Discworld Unearthed Arcana for 5th Edition DnD
Ideas taken from Terry Pratchett's Discworld series
by 3A
V1.3
Discworld Classes
Barbarians
Barbarians are found in the less-civilized portions of Discworld. They enjoy the freedoms of open plains and steppes. Barbarian adventurers can be found all over, as they loot and pillage to seek their fortune. Legend has it that a band of old, battle-hardened barbarians once got mad at the gods and nearly destroyed them all...
Bards
Discworld legend has it that the universe came into existence with a power chord. Music has a primordial power that hypnotizes the listener and the musician. Few bards actually exist, though. Most have come into possession of a rare instrument from a mysterious shop that didn't exist yesterday and won't exist tomorrow. Consult your DM if you can play a bard.
Cleric
Faith in Discworld is a two-way street. Gods feed on belief and become stronger and more powerful the more people believe in and worship them. A single cleric of a small god can increase a god's following and therefore the god's and the cleric's power from a trickle to a typhoon. A cleric can either choose to worship the established gods of Discworld provided at the end of the guide or can create their own god and worship them.
Druid
Druids exist in the forested areas of Discworld and rarely seek out civilizations. One can play a Druid of a circle that already exists or use the following Witch subclass.
Circle of the Witch
Witches are found throughout the Ramtops as local women who use their connection to the natural world to act as caretakers for a village or region. Few witches are evil, but most prefer to have their subjects fearful of them in order to maintain respect. Witches employ a philosophy called Headology, which states that what a person believes is real, is real.
Borrowing
When you choose this circle at 2nd level, instead of turning into an animal, you can borrow an animal's mind. As an action, you can cast locate animals or plants without using a spell slot. You then choose one affected beast that is not hostile to you. Instead of assuming the shape of the beast, you see through the beast's eyes and hear what it hears, and continue to do so until you use your bonus action to return to your normal senses, or until you have spent a number of hours equal to half your druid level, rounded down, seeing through the beast's eyes. While perceiving through the beast's senses, you gain the benefits of any special senses possessed by that creature. You may also cast suggestion on the beast at will for the duration. Your body is unconscious for the duration. If the animal dies while you are borrowing it then the effect ends early.
Circle Spells
Your mystical connection to the land infuses you with the ability to cast certain Spells. At 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th level you gain access to circle Spells connected to your training as a Witch.
Once you gain access to a circle spell, you always have it prepared, and it doesn’t count against the number of Spells you can prepare each day. If you gain access to a spell that doesn’t appear on the druid spell list, the spell is nonetheless a druid spell for you.
| Druid Level | Circle Spells |
|---|---|
| 3rd | hex, suggestion |
| 5th | bestow curse, fear |
| 7th | compulsion, dominate beast |
| 9th | dominate person, scrying |
Headology
Starting at 6th level, whenever you cast a spell of 1st level or higher that restores hit points to a creature other than you, the the creature regains additional hit points equal to half your Charisma modifier, rounded up (minimum of 0). The save DC of any enchantment or illusion spell that you cast is increased by half your Charisma modifier, rounded up (minimum of 0).
Reputation
By 10th level, you have acquired a greater presence. You gain proficiency in Charisma saving throws, and you gain proficiency in any two Charisma-based skills. If you already have proficiency in that skill, your proficiency bonus is doubled for that skill.
Untouchable
Beginning at 14th level, your reputation precedes you. At the end of a Long Rest, you gain the effect of a sanctuary spell that lasts until the start of your next Long Rest (the spell can end early as normal). The saving throw DC for the spell equals 8 + your Charisma modifier + your proficiency bonus.
Fighter
Fighters are found throughout Discworld, often as elite soldiers or guardsmen. Mercenaries often flock to areas torn by constant war, like the dueling duchies of Borogravia and Zlobenia. One can play a standard Fighter archetype or use the following Elite Watchman archetype that the Ankh-Morpork Watch's members represent.
Watchman
Those that are an archetypal watchman have honed their skills as policemen to the limit. They survived rougher times where the rule of law wasn't as prevalent and have emerged with street smarts and a sixth sense for danger.
Dirty Fighting
Beginning when you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you know how to exploit a foe's distraction. Once per turn, you can deal an extra 1d6 damage to one creature you hit with an Attack if you have advantage on the Attack roll.
The amount of the extra damage increases as you gain levels in this class: 2d6 at level 7, 3d6 at level 10, 4d6 at level 15, and 5d6 at level 18.
Street Smarts
You have learned how to spot danger and lies. At 3rd level, you gain proficiency in Perception and Insight.
Watchman's Shield
You gained the knack for noticing subtle changes in the environment that forbodes danger. Starting at 7th level, you cannot be surprised while you are conscious.
Big Man He Up Down Very Sorry
You strike like a viper when the time requires it. Starting at 10th level, if you spend at least 1 minute interacting with another creature outside of combat, you can make an unarmed attack against the creature as a surprise attack if you are within 5 feet of them. The attack gains a bonus to the attack and damage rolls equal to your wisdom modifier.
Where's My Cow?
You are an expert at spotting danger and lies. Starting at 15th level, your proficiency bonus for Perception and Insight is doubled.
Watchman's Aegis
You sense threats preternaturally. Starting at 18th level, no attack roll against you has advantage while you aren't incapacitated.
Monk
In the high valleys around the Hub's mountains, many spiritual groups reside and meditate. The Listening Monks, The Brothers of Cool, the Balancing Monks, the Yen Buddhists, and the Fighting Monks of the Order of Wen are all suitable origins for a monk. The Order of Wen is known by a different name, and they practice unusual rituals. If you wish, use the following monastic tradition for a History Monk.
Way of the Order of Wen
The Fighting Monks of the Order of Wen, also called History Monks or the Men in Saffron, guard history from those who seek to destroy it. Quite literally, in fact. They guide history along its path and try to prevent evildoers from breaking or stopping time. They aren't always quite successful, so they also put history back together again from time to time.
Time Slice
You learn to slow down time around you. Starting when you choose this tradition at 3rd level, you can spend 1 ki point to gain an extra bonus action or an extra reaction that lasts until the beginning of your next turn. You may only use the extra bonus actions to make an unarmed strike or to use the Patient Defense or Step of the Wind features. You can only use this feature once per turn during your action. If you are unable to take actions or reactions then you may not use this feature.
