
d6 Flaw
1 I am too enamored of ale, wine, and other intoxicants.
2 There’s no room for caution in a life lived to the fullest.
3 I remember every insult I’ve received and nurse a silent resentment toward anyone who's ever wronged me.
4 I am slow to trust members of other races, tribes, and societies.
5 Violence is my answer to almost any challenge.
6 Don't expect me to save those who can’t save themselves. It is nature’s way that the strong thrive and the weak perish.

Sage

You spent years learning the lore of the multiverse. You scoured manuscripts, studied scrolls, and listened to the greatest experts on the subjects that interest you. Your efforts have made you a master in your fields of study.

Equipment

A bottle of black ink, a quill, a small knife, a letter from a dead colleague posing a question you have not yet been able to answer, a set of common clothes and a pouch containing 10 gp.

Specialty

To determine the nature of your scholarly training, roll a d8 or choose from the options in the table below.

d8 Specialty
1 Alchemist
2 Astronomer
3 Discredited academic
4 Librarian
5 Professor
6 Researcher
7 Wizard’s apprentice
8 Scribe

Feature: Researcher

When you attempt to learn or recall a piece of lore, if you do not know that information, you often know where and from whom you can obtain it. Usually, this information comes from a library, scriptorium, university, or a sage or other learned person or creature. Your GM might rule that the knowledge you seek is secreted away in an almost inaccessible place, or that it simply cannot be found. Unearthing the deepest secrets of the multiverse can require an adventure or even a whole campaign.

Suggested Characteristics

Sages are defined by their extensive studies, and their characteristics reflect this life of study. Devoted to scholarly pursuits, a sage values knowledge highly. Sometimes in its own right, sometimes as a means toward other ideals.

d8 Personality Trait
1 I use polysyllabic words that convey the impression of great erudition.
2 I’ve read every book in the world’s greatest libraries, or I like to boast that I have.
3 I'm used to helping out those who aren't as smart as I am, and I patiently explain anything and everything to others.
4 There’s nothing I like more than a good mystery.
5 I'm willing to listen to every side of an argument before I make my own judgment.
6 I . . . speak . . . slowly . . . when talking . . . to idiots, . . . which . . . almost . . . everyone . . . is . . . compared . . . to me.
7 I am horribly, horribly awkward in social situations.
8 I'm convinced that people are always trying to steal my secrets.
d6 Ideal
1 Knowledge. The path to power and self-improvement is through knowledge. (Neutral)
2 Beauty. What is beautiful points us beyond itself toward what is true. (Good)
3 Logic. Emotions must not cloud our logical thinking. (Lawful)
4 No Limits. Nothing should fetter the infinite possibility inherent in all existence. (Chaotic)
5 Power. Knowledge is the path to power and domination. (Evil)
6 Self-Improvement. The goal of a life of study is the betterment of oneself. (Any)
d6 Bond
1 It is my duty to protect my students.
2 I have an ancient text that holds terrible secrets that must not fall into the wrong hands.
3 I work to preserve a library, university, scriptorium, or monastery.
4 My life's work is a series of tomes related to a specific field of lore.
5 I've been searching my whole life for the answer to a certain question.
6 I sold my soul for knowledge. I hope to do great deeds and win it back.
d6 Flaw
1 I am easily distracted by the promise of information.
2 Most people scream and run when they see a demon. I stop and take notes on its anatomy.
3 Unlocking an ancient mystery is worth the price of a civilisation.
4 I overlook obvious solutions in favor of complicated ones.
5 I speak without really thinking through my words, invariably insulting others.
6 I can’t keep a secret to save my life, or anyone else's.

Sailor

You sailed on a seagoing vessel for years. In that time, you faced down mighty storms, monsters of the deep, and those who wanted to sink your craft to the bottomless depths. Your first love is the distant line of the horizon, but the time has come to try your hand at something new.

Discuss the nature of the ship you previously sailed with your GM. Was it a merchant ship, a naval vessel, a ship of discovery, or a pirate ship? How famous (or infamous) is it? Is it widely traveled? Is it still sailing, or is it missing and presumed lost with all hands?

What were your duties on board? Boatswain, captain, navigator, cook, or some other position? Who were the captain and first mate? Did you leave your ship on good terms with your fellows, or on the run?

Equipment

A belaying pin (club), 50 feet of silk rope, a lucky charm such as a rabbit foot or a small stone with a hole in the center (or you may roll for a random trinket on the Trinkets table in chapter 5), a set of common clothes and a pouch containing 10 gp.

Feature: Ship’s Passage

When you need to, you can secure free passage on a sailing ship for yourself and your adventuring companions. You might sail on the ship you served on, or another ship you have good relations with (perhaps one captained by a former crewmate). Because you’re calling in a favor, you can’t be certain of a schedule or route that will meet your every need. Your GM 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 Feature: Bad Reputation

If your character has a sailor background, you may select this background feature instead of Ship’s Passage.

No matter where you go, people are afraid of you due to your reputation. When you are in a civilised settlement, you can get away with minor criminal offenses, such as refusing to pay for food at a tavern or breaking down doors at a local shop, since most people will not report your activity to the authorities.

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. Fear and bloodshed are no strangers to you, and you've garnered a somewhat unsavoury reputation in many a port town.

If you decide that your sailing career involved piracy, you can choose the Bad Reputation feature (see sidebar) instead of the Ship’s Passage feature.

Suggested Characteristics

Sailors can be a rough lot, but the responsibilities of life on a ship make them generally reliable as well. Life aboard a ship shapes their outlook and forms their most important attachments.

d8 Personality Trait
1 My friends know they can rely on me, no matter what.
2 I work hard so that I can play hard when the work is done.
3 I enjoy sailing into new ports and making new friends over a flagon of ale.
4 I stretch the truth for the sake of a good story.
5 To me, a tavern brawl is a nice way to get to know a new city.
6 I never pass up a friendly wager.
7 My language is as foul as an otyugh nest.
8 I like a job well done, especially if I can convince someone else to do it.
d6 Ideal
1 Respect. The thing that keeps a ship together is mutual respect between captain and crew. (Good)
2 Fairness. We all do the work, so we all share in the rewards. (Lawful)
3 Freedom. The sea is freedom. The freedom to go anywhere and do anything. (Chaotic)
4 Mastery. I'm a predator, and the other ships on the sea are my prey. (Evil)
5 People. I'm committed to my crewmates, not to ideals. (Neutral)
6 Aspiration. Someday I’ll own my own ship and chart my own destiny. (Any)
d6 Bond
1 I'm loyal to my captain first, everything else second.
2 The ship is most important. Crewmates and captains come and go.
3 I’ll always remember my first ship.
4 In a harbour town, I have a paramour whose eyes nearly stole me from the sea.
5 I was cheated out of my fair share of the profits and I want to get my due.
6 Ruthless pirates murdered my captain and crewmates, plundered our ship, and left me to die. Vengeance will be mine.
d6 Flaw
1 I follow orders, even if I think they're wrong.
2 I’ll say anything to avoid having to do extra work.
3 Once someone questions my courage, I never back down no matter how dangerous the situation.
4 Once I start drinking, it’s hard for me to stop.
5 I can’t help but pocket loose coins and other trinkets I come across.
6 My pride will probably lead to my destruction.

Soldier

War has been your life for as long as you care to remember. You trained as a youth, studied the use of weapons and armour, learned basic survival techniques, including how to stay alive on the battlefield. You might have been part of a standing national army or a mercenary company, or perhaps a member of a local militia who rose to prominence during a recent war.

When you choose this background, work with your GM to determine which military organisation you were a part of, how far through its ranks you progressed, and what kind of experiences you had during your military career. Was it a standing army, a town guard, or a village militia? Or it might have been a noble’s or merchant’s private army, or a mercenary company.

Equipment

An insignia of rank, a trophy taken from a fallen enemy (a dagger, broken blade, or piece of a banner), a set of bone dice or deck of cards, a set of common clothes and a pouch containing 10 gp

Specialty

During your time as a soldier, you had a specific role to play in your unit or army. Roll a d8 or choose from the options in the table below to determine your role:

d8 Speciality
1 Officer
2 Scout
3 Infantry
4 Cavalry
5 Healer
6 Quartermaster
7 Standard bearer
8 Support staff (cook, blacksmith, or the like)

Feature: Military Rank

You have a military rank from your career as a soldier. Soldiers loyal to your former military organisation still recognize your authority and influence, and they defer to you if they are of a lower rank. You can invoke your rank to exert influence over other soldiers and requisition simple equipment or horses for temporary use. You can also usually gain access to friendly military encampments and fortresses where your rank is recognised.

Suggested Characteristics

The horrors of war combined with the rigid discipline of military service leave their mark on all soldiers, shaping their ideals, creating strong bonds, and often leaving them scarred and vulnerable to fear, shame, and hatred.

d8 Personality Trait
1 I'm always polite and respectful.
2 I'm haunted by memories of war. I can’t get the images of violence out of my mind.
3 I've lost too many friends and I'm slow to make new ones.
4 I'm full of inspiring and cautionary tales from my military experience relevant to almost every combat situation.
5 I can stare down a hell hound without flinching.
6 I enjoy being strong and like breaking things.
7 I have a crude sense of humour.
8 I face problems head-on. A simple, direct solution is the best path to success.
d6 Ideal
1 Greater Good. Our lot is to lay down our lives in defense of others. (Good)
2 Responsibility. I do what I must and obey just authority. (Lawful)
3 Independence. When people follow orders blindly, they embrace a kind of tyranny. (Chaotic)
4 Might. In life as in war, the stronger force wins. (Evil)
5 Live and Let Live. Ideals aren’t worth killing over or going to war for. (Neutral)
6 Nation. My city, nation, or people are all that matter. (Any)
d6 Bond
1 I would still lay down my life for the people I served with.
2 Someone saved my life on the battlefield. To this day, I will never leave a friend behind.
3 My honour is my life.
4 I’ll never forget the crushing defeat my company suffered or the enemies who dealt it.
5 Those who fight beside me are those worth dying for.
6 I fight for those who cannot fight for themselves.
d6 Flaw
1 The monstrous enemy we faced in battle still leaves me quivering with fear.
2 I have little respect for anyone who is not a proven warrior.
3 I made a terrible mistake in battle that cost many lives, and I would do anything to keep that mistake secret.
4 My hatred of my enemies is blind and unreasoning.
5 I obey the law, even if the law causes misery.
6 I’d rather eat my armour than admit when I'm wrong.

