5e Character Creation Overhaul

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<div class='cover-header'>Character Creation Overhaul</div>

<div class='cover-footer'>A complete overhaul of character creation, including stat generation, races, backgrounds, and feats for D&D 5th edition</div>

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# Introduction

One of the most enjoyable parts of playing D&D is creating new characters. Every time I have ever seen anyone get into D&D, they almost instantly go on a character creation spree, creating dozens of PCs that they will never use. At the same time, the system for creating characters has more than a few flaws, and while some of this is subjective, I do feel that the system needs a bit of an overhaul. So, let's talk about what needs fixing, and how I'm fixing it.

### Races, Backgrounds, and Ability Score Improvements
As it stands, the ability score improvement that you get from character creation comes from your race, and that's kinda dumb. I am most certainly not the first person to think this, and I won't be the last, but ability score improvements should be tied to your background, not your race. There's a few reasons for this:

1) **Genetics are dumb:** The most common argument you will hear in favour of ASI being attached to races is genetics. "Of course a dragonborn will be naturally stronger than a gnome! It just makes sense!" Except no, it doesn't. Genetics alone aren't enough to make someone strong. Someone can have great genetics that would guarantee they were strong if they were to work out, but it doesn't mean anything if they don't actually work out. A halfling that spent their entire life working out and bodybuilding is going to be stronger than a goliath that did nothing by read books and cast spells.

2) **Gnome = Smart?:** You can make an argument for race affecting a physical trait. I disagree with you, but an argument can at least be made. But how do you explain races affecting mental traits? How does being a half-elf make you more charismatic than any other race? How does being a Firbolg automatically make you wiser than someone else? It makes no sense at all.

3) **Training matters:** This one is simple; the life you lived will determine what you're good at. If you are a sage that spent their entire life reading and studying, you are going to be more intelligent than others. If you are a soldier, you are probably going to be stronger. A charlatan is going to be more charismatic then a spy, and a spy is going to be sneakier than a charlatan. It makes more sense for ability score improvements to come from your background, rather than your race.

4) **Meta Builds:** The final argument comes from a gameplay perspective, rather than a logical one. There are far too many people that pick their race based on their class, instead of which race appeals to them. Dragonborn paladins get a massive advantage over other paladins, and 90% of fighters are human because they need the feat. Moving this stuff to backgrounds instead of race allows for people to make characters that they want, instead of feeling the need to pick a race that compliments their class.

### Point Buy vs Rolling for Stats
When it comes to generating stats for your character, you have two options: Point Buy, and Rolling for Stats (There is also standard array, but I've never seen it used, and personally just dislike it). Both of these systems should be good for generating stats, but both of them are fairly flawed, with people flat out refusing to use one or the other. So what's wrong with them?

**Point Buy:** The appeal of point buy is simple; you have control over your stats. While rolling for stats can give higher numbers, point buy allows you to pick the stats you want. For a lot of people, that level of control is fantastic. There is just one problem; The stats that point buy gives are a bit too low.

I have personally never met anyone that uses point buy. The reason is always the same; it is basically impossible to get decent stats with point buy. Basically every class requires at least 2 of their ability scores to be good, but with point buy, if you set two of your scores at a 15, then you only have 9 points left to work with, meaning that the rest of your stats are probably going to be a 10 or an 11. Having control over your stats shouldn't mean that they are terrible.

This is worse for martial classes, since they need feats to keep up with the spellcasters. Due to point buy's low scores, the only way for them to max their primary ability and get feats is to min max and pick a race that gives them the ASI they need. You shouldn't have to min max to be decent.

**Rolling for Stats:** Rolling for stats means that you have a good chance of getting higher than average ability scores, with the possibility of getting a 17 or an 18. The unfortunate downside is that you also have the chance of getting nothing but 11s and 12s. Believe me when I say that there is nothing fun about playing a character whose highest stat is a +1. Yes, rolling for stats should come with the risk of having low stats, there should also be a safeguard to ensure that the stats you get are decent enough that your character doesn't feel worthless.

### The Human Issue
Humans are one of the most popular races to play in 5e. The reason for this is simple; Variant humans get a feat at level 1. That kind of power easily dwarfs anything that the other races can give you. Again, picking a race shouldn't come down to which is the strongest.

So we're moving things around a bit. It doesn't make sense to have some races give feats, and other not. At the same time, we can't just give everyone a feat at level 1, because that could really upset the power balance. So the ability to take a feat at 1st level has been moved to an optional rule that will be discussed later.

Of course, this means that humans need something new to make them stand out amongst the other races, so they need some changes. Humans won't be the only race to be overhauled, but they are the race that needs it the most, since their key feature has been taken away from them.

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## Solutions
So we've got some problems, how are we gonna fix them? Apparently by making a 90 page document because I have hyperfixations and a need to attempt to repair anything I think is broken.

Okay, but how do we *actually* fix the problems? Well, let's go through everything thats gonna be changed one by one, and explain what the plan for them is.

### New Strats for New Stats
Chapter 1 of this document will be extremely similar to the step-by-step character creation from the Player's Handbook, although with a couple new ways to generate stats. The standard array is gone, replaced with a new version of Point Buy, and a slightly edited version of Rolling For Stats.

### Races Reworked
While it would be simple to just remove the ability score improvement from races and call it a day, I think it would be better to gives some of the races some changes. Human needs the most changes, as it's defining features have been taken away and moved to other places, so they need something new to make them stand out.

On top of that, some races are notorious for being too weak or strong. Genasi and Dragonborn are well known for being disappointing, while Aarakocra and Aasimar are a bit too powerful or overloaded respectively.

Finally, the lore for some of these races need to be reworked a bit. For some races and subraces, such as drow and orcs, they are described as all being evil by instinct, instead of based on how they were raised, which is just nonsensical, while other races, such as aarakocra, are described as lacking basic common sense. And some races, like Kenku, were made just to be racist against. The lore of these races will be redone, either to make them less stupid, or to make more sense based on the changes to their traits and features. The races will still have different behavioral tendencies, but it won't be to the point of one race only being full of violent monsters, or another 95% criminals.

So, there are two goals with the races rework. The first is to balance them out a bit, so that you don't have any race that's too strong or too weak. The second is to give every race a feature that makes them unique.

As a note, I will be removing the alignment section of races, as the alignment system is hated by a large majority of players, and has basically no impact on the game. Plus, the idea of saying "Basically everyone of this race is evil" is pretty stupid. Race doesn't determine your personality; the environment you grew up in does.

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### Backgrounds Breakdown
For the most part, the only major change to backgrounds will be the addition of ability score improvements to them. Some of them will be getting some minor tweaks, and I will be including backgrounds from books other than the Player's Handbook, but the basic idea behind the backgrounds and most of the traits granted by them will remain the same, though I am removing the unique features they give, cuz those are useless.

Despite being a small change, I hope that moving the ability score improvements to backgrounds will make character creation feel a bit more natural. Now, players will avoid choosing certain races just to min-max by getting certain stat increases. Of course, there is the risk that players will not simply choose certain backgrounds to get the stat increase they want, but I think that this is a bit less likely, as if a player wants their fighter to be a sage or scholar, they will want them to have a decent Intelligence.

The descriptions of what the different languages of D&D look like will be found here as well, instead of haphazardly placed in the language section of different races. After all, what's the point in putting a description of elvish in the elf race if there are multiple other races that speak elvish by default? Plus, considering how many races and backgrounds allow you to simply pick a language, it is easier to explain every language in one place so that it is simpler to reference.

### Feats
While not technically a part of character creation, feats play a pretty big role in building your character as you level up. A lot of players will go into the game having planned out what feats they want to take.

So feats somewhat matter in character creation, especially for martial classes, which rely on them pretty heavily to keep up with the casters. Plus, they can just be fun to have, giving your character cool flavor abilities. Of course, like everything else, these feats suffer from a bit of balance issues, with some being near useless (Looking at you Savage Attacker). So these will be tweaked a little bit, both to balance them out, and make them a *bit* more accessible.

#### Racial Feats
Xanathar's Guide to Everything introduced quite a few racial feats; feats that can only be taken by certain races, and sometimes, certain subraces. Some of these feats are better or worse than others, and could use a little bit of tweaking. At the same time, it also leaves out a bunch of different races, basically ignoring anything that isn't in the Player's Handbook. From a company standpoint, what they did makes sense. Wizards of the Cost wanted to make sure that aside from the Player's Handbook, no other book was mandatory. So having Xanathar's introduce feats that required another book would go against this. But I don't have that problem, so I can do what I want.

So Chapter 4 will have the racial feats from Xanathar's Guide to Everything, with a bit of tweaking, as well as a bunch of new feats for the other races.

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# Contents
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<div class='toc'>
  
- ### [<span>Chapter I: Creating a Character</span>](#creating-a-character)

- ##### [<span>Step by Step Character Creation</span>](#step-by-step).................. 5
  - [<span>Determining Ability Scores</span>](#ability-scores)........................................................ 6
  - [<span>Beyond 1st level</span>](#beyond-first-level)............................................................................ 9

- ### [<span>Chapter II: Races</span>](#race)
- ##### [<span>Common Races</span>](#common)................................................ 11
  - [<span> Dwarf </span>](#dwarf)........................................................................................... 11
  - [<span> Elf </span>](#elf)................................................................................................. 13 
  - [<span> Halfling </span>](#halfling)....................................................................................... 15 
  - [<span> Human </span>](#human)........................................................................................ 17

- ##### [<span>Uncommon Races</span>](#uncommon)........................................... 19
  - [<span> Aarakocra </span>](#bird)................................................................................... 19
  - [<span> Dragonborn </span>](#dragon)................................................................................ 21
  - [<span> Genasi </span>](#genasi)......................................................................................... 23
  - [<span> Gnome </span>](#gnome)......................................................................................... 25
  - [<span> Goliath </span>](#giant)......................................................................................... 27
  - [<span> Half-Elf </span>](#helf)........................................................................................ 29
  - [<span> Half-Orc </span>](#horc)...................................................................................... 30
  - [<span> Kenku </span>](#kenku).......................................................................................... 31
  - [<span> Lizardfolk </span>](#lizard)................................................................................... 33
  - [<span> Tabaxi </span>](#cat).......................................................................................... 35
  - [<span> Tiefling </span>](#devil)........................................................................................ 37

- ##### [<span>Rare Races</span>](#rare)........................................................ 39
  - [<span> Aasimar </span>](#angel)....................................................................................... 39
  - [<span> Changeling </span>](#change)................................................................................. 41
  - [<span> Firbolg </span>](#firbolg)......................................................................................... 43
  - [<span> Triton </span>](#fish)........................................................................................... 45

- ##### [<span>Monstrous Races</span>](#monster)........................................... 47
  - [<span> Bugbear </span>](#bugbear)...................................................................................... 47
  - [<span> Goblin </span>](#goblin).......................................................................................... 49
  - [<span> Hobgoblin </span>](#hgoblin)................................................................................... 51
  - [<span> Kobold </span>](#kobold)......................................................................................... 53
  - [<span> Orc </span>](#orc)............................................................................................... 55
  - [<span> Yuan-Ti</span>](#snek)......................................................................................... 57
 
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- ### [<span>Chapter III: Details & Backgrounds</span>](#d-b)
  - [<span>Character Details </span>](#details)...................................................................... 59
  - [<span>Inspiration </span>](#inspiration).................................................................................. 61
- ##### [<span>Backgrounds</span>](#backgrounds).................................................. 62
  - [<span> Acolyte </span>](#acolyte)......................................................................................... 63
  - [<span> Archaeologist </span>](#Archaeologist)............................................................................. 64
  - [<span> Charlatan </span>](#charlatan).................................................................................... 65
  - [<span> Criminal </span>](#criminal)...................................................................................... 66
  - [<span> Entertainer </span>](#entertainer)................................................................................. 67
  - [<span> Folk Hero </span>](#folk-hero).................................................................................... 68
  - [<span> Guild Artisan </span>](#guild-artisan).............................................................................. 69
  - [<span> Hermit </span>](#hermit)......................................................................................... 70
  - [<span> Mercenary Veteran </span>](#merc-vet)................................................................... 71
  - [<span> Noble </span>](#noble)........................................................................................... 72
  - [<span> Outlander </span>](#outlander).................................................................................... 73
  - [<span> Sage </span>](#sage)............................................................................................. 74
  - [<span> Sailor </span>](#sailor)........................................................................................... 75
  - [<span> Soldier </span>](#soldier)......................................................................................... 76

- ### [<span>Chapter IV: Customization Options</span>](#custom)
  - [<span>Multiclassing</span>](#multiclassing)............................................................................... 77
- ##### [<span>Feats</span>](#feats).................................................................. 80
  - [<span>Major Feats</span>](#major-feats)................................................................................. 81
  - [<span>Minor Feats</span>](#minor-feats)................................................................................. 85
  - [<span>Racial Feats</span>](#racial-feats)................................................................................. 87

- ### [<span>Credits & Special Thanks</span>](#credits)

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### 
<h1 id="creating-a-character">Chapter I: Creating a Character</h1>

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The first step in playing D&D is creating a character of your own. These Player Characters, or PCs, are a combination of game statistics, roleplaying hooks, and your imagination. You choose a race (such as human or dragonborn) and a class (such as fighter or wizard). You also invent the character's personality, appearance, and backstory. Once completed, the character serves as your representative in the game, your avatar.

Before you dive into step 1 below, think about what kind of adventurer you want to play. You might be a courageous fighter, a skulking rogue, a fervent cleric, or a flamboyant wizard. Or maybe you want to play something a bit more unconventional, like a sorcerer who uses magic to enhance their physical abilities, or a barbarian who only uses violence as a last resort. There are a variety of classes to choose from, each offering multiple different playstyles for you to choose from to create your perfect build.

When choosing your race, consider thinking about how your character's race will affect their life and worldview. If you want to play and old and wise character, consider choosing one of the races that live for a long time, such as elves. Maybe you want to delve into themes of honor and loyalty, in which case playing a dwarf or a dragonborn might be best. Keep in mind that you do not have to pick a race based on story aspects. If you would prefer to choose a race simply because of its aesthetics, or because you enjoy the features they gain, there is no problem with that,

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

Throughout this chapter, we use the term **character sheet** to mean whatever you use to track your character, whether it's a formal character sheet, some form of digital record or program, or a piece of notebook paper. An official D&D character sheet may be a good place to start if you need help building your character, but some prefer to keep track of their characters information in their own way.

#### Building Varyll
Each step of character creation includes an example of that step, with a player named Elizabeth building her character, Varyll.

<h2 id="step-by-step">1. Choose a Race</h2>

Ever character belongs to a race, one of the many intelligent humanoid species in the D&D world. The most common PC races are dwarves, elves, halflings, and humans, however there are plenty more uncommon and rare races. Some races also have subraces, such as mountain dwarves or wood elves. Chapter 2 provides more information about these races, including what they look like and how their cultures and traditions tend to shape their personalities.

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The race you choose contributes to your character's identity in many important ways, establishing their appearance, some of their worldviews, and some of their talents and abilities. Every race grants your character specific racial traits, such as proficiency with skills, special senses, the ability to use minor spells, and unique powers.

The traits and features granted to you by your race may dovetail with the capabilities of certain classes. For example, the racial traits of lightfoot halflings make them exceptional rogues, while goliaths make for excellent barbarians and fighters. However, playing against type can be fun too. Gnome paladins and orcish wizards, for example, make for unusual but memorable characters.

Record the traits granted by your race on your character sheet. Be sure to note your starting languages and base speed as well.

#### Building Varyll, Step 1
Elizabeth is sitting down to create her character. She decides that a confident elf fits the character she wants to play. Afterwards, she chooses to make Varyll a high elf, deciding that she wants to compliment her character with a small bit of arcane knowledge. She writes down all of the racial traits of elves on her character sheed, including his speed of 30 feet and the languages her character knows: Common and Elvish.

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

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

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

#### Level
Typically, a character starts at 1st level and advances in level by adventuring. A 1st-level character is inexperienced in the adventuring wold, although they may have been a soldier or a pirate and done dangerous things before.

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

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Record your level on your character sheet. If you're starting at a higher level, record the additional elements your class gives you for levels past 1st. Also record your Experience Points, if your DM is using XP as the method of levelling up (This will be expanded on later this chapter).

#### Hit Points and Hit Die
Your character's hit points define how tough they are in combat and other dangerous situations. Your hit points are determined by your Hit Dice (Short for Hit Point Dice).

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

#### Proficiency Bonus
The table that appears in your class description shows your proficiency bonus, which is +2 for a 1st-level character. Your proficiency bonus applies t many of the numbers you'll be recording on your character sheet, including:
- Attack rolls with weapons you are proficient with.
- Attack rolls with spells you cast.
- Ability checks with skills or tools you are proficient with.
- Saving throws you're proficient in.
- Saving throw DCs for spells you cast (explained in each spellcasting class).

Your class determines your weapon proficiencies, your saving throw proficiencies, and some of your skill and tool proficiencies. Your background gives you additional skill and tool proficiencies, and some races give you more proficiencies. Be sure to note all of these proficiencies, as well as your proficiency bonus, on your character sheet.

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

#### Building Varyll, Step 2
Elizabeth imagines Varis sneaking around and picking enemies off with daggers and swords. She makes varis a rogue and notes the rogue's proficiencies and 1st-level features on her character sheet.

As a 1st-level rogue, Varis has 1 Hit Die - a d8 - and starts with hit points equal to 8 + her Constitution modifier. Elizabeth notes this, and will record the final number after she determine's Varyll's Constitution score (see step 3). Elizabeth also notes the proficiency bonus for a 1st-level character, which is +2.

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<h3 id="ability-scores">3. Determine Ability Scores</h3>

Much of what you do in this game is determined by your ability scores; **Strength**, **Dexterity**, **Constitution**, **Intelligence**, **Wisdom**, and **Charisma**. Each ability has a score, which is a number recorded on your character sheet.

The six abilities and their use in game are described in chapter 7 of the Player's Handbook. The Ability Score Summary table provides a quick reference for what qualities are measured by each ability, and what classes consider each ability particularly important.

To determine your character's ability scores, you can either roll to determine their stats, or you can use the point buy system. After assigning your ability scores, determine your **ability modifiers** using the Abilities Scores and Modifiers table. To determine an ability modifier without consulting the table, subtract 10 from the ability score, then divide the result by 2 (rounded down). Write down the modifier next to each of your scores.

#### Rolling for Stats
If you choose to roll for your stats, roll 4 six-sided dice. Record the result of the three highest dice, and do this again 5 more times. At the end of this, you will have 6 numbers, which you can assign to each ability score as you wish.

To ensure that the set of ability scores you get is decent, you are allowed to do this twice, and choose which set of ability scores you wish to use. In addition, if the result of a set of ability scores added up is less than 75, you may reroll that set.

For example, if you rolled a 4, a 5, a 6, and a 1 on the d6s, you would ignore the 1, and add the other three numbers, for a total of 15. From there, you could place that 15 in whichever ability score you want. Afterwards, you would repeat the process until you had a number for all of your ability scores.

#### Point Buy
You can choose to determine your stats by buying them with points instead. If you choose to do so, then you gain a pool of 70 points, which you may distribute between your ability scores as you wish. For example, you can spend 15 points from the pool to give yourself a Strength score of 15.

When determining your ability scores in this way, you must spend a certain number of points on each ability, and you cannot spend too many points on one ability. You cannot have an ability score lower than an 6, and you cannot have an ability score higher than a 16 (This does not include ability score improvements gain from your background).

##### Ability Scores and Modifiers
<div style='column-count:2'>

| Score  | Modifier |
|:---:|:-----------:|
|  1  | -5 |
|  2-3  | -4 |
|  4-5  | -3 |
|  6-7  | -2 |
|  8-9  | -1 |
|  10-11  | +0 |

| Score  | Modifier |
|:---:|:-----------:|
|  12-13  | +1 |
|  14-15  | +2 |
|  16-17  | +3 |
|  18-19  | +4 |
|  20-21  | +5 |
|  22-23  | +6 |

</div>

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#### Building Varyll, Step 3
Elizabeth decides to use the Point Buy system to determine her scores. Since her character is a rogue, she decides that Dexterity and Intelligence are the two skills she needs the most. However, she also knows that she wants her character to be somewhat charismatic.

Since Dexterity is the most important ability for a rogue, Elizabeth decides to spend 16 points on it, leaving her with 54 points. From there, she spends 14 points on her Intelligence, and 12 points on her Charisma, leaving her with 28 points remaining. Deciding that she wants her character to be physically weak and to lack insight, she decides to only spend 7 points on her Strength, and 9 points on her Wisdom, leaving her with 12 points to spend on her Constitution.

At the end, her character has a Strength of 7 (-2), a Dexterity of 16 (+3), a Constitution of 12 (+1), an Intelligence of 12 (+1), a Wisdom of 9 (-1), and a Charisma of 12 (+1). Elizabeth fills in Varyll's final hit points: 8 + her Constitution modifier of +1, for a total of 9 hit points.

##### Ability Score Summary
|   |  |
|:---|:-----------:|
|  **Strength**  | 
|  *Measures:* Natural athleticism, bodily power <br> *Important for:* Barbarian, fighter, paladin | 
|  **Dexterity**  | 
|  *Measures:* Physical agility, reflexes, balance, poise <br> *Important for:* Fighter, monk, Ranger, Rogue  | 
|  **Constitution**  | 
|  *Measures:* Health, stamina, vital force <br> *Important for:* Everyone | 
|  **Intelligence**  | 
|  *Measures:* Mental acuity, information recall, analytical skill <br> *Important for:* Artificer, rogue, wizard  | 
|  **Wisdom** |
|  *Measures:* Awareness, intuition, insight <br> *Important for:* Cleric, druid |
|  **Charisma** |
|  *Measures:* Confidence, eloquence, leadership <br> *Important for:* Bard, sorcerer, warlock |

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### 4. Choose your Background
Everyone had a life before they became an adventurer, and the life they lived has shaped their skills and their personality. A character's background represent their life up until the start of the campaign. Were they a sailor, venturing across the high seas? Or were they a thief or charlatan, living off of other people's hard earned coin. Chapter 3 provides more details about the different types of backgrounds.

Your background affects both your characters abilities and their personality. Each background grants you an ability score improvement, skill proficiencies, and a unique feature for each background. Some also give proficiency with tools or new languages. Finally, your background gives you a few pieces of equipment, and determines your starting wealth. Be sure to record this information on your character sheet.

Additionally, you'll find tools to help you flesh out your character's backstory and personality. Each background comes with a series of Personality Traits, Ideals, Bonds, and Flaws, which help you to define key features of your character. These will be explained in more detail in chapter 3.

#### Building Varyll, Step 4
Elizabeth fills in some of Varyll's basic details; her name, her gender (female), and her height and weight. Her high Dexterity, Intelligence, and Charisma imply that she is nimble, clever, and confident, though her low strength and wisdom suggest that she is a bit scrawny and impulsive. From there, she begins to think about her character's backstory.

Elizabeth imagines her character, Varyll, to have grown up in a church, never having known her parents. She spent most of her time in prayer and devotion, but became disillusioned when her prayers were never answered, growing more and more frustrated as the years went on, eventually leaving the church and taking to the streets. Because of this, she chose to give her character the acolyte background.

She increases Varyll's Wisdom by 2, and her Intelligence by 1, as per the acolyte background. She notes her proficiency with Insight and Religion on her character sheet, and chooses to learn the Celestial language. Finally, she writes down the equipment that her background gives her, as well as the Shelter of the Faithful feature.

Looking through the different tables, Elizabeth begins to piece together Varyll's personality. Thanks to her sheltered upbringing in the church, she is inexperienced when it comes to dealing with people, which fits well with her low Wisdom. She doesn't feel like any of the ideals that the background provides fit with Varyll, so she ignores them, making up her own. She decides that Varyll has a soft spot for the common folk, due to her humble upbringing and time on the streets. Finally, she chooses a flaw for Varyll, deciding that she has become slightly jaded over time, becoming extremely suspicious of others, since she has a hard time judging their true intentions.

With her background and traits chosen, Elizabeth works to expand on her character's backstory, fleshing out the details and talking to her DM about who her character is, as well as what kind of story she wants to tell with her.

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### 5. Choose Equipment
Your class and background determine your character's **starting equipment**, including weapons, armor, and other adventuring gear. Record this equipment on your character sheet. All such items are details in chapter 5 of the Player's Handbook.

Instead of taking the gear given to you by your class and background, you can choose to purchase your starting equipment. You forfeit all of the gold and equipment that your class and background give you, instead gaining a number of gold pieces (gp) based on your class, as shown in chapter 5 of the Player's Handbook. Extensive lists of equipment, with prices, also appear in that chapter. You may choose to purchase any items that you wish from those lists, using them as your starting equipment instead. If you wish, you can also have one trinket at no cost (see the Trinkets table at the end of chapter 5 of the Player's Handbook).

Your Strength score limits the amount of gear you can carry. Try not to purchase equipment with a total weight (in pounds) exceeding your Strength score times 15. Chapter 7 of the Player's Handbook has more information on carrying capacity.

#### Armor Class
Your **Armor Class** (AC) represents how well your character avoids being wounded in battle. Things that contribute to your AC include the armor you wear, the shield you carry, and your Dexterity modifier. Not all characters wear armor or carry shields, however.

Without armor or a shield, your character’s AC equals 10 + their Dexterity modifier. If your character wears armor, carries a shield, or both, calculate your AC using the rules in the Equipment section. Record your AC on your character sheet.

Your character needs to be proficient with armor and shields to wear and use them effectively, and your armor and shield proficiencies are determined by your class. There are drawbacks to wearing armor or carrying a shield if you lack the required proficiency, as explained in the Equipment section.

Some spells and class features give you a different way to calculate your AC. If you have multiple features that give you different ways to calculate your AC, you choose which one to use.

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

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

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

#### Building Varyll, Step 5
Elizabeth writes down her starting equipment from the rogue class and the acolyte background. Her starting equipment includes a set of leather armor, giving her an AC of 14.

For Varyll's weapons, Elizabeth chooses a pair of shortswords, which are finesse weapons, allowing her to use her Dexterity modifier for her attack and damage rolls. Her attack bonus is her Dexterity modifier (+3) plus her proficiency modifier (+2), for a total of +5. The shortswords deal 1d6 slashing damage, and Varyll adds her Dexterity modifier to the damage when she hits, for a total of 1d6 + 3. When throwing a dagger, Caryll has the same attack bonus, and the weapon deals 1d4 + 3 piercing damage.

### 6. Come Together
Most D&D characters don’t work alone. Each character plays a role within a party, a group of adventurers working together for a common purpose. Teamwork and cooperation greatly improve your party’s chances to survive the many perils in the worlds of Dungeons & Dragons. Talk to your fellow players and your DM to decide whether your characters know one another, how they met, and what sorts of quests the group might undertake.

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<h2 id="beyond-first-level">Beyond First Level</h2>

As your character goes on adventures and overcomes challenges, they gain experience, growing in both their skill and knowledge. Once they have spent enough time adventuring, they advance in capability, becoming stronger. This advancement is called **gaining a level.**

Generally, there are two different methods for determining when a character gains a level; The Experience System, and the Milestone System. Which system your game uses is decided by your DM.

In games that use the Experience System, your character's experience is represented by their **experience points** (XP). They gain a certain number of experience points whenever they defeat an enemy. Additionally, your DM can decide to award XP for performing certain actions, such as navigating a social encounter, or preventing a fight. Once your character has reached a pre-determined amount of XP, they gain a level. The Character Advancement table summarizes the XP you need to advance in levels from level 1 through level 20, and the proficiency bonus for a character of that level. Consult the information in your character's class description to see what other improvements you gain at each level.

In games that use the Milestone system, your DM decides when your character levels up. Some will choose to have your character gain a level after a certain number of sessions, or after your party accomplishes a major goal.

When your character gains a level, their class often grants additional features, as detailed in the class description. Some of these features allow you to increase your ability scores, either increasing two scores by 1, or one score by 2. You can’t increase an ability score above 20. In addition, every character's proficiency bonus increases at certain levels.

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

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

If your DM allows you to use the Multiclassing rules (Explained in Chapter 6 of the Player's Handbook), then your character will have levels in multiple classes. Keep in mind that your character's overall level is a combination of your levels in every class you have. For example, if your character is a level 4 fighter and a level 5 ranger, then your character's overall level is 9, meaning you have a proficiency bonus of +4, as shown in the Character Advancement table. Additionally, the XP you need to level up is also based on your overall class level, not your level in any individual class.

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### Tiers of Play
The shading in the Character Advancement table shows the four tiers of play. The tiers don’t have any rules associated with them; they are a general description of how the play experience changes as characters gain levels.

In the first tier (levels 1–4), characters are effectively apprentice adventurers. They are learning the features that define them as members of particular classes, including the major choices that flavor their class features as they advance (such as a wizard’s Arcane Tradition or a fighter’s Martial Archetype). The threats they face are relatively minor, usually posing a danger to local farmsteads or villages.

In the second tier (levels 5–10), characters come into their own. Many spellcasters gain access to 3rd-level spells at the start of this tier, crossing a new threshold of magical power with spells such as fireball and lightning bolt. At this tier, many weapon-using classes gain the ability to make multiple attacks in one round. These characters have become important, facing dangers that threaten cities and kingdoms.

In the third tier (levels 11–16), characters have reached a level of power that sets them high above the ordinary populace and makes them special even among adventurers. At 11th level, many spellcasters gain access to 6th-level spells, some of which create effects previously impossible for player characters to achieve. Other characters gain features that allow them to make more attacks or do more impressive things with those attacks. These mighty adventurers often confront threats to whole regions and continents.

At the fourth tier (levels 17–20), characters achieve the pinnacle of their class features, becoming heroic (or villainous) archetypes in their own right. The fate of the world or even the fundamental order of the multiverse might hang in the balance during their adventures.

##### Character Advancement
| Experience Points  | Level | Proficiency Bonus |
|:---|:-----------|:------|
| 0 <br> 300 <br> 900 <br> 2,700 | 1 <br> 2 <br> 3 <br> 4 | +2 <br> +2 <br> +2 <br> +2 |
| 6,500 <br> 14,000 <br> 23,000 <br> 34,000 <br> 48,000 <br> 64,000 | 5 <br> 6 <br> 7 <br> 8 <br> 9 <br> 10 | +3 <br> +3 <br> +3 <br> +3 <br> +4 <br> +4
| 85,000 <br> 100,000 <br> 120,000 <br> 140,000 <br> 165,000 <br> 195,000 <br> | 11 <br> 12 <br> 13 <br> 14 <br> 15 <br> 16 | +4 <br> +4 <br> +5 <br> +5 <br> +5 <br> +5
| 225,000 <br> 265,000 <br> 305,000 <br> 355,000 | 17 <br> 18 <br> 19 <br> 20 | +6 <br> +6 <br> +6 <br> +6

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### 
<h1 id="race">Chapter II: Races</h1>

###

</div>

A visit to one of the great cities in the worlds of Dungeons and Dragons - Waterdeep, the Free City of Greyhawk, Emon, or even uncanny Sigil, the City of Doors - overwhelms the senses. Voices chatter in countless different languages. The smells of cooking in dozens of different cuisines mingle with the odors of crowded streets and poor sanitation. Buildings in myriad architectural styles display the diverse origins of their inhabitants.

And the people themselves - people of varying size, shape, and color, dressed in a dazzling spectrum of styles and hues - represent many different races, from diminutive halflings and stout dwarves to majestically beautiful elves, mingle among a variety of human ethnicities.

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

## Choosing a Race
Humans are the most common people in most of the worlds of D&D, but they work and live alongside countless other fantastical races. From the slightly uncommon to the extremely rare, and even the most monstrous, the worlds of D&D are full of colorful and unique races to both play as an interact with.

Your choice of race affects many different aspets of your character. It establishes fundamental qualities that exist throughout your character;s adventuring career. When making this decision, keep in mind the kind of character you want to play. Every race has a culture surrounding it, and when making your character, it is important to decide how connected or disconnected you want your character to be from that culture.

Your character's race not only provides you with different traits and proficiencies, but also cues for building their story. Each race has a description of what the race's culture is like, what sorts of personality traits and ideals they tend to try and support or foster, and how their physical characteristics and biology affect their view of the world around them. These descriptions are here to help you think about your character, but they are by no means steadfast rules. You are able to make a character that thinks and acts in a way completely different than most members of their race. If you are going to do so, it may be a good idea to think about *why* they are different. Perhaps they were raised outside of their culture, or by members of a different race. Or maybe they simply decided that they did not care for the way other members of their race acted, actively choosing to be different.

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### Racial Traits
The description of each race includes racial traits that are common to members of that race. The following entries appear among the traits of most races.

#### Age
The age entry notes the age when a member of the race is considered an adult, as well as the race's expected lifespan.

#### Size
Characters of most races are Medium, a size category including creatures that are roughly 4 to 8 feet tall. Members of a few races are small, which includes creatures that are between 2 and 4 feet tall, which means that certain rules affect them differently. No player race will ever be larger than medium, or smaller than small.

