Playtest Material

This compendium of character options and alternative rules is presented for playtesting and to spark your imagination. These game mechanics are in draft form, usable in your campaign, but not refined by design iterations or full game development. This compendium is not officially part of the game. For these reasons, it is not legal in D&D Adventurers League events or any other public D&D events.

Use this compendium by your own discretion and that of your Dungeon Master's.

Races

Races are the different being that make up the world of D&D. These people, for example, can be humans, gnomes, elves and more. Each of these races often makes up a different culture and occupy a different part of the world than other races, but some may mingle with other races to create unique, blended cultures.

However, regardless of where one comes from, their race provides unique features, different from others. For example, dwarves are naturally built to work in rocky, mountainous areas, and so they are naturally built tougher and with an ability that lets them see better in the dark. Another example could be the human. Humans are often one of the most common races in D&D, and usually the most spread out ones. Because of that, humans are extremely adaptable and meldable. They are often fast learners, and can specialize in almost any area.

The races mentioned can be found in the Player's Handbook, and each of the races presented in this section can be found in this section as well. However, in order to accommodate a nonmagical setting, some have to be modified to fit in. The table below identifies each of the races and subraces in this book, and it can be used to reference and find what kind of race to look for in a character.

Dwarf

The base build for the Dwarf, found in the Player's Handbook, can be kept within a nonmagical campaign. However, an interesting new addition that you may find useful is the Wild Dwarf, found below.

Elf

The base build for the Elf, found in the Player's Handbook, can be kept within a nonmagical campaign. However, in such a setting, the High Elf and Drow subraces must be modified. Their revised versions can be found below.

Tallfellow

Tallfellow Halflings are the descendants of a mixed-elf bloodline. They are slightly taller than their cousins, averaging a little over 4’ in height. Tallfellows are even more slender and light- boned however, weighing little more than theaverage Lightfoot. They enjoy the company of elves, and most Tallfellow villages will be found nearby populations of sylvan folk, with a flourishing trade between the two peoples.

Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence score increases by l .

Schooled Language. Tallfellows spend years studying their elven heritage and reading old works. You can speak, read, and write Elvish.

Honed Shooter. You gain proficiency in slings and spears. When using a sling or spear, attacking at long range doesn't impose disadvantage on your ranged weapon attack rolls.

Keen Senses. You have proficiency in the Perception skill.

Human Variant

Instead of the PHB variant Human traits, you may replace the standard Human’s Ability Score Increase with all of these traits.

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

Human Versatility. You gain proficiency with one set of tools, one melee weapon, and one simple or special ranged weapon. You can speak, read, and write one extra language of your choice.

Inborn Prowess. Many humans are trained to excel in one role. Choose one of your skill proficiencies and one of your proficiencies with a set of tools or an instrument. Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses either of the chosen proficiencies. The skill or tool you choose must be one that is not already benefiting from a feature, such as Expertise, that doubles your proficiency bonus.

The following are Variant Human templates based upon the ethnic groups listed in the PHB.

CALISHITE

Descended from the slaves of genies, these desert folk inhabit the sands of Calimshan.

Tool & Expertise. Potter's tools, Perception

Weapons. Scimitar, Shortbow

Language. Elven

CHONDATHAN

A very common ethnicity, who traveled the land and sea in early days to settle across the world.

Tool & Expertise. Navigator's tools, Intimidation

Weapons. Longsword, Net

Language. Dwarven, Goblin or Orc

DAMARAN

Damarans have endured hardships and ancient terrors, and they lean towards moral absolutes.

Tool & Expertise. Cartographer's tools, Religion

Weapons. Spear, Light Crossbow

Language. Dwarven

ILLUSKAN

The raiders of the north seas, Illuskan culture is home to sailors, skalds, and runic magic.

Tool & Expertise. Navigator’s Tools, Survival

Weapons. Battleaxe, Light Crossbow

Language. Dwarven or Giant

MULAN

The Mulan have dominated the eastern shores with their affinity for spellcasting.

Tool & Expertise. Alchemist’s tools, Arcana

Weapons. Quarterstaff, Shortbow

Language. Elven or Sylvan

RASHEMI

Rashemi are tough, sturdy, northlanders who pride themselves on martial ability.

Tool & Expertise. Leatherworker's tools, History

Weapons. War Pick, Net

Language. Primordial

Dragonborn Variant

You can choose one of the following Breath Weapon effects. Alternatively, at the time of character creation you can choose to keep the ordinary Breath Weapon effect; if you do so, you can activate your breath weapon bonus action instead of as an action.