At 6th level, you can spend 3 ki points to gain two extra bonus actions or reactions. At 11th level, you can spend 5 ki points to gain three extra bonus actions or reactions. At 17th level, you can spend 7 ki points to gain four extra bonus actions or reactions.
History Monk
You begin developing a limited foreknowledge. Starting at 6rd level, you gain expertise in the History skill. You also learn the guidance and resistance cantrips.
Way of the Sweeper
You have learned that sometimes the way to become most inconspicuous is to become a menial sweeper. Beginning at level 11, you can force creatures to make an insight check instead of a perception check against your stealth check. A creature that has met you before has advantage on the insight check. If the creature fails the check, they treat you as part of the scenery. You are functionally invisible to them. You remain invisible in this way until you make an attack, cast a spell, or interact with them with more than a few words or gestures.
Way of the Yeti
You have learned how to save your progress in life. Beginning at 17th level, you can spend 8 ki points as an action to create a save point. Record your current hit points and conditions affecting you. You teleport back to this point in an hour. When you teleport, you replace your current hit points and conditions with the recorded ones. You lose all buffs and debuffs you gained during this time. You must finish a Long Rest before you can use this feature again. If you died during this hour, you return to the point alive, and you can't use this feature again for 7 days.
Paladin
God worship is alive and well, and many gods grant their followers some sort of powers. Not everyone actively worships a god, though. Being a paladin based on your own moral convictions in Discworld is common, too.
Ranger
True magical rangers are rare, but many hunters and lumberjacks exist in the forests and mountains that could conceivably have some sort of magical attunement.
Rogue
Rogues have a long tradition in Discworld. The Thieves' guild and the Assassins' guild are well-established in many cities, and nearly all rogues hail from one of these guilds. The Assassins' guild is noted to be highly lawful. Many guild members join the public service of Ankh-Morpork as Dark Clerks, who deal with the city's pressing policy issues. The Patrician of the city is notable for being a highly-accomplished graduate of the guild.
Sorcerer
Sorcerers do not exist in Discworld. Sourcerors do exist, but they are catastrophically powerful, possessing power beyond the most accomplished wizard. Sorcerers cannot be played by player characters.
Warlock
True warlocks are rare. Devils are the only ones known to have entered in pacts with humans. Fiend pacts are rare but they exist.
Instead, Discworld has several anthromorphic personifications of nature, such as Death, war, kaos, and time. If your DM allows it, you can be a child or employee of the fairies or a natural force, and use a patron appropriate to the heritage. If you DM allows, you can choose Archfey if you have elven heritage. If you are descended from Death, you might choose Great Old One or Undying. When choosing this option, think about how your parentage contributes to your look. A child of death might have a lock of hair that is permanently white, and a child of time might have a long-lost twin that is actually you, born at a slightly different time.
Employees instead gradually take on features of their employers.
Wizard
Wizards have a long tradition in Discworld as the only users of arcane magic. A Wizard is the eighth son of an eighth son of a human family. Most Wizards reside in one of several magical universities throughout the Disc, and practice the arts of mealtime. In Discworld, arcane magic is the most dangerous, with a significant chance to rip the fabric of reality and allow in creatures from the Dungeon Dimension.
Variant Rules: Unstable Magic
Practicing as a Wizard is dangerous in Discworld. You may use one or both of these rules when playing a wizard.
Wild Magic Whenever you cast a spell of 1st level or higher, roll a d20. If you roll a 1, roll on a Wild Magic Surge table, found on page 104 of the Player's Handbook or found online in many different forms.
Dungeon Dimensions Creatures from the Dungeon Dimensions seek to break through to your reality. The DM keeps track of a dimension-spanning barrier between dimensions that starts off at 20 hp. The barrier can only be damaged in the following way.
Whenever you cast a spell of 1st level or higher, roll a d100. If you roll a number equal to the spell level or lower, the DM rolls a d20 on the following table.
| d20 | Incursion |
|---|---|
| 1-8 | Faint chittering noises. |
| 9-14 | Perceptible chittering noises. Reduce the reality barrier's hp by 1. |
| 15-17 | Loud chittering noises. Reduce the reality barrier's hp by 2. |
| 18-19 | Loud chittering noises. A creature from the dungeon dimension escapes. Reduce the reality barrier's hp by 5. |
| 20 | A portal to the Dungeon Dimension is instantly torn open. The barrier is reduced to 0 HP. |
When the portal is open, 1d4 dungeon dwellers(Appendix A) escape every round. Each round, the DM rolls a d20. If the roll is 16 or higher, then the portal closes and the barrier is restored to 1 hp. The barrier regenerates 1 hp every 7 days.
Discworld Races
Golem
Dorfl stood stock-still, holding his cleaver and looking down at the ground.
"Is it a troll made to look like a human?" whispered Cheery. "Look at those eyes!"
"It's not a troll," said Angua. "It's a golem. A man of clay. It's a machine."
"It looks like a human!"
"That's because it's a machine made for looking like a human."
--Terry Pratchett, Feet of Clay
Robots Older than Civilization
Golems are created by infusing a clay sculpture of a man with magic words in their head, called a chem. They obey the chem unfailingly. Most chems make the golem unfailingly follow orders given by their masters. They will continue to follow the order, without protest, payment, or rest, until they are told to stop or are physically unable to. There are tales of a golem tasked with delivering a message to an extinct civilization waiting until the cycle of time restarts in order to deliver it. Golems are made without mouths and are mute, using a tablet to communicate.
Some golems have had their chems replaced with a receipt for their ownership. This gives the golem free will. They gain the ability to talk in this form, and they often start asking for a salary.
Golems and Modern society
Normal golems are a commodity, and are bought and sold for high prices. They often work out of sight in dangerous, dirty, or physically demanding jobs. Enlightened golems work in more public jobs, often for high pay since they can work without sleeping. Most people tolerate their presence, but some faithful see their presence as an abomination since they view that only their gods can create life.
Golem Names
Golems are named after the jobs they take or the name given to them long ago by their masters. Free golems can choose either to keep their name or to take new ones.