#### Speed
Your speed determines how far you can move when traveling (detailed in chatper 8 of the PHB) and in combat (chapter 9 of the Player's Handbook).

#### Languages
The language entry determines which languages your character can read, write, and speak. Almost every race is able to speak common, as well as an additional language. However, if your character grew up in an environment in which they would not learn one of the languages listed, you can replace it with a more fitting language, with your DM's permission. Descriptions of what the different languages look and sound like can be found in Chapter 3 of this document.

#### Subraces
Many, but not all races have subraces. Members of a subrace have all of the traits of their parent race, as well as the traits listed of their subrace. For example, creating a Wood Elf character gives your character all of the elf traits, as well as the traits granted by wood elf.

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<h1 id="creating-a-character">Common Races</h1>

As the name implies, these races are the most commonly found throughout most settings. Most of the people you interact with will be one of these races. Many members of these races do not need to go adventuring, however because of the sheer number of them, adventurers of these races are still very common to see.

<h2 id="dwarf">Dwarf</h2>

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

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

Dwarven skin ranges from deep brown to a paler hue tinged with red, but the most common shades are light brown or deep tan, like certain tones of earth. Their hair, worn long but in simple styles, is usually black, gray, or brown, though paler dwarves often have red hair. Male dwarves value their beards highly and groom them carefully, while some female dwarves are known to grow smaller beards or stubble.

### Long Memory, Long Grudges
Dwarves can live to be more than 400 years old, so the oldest living dwarves often remember a very different world. For example, some of the oldest dwarves living in Citadel Felbarr (in the world of the Forgotten Realms) can recall the day, more than three centuries ago, when orcs conquered the fortress and drove them into an exile that lasted over 250 years. This longevity grants them a perspective on the world that shorter-lived races such as humans and halflings lack.

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

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

### Clans and Kingdoms
Dwarven kingdoms stretch deep beneath the mountains where the dwarves mine gems and precious metals and forge items of wonder. They love the beauty and artistry of precious metals and fine jewelry, and in some dwarves this love festers into avarice. Whatever wealth they can’t find in their mountains, they gain through trade. Trustworthy members of other races are welcome in dwarf settlements, though some areas are off limits even to them.

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

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

> ##### Dwarven Spices
> Dwarven cuisine tends to use a variety of seasonings and spices that grow underground, many of which other races aren't able to properly handle. People that eat dwarven food often complain that it burns their mouth, or come down with a bad case of food poisoning.
>
> Because of this, many dwarves have taken to preparing food without spices when serving non-dwarves, leading to a stereotype that dwarven cuisine is bland and flavourless.

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

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

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

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

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

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

**Age.** Dwarves mature at the same rate as humans, but they're considered young until they reach the age of 50. On average, they live about 350 years.

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

**Speed.** Your base walking speed is 25 feet. Your speed is not reduced by wearing heavy armor.

**Darkvision.** You have darkvision out to a range of 60 feet.

**Dwarven Resilience.** You have advantage on saving throws against poison, and you have resistance against poison damage.

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

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**Stubborn Pride.** When you are forced to make a Constitution saving throw, you can choose to add a d4 to the roll. Once you use this trait, you cannot do so again until you finish a short or long rest.

**Languages.** You can speak, read, and write Common and Dwarvish.

**Subrace.** Three main subraces of dwarves populate the worlds of D&D: hill dwarves, mountain dwarves, and duergar.

#### Hill Dwarf
Hill dwarves are strong and resilient, well known for their hardiness in battle. Unlike their brethren that live deep beneath the mountains, most hill dwarves spent their lives exposed to the elements and the dangers that lurk on the surface, helping to build both their bodies and their character.

**Dwarven Toughness.** Your hit point maximum increases by 1, and it increases by 1 again every time you gain a level in any class.

#### Mountain Dwarf
Mountain dwarves are strong and hardy, used to a difficult life of hard labor that comes from living underground in rugged terrain. They tend to be slightly taller than other dwarves, with their skin usually on the lighter end of the spectrum.

**Bones of Steel.** As a bonus action, you can give yourself a bonus to your AC equal to half your proficiency bonus (rounded down) until the start of your next turn. Once you use this trait, you cannot do so again until you finish a short or long rest.

#### Duergar
The duergar, also known as the gray dwarves, are a race of dwarves that populate the underdark. Once slaves to the Illithid, the duergar are now free, though they still bear the scars of their slavery. Many, though not all, are as cruel as their captors, raiding the surface world to capture slaves. Every duergar has some amount of psionic talent, allowing them to turn invisible or temporarily increase their size.

Duergar are very often bald, though those who aren't usually have white hair and beards. Their skin is usually dull and grey, and is often scarred in some way. Duergar tend to be thinner than other dwarves, due to the scarcity of food in the Underdark, though some speculate that it is simply a part of their genetics at this point.

**Innate Psionics.** You know the *mage hand* cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the *enlarge/reduce* and *invisibility* spells once each, regaining the ability to do so when you finish a long rest.

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

**Underdark Adaptation.** Your darkvision has a range of 120ft, and you can speak, read, and write Undercommon.

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Elegant and long lived, elves are one of the oldest and most common races in the world, as well as one of the most varied. Elves can be difficult to pin down, as the many different cultures and subraces make it nearly impossible to tell which traits are formed due to their nature and which form due to where they were raised. The one thing that all elves share is their extended life span and love of life.

### Skill and Grace
When most people think of elves, they think of tall, slender, beautiful creatures that are masters at everything they do, giving the illusions of elves being a race of people who are naturally skilled at everything. While most elves are skilled in many different arts, it is generally due to hard work and practice, rather than any innate talent. The only natural talent that elves boast is their sharp eyes and ears, making them more perceptive than others.

Unlike most other races, elves can live for centuries, with some able to survive for almost a millennium. In addition, their bodies age very slowly. Because of this, it is easy to find an elf who has centuries of experience and practice under their belt, but is also still in their prime. Their extended life span affords elves the time to sit down and learn as many skills as they wish, making them appear to others as naturally gifted, when in reality they have simply had more time to learn.

This is also the reason for the perception that elves are naturally beautiful. Due to how slowly they age, elves will look young for the vast majority of their lives, with many passing away long before they have had a chance to grow old, due to illness or tragedy.

### A Timeless Perspective
Another effect of the elves long life span is the way they view life. To many of the shorter lived races, life is all about rushing to leave their mark on the world. To find love and happiness, and to leave a legacy before their time runs out. Most elves do not share this view of life, due to the fact that it simply isn't true for them. Unlike members of other races, elves are guaranteed to live for multiple centuries at the very least, meaning they have plenty of time to slow down and enjoy life to its fullest.

This leads to elves tending to take things slowly. Rather than racing to do everything they can, many elves will instead focus on one thing at a time, trying their hand at whatever catches their interest. This leads to elves gaining a wide skill set relatively quickly, and long before they try their hand at love and romance, if they ever do.

To outsiders, this makes elves seem somewhat aloof, as if they don't care about anything at all. Some describe elves as childish or immature, wasting their lives focusing on passing interests rather than things that truly matter. A misunderstanding born of how different their lives truly are.

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### Exploration and Adventure
At some point in their life, almost every elf gains some form of wanderlust, tired of spending their entire life in a single place. The world is too large and full of wonder to simply sit around forever. This leads to many trying their hand at traveling, or even adventuring if they crave excitement or glory.

To some, this is but another passing interest, a way to see more of the world before they return home and resume their lives. But to others, their time on the road opens their eyes to the beauty of the world, making them long for more. It isn't uncommon to find elves who have dedicated the rest of their lives to exploring, too curious to simply sit in one place forever.

Thanks to their years of experience, elves rarely find themselves in any serious danger, as most have at least tried their hand at martial or magical training, learning how to handle themselves in combat. This may be untrue for younger elves, who rushed out into the world before they were ready, only to learn just how unforgiving it can truly be.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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### Elf Traits
Your elven character has a wide variety of abilities, due in part to their elven nature and their years of experience.

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

**Size.**
Elves range from under 5 to over 6 feet tall, though this varies widely. Your size is Medium.

**Speed.**
Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

**Darkvision.**
You have darkvision out to a range of 60 feet.

**Keen Senses.**
You have proficiency in the Perception skill.

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

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

**Languages.**
You can speak, read, and write Common and Elvish.

**Subrace.** Elves are split into a wide variety of different subraces and cultures, which can impact both their physical appearance and their view of the world. The most well known varieties of elves are the high elves, wood elves, and drow.

#### High Elf
Tall, slender, and magically inclined, high elves are by far the most common type of elves seen in the world. Some split these types of elves into two smaller groups; Sun elves, who boast bronze skin and warm colored hair, and are known for being haughty and reclusive, and moon elves, who have pale skin and cool colored hair, known for being far friendlier.

**Arcane Inclination.** You know one cantrip of you choice from the sorcerer spell list. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for the cantrip.

**Eye for Magic.** You can cast the *detect magic* and *identify* spells as rituals without using any material components.

#### Wood Elf
Wood elves, also known as wild or forest elves, tend to live in or near forests, as most feel a kinship with nature. They tend to be shorter and stockier than most elves, boasting copperish skin and hair of blacks and browns. Quick and quiet on their feet, wood elves silently move through the forests near their homes, unseen and unheard by everything around them.

**Fleet of Foot.** Your base walking speed increases to 35 feet.

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

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#### Drow
Descended from a race of elves that were banished from the surface, drow or dark elves have a reputation of being cruel slavers. Most make their home in the Underdark, living in grand cities in the deep caves. While many grow up to be cruel and unforgiving, a rare few were raised outside of the drow cities, or even outside the Underdark entirely, never learning the cruelty of their brethren. Others leave the cities of their own accord, sickened by the actions of their race, or are banished for one reason or another. Drow adventurers are something of a rarity, though not entirely unheard of.

**Drow Magic.** You know the *dancing lights* cantrip. At 3rd level, you can cast the *faerie fire* spell, and at 5th level you can cast the *darkness* spell. Once you cast a spell with this trait, you cannot do so again until you finish a long rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.

**Underdark Adaptation.** Your darkvision has a range of 120ft, and you can speak, read, and write Undercommon.

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<h2 id="halfling">Halfling</h2>

The comforts of home are the goals of most halflings’ lives: a place to settle in peace and quiet, far from marauding monsters and clashing armies; a blazing fire and a generous meal; fine drink and fine conversation. Though some halflings live out their days in remote agricultural communities, others form nomadic bands that travel constantly, lured by the open road and the wide horizon to discover the wonders of new lands and peoples. But even these wanderers love peace, food, hearth, and home, though home might be a wagon jostling along a dirt road or a raft floating downriver.

### Small and Practical
The diminutive halflings survive in a world full of larger creatures by avoiding notice or, barring that, avoiding offense. Standing about 3 feet tall, they appear relatively harmless and so have managed to survive for centuries in the shadow of empires and on the edges of wars and political strife. They are inclined to be stout, weighing between 40 and 45 pounds.

Halflings’ skin ranges from tan to pale with a ruddy cast, and their hair is usually brown or sandy brown and wavy. They have brown or hazel eyes. Halfling men often sport long sideburns, but beards are rare among them and mustaches even more so. They like to wear simple, comfortable, and practical clothes, favoring bright colors.

Halfling practicality extends beyond their clothing. They’re concerned with basic needs and simple pleasures and have little use for ostentation. Even the wealthiest of halflings keep their treasures locked in a cellar rather than on display for all to see. They have a knack for finding the most straightforward solution to a problem, and have little patience for dithering.

### Blending In
Halflings are masters of blending in, both in a physical sense and a societal sense. They are a race that tend to be found all over the world, easily fitting in wherever they find themselves. Blending in with communities of elves, dwarves, humans, and many other races, halflings always find a way to make themselves valuable and welcome. Many are raised to be loyal and warm, ensuring that most decent folk always enjoy their company.

On the physical side, Halflings small size makes them naturally stealthy, allowing them to blend in to crowds. Most are able to easily weave through busy markets and towns, slipping underneath other people's legs without them even noticing the tiny figures. For halflings that take up a life of adventuring, their natural affinity for stealth often proves to be a valuable asset, allowing them to hide behind their allies and enemies with ease.

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### Making Themselves at Home
No matter where they go, a halfling is always able to make themselves at home. Many enjoy a peaceful life in quiet villages, tending to large farms and well-kept groves. But to others, home could be in a wagon on the road, singing songs with a caravan full of performers, or sleeping underneath the stars with their merry band of adventurers.

Halflings tend to be raised with a deep love of their community. Because of this, they are able to feel at home no matter where they are, so long as those they care about are with them. To halflings, home isn't always a place, it can be people instead. Even the meekest of halflings can travel to hell and back, enjoying the comforts of home the entire way. As long as the people they love are with them, a halfling is always happy.

To some, this makes halflings seem carefree, as if they struggles of life can't and don't bother them. In reality, they simply don't show their pain, content to shrug it off so long as they are with others. However, there is nothing a halfling fears more than being alone. With no one they care about to rely on, many halflings tend to fall apart, succumbing to the emotions they could so easily ignore before.

### Lucky Charms
Many halflings are raised with the belief that the world will reward you for being kind, or that certain tokens and charms are innately lucky. To others, these beliefs may seem silly or childish. And yet, there seems to be some level to truth to them, as halflings are well known for their good luck.

To the common halfling, this simply appears as random moments of good fortune, finding a gold coin in the street or always getting good hands in poker. But for those that live dangerous lives, their good luck tends to save their skin on many occasions, helping them to dodge traps and blows by mere inches.

### Halfling Names
A halfling has a given name, a family name, and possibly a nickname. Family names are often nicknames that stuck so tenaciously they have been passed down through the generations.

**Masuline Names:** Alton, Ander, Cade, Corrin, Eldon, Errich, Finnan, Garret, Lindal, Lyle, Merric, Milo, Osborn, Perrin, Reed, Roscoe, Wellby

**Feminine Names:** Andry, Bree, Callie, Cora, Euphemia, Jillian, Kithri, Lavinia, Lidda, Merla, Nedda, Paela, Portia, Seraphina, Shaena, Trym, Vani, Verna

**Family Names:** Brushgather, Goodbarrel, Greenbottle, High-hill, Hilltopple, Leagallow, Tealeaf, Thorngage, Tosscobble, Underbough

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### Halfling Traits
Your halfling character has access to a few abilities, thanks to their sense of community and innate luck.

**Age.** A halfling reaches adulthood at the age of 20 and generally lives into the middle of his or her second century.

**Size.** Halflings average about 3 feet tall and weigh about 40 pounds. Your size is Small.

**Speed.** Your base walking speed is 25 feet.

**Lucky.**  When you roll a 1 on the d20 for an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll.

**Brave.**  When you are within 30 feet of a friendly or allied creature, you have advantage on saving throws against being frightened.

**Nimble Scurry.**  You can move through the space of any creature that is of a size larger than yours.
 
**Languages.**  You can speak, read, and write Common and Halfling.

**Subraces.** Halflings are grouped into two subraces, based mainly on their physique; lightfoot halflings and stout halflings.

#### Lightfoot Halflings
Smaller than the average halflings, lightfoot halflings are quiet and stealthy, well known for their ability to hide in the most absurd of places. They are often written off as harmless due to their small stature, only for their foes to become confused when they disappear from their sight, unaware of the tiny figure sneaking towards them with a dagger in hand.

**Naturally Stealthy.**
You have proficiency in the stealth skill. Additionally, you can attempt to hide even when you are obscured only by a creature that is at least one size larger than you.

#### Stout Halflings
Stocky and usually well built, stout halflings are known to be hard workers and heavy drinkers. Some believe that stout halflings carry dwarven blood, due to both their similar appearance and tolerance for large quantities of ale. With strong bodies and blood, stout halflings are able to shrug off pains and poisons, keeping their heads up high no matter what.

**Stout Resilience.** You have advantage on saving throws against poison, and you have resistance against poison damage.

> ##### Smiles and Cheers
> Most halflings resting face is a smile, leading many to believe that they are always happy. In reality, smiling is simply their neutral face. Often times, a halfling will end up with a grin on their face, even if their currently feeling sad or angry, simply because they aren't actively showing it for whatever reason. 
>
> Because of this, many people believe that halflings are always happy, or at least don't get upset easily. Some find their constant smiling to be off-putting or creepy, though they generally keep that though to themselves.

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<h2 id="human">Human</h2>

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

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

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

### Leaving a Legacy
One thing that unites almost all of humankind is their desire to accomplish something grand. In a world full of races that can live for centuries, the life of a human can seem incredibly short. Because of this, most strive to leave a lasting legacy, to leave their mark on the world while they still have the chance.

For some, this means creating something new, whether that be a vehicle or machine that has never been seen before, or a company that carries their name. For others, it means starting a family, bringing new life into the world to continue their family name. But by far, the most common dream for young humans is to adventure out into the world, uncovering lost kingdoms and bringing down legendary foes. While many humans tend to mellow out as they age, turning their attention to tamer goals, young adult humans have wild ambitions, making up a large bulk of the adventurers in the world.

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

The material culture and physical characteristics of humans can change wildly from region to region. In the Forgotten Realms, for example, the clothing, architecture, cuisine, music, and literature are different in the northwestern lands of the Silver Marches than in distant Turmish or Impiltur to the east—and even more distinctive in far-off Kara-Tur. Human physical characteristics, though, vary according to the ancient migrations of the earliest humans, so that the humans of the Silver Marches have every possible variation of coloration and features.

In the Forgotten Realms, nine human ethnic groups are widely recognized, though over a dozen others are found in more localized areas of Faerûn. These groups, and the typical names of their members, can be used as inspiration no matter which world your human is in.

##### Calishite
Shorter and slighter in build than most other humans, Calishites have dusky brown skin, hair, and eyes. They’re found primarily in southwest Faerûn.

**Calishite Names:** (Masculine) Aseir, Bardeid, Haseid, Khemed, Mehmen, Sudeiman, Zasheir; (female) Atala, Ceidil, Hama, Jasmal, Meilil, Seipora, Yasheira, Zasheida; (surnames) Basha, Dumein, Jassan, Khalid, Mostana, Pashar, Rein

##### Chondathan
Chondathans are slender, tawny-skinned folk with brown hair that ranges from almost blond to almost black. Most are tall and have green or brown eyes, but these traits are hardly universal. Humans of Chondathan descent dominate the central lands of Faerûn, around the Inner Sea.

**Chondathan Names:** (Masculine) Darvin, Dorn, Evendur, Gorstag, Grim, Helm, Malark, Morn, Randal, Stedd; (female) Arveene, Esvele, Jhessail, Kerri, Lureene, Miri, Rowan, Shandri, Tessele; (surnames) Amblecrown, Buckman, Dundragon, Evenwood, Greycastle, Tallstag

##### Damaran
Found primarily in the northwest of Faerûn, Damarans are of moderate height and build, with skin hues ranging from tawny to fair. Their hair is usually brown or black, and their eye color varies widely, though brown is most common.

**Damaran Names:** (Masculine) Bor, Fodel, Glar, Grigor, Igan, Ivor, Kosef, Mival, Orel, Pavel, Sergor; (Feminine) Alethra, Kara, Katernin, Mara, Natali, Olma, Tana, Zora; (surnames) Bersk, Chernin, Dotsk, Kulenov, Marsk, Nemetsk, Shemov, Starag

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##### Illuskan
Illuskans are tall, fair-skinned folk with blue or steely gray eyes. Most have raven-black hair, but those who inhabit the extreme northwest have blond, red, or light brown hair.

**Illuskan Names:** (Masculine) Ander, Blath, Bran, Frath, Geth, Lander, Luth, Malcer, Stor, Taman, Urth; (Feminine) Amafrey, Betha, Cefrey, Kethra, Mara, Olga, Silifrey, Westra; (surnames) Brightwood, Helder, Hornraven, Lackman, Stormwind, Windrivver

##### Mulan
Dominant in the eastern and southeastern shores of the Inner Sea, the Mulan are generally tall, slim, and amber-skinned, with eyes of hazel or brown. Their hair ranges from black to dark brown, but in the lands where the Mulan are most prominent, nobles and many other Mulan shave off all their hair.

**Mulan Names:** (Masculine) Aoth, Bareris, Ehput-Ki, Kethoth, Mumed, Ramas, So-Kehur, Thazar-De, Urhur; (Feminine) Arizima, Chathi, Nephis, Nulara, Murithi, Sefris, Thola, Umara, Zolis; (surnames) Ankhalab, Anskuld, Fezim, Hahpet, Nathandem, Sepret, Uuthrakt

##### Rashemi
Most often found east of the Inner Sea and often intermingled with the Mulan, Rashemis tend to be short, stout, and muscular. They usually have dusky skin, dark eyes, and thick black hair.

**Rashemi Names:** (Masculine) Borivik, Faurgar, Jandar, Kanithar, Madislak, Ralmevik, Shaumar, Vladislak; (Feminine) Fyevarra, Hulmarra, Immith, Imzel, Navarra, Shevarra, Tammith, Yuldra; (surnames) Chergoba, Dyernina, Iltazyara, Murnyethara, Stayanoga, Ulmokina

##### Shou
The Shou are the most numerous and powerful ethnic group in Kara-Tur, far to the east of Faerûn. They are yellowish-bronze in hue, with black hair and dark eyes. Shou surnames are usually presented before the given name.

**Shou Names:** (Masculine) An, Chen, Chi, Fai, Jiang, Jun, Lian, Long, Meng, On, Shan, Shui, Wen; (Feminine) Bai, Chao, Jia, Lei, Mei, Qiao, Shui, Tai; (surnames) Chien, Huang, Kao, Kung, Lao, Ling, Mei, Pin, Shin, Sum, Tan, Wan

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##### Tethyrian
Widespread along the entire Sword Coast at the western edge of Faerûn, Tethyrians are of medium build and height, with dusky skin that tends to grow fairer the farther north they dwell. Their hair and eye color varies widely, but brown hair and blue eyes are the most common. Tethyrians primarily use Chondathan names.

##### Turami
Native to the southern shore of the Inner Sea, the Turami people are generally tall and muscular, with dark mahogany skin, curly black hair, and dark eyes.

**Turami Names:** (Masculine) Anton, Diero, Marcon, Pieron, Rimardo, Romero, Salazar, Umbero; (Feminine) Balama, Dona, Faila, Jalana, Luisa, Marta, Quara, Selise, Vonda; (surnames) Agosto, Astorio, Calabra, Domine, Falone, Marivaldi, Pisacar, Ramondo

### Human Traits
Human characters are versatile and adaptable, making them very flexible in their skill sets.

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

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

**Speed.** Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

**Adaptability.** You gain one of the following traits of your choice:
- You gain proficiency in two skills or tools of your choice.
- You gain expertise in one skill that you are already proficient in.
- You learn one cantrip from any spell list of your choice. The spellcasting ability for this cantrip is the same as the spellcasting ability of the class you learned it from.

**Fast Learners.** When training to gain proficiency in a new type of weapon, armor, skill, or tool, it requires half the time that it usually would.

**Human Determination.** When you make an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw, you can choose to give yourself advantage on the roll. Once you use this trait, you cannot do so again until you finish a short or long rest.

**Quick Study.** At the end of a long rest, you can choose one skill or tool that you are not proficient in. You can add half your proficiency bonus (rounded down) to any checks made with that skill or tool until you finish a long rest.

**Languages.** You can speak, read, and write Common and one extra language of your choice.

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<h1 id="uncommon">Uncommon Races</h1>

Though not seen as often as some of the other races, these races still make up a good population of the world. Their status as uncommon races may come from their small population size, or from the fact that the race is rather isolated, split off from the rest of the world. For example, the aarakocra race tend to keep to themselves, making them somewhat uncommon to see.

<h2 id="bird">Aarakocra</h2>

Sequestered in high mountains atop tall trees, the aarakocra, sometimes called birdfolk, evoke fear and wonder. Many aarakocra aren’t even native to the Material Plane. They hail from a world beyond — from the boundless vistas of the Elemental Plane of Air.

They are immigrants, refugees, scouts, and explorers, their outposts functioning as footholds in a world both strange and alien.

### Beak and Feather
From below, aarakocra look much like large birds. Only when they descend to roost on a branch or walk across the ground does their humanoid appearance reveal itself. Standing upright, aarakocra might reach 5 feet tall, and they have long, narrow legs that taper to sharp talons.

Feathers cover their bodies. Their plumage typically denotes membership in a tribe. The color and styling of their feathers tends to change based on where they were born, typically taking after a certain species of bird, such as hawks, owls, or ravens.

They also have large wings, which are usually attached to their back or to their arms. While this does make them capable of flight, most aarakocra cannot stay in the air for very long, needing to land after a short amount of time to regain their strength. Despite this, aarakocra are adept at using their wings and limited flight to their advantage.

### Avian Mannerisms
The resemblance of aarakocra to birds isn’t limited to physical features. Aarakocra display many of the same mannerisms as ordinary birds. They are fastidious about their plumage, frequently tending their feathers, cleaning and scratching away any tiny passengers they might have picked up.

Many aarakocra punctuate their speech with chirps, sounds they use to convey emphasis and to shade meaning, much as a human might through facial expressions and gestures. An aarakocra might become frustrated with people who fail to pick up on the nuances; an aarakocra’s threat might be taken as a jest and vice versa.

Aarakocra tend to take after the species of bird that they relate to. Those that resemble birds of prey, such as eagles and hawks, tend to enjoy hunting, while aarakocra that take after nocturnal birds prefer to stay awake during the night. However, these tendencies tend to end where common sense begins. For example, despite their love of shiny objects, aarakocra that relate to birds such as crows and ravens know better than to take something that belongs to someone else.

Confinement terrifies many aarakocra. To be grounded, trapped underground, or imprisoned by the cold, unyielding earth is a torment few aarakocra can withstand. Even when perched on a high branch or at rest in their mountaintop homes, they appear alert, with eyes moving and bodies ready to take flight.

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### Aarakocra Names
As with much of their speech, aarakocra names include clicks, trills, and whistles to the point that other peoples have a difficult time pronouncing them. Typically, a name has two to four syllables with the sounds acting as connectors. When interacting with other races, aarakocra may use nicknames gained from people they meet or shortened forms of their full names. Generally, aarakocra make no distinction between names based on gender.

**Aarakocra Names:** Aera, Aial, Aur, Deekek, Errk, Heehk, Ikki, Kleeck, Oorr, Ouss, Quaf, Quierk, Salleek, Urreek, or Zeed.

### Aarakocra Traits
As an aarakocra, you have many birdlike features, which aid you both in and out of combat.

**Age** Aarakocra reach maturity by age 3. Compared to humans, aarakocra don’t usually live longer than 30 years.

**Size** Aarakocra are about 5 feet tall. They have thin, lightweight bodies that weigh between 80 and 100 pounds. Your size is Medium.

**Speed** Your base walking speed is 25 feet.

**Limited Flight** You have a fly speed of 30 feet, as well as a number of flight points equal to half your proficiency modifier (rounded down). If you end your turn in the air while using your fly speed from this trait, you must expend a flight point, or you fall. You regain a flight point every time you end your turn on the ground.

**Talons** Your talons 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 bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.

**Languages** You can speak, read, and write Common, Aarakocra, and Auran.

**Subrace** While all aarakocra are similar to birds, most relate more to certain birds than others. Aarakocra are typically divided into four subraces; Corvid, Hunter, Strigid, and Swift.

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#### Corvid
Corvid aarakocra tend to have a bad reputation, with most being seen as thieves due to their affinity for stealth and treasure finding. These aarakocra are similar in appearance and behavior to birds such as crows and ravens, enjoying trickery and hording shiny objects. However, unlike their avian bretheren, corvid aarakocra tend to have enough sense to know what to take and what to leave behind, even if some choose to ignore their common sense.

**Dark Feathers.** You have proficiency with the Stealth skill.

**Eye for Shinies.** You have advantage on Ingelligence (Investigation) checks made to find money or valuable objects.

#### Hunter
Resembling the birds of prey, Hunter Aarakocra are natural hunters, with sharp eyes and sharper talons. These aarakocra make for excellent warriors and hunters. Many aarakocra of this type avoid using weapons, instead prefering to hunt with their talons. This leaves their hands free to perform other tasks, such as using nets, carrying heavy objects, or casting spells, for those that are magically inclined.

**Sharp Talons.** Your talons deal 1d6 damage, instead of 1d4. Additionally, you can use either Strength or Dexterity for attack and damage rolls using your talons.

**Keen Sight.** You have proficiency with the Perception skill.

#### Strigid 
Strigid aarakocra tend to take after nocturnal birds, such as owls, preferring to sleep during the day and hunt during the night. They have keen eyes which are able to easily cut through darkness, and they excel at tracking down hidden creatures. Similarly to the birds they resemble, many strigid aarakocra hunt at night, taking advantage of their night vision to give them the upper hand in combat, and sleep during the day, finding a safe crevice to hide in.

**Enhanced Darkvision.** You have darkvision within 100 feet.

**Stealth Tracker.** You can use a bonus action to make a Wisdom (Perception) check to attempt to find a hidden creature or object.

#### Swift
While most aarakocra tend to only sport one or two colors, using being some combination of black, brown, and white, swift aarakocra are generally very colorful, with multi-coloured feathers, especially around their wings and tails. Their personalities are just as colorful as their plumage, as they tend to be very bright and hyperactive. The speed at which swift aarakocra beat their wings creates a low buzzing sound, which some use to distract and disorient others.

**Swift Wings.** Your fly speed is increased to 35 feet.

**Buzzing Defense.** When a creature that can hear you within 30 feet of you targets you with an attack roll, you can use your reaction to create a buzzing sound with your wings, giving them disadvantage on the attack. Once you use this trait, you cannot do so again until you finish a short or long rest.

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<h2 id="dragon">Dragonborn</h2>

Born of dragons, as their name proclaims, the dragonborn walk proudly through a world that greets them with fearful incomprehension. Shaped by draconic gods or the dragons themselves, dragonborn originally hatched from dragon eggs as a unique race, combining the best attributes of dragons and humanoids. Some dragonborn are faithful servants to true dragons, others form the ranks of soldiers in great wars, and still others find themselves adrift, with no clear calling in life.

### Proud Dragon Kin
Dragonborn look very much like dragons standing erect in humanoid form, though they lack wings, and sometimes a tail. All dragonborn boast scales and features that resemble a different type of dragon, whether it be chromatic, metallic, or gemstone. They are tall and strongly built, often standing close to 6½ feet tall and weighing 300 pounds or more. Their hands and feet are strong, talonlike claws with three fingers and a thumb on each hand.

The blood of a particular type of dragon runs very strong through some dragonborn clans. These dragonborn often boast scales that more closely match those of their dragon ancestor—bright red, green, blue, or white, lustrous black, or gleaming metallic gold, silver, brass, copper, or bronze.

### Self Sufficient Clans
To any dragonborn, the clan is more important than life itself. Dragonborn owe their devotion and respect to their clan above all else, even the gods. Each dragonborn’s conduct reflects on the honor of their clan, and bringing dishonor to the clan can result in expulsion and exile. Each dragonborn knows their station and duties within the clan, and honor demands maintaining the bounds of that position.

A continual drive for self-improvement reflects the self-sufficiency of the race as a whole. Dragonborn value skill and excellence in all endeavors. They hate to fail, and they push themselves to extreme efforts before they give up on something. A dragonborn holds mastery of a particular skill as a lifetime goal. Members of other races who share the same commitment find it easy to earn the respect of a dragonborn.

Though all dragonborn strive to be self-sufficient,  they recognize that help is sometimes needed in difficult situations. But the best source for such help is the clan, and when a clan needs help, it turns to another dragonborn clan before seeking aid from other races—or even from the gods.

### Dragonborn Names
Dragonborn have personal names given at birth, but they put their clan names first as a mark of honor. A childhood name or nickname is often used among clutchmates as a descriptive term or a term of endearment. The name might recall an event or center on a habit.

**Male Names:** Arjhan, Balasar, Bharash, Donaar, Ghesh, Heskan, Kriv, Medrash, Mehen, Nadarr, Pandjed, Patrin, Rhogar, Shamash, Shedinn, Tarhun, Torinn

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**Female Names:** Akra, Biri, Daar, Farideh, Harann, Havilar, Jheri, Kava, Korinn, Mishann, Nala, Perra, Raiann, Sora, Surina, Thava, Uadjit

**Childhood Names:** Climber, Earbender, Leaper, Pious, Shieldbiter, Zealous

**Clan Names:** Clethtinthiallor, Daardendrian, Delmirev, Drachedandion, Fenkenkabradon, Kepeshkmolik, Kerrhylon, Kimbatuul, Linxakasendalor, Myastan, Nemmonis, Norixius, Ophinshtalajiir, Prexijandilin, Shestendeliath, Turnuroth, Verthisathurgiesh, Yarjerit

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### Dragonborn Traits
Your draconic heritage manifests in a variety of traits you share with other dragonborn.

**Age.** Young dragonborn grow quickly. They walk hours after hatching, attain the size and development of a 10-year-old human child by the age of 3, and reach adulthood by 15. They live to be around 80.

