Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Character Creation
Your first step in playing an adventurer in the Dungeons & Dragons game is to imagine and create a character of your own. Your character is a combination of game statistics, roleplaying hooks, and your imagination. You choose a race (such as human or halfling) and a class (such as fighter or wizard). You also invent the personality, appearance, and backstory of your character. Once completed, your character serves as your representative in the game, your avatar in the Dungeons & Dragons world.
Before you dive into step 1 below, think about the kind of adventurer you want to play. You might be a courageous fighter, a skulking rogue, a fervent cleric, or a flamboyant wizard. Or you might be more interested in an unconventional character, such as a brawny rogue who likes hand-to-hand combat, or a sharpshooter who picks off enemies from afar. Do you like fantasy fiction featuring dwarves or elves? Try building a character of one of those races. Do you want your character to be the toughest adventurer at the table? Consider the fighter class. If you don’t know where else to begin, take a look at the illustrations in any Dungeons & Dragons book to see what catches your interest.
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 you’re excited to play. Throughout this section, we use the term character sheet to mean whatever you use to track your character, whether it’s a formal character sheet (like the one at the end of these rules), some form of digital record, or a piece of notebook paper.
An official D&D character sheet is a fine place to start until you know what information you need and how you use it during the game.
1. Choose a Race
2. Choose a Background
3. Choose a Class
4. Determine Ability Scores
5. Describe Your Character
6. Choose Equipment
Player Races
The races available to players are detailed in the following pages.
Step 1: Choosing a Race
Humans are the most common people in the worlds of D&D, but they live and work alongside dwarves, elves, halflings, and countless other fantastic species. Your character belongs to one of these peoples. Not every intelligent race of the multiverse is appropriate for a player-controlled adventurer. Dwarves, elves, halflings, and humans are the most common races to produce the sort of adventurers who make up typical parties.
Your choice of race affects many different aspects 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. For example, a halfling could be a good choice for a sneaky rogue, a dwarf makes a tough warrior, and an elf can be a master of arcane magic.
Your character race not only affects your traits but also provides the cues for building your character’s story. Each race’s description in this section includes information to help you roleplay a character of that race, including personality, physical appearance, and features of society. These details are suggestions to help you think about your character; adventurers can deviate widely from the norm for their race. It’s worthwhile to consider why your character is different, as a helpful way to think about your character’s background and personality. View details for each race in the Races list.
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.
Ability Score Increases
When determining your character's ability scores, increase one score by 2 and increase a different score by 1, or increase three different scores by 1. Follow this rule regardless of the method you use to determine the scores, such as rolling or point buy. The "Quick Build" section for your character's class offers suggestions on which scores to increase. You can follow those suggestions or ignore them, but you can't raise any of your scores above 20.
Alignment
Most races have tendencies toward certain alignments, described in this entry. These are not binding for player characters, but considering why your dwarf is chaotic, for example, in defiance of lawful dwarf society can help you better define your character.
Creature Type
Every creature in D&D, including each player character, has a special tag in the rules that identifies the type of creature they are. Most player characters are of the Humanoid type. A race in this chapter tells you what your character's creature type is. Here's a list of the game's creature types in alphabetical order: Aberration, Beast, Celestial, Construct, Dragon, Elemental, Fey, Fiend, Giant, Humanoid, Monstrosity, Ooze, Plant, Undead. These types don't have rules themselves, but some rules in the game affect creatures of certain types in different ways. For example, the cure wounds spell doesn't work on a Construct or an Undead.
Life Span
The typical lifespan of a player character in the D&D multiverse is about a century, assuming the character doesn't meet a violent end on an adventure. Members of some races, such as dwarves and elves, can live for centuries. If the typical members of a race in this guide can live longer than a century, That fact is mentioned in the race's description.
Languages
Your character can speak, read, and write Common and one other language that you and your DM agree is appropriate for the character. Your background might give you access to one or more additional languages of your choice. A List of Standard and Exotic languages can be found below.
Standard Languages
| Language | Typical Speakers | Script |
|---|---|---|
| Common | Humans | Common |
| Dwarvish | Dwarves | Dwarvish |
| Elvish | Elves | Elvish |
| Feline | Catfolk | Elvish |
| Giant | Ogres, giants | Dwarvish |
| Gnollish | Gnolls | Dwarvish |
| Goblin | Goblinoids | Dwarvish |
| Halfling | Halflings | Common |
| Orc | Orcs | Dwarvish |
| Squeak Speak | Mouse Folk | Elvish |
Exotic Languages
| Language | Typical Speakers | Script |
|---|---|---|
| Abyssal | Demons | Infernal |
| Celestial | Celestials | Celestial |
| Draconic | Dragons | Draconic |
| Deep Speech | Mind Flayers, beholders | Alien |
| Infernal | Devils | Infernal |
| Primordial | Elementals | Dwarvish |
| Sylvan | Fey creatures | Elvish |
| Undercommon | Underdark traders | Elvish |
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 (between 2 and 4 feet tall), which means that certain rules of the game affect them differently. The most important of these rules is that Small characters have trouble wielding heavy weapons, as explained in the Equipment section.
Speed
Your speed determines how far you can move when traveling (“Adventuring”) and fighting (“Combat”).
Subraces
Some races have subraces. Members of a subrace have the traits of the parent race in addition to the traits specified for their subrace. Relationships among subraces vary significantly from race to race and world to world.
Aasimar
"I SAW HER, WREATHED IN WINGS OF PURE LIGHT, HER eyes blazing with the fury of the gods. The bone devils stopped in their tracks, shielding their faces. Her blade, now a brand of light, swept once, twice, three times. The devils' heads hit the ground, one after another. And thus we learned that an aasimar traveled in our ragtag band."
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 cham- pions of the gods, their births hailed as blessed events. They are a people of otherworldly visages, with lumi- nous features that reveal their celestial heritage.
Celestial Revelation. When you reach 3rd level, choose one of the revelation options below. Thereafter, you can use a bonus action to unleash the celestial energy within yourself, gaining the benefits of that revelation. Your transformation lasts fpr 1 minute or until you end it as a bonus action. Once you transform using your revelation below, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest:
- Necrotic Shroud. Your eyes briefly become pools of darkness, and ghostly, flightless wings sprout from your back temporarily. Creatures other than your allies within 10 feet of you that can see you must succeed on a Charisma saving throw (DC 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier) or become frightened of you until the end of your next turn. Until the transformation ends, once on each of your turns, you can deal extra necrotic damage to one target when you deal damage to it with an attack or a spell. The extra damage equals your proficiency bonus.
-
Radiant Consumption. Searing light temporarily radiates from your eyes and mouth. For the duration, you shed bright light in a 10-foot radius and dim light for an additional 10 feet, and at the end of each of your turns, each creature within 10 feet of you takes radiant damage equal to you proficiency bonus. Until the transformation ends, once on each of your turns, you can deal extra radiant damage to one target when you deal damage to it with an attack or spell. The extra damage equals your proficiency bonus.
-
Radiant Soul. Two luminous, spectral wings sprout from your back temporarily. Until the Transformation ends, you have a flying speed equal to your walking speed, and once on each of your turns, you can deal extra damage to one target when you deal damage to it with an attack or a spell. The extra damage is radiant damage and equals your proficiency bonus.
Catfolk
"AHH YES, THE CATFOLK. A RACE THAT CAN BE NOBLE and fierce, dishonorable and cowardly, or anywhere in between. They also, however, have the ability to survive when others cannot, notice things that might go unseen, or even go unseen themselves. To be honest, you really cannot give the whole race any better description other than perhaps individualistic!"
Catfolk, are a race of natural explorers who rarely tire of trailblazing, but such trailblazing is not limited merely to the search for new horizons in distant lands. Many catfolk see personal growth and development as equally valid avenues of exploration. While most catfolk are nimble, capable, and often active creatures, there is also a strong tendency among some catfolk to engage in quiet contemplation and study. Such individuals are interested in finding new solutions to age-old problems and questioning even the most steadfast philosophical certainties of the day.
They are curious by nature, and catfolk culture never discourages inquisitiveness, but rather fosters and encourages it. Many are seen as quirky extroverts by members of other races, but within catfolk prides there is no shame attached to minor peculiarities, eccentricities, or foolhardiness. All but the most inwardly focused catfolk enjoy being the center of attention, but not at the expense of their pride, whether it’s the one the catfolk are born into or the pride they choose through the bonds of friendship with other creatures. catfolk tend to be both generous and loyal to their family and friends.
Physically Varied
In general, catfolk are varied in both their physical forms and colors, standing anywhere between halflings and gnolls in stature. While clearly humanoid, their appearance is as varied as their attitudes. Some catfolk have features or patterning in their fur like tigers, jaguars, or other big cats, while others have appearances more like that of a house cat. Still others have unique patterns or might style their fur to their preferences or might even be hairless!
They manipulate objects as easily as any other humanoid, and their fingers terminate in small, sharp, retractable claws. These claws are powerful enough to be used as weapons with deadly effect. Feline whiskers are not uncommon, but not universal, and hair and eye color vary greatly.
Family Oriented or... Independent
While self-expression is an important aspect of catfolk culture, it is usually mitigated by a strong sense of community and group effort. In the wild, catfolk are a hunter-gatherer tribal people (called prides). The pursuit of personal power seldom comes before the health and well-being of the pride. More than one race has underestimated this seemingly gentle people only to discover much too late that their cohesion also provides them great strength.
Catfolk prefer to be led by their most competent members, usually a council of sub-chieftains chosen by their peers, either though consensus or election. The sub-chiefs then choose a chieftain to lead in times of danger and to mediate disputes among the sub-chiefs. The chieftain is the most capable member of the pride.
Catfolk who settle in more urban and civilized areas still cling to a similar tribal structure, but often see friends outside the pride, even those from other races, as part of their extended pride. Within adventuring groups, catfolk who do not consider themselves the obvious choice as chieftain often defer to the person who most resembles their cultural ideal of a chieftain.
Sometimes Relatable...
Adaptable and curious, catfolk get can along with almost any race that extends reciprocal goodwill... or not. They acclimate easily to halflings, humans, and especially elves when they are inclined too.
Catfolk and elves share a passionate nature, as well as a love of music, dance, and storytelling; elven communities often gently mentor catfolk prides, though such elves are careful not to act in a patronizing manner toward their feline friends.
Curiosity Killed The...
Natural born trackers, the hunter-gatherer aspect of their prides pushes many catfolk toward occupations as rangers and druids by default, but such roles don’t always speak to their love of performance art, be it song, dance, or storytelling. Catfolk legends also speak of a rich tradition of great sorcerer heroes. Those catfolk who internalize their wanderlust often become wizards and monks.
Catfolk understand that exploration and self-knowledge can lead down many roads and are accepting of nearly all professions and ways of life.
Male Names: Carruth, Drewan, Ferus, Gerran, Nyktan, Rouqar, Zithembe.
Female Names: Alyara, Duline, Hoya, Jilyana, Milah, Miniri, Siphelele, Tiyeri.
Catfolk Traits
As a Catfolk, you have the following racial traits.
Creature Type. You are a Humanoid.
Size. You are Medium or Small. You choose the size when you select this race. Typically the Leonin subrace is larger and the tabaxi subrace smaller.
Cat's Claws. You can use your claws to make unarmed strikes. When you hit with them, the strike deals 1d6 + your Strength modifier slashing damage, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.
Cat's Talent. You have proficiency in the Perception and Stealth skills.
Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You discern colors in that darkness only as shades of gray.
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 double your speed until the end of the turn. Once you use this trait, you can't use it again until you move 0 feet on one of your turns.
Subrace. Choose between either the Leonin or Tabaxi subraces. Leonin tend to hail from the wild plains, forests or jungles while the Tabaxi tend to inhabit urban areas or areas close to civilization.
Leonin
Leonin tend to be tall compared to humans and move with a boldness that suggests their physical might. Tawny fur covers leonin bodies, and some grow thick manes ranging in shades from gold to black. While their hands prove as nimble as those of other humanoids, leonin have retractable feline claws, which they can extend instantly. This, along with their ability to produce bone-shaking roars, gives most leonin an air that readily shifts between regal and fearsome.
Leonin often act with confidence, which can come off as imperiousness. While this can reassure their allies, it can also suggest defiance in the face of what they perceive as imposed authority or unworthy experts.
Your Leonin character has the following additional racial traits.
Speed. Your walking speed is 35 feet.
Hunter's Instincts. You have proficiency in one of the following skills of your choice: Athletics, Intimidation or Survival.
Daunting Roar. As a bonus action, you can let out an
especially menacing roar. Creatures of your choice within
10 feet of you that can hear you must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or become frightened of you until the end
of your next turn. The DC of the save equals
8 + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution
modifier. After you use this trait, you cant
use it again until you finish a short or
long rest.
Tabaxi
Your Tabaxi character has the following additional racial traits.
Speed. Your walking speed is 30 feet.
Land On Their Feet. Tabaxi's have a knack for always landing on their feet and suffer no damage from great distances. You suffer no damage when you fall 20 feet or less, and take only half damage for anything farther.
Alert. Tabaxi have heightened senses, you can see, hear, and smell better. You have expertise in the Perception skill.
Excellent Climbers. You have a climbing speed equal to your walking speed.