Black / Copper Breath

Your breath weapon is a 5 by 30 ft. line (Dex. save) which deals Acid damage. If a creature fails its saving throw by 5, it also is corroded by your acid. At the end of each of its turns, the target repeats the saving throw. It takes 1d4 acid damage on a failed save, and the effect ends on a successful one. If the creature fails 3 saves consecutively, it is also blinded until it succeeds a saving throw.

Blue / Bronze Breath

Your breath weapon is a 5 by 30 ft. line (Dex. save) which deals Lightning damage. If a creature fails its saving throw, it can't take reactions until the start of its next turn. If there is only a single creature in your line, and that creature fails its saving throw by 5, it is also stunned until the start of its next turn.

Brass / Gold / Red Breath

Your breath weapon is a 15 ft. cone (Dex. save) which deals Fire damage. If a creature fails its saving throw by 5, the creature (or a part of it) also lights aflame. A burning target sheds bright light in a 30-foot radius and dim light for an additional 30 feet. At the end of each of its turns, the target repeats the saving throw. It takes 1d6 fire damage on a failed save, and the effect ends on a successful one.

Green Breath

Your breath weapon is a 15 ft. cone (Con. save) which deals Poison damage. If a creature fails its saving throw by 5, it is also poisoned. At the end of each of its turns, the target repeats the saving throw. The effect ends on a successful one.

Silver / White Breath

Your breath weapon is a 15 ft. cone (Con. save) which deals Cold damage. If a creature fails its saving throw by 5, the creature is covered in a frost, and their movement speed is reduced by half. At the end of each of its turns, the target repeats the saving throw. The effect ends on a successful one.

Forest Gnome (revised)

As a Forest Gnome, you have a natural knack for an inherent quickness and stealth. In the worlds of D&D, forest gnomes are rare and secretive. They gather in hidden communities in sylvan forests, using camouflage and trickery to conceal themselves from threats or to mask their escape should they be detected. Forest Gnomes tend to be friendly with other good-spirited woodland folk, and they regard Elves and good Fey as their most important allies. These gnomes also befriend small forest animals and rely on them for information about threats that might prowl their lands.

Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 1.

Classes

Classes, unlike races, are the different occupations and specializations of adventurers within the world of D&D. These classes, the different cuts of adventurers, include the bard, the fighter, the rogue and more, and each class may be selected by anybody of any race. Each of these classes specialize in their own area of expertise, excelling in support, combat, healing; the possibilities of these classes are virtually endless, and often adventurers pick up skills from other classes as well and improve themselves and create something of their own.

However, though many classes may share some similarities, whether these be in combat or general improvement, each class holds their own certain features that benefit adventurers in their own, unique ways.

Quick Build

You can make an Alchemist by quickly following these suggestions. First put your highest ability score into Intelligence followed by Constitution, or Dexterity if you plan on following the Bomber Expertise or Poisoner Expertise. Secondly, choose the Alchemist's Apprentice background.

Class Features

As a class_name, you gain the following class features

Alchemy

So long as you have your alchemist bag and at least one free hand you can quickly create the most basic of alchemical concoctions. The reagents used to make these basic concoctions are negligible and, like the components used in spell crafting, don't need to be tracked directly.

For the purposes of creating alchemical concoctions your alchemy die is 1d4 and if a save is required use:

Bomber Expertise

Your interest lies in the more volatile and dangerous elements of your study. You have a talent with bombs of all variety. Loud, powerful, dangerous, shock, and awe are just a few of the words that describe your style of alchemy.

Medical Savant

When you take this expertise at 3rd level your alchemy die becomes a d6 for the purposes of using your medicine.

Additionally, your movement speed increases by 10 feet while moving towards a friendly creature who is below half health.

Defender of the Needy

At 7th level, You are experienced at administrating aid in the midst of combat and can keep an eye out on your patients behalf while doing so. When you use your medicine on a creature, besides yourself, until the beginning of your next turn if that creature becomes the target of an attack you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on the attack roll.

Practiced Healing

At 11th level, whenever you roll dice to determine how many hit points or temporary hit points will be regained from your medicine, if the number on any die rolled is a 1 or a 2 you may choose to reroll them and you must take the new roll.

Frugal Medicine

At 14th level, you can reduce the total reagent point cost of any medicine based concoction by 2 to a minimum of 1.