Urchin

You grew up on the streets alone, orphaned, and poor. You had no one to watch over you or to provide for you, so you learned to provide for yourself. You fought fiercely over food and kept a constant watch out for other desperate souls who might steal from you. You slept on rooftops and in alleyways, exposed to the elements, and endured sickness without the advantage of medicine or a place to recuperate. You've survived despite all odds, and did so through cunning, strength, speed, or some combination of each.

You begin your adventuring career with enough money to live modestly but securely for at least ten days. How did you come by that money? What allowed you to break free of your desperate circumstances and embark on a better life?

Equipment

A small knife, a map of the city you grew up in, a pet mouse, a token to remember your parents by, a set of common clothes and a pouch containing 10 gp.



Feature: City Secrets

You know the secret patterns and flow to cities and can find passages through the urban sprawl that others would miss. When you are not in combat, you (and companions you lead) can travel between any two locations in the city twice as fast as your speed would normally allow.

Suggested Characteristics

Urchins are shaped by lives of desperate poverty, for good and for ill. They tend to be driven either by a commitment to the people with whom they shared life on the street or by a burning desire to find a better life and maybe get some payback on all the rich people who treated them badly.

d8 Personality Trait
1 I hide scraps of food and trinkets away in my pockets.
2 I ask a lot of questions.
3 I like to squeeze into small places where no one else can get to me.
4 I sleep with my back to a wall or tree, with everything I own wrapped in a bundle in my arms.
5 I eat like a pig and have bad manners.
6 I think anyone who's nice to me is hiding evil intent.
7 I don't like to bathe.
8 I bluntly say what other people are hinting at or hiding.
d6 Ideal
1 Respect. All people, rich or poor, deserve respect. (Good)
2 Community. We have to take care of each other, because no one else is going to do it. (Lawful)
3 Change. The low are lifted up, and the high and mighty are brought down. Change is the nature of things. (Chaotic)
4 Retribution. The rich need to be shown what life and death are like in the gutters. (Evil)
5 People. I help the people who help me. That’s what keeps us alive. (Neutral)
6 Aspiration. I'm going to prove that I'm worthy of a better life.
d6 Bond
1 My town or city is my home, and I’ll fight to defend it.
2 I sponsor an orphanage to keep others from enduring what I was forced to endure.
3 I owe my survival to another urchin who taught me to live on the streets.
4 I owe a debt I can never repay to the person who took pity on me.
5 I escaped my life of poverty by robbing an important person, and I'm wanted for it.
6 No one else should have to endure the hardships I’ve been through.
d6 Flaw
1 If I'm outnumbered, I will run away from a fight.
2 Gold seems like a lot of money to me, and I’ll do just about anything for more of it.
3 I will never fully trust anyone other than myself.
4 I’d rather kill someone in their sleep than fight fair.
5 It’s not stealing if I need it more than someone else.
6 People who can’t take care of themselves get what they deserve.

Chapter 5: Equipment

The marketplace of a large city teems with buyers and sellers of many sorts: dwarven smiths and elven woodcarvers, halfling farmers and gnomish jewelers, not to mention humans of every shape, size and colour drawn from a spectrum of nations and cultures. In the largest cities, almost anything imaginable is offered for sale, from exotic spices and luxurious clothing to wicker baskets and practical swords.

For an adventurer, the availability of armour, weapons, backpacks, rope and similar goods is of paramount importance, since proper equipment can mean the difference between life and death in a dungeon or the untamed wilds. This chapter details the mundane and exotic merchandise that adventurers commonly find useful in the face of the threats that the world presents.

Starting Equipment

When you create your character, you receive equipment based on a combination of your class and background. Alternatively, you can start with a number of gold pieces based on your class and spend them on items from the lists in this chapter. See the Starting Wealth by Class table to determine how much gold you have to spend.

Starting Wealth by Class
Class Funds Average
Barbarian 2d4×10 gp 50 gp
Bard 5d4×10 gp 125 gp
Cleric 5d4×10 gp 125 gp
Druid 2d4×10 gp 50 gp
Fighter 5d4×10 gp 125 gp
Monk 5d4 gp 13 gp
Paladin 5d4×10 gp 125 gp
Ranger 5d4×10 gp 125 gp
Rogue 4d4×10 gp 100 gp
Sorcerer 3d4×10 gp 75 gp
Warlock 4d4×10 gp 100 gp
Wizard 4d4×10 gp 100 gp

You decide how your character came by this starting equipment. It might have been an inheritance, or goods that the character purchased during his or her upbringing. You might have been equipped with a weapon, armour and a backpack as part of military service. You might even have stolen your gear. A weapon could be a family heirloom, passed down from generation to generation until your character finally took up the mantle and followed in an ancestor's adventurous footsteps.

Beyond First Level

The Character Wealth by Level table lists the amount of treasure that each PC is expected to have at a specific level, in addition to their first level starting equipment from background and class.

Character Wealth by Level
PC Level Wealth PC Level Wealth
1 Starting 11 4022 gp
2 60 gp 12 4947 gp
3 120 gp 13 5872 gp
4 239 gp 14 6797 gp
5 393 gp 15 7629 gp
6 542 gp 16 12363 gp
7 691 gp 17 17097 gp
8 1339 gp 18 21831 gp
9 1987 gp 19 28458 gp
10 2912 gp 20 35085 gp

Note that this table assumes a standard fantasy game. Low-fantasy games might award only half this value, while high-fantasy games might double the value. It is assumed that some of this treasure is consumed in the course of an adventure (such as potions and scrolls) and that some of the less useful items are sold for half value so more useful gear can be purchased.


See Chapter 5: Equipment for the full chapter.

Chapter 6: Customisation Options

The combination of ability scores, species, class, and background defines your character’s capabilities in the game, and the personal details you create set your character apart from every other character. Even within your class and species, you have options to fine-tune what your character can do. But this chapter is for players who want to go a step further.

This chapter defines three sets of rules for customising your character: multiclassing, feats, fighting styles and weapon foci. Multiclassing lets you combine classes together, and feats are special options you can choose instead of increasing your ability scores as you gain levels.

Multiclassing

Multiclassing allows you to gain levels in multiple classes. Doing so lets you mix the abilities of those classes to realize a character concept that might not be reflected in one of the standard class options.

With this rule, you have the option of gaining a level in a new class whenever you advance in level, instead of gaining a level in your current class. Your levels in all your classes are added together to determine your character level. For example, if you have three levels in wizard and two in fighter, you're a 5th-level character.

As you advance in levels, you might primarily remain a member of your original class with just a few levels in another class, or you might change course entirely, never looking back at the class you left behind. You might even start progressing in a third or fourth class. Compared to a single-class character of the same level, you'll sacrifice some focus in exchange for versatility.

Prerequisites

To qualify for a new class, you must meet the ability score prerequisites for both your current class and your new one, as shown in the Multiclassing Prerequisites table. For example, a barbarian who decides to multiclass into the druid class must have both Strength (or Dexterity) and Wisdom scores of 13 or higher. Without the full training that a beginning character receives, you must be a quick study in your new class, having a natural aptitude that is reflected by higher-than-average ability scores.

Multiclassing Prerequisites
Class Ability Score Minimum
Barbarian Strength 13 or Dexterity 13
Bard Charisma 13
Cleric Wisdom 13
Druid Wisdom 13
Fighter Strength 13 or Dexterity 13
Monk Dexterity 13 & Wisdom 13
Paladin Strength 13 or Dexterity 13, & Charisma 13
Ranger Strength 13 or Dexterity 13, & Wisdom 13
Rogue Dexterity 13
Sorcerer Charisma 13
Warlock Intelligence 13, Wisdom 13 or Charisma 13
Wizard Intelligence 13

Experience Points

The experience point cost to gain a level is always based on your total character level, as shown in the Character Advancement table in chapter 1, not your level in a particular class. So, if you are a cleric 6/fighter 1, you must gain enough XP to reach 8th level before you can take your second level as a fighter or your seventh level as a cleric.

Hit Points and Hit Dice

You gain the hit points from your new class as described for levels after 1st. You gain the 1st-level hit points for a class only when you are a 1st-level character.

You add together the Hit Dice granted by all your classes to form your pool of Hit Dice. If the Hit Dice are the same die type, you can simply pool them together. For example, both the fighter and the paladin have a d10, so if you are a paladin 5/fighter 5, you have ten d10 Hit Dice. If your classes give you Hit Dice of different types, keep track of them separately. If you are a paladin 5/cleric 5, for example, you have five d10 Hit Dice and five d8 Hit Dice.

Proficiency Bonus

Your proficiency bonus is always based on your total character level, as shown in the Character Advancement table in chapter 1, not your level in a particular class. For example, if you are a fighter 3/rogue 2, you have the proficiency bonus of a 5th-level character, which is +3.

Proficiencies

When you gain your first level in a class other than your initial class, you gain only some of new class's starting proficiencies, as shown in the Multiclassing Proficiencies table.

