P LAY E R ' S HA

NDBOOK,

aXa

DUNGEONS;DRAGONS®

E v e r y t h i n g a p l a y e r n e e d s t o c r e a t e h e r o i c c h a r a c t e r s 7 f o r t h e , w o r l d ’s g r e a t
estroleplayinggame

P LAY E R ' S HAN D B O O K

CREDITSD&DLeadDesigners:MikeMears,JeremyCrawford

Player'sHandbookLead:JeremyCrawford

RulesDevelopment:RodneyThompson,PeterLee

Writing:JamesWyatt,RobertJ.Schwalb,BruceR.Cordell

Editing:MicheleCarter,ChrisSims,ScottFitzgeraldGray,ChristopherPe
rkins

Producer:GregBilsland

ArtDirectors:KateIrwin,DanGelon,JonSchindehette.MariKolkowsky,
MelissaRapier,ShaunaNarciso

GraphicDesigners;BreeHeiss,FrmiTanji,BarryCraig

CoverIllustrator:TylerJacobson

InteriorIllustrators:SteveArgyle,TomBabbey,DarenBader,DrewBaker,
MarkBehm,EricBelisle,ChristopherBradley,NoahBradley,SamBurley,
ClintCearley,MilivojCeran,SidharthChaturvedi,JeddChevrier,jD,Alle
nDouglasJesperEjsing,CraigElliott,WayneEngland,ScottM.Fischer,Ra
ndyGallegos,JustinGerard,FlorianDeGesincourt,LarsGrant-West,JonH
odgson,RalphHorsley,LakeHurwitz,TylerJacobson,KekaiKotaki,OllyL
awson,RaphaelLabke,TitusLunter,SlawomirManiak,BrynnMetheney,A
aronMiller,ChristopherMoeller,MarkMolnar,SeottMurphy,‘WilliamO'
Connor,HectorOrtiz,DavidPalumbo,AlessandraPisano,ClaudioPozas,R
obRey,WayneReynolds,Aaron)Riley,ChrisSeaman,CynthiaSheppard,Cr
aig}Spearing,JohnStanko,MattStawicki,AlexStone,ThomTenery,CoryT
rego-Erdner,BethTrott,AutumnRainTurkel,JoseVega,TylerWalpole,jul
ianKokJoonWen,RichardWhitters,EvaWidermann,BenWootten,KieranY
anner

AdditionalContributors:KimMohan,MattSernett,ChrisDupuis,TomLaPi
lle,RichardBaker,MirandaHorner,JenniferClarkeWilkes,SteveWinter,
NinaHess,SteveTownshend,ChrisYoungs,BenPetrisor,TomOlsen

ProjectManagement:NeilShinkle,KimGraham,JohnHayProductionServi
ces:CyndaCallaway,BrianDumas,JeffersonDunlap,DavidGershman,Ani
taWilliams
BrandandMarketing:NathanStewart,LizSchuh,ChrisLindsay,ShellyMa
zzanoble,HilaryRoss,LauraTommervik,KimLundstrom,TrevorKidd

BasedontheoriginalgamecreatedbyE,GaryGygaxandDaveArneson,with
BrianBlume,RobKuntz,JamiesWard,andDonKayeDrawingfromfurtherd
evelopmentbyJ.EricHolmes,TomMoldvay,FrankMentzer,AaronAllston,
HaroldJohnson,RogerE.Moore,David“Zeb”Cook,EdGreenwood,TracyH
ickman,MargaretWeis,DouglasNiles,JeffGrubb,jonathanTweet,Monte
Cook,SkipWilliams,RichardBaker,PeterAdkison,KeithBaker,BillSlavi
csek,AndyCollins,andRobHeinsoo

Playtestingprovidedbyover175,000fansofD&D.Thankyou!Additionalco
nsultationprovidedbyJeffGrubb,KennethHite,KevinKulp,RobinLaws,5
.JohnRoss,theRPGPundit,VincentVenturella,andZakS.

ONTHECOVER

InthisfierysceneillustratedbyTylerJacobson,thefiregiantKingSnurre,s
ufferingnofoolstolive,callshishellhoundstojoinhiminconfrontingunwe
lcomeguestsinhishome.

Disclaimer:WizardsoftheCoast\snotresponsiblefortheconsequencesofs
plittinguptheporty,stickingappendagesinthemouthofaleeringgreendev
ilface,accepting@dinnerinvitation‘frombugbears,stormingthefeoshal
lof@hilgiantsteading,angeringedragonofanyvariety,orsayingyeswhent
heDMasks,“Areyoureallysure?”

620A9217000001ENISBN:978-0-7869-6560-1FirstPrinting:August201
4

CE

987654321

DUNGEONS&DRAGONS,DED,WirardsoftheCoast,ForgottenRealms,th
edragonampersand,Player'sHandbook,MonsterManual,DungeonMaster'
sGuide,allotherWizardsoftheCoastproductnames,andtheirrespectivelo
gosaretrademarksofWizardsoftheCoastintheUSAandothercountries.All
charactersandtheirdistinctivelikenessesarepropertyofWicardsoftheCo
ast.ThismaterialisprotectedunderthecopyrightlawsoftheUnitedStatese
fAmerica.Anyreproductionorunauthorizeduseofthematerialorartworkc
ontained

hereinieprohibitedwithouttheexpresswtittonpermissionofWizardsofth
eCoast

Printed

t h e U SA. © 2 0 1 4 W i z a r d s o f t h e C o a s t LLC , PO B o x 7 0 7 , R e n t o n , WA9 8 0 5 7 0 7 0

7,USA.ManufacturedbyHasbroSA,RueEmile-Boéchat31,2800Delémont,
CH,

PREFACE

CONTENTS

PAR T 2

INTRODUCTION
WorldsofAdventure.UsingThisBook.HowtoPlay.Adventures

Part|

CHapTeER|;STEP-BY-STEPCHARACTER:

BeyondIstLevel..

CHAPTER2:RACE!ChoosingaRace...

Tiefling...

C HAPT E R 3 : C LAS S E B a r b a r i a n .

C HAPT E R 4 : P E R S O NAL I TYAN D BAC K G R O U N D . . .

CharacterDetails.

Inspiration

Backgrounds.

CHAPTER5:EQUIPMENT.

Weapons...AdventuringGear.Tool:

MountsandVehicle:

CHAPTER7:USINGABILITYSCORES

AbilityScoresandModifier:AdvantageandDisadvantage,ProficiencyBo
nus.

AbilityChecks.

UsingEachAbility,

SavingThrows...

TheEnvironmentSocialInteraction..Resting....BetweenAdventures.CH
A PT E R 9 : C O M BATT h e O r d e r o f C o m b a t M o v e m e n t a n d Po s i t i o nAc t i o n s i n C
ombatMakinganAttack...Covers...DamageandHealingMountedCombat..
..UnderwaterCombat.

PAR T 3 ,

CHAPTER10:SPELLCASTING.....WhatIsaSpell?

SpellDescriptions.APPENDIXA:CONDITIONS|

APPENDIXB:GopsOFTHEMULTIVERSE

AP P E N D I X C : T H E P LAN E S O F E X I S T E N C E

TheMaterialPlane.BeyondtheMaterial.

APPE N D I X D : C R EAT U R E S TAT I S T I C S _ _

APPE N D I X E : I N S PI RAT I O NALR EAD I N G

INDEX=
CHARACTERSHEET

PREFACE

N C E U PO NAT I M E , LO N G , LO N GAG O , I NAr e a l m c a l l e d t h e M i d w e s t e r n U n i

tedStates—specificallythestatesofMinne-sotaandWisconsin—agroupo
ffriendsgatheredtogethertoforeveralterthehistoryofgaming,

Itwasn'ttheirintenttodoso.Theyweretiredofmerelyreadingtalesaboutw
orldsofmagic,monsters,andadventure.Theywantedtoplayinthoseworlds
,ratherthanobservethem,ThattheywentontoinventDUNGEONS&DRAGO
NS,andtherebyignitearevolutioningamingthatcontinuestothisday,spea
ks—totwothings.as

First,itspeakstotheiringenuityandgeniusinfig-uringoutthatgameswere
theperfectwaytoexploreworldsthatcouldnototherwiseexist.Almostever
ymoderngame,whetherplayedonadigitaldeviceoratabletop,owessomede
bttoD&D.

Second,itisatestamenttotheinherentappealofthegametheycreated.DUN
GEONS&DRAGONSsparkedathrivingglobalphenomenon.Itisthefirstrol
eplayinggame,anditremainsoneofthebestofitsbreed.

ToplayD&D,andtoplayitwell,youdon'tneedtoreadalltherules,memorize
everydetailofthegame,ormasterthefineartofrollingfunnylookingdice.
Noneofthosethingshaveanybearingonwhat'sbestaboutthegame.

Whatyouneedaretwothings,thefirstbeingfriendswithwhomyoucanshare
thegame.Playinggameswithyourfriendsisalotoffun,butD&Ddoessometh
ingmorethanentertain.

PlayingD&Disanexerciseincollaborativecreation.Youandyourfriendsc
reateepicstoriesfilledwithten-sionandmemorabledrama,Youcreatesill
yin-jokesthatmakeyoulaughyearslater.Thedicewillbecrueltoyou,butyo
uwillsoldieron.Yourcollectivecreativ-itywillbuildstoriesthatyouwillt
ellagainandagain,rangingfromtheutterlyabsurdtothestuffoflegend.

Ifyoudon'thavefriendsinterestedinplaying,don'tworry.There'saspecial
alchemythattakesplacearoundaD&Dtablethatnothingelsecanmatch.Pla
ythegamewithsomeoneenough,andthetwoofyou

PREFACE

a r e l i k e l y t o e n d u p f r i e n d s . I t ’s a c o o l s i d e e f f e c t o f t h e g a m e .Yo u r n e x t g a m i
nggroupisascloseasthenearestgamestore,onlineforum,orgamingconven
tion.

Thesecondthingyouneedisalivelyimaginationor,moreimportantly,thew
illingnesstousewhateverimaginationyouhave.Youdon'tneedtobeamaste
rstorytellerorabrilliantartist.Youjustneedtoaspiretocreate,tohavethe
courageofsomeonewhoiswillingtobuildsomethingandshareitwithothers
.

Luckily,justasD&Dcanstrengthenyourfriendships,‘itcanhelpbuildinyo
utheconfidencetocreateandshare.D&Damethatteachesyoutolookforthe

rethesuddenideathatcanovercomeyourselftoimaginewhatcouldbe,ilyac
ceptwhatis.
Thefirstcharactersandadventuresyoucreatewillprobablybeacollection
ofclichés.That'strueofevery-one,fromthegreatestDungeonMastersinhi
storyondown.Acceptthisrealityandmoveontocreatethesecondcharacter
oradventure,whichwillbebetter,andthenthethird,whichwillbebettersti
ll.Repeatthatoverthecourseoftime,andsoonyou'llbeabletocreateanythi
ng,fromacharacter'sbackgroundstorytoanepicworldoffantasyadventur
e.

Onceyouhavethatskill,it'syoursforever.Countlesswriters,artists,ando
thercreatorscantracetheirbegin-ningstoafewpagesofD&Dnotes,ahandf
ulofdice,andakitchentable.

Aboveallelse,D&Disyours.Thefriendshipsyoumakearoundthetablewill
beuniquetoyou.Theadven-turesyouembarkon,thecharactersyoucreate,t
hememoriesyoumake—thesewillbeyours.D&Disyourpersonalcorneroft
heuniverse,aplacewhereyouhavefreereigntodoasyouwish.

Goforthnow.Readtherulesofthegameandthestoryofitsworlds,butalways
rememberthatyouaretheonewhobringsthemtolife.Theyarenothingwitho
utthesparkoflifethatyougivethem.

MikeMearlsMay2014

INTRODUCTION

n g D U N G E O N S & D RAG O N S R O L E P LAY I N G g a m e i s a b o u t s t o r y t e l l i n g i n w

orldsofswordsandsorcery.Itshareselementswithchildhoodgamesofmak
e - b e l i e v e . Li k e t h o s e g a m e s , D & D i s d r i v e n b y i m a g i n a - t i o n . I t ’s a b o u t p i c t u
ringthetoweringcastlebeneaththestormynightskyandimagining

howafantasyadventurermightreacttothechallenges

thatscenepresents.

DungeonMaster(DM):Afterpassingthroughthecraggypeaks,theroadtake
sasuddenturntotheeastandCastleRavenlofttowersbeforeyou.Crumbling
towersofstonekeepasilentwatchovertheapproach.Theylooklikeabandon
edguardhouses.Beyondthese,2widechasmgapes,disappearingintothede
epfogbelow.Alowereddrawbridgespansthechasm,leadingtoanarchedent
rancetothecastlecourtyard.Thechainsofthedrawbridgecreakinthewind,
theirrust-eatenironstrainingwiththeweight.Fromatopthehighstrongwa
lls,stonegargoylesstareatyoufromhollowsocketsandgrinhideously.Aro
ttingwoodenportcullis,greenwithgrowth,hangsintheentrytunnel.Beyon
dthis,themaindoorsofCastleRavenloftstandopen,arichwarmlightspilli
ngintothecourtyard.

Phillip(playingGareth):|wanttolookatthegargoyles.|haveafeelingthey’
renotjuststatues.

Amy(playingRiva):Thedrawbridgelooksprecarious?|wanttoseehowstur
dyitis.Do|thinkwecancrossit,oFisitgoingtocollapseunderourweight?

Unlikeagameofmake-believe,D&Dgivesstructuretothestories,awayofd
e t e r m i n i n g t h e c o n s e q u e n c e s o f t h e a d v e n t u r e r s ’a c t i o n . Pl a y e r s r o l l d i c e t o
resolvewhethertheirattackshitormissorwhethertheiradven-turerscanse
aleacliff,rollawayfromthestrikeofamagicallightningbolt,orpulloffso
meotherdangeroustask.Anythingispossible,butthedicemakesomeout-co
mesmoreprobablethanothers.

DungeonMaster(DM):OK,oneatatime.Phillip,you'relookingatthegargo
yles?

Phillip:Yeah.Isthereanyhinttheymightbecreaturesandnotdecorations?

DM:MakeanIntelligencecheck.

Phillip:DoesmyInvestigationskillapply?

DM:Sure!

Phillip(rollingad20):Ugh.Seven.

DM;Theylooklikedecorationstoyou.AndAmy,Rivaischeckingoutthedra
wbridge?

IntheDUNGEons&DRAGONSgame,eachplayercreatesanadventurer(also
calledacharacter)andteamsupwithotheradventurers(playedbyfriends).
Workingtogether,thegroupmightexploreadarkdun-geon,aruinedcity,ah
auntedcastle,alosttempledeepinajungle,oralava-filledcavernbeneatha
mysterious:mountain.Theadventurerscansolvepuzzles,talkwithotherch
aracters,battlefantasticmonsters,anddiscoverfabulousmagicitemsando
thertreasure.

Oneplayer,however,takesontheroleoftheDungeonMaster(DM),thegame
'sleadstorytellerandreferee.TheDMcreatesadventuresforthecharacters
,whonav-igateitshazardsanddecidewhichpathstoexplore.TheDMmightd
escribetheentrancetoCastleRavenloft,andtheplayersdecidewhattheywa
nttheiradventurerstodo.Willtheywalkacrossthedangerouslyweathered
drawbridge?Ticthemselvestogetherwithropetomini-mizethechancethat
someonewillfallifthedrawbridgegivesway?Orcastaspelltocarrythemov
erthechasm?

T h e n t h e D M d e t e r m i n e s t h e r e s u l t s o f t h e a d v e n t u r - e r s ’a c t i o n s a n d n a r r a t e s
whattheyexperience.BecausetheDMcanimprovisetoreacttoanythingthe
playersattempt,D&Disinfinitelyflexible,andeachadventurecanbeexcit
ingandunexpected.

Thegamehasnorealend;whenonestoryorquestwrapsup,anotheronecanbe
gin,creatinganongoingstorycalledacampaign.Manypeoplewhoplaytheg
amekeeptheircampaignsgoingformonthsoryears,meetingwiththeirfrien
dseveryweekorsotopickupthestorywheretheyleftoff.Theadventurersgr
owinmightasthecampaigncontinues.Eachmonsterdefeated,eachadventu
recompleted,andeachtreasurerecoverednotonlyaddstothecontinuingsto
ry,butalsoearnstheadventurersnewcapabilities.Thisincreaseinpoweris
r e f l e c t e d b y a n a d v e n t u r e r ’s l e v e l .

T h e r e ’s n o w i n n i n g a n d l o s i n g i n t h e D U N G E O N S & D r aAG O N S g a m e — a t l e a
st,notthewaythosetermsareusuallyunderstood.Together,theDMandthep
layerscreateanexcitingstoryofboldadventurerswhoconfrontdeadlyperi
ls.Sometimesanadventurermightcometoagrislyend,tornapartbyferocio
usmonstersordoneinbyanefariousvillain.Evenso,theotheradventurersc
ansearchforpowerfulmagictorevivetheirfallencomrade,ortheplayermig
htchoosetocreateanewcharactertocarryon.Thegroupmightfailtocomple
teanadventuresuccessfully,butifeveryonehadagoodtimeandcreatedame
morablestory,theyallwin.
WORLDSOFADVENTURE

ThemanyworldsoftheDUNGEONS&DRAGONSgameareplacesofmagican
dmonsters,ofbravewarriorsandspectacularadventures.Theybeginwitha
foundationofmedievalfantasyandthenaddthecreatures,places,andmagi
cthatmaketheseworldsunique.

TheworldsoftheDUNGEONS&DRAGONSgameexistwithinavastcosmosc
alledthemultiverse,connectedinstrangeandmysteriouswaystooneanoth
erandtootherplanesofexistence,suchastheElementalPlaneofFireandthe
InfiniteDepthsoftheAbyss.Within

INTRODUCTION

ed

thismultiverseareanendlessvarietyofworlds.Manyofthemhavebeenpubl
ishedasofficialsettingsfortheD&Dgame.ThelegendsoftheForgottenRea
lms,Drag-onlance,Greyhawk,DarkSun,Mystara,andEberronsettingsare
woventogetherinthefabricofthemulti-verse.Alongsidetheseworldsareh
undredsofthousandsmore,createdbygenerationsofD&Dplayersfortheir
owngames.Andamidalltherichnessofthemultiverse,youmightcreateawo
rldofyourown.

Alltheseworldssharecharacteristics,buteachworldissetapartbyitsownh
istoryandcultures,distinctivemonstersandraces,fantasticgeography,a
ncientdun-geons,andschemingvillains,Someraceshaveunusualtraitsin
differentworlds.ThehalflingsoftheDarkSunsetting,forexample,arejun
gle-dwellingcannibals,andtheelvesaredesertnomads.Someworldsfeatu
reracesunknowninothersettings,suchasEberron'swar-forged,soldiersc
reatedandimbuedwithlifetofightintheLastWar.Someworldsaredominat
edbyonegreatstory,liketheWaroftheLancethatplaysacentralroleintheD
ragonlancesetting.Butthey'reallD&Dworlds,andyoucanusetherulesint
hisbaoktocreateachar-acterandplayinanyoneofthem.

YourDMmightsetthecampaignononeoftheseworldsorononethatheorshec
reated.BecausethereissomuchdiversityamongtheworldsofD&D,yousho
uldcheckwithyourDMaboutanyhouserulesthatwillaffectyourplayofthe
game.Ultimately,theDun-geonMasteristheauthorityonthecampaignand
itssetting,evenifthesettingisapublishedworld.

UsincTHISBOOK

‘ThePlayer'sHandbookisdividedintothreeparts.

Part1isaboutcreatingacharacter,providingtherulesandguidanceyounee
dtomakethecharacteryou'llplayinthegame.Itincludesinformationonthe
variousraces,classes,backgrounds,equipment,andothercustomizationo
ptionsthatyoucanchoosefrom.Manyoftherulesinpart1relyonmaterialin
parts2and3.Ifyoucomeacrossagameconceptinpart1thatyoudon'tunderst
and,consultthebook'sindex.

Part2detailstherulesofhowtoplaythegame,beyondthebasicsdescribedin
thisintroduction.Thatpartcoversthekindsofdierollsyoumaketodetermi
nesuccessorfailureatthetasksyourcharacterattempts,anddescribesthet
hreebroadcategoriesofactivityinthegame;exploration,interaction,and
combat,
Part3isallaboutmagic.ItcoversthenatureofmagicintheworldsofD&D,th
erulesforspellcasting,andthehugevarietyofspellsavailabletomagic-usi
ngcharac-ters(andmonsters)inthegame.

H o w T o P LAY

TheplayoftheDUNGEONS&DRAGONSgameunfoldsaccordingtothisbasi
cpattern.

1,TheDMdescribestheenvironment.TheDMtellstheplayerswheretheirad
venturersareandwhat'saroundthem,presentingthebasicscopeofoptionst
hatpresentthemselves(howmanydoorsleadoutofaroom,what'sonatable,
who'sinthetavern,andsoon),

INTRODUCTION

2.Theplayersdescribewhattheywanttodo,Some-timesoneplayerspeaksf
orthewholeparty,saying,“We'lltaketheeastdoor,”forexample.Othertim
es,differentadventurersdodifferentthings:oneadventurermightsearcha
treasurechestwhileasecondexaminesanesotericsymbolengravedonawal
landathirdkeepswatchformonsters.Theplayersdon'tneedtotaketurns,bu
ttheDMlistenstoeveryplayeranddecideshowtoresolvethoseactions.

Sometimes,resolvingataskiseasy.Ifanadventurerwantstowalkacrossaro
omandopenadoor,theDMmightjustsaythatthedooropensanddescribewha
tliesbeyond.Butthedoormightbelocked,thefloormighthideadeadlytrap,
orsomeothercircumstancemightmakeitchallengingforanadventurertoco
mpleteatask.Inthosecases,theDMdecideswhathappens,oftenrelyingont
herollofadietodeterminetheresultsofanaction.

3 . T h e D M n a r r a t e s t h e r e s u l t s o f t h e a d v e n t u r e r s ’a c t i o n s . D e s c r i b i n g t h e r e
sultsoftenleadstoanotherdecisionpoint,whichbringstheflowofthegame
rightbacktostep1.

Thispatternholdswhethertheadventurersarecau-tiouslyexploringaruin,
talkingtoadeviousprince,orlockedinmortalcombatagainstamightydrag
on.Incertainsituations,particularlycombat,theactionismorestructured
andtheplayers(andDM)dotaketurnschoosingandresolvingactions.Butm
ostofthetime,playisfluidandflexible,adaptingtothecircumstancesofth
eadventure.

Oftentheactionofanadventuretakesplaceintheimaginationoftheplayers
a n d D M , r e l y i n g o n t h e D M ’s v e r b a l d e s c r i p t i o n s t o s e t t h e s c e n e . S o m e D M s l i
ketousemusic,art,orrecordedsoundeffectstohelpsetthemood,andmanyp
layersandDMsalikeadoptdifferentvoicesforthevariousadventurers,mo
nsters,andothercharacterstheyplayinthegame.Sometimes,aDMmightla
youtamapandusetokensorminiaturefigurestorepresenteachcreatureinv
olvedinascenetohelptheplayerskeeptrackofwhereeveryoneis.

GaMEDICE

Thegameusespolyhedraldicewithdifferentnumbersofsides.Youcanfind
diceliketheseingamestoresandinmanybookstores,

Intheserules,thedifferentdicearereferredtobytheletterdfollowedbythe
numberofsides:d4,d6,d8,d10,d12,andd20,Forinstance,ad6isasix-sided
die(thetypicalcubethatmanygamesuse).
Percentiledice,ord100,workalittledifferently,Yougenerateanumberbet
ween1and100byrollingtwodifferentten-sideddicenumberedfrom0to9,O
nedie(designatedbeforeyouroll)givesthetensdigit,andtheothergivesth
eonesdigit.Ifyourolla7anda1,forexample,thenumberrolledis71.TwoOs
represent100,Someten-sideddicearenumberedintens(00,10,20.andsoon
),makingiteasiertodistinguishthetensdijfromtheonesdigit.Inthiscase,
arollof70and1is71,and00and0isLOO.

Whenyouneedtorolldice,therulestellyouhowmanyditetorollofacertaint
ype,aswellaswhatmod-ificrstoadd.Forexample,“3d8+5”meansyouroll

threeeight-sideddice,addthemtogether,andadd5tothetotal.

‘Thesamednotationappearsintheexpressions“1d3”and“id2.”Tosimulate
therollof143,rollad6.anddividethenumberrolledby2(roundup).Tosimul
atetherollof1d2,rollanydieandassigna1or2totherolldependingonwheth
eritwasoddoreven.(Alternatively,ifthenumberrolledismorethanhalfthe
numberofsidesonthedie,it'sa2.)

THED20

D o e s a n a d v e n t u r e r ’s s w o r d s w i n g h u r t a d r a g o n o r j u s t b o u n c e o f f i t s i r o n - h a
rdscales?Willtheogrebelieveanoutrageousbluff?Canacharacterswimac
rossaragingriver?Canacharacteravoidthemainblastofafireball,ordoesh
eorshetakefulldamagefromtheblaze?Incaseswheretheoutcomeofanacti
onisuncertain,

theDunGeons&DRAGONSgamereliesonrollsofa20-sideddie,ad20,todet
erminesuccessorfailure.