Golem names: Dorfl, Meshugah, Anghammarad, Mr. Pump, Gladys, Nudnik, Kvetch, Mensch, Bobkes, Dybbuk, Shtetl, Schmear
Golem Traits
Golems share certain racial traits as a result of their construction.
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 1 and your Constitution score increases by 2.
Age. You are ageless. You can be anywhere from 1 year old to 60,000.
Alignment. As golems are made from rules, you have a strong inclination towards the Lawful alignment. You are typically neutral or good.
Size. Golems are 5-7 feet tall and weigh between 350 and 600 pounds. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Living Construct. Even though you were constructed, you are a living creature. You are immune to disease, being poisoned, and poison damage. You do not need to eat or breathe, but you can ingest food and drink if you wish.
Instead of sleeping, you can enter an inactive state for 4 hours each day. You do not dream in this state; you are fully aware of your surroundings and notice approaching enemies and other events as normal.
Indefatigable. You are immune to exhaustion and do not need to sleep. You do not regain hit points, spell slots, or any other features regained on a Long Rest unless you enter an inactive state. You reduce your max HP by 1/4 every time you would have gained a level of exhaustion from your own class features, spells, or items. You regain the lost max HP only on a Long Rest.
Vulnerability. You have vulnerability to magical bludgeoning damage.
Languages. You can read and write Common and Primordial. If you have a mouth you can speak these languages too.
Variant Golem Trait
Golems are adept at dealing with heat and cold, but not both at once. If you wish, you may take this into account with the following trait.
Brick body. You gain resistance to cold and fire damage. If you take both cold and fire damage within a minute, you take bludgeoning damage equal to double the damage prevented by the resistances.
Igor
Igor lurched through the castle corridors, dragging one foot after the other in the approved fashion.
He was Igor, son of Igor, nephew of several Igors, brother of Igors and cousin of more Igors than he could remember without checking up in his diary. Igors did not change a winning formula.
And, as a clan, Igors liked working for vampires. They kept regular hours, were generally polite to their servants, and, an important extra, didn't require much work in the bed-making and cookery department, and tended to have cool, roomy cellars where and Igor could pursue his true calling. This more than made up for those occasions when you had to sweep up their ashes.
--Terry Pratchett, Fifth Elephant.
Perfect Henchmen
Members of the Igor clan are the ideal assistant for any evil mad scientist, vampire, werewolf, or other nefarious character. They are expert surgeons who can bring corpses back from the dead. They are highly capable, if morally challenged, scientists. They are eerily competent manservants to boot. Igors are loyal to their masters until their master is about to get lynched by a pitchfork mob, whereupon they mysteriously have already packed up their belongings and left the castle by the backdoor.
The Code of Igors
The Igor clan has a code of conduct for its members. A good Igor lisps and limps as much as possible, even though few Igors have an actual impediment. Igors have the uncanny ability to immediately appear behind their employer or a door when called. Igors keep their employers' matters highly discreet.
Igors also keep spare body parts for use in surgery. They perform this surgery on themselves, augumenting their bodies frequently. They leave stitches in as a badge of office.
Female Igors, Igorinas, are rare but beautiful, using their surgical skills to perform cosmetic surgery on themselves.
We-R-Igors
Igors can be found traveling between rural towns and found in large cities. The ones in cities typically find jobs with healers. The ones in the countryside travel around and perform surgery for free. They ask each person they heal to allow them to take their organs when they die. If the person changes their mind on their deathbed, the Igor will merely leave, and never return to the town. Igors are therefore treated with a mixture of fear and respect for their abilities.
Igor names
Igors follow a particular naming convention.
Male Igor Names: Igor
Female Igor Names: Igorina
Igor Traits
Igors share certain racial traits as "variant" humans.
Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence score increases by 1 and two other ability scores of your choice increase by 1.
Age. Igors have the lifespan of humans. They reach adulthood in their late teens and live less then a century.
Alignment. Igors tend to be either true neutral.
Size. Igors are between 5 and 6 feet tall and weigh between 130 and 220 pounds. Your size is medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Self-Surgery. You use your leisure time to perform surgery on yourself. During a long rest, you can gain the effects of the Change Appearance option of Alter Self. This effect lasts until your next long rest, and it does not require concentration. You cannot use your action to change appearance during this period.
Beck and Call. You may attune to one ally. That ally gains the ability to, as an action, summon you by calling your name. You must be unobserved by any humanoid when your name is called and you must teleport to an unobserved location within 30 feet of your master. If no suitable locations exist then you teleport directly behind your master, on the same square. You then must spend an action to say "Yeth Mather/Mithtress?". You may unattune yourself at any time if your master is in mortal danger.
Surgical Dabbler. You can cast cure wounds as a first-level ritual once. You can’t do so again until you finish a Long Rest. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for it.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and one other language of your choice.
Credit: Paul Kidby
Troll
To understand why dwarfs and trolls don't like each other you have to go back a long way.
They get along like Chalk and cheese. Very like chalk and cheese, really. One is organic, the other isn't, and also smells a bit cheesy. Dwarfs make a living by smashing up rocks with valuable minerals in them and the silicon-based lifeform known as trolls are, basically, rocks with valuable minerals in them. In the wild they also spend most of the daylight hours dormant, and that's not a situation a rock containing valuable minerals needs to be in when there are dwarfs around. And dwarfs hate trolls because, after you've just found an interesting seam of valuable minerals, you don't like rocks that suddenly stand up and tear your arm off because you've just stuck a pick-axe in their ear.
--Terry Pratchett, Men at Arms
Living Rocks
Trolls are giant sentient creatures entirely made of minerals and metamorphical. Their skin resembles the primary rock formations of their birthplace. This can range from igneous rock or gemstones for mountain trolls or brick and cobblestone for city trolls. They "ooze" instead of bleeding. Troll teeth are solid diamond.
Very rarely, a troll will be born that is made from solid diamond. He or she naturally becomes the king of trolls according to trollish condition.
Trollish Relationships
Trolls are native to mountain climates. They frequently migrate to cities and seek out jobs that require a lot of muscle but not much brains. Humans are wary around trolls due to the sheer destructive power of an angry troll, but most tolerate them. Trolls tend to group with themselves in cities due to differing biological requirements.
