Revised Ancestry and Culture
The Purpose of this Supplement
Race and ancestry are in my opinion kind of broken, by which I mean the base assumption of D&D ancestry is that all non-human ancestries are homogenous ethno-states, which kind of sucks. I mean by this that if you look elves they have some traits which is biological, like their Fey Ancestry, but they have other traits which are cultural like their Elf Weapon Training but you get both regardless of where or how you grew up.
This supplement attempts separate these aspects out. Not everyone will agree with the decision I have made here and I encourage you to adapt this system to you liking. For example, this has no subraces, because when I was separating things out I noticed that the vast majority of the traits subraces provide were cultural.
As a general rule, this system will produce slightly more powerful characters, however not beyond that which can be made with official rules.
Not every ancestry may have access to the same cultures, for example dwarves may only have access to the craftsmen union and underground enclave by default, so to have a different one you need back story justification. This is all done at DM discretion.
Dwarf Traits
A dwarf character has these assorted inherent biological traits.
Ability Score Improvement. Your Constitution score is increased by 1.
Age. Dwarves mature at the same rate as humans, but they're considered young until they reach the age of 50, On average, they live about 350 years.
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.
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 color in darkness, only shades of gray.
Dwarven Resilience. You have advantage on saving throws against poison, and you have resistance against poison damage (explained in chapter 9 of the Player's Handbook).
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Dwarvish.
Elf Traits
An elf character has these assorted inherent biological traits.
Ability Score Improvement. Your Dexterity score is increased by 1.
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.
Size. Elves range from under 5 to over 6 feet tall and have slender builds. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Darkvision. Accustomed to twilit forests and the night sky, 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 00 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. (The Common word for such meditation is "trance.") 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 Common and Elvish.
Halfling Traits
A halfling character has these assorted inherent biological traits.
Ability Score Improvement. Your Dexterity score is increased by 1.
Age. A halfling reaches adulthood at the age of 20 and generally lives into the middle of his or her second century.
Size. Halflings average about 3 feet tall and weigh about 40 pounds. Your size is Small.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 25 feet.
Lucky. When you roll a 1 on an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll.
Halfling Nimbleness. You can move through the space of any creature that is of a size larger than yours.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Halfling.
Human Traits
A human character has these assorted inherent biological traits.
Ability Score Improvement. Increased an ability score of your choice by 1.
Age. Humans reach adulthood in their late teens and live less than a century
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.
Tenacious. Humans are unique among all the people of the world, they have an unmatched drive. You can reroll any ability check, attack roll or saving throw you make. After doing so, you cannot do so again until you finish a short rest.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and one extra language of your choice.
Dragonborn Traits
A dragonborn character has these assorted inherent biological traits.
Age. Young dragonborn grow quickly. They walk hours after hatching. attain the size and development of a 10-year-old human child by the age of 3. and reach adulthood by 15. They live to be around 80.
Size. Dragonborn are taller and heavier than humans. standing well over 6 feet tall and averaging almost 250 pounds. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Draconic Ancestry. You have draconic ancestry. Choose one type of dragon from the Draconic Ancestry table. Your breath weapon and damage resistance are determined by lhe dragon type. as shown in the table.
Breath Weapon. You can use your action to exhale destructive energy. Your draconic ancestry determines the size, shape. and damage type of the exhalation.
When you use your breath weapon, each creature in the area of the exhalation must make a saving throw. The type of which is determined by your draconic ancestry. The DC for this saving throw equals 8 + your Constitution modifier + your proficiency bonus. A creature takes 2d6 damage on a failed save. and half as much damage on a successful one. The damage increases to 3d6 at 6th level, 4d6 at 11th level, and 5d6 at 16th level.
After you use your breath weapon, you can't use it again until you complete a short or long rest.