Chemical Resuscitation

At 17th level, you can prepare a life restoring medicine under the normal rules for preparing advanced formula. This costs 5 reagent, this price cannot be reduced. When used as an action this works as the revivify spell but with no material cost. You cannot have more than one of these concoctions prepared at a time.

Poison Savant

When you take this expertise at 3rd level your alchemy die becomes a d6 for the purposes of using your poisons.

Additionally, you have resistance to poison damage and advantage on saves to resist poison.

Applied Toxin

At 7th level, you can slip your poisons into drinks or food as an action (the DM may require a Dexterity(Slight of Hand) check to do this unnoticed). They are colorless and tasteless when used in this way and if closely investigated requires a Intelligence(Investigation) check versus your alchemy save DC to detect.

Additionally, applying your poison to weapons or ammunition can now be done as a bonus action and applies to 6 pieces of ammunition.

Lasting Potency

At 11th level, the effects of your poisons last for twice as long.

Your basic poison now, if the target fails their initial saving throw, requires a second saving throw at the end of the targets following turn on a failure they take your alchemy die in poison damage again.

Frugal Poison

At 14th level, you can reduce the total reagent point cost of any poison based concoction by 2 to a minimum of 1.

Necrosis

At 17th level, your familiarity with causing harm has acquainted you with the negative energy that is released by death and undead. When applying a poison you may choose to have it do necrotic damage rather than poison. If you do, any humanoid that dies by this poison raises as a zombie on their next turn under your control for 1 hour.

Blasting Powder

Bomb

For 3 reagent points your bombs blast radius increases by 10 feet.

This formula can be applied more than once.

Quick Build

You can make an Apothecary quickly by following these suggestions. First, Wisdom should be your highest ability score, followed by Intelligence. Second, choose a background with either nature or medicine skill proficiencies. Third, choose the Order of the Thorn for more damage, or the Order of the Flower for more healing, or Order of the Fang for more of an animal connection.

Class Features

Your Class gains the following features

Herbalism

At 1st level, you can create special herbal concoctions that have healing or destroying power comparable to some potions. You can spend 1 hour gathering herbs and preparing these herbal mixtures to create a number of such concoctions equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum 1). You can carry a number of poultices at one time equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum 1). As an action, you can choose to apply these mixtures to any willing creature (unless the creature is incapacitated or in some other way unable to make a decision). After 24 hours, any concoctions that you have not used lose their potency.

When preparing your concoction, you can choose to gather the herbs and materials for any of the following:

Tool Expertise

At 2nd level, double your proficiency bonus with the tools gained from this class. Use your Intelligence modifier for rolls with these tools when crafting.

Forest Trail

At 2nd level, your connection to the plants of the living world begins to awaken. Difficult terrain caused by plants of any kind now functions as normal terrain for you. Additionally, any areas of plants (such as grass or underbrush) within 10 feet of you function as difficult terrain for enemies. This increases to 15 feet at 6th level, 20 feet at 12th level, and 30 feet at 18th level.

Animal Companion

At 3rd level, you learn to use your connection to nature to create a powerful bond with a creature to serve as your companion.

With 8 hours of work and attuning with nature, you call forth an animal from the wilderness to serve as your faithful companion. This feature then acts as the find familiar spell, except that you may choose any beast with a challenge rating rating less than or equal to your Beast Sense rating to be your companion. However, your DM might pick an animal for you, based on the surrounding terrain and on what types of creatures would logically be present in the area.

Your companion obeys your commands as best it can. It rolls for initiative like any other creature, but you determine its actions, decisions, attitudes, and so on. If you are incapacitated or absent, your companion acts on its own.

Your companion shares your alignment, and you can determine it's personality traits, ideals, bonds and flaws in the backgrounds chapter.

You can only have one animal companion at a time.

Ability Score Improvement

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature. Alternatively, you can choose a feat (see Chapter 6 for a list of feats).

Verdant Friends

At 5th level, your bond with nature has given you the knowledge to glean signs and information from plants, through their formations, shape, and other tells which you know. You can now communicate with plants. This feature acts as the Speak with Plants spell, but its effect is permanent.

Animal Whisperer

By 6th level, you’ve learned how to gain insight and knowledge when handling certain animals. You have advantage on all Animal Handling and Insight checks made with beasts with a challenge rating less than or equal to twice your Beast Sense rating.

One With Nature

Starting at 7th level, your experimentation with herbs and different mixtures has given you insight as to how to create a body altering concoction, specific to yourself, that allows you to connect and become further entwined with nature.