Trolls have a natural enemity towards dwarfs, due to natural competition. They also hate billy-goats.
Troll Names
Trolls are typically named after rocks or minerals. They rarely have last names. Females are often named after gemstones. Some trolls occasionally have a distinctly biological name like "Meat", just like humans can have names like "Rocky".
Male Troll Names: Detritus, Mica, Clay, Chrysoprase, Carborundrum, Brick, Big Jim Beef, Bluejohn, Flint
Female Troll Names: Ruby, Amber, Jade, Beryl, Sapphire, Emerald, Aquamarine, Topaz, Amethyst
Troll Traits
Trolls share certain racial traits as a result of their unique morphology.
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 2 and your Constitution score increases by 1.
Age. Trolls mature in 100 years and do not die of natural causes. When they get over 600 years old, however, they retreat to the mountains, gradually slowing all mental and physical activity until they lose sentience and become just a rock.
Alignment. It's hard to tell a 1000 pound troll what to do. Trolls tend towards a chaotic alignment.
Size. Trolls are between 8 and 9 feet tall and weigh between 300 and 500 pounds. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 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.
Silicon Metabolism. You are immune to the petrified condition. You are immune to disease, getting poisoned, and poison damage from biological sources. If you take acid damage then you must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or get poisoned.
Silicon Brain. Your initiative modifier is decreased by 1.
Lumbering. You have disadvantage on stealth checks while moving.
Weapon Proficiency. You have proficiency in clubs and greatclubs.
Stone Camouflage. You have advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made to hide in rocky terrain.
Powerful Build. You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.
Language. You can speak, read, and write Troll and Common.
Variant Troll Trait
Trolls are unusually sensitive to temperature. If you wish, you may take this into account with the following trait.
Silicon Brain. Your brain functions better in cold climates.
In cold areas, your Intelligence score increases by 4 and your Initiative modifier increases by 1.
In Extreme Cold, your Intelligence score increases by 8 and your Initiative modifier increases by 2. You still suffer exhaustion from the cold.
In direct sunlight and warm climates, your Intelligence score decreases by 4 and your Initiative modifier decreases by 1.
In Extreme Heat, your Intelligence score decreases by 8 and your Initiative modifier decreases by 2.
If your Intelligence score is reduced to 0 in this way, then you become unconscious until you are cooled down.
Vampire
"Being killed's nothing to a vampire," said Nanny. "They always find a way of coming back. Everyone knows that, who knows anything about vampires. If they're not too hard to kill and it's all a bit of an adventure for people, well, like as not they'll just stake him or chuck him in the river and go home. Then he has a nice restful decade or so, bein' dead, and comes back from the grave and away he goes again. That way he never gets totally wiped out and the lads of the village get some healthy exercise."
--Terry Pratchett, Carpe Jugulum
Old Evil
Vampires are a well-known legend in many locales. They terrorize a village for a while, suck a maiden dry, and inevitably get killed by a local heroic man from the local town. Many rumors exist about their supposed weaknesses. Some are abjured by garlic, others by running water. Vampires can be killed by silver, sunlight, holy water, holy symbols, a stake through their heart, or just killing them until they're dead.
Killing the vampire is the easy part. Vampires have a tendency to come back from the dead. If blood is spilled on their ashes, they will resurrect within a few minutes.
Vampires and Society
Humans are often wary of vampires in general. Vampires that still abide by their bloodsucking ways are shunned from cities or hunted down. Vampires that have channeled their passions into more benign pursuits are conditionally allowed to live in cities. Reports of bloodless corpses will cause the local undead community to come under threat, so local vampires will ruthlessly enforce temperance.
The new vampires have learned to shun superstitions of the old ways. These vampires that shun their bloodlust substitute it with another obsession. This can range from hobbies like painting or sports, items like coffee, or concepts like power. Woe to any vampire that cannot satiate this new obsession.
Vampire Names
Vampires will often have names hailing from their heritage in the backwoods mountains. They often have titles of minor nobility. Others choose to be more "modern" and adopt local human names.
Male Vampire Names: Vlad, Maledict, Otto, Fenrir, Schwarzlache, Bela, Magyrato, Arthur, John
Female Vampire Names: Lacrimosa, Camilla, Margolotta, Maladicta, Sally, Pamela, Doreen
Vampire Family Names: De Magpyr, Von Chriek, Von Morecombe, Von Smith, Winkings, Voluso
Vampire Traits
Vampires share certain characteristics as ancient undead.
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength, Dexterity, and Charisma scores increase by 1.
Age. Vampires mature in 300 years. Vampires cease aging at 900 years and do not die of natural causes.
Alignment. Most vampires are lawful. Vampires that drink blood are evil, whereas vampires that observe temperance can be neutral or good.
Size. Vampires are between 5 and 6 feet tall and weigh between 120 and 180 pounds. 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.
Undeath. If your ashes or corpse take acid damage, you cannot be resurrected. If your ashes or corpse touch animal or humanoid blood, you are resurrected in 3d4 minutes.
Vampiric Charm. You gain proficiency in the Persuasion and Intimidation skills.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and two other languages of your choice.
Subraces. Instead of genetic differences, vampires are defined physically by their morality. Choose one of these subraces.
Bloodsucker
You drink blood and seek out prey. You gain the following traits.
Alignment. You are evil.
Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma and Strength scores increase by 1.
Unholy. Your type is Undead instead of Humanoid.
Harmed by Running Water. You take 20 acid damage if you end your turn in running water.
Forbiddance. The you can't enter a residence without an invitation from one of the occupants.
Stake to the Heart. If a piercing weapon made of wood is driven into your heart while you are dead, you cannot resurrect until the stake is removed.
Sunlight Hypersensitivity. You take 20 radiant damage when you start your turn in sunlight. While in sunlight, you have disadvantage on Attack rolls and Ability Checks.
Fear of Holy. You automatically fail saving throws against Turn the Undead and Holy Water.
Teetotaler
You forsake the blood of humans. You gain the following traits.
Alignment. You are neutral or good.
Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 1.