Dwarf
“YER LATE, ELF!” CAME THE ROUGH EDGE OF A familiar voice. bruenor battlehammer walked up the back of his dead foe, disregarding the fact that the heavy monster lay on top of his elven friend. in spite of the added discomfort, the dwarf’s long, pointed, often-broken nose and gray-streaked though still-fiery red beard came as a welcome sight to drizzt. “knew i’d find ye in trouble if i came out an’ looked for ye!”
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.
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.
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. they dislike boats, so enterprising humans and halflings frequently handle trade in dwarven goods along water routes. 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.
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.
Male 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
Female 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.
Creature Type.
You are a Humanoid. You are also considered
a dwarf for any prerequisite or effect that requires you to be
a dwarf.
Size. Dwarves stand between 4 and 5 feet tall and average about 150 pounds. your size is medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Darkvision. Accustomed to life underground, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. you can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. you can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
Dwarven resilience. You have advantage on saving throws against poison, and you have resistance against poison damage.
Dwarven combat training. You have proficiency with the battleaxe, handaxe, light hammer, and warhammer. And you have proficiency with light and medium armor.
Dwarven toughness Your hit point maximum increases by 1, and it increases by 1 every time you gain a level.
Tool proficiency You gain proficiency with the artisan’s tools of your choice: smith’s tools, brewer’s supplies, or mason’s tools.
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.
Elf
"I HAVE NEVER IMAGINED SUCH BEAUTY EXISTED,” Goldmoon said softly. The day’s march had been difficult, but the reward at the end was beyond their dreams.The companions stood on a high cliff over the fabled city of Qualinost. Four slender spires rose from the city’s corners like glistening spindles, their brilliant white stone marbled with shining silver. Graceful arches, swooping from spire to spire, soared through the air. Crafted by ancient dwarven metalsmiths, they were strong enough to hold the weight of an army, yet they appeared so delicate that a bird lighting on them might overthrow the balance. was no wall around Qualinost. The elven city opened its arms lovingly to the wilderness.
Elves are a magical people of otherworldly grace, living in the world but not entirely part of it. They live in places of ethereal beauty, in the midst of ancient forests or in silvery spires glittering with faerie light, where soft music drifts through the air and gentle fragrances waft on the breeze. Elves love nature and magic, art and artistry, music and poetry, and the good things of the world.
Slender and Graceful
With their unearthly grace and fine features, elves appear hauntingly beautiful to humans and members of many other races. They are slightly shorter than humans on average, ranging from well under 5 feet tall to just over 6 feet. They are more slender than humans, weighing only 100 to 145 pounds. Males and females are about the same height, and males are only marginally heavier than females.
Elves’ coloration encompasses the normal human range and also includes skin in shades of copper, bronze, and almost bluish-white, hair of green or blue, and eyes like pools of liquid gold or silver. Elves have no facial and little body hair. They favor elegant clothing in bright colors, and they enjoy simple yet lovely jewelry.
A Timeless Perspective
Elves can live well over 700 years, giving them a broad perspective on events that might trouble the shorter-lived
races more deeply. They are more often amused than
excited, and more likely to be curious than greedy.
They tend to remain aloof and unfazed by petty
happenstance. When pursuing a goal, however,
whether adventuring on a mission or learning a new
skill or art, elves can be focused and relentless.
They are slow to make friends and enemies, and even
slower to forget them. They reply to petty insults with
disdain and to serious insults with vengeance.
Like the branches of a young tree, elves are flexible
in the face of danger. They trust in diplomacy and
compromise to resolve differences before they escalate to violence. They have been known to retreat from intrusions
into their woodland homes, confident that they can
simply wait the invaders out. But when the need arises,
elves reveal a stern martial side, demonstrating skill
with sword, bow, and strategy.
Exploration and Adventure
Elves take up adventuring out of wanderlust. Since they are so long-lived, they can enjoy centuries of exploration and discovery. They dislike the pace of human society, which is regimented from day to day but constantly changing over decades, so they find careers that let them travel freely and set their own pace. Elves also enjoy exercising their martial prowess or gaining greater magical power, and adventuring allows them to do so. Some might joinwith rebels fighting against oppression, and others
might become champions
of moral causes.
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
Male 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
Female 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)
Elf Traits
Your elf character has a variety of natural abilities, the result of thousands of years of elven refinement.
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.
Creature Type. You are a Humanoid. You are also considered an elf for any prerequisite or effect that requires you to be an elf.
Size. Elves range from under 5 to over 6 feet tall and have slender builds. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Darkvision. Accustomed to twilit forests and the night sky, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
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. You don't need to sleep, and magic can't put you to sleep. You can finish a long rest in 4 hours if you spend those hours in a trancelike meditation, during which you retain consciousness.
Whenever you finish this trance, you can gain two proficiencies that you don't have, each one with a weapon or a tool of your choice. You mystically acquire these proficiencies by drawing them from shared elven memory, and you retain them until you finish your next long rest.
Subrace. The elves of Dragonmaw are split between multiple subraces. High elves and Wood elves, were born in this world. Eladrin were born in the Faewild, and the Shadow Fey were born in the Shadowfell.
High Elf
As a high elf, you have a keen mind and a mastery of at least the basics of magic. High Elves tend to be haughty and reclusive, believing themselves to be superior to non-elves and even other elves. As a High Elf, you have the following racial traits.
Elf Weapon Training. You have proficiency with the
longsword, shortsword, shortbow, and longbow.
Cantrip. You know one cantrip of your choice from the
wizard spell list. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for it.
Extra Language. You can speak, read, and write one
extra language of your choice.
Wood Elf
As a wood elf, you have keen senses and
intuition, and your fleet feet carry you quickly
and stealthily through your native forests.
Wood elves’ skin tends to be copperish in hue,
sometimes with traces of green. Their hair
tends toward browns and blacks, but it is
occasionally blond or copper-colored. Their
eyes are green, brown, or hazel.
As a Wood Elf,
you have the following racial traits.
Elf Weapon Training. You have proficiency
with the longsword, shortsword,
shortbow, and longbow.
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.
Eladrin
Eladrin are elves of the Faewild, a realm of perilous beauty and boundless magic. Using that magic, eladrin can step from one place to another in the blink of an eye, and each eladrin resonates with emotions captured in the Faewild in the form of seasons-affinities that affect the eladrin's mood and appearance. An Eladrin's season can change, though some remain in one season forever.
As an Eladrin, you have the following racial traits. Choose your season or roll on the Eladrin Seasons table.
Eladrin Seasons
| d4 | Season | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Autumn: Peace and goodwill, when summer's harvest is shared by all | |
| 2 | Winter: Contemplation and dolor, when the vibrant energy of the world slumbers | |
| 3 | Spring: Cheerfulness and celebration, marked by merriment and hope as winter's sorrow passes | |
| 4 | Summer: Boldness and aggression, a time of unfettered energy and calls to action |
Your Trance trait lets you change your season after a long rest.
Fey Step. As a bonus action, you can magically teleport up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space you can see. Once you use this trait, you can't do so again until you finish a short or long rest.
When you reach 3rd level, your Fey Step gains an additional effect based on your season; if the effect requires a saving throw, the DC equals 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma modifier(choose when you select this race):
-
Autumn. Immediately after you use your Fey Step, up to two creatures of your choice that you can see within 10 feet of you must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be charmed by you for 1 minute, or until you or your companions deal any damage to it.
-
Winter. When you use your Fey Step, one creature of your choice that you can see within 5 feet of you before you teleport must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be frightened of you until the end of your next turn.
-
Spring. When you use your Fey Step, you can touch one willing creature within 5 feet of you. That creature then teleports instead of you, appearing in an unoccupied space of your choice that you can see within 30 feet of you.
-
Summer. Immediately after you use your Fey Step, each creature of your choice that you can see within 5 feet of you takes fire damage equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1 damage).
Shadow Fey (Shadar-Kai)
Shadow Fey are elves of the Shadowfell, originally drawn to that realm by the Raven Queen. Over the centuries, some of them have continued to serve her, while others have ventured into the material Plane to forge their own destinies.
Once Shadow Fey were Fey like the rest of their elven kin: now they exist in a state between life and death, thanks to being transformed by the Shadowfell's grim energy.
Shadow Fey have ashen skin tones, and while they're in the Shadowfell, they also become wizened, reflecting the somber nature of that gloomy plane.
As a Shadow Fey you have the following racial traits.
- Blessing of the Raven Queen.
As a bonus action,
you magically teleport up to 30 feet to an
unoccupied space you can see. You can use
this trait a number of times equal to your
proficiency bonus, and you regain all
expended uses when you finish a long rest.
Starting at 3rd level, you also gain
resistance to all damage when you
teleport using this trait. The resistance
lasts until the start of your next turn.
During this time, you appear ghostly
and translucent.
Necrotic Resistance.
You have
resistance to necrotic damage.
Firbolg
"WE SPENT THREE MONTHS TRACKING THE GREEN dragon before locating the forest in which it sought refuge. On our second day in that place, we woke to find the dragon's head placed in the center of our camp. Soveliss told me that firbolgs must have claimed the forest, and they wanted to show us we had no further business there. If we lingered, he assured me, our heads would be next."
Distant cousins of giants, the first firbolgs wandered the primeval forests of the multiverse, and the magic of those forests entwined itself with the firbolgs' souls. Centuries later, that magic still thrums inside a firbolg, even one who has never lived under the boughs of a great forest.
A firbolg's magic is an obscuring sort, which allowed their ancestors to pass through a forest without disturbing it. So deep is the connection between a firbolg and the wild places of the world that they can communicate with flora and fauna.
Firbolgs can live up to 500 years.
Humble Guardians
Firbolgs love nothing more than a peaceful day spent among the trees of an old forest. They see forests as sacred places, representing the heart of the world and monuments to the durability of life.
In their role as caretakers, firbolgs live off the land while striving to remain in balance with nature. Their methods reflect common sense and remarkable resourcefulness. During a bountiful summer, they store away excess nuts, fruit, 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?
Natural Druids
Firbolgs have a talent for druidic magic. Their cultural reverence for nature, combined with their strong a and insightful minds, makes learning such magic an instinctive part of their development. Almost every firbolg learns a few spells, typically those used to mask their presence, and many go on to master nature magic.
Firbolgs who become druids serve as stronghold lead- ers. 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.
Outcast Adventurers
As guardians of the wood, few firbolgs would dream of leaving their homes or attempting to fit into human society. An exiled firbolg, or one whose clan has been destroyed, might not have a choice in the matter. Most adventuring firbolgs fall into this latter category.
Outcast firbolgs can never return home. They committed some unforgivable deed, usually something that put their homeland at risk, such as starting a forest fire or killing a rare or beautiful wild creature. These firbolgs are loners who wander the world in hope of finding a new place to call home.
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 by their clan with an important mission that takes them beyond their homes. These firbolgs feel like pilgrims in a strange land, and and requests usually they wish only to complete their turn home as quickly as possible.
The Firbolg Adventurers table can serve as inspiration for determining why a firbolg character leaves home.
Firbolg Adventurers
| d8 | Reason for Adventuring | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Outcast for murder. | |
| 2 | Outcast for severely damaging home territory. | |
| 3 | Clan slain by invading humanoids. | |
| 4 | Clan slain by a dragon or demon. | |
| 5 | Separated from the tribe and lost. | |
| 6 | Homeland destroyed by natural disaster. | |
| 7 | Personal quest ordained by omens. | |
| 8 | Dispatched on a quest by tribe leaders. |
Firbolg Traits
As a firbolg, you have the following racial traits.
Creature Type. You are a Humanoid.
Size. You are Medium.
Speed. Your walking speed is 30 feet.
Firbolg Magic. You can cast the detect magic and disguise self spells with this trait. When you use this version of disguise self, you can seem up to 3 feet shorter or taller. Once you cast either of these spells with this trait, you can't cast that spell with it again until you finish a long rest. You can also cast these spells using any spell slots you have. Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells when you cast them with this trait (choose when you select this race).
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. You can use this trait a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
Powerful Build. You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.
Speech of Beast and Leaf. You have the ability to communicate in a limited manner with Beasts, Plants, and vegetation. 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.
Gnoll
"I LOVE MY JOB", GNAWBONE THOUGHT, AS HE LOPPED across the plain with the wind blowing past his face, the wonderful smells constantly in the air, he was a happy gnoll. Scouting for the caravan who hired him, Gnawbone enjoyed his job. Besides being able to run free, he was never yelled at or beaten by his employers. Instead, they really seemed to enjoy having him around. The kids liked to play with him and the food was absolutely delicious! A smell pulled Gnawbone back to the present, something smelled off...
The average gnoll views the virtues of work and self-sufficiency with distaste. Gnolls with leadership skills or who tire of sharing the fruits of their labors frequently break off from the pack alone or in small groups to fend for themselves. Sometimes a male gnoll foolishly announces that he believes males are more fit to lead, and necessarily sets out on his own until he can find a new pack or the controversy is forgotten.
Gnolls who possess the will to face danger make excellent adventurers.
Bred for the Hunt
Moreso than many other humanoid races, primal instinct remains a strong part of the gnoll psyche. Gnolls are natural predators and savor the thrills of the hunt. Almost all gnolls prefer the wilderness to the civilized enclaves favored by humans, dwarves, or other similar races and those that do take to cities usually think of them as just another kind of landscape.