Everycharacterandmonsterinthegamehascapa-bilitiesdefinedbysixabil
ityscores.TheabilitiesareStrength,Dexterity,Constitution,Intelligenc
e,Wisdom,andCharisma,andtheytypicallyrangefrom3to18formostadve
nturers.(Monstersmighthavescoresaslowas1orashighas30.)Theseabilit
yscores,andtheabilitymodifiersderivedfromthem,arethebasisforalmos
t e v e r y d 2 0 r o l l t h a t a p l a y e r m a k e s o n a c h a r a c - t e r ’s o r m o n s t e r ' s b e h a l f .

Abilitychecks,attackrolls,andsavingthrowsarethethreemainkindsof42
0rolls,formingthecoreoftherulesofthegame.Allthreefollowthesesimple
steps.

1,Rollthedieandaddamodifier.Rollad20andaddtherelevantmodifier.Th
isistypicallythemod-ifierderivedfromoneofthesixabilityscores,andits
o m e t i m e s i n c l u d e s a p r o f i c i e n c y b o n u s t o r e f l e c t a c h a r - a c t e r ’s p a r t i c u l a r s
kill.(Seechapter1fordetailsoneachabilityandhowtodetermineanability
’s m o d i f i e r . )

2.Applycircumstantialbonusesandpenalties.Aclassfeature,aspell,apar
ticularcircumstance,orsomeothereffectmightgiveabonusorpenaltytoth
echeck.

3.Comparethetotaltoatargetnumber.Ifthetotalequalsorexceedsthetarge
tnumber,theabilitycheck,attackroll,orsavingthrowisasuccess.Otherwi
s e , i t ’s a f a i l u r e . T h e D M i s u s u a l l y t h e o n e w h o d e t e r m i n e s t a r g e t n u m b e r s a n
dtellsplayerswhethertheirabilitychecks,attackrolls,andsavingthrowss
ucceedorfail.

ThetargetnumberforanabilitycheckorasavingthrowiscalledaDifficulty
Class(DC).ThetargetnumberforanattackrolliscalledanArmorClass(AC)
,

Thissimplerulegovernstheresolutionofmosttasks.inD&Dplay.Chapter7
providesmoredetailedrulesforusingthed20inthegame.

AD VAN TAG EAN D D I SAD VAN TAG E

Sometimesanabilitycheck,attackroll,orsavingthrowismodifiedbyspeci
alsituationscalledadvantageanddisadvantage.Advantagereflectsthepo
sitivecireum-stancessurroundingad20roll,whiledisadvantagereflectst
heopposite.Whenyouhaveeitheradvantageordisadvantage,yourollaseco
ndd20whenyoumaketheroll,Usethehigherofthetworollsifyouhaveadvan
-tage,andusethelowerrollifyouhavedisadvantage.Forexample,ifyouha
vedisadvantageandrolla17anda5,youusethe5,Ifyouinsteadhaveadvanta
geandrollthosenumbers,youusethe17.

Moredetailedrulesforadvantageanddisadvantagearepresentedinchapte
r7.

S p e c i F i c B EAT S G E N E RAL

Thisbookcontainsrules,especiallyinparts2and3,thatgovernhowthegam
eplays.Thatsaid,manyracialtraits,classfeatures,spells,magicitems,mo
nsterabili-ties,andothergameelementsbreakthegeneralrulesinsomeway
,creatinganexceptiontohowtherestofthegameworks.Rememberthis:Ifas
pecificrulecontra-dictsageneralrule,thespecificrulewins.

Exceptionstotherulesareoftenminor.Forinstance,manyadventurersdon’
thaveproficiencywithlongbows,buteverywoodelfdoesbecauseofaracial
trait.Thattraitcreatesaminorexceptioninthegame.Otherexamplesofrule
- b r e a k i n g a r e m o r e c o n s p i c u o u s . F o r i n s t a n c e , a n a d v e n t u r e r c a n ’t n o r m a l l
ypassthroughwalls,butsomespellsmakethatpossible.Magicaccountsfor
mostofthemajorexceptionstotherules.

RounpDown

There'sonemoregeneralruleyouneedtoknowattheoutset,Wheneveryoudi
videanumberinthegame,rounddownifyouendupwithafraction,evenifthe
fractionisone-halforgreater.

ADVENTURES

TheDuNGEONS&DRAGONSgameconsistsofagroupofcharactersembarki
ngonanadventurethattheDun-geonMasterpresentstothem.Eachcharacte
rbringsparticularcapabilitiestotheadventureintheformofabilityscores
andskills,classfeatures,racialtraits,equipment,andmagicitems.Everyc
haracterisdif-ferent,withvariousstrengthsandweaknesses,sothebestpa
rtyofadventurersisoneinwhichthecharacterscomplementeachotherandc
overtheweaknessesof

INTRODUCTION

theircompanions.Theadventurersmustcooperatetosuccessfullycomplet
etheadventure,

Theadventureistheheartofthegame,astorywithabeginning,amiddle,and
anend.AnadventuremightbecreatedbytheDungeonMasterorpurchasedof
f t h e s h e l f , t w e a k e d a n d m o d i f i e d t o s u i t t h e D M ’s n e e d s a n d d e s i r e s . I n e i t h e r
c a s e , a n a d v e n t u r e f e a t u r e s a f a n t a s t i c s e t t i n g , w h e t h e r i t ’s a n u n d e r g r o u n d
dungeoiblingcastle,astretchofwilderness,orabustlingcity.4Itfeatures
arichcastofcharacters:theadventurerscreatedandplayedbytheotherplay
ersatthetable,aswellasnonplayercharacters(NPCs).Thosechar-actersm
ightbepatrons,allies,enemies,hirelings,orjustbackgroundextrasinanad
venture.Often,oneof—theNPCsisavillainwhoseagendadriveseteofanad
v e n t u r e ’s a c t i o n . a n

Overthecourseoftheiradventures,PesecttAareconfrontedbyavarietyofc
reatures,objects,andsituationsthattheymustdealwithinsomeway.Some-
timestheadventurersandothercreaturesdotheirbesttokillorcaptureeach
otherincombat.Atothertimes,theadventurerstalktoanothercreature(ore
venamagicalobject)withagoalinmind.Andoften,theadventurersspendti
metryingtosolveapuzzle,bypassanobstacle,findsomethinghidden,orunr
avelthecur-rentsituation.Meanwhile,theadventurersexploretheworld,
makingdecisionsaboutwhichwaytotravelandwhatthey'lltrytodonext.

Adventuresvaryinlengthandcomplexity.Ashortadventuremightpresento
nlyafewchallenges,anditmighttakenomorethanasinglegamesessiontoco
mplete.Alongadventurecaninvolvehundredsofcombats,interactions,an
dotherchallenges,andtakedozensofsessionstoplaythrough,stretchingo
verweeksormonthsofrealtime.Usually,theendofanadventureismarkedb
ytheadventurersheadingbacktocivilizationtorestandenjoythespoilsoft
heirlabors.

Butthat'snottheendofthestory,Youcanthinkofanadventureasasingleepi
sodeofaTVseries,madeupofmultipleexcitingscenes.Acampaignisthewh
oleseries—astringofadventuresjoinedtogether,withaconsistentgroupo
fadventurersfollowingthenarrativefromstarttofinish.

T H E T H R E E P I L LAR S O FAD V E N T U R E

Adventurerscantrytodoanythingtheirplayerscanimagine,butitcanbehel
pfultotalkabouttheiractiv-itiesinthreebroadcategories:exploration,so
cialinteraction,andcombat.

E x p l o r a t i o n i n c l u d e s b o t h t h e a d v e n t u r e r s ’m o v e m e n t t h r o u g h t h e w o r l d a n
dtheirinteractionwithobjectsandsituationsthatrequiretheirattention.E
xplorationisthegive-and-takeoftheplayersdescribingwhattheywantthe
ircharacterstodo,andtheDungeonMastertellingtheplayerswhathappens
asaresult,Onalargescale,thatmightinvolvethecharactersspendingaday
cross-ingarollingplainoranhourmakingtheirwaythroughcavernsunderg
round,Onthesmallestscale,itcouldmeanonecharacterpullingaleverinad
ungeonroomtoseewhathappens.

Socialinteractionfeaturestheadventurerstalkingtosomeone(orsomethi
ng)else,Itmightmeandemanding

INTRODUCTION

thatacapturedscoutrevealthesecretentrancetothegoblinlair,gettinginf
ormationfromarescuedprisoner,pleadingformercyfromanorechieftain,
orpersuadingatalkativemagicmirrortoshowadistantlocationtotheadven
turers.

Therulesinchapters7and8supportexplorationandsocialinteraction,asd
omanyclassfeaturesinatone3andpersonalitytraitsinchapter4.

Combat,thefocusofchapter9,involvescharactersandothercreaturesswin
gingweapons,castingspells,maneuveringforposition,andsoon—allinan
efforttodefeattheiropponents,whetherthatmeanskilling

everyenemy,t:captives,orforeingarout,Combatisthemoststructuredcle
mentofaD&Dsession,with‘nstomakesurethateveryonegetsinthecontext
ofapitchedbattle,tunityforadventurerstoyslikesurfingdownaflightofst
airsonashield,toexaminetheenvironment(perhapsbypullingamysteriou
slever),andtointeractwithothercreatures,includingallies,enemies,and
neutralparties.

THEWONDERSOFMaGic

FewD&Dadventuresendwithoutsomethingmagicalhappening.Whetherhe
lpfulorharmful,magicappearsfrequentlyinthelifeofanadventurer,andit
isthefocusofchapters10and11.

IntheworldsofDunGeons&Dracons,practitionersofmagicarerare,setapa
rtfromthemassesofpeoplebytheirextraordinarytalent.Commonfolkmig
htseeevidenceofmagiconaregularbasis,butit'susuallyminor—afantasti
cmonster,avisiblyansweredprayer,awizardwalkingthroughthestreetsw
ithananimatedshieldguardianasabodyguard.

Foradventurers,though,magiciskeytotheirsur-vival.Withoutthehealin
gmagicofclericsandpaladins,adventurerswouldquicklysuccumbtotheir
wounds.Withouttheupliftingmagicalsupportofbardsandclerics,warrior
smightbeoverwhelmedbypowerfulfoes,Withoutthesheermagicalpowera
ndversatilityofwizardsanddruids,everythreatwouldbemag-nifiedtenfo
ld.

Magicisalsoafavoredtoolofvillains.Manyadven-turesaredrivenbythem
achinationsofspellcasterswhoarehellbentonusingmagicforsomeillend.
Acultleaderseekstoawakenagodwhoslumbersbeneaththesea,ahagkidnap
syouthstomagicallydrainthemoftheirvigor,amadwizardlaborstoinvesta
narmyofautomatonswithafacsimileoflife.adragonbeginsamysticalritua
ltoriseupasagodofdestruction—thesearejustafewofthemagicalthreatst
hatadventurersmightface,Withmagicoftheirown,intheformofspellsand
magicitems,theadventurersmightprevail!

CHAPTER|:STEP-BY-STEPCHARACTERS

‘ O U R F I R S T S T E P I N P LAY I N GANAD V E N T U R E R I N T H E D U N G E O N S & D R

AGONSgameistoimagineandcreateacharacterofyourown.Yourcharacter
isacombinationofgamestatistics,roleplayinghooks,andyourimaginatio
n.Youchoosearace(suchashumanorhalfling)andacclass(suchasfightero
rwizard),Youalsoinventthepersonality,appearance,andbackstoryofyou
rcharacter.Oncecompleted,yourcharacterservesasyourrepresentativei
nthegame,youravatarintheDunGeons&Draconsworld.

Beforeyoudiveintostep1below,thinkaboutthekindofadventureryouwant
toplay.Youmightbeacourageousfighter,askulkingrogue,aferventcleric
,oraMamboyantwizard,Oryoumightbemoreinterestedinanunconvention
alcharacter,suchasabrawnyroguewholikeshand-to-handcombat,orashar
pshooterwhopicksoffenemiesfromafar.Doyoulikefantasyfictionfeaturi
ngdwarvesorelves?Trybuildingacharacterof‘oneofthoseraces,Doyouw
antyourcharactertobethetoughestadventureratthetable?Consideraclass
likebarbarianorpaladin.Ifyoudon'tknowwhereelsetobegin,takealookat
theillustrationsinthisbooktoseewhatcatchesyourinterest.

Onceyouhaveacharacterinmind,followthesestepsinorder,makingdecisi
onsthatreflectthecharacteryouwant.Yourconceptionofyourcharactermi
ghtevalvewithcachchoiceyoumake.What'simportantisthatyoucometoth
etablewithacharacteryou'reexcitedtoplay.

Throughoutthischapter,weusethetermcharactersheettomeanwhatevery
o u u s e t o t r a c k y o u r c h a r a c t e r , w h e t h e r i t ’s a f o r m a l c h a r a c t e r s h e e t ( l i k e t h e
oneattheendofthisbook),someformofdigitalrecord,orapieceofnotebook
paper.AnofficialD&Dcharactersheetisafineplacetostartuntilyouknow
whatinformationyouneedandhowyouuseitduringthegame.

BUILDINGBRUENOR

Eachstepofcharactercreationincludesanexampleof_thatstep,withaplay
ernamedBobbuildinghisdwarf

character,Bruenor.

,CHOOSEARACE

Everycharacterbelongstoarace,oneofthemanyintelligenthumanoidspec
iesintheD&Dworld.Themostcommonplayercharacterracesaredwarves,e
lves,halflings,andhumans.Someracesalsohavesubraces,suchasmountai
ndwarforwoodelf.Chapter2providesmoreinformationabouttheseraces,a
swellasthelesswidespreadracesofdragonborn,gnomes,half-elves,half-
ores,andtieflings.

Theraceyouchoosecontributestoyourcharacter'sidentityinanimportant
way,byestablishingageneralappearanceandthenaturaltalentsgainedfro
mcultureandancestry.Yourcharacter'sracegrantsparticularracialtraits
,suchasspecialsenses,proficiencywithcertainweaponsortools,proficie
ncyiaoneormoreskills,ortheabilitytouseminorspells.Thesetraitssomet
imesdovetailwiththecapabilitiesofcertain

pagan

classes(seestep2),Forexample,theracialtraitsoflightfoothalflingsmak
ethemexceptionalrogues,andhighelvestendtobepowerfulwizards,Some
timesplayingagainsttypecanbefun,too.Half-orepaladinsandmountaind
warfwizards,forexample,canbeunusualbutmemorablecharacters.

Yourracealsoincreasesoneormoreofyourabilityscores,whichyoudeterm
ineinstep3.Notetheseincreasesandremembertoapplythemlater.

Recordthetraitsgrantedbyyourraceonyourcharactersheet.Besuretonote
yourstartinglanguagesandyourbasespeedaswell.

BuiLpINGBruenor,Step|

Bobissittingdowntocreatehischaracter,Hedecidesthatagruffmountaind
warffitsthecharacterhewantstoplay.Henotesalltheracialtraitsofdwarv
esonhischaractersheet,includinghisspeedof25feetandtheJanguageshek
nows:CommonandDwarvish.

2 . C H O O S EAC LAs s

Everyadventurerisamemberofaclass.Classbroadlydescribesacharacter'
svocation,whatspecialtalentsheorshepossesses,andthetacticsheorshei
smostlikelytoemploywhenexploringadungeon,fightingmonsters,oreng
aginginatensenegotiation.Thecharacterclassesaredescribedinchapter3
.
Yourcharacterreceivesanumberofbenefitsfromyourchoiceofclass.Man
yofthesebenefitsareclassfeatures—capabilities(includingspelleasting
)thatsetyourcharacterapartfrommembersofotherclasses.Youalsogainan
umberofproficiencies:armor,weapons,skills,savingthrows,andsometi
mestools.Yourproficienciesdefinemanyofthethingsyourcharactercand
oparticularlywell,fromusingcertainweaponstotellingaconvincinglie.

Onyourcharactersheet,recordallthefeaturesthatyourclassgivesyouatIs
tlevel.

LeveL

Typically,acharacterstartsat1stlevelandadvances

inlevelbyadventuringandgainingexperiencepoints

(XP).AIstlevelcharacterisinexperiencedinthe

adventuringworld,althoughheorshemighthavebeen

asoldierorapirateanddonedangerousthingsbefore.Startingoffat1stleve
lmarksyourcharacter'sentry

intotheadventuringlife.Ifyou'realreadyfamiliar

withthegame,orifyouarejoininganexistingD&D

campaign,yourDMmightdecidetohaveyoubeginata

higherlevel,ontheassumptionthatyourcharacterhas

alreadysurvivedafewharrowingadventures.

|QuickBuito

_Eachclassdescriptioninchapter3includesasection

|offeringsuggestionstoquicklybuildacharacterofthat

|class,includinghowtoassignyourhighestabilityscores,

abackgroundsuitabletotheclass,andstartingspells.ey

PAR T | | S T E P - D Y - S T E P - C HARAC T E R S

Recordyourlevelonyourcharactersheet.Ifyou'restartingatahigherlevel
,recordtheadditionalelementsyourclassgivesyouforyourlevelspastIst.
Alsorecordyourexperiencepoints.AIst-lcvelcharacterhas0XP.Ahigher-
levelcharactertypicallybeginswiththeminimumamountofXPrequiredtor
eachthatlevel(see“Beyond1stLevel”laterinthischapter).

HitPointsanvHitDice

Yourcharacter'shitpointsdefinehowtoughyourcharacterisincombatand
otherdangeroussituations.YourhitpointsaredeterminedbyyourHitDice(
shortforHitPointDice).

ApitityScoreSUMMAR‘StrengthrmMeasures:Naturalathleticism,bodil
ypowerImportantjor:Barbarian,fighter,paladinRacialIncreases:Mount
aindwarf(+2)Dragonborn(+2)
Measures:Physicalagility,reflexes,balance,poiseImportantfor:Monk,r
anger,rogueRacialIncreases:Elf(+2)Forestgnome(+1)Halfling(+2)Hu
man(41)

Half-ore(+2)Human(+1)

Measures:Health,stamina,vitalforceImportantfor:EveryoneRacialIncr
eases:

Dwarf(+2)

Stouthalfling(+1)

Rockgnome(+1)

Half-ore(+1)Human(+1)

IntelligenceMeasures;Mentalacuity,informationrecall,analyticalskill
Importantfor:WizardRacialIncreases:Highelf(+1)Gnome(+2)

Tiefling(+1)Human(+1)Measures:Awareness,intuition,insightImporta
ntfor:Cleric,druidRacialincreases:

Hilldwarf(+1)

Woodelf(+1)

Measures:Confidence,eloquence,leadershipImportantfor:Bard,sorcere
r,warlockRacialIncreases:Halfelf(+2)Drow(+1)Lightfoothalfling(+1)

Human(+1)

Dragonborn(11)Human(+1)Tiefling(+2)

PAR T 1 | S T E P - B Y - S T E P O }ARAC

AtIstlevel,yourcharacterhas1HitDie,andthedictypeisdeterminedbyyou
rclass.Youstartwithhitpointsequaltothehighestrollofthatdie,asindicat
edinyourclassdescription.(YoualsoaddyourConstitutionmodifier,whic
hyou'lldetermineinstep3.)Thisisalsoyourhitpointmaximum.

Recordyourcharacter'shitpointsonyourcharactersheet.Alsorecordthety
peofHitDieyourcharacterusesandthenumberofHitDiceyouhave.Afteryo
urest,youcanspendHitDicetoregainhitpoints(see“Resting”inchapter8)
.

PROFICIENCYBONUSThetablethatappearsinyourclassdescriptionsho
wsyourproficiencybonus,whichis+2fora1stlevelroficiencybonusapplie
stomanyofthecordingonyourcharactersheet:

+Attackrollsusingweaponsyou'reproficientwith

+Attackrollswithspellsyoucast

+Abilitychecksusingskillsyou'reproficientin

+Abilitychecksusingtoolsyou'reproficientwith

+Savingthrowsyou'reproficientin
+SavingthrowDCsforspellsyoucast(explainedineachspellcastingclass)

Yourclassdeterminesyourweaponproficiencies,yoursavingthrowprofic
iencies,andsomeofyourskillandtoolproficicncies,(Skillsaredescribedi
nchapter7,toolsinchapter5.)Yourbackgroundgivesyouadditionalskilla
ndtoolproficiencies,andsomeracesgiveyoumoreproficiencies.Besureto
notealloftheseproficiencies,aswellasyourproficiencybonus,onyourcha
ractersheet.

Yo u r p r o f i c i e n c y b o n u s c a n ’t b e a d d e d t o a s i n g l e d i c r o l l o r o t h e r n u m b e r m o r
ethanonce.Occasionally,yourproficiencybonusmightbemodified(doubl
edorhalved,forexample)beforeyouapplyit.Ifacircumstance.suggeststh
atyourproficiencybonusappliesmorethanoncetothesamerollorthatitsho
uldbemultipliedmorethanonce,youneverthelessadditonlyonce,multipl
yitonlyonce,andhalveitonlyonce.

BUILDINGBRUENOR,STEP2

BobimaginesBruenorchargingintobattlewithanaxe,onehornonhishelme
t b r o k e n o f f . H e m a k e s B r u e n o r a f i g h t e r a n d n o t e s t h e f i g h t e r ’s p r o f i c i e n c i e
sandIstlevelclassfeaturesonhischaractersheet.

AsaIst-levelfighter,Bruenorhas1HitDie—adl0—andstartswithhitpoint
sequalto10+hisConstitutionmodifier.Bobnotesthis,andwillrecordthefi
n a l n u m b e r a f t e r h e d e t e r m i n e s B r u e n o r ’s C o n s t i t u t i o n s c o r e ( s e e s t e p 3 ) , B o
balsonotestheproficiencybonusforaIstlevelcharacter,whichis+2.

3.DETERMINEABILITYSCORES

Muchofwhatyourcharacterdoesinthegamedependsonhisorhersixabilitie
s:Strength,Dexterity,Constitution,Intelligence,Wisdom,andCharisma.
Eachabilityhasascore,whichisanumberyourecordonyourcharactersheet
.

Thesixabilitiesandtheiruseinthegamearedescribedinchapter7,TheAbili
tyScoreSummary

tableprovidesaquickreferenceforwhatqualities

aremeasuredbyeachability,whatracesincreaseswhichabilities,andwhat
classesconsidereachabilityparticularlyimportant.

Yougenerateyourcharacter'ssixabilityscoresrandomly.Rollfour6-side
ddiceandrecordthetotalofthehighestthreediceonapieceofscratchpaper.
Dothisfivemoretimes,sothatyouhavesixnumbers.Ifyouwanttosavetime
ordon'tliketheideaofrandomlydeterminingabilityscores,youcanusethe
followingscoresinstead:15,14,13,12,10,8.

Nowtakeyoursixnumbersandwriteeachnumberbesideoneofyourcharacte
r'ssixabilitiestoassignScores(oStrength,Dexterity,Constitution,Intel
ligence,Wisdom,andCharisma.Afterward,makeanychangestoyourabilit
yscoresasaresultofyourracechoice.

Afterassigningyourabilityscores,determineyourabilitymodifiersusing
theAbilityScoresandModifierstable,Todetermineanabilitymodifierwit
houtconsultingthetable,subtract10fromtheabilityscoreandthendividet
heresultby2(rounddown).Writethemodifiernexttoeachofyourscores,
BuILDINGBRUENOR,STEP3Bobdecidestousethestandardsetofscores(1
5 , 1 4 , 1 3 , 1 2 , 1 0 , 8 ) f o r B r u e n o r ’s a b i l i t i e s . S i n c e h e ' s a f i g h t e r , h e p u t s h i s h i
ghestscore,15,inStrength.Hisnext-highest,14,goesinConstitution.Bru
enormightbeabrashfighter,butBobdecideshewantsthedwarftohealder,w
iser,andagoodleader,soheputsdecentscoresinWisdomandCharisma.Aft
erapplyinghisracialbenefits(increasingBruenor'sConstitutionby2andh
isStrengthby2),Bruenor'sabilityscoresandmodifierslooklikethis:Stre
ngth17(+3),Dexterity10(+0),Constitution16(+3),Intelligence8(-1),Wi
sdom13(#1),Charisma12(+1),

BobfillsinBruenor'sfinalhitpoints:10+hisConstitutionmodifierof+3,f
oratotalof13hitpoints.

VAR IAN T : C U S T O M I Z I N GAB I LI TYS C O R E S

At y o u r D u n g e o n M a s t e r ’s o p t i o n , y o u c a n u s e t h i s v a r i a n t f o r d e t e r m i n i n g y o
urabilityscores.Themethoddescribedhereallowsyoutobuildacharacter
withasetofabilityscoresyouchooseindividually.

Youhave27pointstospendonyourabilityscores.Thecostofeachscoreissh
ownontheAbilityScorePointCosttable,Forexample,ascoreof14costs7po
ints,Usingthismethod,15isthehighestabilityscoreyoucanendupwith,be
foreapplyingracialincreases.Youcan'thaveascorelowerthan8.

Thismethodofdeterminingabilityscoresenablesyoutocreateasetofthree
highnumbersandthreelowones(15,15,15,8,8,8),asetofnumbersthatarea
bove

AbitityScorePointCostScoreCostScoreCost

&0n491510247n39

ABILITYSCORESANDMODIFIERS

ScoreModifierScoreModifier1-516-174323=.18-19+44-5320-21+56-7=
f22-23+68-9=i24-254710-11+026-274812-13+128-294914-15+230+10

averageandnearlyequal(13,13,13,12,12,12),oranysetofnumbersbetwee
nthoseextremes.