**Size.** Dragonborn are taller and heavier than humans, standing well over 6 feet tall and averaging almost 250 pounds. Your size is Medium.

**Speed.** Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

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

**Subraces.** Dragonborn were created to resemble the many different types of dragons. Most dragonborn are separated into two categories; Elemental Dragonborn, and Psionic Dragonborn.

#### Elemental Dragonborn
Elemental dragonborn resemble Chromatic and Metallic dragons, their scales primarily being one colour, such as blue or red, or being similar to a type of metal, such as bronze or gold. They are capable of exhaling powerful elemental breaths based on their draconic heritage, and are also very resistant to the elements themselves.

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

**Breath Weapon.** Once per turn, when you take the attack action, you can replace one of your attacks with a blast of destructive elemental energy. Your draconic ancestry determines the size, shape, and damage type of your breath weapon.

When you use your breath weapon, each creature in the area of the effect must make a saving throw (The type is shown in the Elemental Draconic Ancestry table). The DC for this saving throw is 8 + your Constitution modifier + your Proficiency bonus. A creatures takes 2d6 damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. The damage increases to 3d6 at 5th level, 4d6 at 11th level, and 5d6 at 17th level.

You can use this trait a number of times equal to your Proficiency Bonus. You regain all uses of this trait when you finish a long rest.

**Damage Resistance.** You have resistance to the damage type associated with your Draconic Ancestry.

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##### Elemental Draconic Ancestry
| Dragon  | Damage Type | Breath Weapon |
|:---|:-----------:|:--------|
|  **Black / Copper** | Acid | 5 by 30ft. line (Dex Save) |
|  **Blue / Bronze**  | Lightning | 5 by 30ft. line (Dex Save) |
|  **Brass / Gold / Red** | Fire | 15ft. cone (Dex Save) |
|  **Green / Steel** | Poison | 15ft. cone (Con Save) |
|  **Silver / White**  | Cold | 15ft. cone (Con Save) |

#### Psionic Dragonborn
Taking after the elusive gem dragons, Psionic Dragonborn are much rarer than their elemental bretheren. They have crystaline scales that resemble different types of rare gems and minerals, such as amethysts, rubies, and sapphires. They are known for their psychic powers,

**Pisonic Dracoic Ancestry.** You have a draconic ancestry. Choose one type of dragon from the Psionic Draconic Ancestry table. The spells you gain from the Psionic Power trait are determined by this feature.

**Telepathic Mind.** You are able to speak to any creature you can see within 30 feet telepathically. You do not need to share a language with the creature, but the creature must be able to understand at least one language. The creature is not able to respond to you, unless they are also able to speak telepathically.

**Psychic Step.** By surrounding a creature with psychic energy, you can temporarily move them through the air. As a bonus action, you can grant a creature within 30 feet of you a fly speed equal to their walking speed, which lasts until the start of your next turn.

Once you use this trait, you cannot do so again until you finish a short or long rest.

**Psionic Power.** Your innate psychic talents allow you to perform feats of magic. You gain the ability to cast a spell at 3rd level and 5th. The spells that you are able to cast are based on your Psionic Draconic Ancestry. Regardless of your ancestry, you can cast each spell once, regaining the ability to do so after a long rest, and Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for these spells.

| Dragon  | Spell (3rd Level) | Spell (5th Level) |
|:---|:-----------|:-----|
|  **Amethyst**  | Thunderwave | Knock |
|  **Crystal**  | Color Spray | Blindness/Deafness |
|  **Emerald**  | Thunderwave | Gust of Wind | 
|  **Sapphire**  | Cause Fear ^(XGtE)^ | Mind Spike ^(XGtE)^ |
|  **Topaz**  | Ray of Sickness | Ray of Enfeeblement |

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<h2 id="genasi">Genasi</h2>

Genasi are the result of world colliding; the personification of the Elemental Planes tamed. They resemble humanoids in most ways, but have small traits which show their elemental heritage, be it odd skin colors, or bits of elemental power, such as hair made of fire.

### Heirs to Elemental Power

Most genasi are born from the union of a genie and a mortal. As such, they tend to take after both of their parents. While a genasi's elemental features may be it's most prominent ones, it does take after it's mortal parents as well, often having unique features from their mortal parent's race. The genasi child of an elf will still sport their pointed ears, while a dwarf's offspring will be shorter and stockier.

These genasi tend to not know their genie parents, as genie rarely take interest in their mortal children. Most tend to view their genasi children as an accident, feeling no love or emotion towards their offspring.

While most genasi are the offspring of genies, this isn't always the case. On rare occasions, they are born due to a mortal being exposed to a large amount of elemental power, usually caused by the planes colliding in some way, or spending an extended period of time within one of the Elemental Planes.

### Wild and Confident 
Genasi rarely lack confidence, seeing themselves as equal to almost any challenge in their path. This certainty might manifest as graceful self-assurance in one genasi and as arrogance in another. Such self- confidence can sometimes blind genasi to risk, and their great plans often get them and others into trouble.

Too much failure can chip away at even a genasi’s sense of self, so they constantly push themselves to improve, honing their talents and perfecting their craft.

### Genasi Names
Genasi use the naming conventions of the people among whom they were raised, or distinctive names to capture their heritage, such as Flame, Ember, Wave, or Onyx.

### Genasi Traits
Blessed with elemental power, your genasi character is capable of many magical feats.

**Age.**
Genasi tend to take after their mortal parent's in terms of aging. For example, those with an elven parent would share a similar lifespan to an elf.

**Size.** Genasi tend to be around the same height as their non-genie parent. Your size is Medium.

**Speed.** Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

**Languages.** You can speak, read, and write Common and Primordial.

**Subraces.** All genasi are born imbued with the magic of one of the four Elemental Planes. Choose one of the following subraces; Air, Earth, Fire, or Water.

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#### Air Genasi
As an air genasi, you are descended from the djinn. As changeable as the weather, your moods shift from calm to wild and violent with little warning, but these storms rarely last long.

Air genasi typically have light blue skin, hair, and eyes. A faint but constant breeze accompanies them, tousling the hair and stirring the clothing. Some air genasi speak with breathy voices, marked by a faint echo. A few display odd patterns in their flesh or grow crystals from their scalps.

**Djinn Magic.** You know the *gust* cantrip. Charisma is your spellcasting modifier for this spell.

**Lightning Resistance.** You have resistance to lightning damage.

**On the Wind.** You have resistance to falling damage. Additionally, while you are falling, you can use your reaction to suspend yourself in the air. You do not start falling again until the end of your next turn. Once you use this feature, you cannot do so again until you finish a long rest.

**Unending Breath.** You can hold your breath indefinitely while you are not incapacitated.

**Upward Burst.** As an action, you can propel yourself into the air, up to a maximum number of feet equal to 10 times your proficiency modifier.

#### Earth Genasi
As an earth genasi, you are descended from the cruel and greedy dao, though you aren’t necessarily evil. You have inherited some measure of control over earth, reveling in superior strength and solid power. You tend to avoid rash decisions, pausing long enough to consider your options before taking action.

Elemental earth manifests differently from one individual to the next. Some earth genasi always have bits of dust falling from their bodies and mud clinging to their clothes, never getting clean no matter how often they bathe. Others are as shiny and polished as gemstones, with skin tones of deep brown or black, eyes sparkling like agates. Earth genasi can also have smooth metallic flesh, dull iron skin spotted with rust, a pebbled and rough hide, or even a coating of tiny embedded crystals. The most arresting have fissures in their flesh, from which faint light shines.

**Dao Magic.** You know the *mold earth* cantrip. Charisma is your spellcasting modifier for this spell.

**Hard as a Rock.** While you aren't wearing any armor, your AC is equal to 13 + your Dexterity modifier. Additionally, your hit point maximum increases by 1, and increases again by 1 every time you gain a level.

**Unbreakable.** When you take damage, you can use a reaction to roll a d8. Add your Constitution modifier to the total, and reduce the damage taken by that amount. Once you use this trait, you cannot do so again until you finish a short or long rest.

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#### Fire Genasi
As a fire genasi, you have inherited the volatile mood and keen mind of the efreet. You tend toward impatience and making snap judgments. Rather than hide your distinctive appearance, you exult in it.

Nearly all fire genasi are feverishly hot as if burning inside, an impression reinforced by flaming red, coal- black, or ash-gray skin tones. The more human-looking have fiery red hair that writhes under extreme emotion, while more exotic specimens sport actual flames dancing on their heads. Fire genasi voices might sound like crackling flames, and their eyes flare when angered. Some are accompanied by the faint scent of brimstone.

**Fire Resistance.** You have resistance to fire damage.

**Efreeti Magic.** You know the *produce flame* cantrip. Charisma is your spellcasting modifier for this spell.

**Living Torch.** You can use an action to begin shedding bright light in a 20-foot radius and dim light for an additional 20 feet. This effect lasts until you end it using another action.

**Phoenix's Ressurection.** When you are reduced to 0 hit points but not killed outright, you can drop to 1 hit point again. Once you use this feature, you cannot do so again until you finish a long rest.

#### Water Genasi
The lapping of waves, the spray of sea foam on the wind, the ocean depths—all of these things call to your heart. You wander freely and take pride in your independence, though others might consider you selfish.

Most water genasi look as if they just finished bathing, with beads of moisture collecting on their skin and hair. They smell of fresh rain and clean water. Blue or green skin is common, and most have somewhat overlarge eyes, blue-black in color. A water genasi’s hair might float freely, swaying and waving as if underwater. Some have voices with undertones reminiscent of whale song or trickling streams.

**Cold Resistance.** You have resistance to cold damage.

**Call of the Sea.** You can breath air and water, and have a swim speed of 30 feet.

**Marid Magic.** You know the *shape water* cantrip. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for this spell.

**One with the Waves.** You have advantage on stealth checks made while underwater, as you blend in with the water.

**Slippery Skin.** You have advantage on checks and saving throws made to resist the grappled and restrained condition. If a creature hits you with an attack roll that would automatically grapple you, you can use your reaction to attempt to break the grapple.

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<h2 id="gnome">Gnome</h2>

A constant hum of busy activity pervades the warrens and neighborhoods where gnomes form their close-knit communities. Louder sounds punctuate the hum: a crunch of grinding gears here, a minor explosion there, a yelp of surprise or triumph, and especially bursts of laughter. Gnomes take delight in life, enjoying every moment of invention, exploration, investigation, creation, and play.

### Small Bodies, Big Personalities
Standing just over 3 feet tall, gnomes are well known for their loud and energetic personalities, which is well reflected by their appearance. Their tan or brown faces are usually adorned with broad smiles (beneath their prodigious noses), and their bright eyes shine with excitement. Gnomes tend to hair fair hair by default, but many prefer to paint their hair bright and wild colors, using pigments to dye them on a constant basis. As for styling it, their hair is often wild and unkempt, though many tend to keep their facial hair carefully trimmed and styled into curious forks or neat points.

Outsiders who aren't used to dealing with gnomes tend to see them as hyperactive or annoying, usually due to the fact that they can seemingly speak forever. Many gnomes speak as if they can't get the thoughts out of their heads fast enough, a trait that their communities tend to encourage. What's the point of being quiet when you can fill the room with funny jokes or brilliant ideas?

### Delighted Dedication
Even with their wild and fun loving nature and personalities, gnomes are also known to be skilled and dedicated folks, being taught from a young age that there is a time for fun and a time to work. Many are skilled engineers, alchemists, tinkers, inventors, and mages. They're willing to make mistakes and laugh at themselves in the process of perfecting what they do, taking bold (sometimes foolhardy) risks and dreaming large.

Like humans, they always feel like they don't have enough time to do and see everything, despite the fact that they can live for anywhere between three and five centuries. Gnomes are raised to see the simple act of living as a joy, and to never waste a second. If you aren't spending your time doing what you love, are you really living?

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### Bright Burrows
Gnomes make their homes in hilly, wooded lands. They live underground but get more fresh air than dwarves do, enjoying the natural, living world on the surface whenever they can. Their homes are well hidden by both clever construction and simple illusions. Welcome visitors are quickly ushered into the bright, warm burrows. Those who are not welcome are unlikely to find the burrows in the first place.

Those that make their home in more public towns or large cities tend to find work as gemcutters, engineers, sages, or tinkers. Some find work as teachers, easily mixing serious learning and delighted enjoyment. A gnome might tutor several generations of a single family over the course of their long life.

### Gnome Names
Gnomes love names, and most have half a dozen or so. A gnome’s mother, father, clan elder, aunts, and uncles each give the gnome a name, and various nicknames from just about everyone else might or might not stick over time. Gnome names are typically variants on the names of ancestors or distant relatives, though some are purely new inventions. When dealing with humans and others who are “stuffy” about names, a gnome learns to use no more than three names: a personal name, a clan name, and a nickname, choosing the one in each category that’s the most fun to say.

**Masculine Names:** Alston, Alvyn, Boddynock, Brocc, Burgell, Dimble, Eldon, Erky, Fonkin, Frug, Gerbo, Gimble, Glim, Jebeddo, Kellen, Namfoodle, Orryn, Roondar, Seebo, Sindri, Warryn, Wrenn, Zook

**Feminine Names:** Bimpnottin, Breena, Caramip, Carlin, Donella, Duvamil, Ella, Ellyjobell, Ellywick, Lilli, Loopmottin, Lorilla, Mardnab, Nissa, Nyx, Oda, Orla, Roywyn, Shamil, Tana, Waywocket, Zanna

**Clan Names:** Beren, Daergel, Folkor, Garrick, Nackle, Murnig, Ningel, Raulnor, Scheppen, Timbers, Turen

**Nicknames:** Aleslosh, Ashhearth, Badger, Cloak, Doublelock, Filchbatter, Fnipper, Ku, Nim, Oneshoe, Pock, Sparklegem, Stumbleduck

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### Gnome Traits
Gnomes are quick witted and energetic, giving them a wide assortment of different traits.

**Age.** Gnomes mature at the same rate humans do, and most are expected to settle down into an adult life by around age 40. They can live 350 to almost 500 years.

**Size.** Gnomes are between 3 and 4 feet tall and average about 40 pounds. Your size is Small.

**Speed.** Your base walking speed is 25 feet.

**Darkvision.** You have darkvision out to a range of 60 feet.

**Gnome Cunning.** You have advantage on all Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma saving throws against magic.

**Jittering Surge.** On your turn, you can choose to take an additional bonus action, on top of your action and normal bonus action. Once you use this trait, you cannot do so again until you finish a short or long rest.

**Languages.**  You can speak, read, and write Common and Gnomish.

**Subrace.** Gnomes are split into three subraces, which tend to depend on the environment they grew up in; forest gnomes, rock gnomes, and deep gnomes.

#### Forest Gnome
Making their homes deep in the woods, forest gnomes have a knack for illusion and stealth. These kinds of gnomes tend to be somewhat rare, gathering in hidden communities in sylvan forests, using their illusions and trickery to hide their homes. Instead of bonding with other races, forest gnomes tend to bond to nature, becoming friendly with the local wildlife.

**Natural Illusionist.** You know the *minor illusion* cantrip. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for it.

**Speak with Beasts.** Through sounds and gestures, you can communicate idea with medium or smaller beasts. The beasts are able to understand what you are saying, though you have no ability to understand them in return. You have advantage on all Wisdom (Animal Handling) and Charisma (Persuasion) checks made to influence animals.

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#### Rock Gnomes
Rock gnomes, named after the fact that they tend to make their burrows and homes in steppes and other rocky areas, tend to be naturally inventive. Their rough and hardy environment forces them to find creative ways to survive, leading to them inventing new and inspired ways to make their lives easier.

**Artificer’s Lore.**
Whenever you make an Intelligence (History) check related to magic items, alchemical objects, or technological devices, you can add twice your proficiency bonus, instead of any proficiency bonus you normally apply.

**Tinker.** 
You have proficiency with artisan’s tools (tinker’s tools). Using those tools, you can spend 1 hour and 10 gp worth of materials to construct a Tiny clockwork device (AC 5, 1 hp). The device ceases to function after 24 hours (unless you spend 1 hour repairing it to keep the device functioning), or when you use your action to dismantle it; at that time, you can reclaim the materials used to create it. You can have up to three such devices active at a time.

When you create a device, choose one of the following options:

- *Clockwork Toy.* This toy is a clockwork animal, monster, or person, such as a frog, mouse, bird, dragon, or soldier. When placed on the ground, the toy moves 5 feet across the ground on each of your turns in a random direction. It makes noises as appropriate to the creature it represents.
- *Fire Starter.* The device produces a miniature flame, which you can use to light a candle, torch, or campfire. Using the device requires your action.
- *Music Box.* When opened, this music box plays a single song at a moderate volume. The box stops playing when it reaches the song’s end or when it is closed.

#### Deep Gnomes
Also known as svirfneblin, deep gnomes live in small communities scattered around in the Underdark. Unlike the duergar and the drow, deep gnomes retain the cheerfulness and joy of their surface cousins, though it manifests in different ways. Where surface gnomes enjoy harmless pranks and puns, deep gnomes tend to have darker sense of humor, and their inventive expertise is directed mostly towards stonework and ways to defend themselves from the dangers of the Underdark.

Deep gnomes tend to have blue or grey skin. Their hair also comes in darker colors, and unlike their surface cousins, deep gnomes do not dye their hair, both due to the lack of pigments to do so, and to avoid drawing attention to themselves.

**Morbid Joy.** When you or an allied creature reduces a creature to 0 hit points, you can use your reaction to cast *tasha's hideous laughter* on a creature within range. Intelligence is your spellcasting modifier for this spell. Once you use this trait, you cannot do so again until you finish a long rest.

**Underdark Adaptation.** Your darkvision has a range of 120ft, and you can speak, read, and write Undercommon.

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<h2 id="giant">Goliath</h2>

At the highest mountain peaks — far above the slopes where trees grow and where the air is thin and the frigid winds howl — dwell the reclusive goliaths. Few folk can claim to have seen a goliath, and fewer still can claim friendship with them. Goliaths wander a bleak realm of rock, wind, and cold. Their bodies look as if they are carved from mountain stone and give them great physical power. Their spirits take after the wandering wind, making them nomads who wander from peak to peak. Their hearts are infused with the cold regard of their frigid realm, leaving each goliath with the responsibility to earn a place in the tribe or die trying.

### Driven Competitors
Every day brings a new challenge to a goliath. Food, water, and shelter are rare in the uppermost mountain reaches. A single mistake can bring doom to an entire tribe, while an individual’s heroic effort can ensure the entire group’s survival.

Goliaths thus place a premium on self-sufficiency and individual skill. They have a compulsion to keep score, counting their deeds and tallying their accomplishments to compare to others. Goliaths love to win, but they see defeat as a prod to improve their skills.

This dedication to competition has a dark side. Goliaths are ferocious competitors, but above all else they are driven to outdo their past efforts. If a goliath slays a dragon, they might seek out a larger, more powerful wyrm to battle. Few goliath adventurers reach old age, as most die attempting to surpass their past accomplishments.

### Fair Play
For goliaths, competition exists only when it is supported by a level playing field. Competition measures talent, dedication, and effort. Those factors determine survival in their home territory, not reliance on magic items, money, or other elements that can tip the balance one way or the other. Goliaths happily rely on such benefits, but they are careful to remember that such an advantage can always be lost. A goliath who relies too much on them can grow complacent, a recipe for disaster in the mountains.

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This trait manifests most strongly when goliaths interact with other folk. The relationship between peasants and nobles puzzles goliaths. If a king lacks the intelligence or leadership to lead, then clearly the most talented person in the kingdom should take his place. Goliaths rarely keep such opinions to themselves, and mock folk who rely on society’s structures or rules to maintain power.

### Survival of the Fittest
Among goliaths, any adult who can’t contribute to the tribe is expelled. A lone goliath has little chance of survival, especially an older or weaker one. Goliaths have little pity for adults who can’t take care of themselves, though a sick or injured individual is treated, as a result of the goliath concept of fair play.

A permanently injured goliath is still expected to pull their weight in the tribe. Typically, such a goliath dies attempting to keep up, or the goliath slips away in the night to seek the cold will of fate.

In some ways, the goliath drive to outdo themselves feeds into the grim inevitability of their decline and death. A goliath would much rather die in battle, at the peak of strength and skill, than endure the slow decay of old age. Few folk have ever meet an elderly goliath, and even those goliaths who have left their people grapple with the urge to give up their lives as their physical skills decay.

Because of their risk-taking, goliath tribes suffer from a chronic lack of the experience offered by long- term leaders. They hope for innate wisdom in their leadership, for they can rarely count on a wisdom grown with age.

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### Goliath Names
Every goliath has three names: a birth name assigned by the newborn’s mother and father, a nickname assigned by the tribal chief, and a family or clan name. A birth name is up to three syllables long. Clan names are five syllables or more and end in a vowel.

Birth names are rarely linked to gender. Goliaths see all genders as equal in all things, and they find societies with roles divided by gender to be puzzling or worthy of mockery. To a goliath, the person who is best at a job should be the one tasked with doing it.

A goliath’s nickname is a description that can change on the whim of a chieftain or tribal elder. It refers to a notable deed, either a success or failure, committed by the goliath. Goliaths assign and use nicknames with their friends of other races, and change them to refer to an individual’s notable deeds.

Goliaths present all three names when identifying themselves, in the order of birth name, nickname, and clan name. In casual conversation, they use their nickname.

**Birth Names:** Aukan, Eglath, Gae-Al, Gauthak, Ilikan, Keothi, Kuori, Lo-Kag, Manneo, Maveith, Nalla, Orilo, Paavu, Pethani, Thalai, Thotham, Uthal, Vaunea, Vimak

**Nicknames:** Bearkiller, Dawncaller, Fearless, Flintfinder, Horncarver, Keeneye, Lonehunter, Longleaper, Rootsmasher, Skywatcher, Steadyhand, Threadtwister, Twice-Orphaned, Twistedlimb, Wordpainter

**Clan Names:** Anakalathai, Elanithino, Gathakanathi, Kalagiano, Katho-Olavi, Kolae-Gileana, Ogolakanu, Thuliaga, Thunukalathi, Vaimei-Laga

### Goliath Traits
Goliath are strong and hardy folks, with their bodies built to deal with the harsh environments that they usually dwell in.

**Age.** Goliaths have lifespans comparable to humans. They enter adulthood in their late teens and usually live less than a century.

**Size.** Goliaths are between 7 and 8 feet tall and weigh between 280 and 340 pounds. Your size is Medium.

**Speed.** Your base walking speed is 30 feet, as well as a climb speed of 20 feet.

**Competitive Nature.** When you see an allied creature score a critical hit, you gain advantage on the first attack roll that you make within the next minute.

**Mountain Born.** You have resistance to cold damage. You’re also acclimated to high altitude, including elevations above 20,000 feet.

**Natural Athlete.** You have proficiency in the Athletics skill.

**Powerful Build.** You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.

**Stone’s Endurance.** You can focus yourself to occasionally shrug off injury. When you take damage, you can use your reaction to roll a d12. Add your Constitution modifier to the number rolled and reduce the damage by that total. After you use this trait, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

**Languages.** You can speak, read, and write Common and Giant.

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

### Of Two Worlds
To humans, half-elves look like elves, and to elves, they look human. In height, they’re on par with both parents, though they’re neither as slender as elves nor as broad as humans. They range from under 5 feet to about 6 feet tall, and from 100 to 180 pounds, with men only slightly taller and heavier than women. Half-elf men do have facial hair, and sometimes grow beards to mask their elven ancestry. Half-elven coloration and features lie somewhere between their human and elf parents, and thus show a variety even more pronounced than that found among either race. They tend to have the eyes of their elven parents.

Unfortunately, being caught between two worlds makes it difficult for half-elves to fully connect to others. In human communities, half-elves struggle to keep up with the rapid pace that humans live at, hoping for them to slow down, while in elven communities, they desperately wish that their mutuals would grow up faster, aging significantly faster than other elves. The perspective they have on life is warped by their mixed heritage, making it near impossible for others to relate to them. The only ones that truly understand half-elves are other half-elves, though outside of areas where humans and elves constantly interact, other half-elves can be hard to find.

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In a way, their mixed blood allows them to understand and relate to others in a way most others can't. While they aren't able to fully relate to other races, half-elves are able to understand others very well, due to being born of two worlds. This tends to make them excellent diplomats, except between humans and elves, as both sides tend to suspect that the half-elf is working for the other.

### Gnawing Wanderlust
Much like their elven parents, many half-elves struggle to stay in one place for their whole life. A combination of their curiosity from their human blood and their extended lifespan from their elven blood makes half-elves eager to travel the world, causing many to take up the mantle of adventuring.

Another reason for half-elves to wander the world is to try and find their place in it. Many will grow up in human or elven communities, never truly feeling at home. So, they set out to find a place where they feel that they belong, whether that be a place that is home to other half-elves, a town that treats them as a person rather than as either of their parent's races, or simply on the road.

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

### Half-Elf Traits
Your mix of human and elven blood has given you the best qualities of both, enhancing both your mind and senses.

**Age.** Half-elves mature at the same rate humans do and reach adulthood around the age of 20. They live much longer than humans, however, often exceeding 200 years.

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

**Speed.** Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

**Darkvision.** You have darkvision out to a range of 60 feet.

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

**In My Blood.** You gain one trait of your choice from either the human or elf race. This can include a trait from one of the high elf, wood elf, or drow subraces.

**People Person.** When you make a Charisma (Deception) or Charisma (Persuasion) check to convince or deceive a creature, you can add a d4 to the roll. You can use this trait a number of times equal to half your proficiency bonus (rounded down).

**Take it Slow.** When you make an ability check with a skill you are proficient with, you can choose to take an extra 10 minutes to perform the task. When you do, you do not roll for the check, instead simply treating the roll as a 10. If your DM decides that taking extra time would not help you with your task, you cannot use this trait. Once you use this trait, you cannot do so again until you finish a long rest.

**Languages.** You can speak, read, and write Common, Elvish, and one extra language of your choice.

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Whether united under the leadership of a mighty warlock or having fought to a standstill after years of conflict, orc and human tribes sometimes form alliances, joining forces into a larger horde to the terror of civilized lands nearby. When these alliances are sealed by marriages, half-orcs are born. Some half-orcs rise to become proud chiefs of orc tribes, their human blood giving them an edge over their full-blooded orc rivals. Some venture into the world to prove their worth among humans and other more civilized races. Many of these become adventurers, achieving greatness for their mighty deeds and notoriety for their barbaric customs and savage fury.

### Scarred and Strong
Half-orcs’ green or grayish pigmentation, sloping foreheads, jutting jaws, prominent teeth, and towering builds make their orcish heritage plain for all to see. Half-orcs stand between 5 and 7 feet tall and usually weigh between 180 and 250 pounds.

Orcs regard battle scars as tokens of pride and ornamental scars as things of beauty. Other scars, though, mark an orc or half-orc as a former slave or a disgraced exile. Any half-orc who has lived among or near orcs has scars, whether they are marks of humiliation or of pride, recounting their past exploits and injuries. Such a half-orc living among humans might display these scars proudly or hide them in shame.

### Boiling Emotions
A combination of orc's relentless fury and human's ambitious nature make half-orcs beings of intense feeling. Half-orcs feel emotion powerfully. Rage doesn’t just quicken their pulse, it makes their bodies burn. An insult stings like acid, and sadness saps their strength. But they laugh loudly and heartily, and simple bodily pleasures—feasting, drinking, wrestling, drumming, and wild dancing—fill their hearts with joy. They tend to be short-tempered and sometimes sullen, more inclined to action than contemplation and to fighting than arguing. The most accomplished half-orcs are those with enough self-control to get by in a civilized land.

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For some, controlling their emotions and escaping their impulses is a daunting task. Many half-orcs are marked by orcish gods, such as Gruumsh in the Forgotten Realms setting, making it difficult for them to resist the urge to kill. The whisper's of Gruumsh are hard to resist, silently pulling half-orcs that hear them towards evil and violence. Luckily, their human blood helps to quell their orcish fury somewhat, making it easier to resist their emotional outbursts, but it is still easy to fall victim to their instincts.

### Half-Orc Names
Half-orcs usually have names appropriate to the culture in which they were raised. A half-orc who wants to fit in among humans might trade an orc name for a human name. Some half-orcs with human names decide to adopt a guttural orc name because they think it makes them more intimidating.

### Half-Orc Traits
The fury of your orcish blood has been somewhat tempered by your human ancestry, granting you the following traits. 
**Age.** Half-orcs mature a little faster than humans, reaching adulthood around age 14. They age noticeably faster and rarely live longer than 75 years.

**Size.** Half-orcs are somewhat larger and bulkier than humans, and they range from 5 to well over 6 feet tall. Your size is Medium.

**Speed.** Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

**Darkvision.** You have darkvision out to a range of 60 feet.

**Aggressive Charge.** As a bonus action, you can move up to your movement speed towards a hostile creature of your choice that you can hear or see. You must end this move closer to the creature than you started.

**In My Blood.** You gain one trait of your choice from either the human or orc race.

**Menacing.** You gain proficiency in the Intimidation skill.

**Quell Emotions.** You can use an action to quell any intense emotion you are feeling, as if you were affected by the *calm emotions* spell. Once you use this trait, you cannot do so again until you finish a short or long rest.

**Languages.** You can speak, read, and write Common and Orc.

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<h2 id="kenku">Kenku</h2>

Torn from the sky for a crime committed in ages past, kenku are forced to walk the land in shame, wandering aimlessly from place to place. They are similar to ravens and crows in appearance, bearing dark feathers, beaks, and talons, though a rare few have been known to have brighter colored features. Many struggle to survive, having been stripped of their wings and their voice, while others thrive, turning their weakness into strength.

### An Ancient Curse
The kenku once served a mysterious, powerful entity on another plane of existence. Some believe that they were servants of a demon prince, while others say that they were a cousin race to the aarakocra, acting as scouts for powerful a powerful being of the Elemental Plane of Air. Whoever they served, according to legend, the kenku betrayed their master. Unable to resist the lure of sparkling treasure, the kenku plotted to steal the item and escape to the Material Plane.

Unfortunately for them, their master discovered their plan before they were able to enact it. Enraged, the entity imposed a pair of deadly curses upon them. First, the kenku's beloved wings withered and fell away from their bodies, leaving them bound to the earth. Then, so ensure that they could not divulge any secrets, their master stole their voice. Once the entity was satisfied that they had been sufficiently punished, the kenku were set loose on the Material Plane.

Since then, the kenku have wandered the world. They settle in places that accept them, usually in places where they are not judged for their ancestors actions.

### Dreams of Flight
Above all else, kenku wish to regain their ability to fly. Every kenku is born with the innate desire to take to the skies, and those that learn spellcasting often do so with the hopes of mastering spells that allow them to fly. Rumors of magical items such as flying carpets, brooms of flight, and similar objects provoke a great desire for kenku to acquire the items for themselves.

Despite their lack of wings, kenku love being up high, making their homes on mountains or in tall towers and structure that pierce the sky. Even though it is not enough to truly fulfill their dreams of flight, living in homes high off the ground make kenku feel more at peace, as if they are closer to taking to the skies once more.

### A Voice Not Their Own
While kenku do not have a voice of their own, they are not completely incapable of speaking. Rather than speaking, kenku are able to perfectly mimic any sound they hear, from a halfling's voice to the sound of rocks clattering down a hillside. However, kenku cannot create new sounds, and can communicate only using sounds they have heard. Most kenku use a combination of overheard phrases and sound effects to convey ideas and thoughts.

Growing up, young kenku struggle to properly communicate with others, lacking a vocabulary of stolen words and sounds to use. Because of this, many parents, whether they be kenku or not, repeat words and phrases their their kenku children, granting them the words they need to survive and thrive in the world. Because of this, many kenku end up using voices from people who died centuries ago, acting as the last living memory of that person.

### Tainted Reputation
The tale of the kenku's betrayal is told far and wide, often used as a bedtime story for children, to teach them the consequences of stealing. Because of this, some automatically regard kenku with mistrust, judging them based on the tales they have heard. While many kenku are able to find a home where they are safe from judgment, many are forced to endure the pain of being watched and treated as criminals.

This often creates a deadly cycle, where a kenku who is regarded as a criminal is forced into a life of crime to survive, further reinforcing the stereotype. Many thieves guilds and crime lords are more than happy to offer kenku a home in their ranks, as their talent for mimicry and memorizing details makes them ideal scouts, spies, and messengers.

In the end, many kenku end up as victims of circumstance, forced to become the very thing they were treated as just to make by. While some do choose a life of crime of their own accord, thriving and making an easy living due to their innate talents, others do it simply to get by. Once a flock of kenku falls into this cycle, it can be difficult to break, taking generations to undo the damage. Their reputation may be tainted by both stories and actions, but the kenku are more than what others think of them.

\pagebreakNum

### Kenku Names
Given that the kenku can duplicate any sound, but cannot produce their own, their names are drawn from a staggering variety of noises and phrases. Kenku names tend to break down into three categories that make no distinction between gender.