Many other races find the gnoll psyche feral and aggressive, male and female equally, and the behavioral tendencies of the race can certainly give this impression. Gnolls start fighting amongst one another at a very early age and as soon as they can walk many crawl into places, away from the eyes of adults, where they engage in vicious, often lethal battles. A gnoll is more likely to demand answers than it is to actually ask a question. Gnolls, however, do not see this as an act of hostility, but rather a basic demonstration of strength.
Other gnoll practices might seem equally strange, such as the gnoll propensity for scavenging. At its most basic level this tendency leads many gnolls to collect trophies that remind them of past victories, items sometimes grisly though just as often simple and mundane,[3] Gnoll trackers sometimes use this to their benefit, keeping scraps of clothing or other objects with the scent of their prey on them, which they use to point them in the direction of their quarry
Loyalty to the Pack
In spite of the savage nature of the gnolls there are some aspects to their culture that are not inherently repulsive. Gnolls place a very strong value on family for instance, respecting blood ties perhaps more than any other aspect of a relationship. Though gnolls within a pack commonly fight amongst one another for dominance, these battles are quickly forgotten after their resolution and in most situations gnolls of the same bloodline are loyal friends and allies to one another. These bloodlines are almost always traced matrilineal, through the female line.
This loyalty to family is particularly obvious during combat, either with rival gnoll packs or other races. Gnolls who fight side by side regularly throw away personal glory in order to help their brethren.
Perhaps most surprisingly, when a gnoll is separated from clan and family their instinctive need for such blood ties may lead them to form a surrogate "pack" from those whom they choose to befriend. To these unlikely allies the gnoll is as loyal and faithful as they would their own brothers or sisters, embracing the outsiders as if they were family.
Another common trait of gnolls, that of scavenging, is taken to new levels by gnolls who live in the wild. While all gnolls have an innate tendency for collecting souvenirs and trophies, nomadic packs, particularly the savage ones who have little contact with other races except during wartime, often find little other ways to acquire technology, having crafted few tools of their own. The result of this is that most gnolls rely on the other races as their source of wealth and technology. This extends to arms and weaponry, giving gnoll armor a unique aesthetic where each suit is typically made kitbashed together from scavenged pieces of armor found either on victims or abandoned.
Gnoll Names
Gnoll names are typically simplistic, based many times onwhat they do or like. There's no difference between the names of males and females.
Gnoll Names. Barker, Bloodbone, Bloodymaw, Bonebreaker, Brokenleg, Gnawbone, Giggler, Howl, Slasher.
Gnoll traits
Your gnoll character has several special traits, the result of a wild nature and growing in a harsh environment.
Age. Gnolls reach adulthood at age 12, and they live short and brutal lives. The rare examples that die of old age experience only around 70 summers.
Creature Type. You are a Humanoid. You are also considered an gnoll for any prerequisite or effect that requires you to be an gnoll.
Size. Gnoll females are taller and more powerfully built than their male counterparts. The former range from 7 to 8 feet and usually weight more than 250 pounds, while the latter average 6 inches and 30 pounds less. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You cannot discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
Scent. You have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on smell.
Bully. Although gnolls are cowardly at heart, they like to disguise their fears by abusing others. You have disadvantage on saving throws against being frightened. On the other hand, whenever you make a Charisma (Intimidation) check for dealing with obviously smaller or weaker targets, you are considered proficient in the Intimidation skill and add double your proficiency bonus to the check, instead of your normal
proficiency bonus.
Live to Fight Another Day. When you take the Disengage action, your base walking speed is increased by 10 feet.
Gnoll Weapon Training. You have proficiency with the
spear, shortbow, longbow, light crossbow, and heavy crossbow.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Gnollish. Gnollish words sounds almost like growls for the uninitiated, and gnolls tend to use scents and small gestures
to convey subtle meanings. Two gnolls speaking can almost
seem like dogs barking at each other to a casual observer.
Subrace. Although not, strictly speaking, different races,
gnolls from the civilized lands live in an environment so
different than their savage brethren that they are considered separate subraces. Choose one of them.
Civilized Gnolls
As a civilized gnoll, you are well-fed and enjoy the comforts
that your primitive cousins can only dream of. You were
valued as a mercenary, a temple guard, or simply a thug due
to both your inherent toughness and your desire to please
those that are in charge.
Obsequious. Whenever you make a Charisma (Persuasion) check for dealing with obviously bigger or more powerful
targets, you are considered proficient in the Persuasion skill
and add double your proficiency bonus to the check, instead
of your normal proficiency bonus.
Savage Gnolls
As a savage gnoll, you are in touch with your animal
side and understand the ways of nature. Your tribe has
been raiding the desert or the plains for generations, and
you know the land in which you live like the back of your
hand.
Scavenge. Whenever you make a Wisdom (Survival)
check for gathering food or locating water, you are
considered proficient in the Survival skill and add double
your proficiency bonus to the check, instead of your normal proficiency bonus.
Half-Elf
FLINT SQUINTED INTO THE SETTING SUN. HE
thought he saw the figure of a man striding up the path. Standing, Flint drew back into the shadow of a tall pine to see better. The man’s walk was marked by an easy grace—an elvish grace, Flint would have said; yet the man’s body had the thickness and tight muscles of a human, while the facial hair was definitely humankind’s. All the dwarf could see of the man’s face beneath a green hood was tan skin and a brownish-red beard. A longbow was slung over one shoulder and a sword hung at his left side. He was dressed in soft leather, carefully tooled in the intricate designs the elves loved. But no elf in the world of Krynn could grow a beard . . . no elf, but . . . “Tanis?” said Flint hesitantly as the man neared. “The same.” The newcomer’s bearded face split in a wide grin. He held open his arms and, before the dwarf could stop him, engulfed Flint in a hug that lifted him off the ground. The dwarf clasped his old friend close for a brief instant, then, remembering his dignity, squirmed and freed himself from the half-elf’s embrace.
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, love of nature, 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.
Diplomats or Wanderers
Half-elves have no lands of their own, though they are welcome in human cities and somewhat less welcome in elven forests. In large cities in regions where elves and humans interact often, half-elves are sometimes numerous enough to form small communities of their own. They enjoy the company of other half-elves, the only people who truly understand what it is to live between these two worlds.
In most parts of the world, though, half-elves are uncommon enough that one might live for years without meeting another. Some half-elves prefer to avoid company altogether, wandering the wilds as trappers, foresters, hunters, or adventurers and visiting civilization only rarely. Like elves, they are driven by the wanderlust that comes of their longevity. Others, in contrast, throw themselves into the thick of society, putting their charisma and social skills to great use in diplomatic roles or as swindlers.
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.
Excellent Ambassadors
Many half-elves learn at an early
age to get along with everyone,
defusing hostility and finding
common ground. As a race, they
have elven grace without elven
aloofness and human energy
without human boorishness.
They often make excellent
ambassadors and
go-betweens
(except between elves
and humans, since
each side suspects
the half-elf of
favoring the
other).
Half-Elf Traits
Your half-elf character has some qualities in common with elves and some that are unique to half-elves.
Age. Half-elves mature at the same rate humans do and reach adulthood around the age of 20. They live much longer than humans, however, often exceeding 180 years.
Size. Half-elves are about the same size as humans, ranging from 5 to 6 feet tall. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Darkvision. Thanks to your elf blood, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
Fey Ancestr.y You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can’t put you to sleep.
Skill Versatility. You gain proficiency in two skills of your choice.
Languages.
You can speak, read, and write Common,
Elvish, and one extra language of your choice.
Halfling
REGIS THE HALFLING, THE ONLY ONE OF HIS KIND for hundreds of miles in any direction, locked his fingers behind his head and leaned back against the mossy blanket of the tree trunk. Regis was short, even by the standards of his diminutive race, with the fluff of his curly brown locks barely cresting the three-foot mark, but his belly was amply thickened by his love of a good meal, or several, as the opportunities presented themselves. The crooked stick that served as his fishing pole rose up above him, clenched between two of his toes, and hung out over the quiet lake, mirrored perfectly in the glassy surface of Maer Dualdon.
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.
Kind and Curious
Halflings are an affable and cheerful people. They cherish the bonds of family and friendship as well as the comforts of hearth and home, harboring few dreams of gold or glory. Even adventurers among them usually venture into the world for reasons of community, friendship, wanderlust, or curiosity. They love discovering new things, even simple things, such as an exotic food or an unfamiliar style of clothing.
Halflings are easily moved to pity and hate to see any living thing suffer. They are generous, happily sharing what they have even in lean times.
Blend into the Crowd
Halflings are adept at fitting into a community of humans, dwarves, or elves, making themselves valuable and welcome. The combination of their inherent stealth and their unassuming nature helps halflings to avoid unwanted attention.
Halflings work readily with others, and they are loyal to their friends, whether halfling or otherwise. They can display remarkable ferocity when their friends, families, or communities are threatened.
Pastoral Pleasantries
Most halflings live in small, peaceful communities with large farms and well-kept groves. They rarely build kingdoms of their own or even hold much land beyond their quiet shires. They typically don’t recognize any sort of halfling nobility or royalty, instead looking to family elders to guide them. Families preserve their traditional ways despite the rise and fall of empires.
Many halflings live among other races, where the halflings’ hard work and loyal outlook offer them abundant rewards and creature comforts. Some halfling communities travel as a way of life, driving wagons or guiding boats from place to place and maintaining no permanent home.
Exploring Opportunities
Halflings usually set out on the adventurer’s path to defend
their communities, support their friends, or explore a wide
and wonder-filled world. For them, adventuring is less a
career than an opportunity or sometimes a necessity.
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.
Male Names: Alton, Ander, Cade, Corrin, Eldon, Errich, Finnan, Garret, Lindal, Lyle, Merric, Milo, Osborn, Perrin, Reed, Roscoe, Wellby
Female 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
Halfling Traits
Your halfling character has a number of traits in common
with all other halflings.
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 30 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. You have advantage on saving throws against being frightened.
Halfling Nimbleness. You can move through the space of any creature that is of a size larger than yours.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Halfling. The Halfling language isn’t secret, but halflings are loath to share it with others. They write very little, so they don’t have a rich body of literature. Their oral tradition, however, is very strong. Almost all halflings speak Common to converse with the people in whose lands they dwell or through which they are traveling.
Naturally Stealthy. You can attempt to hide even when you are obscured only by a creature that is at least one size larger than you.
Stout Resilience
You have advantage on saving throws against poison, and you have resistance
against poison damage.
Human
THESE WERE THE STORIES OF A RESTLESS PEOPLE who long ago took to the seas and rivers in longboats, first to pillage and terrorize, then to settle. Yet there was an energy, a love of adventure, that sang from every page. Long into the night Liriel read, lighting candle after precious candle.
She’d never given much thought to humans, but these stories fascinated her. In these yellowed pages were tales of bold heroes, strange and fierce animals, mighty primitive gods, and a magic that was part and fabric of that distant land.
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.
Exemplars of Ambition
Humans who seek adventure are the most daring and ambitious members of a daring and ambitious race. They seek to earn glory in the eyes of their fellows by amassing power, wealth, and fame. More than other people, humans champion causes rather than territories or groups.
Lasting Institutions
Where a single elf or dwarf might take on the responsibility of guarding a special location or a powerful secret, humans found sacred orders and institutions for such purposes. While dwarf clans and halfling elders pass on the ancient traditions to each new generation, human temples, governments, libraries, and codes of law fix their traditions in the bedrock of history. Humans dream of immortality, but (except for those few who seek undeath or divine ascension to escape death’s clutches) they achieve it by ensuring that they will be remembered when they are gone.
Although some humans can be xenophobic, in general their societies are inclusive. Human lands welcome large numbers of nonhumans compared to the proportion of humans who live in nonhuman lands.
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.
Human Traits
It’s hard to make generalizations about humans, but your human character has these traits.
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.
Languages You can speak, read, and write Common and one extra language of your choice. Humans typically learn the languages of other peoples they deal with, including obscure dialects. They are fond of sprinkling their speech with words borrowed from other tongues: Orc curses, Elvish musical expressions, Dwarvish military phrases, and so on.
Skills. You gain proficiency in one skill of your choice.
Feat.
You gain one feat of your choice.
Minotaur
SHARLAN, THE WHITE WITCH, WORKED HER WAY
through the mountainous path. She came to a bend and upon coming around the turn she spied a hulking figure in the distance. Quickly she moved off the road and took shelter behind a large boulder to observe the newcomer. Soon she identified the newcomer as a minotaur, one which walked with purpose.
She was suddenely startled by its Booming voice saying, "Come out milady, I can see you just fine, and mean you no harm!"
A minotaur combines the features of a human and bull, with the build and musculature of a hulking humanoid, but with cloven hooves, a bovine tail, and, most distinctive of all, a bull's head. Fur covers a minotaur's upper body, coarse and thick on the head and neck, gradually thinning around the shoulders until it becomes humanlike hair over the arms and upper torso. The thick hair turns shaggy once more at the minotaur's waist and thickens around the loins and legs, with tufts at the end of the tail and around the powerful hooves.
Minotaurs take pride in their horns, the sharpness, size, and color of which are related to an individual's place in minotaur society. Fur and skin coloring runs from albino white to coal black, though most minotaurs have red or brown fur and hair.
Noble Competitors
Every day brings a new challenge to a minotaur. A single mistake can bring doom to an entire group or clan, while an individual’s heroic effort can ensure the entire group’s survival. Minotaurs 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.
Minotaurs love to win, but they see
defeat as a prod to improve their skills.