4,DESCRIBEYOURCHARACTER

O n c e y o u k n o w t h e b a s i c g a m e a s p e c t s o f y o u r c h a r a c t e r , i t ’s t i m e t o f l e s h h i m
orheroutasaperson.Yourcharacterneedsaname.Spendafewminutesthink
ingaboutwhatheorshelookslikeandhowheorshebehavesingeneralterms,

Usingtheinformationinchapter4,youcanfleshoutyourcharacter'sphysic
alappearanceandpersonalitytraits.Chooseyourcharacter'salignment(th
emoralcompassthatguideshisorherdecisions)andideals.Chapter4alsohe
lpsyouidentifythethingsyourcharacterholdsmostdear,calledbonds,and
theflawsthatcouldonedayunderminehimorher.

Yourcharacter'sbackgrounddescribeswhereheorshecamefrom,hisorher
originaloccupation,andthecharacter'splaceintheD&Dworld,YourDMmi
ghtofferadditionalbackgroundsbeyondtheonesincluded

Bavenor

inchapter4,andmightbewillingtoworkwithyoutocraftabackgroundthat’
samoreprecisefitforyourcharacterconcept.
Abackgroundgivesyourcharacterabackgroundfeature(ageneralbenefit)
andproficiencyintwoskills,anditmightalsogiveyouadditionallanguage
sorproficiencywithcertainkindsoftools.Recordthisinformation,along
withthepersonalityinformationyoudevelop,onyourcharactersheet.

YO u R C HARAC T E R ' ’SAB I LI T I E S 2 T a k e y o u r c h a r a c t e r ' s a b i l i t y s c o r e s a n

d r a c e i n t o ’a c c o u n t a s y o u f l e s h o u t h i s o r h e r a p p e a r a n c e

andpersonality.AverystrongcharacterwithlowIntelligencemightthinka
ndbehaveverydifferentlyfromaverysmartcharacterwithlowStrength.

Forexample,highStrengthusuallycorresponds:withaburlyorathleticbod
y,whileacharacterwithlowStrengthmightbescrawnyorplump.

AcharacterwithhighDexterityisprobablylitheaeslim,whileacharacterw
ithlowDexteritymightbecitherganglyandawkwardorheavyandthick-fin
gered.

AcharacterwithhighConstitutionusuallylookshealthy,withbrighteyesa
ndabundantenergy.AcharacterwithlowConstitutionmightbesicklyorfra
il.

AcharacterwithhighIntelligencemightbehighlyinquisitiveandstudious
,whileacharacterwithlowIntelligencemightspeaksimplyoreasilyforget
details.

AcharacterwithhighWisdomhasgoodjudgment,empathy,andageneralaw
arenessofwhat'sgoingon.AcharacterwithlowWisdommightbeabsent-mi
nded,foolhardy,oroblivious.

AcharacterwithhighCharismaexudesconfidence,whichisusuallymixedw
ithagracefulorintimidatingpresence.AcharacterwithalowCharismamig
htcomeacrossasabrasive,inarticulate,ortimid.

BurILpINGBRUENOR,STEP4

B o b f i l l s i n s o m e o f B r u e n o r ’s b a s i c d e t a i l s : h i s n a m e , h i s s e x ( m a l e ) , h i s h e i g
htandweight,andhisalignment(lawfulgood).HishighStrengthandConsti
tutionSuggestahealthy,athleticbody,andhislowIntelligencesuggestsad
egreeofforgetfulness.

BohdecidesthatBruenorcomesfromanobleline,buthisclanwasexpelledfr
omitshomelandwhenBruenorwasveryyoung.Hegrewupworkingasasmith
intheremotevillagesofIcewindDale.ButBruenorhasaheroicdestiny—tor
eclaimhishomeland—soBobchoosesthefolkherobackgroundforhisdwarf
.

Henotestheproficienciesandspecialfeaturethisbackgroundgiveshim.

B o b h a s a p r e t t y c l e a r p i c t u r e o f B r u e n o r ’s p e r s o n a l i t y i n m i n d , s o h e s k i p s t h
epersonalitytraitssuggestedinthefolkherobackground,notinginsteadth
atBruenorisacaring.sensitivedwarfwhogenuinelyloveshisfriendsandal
lies,buthehidesthissoftheartbehindagruff,snarlingdemeanor.Hechoos
estheidealoffairnessfromthelistinhisbackground,notingthatBruenorbe
lievesthatnooneisabovethelaw.

Givenhishistory,Bruenor'sbondisobvious:heaspirestosomedayreclaim
MithralHall,hishomeland,fromtheshadowdragonthatdrovethedwarveso
ut.
PAR T 1 | S T E P - B Y - S T E P C HARAG T E R S

Hisflawistiedtohiscaring,sensitivenature—hehasasoftspotfororphans
andwaywardsouls,leadinghimtoshowmercyevenwhenitmightnotbewarr
anted.

5.CHOOSEEQUIPMENT

Yourclassandbackgrounddetermineyourcharacter'sstartingequipment,
includingweapons,armor,andotheradventuringgear.Recordthisequipm
entonyourcharactersheet.Allsuchitemsaredetailedinchapter5.Insteado
ftakingthegeargiventoyoubyyourclassandbackground,youcanpurchase
yourstartingequipment.Youhaveanumberofgoldpieces(gp)tospendbase
donyourclass,asshowninchapter5.Extensivelistsofequipment,withpric
es,alsoappearin|wish,youcanalsohaveonetrinkettableattheendofchapt
er5).itstheamountofgearyoucancarry.Trynottopurchaseequipmentwith
atotalweightxceedingyourStrengthscoretimes15.moreinformationonca
rryingcapacity.

AR M O R C LAS S

YourArmorClass(AC)representshowwellyourcharacteravoidsbeingwou
ndedinbattle,ThingsthatcontributetoyourACincludethearmoryouwear,t
heshieldyoucarry,andyourDexteritymodifier.Notallcharacterswearar
mororcarryshields,however.

Withoutarmororashield,yourcharacter'sACequals10+hisorherDexterit
ymodifier.Ifyourcharacterwearsarmor,carriesashield,orboth,calculat
eyourACusingtherulesinchapter5.RecordyourAConyourcharactersheet.

Yourcharacterneedstobeproficientwitharmorandshieldstowearanduset
hemeffectively,andyourarmorandshieldproficienciesaredeterminedby
yourclass.Therearedrawbackstowearingarmororcarryingashieldifyoul
acktherequiredproficiency,asexplainedinchapter5.

SomespellsandclassfeaturesgiveyouadifferentwaytocalculateyourAC.I
fyouhavemultiplefeaturesthatgiveyoudifferentwaystocalculateyourAC
,youchoosewhichonetouse.

WEAPONS

Foreachweaponyourcharacterwields,calculatethemodifieryouusewhen
youattackwiththeweaponandthedamageyoudealwhenyouhit.

Whenyoumakeanattackwithaweapon,yourollad20andaddyourproficienc
ybonus(butonlyifyouareproficientwiththeweapon)andtheappropriatea
bilitymodifier.

Forattackswithmeleeweapons,useyourStrengthmodifierforattackandda
magerolls.Aweaponthathasthefinesseproperty,suchasarapier,canuseyo
urDexteritymodifierinstead.

Forattackswithrangedweapons,useyourDexteritymodifierforattackand
damagerolls.Aweaponthathasthethrownproperty,suchasahandaxe,canu
seyourStrengthmodifierinstead,

BuILpINGBRUENOR,STEP5Bobwritesdownthestartingequipmentfromt
hefighterclassandthefolkherobackground.Hisstartingequipmentinclud
eschainmailandashield,whichcombinetogiveBruenoranArmorClassof1
8

F o r B r u c n o r ’s w e a p o n s , B o b c h o o s e s a b a t t l e a x e a n d t w o h a n d a x e s . H i s b a t t l
eaxeisameleeweapon,soBruenoruseshisStrengthmodifierforhisattacks
anddamage.HisattackbonusishisStrengthmodifier(+8)plushisproficien
cybonus(+2),foratotalof+5,Thebattleaxedeals1d8slashingdamage,and
BruenoraddshisStrengthmodifiertothedamagewhenhehits,foratotalof1
d8+3slashingdamage.Whenthrowingahandaxe,Bruenorhasthesameattac
kbonus(handaxes,asthrownweapons,useStrengthforattacksanddamage)
,andtheweapondeals1d6+3slashingdamagewhenithits.

6.ComeTOGETHER

MostD&Dcharactersdon'tworkalone.Eachcharacterplaysarolewithinap
arty,agroupofadventurersworkingtogetherforacommonpurpose.Teamw
orkandcooperationgreatlyimproveyourparty'schancestosurvivetheman
yperilsintheworldsofDUNGEONS&Dracons.Talktoyourfellowplayersa
ndyourDMtodecidewhetheryourcharactersknowoneanother,howtheyme
t,andwhatsortsofqueststhegroupmightundertake.

BEYONDIstLEVEL

Asyourcharactergoesonadventuresandovercomeschallenges,heorshega
insexperience,representedbyexperiencepoints.Acharacterwhoreachesa
specifiedexperiencepointtotaladvancesincapability.Thisadvancement
iscalledgainingalevel,

Whenyourcharactergainsalevel,hisorherclassoftengrantsadditionalfea
tures,asdetailedintheclassdescription.Someofthesefeaturesallowyout
oincreaseyourabilityscores,eitherincreasingtwoscoresby1eachorincre
asingonescoreby2.Youcan'tincreaseanabilityscoreabove20.Inaddition
,everycharacter'sproficiencybonusincreasesatcertainlevels.

Eachtimeyougainalevel,yougain1additionalHitDic.RollthatHitDie,ad
dyourConstitutionmodifiertotheroll,andaddthetotaltoyourhitpointma
ximum.Alternatively,youcanusethefixedvalueshowninyourclassentry,
whichistheaverageresultofthediieroll(roundedup).re

WhenyourConstitutionmodifierincreasesv1,your4hitpointmaximuminc
reasesby1foreachlevelyouhaveattained.Forexample,whenBruenorreac
hes8thlevelasafighter,heincreaseshisConstitutionscorefrom17to18,th
usincreasinghisConstitutionmodifierfrom+3to+4.Hishitpointmaximu
mthenincreasesby8.

TheCharacterAdvancementtablesummarizestheXPyouneedtoadvanceinl
evelsfromlevel1throughleve]20,andtheproficiencybonusforacharacter
o f t h a t l e v e l . C o n s u l t t h e i n f o r m a t i o n i n y o u r c h a r a c t e t ’s c l a s s d e s c r i p t i o n t
oseewhatotherimprovementsyougainateachlevel,

T I E R S O F P LAY

TheshadingintheCharacterAdvancementtableshowsthefourtiersofplay.
T h e t i e r s d o n ’t h a v e a n y r u l e s a s s o c i a t e d w i t h t h e m ; t h e y a r e a p e n e r a l d e s c r i
ptionofhowtheplayexperiencechangesascharactersgainlevels.

Inthefirsttier(levels1-4),charactersareeffectivelyapprenticeadventur
ers,Theyarelearningthefeaturesthatdefinethemasmembersofparticular
classes,includingthemajorchoicesthatflavortheirclassfeaturesastheya
d v a n c e ( s u c h a s a w i z a r d ’sAr c a n e T r a d i t i o n o r a f i g h t e r ’s M a r t i a lAr c h e t y p e
).Thethreatstheyfacearerelativelyminor,usuallyposingadangertolocal
farmsteadsorvillages.

Inthesecondtier(levels5-10),characterscomeintotheirown.Manyspellc
astersgainaccessto3rd-levelspellsatthestartofthistier,crossinganewth
resholdofmagicalpowerwithspellssuchasfireballandlightningbolt,Atth
istier,manyweapon-usingclassesgaintheabilitytomakemultipleattacks
inoneround.Thesecharactershavebecomeimportant,facingdangersthatt
hreatencitiesandkingdoms.

Inthethirdtier(levels11-16),charactershavereachedalevelofpowerthat
setsthemhighabovetheordinarypopulaceandmakesthemspecialevenamo
ngadventurers.At11thlevel,manyspellcastersgainaccessto6th-levelspe
lls,someofwhichcreateeffectspreviouslyimpossibleforplayercharacter
stoachieve,Othercharactersgainfeaturesthatallowthemtomakemoreatta
cksordomoreimpressivethingswiththoseattacks.Thesemightyadventure
rsoftenconfrontthreatstowholeregionsandcontinents.

Atthefourthtier(levels17-20),charactersachievethepinnacleoftheircla
ssfeatures,becomingheroic(orvillainous)archetypesintheirownright.T
hefateoftheworldoreventhefundamentalorderofthemultiversemighthan
ginthebalanceduringtheiradventures,

C HARAC T E RAD VAN C E M E N T E x p e r i e n c e Po i n t s Le v e l o O 3 0 0 9 0 0 2 , 7 0 0 6 ,

50014,00023,00034,00048,00064,00085,000100,000120,000140,0001
65,000195,000225,000265,000305,000355,000

ProficiencyBonus+2

OaumMsauna

PAR T 1 ) S T E P - B Y - S T E P C E

CHAPTER2:RACES

V I S I TT O O N E O F T H E G R EAT C I T I E S I N T H E w o r l d s o f D u N G E o n s & D r a c o n
s—Waterdeep,theFreeCityofGreyhawk,orevenuncannySigil,theCityof
Doors—overwhelmsthesenses.Voiceschatterincountlessdifferentlangu
ages.ThesmellsHofcookingindozensofdifferentcuisinesminglewiththe
odorsofcrowdedstreetsandpoorsanitation.Buildingsinmyriadarchitect
uralstylesidisplaythediverseoriginsoftheirinhabitants,

Andthepeoplethemselyes—peopleofvaryingsize,shape,andcolor,dresse
dinadazzlingspectrumofstylesandhues—representmanydifferentraces,
fromdiminutivehalflingsandstoutdwarvestomajesticallybeautifulelve
s,minglingamongavarietyofhumanethnicities,

Scatteredamongthemembersofthesemorecommonracesarethetrueexotic
s;ahulkingdragonbornhere,pushinghiswaythroughthecrowd,andaslytie
flingthere,lurkingintheshadowswithmischiefinhereyes.Agroupofgnom
eslaughsasoneofthemactivatesacleverwoodentoythatmovesofitsownac
cord,Half-elvesandhalf-orcsliveandworkalongsidehumans,withoutfull
ybelongingtotheracesofeitheroftheirparents.Andthere,welloutofthesu
nlighit,isalonedrow—afugitivefromthesubterraneanexpanseoftheUnde
rdark,tryingtomakehiswayinaworldthatfearshiskind.
CHOOSINGARACE

HumansarethemostcommonpeopleintheworldsofD&D,buttheyliveandw
orkalongsidedwarves,elves,halflings,andcountlessotherfantasticspec
ies.Yourcharacterbelongstooneofthesepeoples.

Noteveryintelligentraceofthemultiverseisappropriateforaplayer-cont
rolledadventurer,Dwarves,elves,halflings,andhumansarethemostcomm
onfacestoproducethesortofadventurerswhomakeuptypicalparties.Drag
onborn,gnomes,half-elves,half-ores,andtieflingsarelesscommonasadv
enturers.Drow,asubraceofelves,arealsouncommon,

Yourchoiceofraceaffectsmanydifferentaspectsofyourcharacter,Itestab
lishesfundamentalqualitiesthatexistthroughoutyourcharacter'sadvent
uringcareer.Whenmakingthisdecision,keepinmindthekindofcharactery
ouwanttoplay.Forexample,ahalflingcouldbeagoodchoiceforasneakyro
gue,adwarfmakesatoughwarrior,andanelfcanbeamasterofarcanemagic.

Yourcharacterracenotonlyaffectsyourabilityscoresandtraitsbutalsopr
ovidesthecuesforbuildingyourcharacter'sstory.Eachrace'sdescriptioni
nthischapterincludesinformationtohelp-youroleplayacharacterofthatr
ace,includingpersonality,physicalappearance,

_featuresofsociety,andracialalignmenttendencies.___Thesedetailsare
suggestionstohelpyouthinkaboutourcharacter;adventurerscandeviatew
idelyfromthefortheirrace.It'sworthwhiletoconsiderwhyyourdifferent,
asahelpfulwaytothinkaboutSbackgroundandpersonality.

RACIALTRAITS

Thedescriptionofeachraceincludesracialtraitsthatarecommontomembe
rsofthatrace.Thefollowingentriesappearamongthetraitsofmostraces.

ABILITYSCOREINCREASEEveryraceincreasesoneormoreofacharacter'
sabilityscores.

AGE

Theageentrynotestheagewhenamemberoftheraceisconsideredanadult,a
s w e l l a s t h e r a c e ’s e x p e c t e d l i f e s p a n . T h i s i n f o r m a t i o n c a n h e l p y o u d e c i d e h
owoldyourcharacterisatthestartofthegame.You

canchooseanyageforyourcharacter,whichcouldprovideanexplanationfo
rsomeofyourabilityscores.Forexample,ifyouplayayoungorveryoldchar
acter,youragecouldexplainaparticularlylowStrengthorConstitutionsco
re,whileadvancedagecouldaccountforahighIntelligenceorWisdom.

ALIGNMENTsul

Mostraceshavetendenciestowardcertainalignments,describedinthisent
ry.Thesearenotbindingforplayercharacters,butconsideringwhyyourdw
arfischaotic,forexample,indefianceoflawfuldwarfsocietycanhelpyoub
etterdefineyourcharacter.

Size

CharactersofmostracesareMedium,asizecategoryincludingcreaturesth
atareroughly4to8feettall.MembersofafewracesareSmall(between2and4
feettall),whichmeansthatcertainrulesofthegameaffectthemdifferently
,Themostimportantoftheserules

isthatSmallcharactershavetroublewieldingheavyweapons,asexplainedi
nchapter6.

SPEEDYourspeeddetermineshowfaryoucanmovewhentraveling(chapter
8)andfighting(chapter9).

LAN G UAG E S

Byvirtueofyourrace,yourcharactercanspeak,read,andwritecertainlang
uages.Chapter4liststhemostcommonlanguagesoftheD&Dmultiverse,

SUBRACES

Someraceshavesubraces.Membersofasubracehavethetraitsoftheparentr
aceinadditiontothetraitsspecifiedfortheirsubrace.Relationshipsamon
gsubracesvarysignificantlyfromracetoraceandworldtoworld.IntheDra
gonlancecampaignsetting,forexample,mountaindwarvesandhilldwarve
slivetogetherasdifferentclansofthesamepeople,butintheForgottenReal
ms,theylivefarapartinseparatekingdomsandcallthemselvesshielddwar
vesandgolddwarves,respectively.

FART1|RACES

D WAR F

“ Y E R LAT E , E L F ! " CAM E T H E R O U G H E D G E O FAFAM I L IAR v o i c e . B r u e n o r

Battlehammerwalkedupthebackofhis

deadfoe,disregardingthefactthattheheavymonsterlayontopofhiselvenf
r i e n d . I n s p i t e o f t h e a d d e d d i s c o m f o r t , t h e d w a r f ’s l o n g , p o i n t e d , o f t e n - b r o
kennoseandgray-streakedthoughstill-fieryredbeardcameasawelcomesi
g h t t o D r i z 2 t . “ K n e w I ' d f i n d y e i n t r o u b l e i f I c a m e o u t a n ’l o o k e d f o r y e ! ”

—R.A.Salvatore,TheCrystalShard

Kingdomsrichinancientgrandeur,hallscarvedintotherootsofmountains,
theechoingofpicksandhammersindeepminesandblazingforges,acommit
mentto.

clanandtradition,andaburninghatredofgoblinsand.orcs—thesecommon
threadsunitealldwarves.

S H O R TAN D S T O U T

Boldandhardy,dwarvesareknownasskilledwarriors,miners,andworkers
ofstoneandmetal.Thoughtheystandwellunder5feettall,dwarvesaresobr
oadandcompactthattheycanweighasmuchasahumanstandingnearlytwofe
ettaller.Theircourageandenduranarealsoeasilyamatchforanyof

thelargerfolk.

Dwarvenskinrangesfromdeepbrowntoapalerhuetingedwithred,butthem
ostcommonshadesarelightbrownordeeptan,likecertaintonesofearth.Th
eirhair,wornlongbutinsimplestisusuallyblack,gray,orbrown,thoughpa
lerdwarvesoftenhaveredhair.Maledwarvesvaluetheirbeardshighlyandg
roomthemcarefully.
LoneMemory,LONGGRUDGES

Dwarvescanlivetobemorethan400yearsold,sotheoldestlivingdwarvesof
tenrememberalifferentworld.Forexample,someoftheoldestdwarveslivi
ng

inCitadelFelbarr(intheworldoftheForgottenRealms)canrecalltheday,m
orethanthreecenturiesago,whenoresconqueredthefortressanddrovethe
mintoanexilethatlastedover250years.Thislongevitygrantsthemaperspe
ctiveontheworldthatshorter-livedracessuchashumansandhalflingslack
.

Dwarvesaresolidandenduringlikethemountainstheylove,weatheringthe
passageofcenturieswithstoicenduranceandlittlechange.Theyrespectth
etraditionsoftheirclans,tracingtheirancestrybacktothefoundingofthei
rmostancientstrongholdsintheyouthoftheworld,anddon'tabandonthose
traditionslightly.Partofthosetraditionsisdevotiontothegodsofthedwar
ves,whoupholdthedwarvenidealsofindustriouslabor,skillinbattle,andd
evotiontotheforge.

I n d i v i d u a l d w a r v e s a r e d e t e r m i n e d a n d l o y t h e i r w o r d a n d d e c ’o f s t u b b o r n n e
ss.Manydwarveshaveastrongsense

,truetoiveinaction,sometimestothepoint

ofjustice,andtheyareslowtoforgetwrongstheyhavesuffered.Awrongdon
etoonedwarfisawrongdonetothedwarfsentireclan,sowhatbeginsasoned
w a r f ’s h u n t f o r v e n g e a n c e c a n b e c o m e a f u l l - b l o w n c l a n f e u d

C LAN SAN D K I N G D O M S

Dwarvenkingdomsstretchdeepbeneaththemountainswherethedwarvesm
inegemsandpreciousmetalsandforgeitemsofwonder.Theylovethebeauty
andartistryofpreciousmetalsandfinejewelry,andinsomedwarvesthislov
efestersintoavarice.Whateverwealththeycan'tfindintheirmountains,th
eygainthroughtrade.Theydislikeboats,soenterprisinghumansandhalfli
ngsfrequentlyhandletradeindwarvengoodsalongwaterroutes,Trustwort
hymembersofotherracesarewelcomeindwarfsettlements,thoughsomeare
asareofflimitseventothem.

Thechiefunitofdwarvensocietyistheclan,anddwarveshighlyvaluesocial
standing.Evendwarves:fromtheirownkingdomscherishtheirclanidentit
iesandaffiliations,recognizerelateddwarves,andinvoketheirancestors’
namesinoathsandcurses,Tobeclanlessistheworstfatethatcanbefalladwa
rf.

Dwarvesinotherlandsaretypicallyartisans,especiallyweaponsmiths,ar
morers,andjewelers.Someecomemercenariesorbodyguards,highlysoug
htafterfortheircourageandloyalty.

wholivefa

G o p s , G O L D ,AN D C LAN

Dwarveswhotakeuptheadventuringlifemightbemotivatedbyadesirefortr
easure—foritsownsake,foraspecificpurpose,orevenoutofanaltruisticd
esiretohelpothers.Otherdwarvesaredrivenbythecommandorinspiration
ofadeity,adirectcallingorsimplyadesiretobringglorytooneofthedwarfg
ods.Clanandancestryarealsoimportantmotivators.Adwarfmight
seektorestoreaclan'slosthonor,avengeanancientwrongtheclansuffered,
orearnanewplacewithinthefterhavingbeenexiled.Oradwarfmightsearch
fortheaxewieldedbyamightyancestor,lostonthefieldofbattlecenturiesa
go.

clan¢

StowToTrust

Dwarvesgetalongpassablywellwithmostotherraces.“Thedifferencebet
weenanacquaintanceandafriendisaboutahundredyears,”isadwarfsaying
thatmightbehyperbole,butcertainlypointstohowdifficultitcanbeforam
emberofashort-livedracelikehumanstoearnadwarf'strust

E l v e s . “ I t ’s n o t w i s e t o d e p e n d o n t h e e l v e s , N o t e l l i n g w h a t a n e l f w i l l d o n e x t
; w h e n t h e h a m m e r m e e t s t h e o r c ’s h e a d , t h e y ' r e a s a p t t o s t a r t s i n g i n g a s t o p u l
loutasword,They'reflightyandfrivolous.Twothingstobesaidforthem,th
ough:Theydon'thavemanysmiths,buttheonestheyhavedoveryfinework.A
n d w h e n o r c s o r g o b l i n s c o m e s t r e a m i n g d o w n o u t o f t h e m o u n t a i n s , a n e l f ’s g o
odtohaveatyourback.Notasgoodasadwarf,maybe,butnodoubttheyhateth
eoresasmuchaswedo.”

Halflings."Sure,they'repleasantfolk.Butshowmeahalflinghero,Anempi
re,atriumphantarmy,Evenatreasurefortheagesmadebyhalflinghands.No
thing.Howcanyoutakethemseriously?”