The first set are names which are essentially a noise that the kenku has heard and taken a liking too. For thugs and warriors, this can be the clang of a mace against armor, or the sound of a breaking bone. For a sailor, it could be the sound of a sail flapping in the wind, or the sound of waves washing against the ship's hull. Non-kenku tend to refer to these kenku by where the sound comes from. For example, a kenku that has named themself after the sound of a hammer clanging against an anvil might be named Clanger by non-kenku.

The second set are animal sounds, such as a bird's caw or a cat's meow. These are often adopted by kenku that live in areas with a lot of wildlife, or by criminals that wand to be able to call for each other without attracting attention. Non-kenku refer to these kenku either as the animal their noise comes from, or the sound they mimic, giving them names such as Growler or Rat Scratch.

The third and final type of name is simply a word that the kenku has overheard. These names tend to be given by a parent kenku who heard the word and feels like it describes their child in a fitting manner, and who want to emulate other races by naming their child with a word instead of a sound.

### Kenku Traits
Fated to never speak or fly on their own, Kenku have learned how to turn their curse into an advantage.

**Age.** Kenku have shorter lifespans than humans. They reach maturity at about 12 years old and can live to 60.

**Size.** Kenku are around 5 feet tall and weigh between 90 and 120 pounds. Your size is Medium.

**Speed.** Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

**Alarming Cry.** When a creature you can see within 30 feet of you targets you with an attack or spell, you can use your reaction to make the loudest sound you know, granting you advantage on the saving throw against the spell, or granting the creature disadvantage on their attack roll. Creatures that cannot hear you are immune to this trait. Once you use this trait, you cannot do so again until you finish a short or long rest.

**Master of Deciet.** You have proficiency in the deception skill. Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability checks you make with this proficiency that are related to your Mimicry trait.

**Mimicry.** You can mimic sounds you have heard, including voices6. A creature that hears the sounds you make can tell they are imitations with a successful Wisdom (Insight) check opposed by your Charisma (Deception) check.

**Languages.** You can read, write, and understand Common and one other language of your choice, but you can speak only by using your Mimicry trait.

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> ##### Roleplaying a Kenku
> If you're playing a kenku, constant attempts to mimic noises can come across as confusing or irritating rather than entertaining. You can just as easily describe the sounds your character makes and what they mean. Be clear about your character's intentions unless you're deliberately aiming for inscrutable or mysterious.
>
> You might say, "Snapper makes the noise of a hammer slowly and rhythmically tapping a stone to show how bored he is. He plays with his dagger and studies the Lords' Alliance agent sitting at the bar." Creating a vocabulary of noises for the other players to decode might sound like fun, but it can prove distracting and could slow down the game.

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<h2 id="lizard">Lizardfolk</h2>

Only a fool looks at the lizardfolk and sees nothing more than scaly humanoids. Their physical shape notwithstanding, lizardfolk have more in common with iguanas or dragons than they do with humans, dwarves, or elves. Lizardfolk possess an alien and inscrutable mindset, their desires and thoughts driven by a different set of basic principles than those of warm-blooded creatures.

Despite their alien outlook, some lizardfolk make an effort to understand and, in their own manner, befriend people of other races. Such lizardfolk make faithful and skilled allies.

### Alien Minds
The lizardfolk's reptilian nature comes through not only in their appearance, but also in how they think and
act. Lizardfolk experience a more limited emotional life than other humanoids. Like most reptiles, their feelings largely revolve around fear, aggression, and pleasure.

A common misconception is that lizardfolk aren't capable of feeling or understanding emotion, but that isn't quite true. Rather, their concept of emotions is different. Where a human would feel fear upon seeing an angry troll, causing their limbs to shake and their mind to panic, a lizardfolk would simply recognize the troll as a threat. They would not think "I'm scared", but they would understand that they are in danger.

Anger is a much less common emotion for lizardfolk to show. They often act with aggression towards their prey or foes, but true anger or annoyance is a rarity, often only seen by people that the lizardfolk trust, as they are willing to let their guard down enough to allow people they trust to do something to annoy them.

Despite their alien mindset, lizardfolk do feel love and pleasure. They are capable of enjoying simple pleasures, such as comforts and good food, and feel love towards those that help or protect them. In some cases, lizardfolk have been seen to prefer certain people by default, often explained by animal instincts.

### Survival Over All
While lizardfolk are able to enjoy some of the pleasures of life, over all else, they value survival and safety. Joy and sentimentality are useless when your life is in danger. A sword passed down to a lizardfolk by their father may bring them comfort, but if given the choice between a dull sword or a sharp one, the lizardfolk will almost always choose the sharp one.

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To outsiders, this can make lizardfolk look cold and uncaring. In a way, it is true, as their care for things tends to dwindle if that gets in the way of surviving. But life in the swamps and jungles where most lizardfolk make their homes are harsh and unforgiving. Sentimentality can bring comfort, but must be abandoned, lest it turn into a weakness. For lizardfolk, their cold demeanor comes less from a lack of care, and more from their instincts telling them to do what they must to survive.

Their instinct for survival is most evident when food starts to run low. When hunger begins to strike, lizardfolk's will treat almost anything as food, even the corpse of a loved one. While hacking a fallen comrade into steaks may seem cruel and uncaring, in the moment, the lizardfolk won't care. This isn't to say that hunger overtakes all of their thoughts and logic. While their instincts may scream at them to eat whatever they can, lizardfolk are smart enough to know when to show some tact. Even if they want to eat the remains of the dead, they may choose not to if they know that it will upset those that cared for the person in life.

In environments where they can live without constant worry, lizardfolk tend to open up more, slowly learning how to appreciate things like art or writing. Growing accustomed to these things takes time, as their instincts tell them to focus on surviving rather than unimportant matters, but over time, they can learn to care for the finer things in life.

> ##### Lizardfolk Speech
> Lizardfolk can master Common, but their mindset results in a speech pattern distim;t from other humanoids. Lizardfolk rarely use metaphors. Their speech is almost always literal. They might pick up idioms, but only with some difficulty.
>
>Names confuse them, unless they are descriptive. They tend to apply their own naming conventions to other creatures using Common words.
>
>Lizardfolk use active verbs to describe the world. A lizardfolk in cold weather might say, "This wind brings cold" rather than "I feel cold." Lizardfolk tend to define things in terms of actions, rather than effects.

\pagebreakNum

<br>

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### Lizardfolk Names
Lizardfolk take their names from the Draconic language. They use simple descriptives granted by the tribe based on an individual's notable deeds or actions. For example, Garurt translates as "axe," a name given to a lizardfolk warrior who defeated an ore and claimed their foe's weapon. A lizardfolk who likes to hide in a stand of reeds before ambushing an animal might be called Achuak, which means "green" to describe how they blend into the foliage.

Lizardfolk make no distinction between gender in their naming conventions. Each example name includes its translation in parenthesis.

**Lizardfolk Names:** Achuak (green), Aryte (war), Baeshra (animal), Darastrix (dragon), Garurt (axe), Irhtos (secret), Jhank (hammer), Kepesk (storm), Kethend (gem), Korth (danger), Kosj (small), Kothar (demon), Litrix (armor), Mirik (song), Othokent (smart), Sauriv (eye), Throden (many), Thurkear (night), Usk (iron), Valignat (burn), Vargach (battle), Verthica (mountain), Vutha (black), Vyth (steel)

### Lizardfolk Traits
A combination of reptilian features and your survival focused mind give you the following traits.

**Age.** Lizardfolk reach maturity around age 14, and rarely live longer than 60 years.

**Size.** Lizardfolk are a little bulkier and taller than humans, and their colorful frills make them appear even larger. Your size is medium.

**Speed.** Your base walking speed is 30 feet, and you have a swim speed of 30 feet.

**Bite.** Your fanged maw is a natural weapon, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with it, it deals piercing damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.

**Cunning Artisan.** As part of a short rest, you can harvest bone and hide from a slain creature of size Small or larger to create one of the following items:
- A simple weapon or shield
- A set of hide armor
- 1d8 darts, arrows, or bolts

To use this trait, you need a blade, such as a dagger, or appropriate artisan's tools, such as leatherworker's tools. Your DM can decide that a creature lacks the parts to use this trait.

**Hold Breath.** You can hold your breath for up to 15 minutes at a time.

**Hungry Jaws.** As a bonus action, you can make a special attack with your bite. If the attack hits, it deals its normal damage, and you gain temporary hit points equal to your Constitution modifier (minimum of 1). You can use this trait a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, regaining all uses when you finish a long rest.

**Natural Armor.** You have tough, scaly skin. When you aren't wearing armor, your AC is 13 + your Dexterity modifier. You can use a shield and still gain this benefit.

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

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<h2 id="cat">Tabaxi</h2>

Hailing from tropical lands, the tabaxi are cat-like humanoids that follow the Cat Lord. They travel the world, trading knowledge and stories with those they find, seeking to learn all that they can about the universe around them.

### Gifts of the Cat Lord
To most outsiders, all tabaxi appear to be outgoing and curious, never staying in one place for more than a few days. However, this is mostly due to tabaxi that live on the roads being the only ones that are usually seen. In reality, most tabaxi do not travel far from home, preferring to remain in the homelands rather than venture out into the world.

According to their religion, every tabaxi is granted a feline trait by the Cat Lord, the divine figure responsible for the creation of the tabaxi. These feline traits play a large role in defining a tabaxi's personality and interests. Those that are gifted with a cat's curiosity are compelled to travel, wandering far and wide to seek out stories, artifacts, and lore. These tabaxi are the ones most commonly seen in the world, and as such, have painted outsiders' views of the tabaxi as wandering outcasts.

Of course, a tabaxi is more than their feline trait. Tabaxi who are born with insatiable curiosity know when to back off to prevent being killed, and those that are born with a penchant for laziness are not above doing what they need to do to get by. Above all else, the tabaxi want to live life to its fullest, and will do what they must to achive that goal.

### Comfort and Lore
Tabaxi hold little value for material wealth and coin. A chest filled with gold might be useful to buy food or coils of rope, but it's not intrinsically interesting. Rather, coin is nothing more than a means to an end, a way to obtain the things that truly matter in life.  For the tabaxi, that comes in two forms; comforts and lore.

Life is short, and is meant to be enjoyed. Tabaxi care very little about hoarding wealth, instead choosing to spend what they earn to live lavishly. To them, there is no point in spending a few silvers to stay at a bare-bones tavern, when you could throw a few gold coins away to enjoy the comforts of a five star inn. They can always earn the coin back later, and the experience is worth the cost.

Instead, what tabaxi truly treat as valuable is knowledge. Their ears perk up in a busy tavern, and they tease out stories with offers of food, drink, and coin. They may walk away with an empty purse, but they mull over any stories and rumors they hear like a miser counting coins.

More than anything, tabaxi want nothing more than to live, rather than to survive. While others would prefer to act cautiously and safely, tabaxi simply follow what their hearts desire, doing whatever makes them happy. What specifically brings them joy often depends on their feline trait, with some content to simply laze about and sleep through the day, while others are unable to sit still, running through the world with reckless abandon.

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### Tabaxi Names
Each tabaxi has a single name, determined by clan and based on a complex formula that involves astrology, prophecy, clan history, and other esoteric factors. Tabaxi names can apply to any gender, and
most use nicknames derived from or inspired by their full names.

Clan names are usually based on a geographical feature located in or near the clan's territory. The following list of sample tabaxi names includes nicknames in parenthesis.

**Tabaxi Names:** Cloud on the Mountaintop (Cloud), Five Timber (Timber),Jade Shoe Qade), Left-Handed Hummingbird (Bird), Seven Thundercloud (Thunder), Skirt of Snakes (Snake), Smoking Mirror (Smoke)

**Tabaxi Clans:** Bright Cliffs, Distant Rain, Mountain Tree, Rumbling River, Snoring Mountain

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### Feline Traits
A tabaxi's feline trait is a large part of their identity. It reflects who they are as a person, and what their heart desires. While is does not encapsulate their entire personality, it does play a large role in how they outwardly appear to others, and helps to determine how they would act in many situations. You can pick from or roll on the following table to help customize your character, and to get a better idea of who they are.

##### Feline Trait
| d8  | Trait |
|:---|:-----------|
|  1  | **Curiosity.** I need to learn everything there is to know about this world, and every other one. |
|  2  | **Energy.** Sitting still is the same as wasting time. If I'm not doing something, I'm not living. |
|  3  | **Affection.** I love feeling loved. Having someone else's hand run through my fur is the best feeling in the world. |
|  4  | **Fickleness.** What I want can change at the drop of a hat. Yes I asked you for an ale, but that was over a minute ago, I don't want it anymore. |
|  5  | **Laziness.** There is nothing more enjoyable than a long nap. I'll do what I have to, but I'm going to sleep as soon as I'm done. |
|  6  | **Solitude.** I am perfectly capable of getting by on my own. Life would be much easier if people would stop bothering me so much. |

### Tabaxi Traits
Gifted with feline agility and features, your tabaxi character has a sharp mind and sharper claws.

**Age.** Tabaxi have lifespans equivalent to humans.

**Size.** Tabaxi vary widely in size, though tend to be somewhat slender. Your size is either small or medium (your choice).

**Speed.** Your base walking speed is 35 feet, and you have a climb speed of 30 feet.

**Darkvision.** You have darkvision out to a range of 60 feet.

**Cat's Claws.** Your claws are natural weapons, which you can use to make unarmed attacks. If you hit with them, you deal slashing damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.

**Feline Agility.** Your reflexes and agility allow you to move with a burst of speed. When you move on your turn in combat, you can choose to increase your movement speed by 20 feet. Once you use this trait, you cannot do so again until you roll for initiative, or you finish a short or long rest.

**Land on your Feet.** When you take damage from falling, you can use your reaction to land on your feet, halving the damage taken. When you do this, you do not fall prone.

**Languages.** You can speak, read, and write common and one other language of your choice.

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<h2 id="devil">Tiefling</h2>

Cursed by the infernal blood flowing through their veins, tieflings are the unholy combination of devil and mortal. Whether it be due to a pact that an ancestor made with a devil generations ago, an infernal curse placed on a child, or simply the union of human and devil, the result is a person whose form is forever twisted. Often times, a tiefling can be born to a human family for seemingly no reason, the infernal curse waiting generations before rearing its ugly head. But when it does, it only takes one look at the child to understand what they are, and what plagues them.

### Infernal Bloodline
Tieflings are derived from human bloodlines, and in the broadest possible sense, they still look human. However, their infernal heritage has left a clear imprint on their appearance. Tieflings have large horns that take any of a variety of shapes: some have curling horns like a ram, others have straight and tall horns like a gazelle’s, and some spiral upward like an antelopes’ horns. They have thick tails, four to five feet long, which lash or coil around their legs when they get upset or nervous. Their canine teeth are sharply pointed, and their eyes are usually solid colors—black, red, white, silver, or gold—with no visible sclera or pupil. Their skin tones tend to range between red, blue, and purple, though they have been known to have skin tones of nearly every color. Their hair, cascading down from behind their horns, is usually dark, from black or brown to dark red, blue, or purple. A rare few tieflings even have hooved feet or furry legs.

On some occasions, a tiefling will look entirely human aside from their devilish feature, such as their tail and horns, with their hair and skin tone identical to that of a humans. These tieflings are somewhat rare, and are usually able to conceal their infernal traits with some effort. Some even go as far as to file down or cut off their horns, hiding the stubs beneath their hair to appear human. While they can never truly be free of their curse, there are some who would prefer that the world never knows about it.

### Marked by Devils
While a tieflings curse is made obvious through their appearance, the true effects of it are internal. While their infernal blood does have its benefits, such as an innate proficiency with the arcane and resistance to heat and fire, the effects it has on a tieflings mind is arguably not worth what strength it gives them.

The mark of devils twists and warps a persons mind, making them think and feel things that conflict with who they truly are. Some lean into their curse, finding joy in what their infernal blood makes them feel, leading to a downward spiral into evil. Others battle against their curse, suppressing their false emotions to live as they truly are.

Luckily, the effects of the curse can be pushed back. For those whose mental will is strong, their false thoughts are nothing more than a quiet echo in the back of their mind. A whisper that grins when someone feels pain, or a nagging need to turn every promise into a contract. While repressing the thoughts is difficult, with time and effort, a tiefling can push past their curse.

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### Tiefling Names
Tiefling names fall into three broad categories. Tieflings born into another culture typically have names reflective of that culture. Some have names derived from the Infernal language, passed down through generations, that reflect their fiendish heritage. And some younger tieflings, striving to find a place in the world, adopt a name that signifies a virtue or other concept and then try to embody that concept. For some, the chosen name is a noble quest. For others, it’s a grim destiny.

**Masculine Infernal Names:** Akmenos, Amnon, Barakas, Damakos, Ekemon, Iados, Kairon, Leucis, Melech, Mordai, Morthos, Pelaios, Skamos, Therai

**Feminine Infernal Names:** Akta, Anakis, Bryseis, Criella, Damaia, Ea, Kallista, Lerissa, Makaria, Nemeia, Orianna, Phelaia, Rieta

**“Virtue” Names:** Art, Carrion, Chant, Creed, Despair, Excellence, Fear, Glory, Hope, Ideal, Music, Nowhere, Open, Poetry, Quest, Random, Reverence, Sorrow, Temerity, Torment, Weary

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> ##### Tieflings of Levistus
> If your infernal bloodline comes from an ice devil, such as the Archdevil Levistus or any devil of Stygia, then with your DM's permission, you can replace the Hellish Resistance trait with the following trait.
>
> **Frozen Resistance.** You have resistance to cold damage.

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### Infernal Curse
Every tiefling's infernal curse manifests in a different way, as type of devil that their bloodline originates from has a massive impact on how their curse affects them. At your option, you can pick or roll from the Infernal Curse table below to help determine how their infernal curse affects your character.

##### Infernal Curse
| d6  | Trait |
|:---|:-----------|
|  1  | **Sadism.** The sight of someone or something in pain makes me happy in a way nothing else can. |
|  2  | **Law.** Rules were not made to be broken, they were made to be abused. I never break the law, I simply find a loophole. |
|  3  | **Pleasure.** I value my pleasure and enjoyment over everything, even the lives of my loved ones. |
|  4  | **Dealmaker.** Promise aren't enough. I can't trust anything people say unless its on a signed contract. |
|  5  | **Strength.** I feel no pity for the weak. If you aren't strong enough to take what you want, you don't deserve it. |
|  6  | **Temptation.** Hearing someone say they shouldn't do something just makes me want to convince them to do it anyways. |

### Tiefling Traits
The mark of devils infects both the body and the mind, giving your character the following traits.

**Age.** Tieflings mature at the same rate as humans but live a few years longer.

**Size.** Tieflings are about the same size and build as humans. Your size is Medium.

**Speed.** Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

**Darkvision.** You have darkvision out to a range of 60 feet.

**Hellish Resistance.** You have resistance to fire damage.

**Chain of Command.** You have proficiency with the Intimidation skill. You have advantage on intimidation checks against creatures whose CR is lower than your level.

**Infernal Legacy.** You know the *thaumaturgy* cantrip. Additionally you gain the ability to cast a spell at 3rd and 5th level. Choose one of the following devil types that your curse originates from. This determines which spells you learn. Regardless of which you choose, you can cast each spell once, regaining the ability to do so after a long rest, and Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.

| Devil | Spell (3rd Level) | Spell (5th Level) |
|:---|:-----------|:-----|
|  **Deception**  | Disguise Self | Invisibility |
|  **Fire**  | Burning Hands | Flame Blade |
|  **Seduction**  | Charm Person| Suggestion |
|  **Stygia**  | Armor of Agathys | Darkness |
|  **War**  | Searing Smite | Branding Smite |

**Languages.** You can speak, read, and write Common and Infernal.

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<h1 id="rare">Rare Races</h1>

Almost unseen in the world, the rare races of D&D are either so uncommon that seeing one of them is considered an event, or they blend in so well with the rest of society that it can be hard to notice them.

<h2 id="angel">Aasimar</h2>

Aasimar bear within their souls the light of the heavens. They are descended from humans with a touch of the power of Mount Celestia, the divine realm of many lawful good deities. Aasimar are born to serve as champions of the gods, their births hailed as blessed events. They are a people of otherworldly visages, with luminous features that reveal their celestial heritage.

### Celestial Champions
Aasimar are placed in the world to serve as guardians of law and good. Their patrons expect them to strike at
evil, lead by example, and further the cause of justice.

From an early age, an aasimar receives visions and guidance from celestial entities via dreams. These
dreams help shape an aasimar, granting a sense of destiny and a desire for righteousness.

Each aasimar can count a specific celestial agent of the gods as a guide. This entity is typically a deva, an angel who acts as a messenger to the mortal world.

### Hidden Wanderers
While aasimar are strident foes of evil, they typically prefer to keep a low profile. An aasimar inevitably draws the attention of evil cultists, fiends, and other enemies of good, all of whom would be eager to strike down a celestial champion if they had the chance.

When traveling, aasimar prefer hoods, closed helms, and other gear that allows them to conceal their identities. They nevertheless have no compunction about striking openly at evil. The secrecy they desire is never worth endangering the innocent.

### Aasimar Guides
An aasimar, except for one who has turned to evil, has a link to an angelic being. That being-usually a devaprovides guidance to the aasimar, though this connection functions only in dreams. As such, the guidance is not a direct command or a simple spoken word. Instead, the aasimar receives visions, prophecies, and feelings.

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The angelic being is far from omniscient. Its guidance is based on its understanding of the tenets of law and good, and it might have insight into combating especially powerful evils that it knows about.

### Conflicted Souls
Despite its celestial origin, an aasimar is mortal and possesses free will. Most aasimar follow their ordained path, but some grow to see their abilities as a curse, or to amount their exposure to the celestials as brainwashing. These aasimar tend to turn their backs on their guides and destines, with some going so far as to act in ways that their angelic guides deem evil, causing the aasimar to become fallen.

Fallen aasimar make for deadly foes. Their once radiant powers become corrupted, causing their protective or burning light to become a source of fear and dread. Their angelic guides abandon them, leaving the aasimar free to make their own decisions. Unfortunately, some choose to abuse this freedom, acting however they see fit, regardless of how it affects those around them.

Even aasimar wholly dedicated to good sometimes feel torn between two worlds. The angels that guide them see the world from a distant perch. An aasimar who wishes to stop and help a town recover from a drought might be told by an angelic guide to push forward on a greater quest. To a distant angel, saving a few commoners might pale in comparison to defeating a cult of Orcus. An aasimar's guide is wise but not infallible.

### Aasimar Names
Most aasimar are born from human parents, and they use the same naming conventions as their native culture.

### Aasimar Traits
Your celestial blood and connection to the divine grants you a number of holy (or unholy) powers.

**Age.** Aasimar mature at the same rate as humans, but they can live up to 160 years.

**Size.** Aasimar have the same range of height and weight as humans. Your size is Medium.

**Speed.** Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

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

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

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

**Subraces.** Aasimar are split into three groups, depending on their destined path; protector, scourge, and fallen.

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#### Protector Aasimar
Protector aasimar are charged by the powers of good to guard the weak, to strike at evil wher,ever it arises, and to stand vigilant against the darkness. From a young age, a protector aasimar receives advice and directives that urge to stand against evil.

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

**Radiant Soul.** As a bonus action, you can release the light inside you, causing your eyes to glimmer and a pair of luminous, incorporeal wings to sprout for your back. Your transformation lasts for 1 minute. For the duration, you gain a fly speed of 30 feet.  Once you use this trait, you cannot do so again until you finish a long rest.

#### Scourge Aasimar
Scourge aasimar are imbued with a divine energy that blazes intensely within them. It feeds a powerful desire
to destroy evil - a desire that is, at its best, unflinching and, at its worst, all-consuming.

**Divine Fury.** When you deal damage to a creature, you can choose to change the damage type to radiant. Once you use this trait, you cannot do so again until you finish a short or long rest.

**All-Consuming Light.** As a bonus action, you can surround yourself with radiant light, purging the darkness from everything around you, including yourself. Your transformation lasts for 1 minute, or until you end it (no action required). For the duration, you shed bright light in a 10-foot radius, and dim light for another 10 feet. Additionally, at the start of your turn, you and creatures within 10 feet of you take 1d8 radiant damage at the start of your turn. Once you use this feature, you cannot do so again until you finish a long rest.

#### Fallen Aasimar
An aasimar who was has lost the grace of their divine guide can become one of the fallen - a group of aasimar whose inner light has been snuffed out, being replaced with shadows and darkness. Most aasimar of this kind fell because they willingly turned away from the light, but some are mere victims of circumstance, working as hard as they can to regain their light.

**Stolen Light.** When a creature deals damage to you, you can use your reaction to steal the light from their eyes, making them unable to see anything past 5 feet until the start of their next turn. Once you use this trait, you cannot do so again until you finish a short or long rest.

**Necrotic Shroud.** As a bonus action, you can transform into a manifestation of your mistakes, causing your eyes to turn into pools of darkness and a pair of black-feathered or skeletal wings to sprout from your back. Your transformation lasts for 1 minute. For the duration, creatures that begin their turn within 10 feet of you must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw (DC = 8 + your Charisma modifier + your Proficiency bonus) or become frightened of you until the start of their next turn. Once you use this trait, you cannot do so again until you finish a long rest.

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<h2 id="change">Changeling</h2>

Changelings are creatures that, as their name implies, can change and shift their form with nothing more than a thought. Many changelings use this gift as a form of artistic and emotional expression. It's also an invaluable tool for grifters, spies, and others who wish to deceive.

### A Hidden People
Wherever other races gather in bulk, changelings also reside, though usually in secret. In general, changelings are born to one of three paths. A few are raised in stable communities, where they are true to their nature and openly deal with people around them. Some are orphans, raised by other races, who find their way in the world while never knowing another of their kind. Others are part of a nomadic changeling clan, who keep their nature hidden from the other races. Some clans maintain safe havens in major cities, but most prefer to wander the world.

If a changeling ever decides to settle down in one place, they usually do so by choosing a single form to live in. Most of the time, their chosen form will reflect the population, usually adopting the form of whatever race makes up the biggest percent of the population. However, some prefer to be unique, even going so far as to disguise themselves as a race that is rare or even unseen in the city.

Revealing their true forms to members of other races can sometimes be a risk. Due to their shifting nature, some regard the changelings with mistrust, unsure if they are ever able to know who they really are. When you are able to change every feature about yourself on a whim, where do the lies end, and where does a person begin? Was their personality a lie too? Another disguise? Did the person that you knew ever really exist?

### Masks and Personas
In their true forms, changelings are pale, with colorless eyes and silver-white hair. It is rare to see a changeling in that form, both because it is safer for them to adopt one of their many disguises, and because most changelings enjoy shifting their form. To them, changing their features is a form of art, a way of expressing themselves. They will often change shapes like a person changes clothes, swapping out disguises depending on their mood.

Some changelings develop identities in more depths, <br> going so far as to create an entire persona. These <br> forms have a history to them. They are fleshed <br> out with different beliefs and personality traits. <br> They often end up feeling like an <br> entirely different person to the changeling. In <br> extreme cases, the changeling is only capable of <br> doing certain tasks while adopting their persona. <br> A changeling who makes one of their personas <br> a blacksmith may only be able to competently <br> craft a sword while adopting that persona.

Personas can be shared by multiple changelings. There may be three healers in a community, but whoever is on duty will adopt the form of Tek, the kindly old medic. Personas can even be passed down through generations, allowing a younger changeling to take advantage of contacts established in the persona's previous life. Sometimes, a persona can survive for centuries, giving the appearance of an immortal creature, like M'aiq the Liar.

For some, every persona reflects a different emotion. A changeling who feels angry or upset may change their form into Revala, the intimidating goliath, while one that is feeling happy may change into the form of Pepper the cheerful halfling. Other changelings prefer to stay in one form, but make small changes to their face to reflect their personality, such as changing the color of their eyes to show off how they feel.

In time, switching between their many masks and personalities becomes second nature to a changeling. They don't need to prepare before adopting a certain personality, as soon as they change their form, their mind automatically assumes their new persona.

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### Changeling Names
A changeling might use a different name for each mask and persona, and adopt new names as easily as they change faces. The true name of a changeling tends to be a very personal thing, something they only share with those close to them. The names are often monosyllabic, however they are joined by accents that are expressed through their shapeshifting, something that can be hard to see by other races. So there may be two changelings names Jin, but one is Jin-with-vivid-blue-eyes, while the other is Jin-with-golden-nails.

Changelings have a fluid relationship with gender, seeing it as one characteristic to change amongst many.

**Changeling Names.** Aunn, Bin, Cas, Dox, Fie, Hars, Jin, Lam, Mas, Nix, Ot, Paik, Ruz, Sim, Toox, Vil, Yug.

### Changeling Traits
The power to change and shift your form at will gives your changeling character the following traits.

**Age**. Changelings mature slightly faster than humans but share a similar lifespan — typically a century or less. While a changeling can transform to conceal their age, the effects of aging affect them similarly to humans.

**Size.** In their natural forms, changelings height can vary wildly between 3 and 6 feet. Your size is either small or medium, your choice.

**Speed.** Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

**Shapechanger.** As an action, you can change your appearance and your voice. You determine the specifics of the changes, including your coloration, hair length, and sex. You can also adjust your height and weight, and can change your size between medium and small.

You can make yourself appear as a member of another race, though none of your game statistics change. You can't duplicate the appearance of a creature you've never seen, and you must adopt a form that has the same basic arrangement of limbs that you have. Your clothing and equipment aren't changed by this trait.

You stay in the new form until you use an action to revert to your true form or until you die. Even to the most astute observers, your ruse is usually indiscernible. If you rouse suspicion, or if a wary creature suspects something is amiss, you have advantage on any Charisma (Deception) check you make to avoid detection.

**Unsettling Visage.** When a creature you can see makes an attack roll against you, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on the roll. You can use this feature after the creature rolls, but before the DM declares if the attack hits or misses.

Using this trait reveals your shapeshifting nature to any creature within 30 feet that can see you. Once you use this trait, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

**Languages.** You can speak, read, and write Common and two other languages of your choice.

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<h2 id="firbolg">Firbolg</h2>

Firbolg tribes cloister in remote forest strongholds, preferring to spend their days in quiet harmony with the woods. Hidden away by leaf and magic, firbolgs are very rarely seen out in the wider world, keeping to themselves unless absolutely necessary.

### Humble Forest Guardians
Most firbolgs love nothing more than a peaceful day spent among the trees of an old forest. They see these woods as sacred places, representing the heart of the world and monuments to the durability of life.

In their roles as caretakers, firbolgs live off the land will striving to maintain in balance with nature. Their methods reflect common sense and remarkable resourcefulness. During a bountiful summer, they store away excess nuts, fruits, and berries. When winter arrives, they scatter everything they can spare to ensure the animals of the wood survive until springtime.

In a firbolg's eyes, there is no greater fault than greed. The firbolgs believe that the world remains healthiest when each creature takes only what it needs. Material goods, especially precious gems and gold, have little appeal to them. What use are such things when winter lingers and food runs short?

The firbolgs' connection to nature makes them natural druids. Their cultural reverence for nature and their bond with the forests they call home makes learning druidic magic an intrinsic part of their development. Almost every firbolg learns a few spells, typically those that help them mask their presence, and many go on to master nature magic.

Those who become druids serve as stronghold leaders. With every action the tribe takes, the druids weigh not only the group's needs, but the effect each action will have on the forest and the rest of the natural world. Firbolg tribes would rather go hungry than strain the land during a famine.

### Hidden Shepherds
As caretakers of the land, firbolgs prefer to remain out of sight and out of mind. They don't try to dominate nature, but rather seek to ensure that it prospers and survives according to its own laws.

Firbolgs use their magic to keep their presence in a forest secret. This approach allows them to avoid the politics and struggles of the other races. Such events concern the firbolgs only when the events affect the forest.

Even in the face of an intrusion, firbolgs prefer a subtle, gentle approach to prevent damage to their territory. They employ their magic to make the forest an unappealing place to explore by temporarily diverting springs, driving away game, stealing critical tools, and altering trails to leave hunting or lumber parties hopelessly lost. The firbolgs' presence is marked by an absence of animals and a strange quiet, as if the forest wishes to avoid attracting attention to itself. The faster travelers decide to move on, the better.

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If these tactics fail, the firbolgs take more <br> direct action. Their observations of a <br> settlement determine what happens next. If the <br> outsiders seem peaceful, the firbolgs approach and <br> gently ask them to leave, even offering food and other supplies to aid their departure. If those who insist on remaining respect nature, take only what they need, <br> and live in harmony with the wood, firbolgs explore the possibility of friendship with them, as long as the <br> outsiders vow to safeguard the forest. If the settlers <br> clearly display evil intentions, however, the firbolgs <br> martial their strength and magic for a single <br> overwhelming attack, though they treat violence as an absolute last resort.

### Outcast Adventurers
As guardians of the forest, few firbolgs dream of leaving their home or attempting to venture out into the wider world. There are some who are not content with their peaceful forest life, searching for something more, but these are few and far between. In reality, most firbolgs that leave their home do not do so by choice.

Outcast firbolg can never return home. They committed some unforgivable deed in their tribes eyes, usually doing something that put their homeland at risk, such as starting a forest fire or killing a rare or beautiful wild creature. These firbolgs are lone wanderers who travel the world, searching for somewhere to belong.