For Minotaurs 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. Minotaurs happily rely on such
benefits, but they are careful to remember that
such an advantage can always be lost. A minotaur
who relies too much on them can grow complacent,
a recipe for disaster.
Honor above All
Minotaurs are bound by a powerful sense of honor. Each victory brings greater honor to both individual minotaurs and their families. Defeat invokes a stain that only death can fully wash away.
Honor demands that minotaurs keep their word once it is offered, and each minotaur remains faithful to friends and
clan above all else. Minotaurs typically strike up friendships
with other creatures that display the minotaurs’ virtues
and love of battle. To such friends, a minotaur becomes
an ally whose support will never waver.
Symbol of the Labyrinth
Labyrinthine patterns are important to minotaurs, and these decorations appear on their clothing, armor, and weapons, and sometimes even on their hides. Each pattern is particular to a clan, and the pattern's size and complexity help minotaurs identify family allegiance and caste. The patterns evolve through the generations, growing more expansive based on clan members' deeds and a clan's history.
Minotaur Names
Minotaur clan names originate with a great hero whose descendants take on that name as their own, doing their best to live up to the ideals of their ancestor. On Krynn, clan names are always preceded by the prefix “es‐” for minotaurs from lands controlled by the island of Mithas, or “de‐” for minotaurs from areas under the sway of Kothas.
Male Names: Beliminorgath, Cinmac, Dastrun, Edder, Galdar, Ganthirogani, Hecariverani, Kyris, Tosher, Zurgas
Female Names: Ayasha, Calina, Fliara, Helati, Keeli, Kyri, Mogara, Sekra, Tariki, Telia
Clan Names: Athak, Bregan, Entragath, Kaziganthi, Lagrangli, Mascun, Orilg, Sumarr, Teskos, Zhakan
Minotaur Traits
Your minotaur character possesses a number of traits that reflect the power and superiority of your kind.
Age. Minotaurs enter adulthood at around the age of 25 and can live up to 150 years.
Size. Minotaurs typically stand from 6 to 7 feet tall and weigh an average of 300 pounds. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Goring Rush. When you use the Dash action during your turn and move at least 20 feet, you can make a melee attack with your horns as a bonus action.
Horns. You are never unarmed. You are proficient with your horns, which are a melee weapon that deals 1d6 + your strength modifier piercing damage. Your horns grant you advantage on all checks made to shove a creature, but not to avoid being shoved yourself.
Labyrinthine Recall. You can perfectly recall any path you have traveled.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Undercommon.
Darkvision. accustomed to life underground, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. you can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. you can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
Powerful Build. You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.
Subraces. The two kinds of minotaur, Shorthorns and Longhorns, are diferentiated by thier horn structure. Choose one of these Subraces.
Shorthorn
As a Shorthorn Minotaur you use strategy and cunning to overcome challenges. You like to keep the fight close when it is to your advantage, using your strength as an advantage one vs. one.
Impaling Horns. On a successful use of your Goring Rush trait, in addition to dealing 1d6 peircing damage, you can choose to shove an opponent OR impale your opponent causing an additional 1d6 piercing damage.
Longhorn
As a Longhorn Minotuar you take pride in martial prowess. You prefer to trample your enemies before you.
Hammering Horns. On a successful use of your Goring Rush trait, in addition to dealing 1d6 peircing damage, you can choose to shove an opponent OR knock a creature prone.
Mousefolk
OBSCURED IN THE THICK UNDERBRUSH OF THE forest, every muscle in Moira's body was screaming. She had been crouched, completely still, for half a day, waiting for her quarry to emerge from its den. Thick mud clumped and matted her dark fut; insulating her from the high sun. Her large round ears twitched, focusing on a faint scratching coming from the cave. Her prey was awake. Moira drew her bow and deftly nocked an arrow without a sound. She waited. Soon the mighty owlbear lumbered out of the cave. A dry summer had forced it closer to civilization, and it had begun preying on trade caravans. Moira took aim, and let fly her arrow. The Barbed Trail would be safe to travel once more.
The life of the Mousefolk is one spent close to the ground. With no great empires or kingdoms to call home, the Mousefolk spend their lives carving a place for themselves in the cities of the larger races or in the untamed wilds. They form tight-knit communities where every member is expected to contribute to the success of the whole. Some Mousefolk study a trade skill to support their families, while others use their natural agility and intellect for contract services.
Furry and Nimble
Reaching a little over 2 feet tall, the Mousefolk often go unnoticed in their day to day activities. Their diminutive stature and quiet demeanor make the Mousefolk inoffensive to most, granting a certain detachment from the major conflicts and strife of the age. Their fast metabolisms and quick feet give the Mousefolk a slender build, usually weighing between 20-30 pounds.
Mousefolk fur color ranges from white to tan to brown or black, with various patterns passed through heredity. They take care to groom and clean their fur, as it represents their family and community. A Mousefolk's eye color is either red or black. Mousefolk like to wear comfortable dark colored clothes that allow for discretion and a wide range of movement.
The concept of personal wealth or glory doesn't pervade through Mousefolk culture, most actions taken are for the good of the community rather than the self. Any wealth or resources gained are utilized for the betterment of the group. Some Mousefolk, however, use their natural abilities for personal gain. These individuals tend to be outcasts or black sheep of the clans.
Home and Hearth
The Mousefolk are a resourceful and tenacious race. Mousefolk settlements can be found in the most unlikely and inhospitable of places. They tend to build homes in the dark shadows and forgotten corners of the world, such as city slums, deep forests, scorching deserts, arctic tundras, or port cities in exotic lands. The Mousefolk aren't typically farmers, instead preferring hunting, trade, and craft to meet their needs. Mousefolk caravans are not an easy target for bandits, guarded by skilled archers within and a bristling wall of oak and steel without.
Mousefolk families extend beyond blood ties, an individual's entire community is treated as kin. Mousefolk settlers will seek out other colonies, and new warrens will arise within close proximity to each other. These communities will eventually grow and merge, the members of each becoming kin to the other.
Artisans and Adventurers
The Mousefolk have a deep love of art, literature, song, and craft, and will often spend a lifetime perfecting their trade. True masterworks are rarely seen by the outside world, instead they are preserved and passed through the generations. To be a keeper of lore and heritage is among the highest honors and greatest responsibilities in Mousefolk culture.
The Mousefolk who do not end up learning a trade will often put their skills to use pursuing esoteric knowledge, training as defenders, spiritual leaders, rangers, covert agents, or they might even travel the world as an adventurer-for-hire.
Virtuous and Headstrong
Despite their generally flighty appearance, mousefolk are a very honorable people. They believe strongly in personal honor, less so in the idea that the actions of others can impugn that honor. When a mousefolk makes a mistake, especially one that causes harm to others, they will work hard and at long lengths to correct that mistake.
Mousefolk Names
When a Mousefolk is old enough to read, they are taken by an elder to the clan's archives to study the lore and histories of their people. After several years, the individual is allowed to pick their own name, either adopting the name of a past hero, or inventing a new name for themselves.
Male Names: Aengus, Ashwin, Aynselle, Boris, Byrnstan, Celanawe, Colin, Demitri, Elric, Esegar, Finn, Gregory.Joseph, Luke, Martin, Matthias, Mattimeo, Odric, Seyth, Thom, Waldwin
Female Names: Baeylie, Caley, Clove, Daewn, Dalla, Eda, Elis, Gale, Ingrid, Kearra, Mariel, Millicent, Moira, Nola, Rona, Rosalee, Sayble, Serra, Sylvia, Veira
Historical Names: Abershaw, Bluebell, Dalgill, Faolan, Garrow, Gamilon, Grimwold, Hannidy, Larkin, Sloan, Taryn, Tenny, Tinble, Toller, Vidar, Walmond
Mousefolk Traits
Your Mousefolk character has a number of traits in common with all other Mousefolk.
Age. A Mousefolk reaches adulthood at the age of 5 and lives to be about 40 years old.
Size. Mousefolk grow between 2 and 2 1/2 feet tall and weigh about 25 pounds. Your size is Small.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Keen Senses. You have proficiency in the Perception skill.
Mousefolk Weapon Training. You have proficiency with the rapier, shortsword, shortbow, and handaxe.
Nimble Dodge. When attacked by an Attack of Opportunity, you may use your reaction to impose disadvantage on that attack.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Squeak Speak. Mousefolk place great value on the written accounts of their legends and histories, and encourage everyone to keep journals and records of their deeds. Almost all Mousefolk speak Common to converse with the people on whose lands they dwell or through which they are traveling.
Subrace. The two main kinds of Mousefolk, Softpaw and Meadowgard, are more like closely related families than true subraces. Choose one of these subraces.
Softpaw
As a Softpaw Mousefolk, you avoid the dangers of the untamed wilds for the security of civilization. Your bookish nature gives you an edge in the arcane studies and a knack for trade skills and craft. The mark of the Softpaw is a seal of the utmost quality. A Softpaw's natural dexterity and keen intellect make them desirable contract thieves and infiltrators.
Artistry. You gain proficiency with one type of artisan's tools or one musical instrument.
Squirm. You can move through tiny sized spaces as if you were tiny size.
Meadowgard
As a Meadowgard Mousefolk, you make your living in the wilds. You have keen senses, deep intuition, and a connection with nature that few other races can boast. The Meadowgard stand staunchly at the edge of civilization, knowing that their eyes are the first alarm and their body and blade are the last bulwark of countless others. They have an unwavering sense of duty and a lifetime of experience which keeps them sharp against the dangers of the world. With an Eider's blessing some Meadowgard leave the service of their clans to travel the world and record their journeys.
Brave. You have advantage on saving throws against being frightened.
Speak With Small Beasts. Through sounds and gestures, you can communicate simple ideas with Small or smaller beasts.
Warforged
The warforged were built by the ancients long ago as mechanical golems. The warforged were mindless automatons, but obtained sentience during the great war. A unexpected confluence of Arcane and Divine magic cast on a battlefield imbued the original seven with sentience. Warforged are made from wood and metal, but they can feel pain and emotion. Built as weapons, they must now find a purpose beyond the war. A warforged can be a steadfast ally, a cold-hearted killing machine, or a visionary in search of purpose and meaning.
Warforged Traits
Warforged have certain traits that reflect their constructed and ancient builds.
Age. A typical warforged is ancient, it's date of construction unknown. The maximum lifespan of the warforged remains a mystery; so far, warforged have shown no signs of deterioration due to age. You are immune to magical aging effects.
Size. Your size is Medium. Set your height and weight randomly, start with rolling a size modifier.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Constructed Resilience. You were created to have remarkable fortitude, represented by the following benefits:
- You have advantage on saving throws against being poisoned, and you have resistance to poison damage.
- You don’t need to eat, drink, or breathe.
- You are immune to disease.
- You don't need to sleep, and magic can't put you to sleep.
Sentry's Rest. When you take a long rest, you must spend at least six hours in an inactive, motionless state, rather than sleeping. In this state, you appear inert, but it doesn’t render you unconscious, and you can see and hear as normal.
Integrated Protection. Your body has built-in defensive layers, which can be enchanced with armor.
- You gain a +1 bonus to Armor Class.
- You can don only armor with which you have proficiency. To don armor, you must incorporate it into your body over the course of 1 hour, during which you must remain in contact with the armor. To doff armor, you must spend 1 hour removing it. You can rest while donning or doffing armor in this way.
- While you live, your armor can't be removed from your body against your will.
Specialized Design. You gain one skill proficiency and one tool proficiency of your choice.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and one other language of your choice.
CHARACTER BACKGROUNDS
The following Backgrounds are found in the Dragonmaw Chronicles.
Acolyte You have spent your life in the service of a temple to a specific god or pantheon of gods.
Anthropologist You have always been fascinated by other cultures, from the most ancient and primeval lost lands to the most modern civilizations.
Archaeologist An archaeologist learns about the long-lost and fallen cultures of the past by studying their remains—their bones, their ruins, their surviving masterworks, and their tombs.
Charlatan You know what people want and you deliver, or rather, you promise to deliver.
Criminal You are an experienced criminal with a history of breaking the law.
Entertainer You thrive in front of an audience. You know how to entrance them, entertain them, and even inspire them.
Fisher You have spent your life aboard fishing vessels or combing the shallows for the bounty of the ocean.
Folk Hero You come from a humble social rank, but you are destined for so much more.
Guild Artisan You are a member of an artisan's guild, skilled in a particular field and closely associated with other artisans.
Hermit You lived in seclusion-either in a sheltered community such as a monastery, or entirely alone-for a formative part of your life.
Marine You were trained for battle on sandy beaches and rocky shores.
Noble You understand wealth, power, and privilege. You carry a noble title, and your family owns land, collects taxes, and wields significant political influence.
Outlander You grew up in the wilds, far from civilization and the comforts of town and technology.
Sage You scoured manuscripts, studied scrolls, and listened to the greatest experts on the subjects that interest you.
Sailor You sailed on a seagoing vessel for years.
Shipwright You have sailed into war on the decks of great ships, patching their hulls with soup bowls and prayers.
Smuggler On a rickety barge, you carried a hundred longswords in fish barrels right past the dock master's oblivious lackeys.
Soldier War has been your life for as long as you care to remember.
Urchin You grew up on the streets alone, orphaned, and poor. You had no one to watch over you or to provide for you, so you learned to provide for yourself.
Acolyte
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. The Gods of the Multiverse section contains a sample pantheon, from the Forgotten Realms setting. 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 that you now deny.