Multiclassing Proficiencies
Class Proficiencies gained
Barbarian Increase your armour proficiency by 1 weight category to a maximum of medium,
1 martial weapon group
Bard Light armour, 3 character points
Cleric Increase your armour proficiency by 1 weight category to a maximum of medium
Druid Increase your armour proficiency by 1 weight category to a maximum of medium
Fighter Increase your armour proficiency by 1 weight category to a maximum of heavy,
3 martial weapon groups
Monk 1 martial weapon group
Paladin Increase your armour proficiency by 1 weight category to a maximum of heavy,
1 martial weapon group
Ranger Increase your armour proficiency by 1 weight category to a maximum of medium, 1 martial weapon group, 1 skill from the class's skill list
Rogue Light armour, 1 skill from the class's skill list, thieves' tools
Sorcerer -
Warlock Light armour
Wizard -

Class Features

When you gain a new level in a class, you get its features for that level. However, you don't receive the class's starting equipment and a few features have additional rules when you're multiclassing: Channel Divinity, Extra Attack and Spellcasting.

Channel Divinity

If you already have the Channel Divinity feature and gain a level in a class that also grants the feature, you gain the Channel Divinity effects granted by that class, but getting the feature again doesn't give you an additional use of it. You gain additional uses only when you reach a class level that explicitly grants them to you. For example, if you are a cleric 6/paladin 4, you can use Channel Divinity twice between rests because you are high enough level in the cleric class to have more uses. Whenever you use the feature, you can choose any of the Channel Divinity effects available to you from your two classes.

Extra Attack

If more than one of your classes grants the Extra Attack class feature at level five, you gain this class feature when the sum of your levels in those classes is five or greater.

Spellcasting

Your capacity for spellcasting depends partly on your combined levels in all your spellcasting classes and partly on your individual levels in those classes. Once you have the Spellcasting feature from more than one class, use the rules below. If you multiclass but have the Spellcasting feature from only one class, you follow the rules as described in that class.

Spells Known and Prepared. You determine what spells you know and can prepare for each class individually, as if you were a single-classed member of that class. If you are a ranger 4/wizard 3, for example, you know three 1st-level ranger spells based on your levels in the ranger class. As 3rd-level wizard, you know three wizard cantrips, and your spellbook contains ten wizard spells, two of which (the two you gained when you reached 3rd level as a wizard) can be 2nd-level spells. If your Intelligence is 16, you can prepare six wizard spells from your spellbook.

Each spell you know and prepare is associated with one of your classes, and you use the spellcasting ability of that class when you cast the spell. Similarly, a spellcasting focus, such as a holy symbol, can be used only for the spells from the class associated with that focus.

If a cantrip of yours increases in power at higher levels, the increase is based on your levels in classes that grant cantrips.

Spell Points. You determine your available spell points by adding together all your levels in the bard, cleric, druid, sorcerer, and wizard classes, half your levels (rounded down) in the paladin and ranger classes, and a third of your fighter or rogue levels (rounded down) if you have the Blood Rager, Eldritch Knight or the Arcane Trickster feature. Use this total to determine your spell points by consulting the Multiclass Spellcaster table.

If you have more than one spellcasting class, this table might give you a max spell level that is higher than the spells you know or can prepare. You can cast spells of that level, but only to enhance your lower-level spells. If a lower-level spell that you cast, like burning hands, has an enhanced effect when cast at a higher-level, then you can use the enhanced effect, even though you don't have any spells of that higher level.

For example, if you are the aforementioned ranger 4/wizard 3, you count as a 5th-level full caster when determining your spell points: you have 21 spell points. However, you don't know any 3rd-level spells, nor do you know any 2nd-level ranger spells. You can use the upcast spells to those levels to cast the spells that you do know and potentially enhance their effects.

Pact Magic. If you have both the Spellcasting class feature and the Pact Magic class feature from the warlock class, you can use the spell points that you gain from the Pact Magic feature to cast spells you know or have prepared from classes with the Spellcasting class feature, and you can use the spell points that you gain from the Spellcasting class feature to cast warlock spells you know.

Multiclass Spellcaster
Level Spell Points Max Spell Level
1st 9 1st
2nd 12 1st
3rd 15 2nd
4th 18 2nd
5th 21 3rd
6th 24 3rd
7th 27 4th
8th 30 4th
9th 33 5th
10th 36 5th
11th 36 6th
12th 36 6th
13th 39 7th
14th 39 7th
15th 39 8th
16th 42 8th
17th 42 9th
18th 42 9th
19th 45 10th
20th 51 10th

Feats

A feat represents a talent or an area of expertise that gives a character special capabilities. It embodies training, experience, and abilities beyond what a class provides.

At certain levels, your class gives you the Ability Score Improvement feature. Using the optional feats rule, you can forgo taking that feature to take a feat of your choice instead. You can take each feat only once, unless the feat’s description says otherwise.

You must meet any prerequisite specified in a feat to take that feat. If you ever lose a feat’s prerequisite, you can’t use that feat until you regain the prerequisite. For example, the Grappler feat requires you to have a Strength of 13 or higher. If your Strength is reduced below 13 somehow (perhaps by a withering curse) you can’t benefit from the Grappler feat until your Strength is restored.

Feats are listed below. Feats marked with ᴮᴳ may be taken as background feats.

Class Feats

Extra Invocation

Prerequisite: Warlock

  • Increase your Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
  • Choose one Invocation option.

Rimehand

Prerequisite: Barbarian
Increase your Strength or Constitution score by 1, to a maximum of 20. When you rage, you gain the following benefits:

  • You have resistance against cold damage.
  • Extreme cold and effects that deal cold damage have disadvantage to hit you.
  • Your melee attacks deal additional cold damage equal to your constitution modifier.

Combat Feats

Alertᴮᴳ

Always on the lookout for danger, you gain the following benefits:

  • You can't be surprised while you are conscious.
  • You have advantage on initiative.
  • Other creatures don't gain advantage on attack rolls against you as a result of being hidden from you.

Blinding Agility

Prerequisite: Dexterity 20 or +2 species bonus to Dexterity
You have the reflexes of one who can see things before they happen, granting the following benefits:

  • You gain proficiency in Dexterity defence. If you are already proficient in Dexterity defence, then you gain proficiency in another defence of your choice.
  • All weapons are considered to have the finesse property for you.
  • You have advantage on defence checks to avoid opportunity attacks.

Fanaticᴮᴳ

Every blow that hits your enemies make you feel closer to victory, making you shake in excitement. You gain the following benefits:

  • When you score a critical hit with an attack roll or reduce a creature to 0 hit points, you can make one weapon attack as a bonus action.
  • Whenever a creature you can see within 30 feet is reduce to 0 hit points, you go into a fervour gaining temporary hit points equal to 1d4 + your Constitution modifier.

Fighting Master

You've mastered a particular style of fighting. Choose one of the fighting mastery options, detailed later in this chapter. You can take this feat multiple times.

Fighting Stylist

You adopt a particular style of fighting as your specialty, gaining the following benefits:

  • Increase your Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
  • Choose one of the fighting style options, detailed later in this chapter.

Heavily Armoured

Prerequisite: Proficiency with medium armour
You have trained to master the use of heavy armour, gaining the following benefits:

  • Increase your Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
  • You gain proficiency with heavy armour. If you are already proficient with heavy armour, instead while you are wearing heavy armour, critical hits made against you are treated as normal hits and you ignore the bulky property for heavy armour that you are wearing.

You can take this feat twice.

Lightly Armoured

You have trained to master the use of light armour, gaining the following benefits:

  • Increase your Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
  • You gain proficiency with light armour. If you are already proficient with light armour, instead, while you are unarmoured or wearing light armour, your speed increases by 5 feet.

Martial Adeptᴮᴳ

You have martial training that allows you to perform special combat maneuvers. You gain the following benefits:

  • You learn two maneuvers of your choice from among those available to the Battle Master archetype in the fighter class. If a maneuver you use requires your target to make a saving throw to resist the maneuver’s effects, the saving throw DC equals 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength or Dexterity modifier (your choice).
  • You gain one superiority die, which is a d6 (this die is added to any superiority dice you have from another source). This die is used to fuel your maneuvers. A superiority die is expended when you use it. You regain your expended superiority dice when you finish a short or long rest.

Moderately Armoured

You have trained to master the use of medium armour, gaining the following benefits:

  • Increase your Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
  • You gain proficiency with medium armour. If you are already proficient with medium armour, instead, while you are wearing medium armour, you can add 1 to the armour's maximum Dexterity bonus to Dexterity defence. Additionally, you ignore the bulky and noisy properties of medium armour that you are wearing.

Quick Reflexesᴮᴳ

You gain the following benefits:

  • Increase your Dexterity, Intelligence or Wisdom score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
  • You have advantage on initiative.

Revenant Blade

  • Increase your Dexterity or Strength score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
  • While wielding a double-bladed weapon with two hands, the weapon has the finesse trait for your attacks with it.

Savage Attacker

  • Increase your Strength or Dexterity score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
  • Once per turn when you roll damage for a melee weapon attack with which you are proficient, you can reroll the weapon's damage dice and use either total.

Titan's Power

Prerequisite: Strength 20 or +2 species bonus to Strength
You have the strength that legends tell of, granting the following benefits:

  • You gain proficiency in Strength defence. If you are already proficient in Strength defence, then you gain proficiency in another defence of your choice.
  • You ignore the two-handed property of weapons with which you are proficient.
  • When you miss with a melee weapon attack, the creature takes damage equal to your Strength modifier. This damage is of the same type as the weapon’s damage.

Unnatural Resilience

Prerequisite: Constitution 20 or +2 species bonus to Constitution
You have the fortitude often attributed to gods, granting the following benefits:

  • You gain proficiency in Constitution defence. If you are already proficient in Constitution defence, then you gain proficiency in another defence of your choice.
  • Enhanced effects, such as spells or healing potions, that would restore hit points to you can’t restore an amount less than half your level + your Constitution modifier. If this amount would exceed that maximum amount of hit points that effect could restore, you instead take that effect’s maximum.
  • You can add your Constitution modifier to death saving throws you make.

Weapon Masterᴮᴳ

You have practiced extensively with a variety of weapons, gaining the following benefits:

  • Increase your Strength or Dexterity score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
  • You gain proficiency with 4 martial weapon groups of your choice. If you are already proficient with more than 2 martial weapon groups, gain 1 character point for each excess weapon group.