Orphaned firbolgs are those whose clans or homelands have been destroyed. They become crusaders for nature, seeking to avenge their loss and prevent the further destruction of the natural world.

A few rare firbolgs are entrusted with their clan with an important mission that takes them beyond their homes. These firbolgs feel like pilgrims in a strange land, and usually they wish only to complete their quests and return home as quickly as possible.

### Firbolg Names
Firbolg adopt elven names when they must deal with outsiders, although the concept of names strikes them as strange. They know the animals and plants of the forest without formal names, and instead identify the forest's children by their deeds, habits, and other actions.

By the same token, their tribe names merely refer to their homes. When dealing with other races, firbolgs refer to their lands by whatever name the surrounding folk use, as a matter of tact and hospitality, but among their own kind they simply call it "home."

Sometimes firbolgs adopt the nicknames or titles outsiders give them under the assumption that those who need names can call them whatever they wish.

> ##### Firbolgs and Meat
> The vast majority of firbolgs are vegetarians, as they see hunting and eating meat as unnecessary. Even after being cast out of their tribes, they continue to see eating meat as self indulgence.

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### Firbolg Traits
Your large physique and connection to nature grants your firbolg the following traits.

**Age.** As humanoids related to the fey, firbolg have long lifespans. A firbolg reaches adulthood around 30, and the oldest of them can live for 500 years.

**Size.** Firbolg are between 7 and 8 feet tall and weigh between 240 and 300 pounds. Your size is Medium.

**Speed.** Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

**Firbolg Magic.** You can cast detect magic and disguise self with this trait, using Wisdom as your spellcasting ability for them. Once you cast either spell, you can't cast it again with this trait until you finish a short or long rest. When you use this version of disguise self, you can seem up to 3 feet shorter than normal.

**Hidden Step.** As a bonus action, you can magically turn invisible until the start of your next turn or until you attack, make a damage roll, or force someone to make a saving throw. Once you use this trait, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

**Powerful Build.** You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or life.

**Speech of Beast and Leaf.** You can communicate simple ideas with any beast, plant, and plant creature. They can understand the meaning of your words, though you have no special ability to understand them in return. You have advantage on all Charisma checks you make to influence them.

**Languages.** You can speak, read, and write Common, Elvish, and Giant.

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<h2 id="fish">Triton</h2>

Hailing from the Elemental Plane of Water, tritons guard the ocean depths, building small settlements beside deep trenches, portals to the elemental
planes, and other dangerous spots far from the eyes of land-bound folk. Long-established guardians of the deep ocean floor, in recent years the noble tritons have become increasingly active in the world above.

### Aquatic Crusaders
Centuries ago, tritons entered the world in response to the growing threat of evil elementals. Tritons waged many wars against their enemies on the Plane of Water, driving them into the Darkened Depths where they
escaped into the crushing pressure and utter darkness. In time, the tritons noticed that their ancient elemental foes had grown quiet. Expeditions to the depths revealed that krakens, sahuagin, and far worse foes had fled the Plane of Water for the Material Plane.

The tritons, driven by a sense of duty and responsibility, would not allow their foes to escape so easily. A great conclave of tritons chose volunteers skilled in weapons and magic as part of an expeditionary force to enter the Material Plane and seek out their enemies.

Those tritons spread across the world's oceans and established protectorates to watch over deep sea trenches, portals, undersea caves, and other locations where their enemies might lurk. They defeated their foes when they found them and drove the rest into hiding .

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With their foes banished to the deepest reaches of the sea, tritons settled in to watch for any sign of their return. Over time, the tritons extended their stewardship over the sea floor from their initial settlements and built outposts to create trade with other races. Despite this expansion, few folk know of them. Their settlements are so remote even merfolk and sea elves rarely encounter them.

### Entitled to Praise
Tritons have spent generations beneath the sea, isolated from the rest of the Material Plane as they fight off the dangers of the depths. The result is that when tritons do venture to the surface, they often feel entitled to praise and respect, viewing themselves as the caretakers of the sea. This can make triton come off to others as haughty or arrogant.

Their attitude may grate on others, but it arises from a seed of truth. Very few know of the tritons' great victories over dreadful undersea threats. Despite asking for nothing in return, tritons both defend ships from harm and prevent creatures such as krakens and leviathans from ever reaching the surface. To them, demanding praise for their actions is a small price for all they have done.

Unfortunately, their isolation has left the tritons blind to the struggles of the surface world. Even when they do emerge from the depths, many struggle to properly understand the many different alliances, politics, and wars. Coming from a society where everyone is focused on working towards a common goal, finding themselves in a world so divided makes little sense to newly surfaced tritons.

### Driven by Compassion
Despite their off-putting manners, tritons are benevolent creatures at heart, growing up being taught that the other civilized races deserve their protection. The core belief of triton society is that life should be preserved and protected, no matter the cost. Their attitude may grate, but when pirate fleets prowl the waters or a kraken awakens from its slumber, the tritons are the among the first to take up arms to protect others.

Tritons readily sacrifice themselves to protect others, no matter their race. While they may look down on or underestimate others, they truly believe that they deserve to live, and most tritons feel a sense of guilt for allowing the evils of the Plane of Water to escape to the Material Plane, even though it occurred long before they were born. The tritons believe they owe a debt to the world, and they will fight and die to repay it.

### Ignorance of Isolation
Tritons are relative newcomers to the surface. Most of their race spends their entire lives beneath the sea, rarely venturing above, and usually only doing so to protect a ship, follow a creature that threatens the surface, or to demand some form of praise for their actions. Very few choose to leave behind the sea and venture onto land for any extended period of time, and those that do rarely return to share what they have learned with their people.

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This has had the effect of making the tritons very ignorant of the other races problems. Their understanding of the world starts and ends at the depths of the seas. As a result, tritons that do choose to venture onto land tend to be somewhat naive. They are unused to a world where people are not unified by a single cause, or where people will lie, cheat, and kill to gain the upper hand.

At best, a triton's lack of knowledge about the surface makes them curious, eager to learn everything there is to know about the world. At worst, it makes them easy to manipulate, as they assume that everyone else is as benevolent as they are. Their arrogant attitude tends to make matters worse, and tritons that attempt to make a life on the surface take a long time to unlearn their entitled ways.

### Triton Names
Most triton names have two or three syllables. Masculine names typically end with a vowel and the letter 's', and feminin names traditionally end with an 'n'. Tritons use their home protectorate as a surname, with the name formed by adding a vowel followed by a "th" to the end of the protectorate's name.

**Masculine Triton Names:** Corus, Delnis, Jhimas, Keros, Molos, Nalos, Vodos, Zunis

**Feminine Triton Names:** Aryn, Belthyn, Duthyn, Feloren, Otanyn, Shalryn, Vlaryn, Wolyn

**Triton Surnames:** Ahlorsath, Pumanath, Vuuvaxath

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### Triton Traits
Born of the sea, your triton character gains the following traits.

**Age.** Tritons rech maturity around age 15, and can live for up to 200 years.

**Size.** Tritons are slightly shorter than humans, averaging around 5 feet tall. Your size is medium.

**Speed.** Your base walking speed is 30 feet, and you have a swim speed of 30 feet.

**Amphibious.** You can breathe air and water.

**Aquatic Magic.** You know the *shape water* cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the *ice knife* water spell, and at 5th level you can cast the *wall of water* spell. Once you cast a spell with this trait, you cannot do so again until you finish a long rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.

**Emissary of the Sea.** You can communicate simple idea with any beast, elemental, or monstrosity that has a swim speed. They can understand your meaning through your words, but you have no special ability to understand them in return. You have advantage on all Charisma checks you make to influence them.

**Guardian of the Depths.** You have resistance to cold damage, and you ignore any drawbacks caused by a deep, underwater environment, such as pressure.

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<h1 id="monster">Monstrous Races</h1>

Despite generally being antagonistic towards the other races of the world and being regarded as monsters, these races are still fully sentient creatures, capable of having thoughts and feelings. While many will blindly follow their brethren, wrecking havoc across the land, others may choose to venture out into the world, or may be cast out and forced to find their own way.

<h2 id="bugbear">Bugbear</h2>

Bugbears feature in the nightmare tales of many races - giant, hairy beasts that creep through the shadows as quiet as cats. They draw their name from their noses and claws, which resembled a bear's. Often seen at the head of goblin tribes, bugbears are known to be both very powerful, and very lazy, rarely involving themselves unless they have to or are paid to.

### Lazy Bullies
A motivated bugbear is a force to be reckoned with. Despite their large size, most bugbears are surprisingly stealthy, their footsteps unnaturally quiet as they skulk through the woods they call home. In battle, they are quick and ferocious, preferring to ambush their foes and cut them down before they even have the change to scream.

Unfortunately, all of that requires the bugbear to care enough to try. But bugbears are known to be a rather lazy race, lacking the energy or motivation to truly care about anything other than sleeping and eating. Rather than doing anything for themselves, bugbears tend to bully others into doing their work for them. The victims of their demands are usually goblins, but in situations where bugbears are associated with other races, they usually pick on whoever they deem to be the weakest, or the least likely to put up a fight.

Most bugbears would be content to live their days in relative peace, lazing about while others bring food and drink for them. But sometimes, a bugbear finds a reason to care about the world around them. Whether it be a sense of new-found virtue or a threat to their home, bugbears who are motivated to act are vicious and efficient creatures who will cut down anyone that gets in their way.

### Worship and Fear
Bugbears worship two brother deities; Hruggek and Grankhul, both of which represent an aspect of the bugbears.

Hruggek represents their strength, known for being strong and brave, charging head-first into battle and decapitating his foes, putting the heads of those he killed on spikes. His strength and deeds inspire the bugbears, both making them want to be more and showing them what they can be. Bugbears that wish to give worship to Hruggek often follow his example, placing the heads of their kills on spikes in an attempt to gain his favor.

Meanwhile, Grankhul represents the bugbears' cunning and affinity for stealth. According to legend, he would strike his foes blind and dead without them ever knowing he was there, and remained awake while his brother slept, always watching over both him and the bugbears that dwelled on the Material Plane. Unfortunately, this constant vigilance came with a price. While Grankhul could remain awake forever, he did so by sapping bugbears of their energy, which is said to be the source of their laziness and love of sleep.

The two brother deities act as ideals for the bugbears, creatures to look up to. They try their best to emulate their gods, hoping to be as brace as Hruggek and as cunning as Grankhul, and to share the bond the two share with their fellow bugbears. Bugbear gangs are usually tight-knit, members cooperating when hunting and bullying others, though they have been known to sabotage less liked members of the gang in hard times.

There is another god that the bugbears believe in known as Skiggaret, but they do not worship him. His name is rarely spoken, and never above a whisper, as they fear that invoking his name or memory is enough to summon his influence. Despite their bravery and strength, bugbears tend to feel unnatural fear when faced with mortal danger, far beyond what the other races feel in the face of death. A form of madness overtakes them, making even the bravest warrior desperate to flee and survive. Bugbears believe that this feeling of fear comes from being possessed by Skiggaret, and they don't relish experiencing it.

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### Bugbear Names
Bugbear names are usually gutteral, sharp, and easy to remember. They lack formalities like clan or surnames, though some to add titles such as "The Butcher" to the end of their names.

Sometimes, when bugbears interact with other races for long periods of time, they adapt their names to be less intimidating, usually choosing names from their comrades' language, or simply give themselves a nickname.

**Masculine Bugbear Names:** Bolgus, Bulkar, Dulk, Grol, Stotrork, Tor, Vuk

**Feminine Bugbear Names:** Brith, Gurr, Khirr, Navith, Rink, Rotulk, Tarr, Zur

### Playing a Bugbear
When you choose to play a bugbear character, one thing you need to decide is why your bugbear has taken up a life of adventuring. What motivates them to push past their desire to laze about? Maybe their gang was murdered, and they wish to avenge them. Or perhaps they reflected on their life, realizing that the other races hated them, and hope to make amends. Or maybe they simply felt a desire to travel, to leave behind a life of sleeping and eating to see what the world had to offer.

### Bugbear Traits
Bugbears are strong, silent, and generally fairly lazy. Despite this, they are very proficient when they need to be.

**Age.** Bugbears reach adulthood at age 16 and live up to 80 years.

**Size.** Bugbears are between 6 and 8 feet tall and weigh between 250 and 350 pounds. Your size is Medium.

**Speed.** Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

**Darkvision.** You have darkvision out to a range of 30 feet.

**Cowardice of Skiggaret.** When a creature's attack, spell, or effect reduces you below half your maximum hit points, or when you are hit by a critical attack, you can use your reaction to move up to your movement speed without provoking attacks of opportunity. You must end this move further away from the creature that damaged you than you started.

**Powerful Build.** You count as one size larger when determining your carry capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.

**Strong and Silent.** You have proficiency with the Stealth skill. Additionally, the first time you hit a creature that has not taken their turn on the first round of combat, you deal an extra 2d6 damage.

**Languages.** You can speak, read, and write Common and Goblin.

> ##### Monstrous Races
> While some campaigns may have the monstrous races interacting with other races often, others will treat them as nothing more than monsters to kill. Talk to your DM about if they are ok with you playing a monstrous race before anything else.

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<h2 id="goblin">Goblin</h2>

Goblins are the humans of the monstrous races; <br> cunning, short lived, and numerous. They are by <br> far the most commonly seen of the monstrous races, spreading out far across the world. Chances are, <br> no matter where you go, a tribe of goblins will live somewhere nearby.

### Small and Angry
Goblins are around the same size as halflings and <br> gnomes, though they tended to weigh slightly more. <br> They have flat faces, sloped back forehead, broad or long <br> and pointed noses, pointed ears, and small, sharp fangs. Their eyes and skin go across a wide range of colors, usually being warmer colors like reds and oranges, though they do also sometimes have green skin.

Their small size had made goblins the go to punching bag of larger races, especially the other goblinoid races, hobgoblins and bugbears. Often times, a tribe of goblins will be lead not by a goblin, but by a member of another race who has dethroned a goblin chief. Most goblins are bitter about this, especially due to the fact that the larger races have no issue with bullying the goblins into doing what they ask. As a result, almost every goblin has learned how to fight those that are bigger than them, waiting for the day that they rebel.

### Roles and Structure
Despite looking like nothing more than savages to outsiders, goblins society is rather organized, with families split into one of four groups based on their skills and usefulness to the tribe.

At the top are the lashers, who are the closest thing goblins have to nobility. They are the families who are both trained for battle and have a key skill that the tribe needs. This can be anything from strategy, trap-making, smithing, and sometimes even magic. Lashers follow the lead of the tribe's boss, ensuring that all other goblins stay in line.

Next are the hunters, who are skilled in battle, but lack any other skills. These goblins gather meat in peaceful times, and act as the scouts, foot soldiers, and cavalry in war.

Near the bottom of the hierarchy are the gatherers, who are not trained in combat in any way. These goblins simply gather what food they can find nearby, or steal what they cannot find. Often, these goblins fear for their lives, believing that the hunters and lashers have some special secret to staying alive. They are always the first goblins to run away, and are where goblins get their cowardly reputation from.

Finally, there are the pariahs, goblins who have been deemed useless to the tribe. These are the weakest or most dim-witted of the goblins, and are generally only used to do the jobs that no one else wants to do. This includes things like cleaning out animal pens and digging in mines.

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### Fighting for Themselves
Goblins are well known for being selfish creatures, taking whatever they want and doing whatever they please. In reality, while there is some truth to their reputation, goblins are not selfish by nature. Rather, goblins do whatever they must to survive, which often results in them taking from others.

Goblin society is harsh and unforgiving. Those that are born in the higher ranking families who have knowledge of combat and other key skills rarely share what they know with others, hoarding knowledge for themselves in order to keep the upper hand. This, combined with how the other goblinoid races treat goblins, has forced many goblins to take from others in order to hold any semblance of power in their society. A gatherer goblin must bring home a certain amount of food, no matter what. If that means stealing from a poor family on the outskirts of a nearby city, so be it.

When they are separated from their cruel society, goblins tend to relax, allowing them to interact with the more civilized races in a friendlier manner. Their quick wit and cunning makes tends to make them excellent merchants and hagglers, with many goblins that leave their homes behind eventually starting their own businesses in small towns and cities.

### Goblin Names
Goblin names are almost always short and easy to remember. They will also repeat themselves very often, with a goblin's name simply being one name said twice.

**Masculine Names:** Baac, Balx, Cyz, Grix, Glub-Glub, Jakz, Loct, Osikl, Peex, Udra, Yrd, Za-Za

**Feminine Names:** Axi, Crilka, Ef, Eza, Flyl, Gials, Izee, Qen-Qen, Vialt, Vu-Vu, Ziva

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### Playing a Goblin
When you choose to play a goblin character, you should decide two things; did they grow up in a goblin tribe, and why have they taken up adventuring? If your goblin character did start their life in a tribe, what role did their family have? How did this affect your goblin's skills, as well as how they viewed others? Why did they leave their old life behind? Did they grow tired of their cruel overlords, choosing to brave the world alone? Was their tribe scattered, and now they travel the world to find their family?

### Goblin Traits
Goblins are small, nimble, and angry, making them ferocious creatures in battle, no matter where they are from.

**Age.** Goblins reach adulthood at age 8 and live up to 60 years.

**Size.** Goblins are between 3 and 4 feet in height and weigh 40 to 80 pounds. Your size is small.

**Speed.** Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

**Darkvision.** You have darkvision out to a range of 60 feet.

**Fury of the Small.** When you damage a creature with an attack or a spell and the creature's size is larger than yours, you can cause the attack or spell to deal an extra 1d8 damage to them. Once you use this trait, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

**Nimble Scurry.**  You can move through the space of any creature that is of a size larger than yours.

**Languages.** You can speak, read, and write Common and Goblin.

**Subraces.** Spread out across the world, goblins have changed and evolved. The three most commonly seen subraces of goblins are batiri, cragmaw, and dekanter goblins.

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#### Batiri Goblin
Hailing from dense jungles, such as the island of Chult, batiri goblins are known to be vicious monsters that cannibalize those they kill. They have deep green skin, which helps them blend ito their jungle homes, though aside from that, they look like every other goblin.

**Consume Flesh.** You can spend a minute eating the flesh of a creature that has died within the last 24 hours, allowing you to expend a number of hit dice, up to a maximum equal to your proficiency modifer. Once you use this trait, you cannot do so again until you finish a long rest.

#### Cragmaw Goblin
Cragmaw goblins are by far the most common, named after the fearsome Cragmaw tribe of Neverwinter. These goblins are as cunning as they are cowardly, shamelessly using others to their advantage and fleeing when the odds are not in their favor.

**Meat Shield.** When a creature you can see targets you with an attack, you can use your reaction to cause the attack to target a different creature within 5 feet of you. You can use this trait after the creature rolls but before any effects of the roll occur. Once you use this trait, you cannot do so again until you finish a short or long rest.

#### Dekanter Goblin
The dekanter goblins were not born, but created. They are a group of goblins that were mutated by an alhoon known as the Beast Lord, made to act as his loyal servants. Their form has been altered significantly, causing them to grow far larger than most goblins. Their faces have been stretched out, and a large, curved horn protrudes from their nose, usually covered in blood.

Dekanter goblins' skin is usually either pale and ghost-white, or a dark brown or orange. Their skin is wrinkled and tough, folding in on itself. Their pupils are small enough to be unnoticeable, with their eyes usually tending to be either yellow or black.

**Brutal Horn.** Your horn is a natural weapon, which you can use to make unarmed attacks. If you hit with it, you deal piercing damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.

Additionally, if you move 10 or more feet in a straight line before hitting with an attack with your horn, you can use a bonus action to attempt to shove the creature.

**Underdark Adaptation.** Your darkvision has a range of 120ft, and you can speak, read, and write Undercommon.

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<h2 id="hgoblin">Hobgoblin</h2>

Of the three races that make up the goblinoids, hobgoblins are by far the powerful. While the goblins are quick and cunning, and the bugbears are strong and silent, hobgoblins combine brains and brawn, training to be the perfect soldier. Their appearance in civilized land is often accompanied by the sound of warhorns and and rallying cries, and their departure almost always leaves fire and ruins in their wake.

### Head of the Spear
Hobgoblins stature is similar to humans, standing around the same height and weight, though that is where the similarities end. With their dark red or orange skin, yellow or dark eyes, and wide mouths which sport sharp teeth and fangs, hobgoblins cut an intimidating figure.

When they are amongst their own race, hobgoblins form into groups called banners, which come together to create legions, with members of banners being grouped together based on their rank. When they come together with their cousin races, hobgoblins act as the leaders of the army, commanding bugbears to scout and assassinate, and driving goblins into the front lines at spear point.

### Military Culture
From a young age, hobgoblins are raised on the idea that life is based on war. Their studies focus on battle, both in terms of training in martial combat and in studying previous conflicts in order to learn and understand strategy. For most hobgoblins, war is all they have ever know, for it is all they were ever taught.

Hobgoblin society is structured less like a government and more like an army. Every hobgoblin is assigned a rank based on their skills and accomplishments, with members of the same rank being grouped into tight-knit groups called banners. These banners act as families, working, living, and fighting together. The glory one member of the banner earns is shared by all, and should they move up in the ranks, so will their siblings.

As such, moving up in their society means proving yourself useful to the legion. While this can take the form of finding a valuable resource or creating an epic ballad about the conquests of your legion, this usually means finding glory on the battlefield. Hobgoblins follow a distinct code of honor, and breaking that code makes anything you achieve worth nothing in the eyes of the legion.

In any legion's eyes, there is nothing more shameful than failure. Hobgoblins will not hesitate to follow an order that will lead to their death if they know it will bring glory to their banner. Because they know that to fail means to bring shame upon not only themselves, but their banner siblings. To condemn them to mockery and insult upon their return.

Despite their focus on war, hobgoblins are not warmongers. Rather, they believe that every insult must be answered. Most hobgoblins will act in civil and respectful manners until they are insulted, at which point they will act. Hobgoblin legions can negotiate with the other races peacefully, but talks can swiftly deteriorate if someone says the wrong thing.

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### What Are We Without War?
In times of peace, hobgoblins train and prepare for the inevitable conflict that will come their way. However, when years pass between wars, some begin to question who they are without a war to fight. After all, they grew up learning that to live was to fight, so who are they when there is no war?

This leads some hobgoblins to begin questioning their lives and, more dangerously, their leaders. Those who are careless enough to express their concerns to their superiors find themselves quickly cast out, their legion abandoning them without hesitation. A soldier that cannot follow orders is of no use to an army. These exiled hobgoblins are forced to wander the world alone, searching for a new purpose.

Others choose to leave of their own volition, deciding that they wish to know more about the world than war and bloodshed. The world is full of other races who have built monuments to their strength, empires that have lasted for centuries. What makes them strong? What do they have that has allowed them to survive and thrive for so long?

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### Hobgoblin Names
Hobgoblin names are guttural and melodic, especially when compared to their goblin cousins, making no distinction between gender. Some hobgoblins that occupy the higher ranks of the legion have surnames, which usually exemplify some quality they have, such as proficiency with a certain type of weapon, or act as a sort of title to honor their deeds.

**Hobgoblin Names:** Ararz, Draar, Elvard, Klal, Morbuc, Nenkred, Orkol, Vrareg, Ulavel, Zeldreval

**Hobgoblin Surnames:** Bellow, Bloodsoak, The Conquerer, Edge, Flare, Manslayer, Rot, Skank, The Wrathful

### Playing a Hobgoblin
When choosing to play a hobgoblin, it is important to decide why they have left their legion behind, and why they are adventuring. Were they cast out from their legion for breaking the code, or did they willingly leave? Or maybe they are still a part of their legion, but their mission demands that they travel the world independently. Or perhaps they never belonged to a legion, having been abandoned as a child or born outside of hobgoblin society, the only mark their society left on them being their innate love of warfare and shame of failure.

How does your hobgoblin character view the other races? Do they see others as weaklings to be subjugated, or do they respect what they have accomplished? Do they stare in awe at the massive cities and nations that they have managed to build, or do they scoff at how weak it has made the people that live in safety behind their walls? How do they look at the governing systems of these nations, where people don't lead because they are the strongest or smartest, but because of family relations or the populations vote?

### Hobgoblin Traits
Days spent training their bodies and minds have made hobgoblins fierce warriors and sharp strategists, and they refuse to be seen as anything else.

**Age.** Hobgoblins mature at the same rate as humans, and have a lifespan similar to theirs.

**Size.** Hobgoblins are usually between 5 and 6 feet tall and weigh 150 to 200 pounds. Your size is medium.

**Speed.** Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

**Darkvision.** You have darkvision out to a range of 60 feet.

**Beastial Command.** You have proficiency with the Intimidation skill, and you can use Intimidation in place of Animal Handling checks when dealing with beasts.

**Martial Lore.** Whenever you make an Intelligence (History) check related to military strategies or conflicts, you are considered proficient in the History skill and add double your proficiency bonus to the check, instead of your normal proficiency bonus.

**Saving Face.** When you miss with an attack roll, you can choose to give yourself advantage on the next attack you make until the end of your next turn. You can use this trait a number of times equal to your proficiency modifier, regaining all uses when you finish a long rest.

**Languages.** You can speak, read, and write Common and Goblin.

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<h2 id="kobold">Kobold</h2>

Kobolods are one of the lesser seen of the monstrous <br> races, though only by choice. Kobolds are hardly seen because they do not wish to be seen, hiding away underground to avoid the larger races that would take advantage of their small size. Alone, a kobold is small, <br> weak, and helpless. But together, the kobolds are a <br> mighty race, born of dragons, who would bring any <br> foolish enough to enter their home to their knees.

### Little Dragons
Kobolds are sometimes referred to as 'Little Dragons', and it is easy to see why. Their small reptilian bodies resemble that of tiny, humanoid dragons, with their scale colors and patterns very similar to those that chromatic dragons bear. Legends say that kobolds were created by Tiamat, born out of the blood of dragons, and their appearance certainly lends credence to the tales.

Another trait of the kobolds that relates them to dragons are their innate gift for magic. Many kobolds are born as sorcerers, easily able to master draconic magic. Some rare few are even born with wings, allowing them to take to the sky like dragons. However, these kobolds, known as urds, tend to be disliked by other kobolds, both due to petty jealousy and religious beliefs.

When kobolds find themselves in the presence of a true dragon, they worship them with awe and respect, viewing the drake as an avatar of their deity. While kobolds generally prefer to avoid the larger races, especially those that are dangerous to them, some kobold colonies will actively seek out a chromatic dragon to serve to worship in exchange for protection.

### Hidden Scavengers
Most kobolds spend the majority of their lives underground, dwelling in intricate tunnel systems that they have carved out of the earth with nothing more than a few simple tools and some proper teamwork. When they do venture to the surface, it is usually to scavenge whatever items they can find, whether it be food, tools, or just random scraps that they can repurpose.

In general, kobolds prefer to take items that have been thrown away or left aside. They tend to be unwilling to actively steal items from members of the bigger races, as doing so brings the risk of incurring their wrath, potentially putting the entire colony in danger. In situations where they do steal from others, they prefer to run and hide rather than to fight if they risk getting caught. Better to flee and remain unseen than risk angering the bigger races.

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### Standing Together
Above all else, kobolds wish to survive, and to keep each other safe. In an ideal world, the kobolds would be free to live their lives peacefully underground, toiling away at their work. Unfortunately, reality is rarely so kind. Whether a powerful creature has found their lair, forcing the kobolds to act as its minion, or they are simply running out of food, something will always force the kobolds to rise to the surface.

Kobolds feel a sort of kinship with each other, but due to the constant need to continue working and scavenging, rarely show signs of affection. Even kobolds that may regard each other as enemies will act civil towards each other, avoiding fighting to help the colony as a whole survive. Most believe that their individual needs are outweighed by the needs of the colony.

### Kobold Names
Kobold names are derived from the Draconic tongue and usually relate to a characteristic of the owner, such as scale color, distinctive body parts, or typical behavior. For example, "Red Foot," "White Claw," and "Scurry" are Common translations of often-used names. A kobold might change its name when it becomes an adult, or add additional word-syllables after important events such as completing its first hunt, laying its first egg, or surviving its first battle.

**Kobold Names:** Arix, Eks, Ett, Galax, Garu, Hagnar, Hox, Irtos, Kashak, Meepo, Molo, Ohsoss, Rotom, Sagin, Sik, Sniv, Taklak, Tes, Urak, Varn.

### Playing a Kobold
When playing a kobold, you need to decide why your character has risked venturing to the surface world and surrounding themselves with the bigger races. Is their colony gone, forcing them to fend for themselves? Or maybe they formed a kinship with a member of the other races while scavenging, and feel safe in their presence. Perhaps they were simply braver than other kobolds, and don't fear the other races, or they were given a task by their draconic master and have no choice but to be brave.

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<br>

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### Kobold Traits
Despite their small size, kobolds carry the blood of dragons, and work together to take down larger foes.

**Age.** Kobolds reach maturity by age 6, and can live up to 120 years, though they rarely do so.

**Size.** Kobolds are between 2 and 3 feet in height and weigh between 25 and 40 pounds. Your size is small.

**Speed.** Your base walking speed is 25 feet.

**Darkvision.** You have darkvision out to a range of 60 feet.

**Draconic Legacy.** The kobold connection to dragons can manifest in unpredictable ways in an individual kobold. Choose one of the following legacy options when you select this race:
- *Chromatic Resistance:* You have resistance to one of the following damage types of your choice: acid, cold, fire, lightning, or poison.
- *Dragon Magic:* You know one cantrip of your choice from the sorcerer spell list, as well as one 1st-level spell of your choice from the sorcerer spell list which you can cast once, regaining the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.
- *Strong Body:* Your tail is strong enough to carry and hold any object that you could hold in one hand. Your tail is able to carry one-handed weapons, but you cannot use it to make attacks with a weapon it is holding.

**Nimble Scurry.**  You can move through the space of any creature that is of a size larger than yours.

**Strong Together.** As a bonus action, you can let out a war cry, telling your allies to attack a creature of your choice within 30 feet of you. Until the end of your next turn, allied creatures have advantage on any attack roll they make against that creature. Once you use this trait, you cannot do so again until you finish a long rest.

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

> ##### Variant Kobold: Urd
> With your DM's permission, you can play a variant kobold that has a pair of leathery wings, called an Urd. If you choose to do so, you replace the Draconic Legacy trait with the following one:
>
> **Draconic Wings.** You have a pair of leathery wings, which grant you a fly speed of 30 feet. These wings only work in short bursts; you fall if you end your turn in the air and nothing is holding you aloft.

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When people think of monsters, orcs are usually the first thing to come to mind. Large, hulking figures that are known to cleave a man in half with a single swing. The sound of orcish war drums thundering haunts the nightmares of almost every commoner, who grew up on stories of their bloodlust and rage.

### Birthed by Blood
Tales of how orcs were created and who they worship tends to change from place to place, but there are a few aspects of the story that remain the same no matter where you go. Most people believe that these aspects of the story are the ones that hold the most truth, while other additions are somewhat nebulous.

According to legends, the orcs were once humans, elves, and other races. However, during ancient times, an orcish god had their eye shot by an arrow, or cut out by a blade. In some versions of this story, this was said to be an accident, while in others, it was an act of malicious intent.

Regardless of why it happened, the god lost their eye, and the blood that seeped from their wound fell onto a group of mortals. When it did, the tainted blood began to corrupt them, causing their muscles to swell and filling their veins with burning rage. Thus, the first orcs were birthed by blood, with the anger that filled their hearts only able to be quelled by spilling more blood.

### Uncontrollable Anger
The first emotion that an orc can remember feeling is anger, and it is something that follows them for their entire life. No matter how happy they are, how content they feel, orcs cannot escape the rage that flows through their veins. There is no reason for the anger, it is not caused by anyone wronging them or frustration over their circumstance, it simply exists. No matter what is happening in their lives, every emotion they feel is undercut by rage.

But rage does not consume everything an orc feels by default. Often times, the anger is simply something in the back of their mind, an ember that is just waiting to be fanned into a flame. It boils in the background, waiting for a cause to direct the fury towards. Some orcs are able to live their lives without succumbing to their rage, able to hold it back and only direct it towards those that truly deserve it. These are not the orcs people hear about.

The unfortunate reality is that far too many orcs lose control, unable to force the anger away. The rage burns away at their minds, demanding to be released, for blood to be spilled. Some believe that the only way to be free of the rage is to give into its demands, raiding towns and murdering indiscriminately to appease the anger. Others simply take pleasure in satisfying their dark desires, finding joy in the act of spilling blood. In truth, nothing can quell the fire that burns inside them, and those that try to snuff the flames through violence quickly fall into a downward spiral, eventually forgetting why they kill in the first place.

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### A Chance for Peace
Despite their penchant for violence, there is hope for the orcs. The mere existence of half-orcs proves that they are capable of being more than bloodthirsty murderers.