Unmarked. Your type is Humanoid instead of Undead.
Obsession. Choose a mental focus. You satiate your bloodlust by using the mental focus. If you are unable to access or perform this desire during a 24-hour period, you become feverish and hallucinatory, and you exude an aura of danger. Your Wisdom and Intelligence scores drop to 5. Any creature within 10 feet of you must make a DC 13 wisdom save or become Frightened for 1 minute. A creature that succeeds on the save is immune to the effects for 24 hours. If you go 3 days without your focus, you must make a DC 15 wisdom save every hour or attack the nearest human, drink their blood, and switch to the Bloodsucker trait.
Werewolf
It was always hard to remember, afterwards, how the world looked when she was dans une certaine condition, as her mother had delicately called it.
For example, she remembered seeing smells. The actual streets and buildings...they were there, of course, but only as a drab monochorome background against which the sounds and, yes, the smells seared like brilliant lines of...colored fire and clouds of...well, of colored smoke.
That was the point. That was where it all broke down. There were no proper words afterwards for what she heard and smelled. If you could see an eighth distinct color just for a while, and then describe it back in the seven-colored world, it'd have to be..."something like a sort of greenish-purple." Experience did not cross over well between species.
Sometimes, although not very often, Angua though she was very lucky to see both worlds. And there was always twenty minutes after a Change when all the senses were heightened, so that the world glowed in every sensory spectrum like a rainbow. It was nearly worth it for just that.
--Terry Pratchett, Men at Arms
Lunar Monstrosities
Hailing from dark forests, true werewolves rule their domain in both human and beast form. They switch between forms at will, except at the full moon, where they are bound to their wolf form. Some children of werewolves do not have the ability to morph so they remain a human or wolf for life. They are quickly shunned from werewolf communities.
Werewolves have supernatural durability and are hard to kill. They have weaknesses to silver, fire, and baths.
City Dogs
Some werewolves migrate to cities where they try to find acceptance. They are frequently mistaken for large wolfhounds since wolves don't live in cities. In their human form, they are nigh undetectable as being a werewolf, unless someone keeps good track of their monthly habits. Many are still fearful of wolves who don't keep their taste for human flesh in check by eating chickens. Werewolves that choose to obey the law can often find employment from guardsmen, who can always use a person skilled with tracking down criminals.
Werewolf Names
Werewolves follow traditional human naming conventions of their homeland. Use the Human names table or pick your own.
Werewolf Traits
Werewolves share certain characteristics as beastmen.
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength, Dexterity and Wisdom scores increase by 1.
Age. Werewolves have the lifespan of humans. They reach adulthood in their late teens and live less then a century.
Alignment. Werewolves have a chaotic bent. Werewolves who hunt humans are evil, others can have any alignment.
Size. Werewolves are between 5 and 6 feet tall and weigh between 130 and 220 pounds. Your size is medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Beast heritage. You gain proficiency in the Perception and Nature skills.
Inhuman durability. When reduced to 0 hit points, you stabilize immediately. Even if you take damage while you have 0 hit points, you do not suffer a death saving throw failure. If the damage equals or exceeds your hit point maximum, you still suffer instant death.
Werewolf. You can polymorph yourself into a wolf at will, as if you used the polymorph spell on yourself. You do not assume the hit points of the new form and being damaged does not revert you to your normal form. You drop all gear when polymorphing. You can remain polymorphed as long as you want, but each hour after the first hour temporarily reduces your Intelligence score by 1, down to a minimum of 3. Upon transforming back, your Intelligence score increases by 1 every round until you reach your base Intelligence score. You cannot polymorph when you are touching or wearing silver. You must polymorph and remain a wolf during the week of the full moon.
Darkvision. Accustomed to twilit forests and the night sky, you and your wolf form 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.
Vulnerability. You are vulnerable to damage from silvered weapons. Being damaged by fire or silvered weapons while unconscious instantly kills you.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and one other language of your choice.
Zombie
"Yeah, it's always the same," said Reg Shoe bitterly.
"Once you're dead, people just don't want to know, right? They act as if you've got some horrible disease. Dying can happen to anyone, right?"
"Everyone, I should have thought," said Windle. "Er, I--"
"Yeah, I know what it's like. Tell someone you're dead and they look like they've seen a ghost," Mr. Shoe went on.
--Terry Pratchett, Reaper Man
Inhuman Determination
Some people just can't give up the ghost. Some zombies are formed by necromancy. Others form from humans who have ironclad will to fulfill their purpose in life -- and beyond life. They return to the world of the living dead yet still sentient and intelligent. Many zombies can still walk, talk, and perceive the world around them.
Zombies and Humanity
Many people are wary and uneasy around a walking corpse. Most zombies brought back to life by sheer bloody willpower are not violent towards humans like those brought back by necromancy, though, so open-minded humans will tend to let zombies unlive in peace. Zombies tend to live in cities that are large and open enough for them not to be targets.
Zombie Names
Zombies are generally of human origin. Some element of the human spirit lends itself to the rare manifestation of life after death. The zombie retains the name that they had as a mortal.
Zombie Traits
Zombies share certain racial traits as a result of their undeath.
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 2 and your Wisdom score increases by 1.
Age. You are already dead and do not die again unless your purpose is fulfilled.
Alignment. You retain the alignment you had in life.
Size. You retain the size and weight you had in life.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Lived Through It. You gain proficiency in the History skill.
Not Undead. You retained your original soul. Your type is Humanoid instead of Undead.
Walking Corpse. You are immune to disease, the poisoned condition, and poison damage. You do not need to eat or breathe, but you can ingest food and drink if you wish.
Not Yet Dead. When you are reduced to 0 hit points from a damage type other than fire but not killed outright, you become paralyzed instead of unconscious, and you can speak while in this state.
Combustibility. You are vulnerable to fire damage.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write all languages you knew in life. This tends to be Common and one other language.
Variant Zombie Traits
Zombies respond to Trauma differently from most creatures. If you wish, you may take this into account with the following traits.
Body Parts. Whenever you take slashing damage, roll a d20 to determine what else happens to you:
1-15: Nothing else happens.
16-17: One leg is severed from your body if you have any legs left.
