Racial Talents

This section introduces a collection of special trees that allow you to explore your character's race further. These talents are each associated with a race, as summarized in the Racial Talents table. A racial talent represents either a deepening connection to your race's culture or a physical transformation that brings you closer to an aspect of your race's lineage.

The cause of a particular transformation is up to you and your DM. A transformational talent can symbolize a latent quality that has emerged as you age, or a transformation that might be the result of an event in the campaign, such as exposure to powerful magic or visiting a place of ancient significance to your race. Transformations are a fundamental motif of fantasy literature and folklore. Figuring out why your character has changed can be a rich addition to your campaign's story.

Draconic Features

Your scales harden. While you aren't wearing armor, you can calculate your AC as 13 + your Dexterity modifier. You can use a shield and gain this benefit. Additionally, you grow retractable claws from the tips of your fingers. Extending or retracting the claws require no action. The claws are natural weapons, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with them, you deal slashing damage equal to 1d4 + your Strength modifier, instead of the normal bludgeoning damage for an unarmed strike.

Frightful Presence

Instead of exhaling destructive energy, you can expend a use of your Breath Weapon trait to roar, forcing each creature of your choice within 30 feet of you to make a Wisdom svaing throw (DC 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier). A target automatically succeeds on the save if it can't hear or see you. On a failed save, a target becomes frightened of you for 1 minute. If the frightened target takes any damage, it can repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on itself on a success.

Draco Wings

You manifest leathery wings reminiscent of your dragon subtype. You gain a flying speed of 30 feet. To use this speed, you can't be wearing medium or heavy armor.

Dwarven Fortitude

Whenever you take the Dodge action in combat, you can spend one Hit Die to heal yourself. Roll the die and add your Constitution modifier and regain a number of hit points equal to the total (minimum of 1).

Drow High Magic

Prerequisite: Drow

You learn the detect magic spell, and can cast it at will, without expending a spell slot.

You also learn the levitate and dispel magic spell, each of which you can cast once without expending a spell slot. You regain the ability to cast these two spells in this way when you finish a long rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for all three spells.

Fey Teleportation

Prerequisite: High Elf

You learn to speak, read, and write Sylvan.

You also learn the misty step spell and can cast it without expending a spell slot. You regain the ability to cast it in this way when you finish a short or long rest. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for this spell.

Wood Elf Magic

Prerequisite: Wood Elf

You learn one druid cantrip of your choice. You also learn the longstrider and pass without trace spells, each of which you can cast once without expending a spell slot. You regain the ability to cast these two spells in this way when you finish a long rest. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for all three spells.

Storm Temperance

Prerequisite: Air Genasi

You gain resistance to lightning and thunder damage. In addition, whenever you take the Dodge action you can fly up to 10 feet without provoking opportunity attacks.

Earthen Durability

Prerequisite: Earth Genasi

Your body is toughened by the primordial magic that flows in your blood. Manifesting as hardened skin, while you aren't wearing armor, you can calculate your AC as 13 + your Constitution modifier. You can use a shield and still gain this benefit.

Flame Mastery

Prerequisite: Fire Genasi

You learn the create bonfire cantrip, however you can cast it without concentration but you can only place one bonfire at a time with this casting of it. If you cast another one while a different bonfire is active, the previous one goes out.

In addition, whenever you cast a spell that deals fire damage, you cause your skin to glow white hot, and flames wreathe around you until the end of your next turn. The flames don't harm you or your possessions, and they shed bright light out to 30 feet and dim light for an additional 30 feet. While the flames are present, any creature within 5 feet of you that hits you with a melee attack takes 1d4 fire damage.

Fade Away

Immediately after you take damage, you can use a reaction to magically become invisible until the end of your next turn or until you attack, deal damage, or force someone to make a saving throw. Once you use this ability, you can't do so again until you finish a short or long rest.

Redirect Attack

When a creature you can see targets you with an attack, you can use your reaction to choose another creature within 5 feet of you and swap places.

If the target is a willing creature, you swap places and the creature is the new target for the attack.

If the target is an unwilling or hostile creature, you must succeed on an opposed Dexterity (Acrobatics) check vs. the target's Dexterity (Acrobatics) check. If the creature fails, the creature is the new target for the attack. If you fail, you don't swap places and remain the target for the attack.

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

Second Chance

When a creature you can see hits you with an attack roll, you can use your reaction to force that creature to reroll. Once you use this ability, you can't use it again until you roll initiative at the start of combat or until you finish a short or long rest.

Bountiful Luck

Halflings have extraordinay luck, which you have learned to mystically lend to your companions when you see them falter. You're not sure how you do it; you just wish it, and it happens.

When an ally you can see within 30 feet of you rolls a 1 on the d20 for an attack roll, an ability check, or a saving throw, you can use your reaction to let the ally reroll the die. The ally must use the new roll.

When you use this ability, you can't use your Lucky racial trait before the end of your next turn.

Fearless Rationale

• You are immune to being frightened.
• Whenever you target a creature with your Hungry Jaws feature, the creature must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw (DC 8 + your Proficiency Bonus + your Charisma modifier). On a failed save, the target becomes frightened of you for 1 minute. The frightened target repeats the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.

Hellbound Blood

Whether through fell magic or the presence of tiefling blood grappling with your orcish blood, you are touched with corruptive infernal power. You gain the following benefits:

• You have resistance to fire and poison damage.
• You have vicious claws, sharp teeth, or horns that manifest as a natural weapon, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with them, you deal piercing or slashing damage (your choice) equal to 1d4 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.

Orcish Fury

• When you hit with an attack using a weapon, you can roll one of the weapon's damage dice an additional time and add it as extra damage of the weapon's damage type. Once you use this ability, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
• Immediately after you use your Relentless Endurance trait, you can use your reaction to make one weapon attack.

Infernal Constitution

• You have resistance to cold damage and poison damage.
• You have advantage on saving throws against being poisoned.

Flames of Phlegethos

• When you roll fire damage for a spell you cast, you can reroll any roll of 1 on the fire damage dice, but you must use the new roll, even if it is another 1.
• Whenever you cast a spell that deals fire damage, you can cause flames to wreathe around you until the end of your next turn. The flames don't harm you or your possessions, and they shed bright light out to 30 feet and dim light for an additional 30 feet. While the flames are present, any creature within 5 feet of you that hits you with a melee attack takes 1d4 fire damage.

Shellbound Guardian

• Your natural armor now provides a base AC of 18.
• As a reaction when you are forced to make a Dexterity saving throw, choose any number of creatures within 5 feet of you. Each chosen creature is considered to have half-cover against harmful ranged attacks or effects while within 5 feet of you until the start of your next turn. Once you use this ability, you can't do so again until you've finished a short or long rest.

Deep Magic

• You learn the shape water cantrip.
• You also learn the warding wind and water breathing spells, each of which you can cast once without expending a spell slot. You regain the ability to cast these two spells in this way when you finish a long rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for all three spells.

Snakechange

You can use an action to polymorph into a Medium snake or back into your true form. Your statistics are the same in each form. Any equipment you are wearing or carrying isn't transformed. If you die, you stay in your current form.

While in snake form, you gain a bite attack as a natural weapon. If you hit with it, you deal piercing damage equal to 1d4 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage for an unarmed strike. When you hit with a bite attack, you can choose to deal 1d12 additional poison damage to the target. Once you deal this poison damage, you can't do so again until you finish a long rest.