The road towards pushing back their anger is a never ending journey. Anger and rage rest at the root of an orc's existence, it was the very thing that created them in the first place. They can never truly be free of their curse, but they can fight it. Many are able to keep the anger at bay for a time, living years in somewhat peaceful ways, but often times they end up relapsing, giving into their rage when provoked.

Most orcs that do choose to live peacefully tend to do so away from large towns and cities, living on the outskirts of civilization. As much as they may wish to integrate with society, the sight of a full-blooded orc tends to evoke a feeling of fear in dread in many people, the memories and stories of orcish raiding parties fresh in their minds.

### Orc Names
Orc names don't always have meaning in the Ore language, and most noteworthy ores are given epithets by their tribe mates.

**Masculine Orc Names:** Abzug, Bajok, Grutok, Jahrukk, Lortar, Mobad, Mugrub, Rhorog, Ruhk, Shamog, Shugog, Urzul.

**Feminine Orc Names:** Baggi, Emen, Engong, Kansif, Myev, Ownka, Shautha, Sutha, Vola, Volen.

**Epithet:** Bone Crusher, Death Spear, Doom Hammer, Elf Butcher, Eye Gouger, Flesh Ripper, Iron Tusk, Skin Flayer, Spine Snapper, The Brutal, The Filthy.

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### Playing an Orc
When you choose to play an orc character, the first thing you need to decide is how they deal with their anger. Do they try to repress it, using meditation or a mantra to force back the intrusive thoughts? Or do they indulge the feeling, throwing themselves into a blind rage at every opportunity they get. Do they view others as real people, or just creature for them to kill when they feel like venting some of their rage?

### Orc Traits
The anger and fury that flows through your orc character's blood grants them the following traits.

**Age.** Orcs reach adulthood by age 12 and live for up to 50 years.

**Size.** Orcs are usually over 6 feet tall and weigh between 230 and 280 pounds. Your size is medium.

**Speed.** Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

**Darkvision.** You have darkvision out to a range of 60 feet.

**Aggressive.** As a bonus action, you can move up to your speed toward an enemy of your choice that you can see or hear. You must end this move closer to the enemy than you started.

**Menacing.** You have proficiency with the Intimidation skill.

**Powerful Build.** You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.

**Relentless Endurance.** When you are reduced to 0 hit points but not killed outright, you can choose to drop to 1 hit point instead. Once you use this trait, you cannot do so again until you finish a long rest.

**Languages.** You can speak, read, and write Common and Orc.

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Humans from an ancient empire that merged with serpents through dark rituals, yuan-ti are a race of cold and calculating half-serpents. While their forms may vary, every yuan-ti bears the mark of the Serpant Gods, and have shed their humanity to become something more.

### Human No More
The first yuan-ti were supposedly born from one of the original human civilizations, a massive empire that spanned the continents. These humans worshiped serpents as totem animals, admiring their flexibility, cunning, calculating poise, and deadly strike. As the years went by, their devotion turned to fanaticism, until their prayers were heard and answered by the Serpent Gods.

These gods taught the humans a ritual that they could use to ascend, shedding away their frail human bodies and the emotions that held them back. They performed the ritual with glee, becoming the very first yuan-ti.

The rest of the world did not look kindly upon the yuan-ti, seeing them as an abomination. The yuan-ti shared their disdain, viewing the other races of the world as beneath them, in the same way that a human would look down at a chicken, nothing more than livestock. In the years to come, a war raged on between the yuan-ti and the other races of the world, ending in the destruction of the great yuan-ti empire.

Broken and defeated, the yuan-ti were forced to flee, hiding in the ruins of their once great empire. They have since learned that the world cannot be subjugated by force, as there will always be someone to resist. Instead, the path to domination lies in deceit, promising a future full of power and wealth. Now, the yuan-ti bide their time in the shadows, slowly weaving plots towards regaining their lost power.

### Muted Emotions
As a part of their ritual of ascension, the yuan-ti cast aside their emotions, seeing them as nothing more than a weakness. When their transformation was complete, they found that their emotions were not quite gone, but were muted. Any feelings that would threaten the yuan-ti could be easily ignored, acting as nothing more than an annoying whisper in the back of their mind.

Most yuan-ti truly believe that emotions are nothing more than a weakness, something that can be exploited. To allow oneself to feel is to open their heart to pain, or worse, to make themselves easy to manipulate. With their emotions cast aside, the yuan-ti believe themselves to be stronger than the other races. While they obsess over their bonds and ideals, the yuan-ti are free from such burdens, able to easily manipulate others to do what they wish, either through false promises or very real threats.

And yet, some yuan-ti find themselves unable to fully cast their emotions aside, to truly let go. Often these are the ones who did not choose to ascend, either being born as yuan-ti or having the transformation forced upon them. These yuan-ti are the ones who are most likely to abandon their people, leaving behind their ruined empire in search of something more.

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### Yuan-Ti Names
Yuan-ti names have meanings that have been passed down through the generations, although spellings and inflections have changed over time. Some add more sibilants to their birth names to create an exaggerated hissing sound, based on one's personal preference. A yuan-ti might refer to itself by its birth name, by its altered name, or (especially among purebloods) by a name it borrows from the local populace.

**Yuan-Ti Names:** Astuali, Eztli, Hessatal, Hitotee, Issahu, Itstli, Manuya, Meztli, Nesalli, Otleh, Shalkashlah, Sisava, Sitlali, Soakosh, Ssimalli, Suisatal, Talash, Teoshi, Zihu.

### Playing a Yuan-Ti
When you choose to play yuan-ti character, there are a few things you need to decide. First, how did your character become a yuan-ti? Did they willingly perform the ritual, choosing to cast aside their humanity? Was it forced upon them? Or were they simply born into yuan-ti society? Next, you need to decide why your yuan-ti has chosen to leave their empire. Are they on a mission for their people that requires them to travel, seducing whoever they can to join them? Or did they abandon their people, choosing to leave their empire behind. If they were born as yuan-ti or forced to ascend, perhaps they are searching for a way to undo the ritual, to regain their lost emotions.

### Yuan-Ti Traits
Blessed and transformed by the Serpentine Gods, Yuan-Ti are a hideous blend of human creativity and serpentine venom.

**Age.** Yuan-Ti mature at the same rate as humans, and have lifespans similar in length to theirs.

**Size.** Yuan-Ti match humans in size and weight, though some do grow larger. Your size is medium.

**Speed.** Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

**Poison Resistance.** You have advantage on saving throws against poison, and you have resistance against poison damage.

**Serpentine Spellcasting.** You can cast *animal friendship* an unlimited number of times with this trait, but you can target only snakes with it.

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

**Subraces.** Yuan-Ti come in many shapes and forms, but the ones most commonly seen are purebloods, fanged, and slithering yuan-ti.

#### Pureblood
Yuan-ti purebloods closely resemble humans, but they cannot pass for human under close inspection. Patches of scaled skin, serpentine eyes, and forked tongues quickly reveal a pureblood's nature to anyone who spares them more than a passing glance.

**Pureblood Magic.** You know the *poison spray* cantrip. Starting at 3rd level, you can cast the *cause fear* spell, and at 5th level you can cast the *suggestion* spell. Once you cast a spell with this trait, you cannot do so again until you finish a long rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.

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#### Fanged
Fanged yuan-ti, also known as Type 1 Malisons, are yuan-ti that have the head of a serpent and the body of a human. Scales run down their necks and shoulders, usually fading away into skin near the end of their arms. These yuan-ti produce a deadly venom that fills their fangs, eagerly waiting to be released into their victim's veins.

**Serpent's Venom.** When you hit a creature with your bite attack, you can use a bonus action to inject venom into the creature's veins, dealing an additional 1d4 poison damage. Alternatively, you can spend a minute filling a vial with your poison, creating a basic poison vial.

You can use this trait to inject venom or create a poison vial a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, regaining every use of this trait when you finish a long rest. Any poison vials you create using this feature are destroyed when you finish a long rest, as the poison loses its potency.

#### Slithering
Slithering yuan-ti, also known as Type 3 Malisons, have a human body, but rather than legs, they have a serpentine lower body. These yuan-ti slither across the battlefield, wrapping their strong lower body around their foes and crushing the life out of them.

**Crushing Grip.** You can use a bonus action to attempt to grapple a creature. When you successfully grapple a creature, you can decide if you wish to use your serpentine body to do so. If you do, your movement speed is reduced to 0, but creatures that start their turn grappled by you in this way take 1d6 bludgeoning damage at the start of their turn.

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### 
<h1 id="d-b">Chapter III: Details & Backgrounds</h1>

###

</div>

Characters are defined by much more than their race and class. They're individuals with their own stories, interests, connections, and capabilities beyond those that class and race define. This chapter expands on the details that distinguish characters from one another, including the basics of name and physical description, the rules of backgrounds and languages, and the finer points of personality.

<h2 id="details">Character Details</h2>

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

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

### Gender
Your character's gender does not give them any special benefits or hindrances. Think about how your charcter does or does not conform to the broader culture's expectation of sex, gender, and sexuality. For example, a male drow cleric defies the traditional gender divisions of drow society, which could be a reason for your character to leave that society and come to the surface.

You don't need to be confined to the binary notions of sex and gender. The elf god Corellon Larethian of the Forgotten Realms pantheon is often seen as androgynous, for example, and some elves in the multiverse are made in COrellon's image. You could also play a character who presents themselves as a different gender than their biological sex, or one that doesn't conform to the gender norms for their race. Likewise, your character's sexual orientation is for you to decide.

### Height and Weight
You can decide your character's height and weight using the information provided in your race description as a baseline. Think about what your character's ability score might say about their height or weight. A weak but agile character might be thin, while a strong and tough character might be tall or just heavy.

### Other Physical Characteristics
You choose your character's age and the color of their hair, eyes, and skin (or scale, feathers, or whatever they have). To add a touch of distinctiveness, you might want to give your character an unusual or memorable physical characteristic, such as a scar, a limp, or a tattoo.

\columnbreak

### Languages
Your race indicates the languages your character can speak by default, and your background (and sometimes even class) might give you access to one or more additional languages of your choice. Note these languages on your character sheet.

Choose your languages from the Standard Languages table, or choose one that is common in your campaign. With you DM's permission, you can instead choose a language from the Exotic Languages table or a specialized language, such as thieves' cant or druidic.

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

##### Standard Languages
| Language  | Typical Speakers | Script |
|:---|:---|:---|
| Common  | Humans | Common |
| Dwarvish | Dwarves | Dwarvish |
| Elvish | Elves | Elvish |
| Giant | Ogres, giants | Dwarvish |
| Gnomish | Gnomes | Dwarvish |
| Goblin | Goblinoids | Dwarvish
| Halfling | Halflings | Common |
| Orc | Orcs | Dwarvish |

##### Exotic Languages
| Language  | Typical Speakers | Script |
|:---|:---|:---|
| Abyssal  | Demons | Infernal |
| Celestial | Celestials | Celestial |
| Deep Speech | Mind flayers, beholders | - |
| Draconic | Dragons, dragonborn | Draconic |
| Infernal | Devils | Infernal |
| Primordial | Elementals | Dwarvish |
| Sylvan | Fey | Elvish |
| Undercommon | Underdark traders | Elvish |

##### Specialized Languages
| Language  | Typical Speakers | Script |
|:---|:---|:---|
| Druidic  | Druids, nature spirits | Elvish |
| Sign Language | Creatures unable to speak | Common |
| Thieves' Cant  | Criminals | Common |

\pagebreakNum

### Personal Characteristics
Fleshing out your character's personality - the array of traits, mannerisms, habits, beliefs, and flaws that give a person a unique identity - will help you bring them to life as you play the game. Four categories of characteristics are presented here; personality traits, ideals, bonds, and flaws. Beyond those categories, think about your character's favorite words or phrases, tics and habitual gestures, vices and pet peeves, and whatever else you can imaginge.

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

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

Personality traits might describe the things your character likes, their past accomplishments, things your character dislikes or fears, their attitude or mannerisms, or the influence of their ability scores.

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

Considering choosing more than one personality trait for your character, as having two or three helps to flesh out their personality. Choosing one based on your background, one based on your ability scores, and one that simply seems like a fun character quirk is a good one to begin creating a multi-faceted character.

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

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

A character can have multiple ideals, some of which might conflict with each other at times. For example, a paladin that has sworn to uphold their oath might have an ideal where they promise to always do what is right, but also desperately want to find a way to cure their cursed mother. When forced to make a choice between saving a town and obtaining the cure they need, these ideals can clash, which make for fantastic stories and roleplaying moments, where your character must decide between doing what they want to do, and what their duty demands.

\columnbreak

> ##### Standard Language Descriptions
> Along with using different words, the many different languages all sound vastly different, with native speakers using certain accents when speaking. 
> 
> **Common** is, as the name suggests, the most commonly spoken language, and one that doesn't have a particular accent. 
> 
> **Dwarvish** is full of hard consonants and guttural sounds, and native speakers tend to carry those characteristics over to whatever other languages they speak.
>
> **Elvish** is fluid, with subtle intonations and intricate grammar, the language almost songlike in nature.
>
> **Giant**, also called Jotun, makes use of its native speakers' large lungs, with bellowing sounds and a tendency to include the 'O' and 'Ou' sounds as much as possible.
>
> **Gnomish**, which uses the dwarvish script, is renowned for its technical treatises and its catalogs of knowledge about the natural world. 
>
> **Goblin** is a language almost exclusively spoken by goblinoids. It is full of guttural sounds, often accompanied by grunts or whimpering noises.
>
> **Halfling** isn't a secret language, but it is one that its native speakers are loath to share. 
> 
> **Orc** is a harsh, crating language with hard consonants. It has no script of its own but is written in the Dwarvish script.

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

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

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

#### Flaws
Finally, your character's flaws represent some vice, compulsion, fear, or weakness - in particular, anything that someone else could exploit to bring you to ruin or cause you to act against your best interests.

More significant than negative personality traits, a flaw might answer any of these questions: What enrages you? What's the one person, concept, or event you are terrified of? What are your vices?

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<h2 id="inspiration">Inspiration</h2>

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

### Gaining Inspiration
Your DM can choose to give you inspiration for a variety of reasons. Typically, DMs award it when you play out your personality traits, give in to the drawbacks presented by a flaw or bond, and otherwise portray your character in a compelling way. Your DM will tell you how you can earn inspiration in the game.

You either have inspiration or you don’t — you can’t stockpile multiple “inspirations” for later use.

### Using Inspiration
If you have inspiration, you can expend it when you make an attack roll, saving throw, or ability check. Spending your inspiration gives you advantage on that roll.

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

> ##### Specialized Language Descriptions
> Specialized languages were made for a very specific purpose, whether that be communicating in secret to the few that could understand, leaving behind clues and messages, or allowing those who cannot speak to communicate with one another.
>
> **Druidic** is the language of nature, often only spoken by druids and nature spirits, such as dryads. When written, it is nearly impossible for those that don't understand the language to see, yet easy to spot for those who are proficient in it. When spoken, it is nearly incomprehensible to non-speakers, almost devoid of vowels and making constant use of rarely used consonants, such as w, x, and z.
>
> **Sign Language** is a language that isn't spoken or written, but is one that is made up of symbols and gestures that a creature makes using their hands. It is primarily used as a way for people that are unable or unwilling to speak to communicate with others.
>
> **Thieves' Cant** is a mix of dialect, jargon, and code that allows a creature to hide messages in seemingly normal conversation, ensuring that the only people that understand the message are others that know thieves' cant. It takes four times as long to convey messages in this language.

\columnbreak

> ##### Exotic Language Descriptions
> Exotic languages are very rarely heard in the world, especially from humanoids. With a couple of exceptions, most are very difficult for humanoids to properly use, as the languages are made for entirely different creatures that are sometimes very alien in nature to speak.
>
> **Abyssal** sounds different depending on who its spoken by. It sounds similar to the barking of canines when spoken by low-ranking demons, while the speech of more refined demons sounds like softly droning ocean waves mingled with the violence of a swarm of angry hornets.
>
> **Celestial** is a language that is beautiful but alien in nature, since it was made for creatures with thought patterns unlike mortals. It is said to sound almost like music when spoken by true celestials, specifically harps and string instruments.
>
> **Deep Speech** is a quite literally alien language spoken by aberrations, most of who only use it via telepathy. It relies heavily on tone and inflection, and includes strange trilling and gurgling sounds that are hard for humanoids to reproduce.
>
> **Draconic** is thought to be one of the oldest languages, and is often used in the study of magic. The language sounds harsh to most other creatures and includes numerous hard consonants and sibilants. 
>
> **Infernal** is a strange language which grows more complex depending on whose speaking it. It can either be harsh and grating, perfect for shouting orders over a battlefield, or melodic and soothing, full of obscure patterns made to convince and decieve.
>
> **Primordial** is a language that is technically split into four; Auran, Aquan, Ignan, and Terran, each of which sound different, though any creature that speaks one can understand them all. Auran sounds similar to a breeze, with the sounds turning into whipping winds to show anger. Aquan is full of strange gurgling sounds, while Ignan is made of mostly rasps and growls. Terran is said to sound akin to grinding earth and stone.
> 
> **Sylvan**, often seen as the language of nature, is mainly spoken by fey and natural creatures. It flows like music in the air, sounding very similar to elvish, but less refined and more whimsical in nature. Many suspect that elvish was derived from sylvan, though there is little proof of this.
>
> **Undercommon** is one of the few exotic languages that was made for humanoid races to speak. Developed by the drow using the elvish script, the language is primarily used by intelligent creatures that reside in the Underdark. It sounds very similar to Common, though it is accompanied by a series of whispering sounds and tongue clicks.

\pagebreakNum

<h2 id="backgrounds">Backgrounds</h2>

Everyone has a life before becoming an adventurer. Your background determines what your character did before the campaign began. Perhaps you were a soldier in a King's army, or a scholar in an esteemed library, or a common farmer or thief.

On top of giving a brief insight into your character's past, your background determines what sort of trainign your character has, and as such, helps to determine their proficiencies and abilities. Every background gives certain things, which are detailed below.

When choosing a background, think about your character's past and what lead them to make their choices. Why did your fighter become a soldier? Did they choose to join, or were they conscripted? Did your rogue become a thief for the thrill, or because they needed the money? After determining why they have the background they do, you will also need to decide why they stopped doing whatever they were doing. What lead them to leave their old life behind to become an adventurer?

#### Ability Score Improvements & Proficiencies
Every background grants you an ability score improvement and proficiencies based on the skills you would have gained doing whatever you did. For example, the Charlatan background gives a +2 to Charisma and a +1 to Dexterity, as well as proficiency with Deception and Sleight of Hand. Certain backgrounds also grant proficiencies with different tools, such as Thieve's Tools or Disguise Kits.

While most backgrounds state exactly what ability score improvements and proficiencies they grant, some give options instead. For example, the Soldier background allows you to choose to gain a +2 to your Strength or Dexterity, then grants a +1 to your Constitution. Some backgrounds also let you pick which proficiencies you get from a small pool.

If a background gives you proficiency with a skill you are already proficient with, you can instead choose to gain proficiency with a different skill from your class' skill list.

\columnbreak

#### Languages
Some backgrounds also give you the ability to read, write, and speak certain languages, or give the option to choose new languages to learn.

#### Equipment
Each background grants a small amount of equipment, as well as some starting gold. If you use the optional rule from chatper 5 of the PHB to spend coin on gear, you do not receive the starting equipment from your background.

#### Variants
Some backgrounds have variants; backgrounds that are similar in nature, but not quite the same. For example, the Sailor background has a Pirate variant, as both revolve around sailing the seas, but with very different purposes.

Some variant will change which skills, tools, and languages you gain proficiency with, and your starting equipment. However, the ability score improvements you gain from the background will remain the same, whether you choose the variant or not.

#### Suggested Characteristics
Finally, your background has a list of suggested characteristics, including personality traits, ideals, bonds, and flaws. You can use these to help determine your character's personality, either by choosing certain options or rolling to decide them, or ignore them and create your own.

#### Creating your own Background
In the case that none of the background in this document fit your character, you can work with your DM to create your own. When you do so, you and your DM need to determine:
- What ability score the background grants (Typically +2 in one stat, and +1 in another).
- What proficiencies the background grants (Backgrounds grant proficiency with two skills).
- If the background grants any tool proficiencies or languages.
- Starting equipment for the background.

> ##### Optional Rule: Feat Training
> With your DM's permission, you can choose to forgo the ability score improvement granted by your background to instead gain a feat of your choice. You still gain any proficiencies or languages that the background gives, as well as the equipment and features granted by your background.

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<h3 id="acolyte">Acolyte</h3>

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

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

You should also decide if you are still a part of the religious order from your background, or if you have left it behind, as well as why. Did you learn that the church you grew up in was corrupt, or lose faith in the god it worshiped? Maybe you were a part of a cult, and have run away despite the consequences. Perhaps you were kicked our of your order, either due to breaking their rules or a misunderstanding, and are trying to get back in their good graces.

**Ability Score Improvement:** +2 Wisdom, +1 Intelligence
<br>
**Skill Proficiencies:** Insight, Religion
<br>
**Languages:** Two of your choice
<br>
**Equipment:** A holy symbol, a prayer book or prayer wheel, 5 sticks of incense, vestments, a set of common clothes, and a pouch containing 15gp.

#### Variant Acolyte: Warden
Similar to acolytes, wardens are people that worship and defend nature, often making their homes in places where rare animals congregate or in groves that act as a source of druidic power. As a warden, it is your duty to both listen to and protect nature, whatever it takes.

**Skill Proficiencies:** Insight, Nature
<br>
**Tool Proficiencies:** Herbalism Kit
<br>
**Languages:** One of your choice
<br>
**Equipment:** A druidic focus, a herbalism kit, 5 sticks of incense, a set of common clothes, and a pouch containing 10gp.

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

\columnbreak

| d6  | Personality Trait |
|:---|:-----------|
|  1  | I idolize a particular hero of my faith, and constantly refer to that person's deeds and example. |
|  2  | I see omens in every event and action. The gods try to speak to us, we just need to listen. |
|  3  | Nothing can shake my optimistic attitude. |
|  4  | I quote (or misquote) sacred texts and proverbs in almost every situation. |
|  5  | I am tolerant (or intolerant) or other faiths and respect (or condemn) the worship of other gods. |
|  6  | I've spent so long in the the temple that I have little practical experience dealing with people in the outside world.  |

| d6  | Ideal |
|:---|:-----------|
|  1  | **Tradition.** The ancient traditions of worship and sacrifice must be preserved and upheld. |
|  2  | **Charity.** I always try to help those in need, no matter what the personal cost. |
|  3  | **Change.** We must help bring about the changes the gods are constantly working in the world. |
|  4  | **Power.** I hope to one day rise to the top of my faith's religious hierarchy. |
|  5  | **Faith.** I trust that my deity will guide my actions. I have faith that if I work hard, things will go well. |
|  6  | **Aspiration.** I seek to prove myself worthy of my god's favor through my actions and deeds. |

| d6  | Bond |
|:---|:-----------|
|  1  | I would die to recover an ancient relic of my faith that was lost long ago. |
|  2  | I will someday get revenge on the corrupt temple hierarchy who branded me a heretic. |
|  3  | I owe my life to the priest who took me in when my parents died. |
|  4  | Everything I do is for the common people |
|  5  | I will do anything to protect the temple where I served. |
|  6  | I seek to preserve a secred text that my enemies consider heretical and seek to destroy. |

| d6  | Flaw |
|:---|:-----------|
|  1  | I judge others harshly, and myself even more severely. |
|  2  | I put too much trust in those who wield power within my temple's hierarchy. |
|  3  | My piety sometimes leads me to blindly trust those that profess faith in my god. |
|  4  | I am inflexible in my thinking. |
|  5  | I am suspicious of strangers and expect the worst of them.  |
|  6  | Once I pick a goal, I become obsessed with it to the point of detriment of everything else in my life. |

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<h3 id="archaeologist">Archaeologist</h3>

You have spent your life learning all you can about long-lost and fallen cultures of the past, traveling across the world to root through crumbled cities and lost dungeons, digging in search of artifacts that might tell the stories of monarchs and high priests, wars and cataclysms. With every site you found, you eagerly studied its remains - the bones of the dead, the ruins of their homes, the surviving masterworks, and the tombs - hoping to uncover the mysteries of the past.

**Ability Score Improvement:** +2 Intelligence, +1 Wisdom
<br>
**Skill Proficiencies:** History, Survival
<br>
**Tool Proficiencies:** Cartographer's tools or navigator's tools
<br>
**Languages:** One of your choice
<br>
**Equipment:** A wooden case containing a map to a ruin or dungeon, a bullseye lantern, a miner's pick, a set of traveler's clothes, a shovel, a two-person tent, a trinket recovered from a dig site, and a pouch containing 20 gp.

#### Archaeological Specialty
Most archaeologists specialize in dealing with certain types of ruins. While almost any archaeologist will dive head first into any ruin they find, they tend to prefer looking for a type that fits their interest. Choose a Archaeological Specialty, or roll on the table below.

| d6 | Archaeological Specialty  | 
|:---|:---|
| 1 | Kingdoms ravaged and razed in a great war that spanned decades. |
| 2 | Civilizations that disappeared mysteriously, without any known cause. |
| 3 | City-States destroyed in the wake of a natural disaster, such as volcanoes or tsunamis |
| 4 | Ancient empires governed by cruel monsters that collapsed when the people revolted |
| 5 | Kingdoms that were destroyed from the inside by a civil war. |
| 6 | Towns that were burned to the ground by rampaging orcs, gnolls, or some other monster. |

#### Suggested Characteristics
Few archaeologists can resist the lure of an unexplored ruin or dungeon, particularly if such a site is the source of legends or is rumored to contain the treasures and relics of wizards, warlords, or royalty. Some archaeologists plunder for wealth or fame, while others consider it their calling to illuminate the past or keep the world's greatest treasures from falling into the wrong hands. Whatever their motivations, archaeologists combine the qualities of a scrappy historian with the self-made heroism of a treasure-hunting scoundrel.

\columnbreak

| d6  | Personality Trait |
|:---|:-----------|
|  1  | I love a good puzzle or mystery. |
|  2  | I'm a pack rat who never throws anything away. |
|  3  |	Fame is more important to me than money. |
|  4  | I have no qualms about stealing from the dead. |
|  5  | I'm happier in a dusty old tomb than I am in the centers of civilization. |
|  6  | You might think I'm a scholar, but I love a good brawl. These fists were made for punching. |

| d6  | Ideal |
|:---|:-----------|
|  1  | **Preservation.** That artifact belongs in a museum. |
|  2  | **Greed.** I won't risk my life for nothing. I expect some kind of payment. |
|  3  | **Death Wish.** Nothing is more exhilarating than a narrow escape from the jaws of death. |
|  4  | **Dignity.** The dead and their belongings deserve to be treated with respect. |
|  5  | **Immortality.** All my exploring is part of a plan to find the secret of everlasting life. |
|  6  | **Danger.** With every great discovery comes grave danger. The two walk hand in hand. |

| d6  | Bond |
|:---|:-----------|
|  1  | Ever since I was a child, I've heard stories about a lost city. I aim to find it, learn its secrets, and earn my place in the history books. |
|  2  | I want to find my mentor, who disappeared on an expedition some time ago. |
|  3  | I have a friendly rival. Only one of us can be the best, and I aim to prove it's me. |
|  4  | I won't sell an art object or other treasure that has historical significance or is one of a kind. |
|  5  | I'm secretly in love with the wealthy patron who sponsors my archaeological exploits. |
|  6  | I hope to bring prestige to a library, a museum, or a university. |

| d6  | Flaw |
|:---|:-----------|
|  1  | I have a secret fear of some common wild animal – and in my work, I see them everywhere. |
|  2  | I can't leave a room without searching it for secret doors. |
|  3  | When I'm not exploring dungeons or ruins, I get jittery and impatient. |
|  4  | 	I have no time for friends or family. I spend every waking moment thinking about and preparing for my next expedition. |
|  5  | When given the choice of going left or right, I always go left.  |
|  6  | I can't sleep except in total darkness. |

\pagebreakNum

<h3 id="charlatan">Charlatan</h3>

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

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

**Ability Score Improvement:** +2 Charisma, +1 Dexterity
<br>
**Skill Proficiencies:** Deception, Sleight of Hand
<br>
**Tool Proficiencies:** Disguise kit, forgery kit
<br>
**Equipment:** A set of fine clothes, a disguise kit, tools of the con of your choice (ten stoppered bottles filled with colored liquid, a set of weighted dice, a deck of marked cards, or a signet ring of an imaginary duke), and a belt pouch containing 15 gp.

#### Favorite Schemes
Every charlatan has an angle they use in preference to other schemes. Choose a favorite scam or roll on the table below.

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

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

| d6  | Personality Trait |
|:---|:-----------|
| 1 | I fall in and out of love easily, and am always pursuing someone.
| 2	| I have a joke for every occasion, especially occasions where humor is inappropriate.
| 3	| Flattery is my preferred trick for getting what I want.
| 4	| I'm a born gambler who can't resist taking a risk for a potential payoff.
| 5	| I lie about almost everything, even when there's no good reason to.
| 6	| Sarcasm and insults are my weapons of choice.

| d6  | Ideal |
|:---|:-----------|
|  1  | **Independence.** I am a free spirit – no one tells me what to do. |
|  2  | **Fairness.** I never target people who can't afford to lose a few coins. |
|  3  | **Charity.** I distribute the money I acquire to the people who really need it.  |
|  4  | **Creativity.** I never run the same con twice. |
|  5  | **Friendship.** Material goods come and go. Bonds of friendship last forever. |
|  6  | **Aspiration.** I'm determined to make something of myself. |

| d6  | Bond |
|:---|:-----------|
|  1  | I fleeced the wrong person, who I have to make sure never crosses paths with me or those I care about. | 
| 2	| I owe everything to my mentor – a horrible person who's probably rotting in jail somewhere. | 
| 3	| Somewhere out there, I have a child who doesn't know me. I'm making the world better for him or her. | 
| 4	| I come from a noble family, and one day I'll reclaim my lands and title from those who stole them from me. | 
| 5	| A powerful person killed someone I love. Some day soon, I'll have my revenge. | 
| 6	| I swindled and ruined a person who didn't deserve it. I don't think I'll ever forgive myself. |

| d6  | Flaw |
|:---|:-----------|
|  1  | I can't resist a pretty face.
| 2	|  I'm always in debt. I spend my ill-gotten gains on decadent luxuries faster than I bring them in.
| 3	|  I'm convinced that no one could ever fool me the way I fool others.
| 4	| I'm too greedy for my own good. I can't resist taking a risk if there's money involved.
| 5	| I can't resist swindling people who are more powerful than me.
| 6	| I hate to admit it and will hate myself for it, but I'll run and preserve my own hide if the going gets tough.

\pagebreakNum

<h3 id="criminal">Criminal</h3>

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

**Ability Score Improvement:** +2 Dexterity, +1 Charisma
<br>
**Skill Proficiencies:** Choose two from among deception, sleight of hand, and stealth
<br>
**Tool Proficiencies:** One type of gaming set, thieves' tools
<br>
**Equipment:** A crowbar, a set of dark common clothes including a hood, and a belt pouch containing 15 gp

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

| d8  | Specialty |
|:---:|:-----------:|
|  1  | Blackmailer |
|  2  | Burglar |
|  3  | Enforcer |
|  4  | Fence |

| d8  | Specialty |
|:---:|:-----------:|
|  5  | Highway Robber |
|  6  | Hired Killer |
|  7  | Pickpocket |
|  8  | Smuggler |

</div>

#### Variant Criminal: Spy
Although your capabilities are not much different from those of a burglar or smuggler, you learned and practiced them in a very different context: as an espionage agent. You might have been an officially sanctioned agent of the crown, or perhaps you sold the secrets you uncovered to the highest bidder.