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 Ancestry
| Dragon | Damage Type | Breath Weapon |
|---|---|---|
| Black | Acid | 5 by 30 ft. line (Dex. save) |
| Blue | Lightning | 5 by 30 ft. line (Dex. save) |
| Brass | Fire | 5 by 30 ft. line (Dex. save) |
| Bronze | Lightning | 5 by 30 ft. line (Dex. save) |
| Copper | Acid | 5 by 30 ft. line (Dex. save) |
| Gold | Fire | 15 ft. cone (Dex. save) |
| Green | Poison | 15 ft. cone (Con. save) |
| Red | Fire | 15 ft. cone (Dex. save) |
| Silver | Cold | 15 ft. cone (Con. save) |
| White | Cold | 15 ft. cone (Con. save) |
Gnome Traits
A gnome character has these assorted inherent biological traits.
Ability Score Improvement. Your Dexterity score is increased by 2.
Age. Gnomes mature at the same rate humans do, and most are expected to settle down into an adult life by around age 40. They can live 350 to almost 500 years.
Size. Gnomes are between 3 and 4 feet tall and average about 40 pounds. Your size is Small.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 25 feet.
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 color in darkness, only shades of gray.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Gnomish.
Half-Elf Traits
A half-elf character has these assorted inherent biological traits.
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.
Size. Half-elves are about the same size as humans, ranging from 5 to 6 feet taIl. 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 30 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 00 saving throws against being charmed, and magic can't put you to sleep.
Outcast by Nature. Half-elves have trouble finding a consistent home, abhorred by both humans and elves. Pick one of the following that represents your experience with the wider world.
Scorned by both. You may add your Proficiency bonus to Dexterity checks used to determine Initiative. Additionally, when using the Disengage action, your Speed increases by 10 feet.
Ambassador to all. Your Charisma score is increased by 1 and you have proficiency with the Persuasion skill.
Forced Nomad. You have proficiency with the Nature and Survival skills. In addition, you can find food and fresh water for yourse]f and up to five other people each day, provided that the land offers berries, small game, water, and so forth.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and one extra language of your choice.
Half-Orc Traits
A half-orc character has these assorted inherent biological traits.
Ability Score Improvement. Your Strength score is increased by 1.
Age. Half-ores mature a tittle faster than humans, reaching adulthood around age 14. They age noticeably faster and rarely live longer than 75 years.
Size. Half-orcs are somewhat larger and bulkier than humans, and they range from 5 to well over 6 feet tall. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Darkvision. Thanks to your ore blood, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim tight within 30 feet of you as if it were bright tight. and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
Relentless Endurance When you are reduced to O hit points but not killed outright. you can drop to 1 hit point instead. You can't use this feature again until you finish a long rest.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Orcish.
Teifling Traits
A Teifling character has these assorted inherent biological traits.
Age. Tieflings mature at the same rate as humans but live a few years longer
Size. Tieflings are about the same size and build as humans. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Darkvision. Thanks to your infernal heritage, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 30 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.
Hellish Resistance. You have resistance to fire damage.
Infernal Legacy. You know the thaumaturgy cantrip. Once you reach 3rd level, you can cast the hellish rebuke spell once per day as a 2nd-level spell. Once you reach 5th level, you can also cast the darkness spell once per day. Constitution is your spellcasting ability for these spells.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Infernal.
Cultures
This is the interesting part of this supplement. Any ancestry can take any culture as a base assumption. If in your world, elven society only has Nature Conclaves and Theocratic Dynasties, then elves can only select one of those two cultures. This can be done at GM discretion.
Arcane Administration
A community of individuals with an affinity and drive for the arcane arts. A culture that centers intelligence and research into the magical realm. Your typical high elf culture could be an Arcane Administration.
Ability Score Improvement. Your Intelligence score and Wisdom score are both increased by 1.
Alignment. Members of an Arcane Administration tend towards neutrality. They care little for good and evil, just the acquiring of knowledge. When it comes to law and chaos they have a light tendency towards law of the two but there is large variance within it.
Cantrip. You know one Cantrip of your choice from the wizard spelllist. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for it.
Arcane Education. You know the mage hand cantrip. Once you reach 3rd level, you can cast the detect magic spell once per day as a 1st-level spell. Once you reach 5th level, you can also cast the rope trick spell once per day. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for these spells.