Humans.“Youtakethetimetogettoknowahuman,andbythenthehuman'son
herdeathbed.Ifyou'relucky,she'sgotkin—adaughterorgranddaughter,m
aybe—who'sgothandsandheartasgoodashers.That'swhenyoucanmakeah
umanfriend,Andwatchthemgo!Theysettheirheartsonsomething,they'llg
e t i t , w h e t h e r i t ’s a d r a g o n ' s h o a r d o r a n e m p i r e ' s t h r o n e .Yo u h a v e t o a d m i r e t
hatkindofdedication,evenifitgetsthemintroublemoreoftenthannot.”

DwarrNAMES

Ad w a r f ’s n a m e i s g r a n t e d b y a c l a n e l d e r , i n a c c o r d a n c e w i t h t r a d i t i o n , E v e r y
properdwarvennamehasbeenusedandreuseddownthroughthegenerations
.A. d w a r f ’s n a m e b e l o n g s t o t h e c l a n , n o t t o t h e i n d i v i d u a l .Ad w a r f w h o m i s u s
esorbringsshametoaclanname

isstrippedofthenameandforbiddenbylawtouseanydwarvennameinitspla
ce.

MaleNames:Adrik,Alberich,Baern,Barendd,Brottor,Brucnor,Dain,Dar
rak,Delg,Eberk,Einkil,Fargrim,Flint,Gardain,Harbek,Kildrak,Morgra
n,Orsik,Oskar,Rangrim,Rurik,Taklinn,Thoradin,Thorin,Tordek,Traub
on,Travok,Ulfgar,Veit,Vondal

FemaleNames:Amber,Artin,Audhild,Bardryn,Dagnal,Diesa,Eldeth,Fal
krunn,Pinellen,Gunnioda,Gurdis,Helja,Hlin,Kathra,Kristryd,Ilde,Lif
trasa,Mardred,Riswynn,Sannl,Torbera,Torgga,Vistra

CianNames:Balderk,Battlehammer,Brawnanvil,Dankil,Fireforge,Fros
tbeard,Gorunn,Holderhek,Ironfist,Loderr,Lutgehr,Rumnaheim,Strake
ln,Torunn,Ungart

DwarFTRAITS
Yourdwarfcharacterhasanassortmentofinborn,abililies,partandparcel
ofdwarvennature.

AbilityScoreIncrease.YourConstitutionscoreincreasesby2.

Age.Dwarvesmatureatthesamerateashumans,butthey'reconsideredyoun
guntil](heyreachtheageof50.Onaverage,theyliveabout350years.

Alignment.Mostdwarvesarelawful,believingfirmlyinthebenefitsofawe
ll-orderedsociety.Theytendtowardgoodaswell,withastrongsenseoffair
playandabeliefthateveryonedeservestoshareinthebenefitsofajustorder
.

Size.Dwarvesstandbetween4and5feettallandaverageabout150pounds.Y
oursizeisMedium,

Speed.Yourbasewalkingspeedis25feet.Yourspeedisnotreducedhyweari
ngheavyarmor.

Darkvision.Accustomedtolifeunderground,youhavesuperiorvisioninda
rkanddimconditions.Youcanseeindimlightwithin60feetofyouasifitwer
ebrightlight,andindarknessasifitweredimlight.Youcan'tdiscerncolori
ndarkness,onlyshadesofgray.

DwarvenResilience.Youhaveadvantageonsavingthrowsagainstpoison,a
ndyouhaveresistanceagainstpoisondamage(explainedinchapter9).

DwarvenCombatTraining.Youhaveproficiencywiththebattleaxe,handax
e,throwinghammer,andwarhammer.

PAR T I | RAC E S .

am

T o o l Pr o f i c i e n c y .Yo u g a i n p r o f i c i e n c y w i t h t h e a r t i s a n ’s t o o l s o f y o u r c h o i
c e : s m i t h ’s t o o l s , b r e w e r ' s s u p p l i e s , o r m a s o n ’s t o o l s .

Stonecunning.WheneveryoumakeanIntelligence(History)checkrelatedt
otheoriginofstonework,youareconsideredproficientintheHistoryskilla
ndadddoubleyourproficiencybonustothecheck,insteadofyournormalpr
oficiencybonus.

Languages.Youcanspeak,read,andwriteCommonandDwarvish.Dwarvish
isfullofhardconsonantsandgutturalsounds,andthosecharacteristicsspil
loverintowhateverotherlanguageadwarfmightspeak.

Subrace.TwomainsubracesofdwarvespopulatetheworldsofD&D:hilldwa
rvesandmountaindwarves.Chooseoneofthesesubraces.

HILLDwarFAsahilldwarf,youhavekeensenses,deepintuition,andremark
ableresilience.ThegolddwarvesofFaertinintheirmightysouthernkingdo
marehilldwarves,asaretheexiledNeidarandthedebasedKlarofKrynninth
eDragonlancesetting.

AbilityScoreIncrease.YourWisdomscoreincreasesby1.

DwarvenToughness.Yourhitpointmaximumincreasesby1,anditincrease
sby1everytimeyougainalevel.
MountainDwarFAsamountaindwarf,you'restrongandhardy,accustomedt
oadifficultlifeinruggedterrain.You'reprobablyonthetallside(foradwar
f),andtendtowardlightercoloration.TheshielddwarvesofnorthernFaerti
n,aswellastherulingHylarclanandthenobleDaewarclanofDragonlance,a
remountaindwarves.

AbilityScoreIncrease.YourStrengthscoreincreasesby2.

DwarvenArmorTraining.Youhaveproficiencywithlightandmediumarmo
r,

DUERGAR

IncitiesdeepintheUnderdarklivetheduergar,orgray.dwarves,Thesevici
ous,stealthyslavetradersraidthesurfaceworldforcaptives,thenselltheir
preytotheotherraces

theUnderdark.Theyhaveinnatemagicalabilitiestobecomeinvisibleandt
otemporarilygrowtopintsize.

ELF

“ I HAV E N E V E R I MAG I N E D S U C H B EAU TYE X I S T E D , ” G o l d m o o n s a i d s o f t

ly.Theday'smarchhadbeendifficult,buttherewardattheendwasbeyondth
eirdreams

ThecompanionsstoodonahighcliffoverthefabledcityofQualinost.

F o u r s l e n d e r s p i r e s r o s e f r o m t h e c i t y ’s c o r n e r s l i k e g l i s t e n i n g s p i n d l e s , t h e
irbrilliantwhitestonemarbledwithshiningsilver,Gracefularches,swoop
ingfromspiretospire,soaredthroughtheair.Craftedbyancientdwarvenm
etalsmiths,theywerestrongenoughtoholdtheweightofanarmy,yettheyap
pearedsodelicatethatabirdlightingonthemmightoverthrowthebalance.T
h e s e g l i s t e n i n g a r c h e s w e r e t h e c i t y ’s o n l y b o u n d a r i e s ; t h e r e w a s n o w a l l a r o
undQualinost.Theelvencityopeneditsarmslovinglytothewilderness.

—MargaretWeis&TracyHickman,DragonsofAutumnTwilight

Elvesareamagicalpeopleofotherworldlygrace,livingintheworldbutnote
ntirelypartofit.Theyliveinplacesofetherealbeauty,inthemidstofancien
tforestsorinsilveryspiresglitteringwithfaerielight,wheresoftmusicdri
ftsthroughtheairandgentlefragranceswaftonthebreeze.Elveslovenatur
eandmagic,artandartistry,musicandpoetry,andthegoodthings

oftheworld.

SLENDERANDGRACEFUL

Withtheirunearthlygraceandfinefeatures,elvappearhauntinglybeautifu
ltohumansandmembersTheyareslightlyshorterthanhumansonaverage,ra
ngingfromwellunder5feettalltojustover6feet.Theyaremoreslenderthan
humans,weighingonly100to145pounds.Malesand

ofmanyotherraces.

females

areaboutthesameheight,andmalesareonlymarginallyheavierthanfemale
E l v e s ’c o l o r a t i o n e n c o m p a s s e s t h e n o r m a l h u m a n
rangeandalsoincludesskininshadesofcopper,bronze,andalmostbluish-
white,hairofgreenorblue,andeyeslikepoolsofliquidgoldorsilver.Elves
havenofacialandlittlebodyhair.Theyfavorelegantclothinginbrightcolo
rs,andtheyenjoysimpleyetlovelyjewelry.

AT I M E LE S S PE R S PE C T I V E

Elvescanlivewellover700years,givingthemabroadperspectiveonevents
thatmighttroubletheshorter-livedracesmoredeeply.Theyaremoreoftena
musedthanexcited,andmorelikelytobecuriousthan

greedy.Theytendtoremainaloofandunfazedbypettyhappenstance.Whenp
ursuingagoal,however,whether

D o ’U r o e n

adventuringonamissionorlearninganewskillorart,elvescanbefocusedan
drelentless.Theyareslowtomakefriendsandenemies,andevenslowertofo
rgetthem,Theyreplytopettyinsultswithdisdainandtoseriousinsultswith
vengeance.

Likethebranchesofayoungtree,elvesareflexibleinthefaceofdanger,The
ytrustindiplomacyandcompromisetoresolvedifferencesbeforetheyesca
latetoviolence.Theyhavebeenknowntoretreatfromintrusionsintotheirw
oodlandhomes,confidentthattheycansimplywaittheinvadersout.Butwhe
ntheneedarises,elvesrevealasternmartialside,demonstratingskillwiths
word,bow,andstrategy.

HIDDENWoopLanpREALMS

Mostelvesdwellinsmallforestvillageshiddenamongthetrees.Elveshunt
game,gatherfood,andgrowvegetables,andtheirskillandmagicallowthem
tosupportthemselveswithouttheneedforclearingandplowingland.Theya
retalentedartisans,craftingfinelyworkedclothesandartobjects.Theirco
ntactwithoutsidersisusuallylimited,thoughafewelvesmakeagoodliving
bytradingcrafteditemsformetals(whichtheyhavenointerestinmining).

Elvesencounteredoutsidetheirownlandsarecommonlytravelingminstrel
s,artists,orsages.Humannoblescompetefortheservicesofelfinstructors
toteachswordplayormagictotheirchildren.

E X PLO RAT I O NAN DAD V E N T U R E

Elvestakeupadventuringoutofwanderlust.Sincetheyaresolong-lived,th
eycanenjoycenturiesofexplorationandovery.Theydislikethepaceofhum
ansociety,whichisregimentedfromdaytodaybutconstantlychangingover
decades,sotheyfindcareersthatletthemtravelfreelyandsettheirownpace
.Elvesalsoenjoyexercisingtheirmartialprowessorgaininggreatermagic
alpower,andadventuringallowsthem

PAR T } | RAC E S

todoso.Somemightjoinwithrebelsfightingagainstoppression,andothers
mightbecomechampionsofmoralcauses.

ExrNAMES|

Elvesareconsideredchildrenuntiltheydeclarethemselvesadults,someti
meafterthehundredthbirthday,andbeforethisperiodtheyarecalledbychi
ldnames.

Ondeclaringadulthood,anelfselectsanadultname,althoughthosewhokne
w h i m o r h e r a s a y o u n g s t e r m i g h t c o n t i n u e t o u s e t h e c h i l d n a m e . E a c h e l f ’s a d
ultnameisauniquecreation,thoughitmightreflectthenamesofrespectedi
ndividualsorotherfamilymembers.Littledistinctionexistsbetweenmale
namesandfemalenames;thegroupingsherereflectonlygeneraltendencies
.Inaddition,everyelfbearsafamilyname,typicallyacombinationofother
Elvishwords.Someelvestravelingamonghumanstranslatetheirfamilyna
mesintoCommon,butothersretaintheElvishversion.

ChildNames:Ara,Bryn,Del,Eryn,Faen,Innil,Lael,Mella,Naill,Naeris,P
hann,Rael,Rinn,Sai,Syllin,Thia,Vall

MaleAdultNames:Adran,Aelar,Aramil,Arannis,Aust,Beiro,Berrian,Car
ric,Enialis,Erdan,Brevan,Galinndan,Hadarai,Heian,Himo,Immeral,Iv
ellios,Laucian,Mindartis,Paelias,Peren,Quarion,Riardon,Rolen,Sovel
iss,Thamior,Tharivol,Theren,Varis

HAUGHTYBUTGRACIOUS,

Althoughtheycanbehaughty,elvesaregenerallygraciouseventothosewho
fallshortoftheirhighexpectationswhichismostnon-elves.Still,theycanf
indgoodinjustaboutanyone.

Dwarves,“Dwarvesaredull,clumsyoafs,ButwhattheyJackinhumor,sophi
stication,andmanners,theymakeupinvalor.And|mustadmit,theirbestsmi
thsproduceartthatapproacheselvenquality.”

Halflings.“Halflingsarepeopleofsimplepleasures,andthatisnotaqualit
ytoscorn.They'regoodfolk,theycareforeachotherandtendtheirgardens,
andtheyhaveproventhemselvestougherthantheyseemwhentheneedarises
.”

Humans.“A\|thathaste,theirambitionanddrivetoaccomplishsomethingb
eforetheitbrieflivespassaway—humanendeavorsseemsofutilesometime
s.Butthenyoulookatwhattheyhaveaccomplished,andyouhavetoapprecia
tetheirachievements.Ifonlytheycouldslowdownandlearnsomerefineme
nt.”

FemaleAdultNames:Adrie,Althaea,Anastrianna,Andraste,Antinua,Beth
rynna,Birel,Caelynn,Drusilia,Enna,Felosial,Ielenia,Jelenneth,Keylet
h,Leshanna,Lia,Meriele,Mialee,Naivara,Quelenna,Quillathe,Sariel,S
hanairra,Shava,Silaqui,Theirastra,Thia,Vadania,Valanthe,Xanaphia

FamilyNames(CommonTranslations):Amakiir(Gemflower),Amastacia(
Starflower),Galanodel(Moonwhisper),Holimion(Diamonddew),Ilphelk
iir(Gemblossom),Liadon(Silverfrond),Meliamne(Oakenheel),Nailo(Ni
ghtbreeze),Siannodel(Moonbrook),Xiloscient(Goldpetal)

ELFTRAITS

Yourelfcharacterhasavarietyofnaturalabilities,theresultofthousandso
fyearsofelvenrefinement,

AbilityScoreIncrease.YourDexterityscoreincreasesby2.

Age.Althoughelvesreachphysicalmaturityataboutthesameageashumans
,theelvenunderstandingofadulthoodgoesbeyondphysicalgrowthtoenco
mpassworldlyexperience,Anelftypicallyclaimsadulthoodandanadultna
mearoundtheageof100andcanlivetobe750yearsold.

Alignment,Elveslovefreedom,variety,andself-expression,sotheyleans
t r o n g l y t o w a r d t h e g e n t l e r a s p e c t s o f c h a o s . T h e y v a l u e a n d p r o t e c t o t h e r s ’f
reedomaswellastheirown,andtheyaremoreoftengoodthannat.Thedrowar
eanexception;theirexileintotheUnderdarkhasmadethemviciousanddang
erous.Drowaremoreoftenevilthannot,

Size.Elvesrangefromunder5toover6feettallandhaveslenderbuilds.Your
sizeisMedium.

Speed,Yourbasewalkingspeedis30feet.

Trance.Elvesdon'tneedtosleep.Instead,theymeditatedeeply,remaining
semiconscious,for4hoursaday.(TheCommonwordforsuchmeditationis“t
rance.”)Whilemeditating,youcandreamafterafashion;suchdreamsareac
tuallymentalexercisesthathavebecomereflexivethroughyearsofpractic
e.Afterrestinginthisway,yougainthesamebenefitthatahumandoesfrom8
hoursofsleep.

Languages.Youcanspeak,read,andwriteCommonandElvish,Elvishisflui
d,withsubtleintonationsandintricategrammar.Elvenliteratureisrichan
dvaried,andtheirsongsandpoemsarefamousamongotherraces.Manybard
slearntheirlanguagesotheycanaddElvishballadstotheirrepertoires.

Subrace,Ancientdividesamongtheelvenpeopleresultedinthreemainsubr
aces:highelves,woodelves,anddarkelves,whoarecommonlycalleddrow.
Chooseoneofthesesubraces.Insomeworlds,thesesubracesaredividedstil
lfurther(suchasthesunelvesandmoonelvesoftheForgottenRealms),soif
youwish,youcanchooseanarrowersubrace,

HicuEteAsahighelf,youhayeakeenmindandamasteryofatleastthebasics
ofmagic.Inmanyoftheworlds

ofD&D,therearetwokindsofhighelves.Onetype(whichincludesthegraye
lvesandvalleyelvesofGreyhawk,theSilvanestiofDragonlance,andthesu
nelvesoftheForgottenRealms)ishaughtyandreclusive,believingthemsel
vestobesuperiortonon-elvesandevenotherelves.Theothertype(includin
gthehighelvesofGreyhawk,theQualinestiofDragonlance,andthemoonel
vesoftheForgottenRealms)aremorecommonandmorefriendly,andoftene
ncounteredamonghumansandotherraces.

ThesunelvesofFacran(alsocalledgoldelvesorsunriseelves)havebronzes
kinandhairofcopper,black,orgoldenblond.Theireyesaregolden,silver,o
rblack.Moonelves(alsocalledsilverelvesorgrayelves)aremuchpaler,wi
thalabasterskinsometimestingedwithblue.Theyoftenhavehairofsilver-
white,black,orblue,butvariousshadesofblond,brown,andredarenotunco
mmon.Theireyesareblueorgreenandfleckedwithgold.

AbilityScoreIncrease.YourIntelligencescoreincreasesby1.

ElfWeaponTraining.Youhaveproficiencywiththelongsword,shortsword
,shortbow,andlongbow.

Darkvision.Accustomedtotwilitforestsandthenightsky,youhavesuperio
rvisionindarkanddimconditions.Youcanseeindimlightwithin60feetofy
o u a s i f i t w e r e b r i g h t l i g h t , a n d i n d a r k n e s s a s i f i t w e r e d i m l i g h t .Yo u c a n ’t d i
scerncolorindarkness,onlyshadesofgray,,
KeenSenses.YouhaveproficiencyinthePerceptionskill.

FeyAncestry.Youhaveadvantageonsavingthrows.againstbeingcharmed,
a n d m a g i c c a n ’t p u t y o u t o s l e e p .

Cantrip.Youknowonecantripofyourchoicefromthewizardspelllist.Intel
ligenceisyourspellcastingabilityforit.iit

ExtraLanguage.Youcanspeak,read,andwriteoneextralanguageofyourch
oice,

WoopELF

Asawoodelf,youhavekeensensesandintuition,andyourfleetfeetcarryyo
uquicklyandstealthilythroughyournativeforests,Thiscategoryincludes
thewildelves(grugach)ofGreyhawkandtheKagonestiofDragonlance,asw
ellastheracescalledwoodelvesinGreyhawkandtheForgottenRealms.InF
aerfin,woodelves(alsocalledwildelves,greenelves,orforestelves)arere
clusiveanddistrustingofnon-elves.

W o o d e l v e s ’s k i n t e n d s t o b e c o p p e r i s h i n h u e , s o m e t i m e s w i t h t r a c e s o f g r e e n
.Theirhairtendstowardbrownsandblacks,butitisoccasionallyblondorco
pper-colored.Theireyesaregreen,brown,orhazel,

AbilityScoreIncrease.YourWisdomscoreincreasesby1.

ElfWeaponTraining.Youhaveproficiencywiththelongsword,shortsword
,shortbow,andlongbow.

FleetofFoot.Yourbasewalkingspeedincreasesto35feet.

MaskoftheWild.Youcanattempttohideevenwhenyouareonlylightlyobsc
uredbyfoliage,heavyrain,fallingsnow,mist,andothernaturalphenomena
.

PAR T T | RAC E S

DarkELF(Drow)

Descendedfromanearliersubraceofdark-skinnedelves,thedrowwereban
ishedfromthesurfaceworldforfollowingthegaddessLolthdownthepathto

evilandcorruption.Nowtheyhavebuilttheirowncivilizationinthedepths
oftheUnderdark,patternedaftertheWayofLolth.Alsocalleddarkelves,th
edrowhaveblackskinthatresemblespolishedobsidianandstarkwhiteorpa
leyellowhair.Theycommonlyhaveverypaleeyes(sopaleastobemistakenf
orwhite)inshadesoflilac,silver,pink,red,andblue.Theytendtobesmalle
randthinnerthanmostelves.

Drowadventurersarerare,andtheracedoesnotexistinallworlds.Checkwit
hyourDungeonMastertoseeifyoucanplayadrowcharacter.

AbilityScoreIncrease.YourCharismascoreincreasesby1.

SuperiorDarkvision.Yourdarkvisionhasaradiusof120feet.

SunlightSensitivity.YouhavedisadvantageonattackrollsandonWisdom(
Perception)checksthatrelyonsightwhenyou,thetargetofyourattack,orw
hateveryouaretryingtoperceiveisindirectsunlight.
DrowMagic,Youknowthedancinglightscantrip.Whenyoureach3rdlevel,
youcancastthefaeriefirespellonceperday.WhenyoureachSthlevel,youc
analsocastthedarknessspellonceperday.Charismaisyourspellcastingab
ilityforthesespells.

DrowWeaponTraining.Youhaveproficiencywithrapiers,shortswords,an
dhandcrossbows.

aTHeDarknessOFTHEDrowWereitnotforonerenownedexception,therace
ofdrowwouldbeuniversallyreviled,Tomost,theyarearaceof

Ndemon-worshipingmaraudersdwellinginthesubterranean

_depthsoftheUnderdark,emergingonlyontheblackest

_nightstopillageandslaughterthesurfacedwellerstheydespise.Theirsoc
ietyisdepravedandpreoccupiedwiththefavorofLolth,theirspider-godde
ss,whosanctionsmurder

|andtheexterminationofentirefamiliesasnoblehousesvieforposition.

Yetonedrow,atleast,brokethemold.IntheworldoftheForgottenRealms,D
rizztDo'Urden,rangeroftheNorth,hasprovenhisqualityasagood-hearted
defenderoftheweakandinnocent.Rejectinghisheritageandadriftinaworl
dthatlooksuponhimwithterrorandloathing,Drizztisamodelforthosefew
drowwhofollowinhisfootsteps,tryingtofindalifeapartfromtheevilsocie
tyoftheirUnderdarkhomes.

Drowgrowupbelievingthatsurface-dwellingracesareinferior,worthless
exceptasslaves.Drowwhodevelopa

conscienceorfinditnecessarytocooperatewithmembersof‘otherracesfin
dithardtoovercomethatprejudice,especially

HALFLING

R E G I S T H E HALF LI N G , T H E O N LYO N E O F H I S K I N D F O R h u n d r e d s o f m i l e s
inanydirection,lockedhisfingersbe-hindhisheadandleanedbackagainst
themossyblanketofthetreetrunk.Regiswasshort,evenbythestandardsof
hisdiminutiverace,withthefluffofhiscurlybrownlocksbarelycrestingth
ethree-footmark,buthisbellywasamplythickenedbyhisloveofagoodmea
l,orseveral,astheopportunitiespresentedthemselves.Thecrookedstickt
hatservedashisfishingpoleroseupabovehim,clenchedbetweentwoofhist
oes,andhungoutoverthequietlake,mirroredperfectlyintheglassysurface
ofMaerDualdon.—R.A.Salvatore,TheCrystalShard

* T h e c o m f o r t s o f h o m e a r e t h e g o a l s o f m o s t h a l f l i n g s ’l i v e s : a p l a c e t o s e t t l e i
npeaceandquiet,farfrommaraudingmonstersandclashingarmies;ablazin
gfireandagenerousmeal;finedrinkandfineconversation.Thoughsomehal
flingsliveouttheirdaysinremoteagriculturalcommunities,othersformn
omadicbandsthattravelconstantly,luredbytheopenroadandthewidehori
zontodiscoverthewondersofnewlandsandpeoples,Buteventhesewandere
rslovepeace,food,hearth,andhome,thoughhomemightbeawagonjostling
alongandirtroadoraraftfloatingdownriver.

S MAL LAN D P RAC T I CAL

Thediminutivehalflingssurviveinaworldfulloflargercreaturesbyavoidi
ngnoticeor,barringthat,avoidingoffense.Standingabout3feettall,theya
ppearrelativelyharmlessandsohavemanagedtosurviveforcenturiesinthe
shadowofempiresandontheedgesofwarsandpoliticalstrife.Theyareincli
nedtobestout,weighingbetween40and45pounds.

H a l f l i n g s ’s k i n r a n g e s f r o m t a n t o p a l e w i t h a r u d d y c a s t , a n d t h e i r h a i r i s u s u a
llybrownorsandybrownandwavy.Theyhavebrownorhazeleyes.Halfling
menoftensportlongsideburns,butbeardsarerareamongthemandmustache
sevenmoreso.Theyliketowearsimple,comfortable,andpracticalclothes,
favoringbrightcolors.

Halflingpracticalityextendsbeyondtheirclothing.They'reconcernedwit
hbasicneedsandsimplepleasuresandhavelittleuseforostentation.Event
hewealthiestofhalflingskeeptheirtreasureslockedinacellarratherthano
ndisplayforalltosee.Theyhaveaknackforfindingthemoststraightforwar
dsolutiontoaproblem,andhavelittlepatiencefordithering.