General Feats

Actorᴮᴳ

Skilled at mimicry and dramatics, you gain the following benefits:

  • Increase your Charisma score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
  • You have advantage on Charisma (Deception) and Charisma (Performance) checks when trying to pass yourself off as a different person.
  • You can mimic the speech of another person or the sounds made by other creatures. You must have heard the person speaking, or heard the creature make the sound, for at least 1 minute. A successful Wisdom (Insight) check contested by your Charisma (Deception) check allows a listener to determine that the effect is faked.

Athleteᴮᴳ

You have undergone extensive physical training to gain the following benefits:

  • Increase your Strength or Dexterity score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
  • When you are prone, standing up uses only 5 feet of your movement.
  • Climbing doesn’t cost you extra movement.
  • You can make a running long jump or a running high jump after moving only 5 feet on foot, rather than 10 feet.

Cunning Intellect

Prerequisite: Intelligence 20 or +2 species bonus to Intelligence
You have the cunning of the most prolific scholars, granting the following benefits:

  • You gain proficiency in Intelligence defence. If you are already proficient in Intelligence defence, then you gain proficiency in another defence of your choice.
  • When you engage in the Training downtime activity, during resolution, you add your proficiency bonus to the check. If you would already add your proficiency bonus, you instead add twice your proficiency bonus.
  • Whenever you make an ability check that uses your Intelligence, you can add half your proficiency bonus (rounded down) if it doesn't already include your proficiency bonus. Additionally, if you roll lower than half your level (rounded down) on an Intelligence check, you can instead use your level for the d20 roll.

Exalted Awareness

Prerequisite: Wisdom 20 or +2 species bonus to Wisdom
You have the wisdom associated with the most renowned sages, granting the following benefits:

  • You gain proficiency in Wisdom defence. If you are already proficient in Wisdom defence, then you gain proficiency in another defence of your choice.
  • Creatures within 60 feet of you have disadvantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made to hide from you.
  • As an action, you can sense the presence of illusions and other effects designed to deceive the senses within 30 feet of you, provided that you aren't blinded or deafened. You sense that an effect is trying to trick you, but you gain no insight into what is hidden or its true nature. Once you've used this feature, you must complete a short or long rest before you can use it again.

Overwhelming Presence

Prerequisite: Charisma 20 or +2 species bonus to Charisma
You have the presence of the most affluent of leaders, granting the following benefits:

  • You gain proficiency in Charisma defence. If you are already proficient in Charisma defence, then you gain proficiency in another defence of your choice.
  • While you are conscious, up to five friendly creatures within 30 feet of you who can see or hear you and who can understand you can gain a bonus to their Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma defence equal to your Charisma modifier. Once they've done so, they can’t do so again until they finish a short or long rest.
  • As an action, you can attempt to distract up to five creatures you can see within 30 feet of you. Make a Charisma attack roll vs the creatures' Wisdom defences. Any creature immune to being charmed is unaffected. If you or your companions are fighting a creature, you have disadvantage on the attack roll. On a hit, for the next minute, a creature has disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks made to perceive any creature other than you until the effect ends or until the target can no longer see or hear you. The feature ends early if you are incapacitated.

The Taste of Death

You gain strength after eating the heart of a defeated enemy. As part of a short rest, you can eat the heart of one living creature that you helped defeat within the last hour. The creature must have an edible heart. Eating the heart requires 10 minutes of tearing it free, chewing, and swallowing, after which you heal one of your own rolled Hit Die for each Hit Die of the defeated creature.

Dungeon Delverᴮᴳ

Alert to the hidden traps and secret doors found in many dungeons, you gain the following benefits:

  • Increase your Intelligence or Wisdom score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
  • You have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) and Intelligence (Investigation) checks made to detect the presence of secret doors.
  • Traps have disadvantage to attack you.
  • You have resistance to the damage dealt by traps.
  • You can search for traps while traveling at a normal pace, instead of only at a slow pace.

Durableᴮᴳ

Hardy and resilient, you gain the following benefits:

  • Increase your Constitution score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
  • When you roll a Hit Die to regain hit points, the minimum number of hit points you regain from the roll equals twice your Constitution modifier (minimum of 2).

Force of Personalityᴮᴳ

Rooms never go unalerted to your presence, and the strength of your personality make others lose focus on their own social game. Powers and other effects infrequently override your force of will.

  • Your Charisma score increase by 1, to a maximum of 20.
  • You can use your Charisma modifier instead of your Wisdom modifier when making Insight checks.
  • When an attack would target your Wisdom defence, you can instead use your Charisma Defence.

Hagglerᴮᴳ

Your skills at bartering have granted you the following benefits:

  • Increase your Charisma score by 1 up to a maximum of 20.
  • You have advantage on Charisma (Persuasion) and Charisma (Deception) checks when attempting to barter or trade.
  • You are always aware of the current monetary value for any mundane or common magical item. Whenever you identify an item, you gain a rough estimate of its current monetary value.

Healerᴮᴳ

You are an able physician, allowing you to mend wounds quickly and get your allies back in the fight. You gain the following benefits:

  • When you use a healer’s kit to stabilize a dying creature, that creature also regains 1 hit point.
  • As an action, you can spend one use of a healer’s kit to tend to a creature and restore 1d6 + 4 hit points to it, plus additional hit points equal to the creature’s maximum number of Hit Dice. The creature can’t regain hit points from this feat again until it finishes a short or long rest.

Inspiring Leaderᴮᴳ

Prerequisite: Charisma 13 or higher

You can spend 10 minutes inspiring your companions, shoring up their resolve to fight. When you do so, choose up to six friendly creatures (which can include yourself) within 30 feet of you who can see or hear you and who can understand you. Each creature can gain temporary hit points equal to your level + your Charisma modifier. A creature can’t gain temporary hit points from this feat again until it has finished a short or long rest.

Keen Mindᴮᴳ

You have a mind that can track time, direction, and detail with uncanny precision. You gain the following benefits.

  • Increase your Intelligence score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
  • You always know which way is north.
  • You always know the number of hours left before the next sunrise or sunset.
  • You can accurately recall anything you have seen or heard within the past month.

Linguistᴮᴳ

You have studied languages and codes, gaining the following benefits:

  • Increase your Intelligence score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
  • You learn three languages of your choice.
  • You can ably create written ciphers. Others can’t decipher a code you create unless you teach them, they succeed on an Intelligence check (DC equal to your Intelligence score + your proficiency bonus), or they use magic to decipher it.

Observantᴮᴳ

Quick to notice details of your environment, you gain the following benefits:

  • Increase your Intelligence or Wisdom score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
  • If you can see a creature's mouth while it is speaking a language you understand, you can interpret what it's saying by reading its lips.
  • You have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) and Intelligence (Investigation) checks.

Practicedᴮᴳ

You have acquired skills over your career, gaining the following benefits:

  • Increase an ability score of your choice by 1, to a maximum of 20.
  • You gain four character points to spend on skill and tool proficiencies.

Magic Feats

Meta-Magician

Prerequisite: Wizard
As a wizard’s knowledge of magic grows, he can learn to cast spells in ways slightly different from the norm. Casting a spell in such a way is harder than normal and spells modified by metamagic are cast at a higher level than normal.

In all ways, a metamagic spell operates at its original spell level, even though it is prepared and cast at a higher spell level. The modifications made only apply to spells cast directly by the wizard. A wizard can’t use metamagic to alter a spell being cast from a wand, scroll, or other device. A wizard can apply multiple metamagic effects to a single spell. Changes to its level are cumulative. You can’t apply the same metamagic effect more than once to a single spell.

Careful Spell. +1 Spell Level
When you cast a spell that targets other creatures' defences, you can protect some of those creatures from the spell's full force. Choose a number of those creatures up to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of one creature). A chosen creature is automatically missed by the spell.

Distant Spell. +1 Spell Level
When you cast a spell that has a range of 5 feet or greater, you can double the range of the spell.

When you cast a spell that has a range of touch, you can make the range of the spell 30 feet.

Empowered Spell. +1 Spell Level
When you roll damage for a spell, you can reroll a number of the damage dice up to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of one). You must use the new rolls.

Extended Spell. +1 Spell Level
When you cast a spell that has a duration of 1 minute or longer, you can double its duration, to a maximum duration of 24 hours.

Heightened Spell +3 Spell Levels
When you cast a spell that targets a creature's defence, you have advantage to hit.

Quickened Spell +2 Spell Levels
When you cast a spell that has a casting time of 1 action, you can change the casting time to 1 bonus action for this casting.

Subtle Spell. +1 Spell Level
When you cast a spell, you can cast it without any somatic or verbal components.

Twinned Spell. Double Spell Level
When you cast a spell that targets only one creature and doesn't have a range of self, you can target a second creature in range with the same spell.

To be eligible, a spell must be incapable of targeting more than one creature at the spell’s current level. For example, magic missile and scorching ray aren't eligible, but ray of frost and chromatic orb are.

Magic Initiateᴮᴳ

Choose a class: bard, cleric, druid, sorcerer, warlock, or wizard. You learn two cantrips of your choice from that class’s spell list.

In addition, choose one 1st-level spell to learn from that same list. Using this feat, you can cast the spell once at its lowest level, and you must finish a long rest before you can cast it in this way again.

Your spellcasting ability for these spells depends on the class you chose: Charisma for bard, sorcerer, or warlock; Wisdom for cleric or druid; or Intelligence for wizard.

Twin Secrets

You can concentrate on two spells simultaneously without incurring exhaustion. Whenever you take damage while you are concentrating on two spells, the attacker rolls with a bonus of the sum of the levels of both spells, or half the damage that you took, whichever number is higher, vs your Constitution defence to break your concentration. Alternatively, you can choose to stop concentrating on one spell, to retain concentration on the other.