**Skill Proficiencies:** Choose two from among deception, investigation, sleight of hand, and stealth
<br>
**Tool Proficiencies:** Thieves' tools
<br>
**Languages:** Two of your choice
<br>
**Equipment:** A crowbar, a set of dark common clothes including a hood, and a belt pouch containing 15 gp

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

\columnbreak

| d6  | Personality Trait |
|:---|:-----------|
|  1  | I always have a plan for what to do when things go wrong. |
|  2  | I am always calm, no matter what the situation. I never raise my voice or let my emotions control me. |
|  3  |	I am incredibly slow to trust. Those who seem the fairest often have the most to hide. |
|  4  | I don't pay attention to the risks in a situation. Never tell me the odds. |
|  5  | The best way to get me to do something is to tell me I can't do it. |
|  6  | I blow up at the slightest insult. |

| d6  | Ideal |
|:---|:-----------|
|  1  | **Honor.** I don't steal from others in the trade. |
|  2  | **Freedom.** Chains are meant to be broken, as are those who would forge them. |
|  3  | **Charity.** I steal from the wealthy so that I can help people in need. |
|  4  | **Greed.** I will do whatever it takes to become wealthy. |
|  5  | **People.** I'm loyal to my friends, not to any ideals, and everyone else can take a trip down the Styx for all I care. |
|  6  | **Redemption.** There's a spark of good in everyone. |

| d6  | Bond |
|:---|:-----------|
|  1  | I'm trying to pay off an old debt I owe to a generous benefactor. |
|  2  | My ill-gotten gains go to support my family. |
|  3  | Something important was taken from me, and I aim to steal it back. |
|  4  | I will become the greatest thief that ever lived. |
|  5  | I'm guilty of a terrible crime. I hope I can redeem myself for it. |
|  6  | Someone I loved died because of I mistake I made. That will never happen again. |

| d6  | Flaw |
|:---|:-----------|
|  1  | When I see something valuable, I can't think about anything but how to steal it. |
|  2  | When faced with a choice between money and my friends, I usually choose the money. |
|  3  | If there's a plan, I'll forget it. If I don't forget it, I'll ignore it. |
|  4  | I have a "tell" that reveals when I'm lying. |
|  5  | I turn tail and run when things look bad.  |
|  6  | An innocent person is in prison for a crime that I committed. I'm okay with that. |

\pagebreakNum

<h3 id="entertainer">Entertainer</h3>

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

**Ability Score Improvement:** +2 Charisma, +1 Dexterity
<br>
**Skill Proficiencies:** Acrobatics, Performance
<br>
**Tool Proficiencies:** Disguise kit, one type of musical instrument
<br>
**Equipment:** A musical instrument (one of your choice), the favor of an admirer (love letter, lock of hair, or trinket), a costume, and a belt pouch containing 15 gp

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

| d10  | Entertainer Routine |
|:---|:-----------|
|  1  | Actor |
|  2  | Dancer |
|  3  | Fire-eater |
|  4  | Jester |
|  5  | Juggler |

| d10  | Entertainer Routine |
|:--|:-----------|
|  6  | Musician |
|  7  | Poet |
|  8  | Singer |
|  9  | Storyteller |
|  10 | Tumbler |

</div>

#### Variant Entertainer: Gladiator
A gladiator is as much an entertainer as any minstrel or circus performer trained to make the arts of combat into a spectacle the crowd can enjoy. This kind of flashy combat is your entertainer routine, though you might also have some skills as a tumbler or actor.

**Skill Proficiencies:** Athletics, Performance
<br>
**Tool Proficiencies:** One type of musical instrument, vehicles (land)
<br>
**Equipment:** A musical instrument (one of your choice), the favor of an admirer (love letter, lock of hair, or trinket), a costume, and a belt pouch containing 15 gp

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

\columnbreak

| d6  | Personality Trait |
|:---|:-----------|
|  1  | I know a story relevant to almost every situation. |
|  2  | Whenever I come to a new place, I collect local rumors and spread gossip. |
|  3  |	I'm a hopeless romantic, always searching for that "special someone." |
|  4  | I love a good insult, even one directed at me. |
|  5  | I get bitter if I'm not the center of attention |
|  6  | I'll settle for nothing less than perfection. |

| d6  | Ideal |
|:---|:-----------|
|  1  | **Beauty.** When I perform, I make the world better than it was. |
|  2  | **Tradition.** The stories, legends, and songs of the past must never be forgotten, for they teach us who we are. |
|  3  | **Creativity.** The world is in need of new ideas and bold action. |
|  4  | **Greed.** I'm only in it for the money and fame. |
|  5  | **People.** I like seeing the smiles on people's faces when I perform. That's all that matters. |
|  6  | **Honesty.** Art should reflect the soul; it should come from within and reveal who we really are. |

| d6  | Bond |
|:---|:-----------|
|  1  | My instrument is my most treasured possession, and it reminds me of someone I love.
| 2	| Someone stole my precious instrument, and someday I'll get it back.
| 3	| I want to be famous, whatever it takes.
| 4	| I idolize a hero of the old tales and measure my deeds against that person's.
| 5	| I will do anything to prove myself superior to my hated rival.
| 6	| I would do anything for the other members of my old troupe.

| d6  | Flaw |
|:---|:-----------|
|  1  | 	I'll do anything to win fame and renown.
| 2	| I'm a sucker for a pretty face.
| 3	| A scandal prevents me from ever going home again. That kind of trouble seems to follow me around.
| 4	| I once satirized a noble who still wants my head. It was a mistake that I will likely repeat.
| 5	| I have trouble keeping my true feelings hidden. My sharp tongue lands me in trouble.
| 6	| Despite my best efforts, I am unreliable to my friends.

\pagebreakNum

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

**Ability Score Improvement:** +2 Wisdom, +1 Charisma
<br>
**Skill Proficiencies:** Animal Handling, Survival
<br>
**Tool Proficiencies:** One type of artisan's tools, vehicles (land)
<br>
**Equipment:** A set of artisan's tools (one of your choice), a shovel, an iron pot, a set of common clothes, and a belt pouch containing 10 gp

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

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

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

\columnbreak

| d6  | Personality Trait |
|:---|:-----------|
| 1 | I judge people by their actions, not their words. | 
| 2	| If someone is in trouble, I'm always ready to lend help. | 
| 3	| When I set my mind to something, I follow through no matter what gets in my way. | 
| 4	| I get bored easily. When am I going to get on with my destiny? | 
| 5	| I'm confident in my own abilities and do what I can to instill confidence in others. | 
| 6	| Thinking is for other people. I prefer action. |

| d6  | Ideal |
|:---|:-----------|
|  1  | **Respect.** People deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. 
| 2	| **Fairness.** No one should get preferential treatment before the law, and no one is above the law. 
| 3	| **Freedom.** Tyrants must not be allowed to oppress the people.
| 4	| **Might.** If I become strong, I can take what I want - what I deserve.
| 5	| **Sincerity.** There's no good in pretending to be something I'm not. 
| 6	| **Destiny.** Nothing and no one can steer me away from my higher calling.

| d6  | Bond |
|:---|:-----------|
|  1  | I have a family, but I have no idea where they are. One day, I hope to see them again.
| 2	| I worked the land, I love the land, and I will protect the land.
| 3	| A proud noble once gave me a horrible beating, and I will take my revenge on any bully I encounter.
| 4	| My tools are symbols of my past life, and I carry them so that I will never forget my roots.
| 5	| I protect those who cannot protect themselves.
| 6	| I wish my childhood sweetheart had come with me to pursue my destiny.

| d6  | Flaw |
|:---|:-----------|
|  1  | The tyrant who rules my land will stop at nothing to see me killed.
| 2	| I'm convinced of the significance of my destiny, and blind to my shortcomings and the risk of failure.
| 3	| The people who knew me when I was young know my shameful secret, so I can never go home again.
| 4	| I have a weakness for the vices of the city, especially hard drink.
| 5	| Secretly, I believe that things would be better if I were a tyrant lording over the land.
| 6	| I have trouble trusting in my allies.

\pagebreakNum

<h3 id="guild-artisan">Guild Artisan</h3>

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

**Ability Score Improvement:** +2 Charisma, +1 Wisdom
<br>
**Skill Proficiencies:** Insight, Persuasion
<br>
**Tool Proficiencies:** One type of artisan's tools
<br>
**Languages:** One of your choice
<br>
**Equipment:** A set of artisan's tools (one of your choice), a letter of introduction from your guild, a set of traveler's clothes, and a belt pouch containing 15 gp

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

**Skill Proficiencies:** Insight, Persuasion
<br>
**Tool Proficiencies:** Navigator's tools, vehicles (land or water, your choice)
<br>
**Languages:** One of your choice
<br>
**Equipment:** A set of navigator's tools, a letter of introduction from your guild, a set of traveler's clothes, and a belt pouch containing 15 gp

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

| d6  | 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 rude to people who lack my commitment to hard work and fair play. |
|  5  | I like to talk at length about my profession. |
|  6  | I don't part with my money easily and will haggle tirelessly to get the best deal possible. |

| d6  | Ideal |
|:---|:-----------|
|  1  | **Community.** It is the duty of all civilized people to strengthen the bonds of the community.
| 2	| **Generosity.** My talents were given to me so that I could use them to benefit the world. 
| 3	| **Freedom.** Everyone should be free to pursue his or her own livelihood. 
| 4	| **Greed.** I'm only in it for the money. 
| 5	| **People.** I'm committed to the people I care about, not to ideals. 
| 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.

\pagebreakNum

<h3 id="hermit">Hermit</h3>

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

**Ability Score Improvement:** +2 Wisdom, +1 Intelligence
<br>
**Skill Proficiencies:** Medicine, Religion
<br>
**Tool Proficiencies:** Herbalism kit
<br>
**Languages:** One of your choice
<br>
**Equipment:** A scroll case stuffed full of notes from your studies or prayers, a winter blanket, a set of common clothes, an herbalism kit, and 5 gp

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

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

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

\columnbreak

| d6 | Personality Trait
|:---|:---|
| 1	| I've been isolated for so long that I rarely speak, preferring gestures and the occasional grunt.
| 2	| I am utterly serene, even in the face of disaster.
| 3	| I'm oblivious to etiquette and social expectations.
| 4	| I connect everything that happens to me to a grand, cosmic plan.
| 5	| I often get lost in my own thoughts and contemplation, becoming oblivious to my surroundings.
| 6	| I am working on a grand philosophical theory and love sharing my ideas.

| d6 | 	Ideal
|:---|:---|
| 1	| Greater Good. My gifts are meant to be shared with all, not used for my own benefit. 
| 2	| Logic. Emotions must not cloud our sense of what is right and true, or our logical thinking.
| 3	| Free Thinking. Inquiry and curiosity are the pillars of progress. 
| 4	| Power. Solitude and contemplation are paths toward mystical or magical power. 
| 5	| Live and Let Live. Meddling in the affairs of others only causes trouble. 
| 6	| Self-Knowledge. If you know yourself, there's nothing left to know.

| d6 | 	Bond
|:---|:---|
| 1	| Nothing is more important than the other members of my hermitage, order, or association.
| 2	| I entered seclusion to hide from the ones who might still be hunting me. I must someday confront them.
| 3	| I'm still seeking the enlightenment I pursued in my seclusion, and it still eludes me.
| 4	| I entered seclusion because I loved someone I could not have.
| 5	| Should my discovery come to light, it could bring ruin to the world.
| 6	| My isolation gave me great insight into a great evil that only I can destroy.

| d6 | 	Flaw
|:---|:---|
| 1	| Now that I've returned to the world, I enjoy its delights a little too much.
| 2	| I harbor dark, bloodthirsty thoughts that my isolation and meditation failed to quell.
| 3	| I am dogmatic in my thoughts and philosophy.
| 4	| I let my need to win arguments overshadow friendships and harmony.
| 5	| I'd risk too much to uncover a lost bit of knowledge.
| 6	| I like keeping secrets and won't share them with anyone

\pagebreakNum

<h3 id="merc-vet">Mercenary Veteran</h3>

As a sell-sword who fought battles for coin, you're well acquainted with risking life and limb for a chance at a share of treasure. Now, you look forward to fighting foes and reaping even greater rewards as an adventurer. Your experience makes you familiar with the ins and outs of mercenary life, and you likely have harrowing stories of events on the battlefield.

Now you're looking for something else, perhaps greater reward for the risks you take, or the freedom to choose your own activities. For whatever reason, you're leaving behind the life of a soldier for hire, but your skills are undeniably suited for battle, so now you fight on in a different way.

**Ability Score Improvement:** +2 Strength or Dexterity, +1 Constitution or Charisma
<br>
**Skill Proficiencies:** Choose two from among athletics, insight, intimidation, and stealth
<br>
**Tool Proficiencies:** One type of gaming set, vehicles (land)
<br>
**Equipment:** A uniform of your company (traveler's clothes in quality), an insignia of your rank, a gaming set of your choice, and a pouch containing the remainder of your last wages (10 gp)

#### Variant Mercenary Veteran: <br> Bounty Hunter
Bounty hunters are a specialized kind of mercenary, people who don't fight for coin, but hunt for it. The world is full of criminals, deserters, and traitors that someone wants dead or in chains, and you excel at giving them what they want.

**Skill Proficiencies:** Choose two from among athletics, insight, intimidation, and stealth
<br>
**Tool Proficiencies:** Choose two from among one type of gaming set, one musical instrument, and thieves' tools
<br>
**Equipment:** A set of clothes appropriate to your duties and a pouch containing 20 gp

#### Suggested Characteristics
The rough life of a mercenary can make a person cynical and jaded, but the freedom of the lifestyle can help someone become who they want to be. A person's reason for choosing this life plays a big role in what it turns them into.

| d6  | Personality Trait |
|:---|:-----------|
|  1  | I can't imagine living a life where i'm shackled down to one person or place. |
|  2  | I prefer doing things the hard way, its always more fun. |
|  3  |	I could not care less about what others think or how they feel. |
|  4  | The mission is the only thing that matters. Everything else can wait until I'm done. |
|  5  | There's no better way to unwind than showing off at the local tavern. |
|  6  | I love making sure that others know that they are beneath me. |

| d6  | Ideal |
|:---|:-----------|
|  1  | **Duty.** The most important thing is getting the job done and doing it right. |
|  2  | **Freedom.** My life is mine, and I will do with it what I want. |
|  3  | **Charity.** I'm doing this to help others. If that means taking a low paying job, so be it. |
|  4  | **Greed.** I don't care what I have to do or who I have to kill, as long as I get paid. |
|  5  | **People.** The only people I care about are the ones that have my back in a fight. |
|  6  | **Cynicism.** Nothing really matters, so I'll do whatever the hell I want to. |

| d6  | Bond |
|:---|:-----------|
|  1  | I'd go to hell and back to help out my mercenary band, and I know they'd do the same for me. |
|  2  | When I give someone my word, I stick to it, no matter what. |
|  3  | The only person I'm loyal to is the one person I can trust; me. |
|  4  | I'm more than willing to double cross my employer if it means getting a bigger pay. |
|  5  | I'll respect anyone who can give me a reason to respect them. |
|  6  | A bag of gold means more to me than any words or promises. |

| d6  | Flaw |
|:---|:-----------|
|  1  | I'm not good at bringing people in alive. |
|  2  | People tell me I can't admit when I'm wrong. I wouldn't know, since I'm never wrong. |
|  3  | I never go to sleep unless I'm drink enough that I can't stay up anymore. |
|  4  | I can be convinced to do anything for the right amount of coin. |
|  5  | The only way I know how to respond to an insult is with a punch to the face. |
|  6  | If there's no one to stop me, why shouldn't I do whatever I want |

\pagebreakNum

<h3 id="noble">Noble</h3>

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

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

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

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

Does your family have a coat of arms? An insignia you might wear on a signet ring? Particular colors you wear all the time? An animal you regard as a symbol of your line or even a spiritual member of the family?

These details help establish your family and your title as features of the world of the campaign.

**Ability Score Improvement:** +2 Intelligence, +1 Charisma
<br>
**Skill Proficiencies:** Choose two from among history, insight, intimidation, and persuasion
<br>
**Tool Proficiencies:** One type of gaming set
<br>
**Languages:** Two of your choice.
<br>
**Equipment:** A set of fine clothes, a signet ring, a scroll of pedigree, and a purse containing 25 gp

#### Variant Noble: Knight
A knighthood is among the lowest noble titles in most societies, but it can be a path to higher status.

**Skill Proficiencies:** Choose two from among athletics, history, intimidation, and persuasion
<br>
**Languages:** Two of your choice.
<br>
**Equipment:** A set of fine clothes, a signet ring, a scroll of pedigree, and a purse containing 25 gp

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

| d6 | 	Personality Trait
|:---|:-----------|
| 1	| The common folk love me for my kindness and generosity.
| 2	| I take great pains to always look my best and follow the latest fashions.
| 3	| I don't like to get my hands dirty, and I won't be caught dead in unsuitable accommodations.
| 4	| Despite my noble birth, I do not place myself above other folk. We all have the same blood.
| 5	| My favor, once lost, is lost forever.
| 6	| If you do me an injury, I will crush you, ruin your name, and salt your fields.

| d6 |  	Ideal
|:---|:-----------|
| 1| 	**Respect.** Respect is due to me because of my position, but all people regardless of station deserve to be treated with dignity. 
| 2| 	**Responsibility.** It is my duty to respect the authority of those above me, just as those below me must respect mine. 
| 3| 	**Independence.** I must prove that I can handle myself without the coddling of my family. 
| 4| 	**Power.** If I can attain more power, no one will tell me what to do. 
| 5	| **Family.** Blood runs thicker than water. 
| 6| 	**Noble Obligation.** It is my duty to protect and care for the people beneath me.

| d6| 	Bond
|:---|:-----------|
| 1| 	I will face any challenge to win the approval of my family,
| 2| 	My house's alliance with another noble family must be sustained at all costs.
| 3| 	Nothing is more important than the other members of my family.
| 4| 	I am in love with the heir of a family that my family despises.
| 5| 	My loyalty to my sovereign is unwavering.
| 6| 	The common folk must see me as a hero of the people.

| d6 | 	Flaw
|:---|:-----------|
| 1| 	I secretly believe that everyone is beneath me.
| 2| 	I hide a truly scandalous secret that could ruin my family forever.
| 3| 	I too often hear veiled insults and threats in every word addressed to me, and I'm quick to anger.
| 4| 	I have an insatiable desire for carnal pleasures.
| 5| 	In fact, the world does revolve around me.
| 6| 	By my words and actions, I often bring shame to my family.

\pagebreakNum

<h3 id="outlander">Outlander</h3>

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

**Ability Score Improvement:** +2 Strength or Dexterity, +1 Wisdom
<br>
**Skill Proficiencies:** Athletics, Survival
<br>
**Tool Proficiencies:** One type of musical instrument
<br>
**Languages:** One of your choice
<br>
**Equipment:** A staff, a hunting trap, a trophy from an animal you killed, a set of traveler's clothes, and a belt pouch containing 10 gp

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

| d8  | Origin |
|:---|:-----------|
|  1  | Forester |
|  2  | Trapper |
|  3  | Homesteader |
|  4  | Guide |

| d8  | Origin |
|:---|:-----------|
|  5  | Exile or Outcast |
|  6  |  Pilgrim |
|  7  |  Hunter-gatherer |
|  8  | Tribal marauder  |

</div>

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

\columnbreak

| d6 | 	Personality Trait
|:---|:-----------|
| 1	| I'm driven by a wanderlust that led me away from home.
| 2	| I have a lesson for every situation, drawn from observing nature.
| 3	| I place no stock in wealthy or well-mannered folk. Money and manners won't save you from a hungry owlbear.
| 4	| I'm always picking things up, absently fiddling with them, and sometimes accidentally breaking them.
| 5	| I feel far more comfortable around animals than people.
| 6	| I was, in fact, raised by wolves.

| d6 | 	Ideal
|:---|:-----------|
| 1	| **Change.** Life is like the seasons, in constant change, and we must change with it.
| 2	| **Greater Good.** It is each person's responsibility to make the most happiness for the whole tribe.
| 3	| **Honor.** If I dishonor myself, I dishonor my whole clan.
| 4	| **Might.** The strongest are meant to rule. 
| 5	| **Nature.** The natural world is more important than all the constructs of civilization.
| 6	| **Glory.** I must earn glory in battle, for myself and my clan.

| d6 | 	Bond
|:---|:-----------|
| 1	| My family, clan, or tribe is the most important thing in my life, even when they are far from me.
| 2	| An injury to the unspoiled wilderness of my home is an injury to me.
| 3	| I will bring terrible wrath down on the evildoers who destroyed my homeland.
| 4	| I am the last of my tribe, and it is up to me to ensure their names enter legend.
| 5	| I suffer awful visions of a coming disaster and will do anything to prevent it.
| 6	| It is my duty to provide children to sustain my tribe.

| d6 | 	Flaw
|:---|:-----------|
| 1	| I am too enamored of ale, wine, and other intoxicants.
| 2	| There's no room for caution in a life lived to the fullest.
| 3	| I remember every insult I've received and nurse a silent resentment toward anyone who's ever wronged me.
| 4	| I am slow to trust members of other races, tribes, and societies.
| 5	| Violence is my answer to almost any challenge.
| 6	| Don't expect me to save those who can't save themselves. It is nature's way that the strong thrive and the weak perish.

\pagebreakNum

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

**Ability Score Improvement:** +2 Intelligence, +1 Wisdom
<br>
**Skill Proficiencies:** Choose two from among Arcana, history, nature, or religion
<br>
**Languages:** Two of your choice
<br>
**Equipment:** A bottle of black ink, a quill, a small knife, a letter from a dead colleague posing a question you have not yet been able to answer, a set of common clothes, and a belt pouch containing 10 gp

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

| d8  | Specialty |
|:---|:-----------|
|  1  | Alchemist |
|  2  | Astronomer |
|  3  | Discredited Academic |
|  4  | Librarian |

| d8  | Specialty |
|:---|:-----------|
|  5  | Professor |
|  6  | Researcher |
|  7  | Wizard Apprentice |
|  8  | Scribe |

</div>

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

| d6 | 	Personality Trait
|:---|:-----------|
| 1	| I use polysyllabic words that convey the impression of great erudition.
| 2	| I've read every book in the world's greatest libraries – or I like to boast that I have.
| 3	| I'm used to helping out those who aren't as smart as I am, and I patiently explain anything and everything to others.
| 4	| There's nothing I like more than a good mystery.
| 5	| I… speak… slowly… when talking… to idiots,… which… almost… everyone… is… compared… to me.
| 6	| I am horribly, horribly awkward in social situations.

| d6 | 	Ideal
|:---|:-----------|
| 1	| **Knowledge.** The path to power and self-improvement is through knowledge.
| 2	| **Beauty.** What is beautiful points us beyond itself toward what is true.
| 3	| **Logic.** Emotions must not cloud our logical thinking. 
| 4	| **No Limits.** Nothing should fetter the infinite possibility inherent in all existence.
| 5	| **Power.** Knowledge is the path to power and domination.
| 6	| **Self-Improvement.** The goal of a life of study is the betterment of oneself.

| d6 | 	Bond
|:---|:-----------|
| 1	| It is my duty to protect my students.
| 2	| I have an ancient text that holds terrible secrets that must not fall into the wrong hands.
| 3	| I work to preserve a library, university, scriptorium, or monastery.
| 4	| My life's work is a series of tomes related to a specific field of lore.
| 5	| I've been searching my whole life for the answer to a certain question.
| 6	| I sold my soul for knowledge. I hope to do great deeds and win it back.

| d6 | 	Flaw
|:---|:-----------|
| 1	| I am easily distracted by the promise of information.
| 2	| Most people scream and run when they see a demon. I stop and take notes on its anatomy.
| 3	| Unlocking an ancient mystery is worth the price of a civilization.
| 4	| I overlook obvious solutions in favor of complicated ones.
| 5	| I speak without really thinking through my words, invariably insulting others.
| 6	| I can't keep a secret to save my life, or anyone else's.

\pagebreakNum

<h3 id="sailor">Sailor</h3>

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

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

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

**Ability Score Improvement:** +2 Wisdom, +1 Strength or Dexterity
<br>
**Skill Proficiencies:** Choose two from among athletics, acrobatics, perception, and survival
<br>
**Tool Proficiencies:** Navigator's tools, vehicles (water)
<br>
**Equipment:** A belaying pin (club), 50 feet of silk rope, a lucky charm such as a rabbit foot or a small stone with a hole in the center (or you may roll for a random trinket on the Trinkets table in chapter 5 of the PHB), a set of common clothes, and a belt pouch containing 10 gp

#### Variant Sailor: Pirate
You spent your youth under the sway of a dread pirate, a ruthless cutthroat who taught you how to survive in a world of sharks and savages. You've indulged in larceny on the high seas and sent more than one deserving soul to a briny grave. Fear and bloodshed are no strangers to you, and you've garnered a somewhat unsavory reputation in many a port town

**Skill Proficiencies:** Choose two from among athletics, acrobatics, intimidation, and perception
<br>
**Tool Proficiencies:** Navigator's tools, vehicles (water)
<br>
**Equipment:** A belaying pin (club), 50 feet of silk rope, a symbol of your crew, a set of common clothes, and a belt pouch containing 10 gp

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

\columnbreak

| d6 | 	Personality Trait
|:---|:-----------|
| 1	| I enjoy sailing into new ports and making new friends over a flagon of ale.
| 2	| I stretch the truth for the sake of a good story.
| 3	| To me, a tavern brawl is a nice way to get to know a new city.
| 4	| I never pass up a friendly wager.
| 5	| My language is as foul as an otyugh nest.
| 6	| I like a job well done, especially if I can convince someone else to do it.

| d6 | 	Ideal
|:---|:-----------|
| 1	| **Respect.** The thing that keeps a ship together is mutual respect between captain and crew.
| 2	| **Fairness.** We all do the work, so we all share in the rewards. 
| 3	| **Freedom.** The sea is freedom-the freedom to go anywhere and do anything. 
| 4	| **Mastery.** I'm a predator, and the other ships on the sea are my prey.
| 5	| **People.** I'm committed to my crewmates, not to ideals. 
| 6	| **Aspiration.** Someday I'll own my own ship and chart my own destiny.

| d6 | 	Bond
|:---|:-----------|
| 1	| I'm loyal to my captain first, everything else second.
| 2	| The ship is most important – crewmates and captains come and go.
| 3	| I'll always remember my first ship.
| 4	| In a harbor town, I have a paramour whose eyes nearly stole me from the sea.
| 5	| I was cheated out of my fair share of the profits, and I want to get my due.
| 6	| Ruthless pirates murdered my captain and crewmates, plundered our ship, and left me to die. Vengeance will be mine.

| d6 | 	Flaw
|:---|:-----------|
| 1	| I follow orders, even if I think they're wrong.
| 2	| I'll say anything to avoid having to do extra work.
| 3	| Once someone questions my courage, I never back down no matter how dangerous the situation.
| 4	| Once I start drinking, it's hard for me to stop.
| 5	| I can't help but pocket loose coins and other trinkets I come across.
| 6	| My pride will probably lead to my destruction.

\pagebreakNum

<h3 id="soldier">Soldier</h3>

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

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

**Ability Score Improvement:** +2 Strength or Dexterity, +1 Constitution
<br>
**Skill Proficiencies:** Choose two from among athletics, intimidation, medicine, perception, and survival
<br>
**Tool Proficiencies:** One type of gaming set, vehicles (land)
<br>
**Equipment:** An insignia of rank, a trophy taken from a fallen enemy (a dagger, broken blade, or piece of a banner), a set of bone dice or deck of cards, a set of common clothes, and a belt pouch containing 10 gp

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

| d8  | Specialty |
|:---|:-----------|
|  1  | Officer |
|  2  | Scout |
|  3  | Infantry |
|  4  | Cavalry |

| d8  | Specialty |
|:---|:-----------|
|  5  | Healer |
|  6  | Quartermaster |
|  7  | Standard Bearer |
|  8  | Support Staff  |

</div>

#### Variant Solder: City Guard
You have served the community where you grew up, standing as its first line of defense against crime. You aren't a soldier, directing your gaze outward at possible enemies. Instead, your service to your hometown was to help police its populace, protecting the citizenry from lawbreakers and malefactors of every stripe.

**Skill Proficiencies:** Choose two from among athletics, insight, intimidation, medicine, and perception
<br>
**Languages:** Two of your choice
<br>
**Equipment:** A uniform in the style of your unit and indicative of your rank, a horn with which to summon help, a set of manacles, and a pouch containing 10 gp

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

\columnbreak

| d6 | 	Personality Trait
|:---|:-----------|
| 1	| I'm haunted by memories of war. I can't get the images of violence out of my mind.
| 2	| I've lost too many friends, and I'm slow to make new ones.
| 3	| I'm full of inspiring and cautionary tales from my military experience relevant to almost every combat situation.
| 4	| I enjoy being strong and like breaking things.
| 5	| I have a crude sense of humor.
| 6	| I face problems head-on. A simple, direct solution is the best path to success.

| d6 | 	Ideal
|:---|:-----------|
| 1	| **Greater Good.** Our lot is to lay down our lives in defense of others. 
| 2	| **Responsibility.** I do what I must and obey just authority. 
| 3	| **Independence.** When people follow orders blindly, they embrace a kind of tyranny. 
| 4	| **Might.** In life as in war, the stronger force wins. 
| 5	| **Live and Let Live.** Ideals aren't worth killing over or going to war for.
| 6	| **Nation.** My city, nation, or people are all that matter.

| d6 | 	Bond
|:---|:-----------|
| 1	| I would still lay down my life for the people I served with.
| 2	| Someone saved my life on the battlefield. To this day, I will never leave a friend behind.
| 3	| My honor is my life.
| 4	| I'll never forget the crushing defeat my company suffered or the enemies who dealt it.
| 5	| Those who fight beside me are those worth dying for.
| 6	| I fight for those who cannot fight for themselves.

| d6 | 	Flaw
|:---|:-----------|
| 1	| The monstrous enemy we faced in battle still leaves me quivering with fear.
| 2	| I have little respect for anyone who is not a proven warrior.
| 3	| I made a terrible mistake in battle cost many lives – and I would do anything to keep that mistake secret.
| 4	| My hatred of my enemies is blind and unreasoning.
| 5	| I obey the law, even if the law causes misery.
| 6	| I'd rather eat my armor than admit when I'm wrong.

\pagebreakNum

### 
<h1 id="custom">Chapter IV: Customization Options</h1>

###

</div>

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

This chapter defines two option sets of rules for customizing your character: multiclassing and feats. Multiclassing lets you combine classes together, and feats are special options you can choose instead of increase your ability scores as you gain levels. Your DM decides whether these options are available in a campaign.

<h2 id="multiclassing">Multiclassing</h2>

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

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

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

> ##### Multiclassing Example
> Gary is playing a 4th-level fighter. When his character earns enough experience points to reach 5th level, Gary decides that his character will multiclass instead of progressing as a fighter. Gary's fighter has been spending a lot of time with Dave's rogue, and has even been doing some jobs on the side for the local thieves' guild as a bruiser. Gary decides that his character will multiclass into the rogue class, and thus his character becomes a 4th-level fighter and a 1st-level rogue (written as figher 4 / rogue 1).
>
> When Gary's character earns enough experience to reach 6th-level, he can decide whether to add another fighter level (becoming a figher 5 / rogue 1), another rogue level (becoming fighter 4 / rogue 2), or a level i a thrid class, perhaps dabbling in wizardry thanks to the tome of mysterious lore he acquired (becoming a fighter 4 / rogue 1 / wizard 1).

\columnbreak

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

##### Multiclassing Prerequisites
| Class  | Ability Score Minimum |
|:---|:-----------|
|  Artificer  | Intelligence 13 |
|  Barbarian  | Strength 13 |
|  Bard  | Charisma 13 |
|  Cleric  | Wisdom 13 |
|  Druid  | Wisdom 13 |
|  Fighter  | Strength 13 or Dexterity 13 |
|  Monk  | Dexterity 13 and Wisdom 13 |
|  Paladin  | Strength 13 and Charisma 13 |
|  Ranger  | Dexterity 13 and Wisdom 13 |
|  Rogue  | Dexterity 13 |
|  Sorcerer  | Charisma 13 |
|  Warlock  | Charisma 13 |
|  Wizard  | Intelligence 13 |

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

> ##### Multiclassing: Unchanged
> The section of this document on multiclassing is completely unchanged, aside from the addition of Artificer to the multiclassing prerequisite and proficiency tables, and in the section on spellcasting detailing how to calculate your total spellcaster level. 
>
> This section of the document is for convenience only, so that you do not need to constantly switch between the Player's Handbook and this document when creating your character.

\pagebreakNum

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

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

### Proficiency Bonus
Your proficiency bonus is always based on your total character level, not your level in a particular class. For example, if you are a fighter 3/rogue 2, you have the proficiency bonus of a 5th-level character, which is +3.

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

##### Multiclassing Proficiencies
| Class  | Proficiencies Gained |
|:---|:-----------|
|  Artificer  | Light armor, medium armor, shields, thieves's tools, tinker's tools |
|  Barbarian  | Shields, simple weapons, martial weapons |
|  Bard  | Light armor, one skill of your choice, one musical instrument of your choice |
|  Cleric  | Light armor, medium armor, shields |
|  Druid  | Light armor, medium armor, shields |
|  Fighter  | Light armor, medium armor, shields, simple weapons, martial weapons |
|  Monk  | Simple weapons, shortswords |
|  Paladin  | Light armor, medium armor, shields, simple weapons, martial weapons |
|  Ranger  | Light armor, medium armor, shields, simple weapons, martial weapons, one skill from the class's skill list |
|  Rogue  | Light armor, one skill from the class's skill list, thieves' tools |
|  Sorcerer  | -|
|  Warlock  | Light armor, simple weapons |
|  Wizard  | - |

\columnbreak

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

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

### Extra Attack
If you gain the Extra Attack class feature from more than one class, the features don't add together. You can't make more than two attacks with this feature unless it says you do (as the fighter's version of Extra Attack does). Similarly, the warlock's eldritch invocation Thirsting Blade doesn't give you additional attacks if you also have Extra Attack.