KINDANDCurious

Halflingsareanaffableandcheerfulpeople.Theycherishthebondsoffamil
yandfriendshipaswellasthecomfortsofhearthandhome,harboringfewdre
amsofgoldorglory.Evenadventurersamongthemusuallyventureintothew
orldforreasonsof

AFFABLEANDPositive

Halflingstrytogetalongwitheveryoneelseandareloathto

makesweepinggeneralizations—especiallynegativeones.Dwarves.“Dw
arvesmakeloyalfriends,andyoucancount

{BDonthemtokeeptheirword,Butwouldithurtthemtosmile

community,friendship,wanderlust,orcuriosity,Theylovediscoveringne
wthings,evensimplethings,suchasanexoticfoodoranunfamiliarstyleofc
lothing.

Halflingsareeasilymovedtopityandhatetoseeanylivingthingsuffer.The
yaregenerous,happilysharingwhattheyhaveeveninleantimes.

BLENDINTOTHECROWD

Halflingsareadeptatfittingintoacommunityofhumans,dwarves,orelves,
makingthemselvesvaluableandwelcome.Thecombinationoftheirinheren
tstealthandtheirunassumingnaturehelpshalflingstoavoidunwantedatte
ntion.

Halflingsworkreadilywithothers,andtheyareloyaltotheirfriends,wheth
erhalflingorotherwise.Theycandisplayremarkableferocitywhentheirfr
iends,families,orcommunitiesarethreatened.

PAS T O RAL P L EASAN T R I E S

Mosthalflingsliveinsmall,peacefulcommunitieswithlargefarmsandwel
l-keptgroves.Theyrarelybuildkingdomsoftheirownorevenholdmuchlan
dbeyondtheirquietshires.Theytypicallydon'trecognizeanysortofhalfli
ngnobilityorroyalty,insteadlookingtofamilyelderstoguidethem,Famili
espreservetheirtraditionalwaysdespitetheriseandfallofempires.

M a n y h a l f l i n g s l i v e a m o n g o t h e r r a c e s , w h e r e t h e h a l f l i n g s ’h a r d w o r k a n d l o
yaloutlookofferthemabundantrewardsandcreaturecomforts.Somehalfli
ngcommunitiestravelasawayoflife,drivingwagonsorguidingboatsfrom
placetoplaceandmaintainingnopermanenthome.

HALFLINGTRAITS

onceinawhile?”Elves.“They'resobeautifullTheirfaces,theirmusic,thei
r

graceandall,It'sliketheysteppedoutofawonderfuldream.jy

Butthere'snotellingwhat'sgoingonbehindtheirsmilingfaces—surelymo
rethantheyeverleton.”

Humans.“Humansarealotlikeus,really.Atleastsomeofthemare.Stepouto
fthecastlesandkeeps,gotalktothefarmersandherdersandyou'llfindgood,
solidfolk.Notthatthere'sanythingwrongwiththebaronsandsoldiers—yo
uhavetoadmiretheirconviction,Andbyprotectingtheirownlands,theypro
tectusaswell.”

Be

EXPLORINGOPPORTUNITIES

H a l f l i n g s u s u a l l y s e t o u t o n t h e a d y e n t u r e r ’s p a t h t o d e f e n d t h e i r c o m m u n i t i
es,supporttheirfriends,orexploreawideandwonder-filledworld.Forthe
m.adventuringislessacareerthananopportunityorsometimesanecessity.

HALFLINGNAMES

Ahalflinghasagivenname,afamilyname,andpossiblyanickname.Familyn
amesareoftennicknamesthatstucksotenaciouslytheyhavebeenpasseddo
wnthroughthegenerations.

MaleNames:Alton,Ander,Cade,Corrin,Eldon,Errich,Finnan,Garret,Lin
dal,Lyle,Merric,Milo,Osborn,Perrin,Reed,Roscoe,Wellby

FemaleNames:Andry,Bree,Callic,Cora,Euphemia,Jillian,Kithri,Lavini
a,Lidda,Merla,Nedda,Paela,Portia,Seraphina,Shaena,Trym,Vani,Vern
a

FamilyNames:Brushgather,Goodbarrel,Greenbottle,

gh-hill,Hilltopple,Leagallow,Tealeaf,Thorngage,

Tosscobble,Underbough

Languages.Youcanspeak,read,andwriteCommon

Yourhalflingcharacterhasanumberoftraitsincommonwithallotherhalfli
ngs.

AbilityScoreIncrease,YourDexterityscoreincreasesby2.

Age.Ahalflingreachesadulthoodattheageof20andgenerallylivesintothe
middleofhisorhersecondcentury.
Alignment.Mosthalflingsarelawfulgood.Asarule,theyaregood-hearted
andkind,hatetoseeothersinpain,andhavenotoleranceforoppression.The
yarealsoveryorderlyandtraditional,leaningheavilyonthesupportofthei
rcommunityandthecomfortoftheiroldways.

Size.Halflingsaverageabout3feettallandweighabout40pounds.Yoursiz
eisSmall.

Speed.Yourbasewalkingspeedis25feet.

Lucky.Whenyourolla1onanattackroll,abilitycheck,orsayingthrow,you
canrerollthedieandmustusethenewroll.

Brave.Youhaveadvantageonsavingthrowsagainstbeingfrightened.

HalflingNimbleness.Youcanmovethroughthespaceofanycreaturethatis
ofasizelargerthanyours.

andHalfling.TheHalflinglanguageisn'tsecret,buthalflingsareloathtosh
areitwithothers,Theywriteverylittle,sotheydon'thavearichbodyofliter
ature.Theiroraltradition,however,isverystrong.Almostallhalflingsspe
akCommontoconversewiththepeopleinwhoselandstheydwellorthrough
whichtheyaretraveling.

Subrace.Thetwomainkindsofhalfling,lightfootandstout,aremorelikecl
oselyrelatedfamiliesthantruesubraces.Chooseoneofthesesubraces.

LIGHTFOOT

Asalightfoothalfling,youcaneasilyhidefromnotice,evenusingotherpeo
pleascover.You'reinclinedtobeaffableandgetalongwellwithothers.Inth
eForgottenRealms,lightfoothalflingshavespreadthefarthestandthusare
themostcommonvariety.

Lightfootsaremorepronetowanderlustthanotherhalflings,andoftendwel
lalongsideotherracesortakeupanomadiclife,IntheworldofGreyhawk,th
esehalflingsarecalledhairfeetortallfellows.

AbilityScoreIncrease.YourCharismascoreincreasesby1.

NaturallyStealthy.Youcanattempttohideevenwhenyouareobscuredonly
byacreaturethatisatleastonesizelargerthanyou.

StroutAsastouthalfling,you'rehardierthanaverageandhavesomeresista
ncetopoison.Somesaythatstoutshavedwarvenblood,IntheForgottenReal
ms,thesehalflingsarecalledstronghearts,andthey'remostcommoninthes
outh.

AbilityScoreIncrease.YourConstitutionscoreincreasesby1.

StoutResilience.Youhaveadvantageonsavingthrowsagainstpoison,andy
ouhaveresistanceagainstpoisondamage.

THESEWERETHESTORIESOFARESTLESSPEOPLEWHO

longagotooktotheseasandriversinlongboats,firsttopillageandterrorize
,thentosettle.Yettherewasanenergy,aloveofadventure,thatsangfromev
erypage,LongintothenightLirielread,lightingcandleafterpreciouscand
le.She'dnevergivenmuchthoughttohumans,butthesestoriesfascinatedh
er,Intheseyellowedpagesweretalesofboldheroes,strangeandfierceanim
als,mightyprimitivegods,andamagicthatwaspartandfabricofthaldistan
tland.—ElaineCunningham,DaughteroftheDrow

Inthereckoningsofmostworlds,humansaretheyoungestofthecommonrac
es,latetoarriveontheworldsceneandshort-livedincomparisontodwarves
.elves,anddragons.Perhapsitisbecauseoftheirshorterlivesthattheystri
vetoachieveasmuchastheycanintheyearstheyaregiven.Ormaybetheyfee
l t h e y h a v e s o m e t h i n g t o p r o v e t o t h e e l d e r r a c e s , a n d t h a t ’s w h y t h e y b u i l d t h e
irmightyempiresonthefoundationofconquestandtrade.Whateverdrivest
hem,humansaretheinnovators,theachievers,andthepioneers

oftheworlds.

ABROADSPECTRUM

Withtheirpenchantformigrationandconquest,humansaremorephysicall
ydiversethanothercommonraces,Thereisnotypicalhuman.Anindividual
canstandfrom5feettoalittleover6feettallandweighfrom125to250pound
s,Humanskinshadesrangefromnearlyblacktoverypale,andhaircolorsfro
mblacktoblond(curly,kinky,orstraight);malesmightsportfacialhairtha
tissparseorthick.Alotofhumanshaveadashofnonhumanblood,revealingh
intsofelf,ore,orotherlineages,Humansreachadulthoodintheirlateteens
andrarelyliveevenasinglecentury.

VAR I E TYI NALLT H I N G S

Humansarethemostadaptableandambitiouspeopleamongthecommonrace
s.Theyhavewidelyvaryingtastes,morals,andcustomsinthemanydifferen
tlandswheretheyhavesettled.Whentheysettle,though,

theystay:theybuildcitiestolastfortheages,and

greatkingdomsthatcanpersistforlongcenturies.Anindividualhumanmig
hthavearelativelyshortlifespan,butahumannationorculturepreservestr
aditions

withoriginsfarbeyondthereachofanysinglehuman'smemory.Theyliveful
lyinthepresent—makingthemwellsuitedtotheadventuringlife—butalso
planforthefuture,strivingtoleavealastinglegacy.Individuallyandasagr
oup,humansareadaptableopportunists,andtheystayalerttochangingpoli
ticalandsocialdynamics.

;Justasreadilyastheymixwitheachother,humansmingle

)7withmembersofotherraces.Theygetalongwithalmosteveryone,though
theymightnotbeclosetomany.Humansserveasambassadors,diplomats,m
agistrates,merchants,andfunctionariesofallkinds.

Dwarves.“They'restoutfolk,stalwartfriends,andtruetotheirword.Their
greedforgoldistheirdownfall,though.”

E l v e s . “ I t ’s b e s t n o t t o w a n d e r i n t o e l v e n w o o d s , T h e y d o n ' t l i k e i n t r u d e r s , a n
dyou'llaslikelybebewitchedaspepperedwitharrows,Still,ifanelfcanget
pastthatdamnedracialprideandactuallytreatyoulikeanequal,youcanlea
rnalotfromthem."

Halflings.“It'shardtobeatamealinahalflinghome,aslongasyoudon'tcrac
kyourheadontheceiling—goodfoodandgoodstoriesinfrontofanice,warm
fire.Ifhalflingshadashredofambition,theymightreallyamounttosometh
ing.”

<a

LAS T I N G I N S T I T U T I O N S

Whereasingleelfordwarfmighttakeontheresponsibilityofguardingaspe
ciallocationorapowerfulsecret,humansfoundsacredordersandinstitutio
nsforsuchpurposes.Whiledwarfclansandhalflingelderspassontheancie
nttraditionstoeachnewgeneration,humantemples,governments,librarie
s,andcodesoflawfixtheirtraditionsinthebedrockofhistory.Humansdrea
mofimmortality,but(exceptforthosefewwhoseekundeathordivineascen
s i o n t o e s c a p e d e a t h ’s c l u t c h e s ) t h e y a c h i e v e i t b y e n s u r i n g t h a t t h e y w i l l b e r
ememberedwhentheyaregone.

Althoughsomehumanscanbexenophobic,ingeneraltheirsocietiesareincl
usive.Humanlandswelcomelargenumbersofnonhumanscomparedtothepr
oportionofhumanswholiveinnonhumanlands.

E X E M P LAR S O FAM B I T I O N

Humanswhoseekadventurearethemostdaringandambitiousmembersofad
aringandambitiousr:Theyseektoearngloryintheeyesoftheirfellowsbya
massingpower,wealth,andfame.Morethanotherpeople,humanschampion
causesratherthanterritoriesorgroups.

HuMaANNAMESANDETHNICITIES

Havingsomuchmorevarietythanothercultures;humansasawholehavenot
ypicalnames.Somehuman

parentsgivetheirchildrennamesfromotherlanguages,suchasDwarvishor
Elvish(pronouncedmoreorlesscorrectly),butmostparentsgivenamestha
tarelinkedtotheirregion'scultureortothenamingtraditionsoftheirances
tors.

Thematerialcultureandphysicalcharacteristicsofhumanscanchangewil
dlyfromregiontoregion.

IntheForgottenRealms,forexample,theclothing,architecture,cuisine,m
usic,andliteraturearedifferentinthenorthwesternlandsoftheSilverMar
chesthanindistantTurmishorImpilturtotheeast—andevenmoredistincti
veinfar-offKara-Tur.Humanphysicalcharacteristics,though,varyaccor
dingtotheancientmigrationsoftheearliesthumans,sothatthehumansofth
eSilverMarcheshaveeverypossiblevariationofcolorationandfeatures.

IntheForgottenRealms,ninehumanethnicgroupsarewidelyrecognized,th
oughoveradozenothersarefoundinmorelocalizedareasofFaertin.Theseg
roups,andthetypicalnamesoftheirmembers,canbeusedasinspirationnom
atterwhichworldyourhumanisin.

CALISHITE

Shorterandslighterinbuildthanmostotherhumans,Calishiteshavedusky
brownskin,hair,andeyes,They'refoundprimarilyinsouthwestFaeran,

CalishiteNames:(Male)Ascir,Bardeid,Hascid,Khemed,Mehmen,Sudeim
an,Zasheir;(female)Atala,Ceidil,Hama,Jasmal,Meilil,Seipora,Yasheir
a,Zasheida;(surnames)Basha,Dumein,Jassan,Khalid,Mostana,Pashar,
Rein

C H O N DAT HAN

Chondathansareslender,tawny-skinnedfolkwithbrownhairthatrangesfr
omalmostblondtoalmostblack.Mostaretallandhavegreenorbrowneyes,b
utthesetraitsarehardlyuniversal.HumansofChondathandescentdominat
ethecentrallandsofFaeriin,aroundtheInnerSea.

cereus

ChondathanNames:(Male)Darvin,Dorn,Evendur,Gorstag,Grim,Helm,M
alark,Morn,Randal,Stedd;(female)Arveene,Esvele,Jhessail,Kerri,Lur
eene,Miri,Rowan,Shandri,Tessele;(surnames)Amblecrown,Buckman,D
undragon,Everwood,Greycastle,Tallstag

DAMARAN

FoundprimarilyinthenorthwestofFacran,Damaransareofmoderateheigh
tandbuild,withskinhuesrangingfromtawnytofair.Theirhairisusuallybr
ownorblack,andtheireyecolorvarieswidely,thoughbrownismostcommo
n,

DamaranNames:(Male)Bor,Fodel,Glar,Grigor,Igan,Ivor,Kosef,Mival,
Orel,Pavel,Sergor;(female)Alethra,Kara,Katernin,Mara,Natali,Olma,
Tana,Zora;(surnames)Bersk,Chernin,Dotsk,Kulenov,Marsk,Nemetsk,S
hemov,Starag

ILLUSKAN

Tlluskansaretall,fair-skinnedfolkwithblueorsteelygrayeyes,Mosthave
raven-blackhair,butthosewho.inhabittheextremenorthwesthaveblond,r
ed,orlightbrownhair.

IlluskanNames:(Male)Ander,Blath,Bran,Frath,Geth,Lander,Luth,Malc
er,Stor,Taman,Urth;(female)Amafrey,Betha,Cefrey,Kethra,Mara,Olga
,Silifrey,Westra;(surnames)Brightwood,Helder,Hornraven,Lackman,S
tormwind,Windrivver

M U LAN

DominantintheeasternandsoutheasternshoresoftheInnerSea,theMulana
regenerallytall,slim,andamber-skinned,witheyesofhazelorbrown.Thei
rhairrangesfromblacktodarkbrown,butinthelandswheretheMulanaremo
stprominent,noblesandmanyotherMulanshaveoffalltheirhair.

MulanNames:(Male)Aoth,Bareris,EhputKi,Kethoth,Mumed,Ramas,So-
Kehur,Thazar-De,Urhur;(female)Arizima,Chathi,Nephis,Nulara,Murit
hi,Sefris,Thola,Umara,Zolis;(surnames)Ankhalab,Anskuld,Fezim,Hah
pet,Nathandem,Sepret,Uuthrakt

RASHEMI

MostoftenfoundeastoftheInnerSeaandoftenintermingledwiththeMulan,
Rashemistendtobeshort,stout,andmuscular.Theyusuallyhaveduskyphin
yan:eyes,andthickblackhair.r

RashemiNames:(Male)Borivik,BaticganJats;Kanithar,Madislak,Ralme
vik,Shaumar,Vlad(female)Fyevarra,Hulmarra,Immith,Imzel,Navarra,
Shevarra,Tammith,Yuldra;(surnames)Chergoba,Dyernina,IItazyara,M
urnyethara,Stayanoga,Ulmokina

SHou

TheShouarethemostnumerousandpowerfulethnicgroupinKara-Tur,farto
theeastofFaerfin.Theyareyellowish-bronzeinhue,withblackhairanddar
keyes.Shousurnamesareusuallypresentedbeforethegivenname.

ShouNames:(Male)An,Chen,Chi,Fai,Jiang,Jun,Lian,Long,Meng,On,Sh
an,Shui,Wen;(female)Bai,Chao,Jia,Lei,Mei,Qiao,Shui,Tai;(surnames)
Chien,Huang,Kao,Kung,Lao,Ling,Mei,Pin,Shin,Sum,Tan,Wan

TETHYRIAN

WidespreadalongtheentireSwordCoastatthewesternedgeofFaerin,Teth
yriansareofmediumbuildandheight,withduskyskinthattendstogrowfair
er

thefarthernorththeydwell,Theirhairandeyecolorvarieswidely,butbrow
nhairandblueeyesarethemostcommon.TethyriansprimarilyuseChondath
annames.

TURAMI

Native.tothesouthernshoreoftheInnerSea,theTuramipeoplearegenerall
ytallandmuscular.withdarkmahoganyskin,curlyblackhair,anddarkeyes
.

TuramiNames:(Male)Anton,Diero,Marcon,Pieron,Rimardo,Romero,Sal
azar,Umbero;(female)Balama,Dona,Faila,Jalana,Luisa,Marta,Quara,S
elise,Vonda;(surnames)Agosto,Astorio,Calabra,Domine,Falone,Mariv
aldi,Pisacar,Ramondo

HUMANTRAITS

It'shardtomakegeneralizationsabouthumans,butyourhumancharacterha
sthesetraits,

AbilityScareIncrease.Yourabilityscoreseachincreaseby1.

Age.Humansreachadulthoodintheirlateteensandlivelessthanacentury.

Alignment.Humanstendtowardnaparticularalignment,Thebestandthewo
rstarefoundamongthem.

Size.Humansvarywidelyinheightandbuild,from.barely5feettowellover
6fecttall.Regardlessofyourpositioninthatrange,yoursizeisMedium.

Speed.Yourbasewalkingspeedis30feet.

Languages.Youcanspeak,read,andwriteCommonandoneextralanguageof
yourchoice.Humanstypicallylearnthelanguagesofotherpeoplestheydea
lwith,includingobscuredialects.Theyarefondofsprinklingtheirspeech
withwordsborrowedfromothertongues:Orecurses,Elvishmusicalexpres
sions,Dwarvishmilitaryphrases,andsoon.

L= VAR IAN T H U MAN T RAI T S _ _ I f y o u r c a m p a i g n u s e s t h e o p t i o n a l f e a t r u l e

sfromchapter5,yourDungeonMastermightallowthesevarianttraits,allof
|whichreplacethehuman'sAbilityScoreIncreasetrait.AbilityScoreIncre
ase.Twodifferentabilityscoresofyourchoiceincreaseby1.Skills.Yougai
nproficiencyinoneskillofyourchoice.Feat.Yougainonefeatofyourchoic
e.

PAR T |

DRAGONBORN

H E R FAT H E R S T O O D O N T H E

I R S T O F T H E T H R E E S TAI R S t h a t l e d d o w n f r o m t h e p o r t a l , u n m o v i n g . T h e s c
alesofhisfacehadgrownpaleraroundtheedges,butGlanlessMehenstilllo
okedasifhecouldwrestledownadirebearhim-self.Hisfamiliarwell-worn
armorwasgone,replacedbyviolet-tintedscalearmorwithbrightsilverytr
acings,Therewasablazononhisarmaswell,themarkofsomeforeignhouse.
Theswordathisbackwasthesame,though,theonehehadcarriedsinceevenb
eforehehadfoundthetwinsleftinswaddlingatthegatesofArushVayem.

Forallherlife,Faridehhadknownthatreadingher

father'sfacewasaskillshe'dbeenfortunatetolearn.A

humanwhocouldn'tspottheshiftofhereyesorHavilar's

w o u l d c e r t a i n l y s e e o n l y t h e i n d i f f e r e n c e o f a d r a g o n i n C l a n l e s s M e h e n ’s f a
ce.Buttheshiftofscales,thearchofaridge,thesetofhiseyes,thegapeofhis
t e e t h — h e r f a t h e r ’s f a c e s p o k e v o l u m e s . B u t e v e r y s c a l e o f i t , t h i s t i m e , s e e m
edcompletelystilltheindifferenceofadragon,eventoFarideh.ErinM.Eva
ns,TheAdversary

Bornofdragons,astheirnameproclaims,thedragonbornwalkproudlythro
ughaworldthatgreetsthemwithfearfulincomprehension.Shapedbydraco
nicgodsorthedragonsthemselves,dragonbornoriginallyhatchedfromdra
goneggsasauniquerace,combiningthebestattributesofdragonsandhuma
noids.Somedragonbornarefaithfulservantstotruedragons,othersformth
eranksofsoldiersingreatwars,andstillothersfindthemselvesadrift,with
noclearcallinginlife.

ProupDraconKIN

Dragonbornlookverymuchlikedragonsstandingerinhumanoidform,thou
ghtheylackwingsoratailfirstdragonbornhadscalesofvibranthuesmatchi
ngthecolorsoftheirdragonkin,butgenerationsofinterbreedinghavecreat
edamoreuniformappearance.Theirsmall,finescalesareusuallybrassorbr
onzeincolor,sometimesrangingtoscarlet,rust,gold,orcopper-green.The
yaretallandstronglybuilt,oftenstandingcloseto6!feettallandweighing3
00poundsormore,Theirhandsandfeetarestrong,talonlikeclawswiththre
efingersandathumboneachhand.Thebloodofaparticulartypeofdragonru
nsverystrongthroughsomedragonbornclans,Thesedragonbornoftenboas
tscalesthatmorecloselymatchthoseoftheirdragonancestor—brightred,g
reen,blue,orwhite,lustrousblack,orgleamingmetallicgold,silver,brass
,copper,orbronze.

cthe

S E L F - S U F F I C I E N T C LAN S

Toanydragonborn,theclanismoreimportantthanlifeitself.Dragonborno
wetheirdevotionandrespecttotheirclanaboveallelse,eventhegods.Each
dragonborn'sconductreflectsonthehonorofhisorherclan,andbringingdi
shonortotheclancanresultinexpulsionandexile.Eachdragonbornknowsh
isorherstationanddutieswithintheclan,andhonordemandsmaintainingth
eboundsofthatposition.

Acontinualdriveforsel£improvementreflectstheself-sufficiencyofther
aceasawhole.Dragonbornvalueskillandexcellenceinallend.Theyhateto
fail,andtheypushthemselvestoextremeeffortsbeforethegiveuponsomet
hing,Adragonbornholdsmasteryofaparticularskillasalifetimegoal.Mem
bersofotherraceswhosharethesamecommitmentfindittocarntherespecto
fadragonborn.

Thoughalldragonbornstrivetobeself-sufficient,theyrecognizethathelp
issometimesneededindifficultsituations.Butthebestsourceforsuchhelp
istheclan,andwhenaclanneedshelp,itturnstoanotherdragonbornclanbef
oreseekingaidfromotherrorevenfromthegods.

DRAGONBORNNAMES

Dragonbornhavepersonalnamesgivenatbirth,buttheyputtheirclannames
firstasamarkofhonor,Achildhoodnameornicknameisoftenusedamongclu
tchmatesasadescriptivetermoratermofendearment.Thenamemightrecall
aneventorcenteronahabit.

MaleNames:Arjhan,Balasar,Bharash,Donaar,Ghesh,

Heskan,Kriv,Medrash,Mehen,Nadarr,Pandjed,Patrin,Rhogar,Shamash,
Shedinn,Tarhun,Torin

FemaleNames:Akra,Biri,Daar,Farideh,Harann,Havilar,Jheri,Kava,Kor
inn,Mishann,Nala,Perra,Raiann,Sora,Surina,Thava,Uadit

UncommonRaces

Thedragonbornandtherestoftheracesinthischapterareuncommon.Theyd
on'texistineveryworldofD&D,andevenwheretheyarefound,theyareless
widespreadthan

*dwarves,elves,halflings,andhumans.

InthecosmopolitancitiesoftheD&Dmultiverse,mostpeoplehardlylookt
wiceatmembersofeventhemostexoticraces.Butthesmalltownsandvillag
esthatdotthecountrysidearedifferent.Thecommonfolkaren'taccustome
dtoseeingmembersoftheseraces,andtheyreactaccordingly.

Dragonborn.\t'seasytoassumethatadragonbornisamonster,especiallyif
hisorherscalesbetrayachromaticheritage.Unlessthedragonbornstartsbr
eathingfireandcausingdestruction,though,peoplearelikelytorespondwi
thcautionratherthanoutrightfear.