War Caster

Prerequisite: The ability to cast spells
You've practiced casting powers in the midst of combat, learning techniques that grant you the following benefits:

  • Attempts to break your concentration on a spell when you take damage suffer disadvantage.
  • You can perform the somatic components of spells even when you have weapons or a shield in one or both hands.
  • On your turn, you may declare that, for the next round, when a hostile creature provokes an opportunity attack from you, you will cast a spell at the creature, rather than making an opportunity attack. The spell must have a casting time of 1 action and must target only that creature.

Well of Powerᴮᴳ

A deep wellspring of magical power resides within you.

  • Increase your spell points by one per short rest, or by three per long rest.

Species Featsᴮᴳ

Celestial Legacy

Prerequisite: Aasimar
Divine blood flows bright in your veins.

  • Increase your Strength, Constitution, Wisdom or Charisma score by 1, up to a maximum of 20.
  • Additionally, your third level species ability improves.

    Protector: When you use your Radiant Soul to fly, you do not provoke opportunity attacks when you leave melee threat range. Additionally, your flying speed increases to double your movement speed.

    Scourge: When you use your Radiant Consumption to deal extra radiant damage to a target, you can make a Charisma attack vs the target's Constitution defence. On a hit, the creature is stunned until the end of your next turn. You can use this ability a number of times per long rest equal to your charisma modifier.

    Fallen: When you use your Necrotic Shroud to frighten creatures within 10 feet of you, they instead become panicked.

    Herald: When you use your Radiant Mobility to enhance your speed, you do not provoke opportunity attacks when you leave melee threat range and you can walk on liquids and vertical surfaces.

Skill Featsᴮᴳ

Acrobat

You become more nimble, gaining the following benefits:

  • Increase your Dexterity score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
  • You gain proficiency in the Acrobatics skill. If you are already proficient in it, you instead gain expertise in it.
  • As a bonus action, you can make a DC 15 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check. If you succeed, difficult terrain doesn't cost you extra movement until the end of the current turn.

Animal Handler

You master the techniques needed to train and handle animals. You gain the following benefits:

  • Increase your Wisdom score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
  • You gain proficiency in the Animal Handling skill. If you are already proficient in it, you instead gain expertise in it.
  • You can use a bonus action on your turn to command one friendly beast within 60 feet of you that can hear you and that isn’t currently following the command of someone else. You decide now what action the beast will take and where it will move during its next turn, or you issue a general command that lasts for 1 minute, such as to guard a particular area.

Arcanist

You master the theory and practice of magic, gaining the following benefits:

  • Increase your Intelligence score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
  • You gain proficiency in the Arcana skill. If you are already proficient in it, you instead gain expertise in it.
  • You can cast Detect Magic spell as a ritual.

Brawny

You become stronger, gaining the following benefits:

  • Increase your Strength, Dexterity or Constitution score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
  • You gain proficiency in the Athletics skill. If you are already proficient in it, you instead gain expertise in it.
  • You count as if you were one size larger for the purpose of determining your carrying capacity.

Charming Persona

You've master the art of charming those around you, gaining the following benefits:

  • Increase your Charisma score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
  • You gain proficiency in the Persuasion skill. If you are already proficient in it, you instead gain expertise in it.
  • If you spend 1 minute talking to someone who can understand what you say, you can make a Charisma (Persuasion) check vs the creature’s passive Wisdom (Insight). If you or your companions are fighting the creature, your check automatically fails. If your check succeeds, the target is charmed by you as long as it remains within 60 feet of you and for 1 minute thereafter.

Empathic

You possess keen insight into how other people think and feel. You gain the following benefits:

  • Increase your Wisdom score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
  • You gain proficiency in the Insight skill. If you are already proficient in it, you instead gain expertise in it.
  • You can use your action to try to get uncanny insight about one humanoid you can see within 30 feet of you. Make a Wisdom (Insight) check contested by the target’s Charisma (Deception) check. On a success, you have advantage on attack rolls and ability checks against the target until the end of your next turn.

Investigator

You have an eye for detail and can pick out the smallest clues. You gain the following benefits:

  • Increase your Intelligence score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
  • You gain proficiency in the Investigation skill. If you are already proficient in it, you instead gain expertise in it.
  • You can take the Search action as a bonus action.

Loremaster

Your study of history rewards you with the following benefits:

  • Increase your Intelligence score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
  • You gain proficiency in the History skill. If you are already proficient in it, you instead gain expertise in it.
  • When you take the Help action to aid another creature’s ability check, you can make a DC 15 Intelligence (History) check. On a success, that creature’s check gains a bonus equal to your proficiency bonus, as you share pertinent advice and historical examples. To receive this bonus, the creature must be able to understand what you're saying.

Medic

You master the physician’s arts, gaining the following benefits:

  • Increase your Wisdom score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
  • You gain proficiency in the Medicine skill. If you are already proficient in it, you instead gain expertise in it.
  • During a short rest, you can clean and bind the wounds of up to six willing beasts and humanoids. Make a DC 15 Wisdom (Medicine) check for each creature. On a success, if a creature spends a Hit Die during this rest, that creature can forgo the roll and instead regain the maximum number of hit points the die can restore. A creature can do so only once per rest, regardless of how many Hit Dice it spends.

Naturalist

Your extensive study of nature rewards you with the following benefits:

  • Increase your Intelligence score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
  • You gain proficiency in the Nature skill. If you are already proficient in it, you instead gain expertise in it.
  • You can cast the Detect Poison and Disease spell as a ritual.

Perceptive

You hone your senses until they become razor sharp. You gain the following benefits:

  • Increase your Wisdom score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
  • You gain proficiency in the Perception skill. If you are already proficient in it, you instead gain expertise in it.
  • Being in a lightly obscured area doesn't impose disadvantage on your Wisdom (Perception) checks if you can both see and hear.

Performer

You master performance so that you can command any stage. You gain the following benefits:

  • Increase your Charisma score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
  • You gain proficiency in the Performance skill. If you are already proficient in it, you instead gain expertise in it.
  • While performing, you can try to distract one humanoid you can see who can see and hear you. Make a Charisma (Performance) check contested by the humanoid’s Wisdom (Insight) check. If your check succeeds, you grab the humanoid’s attention enough that it makes Wisdom (Perception) and Intelligence (Investigation) checks with disadvantage until you stop performing.

Quick-Fingered

Your nimble fingers and agility let you perform sleight of hand. You gain the following benefits:

  • Increase your Dexterity score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
  • You gain proficiency in the Sleight of Hand skill. If you are already proficient in it, you instead gain expertise in it.
  • As a bonus action, you can make a Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check to plant something on someone else, conceal an object on a creature, lift a purse, or take something from a pocket.

Silver-Tongued

You develop your conversational skill to better deceive others. You gain the following benefits:

  • Increase your Charisma score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
  • You gain proficiency in the Deception skill. If you are already proficient in it, you instead gain expertise in it.
  • When you take the Attack action, you can replace one attack with an attempt to deceive one humanoid you can see within 30 feet of you that can see and hear you. Make a Charisma (Deception) check vs the target's passive Wisdom (Insight). If your check succeeds, your movement doesn't provoke opportunity attacks from the target and your attack rolls against it have advantage; both benefits last until the end of your next turn or until you use this ability on a different target. If your check fails, the target can’t be deceived by you in this way for 1 hour.

Stealthy

You know how best to hide. You gain the following benefits:

  • Increase your Dexterity score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
  • You gain proficiency in the Stealth skill. If you are already proficient in it, you instead gain expertise in it.
  • If you are hidden, you can move up to 10 feet in the open without revealing yourself if you end the move in a position where you’re not clearly visible.

Survivalist

You master wilderness lore, gaining the following benefits:

  • Increase your Wisdom score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
  • You gain proficiency in the Survival skill. If you are already proficient in it, you instead gain expertise in it.
  • You learn the Alarm spell. You can cast it once per long rest.

Theologian

You master the theory and practice of religion, gaining the following benefits:

  • Increase your Intelligence or Wisdom score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
  • You gain proficiency in the Religion skill. If you are already proficient in it, you instead gain expertise in it.
  • You can cast the Ceremony spell as a ritual.

Threatening

You become fearsome to others, gaining the following benefits:

  • Increase your Charisma score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
  • You gain proficiency in the Intimidation skill. If you are already proficient in it, you instead gain expertise in it.
  • When you take the Attack action, you can replace one attack with an attempt to demoralize one humanoid you can see within 30 feet of you that can see and hear you. Make a Charisma (Intimidation) check vs by the target's passive Wisdom (Insight). If your check succeeds, the target is frightened until the end of your next turn. If your check fails, the target can’t be frightened by you in this way for 1 hour.

Tool Featsᴮᴳ

Bypasser

You pride yourself on your quickness and your close study of certain clandestine activities. You gain the following benefits:

  • Increase your Dexterity score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
  • You gain proficiency with thieves' tools. If you are already proficient with them, you instead gain expertise with them.
  • Whenever you make an Intelligence (Investigation) or Wisdom (Perception) check to detect the nature of a lock, you are considered to have expertise in the Investigation or Perception skill.

Crafter

You have a knack for crafting; you work with greater efficiency and produce goods of higher quality. Select one type of artisan’s tools. You gain the following benefits whilst using it:

  • Increase your Strength, Constitution, Intelligence or Wisdom score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
  • You gain proficiency with the chosen tool. If you are already proficient, you instead gain expertise.
  • When you craft something with the tool you've selected, the total market value you can craft increases by your level in gp/hour. If you have expertise with them, the market value instead increases by 2 times your level in gp/hour.
  • If you use the tool you've selected to practice a profession during downtime, you can support a lifestyle one higher than you would normally be able to.

You can select this feat multiple times. Each time you do so, you must choose a different set of artisan’s tools.

Entertaining Competitor

You have a natural gift for performing and competing. Select one gaming set or musical instrument. You gain the following benefits:

  • Increase your Dexterity, Wisdom, or Charisma score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
  • You gain proficiency in the chosen gaming set or musical instrument. If you are already proficient with it, you instead gain expertise with it.
  • While playing your chosen instrument or game, you can always readily read the emotions of those paying attention to you. During this time, and for up to one minute after completing, you have advantage on Wisdom (Insight) checks to read the emotions of those you performed for or competed against.