At 7th level, vine-like patterns begin to emerge on your skin, as well as the appearance of leaves on parts of your body. You gain immunity to disease, and resistance to acid damage. Additionally, if you spend at least 4 hours in natural sunlight, you do not have to eat nor drink for that day.

Potency

At 7th level, when a creature succeeds on a saving throw against your poison damage or effects, they take half damage instead of none.

Additionally you can add your Intelligence modifier to the hitpoints gained from your poultices and healing potions.

Natural Antivenom

Starting at 9th level, you have advantage on saving throws against poison and have resistance to poison damage.

Additionally, you can use one of your poultices to cure one poison effect on the creature you are applying it to, in addition to restoring hit points.

Quick Escape

Starting at 10th level, as a bonus action you may take the dash action.

Additionally, when you do so, you can choose to have your animal companion do the same using its reaction, and creatures can't make opportunity attacks against you or your companion.

Photosynthesis

Starting at level 11, you have learned how to further the effects of your One With Nature concoction. The vines and leaves gained from One With Nature provide you with healing. As long as you are exposed to the sun, you may roll 1d10 + your Wisdom modifier to restore HP. You can use this feature once per short or long rest.

Call Natural Allies

Starting at 13th level, you can call natural creatures from the terrain you're in to fight on your behalf, using your attunement to the natural world to convince them to aid you. The DM chooses beasts appropriate to the terrain to come to your aid from among those that could hear you and that are within 1 mile of you, in one of the following groups:

• One beast of challenge rating 2 or lower
• Two beasts of challenge rating 1 or lower
• Four beasts of challenge rating 1/2 or lower
• Eight beasts of challenge rating 1/4 or lower

These beasts approach you from their current location, and will fight alongside you, attacking any creatures that are hostile to you. They are friendly to you and your comrades, and you roll initiative for the called creatures as a group, which takes its own turns. The DM has the creatures’ statistics.

After 1 hour, these beasts return to their previous location. Once you use this feature, you cannot use it again in the same general area for 24 hours, since the same animals will not repeatedly heed your call.

Grove Sovereign

Starting at 14th level, your One With Nature concoction advances. Your body is able to now produce special berries, which are enough to sustain a creature for an entire day. This feature works as the goodberry spell, without expending any spell slots or providing any material components.

Your plant-like body also makes you more sensitive when attempting to detect harmful substances. This feature works like the detect poison and disease spell, however you do not have to expend any spell slots or material components.

In addition, you no longer age naturally, and are unaffected by magical aging.

Perfected Concoction

At 17th level, when you use a Poison or Potion, you deal maximum damage or provide maximum healing instead of rolling.

Once you use this feature, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again.

Pinnacle Masterpiece

At 17th level, your experience in your particular field has allowed you to create a specialized concoction, specific to your area of expertise. To create this concoction, you must spend a long rest gathering plants materials using an herbalist kit. When used as an action, this concoction works as one of the following spells based on your specialization:

Order of the Flower: this concoction works as the Heal spell.

Order of the Thorn: this concoction works as the Harm spell.

Order of the Fang: this concoction works as the Dominate Beast spell.

These concoctions work the sames as their spells, but do not require any components or concentration. You may only have one of these concoctions prepared at a time.

Apothecary Master

At level 18, you have spent many hours making many replicas of your poisons or potions. You can now create a poison or potion as a bonus action. You may do this once per encounter.

Mother Nature

Starting at 20th level, you have finally perfected your One With Nature concoction so that it can alter both mind and body, causing you to become fully entwined with nature. You gain resistance to psychic damage.

Additionally, when using this feature you may choose any plant within 120 feet of you, and select one sense of your choice. For the duration of of your choosing that sense then functions for you as if it originated from the plant. This effect ends when you move more than 120 feet away from the plant or when you dismiss it as a bonus action. In addition, your creature type becomes Plant and your Wisdom score increases by 4. Your maximum for this score is now 24.

Natural Orders

Nature has many aspects to it. Some view it as cruel and unforgiving, others beautiful and bountiful, others as wild and chaotic. In reality, nature can be all of these and more, and thus nature as a force embodies several personalities. Apothecaries, the ambassadors of nature, often cannot portray such a wide variety of faces and personalities. Instead, apothecaries tend to embody on one aspect of nature, leaving other apothecaries to represent nature's other aspects. Thus begun the creation of the Natural Orders, sects of apothecaries devoted to a certain aspect of nature.