Gnome.Gnomesdon'tlooklikeathreatandcanquicklydisarmsuspicionwit
hgoodhumor.Thecommonfolkareoftencuriousaboutgnomes,likelynever
havingseenonebefore,buttheyarerarelyhostileorfearful.

Half-Elf,Althoughmanypeoplehaveneverseenahalfelf,virtuallyeveryo
neknowstheyexist.Ahalf-elfstranger'sarrivalisfollowedbygossipbehin
d t h e h a l f - e l f ’' s b a c k a n d s t o l e n g l a n c e s a c r o s s t h e c o m m o n r o o m , r a t h e r t h a n
anyconfrontationoropencuriosity.
H a l f - O r c , \ t ’s u s u a l l y s a f e t o a s s u m e t h a t a h a l f o r c i s b e l l i g e r e n t a n d q u i c k t
oanger,sopeoplewatchthemselvesaroundanunfamiliarhalf-ore,Shopkee
persmightsurreptitiouslyhidevaluableorfragilegoodswhenahalf-oreco
mesin,andpeopleslowlyclearoutofatavern,assumingafightwillbreakout
soon.

Tiefling,Half-orcsaregreetedwithapracticalcaution,buttieflingsareth
esubjectofsupernaturalfear.Theeviloftheirheritageisplainlyvisibleint
heirfeatures,andasfarasmostpeopleareconcerned,atieflingcouldveryw
ellbeadevil

straightfromtheNineHells.Peoplemightmakewardingsignsasatieflinga
pproaches,crossthestreettoavoidpassingnear,orbarshopdoorsbeforeati
eflingcanenter,

ChildhoodNames:Climber,Earbender,Leaper,Pious,Shieldbiter,Zealou
s

ClanNames:Clethtinthiallor,Daardendrian,Delmirev,Drachedandion,F
enkenkabradon,Kepeshkmolik,Kerrhylon,Kimbatuul,Linxakasendalor,
Myastan,Nemmonis,Norixius,Ophinshtalajiir,Prexijandilin,Shestende
liath,Turnuroth,Verthisathurgiesh,Yarjerit

DRAGONBORNTRAITS

Yourdraconicheritagemanifestsinavarietyoftraitsyousharewithotherdr
agonborn.

AbilityScoreIncrease.YourStrengthscoreincreasesby2,andyourCharis
mascoreincreasesby1.

Age.Youngdragonborngrowquickly.Theywalkhoursafterhatching,attai
nthesizeanddevelopmentofa10-year-oldhumanchildbytheageof3,andre
achadulthoodby15.Theylivetobearound80.

Alignment.Dragonborntendtoextremes,makingaconsciouschoiceforone
sideortheotherinthecosmicwarbetweengoodandevil(representedbyBah
amutandTiamat,respectively).Mostdragonbornaregood,butthosewhosi
dewithTiamatcanbeterriblevillains.

Size.Dragonbornaretallerandheavierthanhumans,standingwellover6fe
ettallandaveragingalmost250pounds.YoursizeisMedium.

Speed.Yourbasewalkingspeedis30feet.

DraconicANCESTRY

DragonDamageTypeBreathWeapon

BlackAcid5by30ft.line(Dex.save)BlueLightning5by30ft.line(Dex.sav
e)BrassFire5by30ft.line(Dex.save)

Bronze_Lightning5by30ft.line(Dex.save)

CopperAcid5by30ft.line(Dex.save)GoldFire15ft.cone(Dex.save)Green
Poison15ft.cone(Con.save)RedFire15ft.cone(Dex.save)SilverCold15f
t.cone(Con.save)WhiteCold15ft.cone(Con.save)

SSS...DRACONIANSIntheDragonlancesetting,thefollowersoftheevilgo
ddessTakhisislearnedadarkritualthatlettherncorrupttheeggsofmetallic
dragons,producingevildragonborncalleddraconians,Fivetypesofdraco
nians,correspondingtothefivetypesofmetallicdragons,foughtforTakhi
sisintheWaroftheLance:auraks(gold),baz(brass),bozak(bronze),kapak
(copper),andsivak(silver).Inplaceoftheirdraconicbreathweapons,they
haveuniquemagicalabilities.

DraconicAncestry.Youhavedraconicancestry.Chooseonetypeofdragonf
romtheDraconicAncestrytable.Yourbreathweaponanddamageresistance
aredeterminedbythedragontype,asshowninthetable.

BreathWeapon.Youcanuseyouractiontoexhaledestructiveenergy.Yourd
raconicancestrydeterminesthesize,shape,anddamagetypeoftheexhalati
on.

Whenyouuseyourbreathweapon,eachcreatureintheareaoftheexhalation
mustmakeasavingthrow,thetypeofwhichisdeterminedbyyourdraconican
cestry.TheDCforthissavingthrowequals8+yourConstitutionmodifier+y
ourproficiencybonus.Acreaturetakes2d6damageonafailedsave,andhalf
asmuchdamageonasuccessfulone.Thedamageincreasesto346at6thlevel,
4d6at11thlevel,and5d6at16thlevel.

Afteryouuseyourbreathweapon,youcan'tuseitagainuntilyoucompleteas
hortorlongrest.

DamageResistance.Youhaveresistancetothedamagetypeassociatedwith
yourdraconicancestry.

Languages.Youcanspeak,read,andwriteCommonandDraconic.Draconici
sthoughttobeoneoftheoldestlanguagesandisoftenusedinthestudyofmag
ic.Thelanguagesoundsharshtomostothercreaturesandincludesnumerous
hardconsonantsandsibilants.

GNOME

S K I N N YAN D F LAX E N - HAI R E D , H I S S K I N w a l n u t b r o w n a n d h i s e y e s a s t a r t

lingturquoise,BurgellstoodhalfastallasAeronandhadtoclimbuponastoo
ltolookoutthepeephole.Likemosthab-itationsinOeble,thatparticularte
nementhadbeenbuiltforhumans,andsmallerresidentscopedwiththeresul
tingawkwardnessasbesttheycould.

ButatleasttherelativelargenessoftheapartmentgaveBurgellroomtopack
inallhisgnome-sizedgear.Thefrontroomwashisworkshop,anditcontaine
dabewilderingmiscellanyoftools:hammers,chisels,saws,lockpicks,tint
edlenses,jeweler'sloupes,andjarsofpowderedandshreddedingredientsf
orcastingspells.Afatgraycat,the

mage'sfamiliar,laycurledatopagrimoire.Itopeneditseyes,gaveAeronad
isdainfulyellowstare,thenappearedtogobacktosleep

—RichardLeeByers,TheBlackBouquet

Aconstanthumofbusyactivitypervadesthewarrens.andneighborhoodswh
eregnomesformtheirclose-knitcommunities.Loudersoundspunctuateth
ehum:acrunchofgrindinggearshere,aminorexplosionthere,ayelpofsurp
riseortriumph,andespeciallyburstsoflaughter.Gnomestakedelightinlif
e,enjoyingeverymomentofinvention,exploration,investigation,creatio
n,andplay.

VIBRANTEXPRESSION
Ag n o m e ’s e n e r g y a n d e n t h u s i a s m f o r l i v i n g s h i n e s t h r o u g h e v e r y i n c h o f h i s
orhertinybody.Gnomesaverageslightlyover3fecttallandweigh40to45po
unds.Theirtanorbrownfacesareusuallyadornedwithbroadsmiles(beneat
htheirprodigiousnoses),andtheirbrighteyesshinewithexcitement.Their

fairhairhasatendencytostickoutineverydirectionasifexpressingthegno
m e ’s i n s a t i a b l e i n t e r e s t i n e v e r y t h i n g a r o u n d .

Ag n o m e ’s p e r s o n a l i t y i s w r i t l a r g e i n h i s o r h e r a p p e a r a n c e .Am a l e g n o m e ' s b
eard,incontrasttohiswildhair,iskeptcarefullytrimmedbutoftenstyledin
tocuriousforksorneatpoints.Agnome'sclothing,thoughusuallymadeinm
odestearthtones,iselaboratelydecoratedwithembroidery,embossing,or
gleamingjewels.

D E LI G H T E D D E D I CAT I O N

Asfarasgnomesareconcerned,beingaliveisawonderfulthing,andtheysqu
eezeeverenjoymentoutoftheirthreetofivecenturiesoflife.Humansmight
wonderaboutgettingboredoverthecourseofsuchalonglife,andelvestake
plentyoftimetosavorthebeautiesoftheworldintheirlongyears,butgnome
sseemtoworrythatevenwithallthattime,theycan'tgetinenoughofthethin
gstheywanttodoandsce.Gnomesspeakasiftheycan'tgetthethoughtsoutof
theirheadsfastenough.Evenastheyofferideasandopinionsonarangeofsu
bjects,theystillmanagetolistencarefullytoothers,addingtheappropriat
eexclamationsofsurpriseandappreciationalongtheway.

younceof

Thoughgnomeslovejokesofallkinds,particularlypunsandpranks,they're
justasdedicatedtothemoreserioustaskstheyundertake.Manygnomesares
killedengineers,alchemists,tinkers,andinventors.They'rewillingtoma
kemistakesandlaughatthemselvesintheprocessofperfectingwhattheydo
,takingbold(sometimesfoolhardy)risksanddreaminglarge.

BRIGHTBURROWSGnomesmaketheirhomesinhilly,woodedlands.Theyl
iveundergroundbutgetmorefreshairthandwarvesdo,enjoyingthenatural
,livingworldonthesurfacewhenevertheycan.Theirhomesarewellhidden
bybothcleverconstructionandsimpleillusions.Welcomevisitorsarequic
klyusheredintothebright,warmburrows.Thosewhoarenotwelcomeareunl
ikelytofindtheburrowsinthefirstplace,

Gnomeswhosettleinhumanlandsarecommonlygemcutters,engineers,sag
es,orlinkers.Somehumanfamiliesretaingnometutors,ensuringthattheir
pupilsenjoyamixofseriouslearninganddelightedenjoyment.Agnomemig
httutorseveralgenerationsofasinglehumanfamilyoverthecourseofhisor
herlonglife.

GNOMENAMES

Gnomeslovenames,andmosthavehalf.adozenorso.Agnome'smother,fath
er,clanelder,aunts,aeachgivethegnomeaname,andvariousnicknamesfro
mjustabouteveryoneelsemightormightnotstickovertime.Gnomenamesar
etypicallyvariantsonthenamesofancestorsordistantrelatives,thoughso
mearepurelynewinventions.Whendealingwithhumansandotherswhoare“
stuffy”aboutnames,agnomelearnstousenomorethanthreenampersonalna
m e , a c l a n n a m e , a n d a n i c k n a m e , c h o o s i n g t h e o n e i n e a c h c a t e g o r y t h a t ’s t h e
mostfuntosay.

DeerGNOMES
Athirdsubraceofgnomes,thedeepgnomes(orsvirfneblin),liveinsmallco
mmunitiesscatteredintheUnderdark.Unliketheduergarandthedrow,svir
fneblinareasgoodastheirsurfacecousins.However,theirhumorandenthu
siasmaredampenedbytheiroppressiveenvironment,andtheirinventiveex
pertiseisdirectedmostlytowardstonework.hibeeonlatctinenertl

MaleNames;Alston,Alvyn,Boddynock,Broce,Burgell,Dimble,Eldon,Er
ky,Fonkin,Frug,Gerbo,Gimble,Glim,Jebeddo,Kellen,Namfoodle,Orryn
,Roondar,Seebo,Sindri,Warryn,Wrenn,Zook

FemaleNames:Bimpnottin,Breena,Caramip,Carlin,Donella,Duvamil,El
la,Ellyjobell,Ellywick,Lilli,Loopmattin,Lorilla,Mardnab,Nissa,Nyx,
Oda,Orla,Roywyn,Shamil,Tana,Waywocket,Zanna

ClanNames:Beren,Daergel,Folkor,Garrick,Nackle,Murnig,Ningel,Rau
lnor,Scheppen,Timbers,Turen

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

SEEINGTHEWORLD

Curiousandimpulsive,gnomesmighttakeupadventuringasawaytoseethe
worldorfortheloveofexploring.Asloversofgemsandotherfineitems,som
egnomestaketoadventuringasaquick,ifdangerous,pathtowealth.Regard
lessofwhatspursthemtoadventure,gnomeswhoadoptthiswayoflifeekeas
muchenjoymentoutofitastheydooutofanyotheractivitytheyundertake,s
ometimestothegreatannoyanceoftheiradventuringcompanions.

GNOMETRAITSYourgnomecharacterhascertaincharacteristicsincommo
nwithallothergnomes.

AbilityScoreIncrease,YourIntelligencescoreincreasesby2.

Age.Gnomesmatureatthesameratehumansdo,andmostareexpectedtosett
ledownintoanadultlifebyaroundage40.Theycanlive350toalmost500yea
rs.

Alignment.Gnomremostoftengood.Thosewhotendtowardlawaresages,en
gineers,researchers,scholars,investigators,orinventors.Thosewhoten
dtowardchaosareminstrels,tricksters,wanderers,orfancifuljewelers.G
nomesaregood-hearted,and

— — — E e E e E e E — — — — e E e E e E e E e E E E E EALWAY SAP P R E C IAT I V E I t ’s r

areforagnometobehostileormaliciousunlessheorshehassufferedagrievo
usinjury.Gnomesknowthatmostracesdon'tsharetheirsenseofhumor,butt
heyenjoyanyone'scompanyjustastheyenjoyeverythingelsetheysetoutto
do.

beinnertennantae

eventhetrickstersamongthemaremoreplayful

thanvicious,

Size.Gnomesarebetween3and4feettallandaverageabout40pounds.Yours
izeisSmall.

Speed.Yourbasewalkingspeedis25feet.
Darkvision.Accustomedtolifeunderground,youhavesuperiorvisioninda
rkanddimconditions,Youcanseeindimlightwithin60feetofyouasifitwer
e b r i g h t l i g h t , a n d i n d a r k n e s s a s i f i t w e r e d i m l i g h t .Yo u c a n ’t d i s c e r n c o l o r i
ndarkness,onlyshadesofgray,

GnomeCunning.YouhaveadvantageonallIntelligence,Wisdom,andChari
smasavingthrowsagainstmagic.

Languages.Youcanspeak,read,andwriteCommonandGnomish.TheGnomi
shlanguage,whichusestheDwarvishseript,isrenownedforitstechnicaltr
eatianditscatalogsofknowledgeaboutthenaturalworld.

Subrace.TwosubracesofgnomesarefoundamongtheworldsofD&D;forest
gnomesandrockgnomes.Chooseoneofthesesubraces.

ForestGNOMEAsaforestgnome,youhaveanaturalknackforillusionandin
herentquicknessandstealth.IntheworldsofD&D,forestgnomesarerarean
dsecretive,Theygatherinhiddencommusinsylvanforests,usingillusions
andtrickerytoconcealthemselvesfromthreatsortomasktheirescapeshoul
dtheybedetected.Forestgnomestendtobefriendlywithothergood-spirite
dwoodlandfolk,andtheyregardelvesandgoodfeyastheirmostimportantal
lies.Thesegnomesalsobefriendsmallforestanimalsandrelyonthemforinf
ormationaboutthreatsthatmightprowltheirlands.

AbilityScoreIncrease.YourDexterityscoreincreasesby1,

NaturalIflusionist,Youknowtheminorillusioncantrip.Intelligenceisyo
urspelleastingabilityforit.

SpeakwithSmaifBeasts.Throughsoundsandgestures,youcancommunicat
esimpleideaswithSmallorsmallerbeasts.Porestgnomesloveanimalsando
ftenkeepsquirrels,badgers,rabbits,moles,woodpeckers,andothercreatu
resasbelovedpets.

RockGNOMEAsarockgnome,youhaveanaturalinventivenessandhardines
sbeyondthatofothergnomes.Mostgnomes.intheworldsofD&Darerockgn
omes,includingthe

tinkergnomesoftheDragonlancesetting.

AbilityScoreIncrease.YourConstitutionscoreincreasesby1.

Af t i f i c e r ’s Lo r e . W h e n e v e r y o u m a k e a n I n t e l l i g e n c e ( H i s t o r y ) c h e c k r e l a t e
dtomagicitems,alchemicalobjects,ortechnologicaldevices,youcanaddt
wiceyourproficiencybonus,insteadofanyproficiencybonusyounormally
apply.

T i n k e r .Yo u h a v e p r o f i c i e n c y w i t h a r t i s a n ’s t o o l s

( t i n k e r ’s t o o l s ) , U s i n g t h o s e t o o l s , y o u c a n s p e n d 1 h o u r a n d 1 0 g p w o r t h o f m a
terialstoconstructaTinyclockworkdevice(AC5,1hp).Thedeviceceasesto
functionafter24hours(unlessyouspend|hourrepairingittokeepthedevic
efunctioning),orwhenyouuseyouractiontodismantleit;atthattime,youc
anreclaimthematerialsusedtocreateit.Youcanhaveuptothreesuchdevice
sactiveatatime.

Whenyaucreateadevice,chooseoneofthefollowingoptions:
ClockworkToy.Thistoyisaclockworkanimal,monster,orperson,suchasa
frog,mouse,bird,dragon,orsoldier.Whenplacedontheground,thetoymov
es5feetacrossthegroundoneachofyourturnsinarandomdirection.Itmake
snoisesasappropriatetothecreatureitrepresents,

FireStarter.Thedeviceproducesaminiatureflame,whichyoucanusetolig
htacandle,torch,orcampfire.Usingthedevicerequiresyouraction.

MusicBox,Whenopened,thismusicboxplaysasinglesongatamoderatevol
ume.Theboxstopsplayingwhenitreachesthesong'sendorwhenitisclosed.

a8

HALF-ELF

FLINTSQUINTEDINTOTHESETTINGSUN.HETHOUGHThesawthefigure
ofamanstridingupthepath.Standing,Flintdrewbackintotheshadowofata
l l p i n e t o s e e b e t t e r . T h e m a n ’s w a l k w a s m a r k e d b y a n e a s y g r a c e — a n e l v i s h g r
a c e , F l i n t w o u l d h a v e s a i d ; y e t t h e m a n ’s b o d y h a d t h e t h i c k n e s s a n d t i g h t m u s
c l e s o f a h u m a n , w h i l e t h e f a c i a l h a i r w a s d e f i n i t e l y h u m a n k i n d ’s .Al l t h e d w a
rfcouldseeoftheman'sfacebeneathagreenhoodwastanskinandabrownish
-redbeard.Alongbowwasslungoveroneshoulderandaswordhungathisleft
side,Hewasdressedinsoftleather,carefullytooledintheintricatedesigns
theelvesloved.ButnoelfintheworldofKrynncouldgrowabeard«+.noelf,b
ut...

YAK T 1 ) RAC K S

“Tanis?”saidFlinthesitantlyasthemanneared.“Thesame."Thenewcomer'
sbeardedfacesplitinawidegrin.Heheldopenhisarmsand,beforethedwarf
couldstophim,engulfedFlintinahugthatliftedhimofftheground.Thedwa
rfclaspedhisoldfriendcloseforabriefinstant,then,rememberinghisdign
ity,squirmedandfreedhimselffromthehalf-elf'sembrace.—MargaretWei
sandTracyHickman,DragonsofAutumnTwilight

Walkingintwoworldsbuttrulybelongingtoneither,half-elvescombinewh
atsomesayarethebestqualitiesoftheirelfandhumanparents:humancurios
ity,inventiveness,andambitiontemperedbytherefinedsenses,loveofnat
ure,andartistictastesoftheelves.Somehalf-elvesliveamonghumans,seta
partbytheiremotionalandphysicaldifferences,watchingfriendsandlove
donesagewhiletimebarelytouchesthem.Otherslivewiththeelves,growin
grestlessastheyreachadulthoodinthetimelesselvenrealms,whiletheirpe
erscontinuetoliveaschildren,Manyhalf-elves,unabletofitintoeithersoc
iety,chooselivesofsolitarywanderingorjoinwithothermisfitsandoutcas
tsin

theadventuringlife.

OrTwoWorLps

Tohumans,half-elveslooklikeelves,andtoelves,theylookhuman.Inheig
ht,they'reonparwithbothparents,thoughthey'reneitherasslenderaselve
snorasbroadashumans.Theyrangefromunder5feettoabout6feettall,andf
rom100to180pounds,withmenonlyslightlytallerandheavierthanwomen.
Half-clfmendohavefacialhair,andsometimesgrowbeardstomasktheirelv
enancestry.Half-elvencolorationandfeaturesliesomewherebetweenthei
rhumanandelfparents,andthusshowavarietyevenmorepronouncedthanth
atfoundamongeitherrace,Theytendtohavetheeyes
oftheirelvenparents.

D I PLO MAT S O R WAN D E R E R S

Half-elveshavenolandsoftheirown,thoughtheyarewelcomeinhumanciti
esandsomewhatlesswelcomeinelvenforests.Inlargecitiesinregionswhe
reelvesandhumansinteractoften,half-elvesaresometimesnumerousenou
ghtoformsmallcommunitiesoftheirown.Theyenjoythecompanyofotherh
alf-elves,theonlypeoplewhotrulyunderstandwhatitistolivebetweenthe
setwoworlds,

Tnmostpartsoftheworld,though,half-elvesareuncommonenoughthatone
mightliveforyearswithoutmeetinganother,Somehalf-elvesprefertoavoi
dcompanyaltogether,wanderingthewildsastrappers,foresters,hunters,
oradventurersandvisitingcivilizationonlyrarely.Likeelves,theyaredri
venbythewanderlustthatcomesoftheirlongevity.Others,incontrast,thro
wthemselvesintothethickofsociety,puttingtheircharismaandsocialskil
lstogreatuseindiplomaticrolesorasswindlers.

Hacr-EuFNAMES

Half-elvesuseeitherhumanorelvennamingconventions.Asiftoemphasiz
e t h a t t h e y d o n ’t r e a l l y f i t i n t o e i t h e r s o c i e t y , h a l f - e l v e s r a i s e d a m o n g h u m a
nsareoftengivenelvennames,andthoseraisedamongelvesoftentakehuma
nnames.

HALF-ELFTRAITS

Yourhalf-elfcharacterhassomequalitiesincommonwithelvesandsometh
atareuniquetohalf-elves.

AbilityScoreIncrease.YourCharismascoreincreasesby2,andtwootherab
ilityscoresofyourchoiceincreaseby1.

Age,Half-elvesmatureatthesameratehumans.doandreachadulthoodarou
ndtheageof20.Theylivemuchlongerthanhumans,however,oftenexceedin
g180years.

Alignment.Valf-elvessharethechaoticbentoftheirelvenheritage.Theyv
aluebothpersonalfreedomand

| E X C E LLE N TAM BAS SAD O R S M a n y h a l f - e l v e s l e a r n a t a n e a r l y a g e t o g e t a l

ongwitheveryone,defusinghostilityandfindingcommonground.

Asarace,theyhaveelvengracewithoutelvenaloofnessandhumanenergywi
thouthumanboorishness.Theyoftenmakeexcellentambassadorsandgo-b
etweens(exceptbetweenelvesandhumans,sinceeachsidesuspectsthehalf
-elf

offavoringtheother).

creativeexpression,demonstratingneitherloveofleadersnordesireforfo
l l o w e r s . T h e y c h a f e a t r u l e s , r e s e n t o t h e r s ’d e m a n d s , a n d s o m e t i m e s p r o v e u
nreliable,oratleastunpredictable.

Size.Half-elvesareaboutthesamesizeashumans,rangingfrom5to6feettal
l.YoursizeisMedium.
Speed.Yourbasewalkingspeedis30feet.

Darkvision.Thankstoyourelfblood,youhavesuperiorvisionindarkanddi
mconditions.Youcanseeindimlightwithin60feerofyouasifitwerebrightl
ight,andindarknessasifitweredimlight.Youcan'tdiscerncolorindarknes
s,onlyshadesofgray.

FeyAncestry,Youhaveadvantageonsavingthrowsagainstbeingcharmed,a
ndmagiccan'tputyoutosleep.

SkillVersatility.Yougainproficiencyintwoskillsofyourchoice.

Languages.Youcanspeak,read,andwriteCommon,Elvish,andoneextrala
nguageofyourchoice.

T H E WAR C H I E F M H U R R E N R O U S E D H I M S E LF F R O M H I S s l e e p i n g - f u r s a n
dhiswomenandpulledashorthauberk

ofheay

)Steelringsoverhisthick,well-muscledtorso.He

usuallyrosebeforemo:

fhiswarriors,sincehehada

strongstreakofhumanbloodinhim,andhefoundthedaylightlessbotherso
methanmostofhistribedid.AmongtheBloodySkulls,awarriorwasjudgedb
yhisstrength,hisfierceness,andhiswits.Humanancestrywasnoblemisha
gainstawarrior—providedhewaseverybitasstrong,enduring,andbloodth
irstyashisfull-bloodedkin.Half-orcswhowereweakerthantheirorccomra
desdidn'tlastlongamongtheBloodySkullsoranyotheroretribeforthatmat
ter.Butitwasoftentruethatabitofhumanbloodgaveawarriorjusttheright
mixofcunning,ambition,andself-disciplinetogofarindeed,asMhurrenha
d.Hewasmasterofatribethatcouldmustertwothousandspears,andthestro
ngestchiefinThar.