You can select this feat multiple times. Each time you do so, you must choose a different gaming set or musical instrument.

Gourmand

You have mastered a variety of special recipes, allowing you to prepare exotic dishes with useful effects. You gain the following benefits:

  • Increase your Constitution score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
  • You gain proficiency with the chef’s kit. If you are already proficient with it, you instead gain expertise with it.
  • As an action, you can inspect a drink or plate of food within 5 feet of you and determine whether it is poisoned, provided that you can see and smell it.
  • During a long rest, you can prepare and serve a meal that helps you and your allies recover from the rigors of adventuring, provided you have suitable food, chef’s kit, and other supplies on hand. The meal serves up to six people, and each person who eats it regains two additional Hit Dice at the end of the long rest. In addition, diseases have disadvantage to attack the Constitution defence of those who partake in the meal for the next 24 hours.

Herbalist

You are adept at harnessing the useful properties of herbs and other plants. You gain the following benefits:

  • Increase your Intelligence or Wisdom score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
  • You gain proficiency with the herbalism kit. If you are already proficient with it, you instead gain expertise with it.
  • As an action, you can inspect a plant within 5 feet of you and determine whether it is edible or poisonous, provided that you can see and smell it.
  • You can apply herbal remedies to help yourself or your allies recover from maladies. Over the course of a short rest, you can remove one poison or disease from a friendly creature within reach. You must have an herbalism kit and access to local herbs to use this benefit.

Master of Disguise

You have honed your ability to shape your personality and to read the personalities of others. You gain the following benefits:

  • Increase your Charisma score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
  • You gain proficiency with the disguise kit. If you are already proficient with it, you instead gain expertise with it.
  • If you spend 1 hour observing a creature, you can then spend 8 hours crafting a disguise you can quickly don to mimic that creature. Making the disguise requires a disguise kit. You must make checks as normal to disguise yourself, but you can assume the disguise as an action.

Vehicle Expert

You're experienced both on land and sea, be it from time in a navy, as a mercenary, or perhaps even piracy. You gain the following benefits:

  • Increase your Dexterity or Intelligence score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
  • You gain proficiency in vehicles (land) and vehicles (sea). If you are already proficient, you instead gain expertise.
  • Whenever you make an Intelligence (Investigation) or Wisdom (Perception) check related to vehicles or ships, you are considered to have expertise in the Investigation or Perception skill.

Fighting Styles

Berserk Style

You are skilled at returning pain to those who deliver it. While you are wielding a melee weapon with which you are proficient, you gain the following benefit:

  • When you deal damage to a creature that includes your Strength modifier, you add twice your Strength modifier if that creature dealt damage to you since the start of your last turn.

  • When you choose to let an attack hit you, the creature rolls the damage as normal instead of choosing the maximum.

    (Normally, you can choose to allow a miss to hit you. If you do so, the attacker chooses the maximum amount of damage instead of rolling.)

Berserk Mastery

You've mastered returning pain to those who deliver it, becoming a scourge on the battlefield. While you are wielding a melee weapon with which you are proficient, you gain the following benefits:

  • When a creature deals damage to you with a melee weapon, it provokes an opportunity attack from you. On a hit, you deal additional damage equal to your proficiency bonus.
  • When a creature scores a critical hit against you, you have advantage on the first attack you make against that creature before the end of your next turn.
  • Effects that would force you to act against your will, be frightened, or prevent you from attacking a creature have disadvantage.

Brawling Style

You are skilled at using your weight to your advantage. You gain the following benefits:

  • You are proficient with improvised weapons.
  • Your unarmed strike damage increases by one step.
  • When you take the Attack action and attempt to grapple, shove, or trip a creature, or make an attack against a creature with an unarmed strike or a weapon wielded in one hand on your turn, you can use your bonus action to make an unarmed strike, grapple, shove, or trip against the same creature.




Brawling Mastery

You've mastered using your weight to your advantage, easily wrangling targets around. You gain the following benefits:

  • Your improvised weapons use a d6 for damage and gain the versatile property.
  • Your unarmed strike damage increases by one step.
  • Your speed isn't halved by carrying a grappled creature who is the same size category as you or smaller.
  • Once per turn, when you hit a creature with an unarmed strike or a weapon wielded in one hand on your turn, as a free action you can make an additional unarmed strike against the same target without the aid of your proficiency bonus.

Covert Style

You are skilled at fighting from unseen angles. You gain the following benefits:

  • You can take the Hide action as a bonus action. If you could already take the Hide action as a bonus action, you can once per turn instead take it as a free action on your turn.
  • Creatures you've dealt damage to since the start of your last turn have disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks made to find you.

Covert Mastery

You've mastered fighting from unseen angles, gaining an advantage over your foes. You gain the following benefits:

  • You can try to hide when you are lightly obscured from the creature from which you are hiding.
  • Dim light doesn't impose disadvantage on your Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight.
  • When you are hidden from a creature and miss it with an unarmed strike or weapon attack, making the attack doesn't automatically reveal your position.
  • Once per turn, when you deal damage to a creature with an unarmed strike or weapon attack while hidden from it, you deal additional damage equal to your proficiency bonus.

Defense Style

You are skilled at the art of defending yourself. While you are wearing medium or heavy armour with which you are proficient, you gain the following benefits:

  • You can use your bonus action to mark a target within 30 feet that you can see until the end of your next turn. When you do so, damage dealt to you by the target is reduced by an amount equal to half your Strength or Constitution modifier (your choice, rounded up, minimum of +1) while marked. You can only have one creature marked in this way at a time.
  • You have advantage on Strength checks to avoid being moved. Effects that would physically move you have disadvantage on their attack roll vs Strength defence.

Defense Mastery

You've mastered the art of defending yourself, treating your armour as a second skin. While you are wearing medium or heavy armour with which you are proficient, you gain the following benefits:

  • Damage that you take from melee and ranged attacks is reduced by an amount equal to your proficiency bonus.
  • Once per round, when a creature makes a melee attack against you while within your reach, whether the attack hits or misses, the creature must make a Strength defence check vs your passive Strength (Athletics) skill or be shoved up to 10 feet directly away from you.
  • The time that it takes for you to don and doff armour is reduced by half.

Disruption Style

You are skilled at fighting and interfering with spellcasters. You gain the following benefits:

  • When you roll vs a creature's Constitution defence to break their concentration and miss, you can use your bonus action to reroll. You must use the new roll.
  • Once per round, when a hostile creature attempts to cast a spell while within 5 feet of you, they must first make a Constitution defence check of DC = 10 + the spell's level. On a failure, the spell isn't cast and any points are wasted.



Disruption Mastery

You've mastered fighting and interfering with spellcasters, confounding their concentration. You gain the following benefits:

  • When a creature within 30 feet of you that you can see casts a spell, they provoke an opportunity attack from you.
  • Whenever you roll vs a creature's Constitution defence to make them break their concentration, you can add your proficiency bonus to the roll.
  • Spells cast by creatures that you can see have disadvantage to hit you if you've dealt damage to the spellcaster since the start of your last turn.

Dual Wielding Style

You are skilled at fighting with two weapons. While you are wielding separate weapons in each hand with which you are proficient, you gain the following benefits:

  • When you engage in Two-Weapon Fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of your Two-Weapon Fighting attack as long as it doesn't already include that modifier.
  • When you make an opportunity attack, you can attack with both of your weapons.

Dual Wielding Mastery

You've mastered fighting with two weapons, becoming a flurry of motion. While you are wielding separate weapons in each hand with which you are proficient, you gain the following benefits:

  • When you engage in Two-Weapon Fighting, you may forgo a number of attacks. For each attack that you forgo, you gain a +1 bonus to Strength defence vs melee attacks until the start of your next turn.
  • You can use two-weapon fighting even when the one-handed melee weapons you are wielding aren't finesse or light. Instead, these weapons may not be unwieldy or versatile.
  • When you use your bonus action to attack with a weapon, you can choose to forgo your proficiency bonus. If you do so, you can make an additional attack with that weapon, also without your proficiency bonus.

Duelist Style

You are skilled in the art of fighting with a single weapon. While you are wielding a weapon in one hand with which you are proficient and no other weapons, you gain the following benefit:

  • You have advantage on feint attempts.
  • When you miss with a weapon attack on your turn, you can use your bonus action to repeat the attack against the same target. Any modifications to the original attack roll, such as advantage, disadvantage, or without your proficiency bonus, also affect this attack roll.
  • Once on each of your turns, drawing or stowing a one-handed weapon no longer requires your object interaction.






Duelist Mastery

You've mastered the art of fighting with a single weapon, making one weapon feel like many. While you are wielding a weapon in one hand with which you are proficient and no other weapons, you gain the following benefits:

  • When you take the Attack action, you can choose to attack with haste at the expense of accuracy. Your weapon attacks are made without the aid of your proficiency bonus, but you can use make an additional weapon attack, also without your proficiency bonus. If you would make more than one attack when you take the Attack action, only one attack is made without your proficiency bonus.
  • Each round, the first time that a creature hits you with a melee attack and the result of the attack roll exceeds your defence by less than your proficiency bonus, the attack misses you.
  • You have advantage on ability checks to avoid being disarmed. Attempts to disarm you suffer disadvantage.

Equilibrium Style

You are skilled at fighting without the confines of armour. While you are wearing light or no armour and not wielding a shield, you gain the following benefits:

  • You can use your bonus action to mark a target within 30 feet that you can see until the end of your next turn. When you do so, you gain a bonus to Dexterity defence against effects the target controls equal to half your Dexterity modifier (rounded up, minimum of +1) while marked. You can only have one creature marked in this way at a time.
  • You have advantage on Dexterity checks to avoid being moved. Effects that would physically move you have disadvantage on their attack roll vs Dexterity defence.