18-19: One arm is severed from your body if you have any arms left.
20: You are decapitated, but you only die if you take fire damage. If you die, so does your severed head.
Your speed is halved if you're missing a leg. If you lose both legs, you fall prone. If you have both arms, you can crawl. With only one arm, you can still crawl, but your speed is halved. With no arms or legs, your speed is 0, and you can't benefit from bonuses to speed.
If your head is severed, your body is Blinded unless your head can see it.
You regenerate to full health when you take a short rest. You use this time to reattach any severed body part.
Credit: Paul Kidby
Other races of Discworld
Humans
Humans are the most numerous race on Discworld, and interact with every other race. Use the Player Handbook to create a human character.
Dwarfs
Dwarfs (Not Dwarves) in Discworld are largely similar to their counterparts in DnD settings. Replace Hill Dwarves with Copperhead Dwarfs and Mountain Dwarves with Uberwald or Ramtop Dwarfs.
Elves
In Discworld, Elves are evil fey creatures from a parasitic dimension. They are not intended to be a playable character in Discworld settings. Elves are much more glamorous and dangerous than their DnD counterparts. They prey upon humans whenever the magnetic fields are weakened, and influence the dreams of their prey to remove lodestone circles set as protection to prevent Elvish incursions. The Elves are led by their evil Queen and her Lords and Ladies.
The King of the Elves lives in exile in a dungeon set in an earthen mound. He is neutral to the affairs of humans, and can be called upon to return the Queen to Fairyland.
Half-elves
In Discworld, Half-elves exist, but are phenomenally rare. They live with humans and are generally unaware of their elven heritage. They have similar lifespans to humans but retain the other racial features of DnD half-elves. They take human names.
Gnomes
Discworld gnomes are smaller than DnD gnomes but tend to be equally strong. You may use Forest Gnome stats for Discworld gnomes, and you can be less than two feet tall if you desire, but your size remains small.
Goblins
Discworld goblins are outcasts that are exceedingly intelligent and skilled with mechanical systems. Goblins use the stats of DnD Rock Gnomes, except they speak Goblin instead of Gnomish. Goblin names translated to Common typically describe a sensory experience.
Goblin Names: Of the Lathe the Swarf, Of the Wind Regretfully Blown, Shine of the Rainbow, Sound of the Rain on Hard Ground, Tears of the Mushroom
Half-Orc
Orcs were a race of creatures made solely for war. They went nearly extinct after the dark empire fell. Remaining Orcs are almost nonexistent. In DnD, they are affected by the mark of Grummsh, whereas in Discworld they are affected by their artificial creation. Ask your Dungeon Master whether you can play them.
Halflings/Nac Mac Feegle
Halflings do not exist in Discworld. If you wish to play as a Nac Mac Feegle, you may use Halfling stats to play as one. Replace Halfling language with Feegle language. Feegle language is a strong mountain brogue that sounds vaguely like Common with a thick accent but completely incomprehensible at times. Replace Brave with Fey Ancestry. Replace Lightfoot with Chalk Hill Clan and Stout with Long Lake Clan. Feegles tend to be less than two feet tall. Your size remains small.
Feegle Prefixes: Wee, Big, Medium-sized, Not totally Wee, Wee Dangerous
Feegle Names: Jock, Rob, Bobby, Spike, Hamish, Yan
Dragonborn
Dragonborn do not exist in Discworld.
Tiefling
Tieflings do not exist in Discworld.
Credit: Paul Kidby
Feats
Insulated
Prerequisite: Golem
You are made of lightningproof clay. Gain the following benefits:
- You gain resistance to lightning damage.
- At 16th level, you gain immunity to lightning damage.
Golem Song
Prerequisite: Golem
You can sing the wordless song that all golems can hear. Gain the following benefits:
- Increase your Wisdom score by 1, up to a maximum of 20.
- As an action, you can cast the Sending spell on any golem anywhere. You can target as many golems as you want, even ones you don't know personally. If the target is 10 or more miles away, you must succeed on a DC 5 Wisdom ability check or the spell fails. The DC increases by 1 for every 10 additional miles. A Wisdom ability check of 14, for example, means you can target any and all golems within 100 miles. You may cast this spell once, and you must finish a long rest before you cast Sending using this feat again.
Surgery Expert
Prerequisites: Igor, Intelligence 13 or higher
You have trained long in the art of cutting people up. Gain the following benefit.
- You gain surgery points equal to a third of your level, rounded down. You can cast cure wounds, lesser restoration, greater restoration, heal, raise dead, and revivify as a ritual. You then spend surgery points equal to the spell's level. You cannot cast a spell if you do not have enough surgery points to cast it with. You regain all expended surgery points on a Long Rest. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for the spells.
Weird Science
Prerequisites: Igor
You spend your spare time solving the mysteries of the natural world. Gain the following benefits.
- Increase your Intelligence or Wisdom score by 1, up to a maximum of 20.
- Your proficiency bonus to your Wisdom (Medicine) and Intelligence (Arcana) checks is doubled.
- You gain proficiency in two artisan's tools of your choice. You may then gain expertise with two of the artisan's tools you are proficient in, including the ones granted by this feat.
Big Troll
Prerequisite: Troll
You are bigger than the average troll. Gain the following benefits:
- Your Reach increases by 5 ft.
- At Level 8, you permanently grow to be large. The effects of Powerful Build and the base power of this feat do not stack with the size increase.
- At Level 16, the effects of Powerful Build apply again.
Rock Hide
Prerequisites: Troll, Constitution 13 or higher
Your skin grows tough and hardens over time. Gain the following benefits:
- Your crust hardens: When you aren’t wearing armor, your AC equals 13 + your Dexterity modifier.
- You gain the ability to temporarily toughen your skin further. At the 12th level, you can cast stone skin once on yourself without needing a material component. Once you use this ability, you can't use it again until you take a long rest.
Bat Polymorph
Prerequisite: Vampire
You have mastered the art of transforming into a creature of the night. Gain the following benefits:
- You can Wild Shape into a bat or a cloud of bats. You can stay in a beast shape for a number of hours equal to a third of your level (rounded down). You can use this feature once. You regain expended uses when you finish a short or Long Rest.