Trained in Magic. You gain proficiency in the Arcana skill.
Artificer's Lore. Whenever you make an Intelligence (History) or Intelligence (Arcana) check related to magic items or alchemical objects, you can add twice your proficiency bonus, instead of any proficiency bonus you normally apply.
Beast Tamer Tribe
Tribes of people, that idolize the wild animals they tame. In civilization by not of it, while they try to tame nature, nature corrupts them towards chaos. Rohan Lord of the Rings would be an example of of a Beast Tamer Tribe.
Ability Score Improvement. Two of your Strength, Dexterity or Wisdom scores are increased by 1.
Alignment. People of a beast tamer tribe are in and of the wilds, as such they tend towards chaos. In general they do not have a tendency towards good or evil, and will generally be based on their surroundings.
Raised in the Saddle. While riding a creature, mounting or dismounting a mount costs 5ft of movement, instead of half.
Additionally, you training on a mount has given you sturdy footing and strong balance. You have advantage rolls to not be knocked prone.
Wild Born. You gain proficiency in the Nature and Animal Handling skills.
Practiced Rider. You gain proficiency in any vehicles that use an animal.
Speak with Small Beasts. Through sounds and gestures, you can communicate simple ideas with Small or smaller beasts. Forest gnomes love animals and often keep squirrels, badgers, rabbits, moles, woodpeckers, and other creatures as beloved pets.
Craftsmen Union
The creation of beauty is the goal of everyone in the society, the beauty of a finely crafted weapon, or of a well made painting, or of a pristine statue. Typical dwarven culture would be a Craftsmen Union.
Ability Score Improvement. One of your Strength or Intelligence scores are increased by 2 and the other is increased by 1.
Alignment. A craftsmen union will generally be lawful in nature with a light tendency towards good. However, if the craftsmen union is focused on the creation of weapons and warmachines may tend towards evil.
Weapon Training. You have proficiency with the battleaxe, throwing hammer, warhammer, and war pick.
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.
Tool Proficiency. You gain proficiency with an artisan's tools of your choice.
Tinker. You have proficiency with artisan's tools (tinker's tools). Using those tools, you can spend 1 hour and 10 gp worth of materials to construct a Tiny clockwork device (AC 5, 1 hp). The device ceases to function after 24 hours (unless you spend 1 hour repairing it to keep the device functioning), or when you use your action to dismantle it; at that time, you can reclaim the materials used to create it. You can have up to three such devices active at a time.
When you create a device, choose one of the following options:
Clockwork Toy. This toy is a clockwork animal, monster, or person, such as a frog, mouse, bird, dragon, or soldier. When placed on the ground, the toy moves 5 feet across the ground on each of your turns in a random direction. It makes noises as appropriate to the creature it represents.
Fire Starter. The device produces a miniature flame, which you can use to light a candle, torch, or campfire. Using the device requires your action.
Music Box. When opened, this music box plays a single song at a moderate volume. The box stops playing when it reaches the song's end or when it is c1osed.
Feudal Township
Serfs and peasants carving out a life for themselves in the outer edges of civilization. Ruled over by Lords and Ladies, as they live their lives under the cruelty of both civilization and nature. Typical humans are Feudal Townships.
Ability Score Improvement. Your Strength score and Constitution score are both increased by 1.
Alignment. A feudal culture is very hierarchical with those of pure blood at the top and their serfs at the bottom. As such a members of a feudal township are almost exclusively lawful. Their predilection towards good an evil tend to be dependent on their monarch
Brave. You have advantage on saving throws against being frightened.
Weapon Training. You have proficiency with the longsword, shortsword, longbow, and mace.
Tool Proficiency. You gain proficiency with the artisan's tools of your choice: smith's tools, carpenter's supplies, or leatherworker's tools.
Oathborn. When you came of age, you took an oath to your fellow men. An oath to serve and assist your community. Pick which oath you took.