Equilibrium Mastery

You've mastered fighting without the confines of armour, treating combat as an elegant dance. While you are wearing light or no armour and not wielding a shield, you gain the following benefits:

  • When a creature misses you with a weapon attack, it provokes an opportunity attack from you. Do not add your proficiency bonus to your weapon skill for the purposes of determining the defence check DC.
  • Each round, the first time that a creature hits you with a weapon attack and the result of the attack roll exceeds your defence by less than your proficiency bonus, the attack misses you.
  • Once per round, if you are disarmed you catch the weapon immediately.

Formation Style

You are skilled at fighting with a partner. While an ally is within 5 feet of you, you gain the following benefits:

  • You can take the Guard action as a bonus action. If you could already take the Guard action as a bonus action, you can once per turn instead take it as a free action on your turn.
  • When you move on your turn, you can use a bonus action to allow an ally within 5 feet of you to move with you (no action required by the ally). The ally must end this movement within 5 feet of you, and this movement can't exceed the ally's speed.
  • When you choose to let an attack that would hit a guarded ally hit you instead, the creature rolls the damage as normal instead of choosing the maximum.

Formation Mastery

You've mastered fighting with a partner, learning to move and act as a single unit. While an ally is within 5 feet of you, you gain the following benefits:

  • When a creature within your reach misses an ally of yours with a melee attack, it provokes an opportunity attack from you. Do not add your proficiency bonus to your weapon skill for the purposes of determining the defence check DC.
  • Each round, the first time an ally within 5 feet of you is hit by a weapon attack and the result of the attack roll exceeds their defence by less than your proficiency bonus, the attack misses them.
  • When you take the Guard action, attacks vs the guarded ally's Dexterity defence that would affect only them have disadvantage.

Great Weapon Style

You are skilled at putting the weight of a weapon to your advantage. While you are wielding a melee weapon with the two-handed property with which you are proficient, you gain the following benefit:

  • When you roll a 1 or 2 on a weapon damage die, you can reroll the die once and keep the better result.
  • Grasping a two-handed weapon you are wielding in only one hand with your other hand no longer requires your object interaction.














Great Weapon Mastery

You've mastered putting the weight of a weapon to your advantage, letting its momentum empower your strikes. While you are wielding a melee weapon with the two-handed property with which you are proficient, you gain the following benefits:

  • On your turn, when you score a critical hit or reduce a creature to 0 hit points with a melee weapon, you can make one melee weapon attack as a bonus action.
  • When you miss with a melee weapon attack, you can use your bonus action to repeat the attack against the same target. Any modifications to the original attack roll, such as advantage, disadvantage, or without your proficiency bonus, also affect this attack roll. On a hit, this attack deals bludgeoning damage equal to your Strength modifier.
  • Before you make a melee weapon attack, you can choose to forgo your proficiency bonus. If the attack hits, you add twice your proficiency bonus to the attack's damage.
  • While wielding the weapon in two hands, you have advantage on ability checks to avoid being disarmed. Attempts to disarm you suffer disadvantage.

Guerrilla Style

You are skilled at maneuvering across the battlefield. You gain the following benefits:

  • You can take the Disengage action as a bonus action. If you could already take the Disengage action as a bonus action, you can once per turn instead take it as a free action on your turn.
  • When you take the Disengage action, you ignore non-magical difficult terrain, and you have advantage on the first ability check to avoid an effect that impairs your movement speed or forces you to move before the start of your next turn.

Guerrilla Mastery

You've mastered maneuvering across the battlefield, sliding through openings that others might not see. You gain the following benefits:

  • You can move through a hostile creature's space regardless of that creature's size.
  • When you hit a creature with an opportunity attack, you can move up to half your speed (no action required) without provoking opportunity attacks from that creature.
  • Once per turn, when you hit a creature with a weapon attack, another enemy of the creature is within 5 feet of it, and that enemy isn't incapacitated, you can deal additional damage equal to twice your proficiency bonus.
  • Each round, the first time that a hostile creature moves until you are within their melee reach, you disengage as a free action and move half your speed away from them. If you encounter an obstacle or hazard, you take the shortest route around it. If this is not possible then you stop. If you could already disengage as a free action and move up to half your speed (such as if you are a Scout Rogue), then you also do this the second time that a hostile creature moves until you are within their melee reach.

Mounted Style

You are skilled at fighting while mounted. You gain the following benefits:

  • Mounting a creature only uses 5 feet of your movement, provided you can reach it.
  • You can force an attack targeted at your mount to target you instead, provided you are a valid target for that attack.








Mounted Mastery

You've mastered the art of fighting while mounted, moving seamlessly with your companion. While you are mounted on a controlled creature, you gain the following benefits:

  • Once per turn, you can choose to have advantage on a melee weapon attack roll against an unmounted creature that is smaller than your mount. If the attack hits, you deal additional damage equal to your proficiency bonus.
  • Each round, the first time that your mount is subjected to an effect that targets its Dexterity defence and deals only half damage on a miss, it instead takes no damage if it is missed and only half damage if it is hit.
  • While mounted, you can use your bonus action to have your mount make a single attack.

Onslaught Style

You are skilled at using your momentum to your advantage. You gain the following benefits:

  • You can take the Dash action as a bonus action. If you could already take the Dash action as a bonus action, you can once per turn instead take it as a free action on your turn.
  • When you attempt to trip a creature, instead of making a Strength (Athletics) check, you can instead make an attack roll. If you are wielding your weapon in two hands, you make this attack roll with advantage.





Onslaught Mastery

You've mastered using your momentum to your advantage, effectively pummeling creatures into submission and keeping them down once they fall. You gain the following benefits:

  • When a creature falls prone within 5 feet of you, it provokes an opportunity attack from you.
  • When you would have advantage on a melee weapon attack due to a creature being prone, you can reroll one of the dice once.
  • When a prone creature within 5 feet of you attempts to stand, they provoke an opportunity attack from you.
  • Once on each of your turns, if you move at least 10 feet in a straight line towards a creature before hitting it with a melee weapon attack, you deal additional damage equal to your proficiency bonus.

Sentinel Style

You are skilled at techniques that take advantage of every drop in any enemy's guard. While you are wielding a melee weapon with which you are proficient, you gain the following benefits:

  • Creatures provoke an opportunity attack when they move to within your reach or move 5 feet or greater while within your reach.
  • When you hit a creature that is no more than one size larger than you with an opportunity attack, the creature's speed becomes 0 for the rest of the turn.

Sentinel Mastery

You've mastered techniques to take advantage of every drop in any enemy's guard; in tight spaces you are indomitable. While you are wielding a melee weapon with which you are proficient, you gain the following benefits:

  • Creatures within your reach provoke opportunity attacks from you even if they take the disengage action.
  • You can use a bonus action to enter a defensive stance that lasts until the start of your next turn. While in your defensive stance, you may make a number of opportunity attacks equal to your proficiency bonus.
  • If you end your turn having taken the dodge action, then you may make one additional opportunity attack that round.

Sharpshooter Style

You are skilled with ranged weapons and can make shots that others find difficult. While you are wielding a ranged weapon with which you are proficient, you gain the following benefits:

  • You can use your bonus action to mark a target 30 feet or greater from you. If you do so, and that target moves at least 5 feet before the start of your next turn, they provoke an opportunity attack from you, and you can use a ranged weapon for that opportunity attack.
  • Your ranged weapon attacks ignore half cover against targets 30 feet or greater from you.






Sharpshooter Mastery

You've mastered ranged weapons and can easily make shots that others find impossible. While you are wielding a ranged weapon with which you are proficient, you gain the following benefits:

  • Attacking at long range doesn't impose disadvantage on your ranged weapon attack rolls.
  • Your ranged weapon attacks half cover against targets 30 feet or greater from you. If your ranged weapon attacks would already ignore half cover against targets 30 feet or greater from you, they also ignore three-quarters cover.
  • Before you make an attack with a ranged weapon with which you are proficient, you can choose to forgo your proficiency bonus. If the attack hits, you add twice your proficiency bonus to the attack's damage.

Shield Style

You are skilled at using your shield to defend yourself, and you understand that shields are not just for protection but also for offense. While you are wielding a shield with which you are proficient, you gain the following benefits:

  • If you are wielding a heavy shield, you are no longer required to wield a weapon with the light property in the other hand.
  • You can use a bonus action to try to shove or trip a creature within 5 feet of you with your shield.






Shield Mastery

You've mastered using a shield to defend yourself. While you are wielding a shield with which you are proficient, you gain the following benefits:

  • If you aren't incapacitated or already proficient in Dexterity defence, you can add your proficiency bonus to your Dexterity defence vs indirect spells or other harmful effects.
  • Each round, the first time that a creature that you can see damages you, the damage is reduced by an amount equal to your proficiency bonus.
  • Each round, the first time that you are missed by an effect that targets your Dexterity defence and deals half damage on a miss, you instead take no damage.

Snapshot Style

You are skilled at getting up close and personal with ranged weapons. While you are wielding a ranged weapon with which you are proficient, you gain the following benefits:

  • When making a ranged weapon attack while you are within 5 feet of a hostile creature, you do not have disadvantage on the attack roll.
  • Your ranged weapon attacks ignore half cover against targets within 30 feet of you.
  • When you roll a 1 on a ranged weapon damage die against a creature within 30 feet, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll, even if the new roll is a 1.

Snapshot Mastery

You've mastered getting up close and personal with ranged weapons, maintaining both rate of fire and accuracy. While you are wielding a ranged weapon with which you are proficient, you gain the following benefits:

  • When you take the Attack action targeting a creature within 30 feet, you can choose to attack rapidly at the expense of accuracy. Your ranged weapon attacks are made without the aid of your proficiency bonus, but you can use your bonus action to make an additional ranged weapon attack, also without your proficiency bonus. If you would make more than one attack when you take the Attack action, only one attack is made without your proficiency bonus.
  • Your ranged weapon attacks ignore half cover against targets within 30 feet of you. If your ranged weapon attacks would already ignore half cover against targets within 30 feet of you, they also ignore three-quarters cover.
  • Other creatures provoke an opportunity attack from you when they move to within 30 feet of you, and you can use ranged weapons when making opportunity attacks.