Toxic Grounds

Starting at 13th level, whenever an enemy takes the move action while in contact with the difficult terrain created by your Forest Trail, they must make a Constitution saving throw using your Spell Save DC, or take 1d8+Wis poison damage or be afflicted with the poisoned condition for one minute. On a successful save they suffer no effects. They may remake this saving throw at the end of each of their turns, ending the poisoned condition on a success.

Noxious Weeds

At 15th level, as an action you can connect yourself with nature and grow a ring of small sized fungus and weeds sprout around you with a 30ft radius. Crossing these plants cause them to release spores that force non-plant creatures within 10ft to make a Constitution saving throw against your Spell Save DC or take 1d10 poison damage. These plants stay sprouted for 1d6 rounds.

Order of the Flower

Apothecaries of the Order of the Flower choose to represent the nurturing and beautiful side of nature. They often are found tending harmed wildlife or helping nearby villages in keeping their farms healthy. This caring personality combined with their experience in creating herbal concoctions often leads to them developing a greater knowledge in the healing effects of certain plants, usually to create medicines or remedies. Apothecaries of this order often pursue a good alignment, as they are often devoted to helping others.

Order of the Fang

Apothecaries of the Order of the Fang often choose not to represent either a good or bad side of nature, instead preferring neutrality. People within the Order of the Fang mostly abandon the pursuit of creating herbalism concoctions, preferring to develop their connection with beasts and wildlife. "Fangs" devote their lives to caring for and studying animals, and often they spend all of their time with them, no matter the situation. "Fangs", due to their excessive times spent with animals, usually share the same principles. Thus, apothecaries of this order often pursue a neutral alignment.

Gentle Hand

At 1st level, you gain proficiency with the Animal Handling skill. Additionally, when you receive the Tool Expertise feature at second level, you double your proficiency bonus with any checks made using the Animal Handling skill as well.

Additional Animal Companion

Starting at third level, when you gain the Animal Companion feature, you gain an additional companion. This companion shares the same guidelines outlined in the Animal Companion feature.

The animal companion you choose to use with this feature must have a Challenge Rating less than your Beast Sense rating. For example, if you have a Beast Rating of 1, your companion gained from this feature must have a challenge rating of 1/2 or less, instead of 1 or less.

If your Beast Sense rating is equal to 0, your new companion can have a Challenge Rating of 0 as well.

Nature's Fang

Starting at 6th level, once per day you may let out a particular beast-like call as an action. Designate any number of non-hostile beasts that can be affected by your Animal Whisperer trait that are within 90 feet of you. You influence the mood of those beasts to become happy, sad, afraid, angry, or any other basic mood you choose for up to 1 minute, or until you make another call to end this effect early.

Additionally, you gain a pool of d4s. The size of this pool is equal to half of your apothecary level, rounded down. Any time you make an animal handling, nature, or survival check, you may choose to expend one of these d4s. You may do so before or after the roll, but only before the DM calls out the result.

Animal Empathy

At 9th level, you have forged a strong sense of caring for all beasts, and they find it easier to be around you. When bonding with an Animal Companion, the time it takes to find and bond with a companion is shortened to 4 hours. Additionally, your Friend of The Beasts feature now extends to beasts with a challenge rating less than or equal to twice your Beast Sense rating.

Tame the Wild

At 13th level, if your animal that is not hostile to you is within 5 feet of you, you may attempt to grapple it. If you succeed, you may turn the grappled condition into a harnessing grapple. A harnessing grapple is the same as the grappled condition, except that at the end of each of the harnessed creature's turns you force it to do one of the following:

• Move up to its normal movement speed to a spot you designate, with you moving along with it.
• Drop something it is carrying.
• Spit up something or someone it has swallowed.

You may use this feature a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier before having to take a long rest. Taking a long rest restores any lost uses of this feature.

Transcendent Bond

Starting at 15th level, your connection with wildlife around you becomes nearly an extension of yourself -- you each harbor a deep love and respect for each other, would die to protect the other, and operate almost more as a unit than as separate creatures. You can communicate in a way with wildlife that you no longer need to verbally speak to communicate with any animal as long as it can see you -- your body language is enough for any to read your intent. Should you fall unconscious, once per day you may subconsciously call upon the nearby wildlife to come and help. They aid you by licking your wounds or comforting you as best as they can, and return you to consciousness with 1 Hit Point.

Content Credits

Clan Crafter Hralding's Volo's Complete Subrace Handbook.

Source of the Wild Dwarf, Tallfellow, Human Variant, and

Dragonborn Variant subraces.
Assassinz's Alchemist. Source of the Alchemist class.