- Skill Proficiencies: Insight, Religion
- Languages: Two of your choice
- Equipment: A holy symbol (a gift to you when you entered the priesthood), a prayer book or prayer wheel, 5 sticks of incense, vestments, a set of common clothes, and a pouch containing 15 gp.
Feature: Shelter of the Faithful
As an acolyte, you command the respect of those who share your faith, and you can perform the religious ceremonies of your deity. You and your adventuring companions can expect to receive free healing and care at a temple, shrine, or other established presence of your faith, though you must provide any material components needed for spells. Those who share your religion will support you (but only you) at a modest lifestyle.
You might also have ties to a specific temple dedicated to your chosen deity or pantheon, and you have a residence there. This could be the temple where you used to serve, if you remain on good terms with it, or a temple where you have found a new home. While near your temple, you can call upon the
priests for assistance, provided the assistance you ask
for is not hazardous and you remain in good standing
with your temple.
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.
| d8 | Personality Trait | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | I idolize a particular hero of my faith, and constantly refer to that person’s deeds and example. | |
| 2 | I can find common ground between the fiercest enemies, empathizing with them and always working toward peace. | |
| 3 | I see omens in every event and action. The gods try to speak to us, we just need to listen. | |
| 4 | Nothing can shake my optimistic attitude. | |
| 5 | I quote (or misquote) sacred texts and proverbs in almost every situation. | |
| 6 | I am tolerant (or intolerant) of other faiths and respect (or condemn) the worship of other gods. | |
| 7 | I’ve enjoyed fine food, drink, and high society among my temple’s elite. Rough living grates on me. | |
| 8 | I’ve spent so long in 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. (Lawful) | |
| 2 | Charity. I always try to help those in need, no matter what the personal cost. (Good) | |
| 3 | Change. We must help bring about the changes the gods are constantly working in the world. (Chaotic) | |
| 4 | Power. I hope to one day rise to the top of my faith’s religious hierarchy. (Lawful) | |
| 5 | Faith. I trust that my deity will guide my actions. I have faith that if I work hard, things will go well. (Lawful) | |
| 6 | Aspiration. I seek to prove myself worthy of my god’s favor by matching my actions against his or her teachings. (Any) |
| 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 sacred 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 detriment of everything else in my life. |
Anthropologist
You have always been fascinated by other cultures, from the most ancient and primeval lost lands to the most modern civilizations. By studying other cultures' customs, philosophies, laws, rituals, religious beliefs, languages, and art, you have learned how tribes, em- pires, and all forms of society in between craft their own destinies and doom. This knowledge came to you not only through books and scrolls, but also through first- hand observation-by visiting far-flung settlements and exploring local histories and customs.
- Skill Proficiencies: Insight, Religion
- Languages: Two of your choice
- Equipment: A leather-bound diary, a bottle of ink, an ink pen, a set of traveler's clothes, one trinket of spe- cial significance, and a pouch containing 10 gp.
Cultural Chameleon
Before becoming an adventurer, you spent much of your adult life away from your homeland, living among people different from your kin. You came to understand these foreign cultures and the ways of their people, who eventually treated you as one of their own. One culture had more of an influence on you than any other, shaping your beliefs and customs. Choose a race whose culture you've adopted, or roll on the Adopted Culture table.
Adopted Culture
| d8 | Culture |
|---|---|
| 1 | Aarakocra |
| 2 | Dwarf |
| 3 | Elf |
| 4 | Goblin |
| d8 | Culture |
|---|---|
| 5 | Halfling |
| 6 | Human |
| 7 | Lizardfolk |
| 8 | Orc |
Feature: Adept Linguist
You can communicate with humanoids who don't speak any language you know. You must observe the humanoids interacting with one another for at least 1 day, after which you learn a handful of important words, expressions, and gestures-enough to communicate on a rudimentary level.
Suggested Characteristics
Anthropologists leave behind the societies into which they were born to discover what life is like in other parts of the world. They seek to see how other races and civilizations surviveor why they did not. Some anthropologists are driven by intellectual curiosity, while others want the fame and recognition that comes with being the first to discover a new people, a lost tribe, or the truth about an ancient empire's downfall.
| d6 | Personality Trait | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | I prefer the company of those who aren't like me, including people of other races. | |
| 2 | I'm a stickler when it comes to observing proper etiquette and local customs. | |
| 3 | I would rather observe than meddle. | |
| 4 | By living among violent people, I have become desensitized to violence. | |
| 5 | I would risk life and limb to discover a new culture or unravel the secrets of a dead one. | |
| 6 | When I arrive at a new settlement for the first time, I must learn all its customs. |
| d6 | Ideal | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Discovery. I want to be the first person to discover a lost culture. (Any) | |
| 2 | Distance. One must not interfere with the affairs of another cultureeven one in need of aid. (Lawful) | |
| 3 | Knowledge. By understanding other races and cultures, we learn to understand ourselves. (Any) | |
| 4 | Power. Common people crave strong leadership, and I do my utmost to provide it. (Lawful) | |
| 5 | Protection. I must do everything possible to save a society facing extinction. (Good) | |
| 6 | Indifferent. Life is cruel. What's the point in saving people if they're going to die anyway? (Chaotic) |
| d6 | Bond | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | My mentor gave me a journal filled with lore and wisdom. Losing it would devastate me. | |
| 2 | Having lived among the people of a primeval tribe or clan, I long to return and see how they are faring. | |
| 3 | Years ago, tragedy struck the members of an isolated society I befriended, and I will honor them. | |
| 4 | I want to learn more about a particular humanoid culture that fascinates me. | |
| 5 | I seek to avenge a clan, tribe, kingdom, or empire that was wiped out. | |
| 6 | I have a trinket that I believe is the key to finding a long-lost society. |
| d6 | Flaw | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boats make me seasick. | |
| 2 | I talk to myself, and I don't make friends easily. | |
| 3 | I believe that I'm intellectually superior to people from other cultures and have much to teach them. | |
| 4 | I've picked up some unpleasant habits living among goblins, lizardfolk, or orcs. | |
| 5 | I complain about everything. | |
| 6 | I wear a tribal mask and never take it off. |
Archaeologist
An archaeologist learns about the long-lost and fallen cultures of the past by studying their remains—their bones, their ruins, their surviving masterworks, and their tombs. Those who practice archaeology travel to the far corners of 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.
- Skill Proficiencies: History, Survival
- Tool Proficiencies: Cartographer's tools or navigator's tools
- Languages: One of your choice
- 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 con- taining 25 gp
Dust Digger
Prior to becoming an adventurer, you spent most of your young life crawling around in the dust, pilfering relics of questionable value from crypts and ruins. Though you managed to sell a few of your discoveries and earn enough coin to buy proper adventuring gear, you have held onto an item that has great emotional value to you. Roll on the Signature Item table to see what you have, or choose an item from the table.
Signature Item
| d8 | Item |
|---|---|
| 1 | 10-foot pole |
| 2 | Crowbar |
| 3 | Hat |
| 4 | Hooded Lantern |
| d8 | Item |
|---|---|
| 5 | Medallion |
| 6 | Shovel |
| 7 | Sledgehammer |
| 8 | Whip |
Feature: Historical Knowledge
When you enter a ruin or dungeon, you can correctly as- certain its original purpose and determine its builders, whether those were dwarves, elves, humans, yuan-ti, or some other known race. In addition, you can deter- mine the monetary value of art objects more than a century old.
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.
| d8 | 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 | Traps don't make me nervous. Idiots who trigger traps make me nervous. | |
| 7 | I might fail, but I will never give up. | |
| 8 | 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. (Good) | |
| 2 | Greed. I won't risk my life for nothing. I expect some kind of payment. (Any) | |
| 3 | Death Wish. Nothing is more exhilarating than a narrow escape from the jaws of death. (Chaotic) | |
| 4 | Dignity. The dead and their belongings deserve to be treated with respect. (Lawful) | |
| 5 | Immortality. All my exploring is part of a plan to find the secret of everlasting life. (Any) | |
| 6 | Danger. With every great discovery comes grave danger. The two walk hand in hand. (Any) |
| 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. |
Charlatan
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.
- Skill Proficiencies: Deception, Sleight of Hand
- Tool Proficiencies: Disguise kit, forgery kit
- 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.
Feature: 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. |
Feature: False Identity
You have created a second identity that includes documentation, established acquaintances, and disguises that allow you to assume that persona. Additionally, you can forge documents including the official papers and personal letters, as long as you have seen an example of the kind of document or the handwriting what you are trying to copy.
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.
| d8 | 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. | |
| 7 | I keep multiple holy symbols on me and invoke whatever deity might come in useful at any given moment. | |
| 8 | I pocket anything I see that might have some value. |
| d6 | Ideal | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Independence: I am a free spirit – no one tells me what to do. (Chaotic) | |
| 2 | Fairness: I never target people who can't afford to lose a few coins. (Lawful) | |
| 3 | Charity: I distribute the money I acquire to the people who really need it. (Good) | |
| 4 | Creativity: I never run the same con twice. (Chaotic) | |
| 5 | Friendship: Material goods come and go. Bonds of friendship last forever. (Good) | |
| 6 | Aspiration: I'm determined to make something of myself. (Any) |
| d6 | Bond | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | I fleeced the wrong person and must work to ensure that this individual 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 seek to atone for my misdeeds but might never be able to 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. |
Criminal
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.
- Skill Proficiencies: Deception, Stealth
- Tool Proficiencies: One type of gaming set, thieves’ tools
- Equipment: A crowbar, a set of dark common clothes including a hood, and a 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 |
Feature: Criminal Contact
You have a reliable and trustworthy contact who acts as your liaison to a network of other criminals. You know how to get messages to and from your contact, even over great distances; specifically, you know the local messengers, corrupt caravan masters, and seedy sailors who can deliver messages for you.
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.
| d8 | 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 | The first thing I do in a new place is note the locations of everything valuable—or where such things could be hidden. | |
| 4 | I would rather make a new friend than a new enemy. | |
| 5 | I am incredibly slow to trust. Those who seem the fairest often have the most to hide. | |
| 6 | I don’t pay attention to the risks in a situation. Never tell me the odds. | |
| 7 | The best way to get me to do something is to tell me I can’t do it. | |
| 8 | I blow up at the slightest insult. |
| d6 | Ideal | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Honor. I don’t steal from others in the trade. (Lawful) | |
| 2 | Freedom. Chains are meant to be broken, as are those who would forge them. (Chaotic) | |
| 3 | Charity. I steal from the wealthy so that I can help people in need. (Good) | |
| 4 | Greed. I will do whatever it takes to become wealthy. (Evil) | |
| 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. (Neutral) | |
| 6 | Redemption. There’s a spark of good in everyone. (Good) |
| 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 a 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. |
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.
Entertainer
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.
- Skill Proficiencies: Acrobatics, Performance
- Tool Proficiencies: Disguise kit, one type of musical instrument
- Equipment: A musical instrument (one of your choice), the favor of an admirer (love letter, lock of hair, or trinket), a costume, and a 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 | Instrumentalist | |
| 7 | Poet | |
| 8 | Singer | |
| 9 | Storyteller | |
| 10 | Tumbler |
Feature: By Popular Demand
You can always find a place to perform, usually in an inn or tavern but possibly with a circus, at a theater, or even in a noble's court. At such a place, you receive free lodging and food of a modest or comfortable standard (depending on the quality of the establishment), as long as you perform each night. In addition, your performance makes you something of a local figure. When strangers recognize you in a town where performed, they typically take a liking to you, you have
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.
| d8 | 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 | Nobody stays angry at me or around me for long, since I can defuse any amount of tension. | |
| 5 | I love a good insult, even one directed at me. | |
| 6 | I get bitter if I'm not the center of attention. | |
| 7 | I'll settle for nothing less than perfection. | |
| 8 | I change my mood or my mind as quickly as I change key in a song. |
| d6 | Ideal | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Beauty. When I perform, I make the world better than it was. (Good) | |
| 2 | Tradition. The stories, legends, and songs of the past must never be forgotten, for they teach us who we are. (Lawful) | |
| 3 | Creativity. The world is in need of new ideas and bold action. (Chaotic) | |
| 4 | Greed. I'm only in it for the money and fame. (Evil) | |
| 5 | People. I like seeing the smiles on people's faces when I perform. That's all that matters. (Neutral) | |
| 6 | Honesty. Art should reflect the soul; it should come from within and reveal who we really are. (Any) |
| 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. |
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. Using your By Popular Demand feature, you can find a place to perform in any place that features combat for entertainment-perhaps a gladiatorial arena or secret pit fighting club. You can replace the musical instrument in your equipment package with an inexpensive but unusual weapon, such as a trident or net.
Fisher
You have spent your life aboard fishing vessels or combing the shallows for the bounty of the ocean. Perhaps you were born into a family of fisher folk, working with your kin to feed your village. Maybe the job was a means to an end a way out of an undesirable circumstance that forced you to take up life aboard a ship. Regardless of how you began, you soon fell in love with the sea, the art of fishing, and the promise of the eternal horizon.
- Skill Proficiencies: History, Survival
- Languages: One of your choice
- Equipment: Fishing tackle, a net, a favorite fishing lure or oiled leather wading boots, a set of traveler's clothes, and a belt pouch containing 10 gp.
Feature: Harvest The Water
You gain advantage on ability checks made using fishing tackle. If you have access to a body of water that sustains marine life, you can maintain a moderate lifestyle while working as a fisher, and you can catch enough food to feed yourself and up to ten other people each day.