Hover
Prerequisite: Vampire
You can float in the air. Gain the following benefits:
- You can cast Levitate on yourself once, without expending a spell slot or material components. You can’t do so again until you finish a Long Rest.
- At 8th level, you can cast it twice between Long Rests.
- At 12th level, you can cast it at will.
Super Senses
Prerequisite: Werewolf
Your senses are especially keen for a werewolf. Gain the following benefits:
- Wisdom (Perception) checks made in your wolf form that have advantage are increased by your proficiency bonus.
- While in wolf form, you can gain the effects of one of the following spells once with this ability: locate animals or plants, locate object, or locate creature. Switching to human form breaks concentration. You regain the ability to use these spells when you finish a long rest.
Friendly
Prerequisite: Werewolf
You are friend to human and canine alike. Gain the following benefits:
- Increase your Charisma score by 1, up to a maximum of 20.
- You can attune to an ally. While attuned, you gain be alerted if they're in danger at any time.
- You gain the effects of speak with animals while in wolf form, provided the target is a canine.
Body Master
Prerequisite: Zombie
You can control your body with the utmost precision. Gain the following benefits:
- Increase your Constitution score by 1, up to a maxiumum of 20.
- You have advantage on Constitution saving throws.
Mind over Body
Prerequisites: Zombie, Intelligence 13 or higher
You can control your senses with the utmost precision. Gain the following benefits:
- Increase your Wisdom score by 1, up to a maximum of 20.
- You gain immunity to the Deafened and Blinded conditions. If you already have these conditions, they are cured.
Credit: Paul Kidby
Backgrounds of Discworld
Igor
Requires Igor race
You are a member of the Igor clan. You have studied the natural and the occult sciences in tandem, and you have explored the boundary between life and death. You are drawn to power. You require it for your experiments, and you happily pay the price of being the eternal understudy.
When creating an Igor, think about their master. Most Igors have one, and it shapes their relationship with everyone else. An Igor working for an evil mad scientist or undead might align with their master's worldview, up until their employment is terminated by their master getting lynched by a mob. An Igor that travels the land healing people or seeks work in a large city's hospital might not have a master, but instead be employed by a business or be self-employed.
Skill Proficiencies: Medicine, Arcana
Tool Proficiencies: Alchemist's supplies, herbalist's kit
Equipment: A healer's kit, a cooler with body parts and bags of blood, a set of patchwork common clothes, a bag of medical tools, and a pouch containing 10 gp
Research Specialty
Igors dabble over the entirety of scientific disciplines. Most focus their breakthroughs on a single field, though, and devote their time to furthering advancements in this field. Choose your field, or roll on the table below.
| d8 | Specialty |
|---|---|
| 1 | Vehicles |
| 2 | Machines |
| 3 | Buildings |
| 4 | Arcana |
| d8 | Specialty |
|---|---|
| 5 | Biology |
| 6 | Chemistry |
| 7 | Electricity |
| 8 | Surgery |
Feature: Traveling Doctor
An Igor is well-liked if he can heal crippling injuries in areas not well-traveled by experienced doctors or clerics. You can get comfortable lodging in inns or homes of local townspeople provided they aren't already hostile. If you heal people and don't accept payment, you can often get some supplies or food for free.
Suggested Characteristics
Igors may seem all alike, but they have different scar patterns if you look closely. They also have different hopes, dreams, and quirks.
| d8 | Personality Trait |
|---|---|
| 1 | I'm a stickler for old customs. Like trophy heads on walls and guns over mantelplaces. |
| 2 | Wherever I go the doors get creaky and cobwebs start to go. |
| 3 | I think getting whipped by my master is as it should be. |
| 4 | I am an expert at spotting madness in my employer and I adapt to it well. |
| 5 | I don't lisp as much as I should. |
| 6 | My masters frequently have the bad luck of getting lead poisoning from pitchforks... |
| 7 | I prefer to do veterinary work. |
| 8 | I refuse to call any man my master. |
| d6 | Ideal |
|---|---|
| 1 | Tradition. I do things the way they have always been done. (Lawful) |
| 2 | Compassion. I want to use my medical skills to help as many people as possible. (Good) |
| 3 | Progress. I must push the boundaries of knowledge at any cost. (Chaotic) |
| 4 | Excellence. I want to become more skilled in my craft. (Any) |
| 5 | Greed. I'm only in it for the money. (Evil) |
| 6 | Balance. I must do my job to preserve the cycle of life and the transfer of organs. (Lawful) |
| d6 | Bond |
|---|---|
| 1 | My master treats me well. I am doing their bidding. |
| 2 | I am seeking out rare materials for use in my experiments. |
| 3 | I want to get hands-on work experience. |
| 4 | I am trying to avenge the killers of my master. |
| 5 | I am on the run from my master's agents. |
| 6 | I am tracking down one of master's failed experiments. |
| d6 | Flaw |
|---|---|
| 1 | My bedside manner is lacking. I can be a bit too knife-happy. |
| 2 | I am inflexible in my thinking. I am a traditional Igor. |
| 3 | I am blind to my master's flaws. |
| 4 | I don't always follow the Hippocratic Oath. |
| 5 | I break my moral code a little too frequently. |
| 6 | I have delusions of grandeur. |
Assassins' Guild
In Discworld, the guilds are quite powerful, and many guilds exist that don't exist in Roundworld. The first among these is the Assassins' guild. Rich people discovered that, since assassins tend to be bought and sold by rich people to kill each other, they could make it much more orderly by just having clear-cut contracts that say "No killing without pay".
The Assassins' Guild offers a well-rounded education, which makes it a common place for children of nobles to be educated at. Scholarship boys and dutiful pupils also take the Black Syllabus, which is where the students actually learn how to assassinate.
Skill Proficiencies: Stealth, Acrobatics
Tool Proficiencies: One musical instrument or gaming set
Languages: One of your choice
Equipment: A Climber's kit, a set of dark common clothes, a musical instrument or gaming set that you are proficient in, a letter of introduction from your guild, and a pouch containing 15 gp
Feature: Guild Membership
As a member of a highly feared guild, you 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.