—RichardBaker,Swordmage

Whetherunitedundertheleadershipofamightywarlockorhavingfoughtto
astandstillafteryears

ofconflict,orcandhumantribessometimesformalliances,joiningforcesi
ntoalargerhordetotheterrorofcivilizedlandsnearby.Whenthesealliance
saresealedbymarriages,half-oresareborn.Somehalf-oresrisetobecomep
roudchiefsoforctribes,theirhumanbloodgivingthemanedgeovertheirful
l-bloodedorcrivals.Someventureintotheworldtoprovetheirworthamong
humansandothermorecivilizedraces,Manyofthesebecomeadventurers,a
chievinggreatnessfortheirmightydeedsandnotorietyfortheirbarbariccu
stoms.andsavagefury.

SCARREDANDSTRONG

H a l f - o r e s ’g r a y i s h p i g m e n t a t i o n , s l o p i n g f o r e h e a d s , j u t t i n g j a w s , p r o m i n e
ntteeth,andtoweringbuildsmaketheirorcishheritageplainforalltosee.H
alf-orcsstandbetween6and7feettallandusuallyweighbetween180and25
0pounds.

Orcsregardbattlescarsastokensofprideandornamentalasthingsofbeauty
.Otherscars,though,markanoreorhalf-orcasaformerslaveoradisgracede
xile.Anyhalf-orewhohaslivedamongornearorcshasscars,whethertheyar
emarksofhumiliationorofpride,recountingtheirpastexploitsandinjurie
s.Suchahalf-orelivingamonghumansmightdisplaythesescarsproudlyorh
idetheminshame.

THEMARKOFGRUUMSH

Theone-eyedgodGruumshcreatedtheores,andeventhoseoreswhoturnawa
y f r o m h i s w o r s h i p c a n ’t f u l l y e s c a p e h i s i n f l u e n c e . T h e s a m e i s t r u e o f h a l f - o
res,thoughtheirhumanbloodmoderatestheimpactoftheirorcishheritage.
Somehalf-oreshearthewhispersofGruumshintheirdreams,callingthemto
u n l e a s h t h e r a g e t h a t s i m m e r s w i t h i n t h e m , O t h e r s f e e l G r u u m s h ’s

exultationwhentheyjoininmeleecombat—andeitherexultalongwithhimo
rshiverwithfearandloathing.Half-oresarenotevilbynature,butevildoes
lurkwithinthem,whethertheyembraceitorrebelagainstit.Beyondtherage
o f G r u u m s h , h a l f - o r c s f e e l e m o t i o n p o w e r f u l l y . R a g e d o e s n ’t j u s t q u i c k e n t
heirpulse,itmakestheirbodiesburn.Aninsultstingslikeacid,andsadness
sapstheirstrength.Buttheylaughloudlyandheartily,andsimplebodilyple
asures—feasting,drinking,wrestling,drumming,andwilddancing—fillt
heirheartswithjoy.Theytendtobeshort-temperedandsometimessullen,m
oreinclinedtoactionthancontemplationandtofightingthanarguing.Them
ostaccomplishedhalf-oresarethosewithenoughself-controltogetbyinac
ivilizedland.

TRIBESANDSLUMS

Half-oresmostoftenliveamongores.Oftheotherraces,

humansaremostlikelytoaccepthalf-ores,andhalf.oramongoretribes.Wh
etherprovingthemselvesamongroughbarbariantribesorscrabblingtosur
viveintheslumsoflargercities,half-oresgetbyontheirphysicalmight,the
irendurance,andthesheerdeterminationtheyinheritfromtheirhumananc
estry.

salmostalwaysliveinhumanlandswhennotliving

HALF-OroNAMES

Half-oresusuallyhavenamesappropriatetothecultureinwhichtheywerer
aised.Ahalf-orcwhowantstofitinamonghumansmighttradeanorenamefor
ahumanname.Somehalf-oreswithhumannamesdecidetoadoptagutturalor
enamebecausetheythinkitmakesthemmoreintimidating.

MaleOrcNames;Dench,Feng,Gell,Henk,Holg,Imsh,Keth,Krusk,Mhurre
n,Ront,Shump,Thokk

FemaleOrcNames:Baggi,Emen,Engong,Kansif,Myev,Neega,Ovak,Own
ka,Shautha,Sutha,Vola,Volen,Yevelda

HALF-OrcTRAITS

Yourhalf-orecharacterhasyouroreance:

ertaintraitsderivingfrom

G r u p G i n cAc c e PTAN C E E a c h h a l f - o r c f i n d s a w a y t o g a i n a c c e p t a n c e f r o m t h
osewhohateorcs.Somearereserved,tryingnottodrawattentiontothemsel
ves.Afewdemonstratepietyandgood-heartedness)aspubliclyastheycan(
whetherornotsuchdemonstrationsaregenuine),Andsomesimplytrytobes
otoughthatothersjustavoidthern.OO

AbilityScoreIncrease.YourStrengthscoreincreasesby2,andyourConstit
utionscoreby1.

Age.Half-orcsmaturealittlefasterthanhumans,reachingadulthoodaroun
dage14.Theyagenoticeablyfasterandrarelylivelongerthan75years.

Alignment.Half-orcsinheritatendencytowardc|fromtheiroreparentsand
arenotstronglyinclinedtowardgood,Half-oresraisedamongorcsandwilli
ngtoliveouttheirlivesamongthemareusuallyevil

Size.Half-orcsaresomewhatlargerandbulkierthanhumans,andtheyrange
from5towellover6feettallYoursizeisMedium.

Speed.Yourbasewalkingspeedis30feet.

Darkvision.Thankstoyourorcblood,youhavesuperiorvisionindarkanddi
mconditions.Youcanseeindimlightwithin60feetofyouasifitwerebrightl
ight,andindarknessasifitweredimlight.Youcan'tdiscerncolorindarknes
s,onlyshadesofgray.

Menacing.YougainproficiencyintheIntimidationskill

RelentlessEndurance.Whenyouarereducedto0hitpointsbutnotkilledout
right,youcandropto1hitpointinstead.Youcan'tusethisfeatureagainuntil
youfinishalongrest.

SavageAttacks.Whenyouscoreacriticalhitwithameleeweaponattack,yo
ucanrolloneoftheweapon'sdamagediceoneadditionaltimeandaddittothe
extradamageofthecriticalhit.

Languages.Youcanspeak,read,andwriteCommonandOrc,Orcisaharsh,gr
atinglanguagewithhardconsonants.Ithasnoscriptofitsownbutiswritteni
ntheDwarvishscript.

aol

incre:

ses

40S

TIEFLING

“ B U TY O U D O S E E T H E WAY P E O P L E L O O KATY O U , d e v i l ' s c h i l d

Thoseblackeyes,coldasawinterstorm,werestaringrightintoherheartand
thesuddenseriousnessinhisvoicejoltedher.

“Whatisittheysay?”heasked.“One'sacuriosity,two'saconspiracy—”

“Three'sacurse,”shefinished.“Youthink[haven'theardthatrubbishbefor
e?”

“ I k n o w y o u h a v e . ” W h e n s h e g l a r e d a t h i m , h e a d d e d , T U ’s n o t a s i f I ' m p l u m b i
ngthedepthsof.yourmind,deargirl,Thatistheburdenofeverytiefling.So
mebreakunder
it,somemakeitthemillstonearoundtheirneck,some

revelinit.”Hetiltedhisheadagain,scrutinizingher,with

thatwickedglintinhiseyes.“Youfightit,don'tyou?Likealittlewildcat,|w
ager.Everylittlejabandcommentjust

sharpensyourclaws."

ErinM.Evans,BrimstoneAngels

Tobegreetedwithstaresandwhispers,tosufferviolenceandinsultonthestr
eet,toseemistrustandfearineveryeye:thisisthelotoftheticfling.Andtot
wisttheknife,tieflingsknowthatthisisbecauseapactstruckgenerationsa
goinfusedtheessenceofAsmodeus—overlordoftheNineHells—intotheir
bloodline.Theirappearanceandtheirnaturearenottheirfaultbuttheresult
ofanancientsin,forwhichtheyandtheirchildrenandtheirchildren'schildr
enwillalwaysbeheldaccountable.

INFERNALBLOODLINE

Tieflingsarederivedfromhumanbloodlines,andinthebroadestpossiblese
nse,theystilllookhuman.However,theirinfernalheritagehasleftacleari
mprintontheirappearance.Tieflingshavelargehornsthattakeanyofavari
etyofshapes:somehavecurlinghornslikearam,othershavestraightandtal
l h o r n s l i k e a g a z e l l e ' s , a n d s o m e s p i r a l u p w a r d l i k e a n a n t e l o p e s ’h o r n s . T h e
yhavethicktails,fourtofivefeetlong,whichlashorcoilaroundtheirlegsw
hentheygetupsetornervous.Theircanineteetharesharplypointed,andthe
ireyesaresolidcolors—black,red,white,silver,orgold—withnovisibles
cleraorpupil.Theirskintonescoverthefullrangeofhumancoloration,buta
lsoincludevariousshadesofred.Theirhair,cascadingdownfrombehindth
eirhorns,isusuallydark,fromblackorbrowntodarkred,blue,orpurple.

S E LF - R E LIAN TAN D S U S PI C I O U S

Tieflingssubsistinsmallminoritiesfoundmostlyinhumancitiesortowns,
oftenintheroughestquartersofthoseplaces,wheretheygrowuptobeswind
lers,

thieves,orcrimelords.Sometimestheyliveamongotherminoritypopulati
onsinenclaveswheretheyaretreatedwithmorerespect.

Lackingahomeland,tieflingsknowthattheyhavetomaketheirownwayinth
eworldandthattheyhavetobestrongtosurvive.Theyarenotquicktotrustan
y o n e w h o c l a i m s t o b e a f r i e n d , b u t w h e n a t i e f l i n g ’s c o m p a n i o n s d e m o n s t r a t
ethattheytrusthimorher,thetieflinglearnstoextendthesametrusttothem.
Andonceatieflinggivessomeoneloyalty,theticflingisafirmfriendorally
forlife.

‘TIEFLINGNAMES

Tieflingnamesfallintothreebroadcategories.Ticflingsbornintoanother
culturetypicallyhavenamesreflectiveofthatculture.Somehavenamesder
ivedfromtheInfernallanguage,passeddownthroughgenerations,thatrefl
ecttheirfiendishheritage.Andsomeyoungertieflings,strivingtofindapla
ceintheworld,adoptanamethatsignifiesavirtueorotherconceptandthent
rytoembodythatconcept.Forsome,thechosennameisanoblequest.Foroth
e r s , i t ’s a g r i m d e s t i n y .
MaleInfernalNames:Akmenos,Amnon,Barakas,Damakos,Ekemon,lados,
Kairon,Leucis,Melech,Mordai,Morthos,Pelaios,Skamos,Therai

FemaleInfernalNames;Akta,Anakis,Bryseis,Criella,Damaia,Ea,Kallist
a,Lerissa,Makaria,Nemeia,Orianna,Phelaia,Rieta

“Virtue”Names:Art,Carrion,Chant,Creed,Despair,Excellence,Fear,Gl
ory,Hope,Ideal,Music,Nowhere,Open,Poetry,Quest,Random,Reverenc
e,Sorrow,Temerity,Torment,Weary

MurTuatMistrust

Peopletendtobesuspiciousoftieflings,assumingthattheirinfernalherita
gehasleftitsmarkontheirpersonalityandmorality,notjusttheirappearan
ce.Shopkeeperskeep

acloseeyeontheirgoodswhentieflingsentertheirstores,thetownwatchmi
ghtfollowatieflingaroundforawhile,anddemagoguesblametieflingsfors
t r a n g e h a p p e n i n g s . T h e r e a l i t y , t h o u g h , i s t h a t a t i e f l i n g ’s b l o o d l i n e d o e s n ’
taffecthisorherpersonalitytoanygreatdegree.Yearsofdealingwithmistr
ustdoesleaveitsmarkonmosttieflings,andtheyrespondtoitindifferentwa
ys.Somechoosetoliveuptothewickedstereotype,butothersarevirtuous.
Mostaresimplyveryawareofhowpeoplerespondtothem.Afterdealingwith
thismistrustthroughoutyouth,atieflingoftendevelopstheabilitytooverc
omeprejudicethroughcharmorintimidation.ceeeenfl

TIEFLINGTRAITS

Tieflingssharecertainracialtraitsasaresultoftheirinfernaldescent.

AbilityScoreIncrease.YourIntelligencescoreincreasesby1,andyourCha
rismascoreincreasesby2.

Age.Ticflingsmatureatthesamerateashumansbutliveafewyearslonger.

Alignment.Tieflingsmightnothaveaninnatetendencytowardevil,butman
yofthemendupthere.Evilornot,anindependentnatureinclinesmanytiefli
ngstowardachaoticalignment.

Size.Tieflingsareaboutthesamesizeandbuildashumans.YoursizeisMedi
um.

Speed.Yourbasewalkingspeedis30feet.

Darkvision.Thankstoyourinfernalheritage,youhavesuperiorvisioninda
rkanddimconditions.Youcanseeindimlightwithin60feetofyouasifitwer
ebrightlight,andindarknessasifitweredimlight.Youcan'tdiscerncolori
ndarkness,onlyshadesofgray.

HellishResistance.Youhaveresistancetofiredamage.

InfernalLegacy.Youknowthethaumaturgycantrip.Onceyoureach3rdleve
l,youcancastthehellishrebukespellonceperdayasa2nd-levelspell.Once
youreachSthlevel,youcanalsocastthedarknessspellonceperday.Charis
maisyourspelleastingabilityforthesespells.

Languages.Youcanspeak,read,andwriteCommonandInfernal.

PAR T 1 | RAC E S
C HAPT E R 3 : C LAS S E S

Tw

WRCDVENTURERSAREEXTRAORDINARYPEOPLE,drivenbyathirstfor
excitementintoalifethatotherswouldneverdarelead.Theyareheroes,com
pelledtoexplorethedarkplacesoftheworldandtakeonthechallengesthatl
e s s e r w o m e n a n d m e n c a n ’t s t a n d a g a i n s t .

C l a s s i s t h e p r i m a r y d e f i n i t i o n o f w h a t y o u r c h a r a c t e r c a n d o . I t ’s m o r e t h a n a
p r o f e s s i o n ; i t ’s y o u r c h a r a c t e r ' s c a l l i n g . C l a s s s h a p e s t h e w a y y o u t h i n k a b o
uttheworldandinteractwithitandyourrelationshipwithotherpeopleandp
owersinthemultiverse.Afighter,forexample,mightviewtheworldinprag
matictermsofstrategyandmaneuvering,andseeherselfasjustapawninam
uchlargergame.Acleric,bycontrast,mightseehimselfasawillingservanti
n a g o d ’s u n f o l d i n g p l a n o r a c o n f l i c t b r e w i n g a m o n g v a r i o u s d e i t i e s . W h i l e t
hefighterhascontactsinamercenarycompanyorarmy,theclericmightkno
wanumberofpriests,paladins,anddevoteeswhosharehisfaith,

§ C LAS S E S

Description

BarbarianAfiercewarriorofprimitivebackgroundwhocanenterabattlera
ge

BardAninspiringmagicianwhosepowerechoesthemusicofcreation

ClericApriestlychampionwhowieldsdivineWisdom

magicinserviceofahigherpower

DruidApriestoftheOldFaith,wieldingtheWisdom

powersofnature—moonlightandplantgrowth,fireandlightning—andado
ptinganimalforms

Amasterofmartialcombat,skilledwith

Anmasterofmartialarts,harnessing

Charisma

StrengthoravarietyofweaponsandarmorDexterityDexterity&

aes-

Yourclassgivesyouavarietyofspecialfeatures,suchasafighter'smastery
o f w e a p o n s a n d a r m o r , a n d a w i z a r d ’s s p e l l s .At l o w l e v e l s , y o u r c l a s s g i v e s y
ouonlytwoorthreefeatures,butasyouadvanceinlevelyougainmoreandyo
urexistingfeaturesoftenimprove.Eachclassentryinthischapterincludes
atablesummarizingthebenefitsyougainateverylevel,andadetailedexpla
nationofeachone.

Adventurerssometimesadvanceinmorethanoneclass.Aroguemightswitc
hdirectioninlifeandsweartheoathofapaladin,Abarbarianmightdiscover
latentmagicalabilityanddabbleinthesorcererclasswhilecontinuingtoad
vanceasabarbarian.Elvesareknowntocombinemartialmasterywithmagic
altrainingandadvanceasfightersandwizardssimultaneously.Optionalru
lesforcombiningclassesinthisway,calledmulticlassing,appearinchapte
r6.

Twelveclasses—listedintheClassestable—arefoundinalmosteveryD&D
worldanddefinethespectrumoftypicaladventurers.

SavingThrowArmorandWeapon

Proficiencies_Proficiencies

Strength&Lightandmediumarmor,shields,

Constitutionsimpleandmartialweapons

Dexterity&Lightarmor,simpleweapons,hand

Charismacrossbows,longswords,rapiers,shortswords

Wisdom&Lightandmediumarmor,shields,

Charismasimpleweapons.

IntelligenceLightandmediumarmor(nonmetal),

&Wisdomshields(nonmetal),clubs,daggers,darts,javelins,maces,quart
erstaffs,scimitars,sickles,slings,spears

Strength&Allarmor,shields,simpleandmartial

Constitutionweapons

Strength&Simpleweapons,shortswords

thepowerofthebodyinpursuitofWisdomDexterity

physicalandspiritualperfectionPaladinAholywarriorboundtoasacredoa
th

RangerAwarriorwhousesmartialprowessand

naturemagictocombatthreatsontheWisdomDexterityedgesofcivilizatio
n

RogueAscoundrelwhousesstealthandDexteritytrickerytoovercomeobst
aclesandenemies

SorcererAspellcasterwhodrawsoninherentmagicfromagiftorbloodline

WarlockAwielderofmagicthatisderivedfromabargainwithanextraplanar
entity

WizardAscholarlymagic-usercapableofmanipulatingthestructuresofre
ality

Strength&CharismaDexterity&

CharismaCharisma

Intelligence
Wisdom&Allarmor,shields,simpleandmartialCharismaweaponsStrengt
h&Lightandmediumarmor,shields,

simpleandmartialweapons

Dexterity&Lightarmor,simpleweapons,hand

Intelligencecrossbows,longswords,rapiers,shortswords

ConstitutionDaggers,darts,slings,quarterstaffs,

&Charismalightcrossbows

Wisdom&Lightarmor,simpleweapons

Charisma

Intelligence

&Wisdom

Daggers,darts,slings,quarterstaffs,lightcrossbows

BARBARIAN

Atallhumantribesmanstridesthroughablizzard,drapedinfurandheftingh
isaxe.Helaughsashechargestowardthefrostgiantwhodaredpoachhispeo
ple'selkherd.

Ahalf-oresnarlsatthelatestchallengertoherauthorityovertheirsavagetr
ibe,readytobreakhisneckwithherbarehandsasshedidtothelastsixrivals.

Frothingatthemouth,adwarfslamshishelmetintothefaceofhisdrowfoe,t
henturnstodrivehisarmoredelbowintothegutofanother.

Thesebarbarians,differentastheymightbe,aredefinedbytheirrage:unbri
dled,unquenchable,andunthinkingfury,Morethanamereemotion,theiran
geristheferocityofacorneredpredator,theunrelentingassaultofastorm,t
hechurningturmoilofthesea.

Forsome,theirragespringsfromacommunionwithfierceanimalspirits.Ot
hersdrawfromaroilingreservoirofangerataworldfullofpain.Foreveryba
rbarian,rageisapowerthatfuelsnotjustabattlefrenzybutalsouncannyref
lexes,resilience,andfeatsofstrength.

PRIMALINSTINCTPeopleoftownsandcitiestakeprideinhowtheirciviliz
e d w a y s s e t t h e m a p a r t f r o m a n i m a l s , a s i f d e n y i n g o n e ’s o w n n a t u r e w a s a m a r
kofsuperiority.Toabarbarian,though,civilizationisnovirtue,butasigno
fweakness.Thestrongembracetheiranimalnature:keeninstincts,primalp
hysicality,andferociousrage.Barbariansareuncomfortablewhenhedged
inbywallsandcrowds,Theythriveinthewildsoftheirhomelands;thetundr
a,jungle,orgrasslandswheretheirtribesliveandhunt.

Barbarianscomealiveinthechaosofcombat.Theycanenteraberserkstatew
hereragetakesover,givingthemsuperhumanstrengthandresilience.Abar
bariancandrawonthisreservoiroffuryonlyafewtimeswithoutresting,but
thosefewragesareusuallysufficienttodefeatwhateverthreatsarise.

ALirgzoFDANGERNoteverymemberofthetribesdeemed“barbarians”bys
cionsofcivilizedsocietyhasthebarbarianclass.Atruebarbarianamongthe
sepeopleisasuncommonasaskilledfighterinatown,andheorsheplaysasim
ilarroleasaprotectorofthepeopleandaleaderintimesofwar.Lifeinthewil
dplacesoftheworldisfraughtwithperil;rivaltribes,deadlyweather,andte
rrifying

THEBARBARIANProficiencyRage

LevelBonusFeaturesRagesDamage

Ist+2Rage,Unarmored#442Defense

2nd+2RecklessAttack,2+2DangerSense

3rd+2PrimalPath342

4th+2AbilityScore312Improvement

Sth3ExtraAttack,3+2FastMovement

6th+3Pathfeature4+2

7th+3FeralInstinct4+2

8th43AbilityScore4+2Improvement

9th+4BrutalCritical4+3(1die)

10th+4Pathfeature443

Tith+4RelentlessRage48

12th+4AbilityScore53Improvement

13th45BrutalCritical543(2dice)

14th+5Pathfeature5+3

15th45PersistentRage5+3

16th+5AbilityScore5+4Improvement

Wth+6BrutalCritical6+4(3dice)

18th+6indomitable6+4Might

19th«+6~—AbilityScore6+4Improvement

PrimalChampionUnlimited+4

monsters.Barbarianschargeheadlongintothatdangersothattheirpeopled
on'thaveto.

Theircourageinthefaceofdangermakesbarbariansperfectlysuitedforadv
enturing.Wanderingisoftenawayoflifefortheirnativetribes,andtheroot
lesslifeoftheadventurerislittlehardshipforabarbarian.Somebarbarians
misstheclose-knitfamilystructuresofthetribe,buteventuallyfindthemr
eplacedbythebondsformedamongthemembersoftheiradventuringparties
. C R EAT I N GABAR BAR IAN

Whencreatingabarbariancharacter,thinkaboutwhereyourcharactercome
sfromandhisorherplaceintheworld.TalkwithyourDMaboutanappropriat
eoriginforyourbarbarian,Didyoucomefromadistantland,makingyouastr
angerintheareaofthecampaign?

Oristhecampaignsetinarough-and-tumblefrontierwherebarbariansarec
ommon?

Whatledyoutotakeuptheadventuringlife?Wereyouluredtosettledlandsb
ythepromiseofriches?Didyoujoinforceswithsoldiersofthoselandstofac
easharedthreat?Didmonstersoraninvadinghordedriveyou

outofyourhomeland,makingyouarootlessrefugee?Perhapsyouwereapris
onerofwar,broughtinchainsto“civilized”landsandonlynowabletowinyo
urfreedom.Oryoumighthavebeencastoutfromyourpeoplebecauseofacri
meyoucommitted,atabooyouviolated,oracoupthatremovedyoufromapos
itionofauthority,

QuickBuILD

Youcanmakeabarbarianquicklybyfollowingthesesuggestions.First,put
yourhighestabilityscoreinStrength,followedbyConstitution.Second,c
hoosetheoutlanderbackground.

C LAS S F EAT U R E S

Asabarbarian,yougainthefollowingclassfeatures.

HrPonts

HitDice;1d12perbarbarianlevel

HitPointsat1stLevel:12+yourConstitutionmodifier

HitPointsatHigherLevels:1d12(or7)+yourConstitutionmodifierperbar
barianlevelafier1st

PROFICIENCIES

Armor:Lightarmor,mediumarmor,shieldsWeapons:Simpleweapons,mar
tialweaponsTools:None

SavingThrows:Strength,ConstitutionSkills:ChoosetwofromAnimalHan
dling,Athletics,Intimidation,Nature,Perception,andSurvival

EQUIPMENTYoustartwiththefollowingequipment,inadditiontotheequi
pmentgrantedbyyourbackground:

+(a)agreataxeor(b)anymartialmeleeweapon+(a)twohandaxesor(6)anys
i m p l e w e a p o n +An e x p l o r e r ’s p a c k a n d f o u r j a v e l i n s

RAGE

Inbattle,youfightwithprimalferocity.Onyourturn,youcanenterarageas
abonusaction.

Whileraging,yougainthefollowingbenefitsifyouaren'twearingheavyar
mor:

YouhaveadvantageonStrengthchecksandStrengthsavingthrows.
WhenyoumakeameleeweaponattackusingStrength,yougainabonustothe
damagerollthatincreasesasyougainlevelsasabarbarian,asshownintheRa
geDamagecolumnoftheBarbariantable.Youhaveresistancetobludgeonin
g,piercing,andslashingdamage.

Ifyouareabletocastspells,youcan'tcastthemorconcentrateonthemwhile
raging.

Yourragelastsfor|minute.Itendsearlyifyouareknockedunconsciousorif
yourturnendsandyouhaven'tattackedahostilecreaturesinceyourlastturn
ortakendamagesincethen.Youcanalsoendyourrageonyourturnasabonusa
ction.

Onceyouhaveragedthenumberoftimesshownforyourbarbarianlevelinthe
RagescolumnoftheBarbariantable,youmustfinishalongrestbeforeyouca
nrageagain.