Fishing Tale
You can tell a compelling tale, whether tall or true, to impress and entertain others. Once a day, you can tell your story to willing listeners. At the DM's discretion, a number of those listeners become friendly toward you; this is not a magical effect, and continued amicability on their part depends on your actions. You can roll on the following table to help determine the theme of your tale or choose one that best fits your character. Alternatively, work with your DM to create your own fishing tale.
| d8 | Tale | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lobster Wrestling: You fought in hand-to-hand combat with an immense lobster. | |
| 2 | It Dragged the Boat: You nearly caught a fish of monstrous size that pulled your boat for miles. | |
| 3 | Fins of Pure Gold: You caught a sea animal whose fins were made of pure gold, but another fisher stole it. | |
| 4 | Ghost Fish: You are haunted by a ghostly fish that only you can see. | |
| 5 | Nemesis Clam: A large clam containing a pearl the size of your head claimed one of your fingers before jetting away; one day, you'll find that clam. | |
| 6 | It Swallowed the Sun: You once saw a fish leap from the water and turn day into night. | |
| 7 | Dive into the Abyss: You found yourself in an underwater cave leading to the Abyss, and your luck has been sour ever since. | |
| 8 | Love Story: You fell in love with a creature of pure water, but your brief romance ended tragically. |
Suggested Characteristics
Fishers succeed only if they spend time at their jobs. As such, most fishers have a strong work ethic, and they admire others who earn their living honestly. Fishers tend to be superstitious, forming attachments to particular fishing lures or special fishing spots. They have a connection to the bodies of water in which they fish, and they think poorly of those whose actions adversely affect their livelihood.
| d8 | Personality Trait | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | I am unmoved by the wrath of nature. | |
| 2 | My friends are my crew; we sink or float together. | |
| 3 | I need long stretches of quiet to clear my head. | |
| 4 | Rich folk don't know the satisfaction of hard work. | |
| 5 | I laugh heartily, feel deeply, and fear nothing. | |
| 6 | I work hard; nature offers no handouts. | |
| 7 | I dislike bargaining; state your price and mean it. | |
| 8 | Luck favors me, and I take risks others might not. |
| d6 | Ideal | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Camaraderie: Good people make even the longest voyage bearable. (Good) | |
| 2 | Luck: Our luck depends on respecting its rules—now throw this salt over your shoulder. (Lawful) | |
| 3 | Daring: The richest bounty goes to those who risk everything. (Chaotic) | |
| 4 | Plunder: Take all that you can and leave nothing for the scavengers. (Evil) | |
| 5 | Balance: Do not fish the same spot twice in a row; suppress your greed, and nature will reward you. (Neutral) | |
| 6 | Hard Work: No wave can move a soul hard at work. (Any) |
| d6 | Bond | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | I lost something important in the deep sea, and I intend to find it. | |
| 2 | Someone else's greed destroyed my livelihood, and I will be compensated. | |
| 3 | I will fish the many famous waters of this land. | |
| 4 | The gods saved me during a terrible storm, and I will honor their gift. | |
| 5 | My destiny awaits me at the bottom of a particular pond in the Feywild. | |
| 6 | I must repay my village's debt. |
| d6 | Flaw | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | I am judgmental, especially of those I deem homebodies or otherwise lazy. | |
| 2 | I become depressed and anxious if I'm away from the sea too long. | |
| 3 | I have lived a hard life and find it difficult to empathize with others. | |
| 4 | I am inclined to tell long-winded stories at inopportune times. | |
| 5 | I work hard, but I play harder. | |
| 6 | I am obsessed with catching an elusive aquatic beast, often to the detriment of other pursuits. |
Folk Hero
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.
- Skill Proficiencies: Animal Handling, Survival
- Tool Proficiencies: One type of artisan’s tools, vehicles (land)
- Equipment: A set of artisan’s tools (one of your choice), a shovel, an iron pot, a set of common clothes, and a 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 | I stood alone against a terrible monster. | |
| 4 | I stole from a corrupt merchant to help the poor. | |
| 5 | I led a militia to fight off an invading army. | |
| 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 protest against it. | |
| 9 | A celestial, fey, or similar creature gave me a blessing or revealed my secret origin. | |
| 10 | Recruited into a lord’s army, I rose to leadership and was commended for my heroism. |
Feature: Rustic Hospitality
Since you come from the ranks of the common folk, you fit in among them with ease. You can find a place to hide, rest, or recuperate among other commoners, unless you have shown yourself to be a danger to them. They will shield you from the law or anyone else searching for you, though they will not risk their lives for you.
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.
| d8 | 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 have a strong sense of fair play and always try to find the most equitable solution to arguments. | |
| 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. | |
| 7 | I misuse long words in an attempt to sound smarter. | |
| 8 | I get bored easily. When am I going to get on with my destiny? |
| d6 | Ideal | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Respect. People deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. (Good) | |
| 2 | Fairness. No one should get preferential treatment before the law, and no one is above the law. (Lawful) | |
| 3 | Freedom. Tyrants must not be allowed to oppress the people. (Chaotic) | |
| 4 | Might. If I become strong, I can take what I want—what I deserve. (Evil) | |
| 5 | Sincerity. There’s no good in pretending to be something I’m not. (Neutral) | |
| 6 | Destiny. Nothing and no one can steer me away from my higher calling. (Any) |
| 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. |
Guild Artisan
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.
- Skill Proficiencies: Insight, Persuasion
- Tool Proficiencies: One type of artisan's tools
- Languages: One of your choice
- 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 pouch containing 15 gp.
Guild Business
Guilds are generally found in cities large enough to support several artisans practicing the same trade. However, your guild might instead be a loose network of artisans who each work in a different village within a larger realm. Work with your DM to determine the nature of your guild. You can select your guild business from the Guild Business table or roll randomly.
| d20 | Guild Business | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alchemists and apothecaries | |
| 2 | Armorers, locksmiths, and finesmiths | |
| 3 | Brewers, distillers, and vintners | |
| 4 | Calligraphers, scribes, and scriveners | |
| 5 | Carpenters, roofers, and plasterers | |
| 6 | Cartographers, surveyors, and chart-makers | |
| 7 | Cobblers and shoemakers | |
| 8 | Cooks and bakers | |
| 9 | Glassblowers and glaziers | |
| 10 | Jewelers and gemcutters | |
| 11 | Leatherworkers, skinners, and tanners | |
| 12 | Masons and stonecutters | |
| 13 | Painters, limners, and sign-makers | |
| 14 | Potters and tile-makers | |
| 15 | Shipwrights and sailmakers | |
| 16 | Smiths and metal-forgers | |
| 17 | Tinkers, pewterers, and casters | |
| 18 | Wagon-makers and wheelwrights | |
| 19 | Weavers and dyers | |
| 20 | Woodcarvers, coopers, and bowyers |
As a member of your guild, you know the skills needed to create finished items from raw materials (reflected in your proficiency with a certain kind of artisan's tools), as well as the principles of trade and good business practices. The question now is whether you abandon your trade for adventure, or take on the extra effort to weave adventuring and trade together.
Feature: Guild Membership
As an established and respected member of a guild, you can rely on certain benefits that membership provides. Your fellow guild members will provide you with lodging and food if necessary, and pay for your funeral if needed. In some cities and towns, a guildhall offers a central place to meet other members of your profession, which can be a good place to meet potential patrons, allies, or hirelings.
Guilds often wield tremendous political power. If you are accused of a crime, your guild will support you if a good case can be made for your innocence or the crime is justifiable. You can also gain access to powerful political figures through the guild, if you are a member in good standing. Such connections might require the donation of money or magic items to the guild's coffers.
You must pay dues of 5 gp per month to the guild. If you miss payments, you must make up back dues to remain in the guild's good graces.
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.
| d8 | Personality Trait | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | I believe that anything worth doing is worth doing right. I can't help it – I'm a perfectionist. | |
| 2 | I'm a snob who looks down on those who can't appreciate fine art. | |
| 3 | I always want to know how things work and what makes people tick. | |
| 4 | I'm full of witty aphorisms and have a proverb for every occasion. | |
| 5 | I'm rude to people who lack my commitment to hard work and fair play. | |
| 6 | I like to talk at length about my profession. | |
| 7 | I don't part with my money easily and will haggle tirelessly to get the best deal possible. | |
| 8 | I'm well known for my work, and I want to make sure everyone appreciates it. I'm always taken aback when people haven't heard of me. |
| d6 | Ideal | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Community. It is the duty of all civilized people to strengthen the bonds of community and the security of civilization. (Lawful) | |
| 2 | Generosity. My talents were given to me so that I could use them to benefit the world. (Good) | |
| 3 | Freedom. Everyone should be free to pursue his or her own livelihood. (Chaotic) | |
| 4 | Greed. I'm only in it for the money. (Evil) | |
| 5 | People. I'm committed to the people I care about, not to ideals. (Neutral) | |
| 6 | Aspiration. I work hard to be the best there is at my craft. |
| d6 | Bond | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The workshop where I learned my trade is the most important place in the world to me. | |
| 2 | I created a great work for someone, and then found them unworthy to receive it. I'm still looking for someone worthy. | |
| 3 | I owe my guild a great debt for forging me into the person I am today. | |
| 4 | I pursue wealth to secure someone's love. | |
| 5 | One day I will return to my guild and prove that I am the greatest artisan of them all. | |
| 6 | I will get revenge on the evil forces that destroyed my place of business and ruined my livelihood. |
| d6 | Flaw | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | I'll do anything to get my hands on something rare or priceless. | |
| 2 | I'm quick to assume that someone is trying to cheat me. | |
| 3 | No one must ever learn that I once stole money from guild coffers. | |
| 4 | I'm never satisfied with what I have – I always want more. | |
| 5 | I would kill to acquire a noble title. | |
| 6 | I'm horribly jealous of anyone who can outshine my handiwork. Everywhere I go, I'm surrounded by rivals. |
Variant Guild Artisan: 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. Rather than proficiency with artisan's tools, you might be proficient with navigator's tools or an additional language. And instead of artisan's tools, you can start with a mule and a cart.
Hermit
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.
- Skill Proficiencies: Medicine, Religion Tool
- Proficiencies: Herbalism kit
- Languages: One of your choice
- 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 or 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. |
Feature: Discovery
The quiet seclusion of your extended hermitage gave you access to a unique and powerful discovery. The exact nature of this revelation depends on the nature of your seclusion. It might be a great truth about the cosmos, the deities, the powerful beings of the outer planes, or the forces of nature. It could be a site that no one else has ever seen. You might have uncovered a fact that has long been forgotten, or unearthed some relic of the past that could rewrite history. It might be information that would be damaging to the people who or consigned you to exile, and hence the reason for your return to society.
Work with your DM to determine the details of your discovery and its impact on the campaign.
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.
| d8 | 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 | The leader of my community had something wise to say on every topic, and I am eager to share that wisdom. | |
| 4 | I feel tremendous empathy for all who suffer. | |
| 5 | I'm oblivious to etiquette and social expectations. | |
| 6 | I connect everything that happens to me to a grand, cosmic plan. | |
| 7 | I often get lost in my own thoughts and contemplation, becoming oblivious to my surroundings. | |
| 8 | 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. (Good) | |
| 2 | Logic. Emotions must not cloud our sense of what is right and true, or our logical thinking. (Lawful) | |
| 3 | Free Thinking. Inquiry and curiosity are the pillars of progress. (Chaotic) | |
| 4 | Power. Solitude and contemplation are paths toward mystical or magical power. (Evil) | |
| 5 | Live and Let Live. Meddling in the affairs of others only causes trouble. (Neutral) | |
| 6 | Self-Knowledge. If you know yourself, there's nothing left to know. (Any) |
| 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. |
Other Hermits
This hermit background assumes a contemplative sort of seclusion that allows room for study and prayer. If you want to play a rugged wilderness recluse who lives off the land while shunning the company of other people, look at the outlander background. On the other hand, if you want to go in a more religious direction, the acolyte might be what you're looking for. Or you could even be a charlatan, posing as a wise and holy person and letting pious fools support you.
Marine
You were trained for battle on sandy beaches and rocky shores. You have launched midnight raids from swift ships whose names evoke terror in the hearts of your ad- versaries. The water is your second home, the rain your shelter, and the crashing waves your battle cry.
- Skill Proficiencies: Athletics, Survival
- Tool Proficiencies: Vehicles (water, land)
- Equipment: A dagger that belonged to a fallen comrade, a folded flag emblazoned with the symbol of your ship or company, a set of traveler's clothes, and a belt pouch containing 10 gp.
Feature: Steady
You can move twice the normal amount of time (up to 16 hours) each day before being subject to the effect of a forced march (see "Travel Pace" in chapter 8 of thePlayer's Handbook). Additionally, you can automatically find a safe route to land a boat on shore, provided such a route exists.