### Unarmored Defense
If you already have the Unarmored Defense feature, you can't gain it again from another class.

\pagebreakNum

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

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

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

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

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

For example, if you are the aforementioned ranger 4/wizard 3, you count as a 5th-level character when determining your spell slots: you have four 1st-level slots, three 2nd-level slots, and two 3rd-level slots. However, you don't know any 3rd-level spells, nor do you know any 2nd-level ranger spells. You can use the spell slots of those levels to cast the spells you do know — and potentially enhance their effects.

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

\columnbreak

##### Multiclass Spellcaster: <br> Spell Slots Per Spell Level
| Lvl.  | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
|  1  | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |                                           
|  2  | 3 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |                                            
|  3  | 4 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |                                                
|  4  | 4 | 3 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |                                          
|  5  | 4 | 3 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - |                                       
|  6  | 4 | 3 | 3 | - | - | - | - | - | - |                                          
|  7  | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - |                                          
|  8  | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - |                                           
|  9  | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 |  1 | - | - | - | - |                                      
|  10  | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | - | - | - | - |                                               
|  11  | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | - | - | - |                                          
|  12  | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | - | - | - |                                                       
|  13  | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | - | - |                                                         
|  14  | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | - | - |                                                
|  15  | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | - |                                            
|  16  | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | - |                                                 
|  17  | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |                                              
|  18  | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |                                            
|  19  | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |                                                
|  20  | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 |

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<h2 id="feats">Feats</h2>

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

At certain levels, your class gives you the Ability Score Improvement feature. Using the optional feats rule, when you gain the Ability Score Improvement feature, you can choose to to instead take a minor feat, major feat, or racial feat.

**Major feats** are powerful abilities, often rivaling class features in terms of strength or utility. These include feats such as Crossbow Expert, Great Weapon Master, and Sentinel. When you choose to take a major feat, you completely forgo your Ability Score Improvement, taking the major feat in its place. Some major feats will allow you to increase one of your ability scores by 1, but this is very rare.

**Minor feats** are not quite as strong as major feats, but still help to customize your character, either by granting them a feature to help make them slightly stronger, or giving them a unique roleplaying ability to help flesh out your character. This includes feats such as Actor, Keen Mind, and Tavern Brawler. When you take a minor feat, you can choose to increase one of your ability scores by 1. Keep in mind that most minor feats also increase one of your ability scores by 1, and you cannot increase the same score twice. For example, if you take the Actor feat, which increases your Charisma by 1, you cannot increase your Charisma with your additional bonus.

**Racial Feats** Are a special type of minor feat. These feats can only be taken by certain races, and sometimes even certain subraces. They work the same way as minor feats in every other way. If your race somehow changes - such as via the *reincarnation* spell, you lose the benefits of any racial feats you have, and can choose a new minor or racial feat to replace it.

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

### Exchanging Feats
Sometimes, a feat that you took becomes useless, or you just don't like it anymore for some reason. With you DM's permission, you can exchange a feat that you have with another one assuming you meet it's prerequisites.

You cannot exchange feats of different types. For example, you cannot exchange a minor feat for a major feat. You can however exchange a minor feat for a racial feat, since racial feats are considered a type of minor feats.

If you choose to exchange a feat the granted you an Ability Score Increase, such as the Actor feat, then you lose the Ability Score Increase you gained from that feat. You do **not** lose the additional Ability Score Increase that you get in addition to any minor feat you took, only the one specifically from the feat.

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> ##### Edited Feats
> This document contains almost every feat from the Player's Handbook and Xanathar's Guide to Everything, as well as a few additional ones, most of which are Racial Feats. Some of these feats are unchanged, while others have been edited. Feats that have been changed will have a * next to their name.

\pagebreakNum

<h2 id="major-feats">Major Feats</h2>

The following feats are considered major feats. When you take one of these feats, you forgo your ability score improvement, gaining the benefits of the feat instead.

##### Major Feats
| Feat | Prerequisite | 
|:---|:---|
|  **Alert**  | - |
|  **Charger**  | - |
|  **Crossbow Expert**  | Proficiency with any type of crossbow |
|  **Dual Wielder**  | Proficiency with any one handed weapon |
|  **Elemental Adept**  | The ability to cast at least one spell |
|  **Great Weapon Master**  | Proficiency with any heavy weapon |
|  **Healer**  | - |
|  **Heavy Armor Master**  | Proficiency with heavy armor |
|  **Inspiring Leader**  | Charisma 13 or higher |
|  **Light Armor Master**  | Proficiency with light armor |
|  **Lucky**  | - |
|  **Mage Slayer**  | - |
|  **Magic Initiate**  | Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charima 13 or higher |
|  **Medium Armor Master**  | Proficiency with medium armor |
|  **Mounted Combatant**  | - |
|  **Polearm Master**  | Proficiency with glaives, halberds, pikes, quarterstaves, spears, or tridents |
|  **Resilient**  | - |
|  **Ritual Caster**  | Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charima 13 or higher |
|  **Sentinel**  | - |
|  **Sharpshooter**  | Proficiency with any ranged weapon |
|  **Shield Master** | Proficiency with shields |
|  **Skulker**  | - |
|  **Tough**  | - |
|  **War Caster**  | The ability to cast at least one spell |

</div>

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### Alert
Always on the lookout for danger, you gain the following benefits:
- You gain a +5 bonus to initiative.
- You can't be surprised while you are conscious.
- Other creatures don't gain advantage on attack rolls against you as a result of being unseen by you.

### Charger*
*Prerequisite: Strength 13 or higher*

You've learned to put momentum into your swings, gaining the following benefits:
- When you move at least 10 or more feet in a straight line before taking the shove action, you push creatures 10 feet away from you instead of 5.
- When you take the dash action on your turn and move 10 or more feet in a straight line, you can make a single melee attack against a creature as a part of the same action. On a hit, you gain a +5 bonus to the damage roll, and can use your bonus action to shove the creature.

### Crossbow Expert
*Prerequisite: Proficiency with any crossbow*

Thanks to extensive practice with the crossbow, you gain the following benefits:
- You ignore the loading propert of crossbows with which you are proficient with.
- Being within 5 feet of a hostile creature doesn't impose disadvantage on your ranged attack rolls.
- When you use the attack action and attack with a one-handed weapon, you can use a bonus action to attack with a hand crossbow you are holding.

### Dual Wielder*
*Prerequisite: Proficiency with any one handed weapon*

You master fighting with two weapons, gaining the following benefits:
- You can use two-weapon fighting even when the one-handed melee weapons you are wielding aren't light.
- You can draw or stow two one-handed weapons when you would normally be able to draw or stow one.
- When you use the attack action, you can choose to take a -2 penalty to all of your attack rolls this turn. If the attack hits, you gain a +2 bonus to the damage roll. This bonus increases by 2 every time you hit the creature until the end of your turn, up to a maximum of +6.

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### Elemental Adept*
*Prerequisite: The ability to cast at least one spell*

When you gain this feat, choose one of the following damage types: acid, cold, fire, lightning, poison, or thunder.

Spells you cast ignore reistance to the damage of the chosen type. Additionally, when you roll damage for a spell you cast that deals damage of that type, you can reroll a number of the damage dice equal to your proficiency modifier.

You can select this feat multiple times. Each time you do, you must choose a different damage type

### Great Weapon Master*
*Prerequisite: Proficiency with any heavy weapon*

You've learned to put the weight of a weapon to your advantage, letting it momentum empower your strikes. You gain the following benefits.
- On your turn, when you score a critical hit with a melee weapon or reduce a creature to 0 hit points with one, you can make one melee weapon attack as a bonus action.
- Before you make a melee attack with a heavy weapon that you are proficient with, you can choose to take a penalty to the attack roll equal to your proficiency bonus. If the attack hits, you gain a bonus to the damage roll equal to double your proficiency bonus.

### Healer*
You are an able physician, allowing you to mend wounds quickly and get your allies back in the fight. You gain the following benefits:
- When you use a healer's kit to stabilize a dying creature, that creature also regains 1 hit point.
- As an action, you can spend one use of a healer's kit to tend to a creature and restore a number of hit equal to 1d6 + your Proficiency modifier + the creature's maximum number of Hit Dice. Once you use this ability on a creature, you cannot do so again until that creature finishes a short rest.

### Heavy Armor Master*
*Prerequisite: Proficiency with heavy armor*

You can use your armor to deflect strikes that would kill others. You gain the following benefits:
- You have advantage on ability checks and saving throws made to resist being moved against your will.
- When you take bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage, you can use your reaction to reduce the damage taken by an amount equal to twice your proficiency modifier.

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### Inspiring Leader
*Prerequisite: Charisma 13 or higher*

Your words and presence inspire those around you, making them want to fight harder.

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

### Light Armor Master
*Prerequisite: Proficiency with light armor*

You've learned to take advantage of how light and unrestrictive your armor is. You gain the following benefits:
- While wearing light or no armor, your movement speed is increased by 10 feet.
- When you take the dodge action and a creature misses you with an attack or you succeed on a Dexterity saving throw, you can use your reaction to move up to your movement speed without provoking attacks of opportunity.

### Lucky
You have inexplicable luck that seems to kick in at just the right moment.

You have 3 luck points. Whenever you make an attack roll, an ability check, or a saving throw, you can spend one luck point to roll an additional d20. You can choose to spend one of your luck points after you roll the die, but before the outcome is determined. You choose which of the d20s is used for the attack roll, ability check, or saving throw.

You can also spend one luck point when an attack roll is made against you. Roll a d20 and then choose whether the attack uses the attacker's roll or yours.

If more than one creature spends a luck point to influence the outcome of a roll, the points cancel each other out; no additional dice are rolled.

You regain your expended luck points when you finish a long rest.

### Mage Slayer*
You have practiced techniques useful in melee combat against spellcasters, gaining the following benefits:
- When a creature within 5 feet of you casts a spell or uses a feature that allows them to teleport, you an use your reaction to make a melee weapon attack against that creature.
- When you damage a creature that is concentrating on a spell, that creature has disadvantage on the saving throw to maintain its concentration.
- You have advantage on saving throws against spells cast by creatures within 5 feet of you.

\pagebreakNum

### Magic Initiate
*Prerequisite: Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma 13 or higher*

You've dabbled in magic, allowing you to use some basic spellcasting.

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

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

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

### Medium Armor Master
*Prerequisite: Proficiency with medium armor*

You have practiced moving in medium armor to gain the following benefits:
- Wearing medium armor doesn't impose disadvantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks.
- When you wear medium armor, you an add 3, rather than 2, to your AC if you have a Dexterity of 16 or higher.

### Mounted Combatant
You are a dangerous foe to face while mounted. While you are mounted and aren't incapacitated, you gain the following benefits:

- You have advantage on melee attack rolls against unmounted creatures that are smaller than your mount.
- You can force an attack targeted at your mount to target you instead.
- If your mount is subjected to an effect that allows it to make a Dexterity save to take only half damage, it takes no damage if it succeeds and half damage if it fails.

### Polearm Master*
You are a master at wielding long weapons, allowing you to take advantage of their length. You gain the following benefits:

- When you take the Attack action and attack with only a glaive, halberd, quarterstaff, spear, or trident, you can use a bonus action to make a melee attack with the opposite end of the weapon. This attack uses the same ability modifier as the primary attack. The weapon's damage die for this attack is a d4, and it deals bludgeoning damage.
- While you are wielding a glaive, halberd, pike, quarterstaff, spear, or trident, other creatures provoke an opportunity attack from you when they enter the reach you have with that weapon.

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### Resilnient
Choose one ability score. You gain the following benefits:
- Increase the chosen ability score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
- You gain proficiency with saving throws using the chocen ability.

### Ritual Caster
*Prerequisite: Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma 13 or higher*

You have learned a number of spells that you can cast as rituals. These spells are written in a ritual book, which you must have in hand while casting one of them.

When you choose this feat, you acquire a ritual book holding two 1st-level spells of your choice. Choose one of the following classes: bard, cleric, druid, sorcerer, warlock, or wizard. You must choose your spells from that class's spell list, and the spells you choose must have the ritual tag. The class you choose also must have the ritual tag. The class you choose also determines your spellcasting ability for these spells: Charisma for bard, sorcerer, or warlock; Wisdom for cleric or druid; or Intelligence for wizard.

If you come across a spell in written form, such as a magical spell scroll or a wizard's spellbook, you might be able to add it to your ritual book. The spell must be on the spell list for the class you chose, the spell's level can be no higher than half your level (rounded up), and it must have the ritual tag. The process of copying the spell into your ritual book takes 2 hours per level of the spell, and costs 50 gp per level. The cost represents the material components you expend as you experiment with the spell to master it, as well as the fine inks you need to record it.

### Sentinel
You have mastered techniques to take advantage of every drop in any enemy's guard, gaining the following benefits.
- When you hit a creature with an opportunity attack, the creature's speed becomes 0 for the rest of the turn.
- Creatures provoke opportunity attacks from you even if they take the Disengage action before leaving your reach.
- When a creature makes an attack against a target other than you (and that target doesn't have this feat), you can use your reaction to make a melee weapon attack against the attacking creature.

### Sharpshooter*
You have mastered ranged weapons and can make shots that others find impossible. You gain the following benefits:
- Attacking at long range doesn't impose disadvantage on your ranged weapon attack rolls.
- Your ranged weapon attacks ignore half and three-quarters cover.
- Before you make an attack with a ranged weapon that you are proficient with, you can choose to take a penalty to the attack roll equal to your proficiency bonus. If the attack hits, you gain a bonus to the damage roll equal to double your proficiency bonus.

\pagebreakNum

### Shield Master*
You have mastered using shields not just for protection but also for offense. You gain the following benefits while wielding a shield:
- Before or after you take the attack action on your turn, you can use a bonus action to try and shove a creature within 5 feet of you with your shield.
- If you aren't incapacitated, you can add your shield's AC bonus to any Dexterity saving throws you make against a spell or other harmful effect.
- If you are subjected to an effect that allows you to make a Dexterity saving throw to only take half damage, you can use your reaction to take no damage if you succeed on the saving throw, interposing your shield between yourself and the source of the effect.

### Skulker*
*Prerequisite: Dexterity 13 or higher*

You are an expert at slinking through shadows. You gain the following benefits:
- You can try to hide when you are lightly obscured from the creature from which are are hiding.
- When you are hidden from a creature and miss with a ranged weapon attack, making the attack doesn't reveal your position.
- You have advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks while crawling or prone.

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### Tough*
Your are tough and hard to put down. You gain the following benefits:
- When you roll a Hit Die to regain hit points, the minimum number of hit points you can regain from the roll equals twice your Constitution modifier (minimum of 2).
- When you gain this feat, your hit point maximum increases by an amount equal to twice your level. Whenever you gain a level thereafter, your hit point maximum increases by an additional 2 hit points.

### War Caster*
*Prerequisite: The ability to cast at least one spell*

You have practiced casting spells in the midst of combat, learning techniques that grant you the following benefits:
- You have advantage on Constitution saving throws that you make to maintain concentration on a spell.
- You can perform the somatic components of spells even when you have weapons or a shield in one or both hands.
- When a hostile creature's movement provokes an opportunity attack from you, you can use your reaction to cast a spell at the creature, rather than making an opportunity attack, The spell must have a casting time of 1 action or bonus action and must target only that creature.

\pagebreakNum

<h2 id="minor-feats">Minor Feats</h2>

The following feats are considered minor feats. When you take one of these feats, you gain a +1 bonus to a certain ability score from the feat, and you can increase a **different** ability score by 1.

##### Minor Feats
| Feat | Prerequisite | 
|:---|:---|
|  **Athlete**  | - |
|  **Actor**  | - |
|  **Defensive Duelist**  | Dexterity 13 or higher |
|  **Dungeon Delver**  | - |
|  **Grappler**  | Strength 13 or higher |
|  **Keen Mind** | - |
|  **Linguist**  | - |
|  **Observant**  | Intelligence or Wisdom 13 or higher |
|  **Savage Attacker**  | - |
|  **Spell Sniper**  | The ability to cast at least one spell |
|  **Tavern Brawler**  | - |

</div>

### Athlete*
You have undergone extensive physical training to gain the following benefits:
- Increase your Strength or Dexterity score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
- When you are prone, standing up uses only 5 feet of your movement.
- You can use your Dexterity modifier instead of Strength when determining jump distance.
- When you make a Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check to do something such as jumping, swimming, or climbing, you add double your proficiency bonus to the check, instead of your normal proficiency bonus.

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### Actor*
Skilled at mimicry and dramatics, you gain the following benefits:
- Increase your Charisma score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
- You gain proficiency with Disguise Kits.
- You have advantage on Charisma (Deception) and Charisma (Performance) checks when trying to pass yourself off as a different person.
- You can mimic the speech of another person or the sounds made by other creatures. You must have heard the rperson, or heard the creature make the sound, for at least 1 minute. A successful Wisdom (Insight) check contested by your Charisma (Deception) check allows a listener to determine that the effect is fake.

### Defensive Duelist*
*Prerequisite: Dexterity 13 or higher*

You have grown accustomed to parrying others weapons with your own.

When you are wielding a finesse weapon with which you are proficient and another creature hits you with a weapon attack, you can use your reaction to add your profiiency bonus to your AC for that attack, potentially causing the attack to miss you.

### Dungeon Delver*
Alert to the hidden traps and secret doors found in many dungeons, you gain the following benefits:
- Increase your Intelligence or Wisdom score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
- You have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) and Intelligence (Investigation) checks made to detect the presence of traps and secret doors.
- You have advantage on saving throws made to avoid or resist traps, and you have resistance to the damage dealt by traps.
- As a bonus action, you can make an Intelligence (Investigation) check to determine if there is a way to disarm or deactivate a trap.

### Grappler*
*Prerequisite: Strength 13 or higher*

You've developed the skills necessary to hold your own in close-quarters grappling. You gain the following benefits:
- Increase your Strength score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
- When you make a Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check to either initiate or escape a grapple, you add double your proficiency bonus to the check, instead of your normal proficiency bonus.
- You count as one size larger for the purpose of grappling and maintaining a grapple.
- As an action, you can attempt to pin a creature grappled by you. To do so, make another grapple check. If you succeed, the creature is restrained until the grapple ends.

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### Keen Mind*
You have a mind that can track time, direction, and detail with uncanny precision. You gain the following benefits:
- Increase your Intelligence score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
- You always know which way is north, and have advantage on checks made to prevent yourself from getting lose.
- You always know the number of hours left before the next sunrise or sunset.
- You can accurately recall anything you have seen or heard within the past month.

### Linguist
You have studied languages and codes, gaining the following benefits:
- Increase your Intelligence score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
- You learn three languages of your choice.
- You can create written ciphers, which others can't decipher unless you teach them, they succeed on an Intelligence check (DC = your Intelligence **score** + your proficiency bonus), or they use magic to decipher it.

### Observant
*Prerequisite: Intelligence or Wisdom 13 or higher*

Quick to notice details of your environment, you gain the following benefits:
- Increase your Intelligence or Wisdom score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
- If you can see a creature's mouth while it is speaking a language you can understand, you can interpret what it is sasying by reading its lips.
- You have a +5 bonus to your passive Wisdom (Perception) and Intelligence (Investigation) scores.

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### Savage Attacker
Your blood boils in combat, and your weapons demand blood. You gain the following benefits:
- Increase your Strength score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
- Once per turn when you damage with a melee weapon attack, you can reroll the weapon's damage dice and use either total.

### Spell Sniper
*Prerequisite: The ability to cast at least one spell*

You have learned techniques to enhance your attacks with certain kinds of spells, gaining the following benefits:
- Increase your Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
- When you cast a spell that requires you to make an attack roll, the spell's range is doubled.
- Your ranged spell attacks ignore half and three-quarters cover.
- You learn one cantrip that requires an attack roll. Choose the cantrip from the artificer, bard, druid, sorcerer, warlock, or wizard spell list. Your spellcasting ability for this cantrip depends on the spell list you chose from: Charisma for bard, sorcerer, or warlock; Wisdom for cleric or druid; or Intelligence for artificer or wizard.

### Tavern Brawler*
Accustomed to rough-and-tumble fighting using whatever weapons happen to be at hand, you gain the following benefits:
- Increase your Strength or Constitution socre by 1, to a maximum of 20.
- You are proficient with improvised weapons.
- Improvised weapons and unarmed strikes you make use a d6 for damage.
- When you hit a creature with an unarmed strike or improvised weapon on your turn, you can use a bonus action to attempt to grapple the target.

\pagebreakNum

<h2 id="racial-feats">Racial Feats</h2>

The following feats are considered racial feats, which are a type of minor feat. As such, they act in the same way as minor feats, allowing you to increase an ability score of your choice by 1. Some racial feats grant you an ability score increase. If they do, you must increase a **different** ability score using your additional bonus.

##### Racial Feats
| Feat | Prerequisite | 
|:---|:---|
|  **Blessing of the Sea** | Triton |
|  **Bountiful Luck**  | Halfling |
|  **Crystal Hide**  | Dragonborn (Psionic) |
|  **Disciple of Lucifer**  | Aasimar (Fallen) |
|  **Distant Voice**  | Kenku |
|  **Divergent Personas**  | Changeling |
|  **Draconic Presence**  | Dragonborn (Elemental) |
|  **Drow High Magic**  | Elf (Drow) |
|  **Dwarven Fortitude** | Dwarf |
|  **Elven Accuracy** | Elf |
|  **Evasive Maneuvers** | Aarakocra |
|  **Evil's Bane**  | Aasimar (Scourge) |
|  **Fade Away** | Gnome |
|  **Feline Pounce**  | Tabaxi |
|  **Fey Teleportation** | Elf (High) |
|  **Flames of Phelegethos** | Tiefling |
|  **Fury of the Flames** | Genasi (Fire) |
|  **Infernal Constitution** | Tiefling |
|  **Mercy's Flight** | Aasimar (Protection) |
|  **Mucous Coating**  | Lizardfolk |
|  **Orcish Fury** | Half-orc, Orc |
|  **Puddle Person**  | Genasi (Water) |
|  **Prodigy**  | Human, Half-Elf, Half-Orc |
|  **Second Chance**  | Halfling |
|  **Silence of the Forest** | Firbolg |
|  **Squat Nimbleness**  | Any small race |
|  **Unmoving Mountain**  | Genasi (Earth) |
|  **Winds of Protection**  | Genasi (Air) |
|  **Wood Elf Magic**  | Elf (Wood) |

</div>

\columnbreak

### Blessing of the Sea
*Prerequisite: Triton*

The magic of the sea flows through you, giving you the following benefits:
- Increase your Charisma score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
- You learn the *create and destroy water* spell. At 5th level, you learn the *water breathing* and *water walk* spells. You can cast each of these spells once without expending a spell slot, regaining the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.

### Bountiful Luck
*Prerequisite: Triton*

Your people have extraordinary luck, which you have learned to mystically lend to your companions when you see them falter.

When an ally you can see within 30 feet of you rolls a 1 on the d20 for an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw, you can use your reaction to allow them to 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.

### Crystal Hide
*Prerequisite: Dragonborn (psionic)*

The crystals that extrude from your skin harden into a protective layer, amplifying your psionic powers. You gain the following benefits:
- Increase your Intelligence score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
- While you aren't wearing armor, your AC is equal to 13 + your Dexterity modifier. You can use a shield and still gain this benefit. 
- Creatures have disadvantage on checks made to counter or dispel effects from the spells gained from your Psionic Power trait.

### Disciple of Lucifer
*Prerequisite: Aasimar (fallen)*

You've embraced your fallen nature, and have no intention of rising again. You gain the following benefits:
- Increase your Charisma score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
- Creatures that fail their saving throw against the frighten effect of your Necrotic Shroud must use their movement to move as far away from you as they can before they can take any actions or bonus actions.

\pagebreakNum

### Distant Voice
*Prerequisite: Kenku*

You've become an expert at manipulating voices, allowing you to make them sound further away. You gain the following benefits:
- Increase your Charisma score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
- When you speak using your Mimicry trait, you can choose to throw your voice, making it sound as if your voice is coming from a space that you can see within 60 feet of you.

### Divergent Personas
*Prerequisite: Changeling*

Your personas have started to develop into their own people, each with different lives and skills. You gain proficiency with two skills or tools of your choice.

Additionally, create two identities, one for each proficiency you gained from this feat. Establish the name, race, gender, age, and other details of the identities. While you are in the form of this persona, the related proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses that proficiency.

### Draconic Presence*
*Prerequisite: Dragonborn (elemental)*

When angered, you can radiate menace. You gain the following benefit:
- Increase your Constitution score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
- 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 that can hear you to make a Wisdom saving throw, using the same DC as your Breath Weapon trait. On a failure, a target becomes frightened of you for 1 minute. If the frightened target takes any damage, it can repeat its saving throw, ending the effect on a success. 
 
### Drow High Magic*
*Prerequisite: Elf (drow)*

You've studied the magic of your people, learning more of the magic typical of the drow. You gain the following benefits:
- Increase your Charisma score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
- You learn the *levitate* spell. At 5th level, you learn the *counterspell* and *dispel magic* spells. You can cast each of these spells once without expending a spell slot, regaining the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.

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### Dwarven Fortitude
*Prerequisite: Dwarf*

You have the blood of dwarf heroes flowing through your veins. You gain the following benefits:
- Increase your Constitution score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
- Whenever you take the Dodge action in combat, you can spend on Hit Die to heal yourself. Roll the die, and add your Constitution modifier. You regain a number of hit points equal to the total (minimum of 1).

### Elven Accuracy
*Prerequisite: Elf or Half-Elf*

The accuracy of elves is legendary, especially that of elf archers and spellcasters. You have uncanny aim with attacks that rely on precision rather than brute force. You gain the following benefits:

- Increase your Dexterity, Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma score by 1, to a maximum of 20
- Whenever you have advantage on an attack roll using Dexterity, Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma, you can reroll one of the dice once.

### Evasive Maneuvers
*Prerequisite: Aarakocra*

When the air is beneath your wings and you take to the skies, nothing can touch you. You gain the following benefits:
- Increase your Dexterity score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
- You have advantage on Dexterity saving throws when you are flying using your Limited Flight trait. You cannot gain this benefit while you have a fly speed from another source, such as the *fly* spell.

### Evil's Bane
*Prerequisite: Aasimar (scourge)*

Evil cowers in your presence. You gain the following benefits:
- While your Radiant Consumption is active, undead creatures in the bright light you shed have disadvantage on attack rolls.
- If you drop to 0 hit points while your Radiant Consumption is active, you can use a bonus action to end the transformation, causing you to explode with divine energy. Creatures within 10 feet of you take radiant damage equal to your level plus your proficiency bonus. Afterwards, you fall unconscious as normal.

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### Fade Away
*Prerequisite: Gnome*

Your people are clever, with a knack for illusion magic. You have learned a magical trick for fading away when you suffer harm. You gain the following benefits:

- Increase your Intelligence score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
- 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.

### Feline Pounce
*Prerequisite: Tabaxi*

Agile as a cat and as ferocious as a tiger, you gain the following benefits:

- Increase your Strength or Dexterity score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
- Your jump distance is doubled. This does not stack with effects that multiply your jump distance, like the *jump* spell.
- When you perform a long jump and end it in a creature's space, you can use a bonus action to shove the creature, making the Strength (Athletics) check at advantage. Afterwards, you move to an unoccupied space of your choice within 5 feet of the creature.

### Fey Teleportation*
*Prerequisite: Elf (high)*

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Your study of high elven lore has unlocked fey power that few other elves possess. You gain the following benefits:
- Increase your Charisma score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
- You learn to speak, read, and write Sylvan.
- As a bonus action, you can teleport to an unoccupied space that you can see within 30 feet of you. Once you do this, you cannot do so again until you finish a short or long rest.

### Flames of Phelegethos*
*Prerequisite: Tiefling*

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You learn to call on hellfire to serve your commands. You gain the following benefits:
- Increase your Charisma score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
- As a bonus action, you can wreathe yourself in flames for the next minute, or until you end the effect (no action required). The flames dont 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 1d6 fire damage. Once you use this ability, you cannot do so again until you finish a short or long rest.

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### Fury of the Flames
*Prerequisite: Genasi (fire)*

A fire burns inside of your blood, granting you the following benefits:
- Your Living Torch feature sheds bright light for 30 feet, and dim light for an additional 30 feet.
- When a creature hits you with a melee attack, you can use your reaction to explode in a fiery rage. Creatures and objects that are not being worn or carried within 10 feet of you catch fire, taking 1d6 fire damage at the start of their turn until a creature uses an action to put them out.

### Infernal Constitution*
*Prerequisite: Tiefling*

Fiendish blood runs strong in you, unlocking a resilience akin to that possessed by some fiends. You gain the following benefits:
- Increase your Constitution score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
- You gain resistance to poison damage, and advantage on saving throws against being poisoned.
- You gain resistance to cold or fire damage (Whichever you don't have).

### Mercy's Flight
*Prerequisite: Aasimar (protector)*

Your desire and instincts to protect others kick in when you see them in peril. You gain the following benefits:
- Your Healing Hands trait heals creatures for an additional amount of hit points equal to your proficiency bonus.
- When you see an allied creature within 30 feet of you drop to 0 hit points, you can use your reaction to move up to your movement speed directly towards them. If your Healing Hands feature is available, you can use it on them as a part of the same reaction if they are in range.

### Mucous Coating
*Prerequisite: Lizardfolk*

Your skin secretes a poisonous mucous akin to that of other reptiles, granting you the following benefits:
- Increase your Constitution score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
- As a bonus action, you can secret a poisonous mucous. For the next minute, creatures within 5 feet that hit you with a melee attack take 1d6 poison damage. Once you use this ability, you cannot do so again until you finish a short or long rest.

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### Orcish Fury*
*Prerequisite: Half-Orc or Orc*

Your inner fury burns tirelessly. You gain the following benefits:
- Increase your Strength or Constitution score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
- When your DM asks you to make a Charisma (Intimidation) check, you instead choose to make a Strength (Intimidation) roll by showing off your strength in some way.
- When you make a melee attack against a creature after using your Aggressive trait to get closer to them, you have advantage on the attack roll. You cannot gain this benefit if you started your turn within melee range of the creature.

### Prodigy*
*Prerequisite: Half-Elf, Half-Orc, or Human*

You have a knack for learning new things. You gain the following benefits:

- Increase any of your ability scores by 1, to a maximum of 20.
- You gain a trait of your choice from the human's Adaptability trait. If you already have this trait, you can choose the same option twice.

### Puddle Person
*Prerequisite: Genasi (water)*

You've learned how to transform your body into pure water, granting you the following features:
- Your swim speed increases by 10 feet.
- As an action, you can transform your body into a puddle of water. Until the start of your next turn, you cannot be targeted by attacks, spells, or effects. Additionally, you can fit through small holes, narrow openings, and even mere cracks. You can use this feature a number of times equal to half your proficiency bonus (rounded down), regaining all uses when you finish a long rest.

### Second Chance*
*Prerequisite: Halfling*

Fortune favors you when someone tries to strike you. You gain the following benefits:
- Increase your Dexterity or Constitution by 1, to a maximum of 20.
- When a creature you can see hits you with an attack roll, you can use your reaction to force the creature to reroll. Once you use this ability, you cannot use your Lucky trait until the end of your next turn.

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### Silence of the Forest
*Prerequisite: Firbolg*

The forest blesses your steps, helping you and your friends move as silently as a mouse. You gain the following benefits:
- Increase your Wisdom score by 1, to a maximum of 20. 
- When you use your Hidden Step trait, you can choose up to 3 creatures within 30 feet of you to turn invisible as well. The other creatures invisibility lasts until the start of your next turn, or until they attack a creature or force a creature to make a saving throw. 
- Creatures that gain invisibility from your Hidden Step trait cannot be heard by other creatures unless they choose to let them.

### Unmoving Mountain
*Prerequisite: Genasi (earth)*

You are as sturdy and stubborn as a mountain, granting you the following benefits:
- You have advantage on any ability checks or saving throws to resist being moved against your will.
- As an action while standing on the ground, you can dig your feet in. When you do so, your speed is reduced to 0, and you have disadvantage on Dexterity saving throws, however you have advantage on Strength and Constitution saving throws, and you gain a bonus to your AC equal to your Constitution modifier. This effect lasts until you use an action to end if, or until you are moved against your will.

### Winds of Protection:
*Prerequisite: Genasi (Air)*

The light breeze surrounding you turns into a mighty gale when you're in danger. You gain the following benefits:
- When a creature moves within 5 feet of you, you can use a reaction to attempt to use the Shove action on them. If you succeed, you push them back 10 feet instead of 5.
- When you are targeted with a ranged attack, you can use a reaction to subtract a d6 from the attack roll. Once you do this, you cannot do it again until you roll for initiative at the start of combat again or finish a short or long rest.
 
### Wood Elf Magic
*Prerequisite: Elf (wood)*

You learn the magic of the primeval woods, which are revered and protected by your people. You gain the following benefits:
- Increase your Wisdom score by 1, to a maximum of 20. 
- You learn one druid cantrip of your choice, as well as the *longstrider* and *pass without trace* spells. You can cast each of these spells once without expending a spell slot, regaining the ability to do so when you finish a long rest.
 
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