Throwing Style

You are skilled with the techniques of throwing weapons. While you are wielding a weapon with the thrown property with which you are proficient, you gain the following benefits:

  • Whenever you make a ranged attack with a thrown weapon, you can immediately draw another weapon as part of the attack.
  • Whenever you make a ranged attack with a thrown weapon, you can move up to 5 feet.
  • When you miss with a ranged attack with a thrown weapon, you can use your bonus action to repeat the attack against a creature within 15 feet and behind your initial target. Any modifications to the original attack roll, such as advantage, disadvantage, or without your proficiency bonus, also affect this attack roll.



Throwing Mastery

You've mastered the techniques of throwing weapons, readily blending the weapons with your movements. While you are wielding a weapon with the thrown property with which you are proficient, you gain the following benefits:

  • Attacking at long range doesn't impose disadvantage on your ranged weapon attack rolls with thrown weapons.
  • Once on each of your turns, you can make a ranged weapon attack with a thrown weapon against a target within the weapon's normal range without the aid of your proficiency bonus (no action required).
  • When you hit a creature with a ranged attack with a thrown weapon, you have advantage on your next melee weapon attack against that creature before the end of your next turn.
  • Once per turn, you can draw a weapon with the thrown property without using your object interaction.

Twin-Blade Style

You are skilled at fighting with double-bladed weapons. While wielding a weapon with the double property with which you are proficient, you gain the following benefits:

  • When you engage in Double-Weapon Fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of your Double-Weapon Fighting attack.
  • When you attempt to shove a creature, instead of making a Strength (Athletics) check, you can instead make an attack roll. If you are wielding your weapon in two hands, you make this attack roll with advantage.

Twin-Blade Mastery

You've mastered fighting with double-bladed weapons, using both ends to devastating effect. While wielding a weapon with the double property with which you are proficient, you gain the following benefits:

  • Whenever you roll the maximum on a weapon damage die against a creature, you gain a +1 bonus to the next attack roll you make against that creature before the end of your next turn.
  • You can engage in Double-Weapon Fighting even when the weapon you are wielding lacks the light property.
  • Grasping a double weapon you are wielding in only one hand with your other hand no longer requires your object interaction.
  • Before you make a melee weapon attack, you can choose to forgo your proficiency bonus. If the attack hits, you add your proficiency bonus to the attack's damage.

Versatile Style

You are skilled at using weapons in different ways. While you are wielding a melee weapon with the versatile property with which you are proficient and no other weapons, you gain the following benefits:

  • When you miss with a melee weapon attack on your turn while wielding a weapon in two hands, you can use your bonus action to repeat the attack roll against the same target using one hand. Any modifications to the original attack roll, such as advantage, disadvantage, or without your proficiency bonus, also affect this attack roll.
  • When you miss with a melee weapon attack on your turn while wielding a weapon in one hand, you can use your bonus action to attempt to shove or trip that creature. Any modifications to the original attack roll, such as advantage, disadvantage, or without your proficiency bonus, also affect this ability check.
  • Grasping a versatile weapon you are wielding in only one hand with your other hand no longer requires your object interaction.

Versatile Mastery

You've mastered using weapons in different ways, altering your attack patterns mid-swing. While you are wielding a melee weapon with the versatile property with which you are proficient and other weapons, you gain the following benefits:

  • Each round, the first time that you are the target of a melee weapon attack, your attacker provokes an opportunity attack from you. Do not add your proficiency bonus to your weapon skill for the purposes of determining the defence check DC. On a hit, the target suffers the attack’s normal effects and you impose disadvantage on the attack roll made against you.
  • Once per turn, when you make an attack roll while wielding a weapon in two hands, you can attempt to follow up on the attack. If the attack hits, make a secondary attack roll vs the creature's Strength defence. On a hit, the creature is pushed back 5 feet, and you can immediately move into the space it just vacated without provoking opportunity attacks.
  • Once per turn, when you make an attack roll while wielding a weapon in one hand, the target is wielding a shield, and your other hand is empty, you can use your other hand to pull down the shield as a free action. If you do so, the creature gains no benefit to Strength defence from its shield for that attack.

Weapon Foci

Blade Specialist

You master blade-type weapons. You gain the following benefits while wielding any of these weapons, if you are proficient with it:

  • You gain a +1 bonus to the weapon’s attack rolls.
  • As a bonus action, you can take a parrying stance. While you are in this stance and you aren’t wielding a shield, you gain a bonus to Strength or Dexterity defence equal to half your proficiency bonus (rounded up) until the start of your next turn.
  • You score a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20.

Bludgeoning Weapon Specialist

You master the bludgeoning-type weapons. You gain the following benefits while wielding any of these weapons, if you are proficient with it:

  • You gain a +1 bonus to the weapon’s attack rolls.
  • Whenever you have advantage on an attack roll and hit, and the lower of the two d20 rolls would also hit, you can attempt to knock the target prone. If the target is no more than one size larger than you (your size or smaller if your weapon has the light property), make a Strength (Athletics) check contested by the target’s Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check (the target chooses the ability). If you win the contest, the target is knocked prone.
  • Each round, the first time that you make an opportunity attack, the target has disadvantage on their check to avoid it.

Crossbow Specialist

Thanks to extensive practice with the crossbow, you gain the following benefits:

  • When reloading a crossbow, you can expend your bonus action to reduce the time it takes to load a crossbow by 1 attack.
  • Being within 5 feet of a hostile creature doesn't impose disadvantage on your ranged attack rolls.
  • When you use the Attack action and attack with a one-handed weapon, you can use a bonus action to attack with a hand crossbow you are holding.

Firearm Specialist

You are an expert in the way of the gun.

  • When reloading a firearm, you can expend your bonus action to reduce the time it takes to load a gun by 1 attack.
  • If your gun has the caliber property, the distance is extended to 30 feet and the defence threshold for the additional damage die is reduced to 2.
  • You are proficient in the sacred art of hitting someone with your gun if they get too close. One-handed Firearms gain Bashing (1d4 bludgeoning) and two-handed firearms gain bashing (1d8 bludgeoning), but both still face the Misfire chance on the attack roll.

Grappling Specialist

You've developed the skills necessary to hold your own in close-quarters grappling. You gain the following benefits:

  • You have advantage on attack rolls against a creature you are grappling.
  • Failed grapple checks do not result in loss of the grapple or opportunity attacks.
  • While you are grappling an opponent, you can choose not to roll one of your attacks and deal damage equal to your Strength ability modifier. Each round, the first time that an opponent that you are grappling an opponent, attempts to escape your grapple and fails, you deal damage to them equal to your Strength ability modifier.

Polearm Specialist

You master polearm-type weapons. You gain the following benefits while wielding any of these weapons, if you are proficient with it:

  • You gain a +1 bonus to the weapon’s attack rolls.
  • When you take the Attack action, you can use a bonus action to make a melee attack with the opposite end of the weapon. This attack uses the same ability modifier as the primary attack. The weapon’s damage die for this attack is a d4, and the attack deals bludgeoning damage. If the weapon has the reach property, the bonus action attack does not benefit from this property.
  • When you take the Attack action, you can choose to forgo one of your attacks. If you do so, your reach increases by 5 feet until the start of your next turn.

Rifle Specialist

You master the use of firearms with the two-handed property. You gain the following benefits while wielding any of these weapons, if you are proficient with it:

  • You gain a +1 bonus to the weapon’s attack rolls.
  • Whenever you have advantage on an attack roll and hit, and the lower of the two d20 rolls would also hit, you can attempt to snare the target. If the target is no more than one size larger than you (your size or smaller if your weapon has the light property), you may make a Dexterity attack roll vs its Dexterity defence. On a hit, its movement speed is reduced by half until the end of it's next turn. If it's speed was already reduced by half, it is instead reduced to 5 feet.
  • Each round, the first time that a creature that you can see misses you with a melee attack roll, you disengage as a free action and move up to half your speed directly away from them. If you encounter an obstacle or hazard, you take the shortest route around it. If this is not possible then you stop.

Sidearm Specialist

You master weapons with the point-blank property. You gain the following benefits while wielding any of these weapons, if you are proficient with it:

  • You gain a +1 bonus to the weapon’s attack rolls.
  • You learn to load and fire your weapon more efficiently. You can now reload these weapons using your object interaction. You must have one free hand to reload.
  • Whenever you score a critical hit against a living creature that has a head, you can attempt to daze the target. If the target is no more than one size larger than you (your size or smaller if your weapon has the light property), you may make a Dexterity attack roll vs its Constitution defence. On a hit, it is stunned until the end of its next turn.

Trip Weapon Specialist

You master weapons with the tripping property. You gain the following benefits while wielding any of these weapons:

  • You gain a +1 bonus to the weapon’s attack rolls.
  • As a bonus action on your turn, you can extend your weapon to sweep around and pull down an opponent’s shield. Until the end of that creature’s next turn, it gains no benefit from its shield.
  • When you score a critical hit with the weapon or hit with an opportunity attack using the weapon, you can attempt to trip the opponent as well. If the target is no more than one size larger (your size or smaller if your weapon has the light property), you may make a Strength or Dexterity attack roll vs its Strength defence. On a hit, it is knocked prone.

Welcome to D20 with Stormchaser

If you're reading this, the chances are that you're playing in one of my games, or you've found my content via Discord or Reddit.

I hope you have fun, and if you have any questions at all, don't hesitate to ask.

Enjoy!

Thanks

Extra thanks to my dedicated patrons and the members of my discord for their playtesting, feedback and critique!

Special mention goes to deity tier patron
Kane Taylor, aka "Zombie Cat ASMR".