Hardship Endured
Hardship in your past has forged you into an unstoppable living weapon. This hardship is essential to you and is at the heart of a personal philosophy or ethos that often guides your actions. You can roll on the following table to determine this hardship or choose one that best fits your character.
| d6 | Hardship | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | You hid underwater to avoid detection by enemies and held your breath for an extremely long time. Just before you would have died, you had a revelation about your existence. | |
| 2 | You spent months enduring thirst, starvation, and torture at the hands of your enemy, but you never broke. | |
| 3 | You enabled the escape of your fellow soldiers, but at great cost to yourself. Some of your past comrades may think you're dead. | |
| 4 | No reasonable explanation can explain how you survived a particular battle. Every arrow and bolt missed you. You slew scores of enemies single-handedly and led your comrades to victory. | |
| 5 | For days, you hid in the bilge of an enemy ship, surviving on brackish water and foolhardy rats. At the right moment, you crept up to the deck and took over the ship on your own. | |
| 6 | You carried an injured marine for miles to avoid capture and death. |
Suggested Characteristics
Marines are looked up to by other soldiers and respected by their superiors. They are veteran warriors who rarely lose composure on the battlefield. Marines who leave the service tend to work as mercenaries, but their combat experience also makes them excellent adventurers. Though they are self-reliant, marines tend to operate best in groups, valuing camaraderie and the companionship of like-minded individuals.
| d8 | Personality Trait | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | I speak rarely but mean every word I say. | |
| 2 | I laugh loudly and see the humor in stressful situations. | |
| 3 | I prefer to solve problems without violence, but I finish fights decisively. | |
| 4 | I enjoy being out in nature; poor weather never sours my mood. | |
| 5 | I am dependable. | |
| 6 | I am always working on some project or other. | |
| 7 | I become cantankerous and quiet in the rain. | |
| 8 | When the sea is within my sight, my mood is jovial and optimistic. |
| d6 | Ideal | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Teamwork: Success depends on cooperation and communication. (Good) | |
| 2 | Code: The marines' code provides a solution for every problem, and following it is imperative. (Lawful) | |
| 3 | Embracing: Life is messy. Throwing yourself into the worst of it is necessary to get the job done. (Chaotic) | |
| 4 | Might: The strong train so that they might rule those who are weak. (Evil) | |
| 5 | Bravery: To act when others quake in fear- this is the essence of the warrior. (Any) | |
| 6 | Perseverance: No injury or obstacle can turn me from my goal. (Any) |
| d6 | Bond | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | I face danger and evil to offset an unredeemable act in my past. | |
| 2 | I. Will. Finish. The. Job. | |
| 3 | I must set an example of hope for those who have given up. | |
| 4 | I'm searching for a fellow marine captured by an elusive enemy. | |
| 5 | Fear leads to tyranny, and both must be eradicated. | |
| 6 | My commander betrayed my unit, and I will have revenge. |
| d6 | Flaw | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | I grow combative and unpredictable when I drink. | |
| 2 | I find civilian life difficult and struggle to say the right thing in social situations. | |
| 3 | My intensity can drive others away. | |
| 4 | I hold grudges and have difficulty forgiving others. | |
| 5 | I become irrational when innocent people are hurt. | |
| 6 | I sometimes stay up all night listening to the ghosts of my fallen enemies. |
Noble
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? How does the head of your family feel about your adventuring career? Are you in your family’s good graces, or shunned by the rest of your 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.
- Skill Proficiencies: History, Persuasion
- Tool Proficiencies: One type of gaming set
- Languages: One of your choice
- Equipment: A set of fine clothes, a signet ring, a scroll of pedigree, and a purse containing 25 gp
Feature: Position of Privilege
Thanks to your noble birth, people are inclined to think the best of you. You are welcome in high society, and people assume you have the right to be wherever you are. The common folk make every effort to accommodate you and avoid your displeasure, and other people of high birth treat you as a member of the same social sphere. You can secure an audience with a local noble if you need to.
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.
| d8 | Personality Trait | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | My eloquent flattery makes everyone I talk to feel like the most wonderful and important person in the world. | |
| 2 | The common folk love me for my kindness and generosity. | |
| 3 | No one could doubt by looking at my regal bearing that I am a cut above the unwashed masses. | |
| 4 | I take great pains to always look my best and follow the latest fashions. | |
| 5 | I don’t like to get my hands dirty, and I won’t be caught dead in unsuitable accommodations. | |
| 6 | Despite my noble birth, I do not place myself above other folk. We all have the same blood. | |
| 7 | My favor, once lost, is lost forever. | |
| 8 | 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. (Good) | |
| 2 | Responsibility. It is my duty to respect the authority of those above me, just as those below me must respect mine. (Lawful) | |
| 3 | Independence. I must prove that I can handle myself without the coddling of my family. (Chaotic) | |
| 4 | Power. If I can attain more power, no one will tell me what to do. (Evil) | |
| 5 | Family. Blood runs thicker than water. (Any) | |
| 6 | Noble Obligation. It is my duty to protect and care for the people beneath me. (Good) |
| 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. |
Variant Noble: Knight
A knighthood is among the lowest noble titles in most societies, but it can be a path to higher status. If you wish to be a knight, choose the Retainers feature (see the sidebar) instead of the Position of Privilege feature. One of your commoner retainers is replaced by a noble who serves as your squire, aiding you in exchange for training on his or her own path to knighthood. Your two remaining retainers might include a groom to care for your horse and a servant who polishes your armor (and even helps you put it on).
As an emblem of chivalry and the ideals of courtly love, you might include among your equipment a banner or other token from a noble lord or lady to whom you have given your heart in a chaste sort of devotion. (This person could be your bond.)
Variant Feature: Retainers
If your character has a noble background, you may select this background feature instead of Position of Privilege.
You have the service of three retainers loyal to your family. These retainers can be attendants or messengers, and one might be a majordomo. Your retainers are commoners who can perform mundane tasks for you, but they do not fight for you, will not follow you into obviously dangerous areas (such as dungeons), and will leave if they are frequently endangered or abused
Outlander
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.
- Skill Proficiencies: Athletics, Survival
- Tool Proficiencies: One type of musical instrument
- Languages: One of your choice
- Equipment: A staff, a hunting trap, a trophy from an animal you killed, a set of traveler's clothes, and a 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.
| d10 | Origin | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Forester | |
| 2 | Trapper | |
| 3 | Homesteader | |
| 4 | Guide | |
| 5 | Exile or outcast | |
| 6 | Bounty hunter | |
| 7 | Pilgrim | |
| 8 | Tribal nomad | |
| 9 | Hunter-gatherer | |
| 10 | Tribal marauder |
Feature: Wanderer
You have an excellent memory for maps and geography, and you can always recall the general layout of terrain, settlements, and other features around you. In addition. you can find food and fresh water for yourself and up to five other people each day, provided that the land offers berries, small game, water, and so forth.
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.
| d8 | Personality Trait | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | I'm driven by a wanderlust that led me away from home. | |
| 2 | I watch over my friends as if they were a litter of newborn pups. | |
| 3 | I once ran twenty-five miles without stopping to warn my clan of an approaching orc horde. I'd do it again if I had to. | |
| 4 | I have a lesson for every situation, drawn from observing nature. | |
| 5 | I place no stock in wealthy or well-mannered folk. Money and manners won't save you from a hungry owlbear. | |
| 6 | I'm always picking things up, absently fiddling with them, and sometimes accidentally breaking them. | |
| 7 | I feel far more comfortable around animals than people. | |
| 8 | 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. (Chaotic) | |
| 2 | Greater Good. It is each person's responsibility to make the most happiness for the whole tribe. (Good) | |
| 3 | Honor. If I dishonor myself, I dishonor my whole clan. (Lawful) | |
| 4 | Might. The strongest are meant to rule. (Evil) | |
| 5 | Nature. The natural world is more important than all the constructs of civilization. (Neutral) | |
| 6 | Glory. I must earn glory in battle, for myself and my clan. (Any) |
| 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. |
Sage
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.
- Skill Proficiencies: Arcana, History
- Languages: Two of your choice
- 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 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’s apprentice |
| 8 | Scribe |
Feature: Researcher
When you attempt to learn or recall a piece of lore, if you do not know that information, you often know where and from whom you can obtain it. Usually, this information comes from a library, scriptorium, university, or a sage or other learned person or creature. Your DM might rule that the knowledge you seek is secreted away in an almost inaccessible place, or that it simply cannot be found. Unearthing the deepest secrets of the multiverse can require an adventure or even a whole campaign.
Suggested Characteristics
Sages are 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.
| d8 | 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’m willing to listen to every side of an argument before I make my own judgment. | |
| 6 | I … speak … slowly … when talking … to idiots, … which … almost … everyone … is … compared … to me. | |
| 7 | I am horribly, horribly awkward in social situations. | |
| 8 | I’m convinced that people are always trying to steal my secrets. |
| d6 | Ideal | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Knowledge. The path to power and self-improvement is through knowledge. (Neutral) | |
| 2 | Beauty. What is beautiful points us beyond itself toward what is true. (Good) | |
| 3 | Logic. Emotions must not cloud our logical thinking. (Lawful) | |
| 4 | No Limits. Nothing should fetter the infinite possibility inherent in all existence. (Chaotic) | |
| 5 | Power. Knowledge is the path to power and domination. (Evil) | |
| 6 | Self-Improvement. The goal of a life of study is the betterment of oneself. (Any) |
| 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. |
Sailor
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 Dungeon Master. 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?
- Skill Proficiencies: Athletics, Perception Tool
- Proficiencies: Navigator's tools, vehicles (water)
- 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), a set of common clothes, and a pouch containing 10 gp.
Feature: Ship's Passage
When you need to, you can secure free passage on a sailing ship for yourself and adventuring your companions. You might sail on the ship you served on, or another ship you have good relations with (perhaps one captained by a former crewmate). Because you're calling in a favor, you can't be certain of a schedule or route that will meet your every need. Your Dungeon Master will determine how long it takes to get where you need to go. In return for your free passage, you your companions are expected to assist the crew during the voyage.
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.
| d8 | Personality Trait | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | My friends know they can rely on me, no matter what. | |
| 2 | I work hard so that I can play hard when the work is done. | |
| 3 | I enjoy sailing into new ports and making new friends over a flagon of ale. | |
| 4 | I stretch the truth for the sake of a good story. | |
| 5 | To me, a tavern brawl is a nice way to get to know a new city. | |
| 6 | I never pass up a friendly wager. | |
| 7 | My language is as foul as an otyugh nest. | |
| 8 | 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. (Good) | |
| 2 | Fairness. We all do the work, so we all share in the rewards. (Lawful) | |
| 3 | Freedom. The sea is freedom-the freedom to go anywhere and do anything. (Chaotic) | |
| 4 | Mastery. I'm a predator, and the other ships on the sea are my prey. (Evil) | |
| 5 | People. I'm committed to my crewmates, not to ideals. (Neutral) | |
| 6 | Aspiration. Someday I'll own my own ship and chart my own destiny. (Any) |
| 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. |
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. If you decide that your sailing career involved piracy, you can choose the Bad Reputation feature (see sidebar) instead of the Ship's Passage feature.
Variant Feature: Bad Reputation
If your character has a sailor background, you may select this background feature instead of Ship's Passage.
No matter where you go, people are afraid of you due to your reputation. When you are in a civilized settlement, you can get away with minor criminal offenses, such as refusing to pay for food at a tavern or breaking down doors at a local shop, since most people will not report your activity to the authorities.
Shipwright
You have sailed into war on the decks of great ships, patching their hulls with soup bowls and prayers. You once helped build a fishing vessel that single-handedly prow in your dreams that saved a town from starvation. You have seen a majestic you have not been able to replicate in wood. Since childhood, you have loved the water and have been captivated by the many vessels that travel on it.
- Skill Proficiencies: History, Perception
- Tool Proficiencies: Carpenter's tools, vehicles (water)
- Equipment: A set of well-loved carpenter's tools, a blank book, 1 ounce of ink, an ink pen, a set of travel- er's clothes, and a leather pouch with 10 gp.
Feature: I'll Patch It!
Provided you have carpenter's tools and wood, you can perform repairs on a water vehicle. When you use this ability, you restore a number of hit points to the hull of a water vehicle equal to 5 x your proficiency modifier. A vehicle cannot be patched by you in this way again until after it has been pulled ashore and fully repaired.