The Assassins' guild wields tremendous political power. If you are accused of a crime, your guild will support you if a good cause can be made for your innocence or if the crime is justifiable. If you kill a target that the guild has a contract for, and you previously accepted the contract, the guild considers that completely justifiable and will pay you the amount of the contract. If no contract exists or another guild member accepted the contract, then the guild will not support you and you enter in the guild's bad graces.
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 5gp per month to the guild's coffers. If you miss payments, you must make up back dues to remain in the guild's good graces.
Variant Feature: Guild Training
As a former student of the guild, you have opted to seek your fortunes elsewhere. You are not a dues-paying guild member, but guild members will provide you with lodging and food if necessary. You can replace proficiency in Stealth or Acrobatics with proficiency in History or Religion.
Suggested Characteristics
The Assassins share much with other, more pedestrian guilds. Use the suggested characteristics for guild artisans found on page 133 of the Player's Handbook, or refer to the reproduction at the end of this background section.
Beggars' Guild
In large cities, beggars are everywhere. In some cities, the more enterprising vagrants have organized the other beggars into a guild. The Beggars' Guild spreads its members to panhandle over a city efficiently, and in doing so, turns its members into an efficient intelligence community, with eyes and ears throughout the city.
An enterprising guild member can use their nature to gain money for the guild efficiently. Beggars frequently offer a service of Not Showing Up At Your Special Occasion for a nominal fee. They also have a dislike of spending money earned by begging, so a Beggars' Guild frequently invests the guild's members' money and has far more money than anyone would expect.
Skill Proficiencies: Stealth, Perception, Survival
Equipment: A placard and a writing utensil, a set of ragged common clothes, a disfiguring skin disease, a small knife, a pouch containing 5 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 btwice as fast as your speed would normally allow.
Suggested Characteristics
Members of the Beggars' Guild share some characteristics of urchins and some with guild artisans. You may use any characteristics from either other background. The suggested characteristics for urchins is found on page 141 of the Player's Handbook, and is reproduced at the end of this background section.
Seamstresses' Guild
As a lady (or gentleman) of negotiable affection, you are intimately familiar with intimacy and love, but not needlework. Most seamstresses are lower-class girls with good looks.
Skill Proficiencies: Persuasion, Performance
Tool Proficiencies: One musical instrument or gaming set
Languages: One of your choice
Equipment: Manacles, a set of common clothes, a musical instrument or gaming set that you are proficient in, a silk handkerchief, and a pouch containing 15 gp
Feature: Ill Repute
As a guild member of the oldest profession, you gain certain benefits. You can find food and lodging at most brothels. Your guild will support you if you practice in an area that bans your profession.
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.
Suggested Characteristics
The Seamstresses share much with other, more pedestrian guilds. Use the suggested characteristics for guild artisans found on page 133 of the Player's Handbook, or refer to the reproduction at the end of this background section.
Fools' Guild
As a member of the Fools' Guild, you bring joy to the lives of others by reminding them how much worse they could be off, namely by being a member of the Fools' Guild. The guild has old, revered traditions that nobody cares about outside the guild.
The guild only recruits males, because the guild has conclusively proved that women do not have a sense of humor.
Skill Proficiencies: Acrobatics, Performance
Tool Proficiencies: Disguise kit, musical instrument of your choice
Equipment: A disguise kit, a set of common clothes, a musical instrument of your choice, a clown costume and makeup, and a pouch containing 10 gp
Feature: Hall of Faces
As a guild member, makeup is a long-standing tradition. Each clown has a signature makeup configuration, which is put on record in the guild-hall. You inherited the makeup patterns of an older, famous clown. You gain his alias if you put on your clown costume and makeup. You can also instantly identify any clown you can see the face of. You can notice if someone wearing a clown costume is not a guild member, because you see the imperfections in their makeup application.
Suggested Characteristics
The Fools share much with other, more pedestrian guilds. Use the suggested characteristics for guild artisans found on page 133 of the Player's Handbook, or refer to the following reproduction.
Suggested Characteristics for a Guild Artisan
| 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 civilized people to strengthen the bonds of community and the security of civilization. (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. |
| 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. |
Suggested Characteristics for an Urchin
| 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. |
Credit: Paul Kidby
Appendix A: Monsters
Dungeon Dweller
Small fiend, chaotic evil
- Armor Class 6
- Hit Points 10(2d4 + 5)
- Speed 30ft fly 30 ft..
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 1 (-4) 1 (-4) 1 (-4) 1 (-4) 1 (-4) 10 (+0)
- Immunities All magical damage, Bludgeoning, Piercing, Slashing
- Damage Vulnerabilities Non-magical fire
- Condition Immunities Charmed, Exhaustion, Frightened, Grappled, Paralyzed, Petrified, Poisoned, Prone, Restrained
- Senses passive Perception 6
- Languages Deep Speech, Common (If Int 6 or above)
- Challenge 1/8 (25 XP)
Magic Eater. Whenever the dungeon dweller is subjected to a spell, it takes no damage and regains a number of hit points equal to the spell damage dealt, if applicable. The absorbed spell's effect is canceled, and the spell's energy — not the spell itself — is stored by the dweller. The energy has the same level as the spell when it was cast. The dweller can absorb and store up to 20 levels of energy over the course of its existence. Once the dweller absorbs 20 levels of energy, it can't absorb more. If a dweller is subjected to a spell with an area of affect, it gains energy levels equal to a third of the spell's level, rounded up.
It also increases all of its ability scores by 1, increases its save DC by 1, and increases its maximum HP by 2d4(5) for each level of energy absorbed.
Dispel magic deals 8d4(20) damage to a dungeon dweller. Any dungeon dweller that enters or ends its turn in an anti-magic field is dealt 8d8(36) damage per round.
Actions
Reality Warper. The dungeon dweller can cast spells innately. Its spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 9). Once a dweller has a level of energy equal to a spell level then it can cast the spell at will, without needing verbal, somatic, or material components.
The dweller has following spells prepared: Cantrips (at will): minor illusion 1st level: silent image, disguise self 2nd level: phantasmal force, magic mouth 3rd level: major image, hypnotic pattern 4th level: hallucinatory terrain 5th level: creation 6th level: programmed illusion 7th level: mirage arcane