Protective Oath. You strive to defend those around you. As a reaction to a successful attack against a creature within 5ft. of you, you can grant them +3 to AC against that attack, this can cause the attack to miss.
Inspiring Oath. You swear yourself to the building up and supporting your friends in any way you can. You can take the help action as a bonus action.
Crusading Oath. You pledge yourself to be a beacon of light to your fellow man, to lead the way and achieve victory. Mark first creature you hit after rolling initiative. Creatures deal an additional 1d8 damage to a creature marked this way. At the beginning of you next turn, the mark dissipates.
Military Confederation
A people hardened by conflict, where the strong lead the rest to a glorious victory. They know nothing except the war and will nothing except fight. Good examples of these cultures are orcs and goblins.
Ability Score Improvement. Your Strength score and Constitution score are both increased by 1.
Alignment. There is a wide variance between law and chaos, and good and evil. In general, military confederations tend towards chaotic alignments, with good and evil being dictated by the leaders.
Weapon Training. You have proficiency with the longsword, shortsword, longbow, and mace.
Armor Training. You have proficiency with light and medium armor.
Savage Attacks. When you score a critical hit with a melee weapon attack, you can roll one of the weapon's damage dice one additional time and add it lo the extra damage of the critical hit.
Aggressive. As a bonus action, you can move up to your speed toward an enemy of your choice that you can see or hear. You must end this move closer to the enemy than you started.
Nature Conclave
In and of the wild forests, the baron wastes, they are one with the chaos of nature. Civilization is a plague that is blighting the land, a nature conclave must either hide, or cleanse. Wood elves and some forest gnomes are examples of Nature Conclaves.
Ability Score Improvement. Your Dexterity score and Wisdom score are both increased by 1.
Alignment. A nature conclave is near universally chaotic, they live within the chaos of nature. When it comes to good and evil, they tend to remain neutral in these affairs, protecting nature by any means, rather than inserting themselves into the matters of civilization.
Raised by Nature. Your upbringing outside of civilization has given you an affinity for the wilds. Whenever you make an Intelligence (Nature) check, you can add 1d6 to the result of that roll.
Fleet of Foot. Your base walking speed is increased by 5 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.
Speak with Small Beasts. Through sounds and gestures, you can communicate simple ideas with Small or smaller beasts. Forest gnomes love animals and often keep squirrels, badgers, rabbits, moles, woodpeckers, and other creatures as beloved pets.
Nomadic Peoples
Walking the wilds between the points of light, dotting the landscape. A people without a shelter to lay their heads, but always with their kin by their side. Examples of Nomadic Peoples include orcs, goblins and norsca barbarians.
Ability Score Improvement. Your Dexterity score and Constitution score are both increased by 1.
Alignment. Nomadic people are nearly always neutral or sometimes chaotic, by nature of their separation from civilization. They do not care for or about civilization, but do not hold it in the same contempt that a nature conclave would. They do not practically care for good or evil either.
Fleet of Foot. Your base walking speed is increased by 5 feet.
Life on your Feet. You have proficiency with two of the Athletics, Survival, and Nature skills.
Forage for Sustenance. You can cast the good berry spell once per day as a 1st-level spell.
Diverse Life Paths. You're acclimated to most climates including intense heat and cold, as described in chapter 5 of the Dungeon Master's Guide
Theocratic Dynasty
All life in centered around the worship, veneration and ideal of the pantheon that they worship. Everything is done in service to that higher power. Drow and the Covenant from Halo are examples of Theocratic Dynasties.
Ability Score Improvement. Your Wisdom score is increased by 1.
Alignment. A society centered on the ordered veneration of a higher power is lawful by definition. A society's proclivity to good, neutral and evil tends to be defined by the general disposition of their pantheon.
Cantrip. You know one Cantrip of your choice from the cleric spelllist. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for it.
Disciple of the Faith. You know the guidance. Once you reach 3rd level, you can cast the bless spell once per day as a 1st-level spell. Once you reach 5th level, you can also cast the lesser restoration spell once per day. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for these spells.