Life At Sea
Your life at sea and in port has shaped you; you can roll on the following table to determine its impact or choose an element that best fits your character.
| d6 | Sea's Influence | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grand Designs: You are working on plans and schematics for a new, very fast ship. You must examine as many different kinds of vessels as possible to help ensure the success of your design. | |
| 2 | Solid and Sound: You patched up a war gallery and prevented it from sinking. The local navy regards you as a friend. | |
| 3 | Favored: You insisted on thicker planking for a merchant vessel’s hull, which saved it from sinking when it smashed against a reef. You have a standing invitation to visit the merchant’s distant mansion. | |
| 4 | Master of Armaments: You specialized in designing and mounting defenses for the navy. You easily recognize and determine the quality of such items. | |
| 5 | Low Places: You have contacts in the smuggling outfits along the coast, you occasionally repear the criminals’ ships in exchange for coin and favors. | |
| 6 | Mysteries of the Deep: You experienced as encounter with possibly divine being while sailing alone. Work with your DM to determine the secret about the deep waters of the sea that this entity revealed to you. |
Suggested Characteristics
Shipwrights are resourceful carpenters and designers. They often have a dedicated spot at the local tavern, since shipwrights are invaluable to coastal communities. Some travel with naval fleets and might serve as officers if their temperament suits it. Shipwrights have an affinity for working with their hands and often perform feats of carpentry that others might deem miraculous.
| d8 | Personality Trait | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | I love talking and being heard more than I like to listen. | |
| 2 | I’m extremely fond of puzzles. | |
| 3 | I thrive under pressure. | |
| 4 | I love sketching and designing objects, especially boats. | |
| 5 | I’m not afraid of hard work-in fact, I prefer it. | |
| 6 | A pipe, an ale, and the smell of the sea; paradise. | |
| 7 | I have an endless supply of cautionary tales related to the sea. | |
| 8 | I don’t mind getting my hands dirty. |
| d6 | Ideal | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Crew: If everyone on deck pitches in, we’ll never sink. (Good) | |
| 2 | Careful Lines: A ship must be balanced according to the laws of the universe. (Lawful) | |
| 3 | Invention: Make what you need out of whatever is at hand. (Chaotic) | |
| 4 | Perfection: To measure a being and find it lacking is the greatest disappointment. (Evil) | |
| 5 | Reflection: Muddled water always clears in time. (Any) | |
| 6 | Hope: The horizon at sea holds the greatest promise. |
| d6 | Bond | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | I must visit all the oceans of the world and behold the shops that sail there. | |
| 2 | Much of the treasure I claim will be used to enrich my community. | |
| 3 | I must find a kind of wood rumored to possess magical qualities. | |
| 4 | I repair broken things to redeem what’s broken in myself. | |
| 5 | I will craft a boat capable of sailing through the most dangerous of storms. | |
| 6 | A kraken destroyed my masterpiece; its teeth shall adorn my hearth. |
| d6 | Flaw | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | I don’t know when to throw something away. You never know when it might be useful again. | |
| 2 | I get frustrated to the point of distraction by shoddy craftsmanship. | |
| 3 | Though I am an excellent crafter, my work tends to look as though it belongs on a ship. | |
| 4 | I am so obsessed with sketching my ideas for elaborate inventions that I somtimes forget little things like eating and sleeping. | |
| 5 | I’m judgemental of those who are not skilled with tools of some kind. | |
| 6 | I sometimes take things that don’t belong to me, especially if they are very well made. |
Smuggler
On a rickety barge, you carried a hundred longswords in fish barrels right past the dock master's oblivious lackeys. You have paddled a riverboat filled with stolen elven wine under the gaze of the moon and sold it for twice its value in the morning. In your more charitable times, you have transported innocents out of war zones or helped guide herd animals to safety on the banks of a burning river.
- Skill Proficiencies: Athletics, Deception
- Tool Proficiencies: Vehicles (water)
- Equipment: A fancy leather vest or a pair of leather boots, a set of common clothes, and a leather pouch with 15 gp.
Feature: Down Low
You are acquainted with a network of smugglers who are willing to help you out of tight situations. While in a particular town, city, or other similarly sized community (DM's discretion), you and your companions can stay for free in safe houses. Safe houses provide a poor lifestyle. While staying at a safe house, you can choose to keep your presence (and that of your companions) a secret.
Claim To Fame
Every smuggler has that one tale that sets them apart from common criminals. By wits, sailing skill, or a silver tongue, you lived to tell the storyand you tell it often. You can roll on the following table to determine your claim or choose one that best fits your character.
| d6 | Accomplishment | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spirit of the Whale: You smuggled stolen dwarven spirits in the body of a dead whale being pulled behind a fishing boat. When you delivered the goods, the corpse suddenly exploded, sending whale meat and whiskey bottles for half a mile. | |
| 2 | Cart and Sword: You drove a cart filled with stolen art through the middle of a battlefield while singing sea shanties to confuse the combatants. | |
| 3 | The Recruit: You enlisted in another nation's navy for the purpose of smuggling stolen jewels to a distant port. You attained a minor rank before disappearing from the navy and making your way here. | |
| 4 | River of Shadows: Your riverboat accidentally slipped through the veil into the Shadowfell for several hours. While you were there, you sold some stolen dragonborn artifacts before returning to this plane and paddling home. | |
| 5 | Gold-Hearted: You agreed to transport a family escaping a war. The baby began to cry at a checkpoint, and you gave the guards all your gold to let you pass. The family never found out about this gesture. | |
| 6 | Playing Both Sides: You once smuggled crates of crossbow bolts and bundles of arrows, each destined for an opposing side in a regional war, at the same time. The buyers arrived within moments of each other but did not discover your trickery. |
Suggested Characteristics
In general, smugglers value survival, and then profit, above other things. One could be a part of a larger organization, or might run a small smuggling vessel of their own. Smugglers live the lies they have told, and they have a natural ability to recall all the falsehoods and half-truths they have ever spouted.
| d8 | Personality Trait | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | I love being on the water but hate fishing. | |
| 2 | I think of everything in terms of monetary value. | |
| 3 | I never stop smiling. | |
| 4 | Nothing rattles me; I have a lie for every occasion. | |
| 5 | I love gold but won't cheat a friend. | |
| 6 | I enjoy doing things others believe to be impossible. | |
| 7 | I become wistful when I see the sun rise over the ocean. | |
| 8 | I am no common criminal; I am a mastermind. |
| d6 | Ideal | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wealth. Heaps of coins in a secure vault is all I dream of. (Any) | |
| 2 | Smuggler's Code. I uphold the unwritten rules of the smugglers, who do not cheat one another or directly harm innocents. (Lawful) | |
| 3 | All for a Coin. I'll do nearly anything if it means I turn a profit. (Evil) | |
| 4 | Peace and Prosperity. I smuggle only to achieve a greater goal that benefits my community. (Good) | |
| 5 | People For all. my many lies, I place a high value on friendship. (Any) | |
| 6 | Daring. I am most happy when risking everything. (Any) |
| d6 | Bond | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | My vessel was stolen from me, and I burn with the desire to recover it. | |
| 2 | I intend to become the leader of the network of smugglers that I belong to. | |
| 3 | I owe a debt that cannot be repaid in gold. | |
| 4 | After one last job, I will retire from the business. | |
| 5 | I was tricked by a fellow smuggler who stole something precious from me. I will find that thief. | |
| 6 | I give most of my profits to a charitable cause, and I don't like to brag about it. |
| d6 | Flaw | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lying is reflexive, and I sometimes engage in it without realizing. | |
| 2 | I tend to assess my relationships in terms of profit and loss. | |
| 3 | I believe everyone has a price and am cynical toward those who present themselves as virtuous. | |
| 4 | I struggle to trust the words of others. | |
| 5 | Few people know the real me. | |
| 6 | Though I act charming, I feel nothing for others and don't know what friendship is. |
Soldier
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.
- Skill Proficiencies: Athletics, Intimidation
- Tool Proficiencies: One type of gaming set, vehicles (land)
- 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 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 (cook, blacksmith, or the like) |
Feature: Military Rank
You have a military rank from your career as a soldier. Soldiers loyal to your former military organization still recognize your authority and influence, and they defer to you if they are of a lower rank. You can invoke your rank to exert influence over other soldiers and requisition simple equipment or horses for temporary use. You can also usually gain access to friendly military encampments and fortresses where your rank is recognized.
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.
| d8 | Personality Trait | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | I’m always polite and respectful. | |
| 2 | I’m haunted by memories of war. I can’t get the images of violence out of my mind. | |
| 3 | I’ve lost too many friends, and I’m slow to make new ones. | |
| 4 | I’m full of inspiring and cautionary tales from my military experience relevant to almost every combat situation. | |
| 5 | I can stare down a hell hound without flinching. | |
| 6 | I enjoy being strong and like breaking things. | |
| 7 | I have a crude sense of humor. | |
| 8 | 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. (Good) | |
| 2 | Responsibility. I do what I must and obey just authority. (Lawful) | |
| 3 | Independence. When people follow orders blindly, they embrace a kind of tyranny. (Chaotic) | |
| 4 | Might. In life as in war, the stronger force wins. (Evil) | |
| 5 | Live and Let Live. Ideals aren’t worth killing over or going to war for. (Neutral) | |
| 6 | Nation. My city, nation, or people are all that matter. (Any) |
| 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 that 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. |
Urchin
You grew up on the streets alone, orphaned, and poor. You had no one to watch over you or to provide for you, so you learned to provide for yourself. You fought fiercely over food and kept a constant watch out for other desperate souls who might steal from you. You slept on rooftops and in alleyways, exposed to the elements, and endured sickness without the advantage of medicine or a place to recuperate. You've survived despite all odds, and did so through cunning, strength, speed, or some combination of each. You begin your adventuring career with enough money to live modestly but securely for at least ten days. How did you come by that money? What allowed you to break free of your desperate circumstances and embark on a better life?
- Skill Proficiencies: Sleight of Hand, Stealth Tool
- Proficiencies: Disguise kit, thieves' tools
- Equipment: A small knife, a map of the city you grew up in, a pet mouse, a token to remember your parents by, a set of common clothes, and a pouch containing 10 gp.
Feature: City Secrets
You know the secret patterns and flow to cities and can find passages through the urban sprawl that others would miss. When you are not in combat, you (and companions you lead) can travel between any two locations in the city twice as fast as your speed would normally allow.
Suggested Characteristics
Urchins are shaped by lives of desperate poverty, for good and for ill. They tend to be driven either by a commitment to the people with whom they shared life on the street or by a burning desire to find a better life- and maybe get some payback on all the rich people who treated them badly.
| d8 | Personality Trait | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | I hide scraps of food and trinkets away in my pockets. | |
| 2 | I ask a lot of questions. | |
| 3 | I like to squeeze into small places where no one else can get to me. | |
| 4 | I sleep with my back to a wall or tree, with everything I own wrapped in a bundle in my arms. | |
| 5 | I eat like a pig and have bad manners. | |
| 6 | I think anyone who's nice to me is hiding evil intent. | |
| 7 | I don't like to bathe. | |
| 8 | I bluntly say what other people are hinting at or hiding. |
| d6 | Ideal | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Respect: All people, rich or poor, deserve respect. (Good) | |
| 2 | Community: We have to take care of each other, because no one else is going to do it. (Lawful) | |
| 3 | Change: The low are lifted up, and the high and mighty are brought down. Change is the nature of things. (Chaotic) | |
| 4 | Retribution: The rich need to be shown what life and death are like in the gutters. (Evil) | |
| 5 | People: I help the people who help me-that's what keeps us alive. (Neutral) | |
| 6 | Aspiration: I'm going to prove that I'm worthy of a better life. (Any) |
| d6 | Bond | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | My town or city is my home, and I'll fight to defend it. | |
| 2 | I sponsor an orphanage to keep others from enduring what I was forced to endure. | |
| 3 | I owe my survival to another urchin who taught me to live on the streets. | |
| 4 | I owe a debt I can never repay to the person who took pity on me. | |
| 5 | I escaped my life of poverty by robbing an important person, and I'm wanted for it. | |
| 6 | No one else should have to endure the hardships I've been through. |
| d6 | Flaw | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | If I'm outnumbered, I will run away from a fight. | |
| 2 | Gold seems like a lot of money to me, and I'll do just about anything for more of it. | |
| 3 | I will never fully trust anyone other than myself. | |
| 4 | I'd rather kill someone in their sleep then fight fair. | |
| 5 | It's not stealing if I need it more than someone else. | |
| 6 | People who can't take care of themselves get what they deserve. |
Chapter 2: Deities
Divine Domains
The following Divine Domains are found in the Dragonsmaw Chronicles: Arcana, Chaos, Darkness, Death, Forge, Grave, Justice, Knowledge, Life, Light, Lust, Nature, Order, Peace, Tempest, Trickery, Twilight, War
Gods of Dragonsmaw
| Gods of Light | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Deity | Alignment | Domains | Symbol |
| Duenor, God of Creation | LG | Forge, Knowledge | Anvil wreathed in Flame |
| Dymera, Goddess of Life | NG | Life, Grave, Nature, Twilight | Tree above Water |
| Khaldos, God of Justice | LG | Justice, Order, War | Scales of Balance on Shield |
| Drina, Goddess of Artistic Beauty | CG | Peace, Knowledge | Harp and Lyre |
| Nyphine, Goddess of Love | CG | Life, Tempest | Heart on Fire |
| Nova, Goddess of Celestial Light | NG | Light, Life, Twilight | Sun surrounded by 5 equidistant stars. |
| Gods of Balance | |||
| Deity | Alignment | Domains | Symbol |
| Aquilus, God of the Sea | CN | Tempest, Nature | Trident and Fish |
| Diamanda, Goddess of Nature | N | Nature, Life | Tree surrounded by Animals |
| Lycia, Goddess of the Harvest | LN | Nature, Life, Twilight | Cornucopia |
| Lykomedes, God of Knowledge and Magic | LN | Arcana, Knowledge | Staff behind open Book |
| Modes, God of Merchants | N | Order, Trickery | Pile of Coins |
| Tempor, God of Storms. | CN | Tempest, Nature | Thundercloud and Lightning Bolts |
| Gods of Darkness | |||
| Deity | Alignment | Domains | Symbol |
| Chersis, God of Murder | LE | Death, Trickery | Bloody Dagger below Grinning Skull |
| Dea'Monia, Goddess of Chaos | CE | Chaos, Trickery, Tempest | Strange Chaotic Symbol |
| Eukithor, God of Slaughter | CE | War, Chaos, Death | Hand holding Bloody Heart |
| Lillith, Goddess of Vice | NE | Lust, Trickery | Open mouth |
| Vexa'Scion, The Dark God | LE | Darkness, Death, War | Black Skull |
| Zel'Roth, God of Disease and Undeath | NE | Death, Nature | Withered Heart |