Student of the Sacred Texts. You have proficiency with the Religion and History skills.
Divine Connection. You get a +10 concordance for your home culture's pantheon.
Thinker's Society
Some say the greatest minds of the world are born in these lands. A society that values education and the furthering of the academic world. A Thinker's Society can have high variance ranging from the philosophers of ancient Greece and the inventors of renaissance Italy.
Ability Score Improvement. One of your Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma scores is increased by 2, and one of the other two is increased by 1.
Alignment. Members of an Thinker's Society tend towards neutrality in most matters. They care little for good and evil, just the discernment of truth and creation of beauty. When it comes to law and chaos they have a light tendency towards chaos as they question orthodoxy.
Icons of Debate. You have proficiency with the Persuasion skill.
Tinker. You have proficiency with artisan's tools (tinker's tools). Using those tools, you can spend 1 hour and 10 gp worth of materials to construct a Tiny clockwork device (AC 5, 1 hp). The device ceases to function after 24 hours (unless you spend 1 hour repairing it to keep the device functioning), or when you use your action to dismantle it; at that time, you can reclaim the materials used to create it. You can have up to three such devices active at a time.
When you create a device, choose one of the following options:
Clockwork Toy. This toy is a clockwork animal, monster, or person, such as a frog, mouse, bird, dragon, or soldier. When placed on the ground, the toy moves 5 feet across the ground on each of your turns in a random direction. It makes noises as appropriate to the creature it represents.
Fire Starter. The device produces a miniature flame, which you can use to light a candle, torch, or campfire. Using the device requires your action.
Music Box. When opened, this music box plays a single song at a moderate volume. The box stops playing when it reaches the song's end or when it is c1osed.
Tool Proficiency. You gain proficiency with the artisan's tools of your choice: alchemist's tools, painter's supplies, or tinker's tools.
Underground Enclave
Life deep underground is a trying ordeal. The monsters that are fairlytales above the surface are common life below it. One must be as hard as rock to survive. Example of Underground Enclaves include the Drow, Duergar, and Svirfnrblin.
Ability Score Improvement. Two of your Strength, Wisdom or Charisma scores are increased by 1.
Alignment. The horrors and dangers of the world below leave little room for moral considerations, one must do what
What if these don't fit?
The cultures given are meant to be general, catch all cultures that you could find in most games. However, if there are things that this supplement doesn't cover, I encourage you to customize them to fit the setting.
is needed to survive. You can find people of all stripe beneath the ground.
Underground 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 color in darkness, only shades of gray.
If you already have darkvision, the range of your darkvision is increased by 30 feet.
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.
Trained against Horror. Thanks to your life in the hell that is the world below, you have advantage on all Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma saving throws against magic.
Stone Camouflage. You have advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made to hide in rocky terrain .
Survive in the Depths. You have proficiency with the Survival skill. In addition you have advantage on Wisdom (Survival) checks while underground.
Vast Empire
Covering an incredible distance, with dozens of different peoples within its borders. While there is significant cultural drift the quantity of people and style of government gives a general form to it. The Empire from warhammer and the earth kingdom are all examples of Vast Empires.
Ability Score Improvement. Your Intelligence score and Charisma score are both increased by 1.
Alignment. Law is required of a society on such a scale to exist. Most people of a vast empire will abide by the laws of the land. The goodness or evilness of thw society will depend on the leaders and their views.
Land of Wealth. You receive double the wealth of your background.
Practiced with People. You have proficiency with the Persuasion and Insight skills.
Friend to all. You know the friends cantrip.
Proud. You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed or mentally dominated.
Credits
Lead Designer/Producer: u/DriverX9
References: Player's Handbook.
Interior Illustrators, in order of appearance: Bearcub, TeaInk, Soumar, MarquisAmon, Piotr Dura, Anndr.
This is unofficial Fan Content permitted under the Fan Content Policy. Not approved/endorsed by Wizards. Portions of the materials used are property of Wizards of the Coast. ©Wizards of the Coast LLC.