UNARMOREDDEFENSE

Whileyouarenotwearinganyarmor,yourArmorClassequals10+yourDexte
ritymodifier+yourConstitutionmodifier,Youcanuseashieldandstillgai
nthisbenefit.

R E C K LE S SATTAC K

Startingat2ndlevel,youcanthrowasideallconcernfordefensetoattackwi
thfiercedesperation.Whenyoumakeyourfirstattackonyourturn,youcand
ecidetoattackrecklessly.Doingsogivesyouadvantageonmeleeweaponatt
ackrollsusingStrengthduringthisturn,butattackrollsagainstyouhavead
vantageuntilyournextturn.

DANGERSENSE

At2ndlevel,yougainanuncannysenseofwhenthingsnearbyaren'tastheysh
ouldbe,givingyouanedgewhenyoudodgeawayfromdanger.

YouhaveadvantageonDexteritysavingthrowsagainsteffectsthatyoucans
ee,suchastrapsandspells.Togainthisbenefit,youcan'tbeblinded,deafen
ed,orincapacitated.

P R I MAL PAT H

At3rdlevel,youchooseapaththatshapesthenatureofyourrage.Choosethe
PathoftheBerserkerorthePathoftheTotemWarrior,bothdetailedattheend
oftheclassdescription,Yourchoicegrantsyoufeaturesat3rdlevelandagai
nat6th,10th,and14thlevels.

ABILITYSCOREIMPROVEMENT

Whenyoureach4thlevel,andagainat8th,12th,16th,and19thlevel,youcan
increaseoneabilityscoreofyourchoiceby2,oryoucanincreasetwoability
scoresofyourchoiceby1.Asnormal,youcan'tincreaseanabilityscoreabov
e20usingthisfeature.

E x T r AAT TA C K

Beginningat5thlevel,youcanattacktwice,insteadofonce,wheneveryout
aketheAttackactiononyourturn.

FastMOVEMENT
Startingat5thlevel,yourspeedincreasesby10feetwhileyouaren'twearin
gheavyarmor.

FERALINSTINCT

By7thlevel,yourinstinctsaresohonedthatyouhaveadvantageoninitiativ
erolls.

Additionally,ifyouaresurprisedatthebeginningofcombatandaren'tinca
pacitated,youcanactnormallyonyourfirstturn,butonlyifyouenteryourra
gebeforedoinganythingelseonthatturn.

B R U TALC R I T I CAL

Beginningat9thlevel,youcanrolloneadditionalweapondamagediewhend
eterminingtheextradamageforacriticalhitwithameleeattack.

Thisincreasestotwoadditionaldiceat13thlevelandthreeadditionaldicea
t17thlevel.

RELENTLESSRAGE

Startingat11thlevel,yourragecankeepyoufightingdespitegrievouswoun
d s . I f y o u d r o p t o 0 h i t p o i n t s w h i l e y o u ' r e r a g i n g a n d d o n ’t d i e o u t r i g h t , y o u c a
nmakeaDC10Constitutionsavingthrow.Ifyousucceed,youdropto1hitpoi
ntinstead.

Eachtimeyouusethisfeatureafterthefirst,theDCincreasesby5.Whenyou
finishashortorlongrest,theDCresetsto10.

PERSISTENTRAGE

Beginningat15thlevel,yourrageissofiercethatitendsearlyonlyifyoufall
unconsciousorifyouchoosetoendit.

I N D O M I TAB LE M I G H T

Beginningat18thlevel,ifyourtotalforaStrengthcheckislessthanyourStr
engthscore,youcanusethatscoreinplaceofthetotal.

PRIMALCHAMPION

At20thlevel,youembodythepowerofthewilds.YourStrengthandConstitu
tionscoresincreaseby4.Yourmaximumforthosescoresisnow24.

P R I MAL PAT H S

Rageburnsineverybarbarian'sheart,afurnacethatdriveshimorhertoward
greatness.Different

barbariansattributetheirragetoditterentsources,however.Forsome,itis
aninternalreservoirwherepain,grief,andangerareforgedintoafuryharda
ssteel,Othersseeitasaspiritualblessing,agiftofatotemanimal,

PaTHOFTHEBERSERKER

Forsomebarbarians,rageisameanstoanend—thatendbeingviolence.TheP
athoftheBerserkerisapathofuntrammeledfury,slickwithblood.Asyouen
tertheberserker'srage,youthrillinthechaosofbattle,heedlessofyourown
healthorwell-being.
FRENZY

Startingwhenyouchoosethispathat3rdlevel,you

cangointoafrenzywhenyourage.Ifyoudoso,for

thedurationofyourrageyoucanmakeasinglemeleeweaponattackasabonus
actiononeachofyourturnsafterthisone.Whenyourrageends,yousufferon
elevelofexhaustion(asdescribedinappendixA).

MINDLESSRAGE

Beginningat6thlevel,youcan'tbecharmedorfrightenedwhileraging.Ifyo
uarecharmedorfrightenedwhenyouenteryourrage,theeffectissuspended
forthedurationoftherage.

I N T I M I DAT I N G PR E S E N C E

Beginningat10thlevel,youcanuseyouractiontofrightensomeonewithyou
rmenacingpresence.

Whenyoudoso,chooseonecreaturethatyoucanseewithin30feetofyou,Ift
hecreaturecanseeorhearyou,itmustsucceedonaWisdomsavingthrow(DC
equalto8+yourproficiencybonus+yourCharismamodifier)orbefrightene
dofyouuntiltheendofyournextturn.Onsubsequentturns,youcanuseyoura
ctiontoextendthedurationofthiseffectonthefrightened

creatureuntiltheendofyournextturn,Thiseffectendsifthecreatureendsit
sturnoutoflineofsightormorethan60feetawayfromyou.

Ifthecreaturesucceedsonitssavingthrow,youcan'tusethisfeatureonthat
creatureagainfor24hours.

R E TALIAT I O N

Startingat14thlevel,whenyoutakedamagefrom

acreaturethatiswithin5feetofyou,youcanuseyourreactiontomakeamele
eweaponattackagainstthatcreature.

PAT H O F T H E T O T E M WAR R I O R

ThePathoftheTotemWarriorisaspiritualjourney.asthebarbarianaccepts
aspiritanimalasguide.protector,andinspiration.Inbattle,yourtotemspi
ritfillsyou

withsupernaturalmight,addingmagicalfueltoyourbarbarianrage.

Mostbarbariantribesconsideratotemanimaltobekintoaparticularclan.I
nsuchcaisunusualforanindividualtohavemorethanonetotemanimalspiri
t,thoughexceptionsexist.

SpiritSEEKER

Yoursisapaththatseeksattunementwiththenaturalworld,givingyouakins
hipwithbeasts.At3rdlevelwhen,youadoptthispath,yougaintheabilityto
castthebeastsenseandspeakwithanimalsspells,butonlyasrituals,asdesc
ribedinchapter10.

TOTEMSPIRIT
At3rdlevel,whenyouadoptthispath,youchooseatotemspiritandgainitsfe
ature,Youmustmakeoracquireaphysicaltotemohject—anamuletorsimila
radornment—thatincorporatesfurorfeathers,claws,teeth,orbonesofthe
totemanimal,Atyouroption,youalsogainminorphysicalattributesthatar
ereminiscentofyourtotemSpirit.Forexample,ifyouhaveabeartotemspiri
t,youmightbeunusuallyhairyandthiek-skinned,orifyourtotemistheeagl
e,youreyesturnbrightyellow.

Yourtotemanimalmightbeananimalrelatedtothoselistedherebutmoreap
propriatetayourhomeland.

Forexample,youcouldchooseahawkorvulturein.placeofaneagle.

Bear.Whileraging,youhaveresistancetoalldamageexceptpsychicdamag
e.Thespiritofthebearmakesyoutoughenoughtostanduptoanypunishment
.

Eagle.Whileyou'reragingandaren'twearingheavyarmor,othercreatures
havedisadvantageonopportunityattackrollsagainstyou,andyoucanuset
heDashactionasabonusactiononyourturn.Thespiritoftheeaglemakesyou
intoapredatorwhocanweavethroughthefraywithease.

Wolf.Whileyou'reraging,yourfriendshaveadvantageonmeleeattackroll
sagainstanycreaturewithin5feetofyouthatishostiletoyou.Thespiritofth
ewolfmakesyoualeaderofhunters.

ASPECTOFTHEBEAST

At6thlevel,yougainamagicalbenefitbasedonthetotemanimalofyourchoi
ce,Youcanchoosethesameanimalyouselectedat3rdleveloradifferentone
.

Bear.Yougainthemightofabear.Yourcarryingcapacity(includingmaxim
umloadandmaximumlift)isdoubled,andyouhaveadvantageonStrengthch
ecksmadetopush,pull,lift,orbreakobjects,

Eagle.Yougaintheeyesightofaneagle.Youcanseeupto1mileawaywithnod
ifficulty,abletodiscernevenfinedetailsasthoughlookingatsomethingno
morethan100feetawayfromyou.Additionally,dimlightdoesn'timposedis
advantageonyourWisdom(Perception)checks.

Wolf.Yougainthehuntingsensibilitiesofawolf.Youcantrackothercreatu
reswhiletravelingatafastpace.andyoucanmovestealthilywhiletraveling
atanormalpace(seechapter8forrulesontravelpace).

S e i r i y WALK E R

At10thlevel,youcancastthecommunewithnaturespell,butonlyasaritual.
Whenyoudoso,aspiritualversionofoneoftheanimalsyouchoseforTotemS
piritorAspectoftheBeastappearstoyoutoconveytheinformationyouseek.

T o r e m i cATT U N E M E N T

At14thlevel,yougainamagicalbenefitbasedonatotemanimalofyourchoic
e.Youcanchoosethesameanimalyouselectedpreviouslyoradifferentone.

Bear.Whileyou'reraging,anycreaturewithin5feetofyouthat'shostiletoy
ouhasdisadvantageonattackrollsagainsttargetsotherthanyouoranother
characterwiththisfeature.Anenemyimunetothiseffectifitcan'tseeorhea
ryouorifitcan'tbefrightened.

Eagle,Whileraging,youhaveaflyingspeedequaltoyourcurrentwalkingsp
eed.Thisbenefitworksonlyinshortbursts;youfallifyouendyourturninthe
airandnothingelseisholdingyoualoft.

Wolf.Whileyou'reraging,youcanuseabonusactiononyourturntoknockaL
argeorsmallercreaturepronewhenyouhititwithmeleeweaponattack.

BARD

Hummingasshetracesherfingersoveranancientmonumentinalong-forgot
tenruin,ahalf-elfinruggedleathersfindsknowledgespringingintohermi
nd,qconjuredforthbythemagicofhersong—knowledge

ofthepeoplewhoconstructedthemonumentandthemythicsagaitdepicts.

Asternhumanwarriorbangshisswordrhythmicallyagainsthisscalemail,s
ettingthetempoforhiswarchantandexhortinghiscompanionstobraveryan
dheroism.Themagicofhissongfortifiesandemboldensthem.

Laughingasshetuneshercittern,agnomeweaves|hersubtlemagicoyerthea
s s e m b l e d n o b l e s , e n s u r i n g t y t h a t h e r c o m p a n i o n s ’w o r d s w i l l b e w e l l r e c e i v
ed.f

Whetherscholar,skald,orscoundrel,abardweavesmagicthroughwordsan
dmusictoinspireallies,demoralizefoes,manipulateminds,createillusio
ns,andevenhealwounds.

MusicANDMaAcic

IntheworldsofD&D,wordsandmusicarenotjustvibrationsofair,butvocal
izationswithpoweralltheirown.Thebardisamasterofsong,speech,andthe
magictheycontain.Bardssaythatthemultiversewasspokenintoexistence,
thatthewordsofthegodsgaveitshape,andthatechoesoftheseprimordialW
ordsofCreationstillresoundthroughoutthecosmos,Themusicofbardsisa
nattempttosnatchandharnessthoseechoes,subtlywovenintotheirspellsa
ndpowers.

Thegreateststrengthofbardsistheirsheertility.Manybardsprefertostick
tothesidelinesincombat,usingtheirmagictoinspiretheiralliesandhinder
theirfoesfromadistance.Butbardsarecapableofdefendingthemselvesin
meleeifnecessary,usingtheirmagictobolstertheirswordsandarmor,Thei
rspellsleantowardcharmsandillusionsratherthanblatantlydestructives
pells.Theyhaveawide-rangingknowledgeofmanysubjectsandanaturalap
titudethatletsthemdoalmostanythingwell.Bardsbecomemastersofthetal
entstheysettheirmindstoperfecting,frommusicalperformancetoesoteri
cknowledge.

vers

LEARNINGFROMEXPERIENCE

Truebardsarenotcommonintheworld.Noteveryminstrelsinginginataver
norjestercavortinginaroyalcourtisabard.Discoveringthemagichiddeni
nmusicrequireshardstudyandsomemeasureofnaturaltalentthatmosttrou
badoursandjongleurslack.Itcanbehardtospotthedifferencebetweenthes
eperformersandtruebards,though,Abard'slifeisspentwanderingacrosst
helandgatheringlore,tellingstories,andlivingonthegratitudeofaudienc
es,muchlikeanyotherentertainer.Butadepthofknowledge,alevelofmusi
calskill,andatouchofmagicsetbardsapartfromtheirfellows.

Onlyrarelydobardssettleinoneplaceforlong,andtheirnaturaldesiretotra
vel—tofindnewtalestotell,newskillstolearn,andnewdiscoveriesbeyond
thehorizon—makesanadventuringcareeranaturalcalling.Everyadventur
eisanopportunitytolearn,practiceavarietyofskills,enterlong-forgotten
tombs,discoverlost

worksofmagic,decipheroldtomes,traveltostrangeplaces,orencounterex
oticcreatures.Bardslovetoaccompanyheroestowitnesstheirdeedsfirsth
and.Abardwhocantellanawe-inspiringstoryfrompersonalexperienceear
nsrenownamongotherbards.Indeed,aftertellingsomanystoriesabouther
oesaccomplishingmightydeeds,manybardstakethesethemestoheartanda
ssumeheroicrolesthemselves.

C R EAT I N GABAR D

Bardsthriveonstories,whetherthosestoriesaretrueornot.Yourcharacter
'sbackgroundandmotivations

arenotasimportantasthestoriesthatheorshetellsaboutthem.Perhapsyou
hadasecureandmundanechildhood.There'snogoodstorytobetoldaboutth
at,soyoumightpaintyourselfasanorphanraisedbyahaginadismalswamp.
Oryourchildhoodmightbeworthyofastory.Somebardsacquiretheirmagic
almusicthroughextraordinarymeans,includingtheinspirationoffeyorot
hersupernaturalcreatures.

Didyouserveanapprenticeship,studyingunderamaster,followingthemor
eexperiencedbarduntilyouwerereadytostrikeoutonyourown?Ordidyoua
ttendacollegewhereyoustudiedbardicloreandpracticedyourmusicalmag
ic?Perhapsyouwereayoungrunawayororphan,befriendedbyawanderingb
ardwhobecameyourmentor.Oryoumighthavebeenaspoilednoblechildtut
oredbyamaster.Perhapsyoustumbledintotheclutchesofahag,makingaba
rgainforamusicalgiftinadditiontoyourlifeandfreedom,butatwhatcost?

PAR T 1 | G LAS S E S

QuickBUILDYoucanmakeabardquicklybyfollowingthesesuggestions.Fi
rst,Charismashouldbeyourhighestabilityscore,followedbyDexterity.S
econd,choosetheentertainerbackground.Third,choosethedancinglights
andviciousmockerycantrips,alongwiththefollowing1st-levelspells:ch
armperson,detectmagic,healingword,andthunderwave,

C LAS S F EAT U R E S

Asabard,yougainthefollowingclassfeatures.

HirPoints

HitDice:1d8perbardlevel

HitPointsat1stLevel:8+yourConstitutionmodifier

HitPointsatHigherLevels:1d8(or5)+yourConstitutionmodifierperbardl
evelafter1st

PROFICIENCIES
Armor:Lightarmor

Weapons:Simpleweapons,handcrossbows,longswords,rapiers,shortswo
rds

Tools:Threemusicalinstrumentsofyourchoice

SavingThrows:Dexterity,CharismaSkills:Chooseanythree

EQUIPMENTYoustartwiththefollowingequipment,inadditiontotheequi
pmentgrantedbyyourbackground:

« ( a ) a r a p i e r , ( b ) a l o n g s w o r d , o r ( c ) a n y s i m p l e w e a p o n + ( a ) a d i p l o m a t ’s p a c
k o r ( 6 ) a n e n t e r t a i n e r ’s p a c k

+(a)aluteor(6)anyothermusicalinstrument

+Leatherarmorandadagger

SPELLCASTING

Youhavelearnedtountangleandreshapethefabricofrealityinharmonywit
hyourwishesandmusic.Yourspellsarepartofyourvastrepertoire,magicth
atyoucantunetodifferentsituations.Seechapter10forthegeneralrulesof
spellcastingandchapter11forthebardspelllist.

CANTRIPS

Youknowtwocantripsofyourchoicefromthebardspelllist.Youlearnaddit
ionalbardcantripsofyourchoiceathigherlevels,asshownintheCantripsK
nowncolumnoftheBardtable.

THEBARD

CantripsSpellsKnown

ProficiencyLevelBonusFeaturesIst+2Spellcasting,BardicInspiration(
d6)22nd+2JackofAllTrades,SongofRest(d6)23rd+2BardCollege,Expert
ise24th+2AbilityScoreImprovement3Sth+3BardicInspiration(48),3Fo
ntofInspiration6th3Countercharm,BardCollegefeature37th+3_38th+3
AbilityScoreImprovement39th+4SongofRest(48)3loth+4BardicInspira
tion(410),Expertise,4MagicalSecretsWith+4=4T2th+4AbilityScoreIm
provement4Bth+5SongofRest(410)414th+5MagicalSecrets,4BardColle
gefeature15th+5BardicInspiration(412)416th+5AbilityScoreImprove
ment4Vth+6SongofRest(d12)418th+6MagicalSecrets4‘19th+6AbilityS
coreImprovement420th+6SuperiorInspiration4

SPELLSLoTs

TheBardtableshowshowmanyspellslotsyouhavetocastyourspellsofIstle
velandhigher,Tocastoneofthesespells,youmustexpendaslotofthespell’
slevelorhigher,Youregainallexpendedspellslotswhenyoufinishalongre
st.

Forexample,ifyouknowtheIstleyelspellcurewoundsandhaveaIst-levela
nda2nd-levelspellslotavailable,youcancastcurewoundsusingeitherslot
.

S p r e L t s K N o w n o F I s t L e v e LAN D H I G H E R Y o u k n o w f o u r 1 s t - l e v e l s p e l l s o f
yourchoicefromthebardspelllist.
TheSpellsKnowncolumnoftheBardtableshowswhenyoulearnmorebardsp
ellsofyourchoice.Eachofthesespellsmustbeofalevelforwhichyouhaves
pellslots,asshownonthetable.Forinstance,whenyoureach3rdlevelinthi
sclass,youcanlearnonenewspellofIstor2ndlevel.

Additionally,whenyougainalevelinthisclass,youcanchooseoneofthebar
dspellsyouknowandreplaceitwithanotherspellfromthebardspelllist,wh
ichalsomustbeofalevelforwhichyouhavespellslots.

SPELLCASTINGABILITY

Charismaisyourspelleastingabilityforyourbardspells.Yourmagiccomes
fromtheheartandsoulyoupourintotheperformanceofyourmusicororation
.YouuseyourCharismawheneveraspellreferstoyourspelleastingability,
Inaddition,youuseyourCharisma

—SpellSlotsperSpellLevel—2nd3rd4thSth6th7th8th9th

Known1

apaeewwwwwhiwww

roFewweouwwowveins

re)8eeeaewewwwwwhewewewewwwwewewunnn~Bl—a-vel-e-e

modifierwhensettingthesavingthrowDCforabardspellyoucastandwhen
makinganattackrollwithone.

SpellsaveDC=8+yourproficiencybonus+yourCharismamodifier

Spellattackmodifier=yourproficiencybonus+yourCharismamodifier

RITUALCAsTINGYoucancastanybardspellyouknowasaritualifthatspell
hastheritualtag,

SPELLCASTINGFocusYoucanuseamusicalinstrument(foundinchapter5)
asaspellcastingfocusforyourbardspells.

B a r p i c I N S PI RAT I O N

Youcaninspireothersthroughstirringwordsormusic.Todoso,youuseabon
usactiononyourturntochooseonecreatureotherthanyourselfwithin60fee
tofyouwhocanhearyou.ThatcreaturegainsoneBardicInspirationdie,ad6
.

Oncewithinthenext10minutes,thecreaturecanrollthedieandaddthenumb
errolledtooneabilitycheck,attackroll,orsavingthrowitmakes.Thecreat
urecanwaituntilafteritrollsthed20beforedecidingtousetheBardicInspi
rationdie,butmustdecidebeforetheDMsayswhethertherollsucceedsorfa
ils.OncetheBardicInspirationdieisrolled,itislost.Acreaturecanhaveon
lyoneBardieInspirationdieatatime.
YoucanusethisfeatureanumberoftimesequaltoyourCharismamodifier(a
minimumofonce).Youregainanyexpendeduseswhenyoufinishalongrest:
YourBardicInspirationdiechangeswhenyoureachcertainlevelsinthiscla
ss.Thediebecomesad8at5thlevel,ad10at10thlevel,andad12at15thlevel,

JACKOFALLTRADES

Startingat2ndlevel,youcanaddhalfyourproficiencybonus,roundeddown
, t o a n y a b i l i t y c h e c k y o u m a k e t h a t d o e s n ’t a l r e a d y i n c l u d e y o u r p r o f i c i e n c y
bonus.

SONGOFREST

Beginningat2ndlevel,youcanusesoothingmusicororationtohelprevitali
zeyourwoundedalliesduringashortrest.Ifyouoranyfriendlycreatureswh
ocanhearyourperformanceregainhitpointsattheendoftheshortrest,each
ofthosecreaturesregainsanextra1d6hitpoints.

Theextrahitpointsincreasewhenyoureachcertainlevelsinthisclass:to14
8at9thlevel,to1d10at13thlevel,andto1d12at17thlevel.

BARDCOLLEGE

At3rdlevel,youdelveintotheadvancedtechniquesofabardcollegeofyour
choice:theCollegeofLoreortheCollegeofValor,bothdetailedattheendof
theclassdescription.Yourchoicegrantsyoufeaturesat3rdlevelandagaina
t6thand14thlevel.

EXPERTISE

At3rdlevel,choosetwoofyourskillproficiencies.Yourproficiencybonus
isdoubledforanyabilitycheckyoumakethatuseseitherofthechosenprofic
iencies.

At10thlevel,youcanchooseanothertwoskillproficienciestogainthisben
efit.

ABILITYSCOREIMPROVEMENT

Whenyoureach4thlevel,andagainat8th,12th,16th,and19thlevel,youcan
increaseoneabilityscoreofyourchoiceby2,oryoucanincreasetwoahility
scoresofyourchoiceby1,Asnormal,youcan'tincreaseanabilityscoreabov
e20usingthisfeature.

F O N T O F I N S PI RAT I O N

Beginningwhenyoureach5thlevel,youregainallofyourexpendedusesofB
ardicInspirationwhenyoufinishashortorlongrest.

COoUNTERCHARM

At6thlevel,yougaintheabilitytousemusicalnotesorwordsofpowertodisr
uptmind-influencingeffects,Asanaction,youcanstartaperformancethatl
astsuntiltheendofyournextturn.Duringthattime,youandanyfriendlycre
atureswithin30feetofyouhaveadvantageonsavingthrowsagainstbeingfr
ightenedorcharmed.Acreaturemustbeabletohearyoutogainthisbenefit.T
heperformanceendsearlyifyouareincapacitatedorsilencedorifyouvolun
tarilyendit(noactionrequired).

MAGICALSECRETS
By10thlevel,youhaveplunderedmagicalknowledgefromawidespectrumo
fdisciplines.Choosetwospellsfromanyclass,includingthisone.Aspel!y
ouchoosemustbeofalevelyoucancast,asshownontheBardtable,oracantri
p.

‘Thechosenspellscountasbardspellsforyouandareincludedinthenumber
intheSpellsKnowncolumnoftheBardtable.

Youlearntwoadditionalspellsfromanyclassat14thlevelandagainat18thl
evel.

S U PE R I O R I N S PI RAT I O N

At20thlevel,whenyourollinitiativeandhavenousesofBardicInspiration
left,youregainoneuse.

BARDCOLLEGES

Thewayofabardisgregarious.Bardsseekeachotherouttoswapsongsandst
ories,boastoftheiraccomplishments,andsharetheirknowledge.Bardsfor
mlooseassociations,whichtheycallcolleges,tofacilitatetheirgathering
sandpreservetheirtraditions.

COLLEGEOFLORE

BardsoftheCollegeofLoreknowsomethingaboutmostthings,collectingbi
tsofknowledgefromsourcesasdiverseasscholarlytomesandpeasanttales
.Whethersingingfolkballadsintavernsorelaboratecompositionsinroyal
courts,thesebardsusetheirgiftstoholdaudiencesspellbound.Whentheap
plausediesdown,theaudiencemembersmightfindthemselvesquestioning
everythingtheyheldtobetrue,fromtheirfaithinthepriesthoodofthelocalt
empletotheirloyaltytotheking.

Theloyaltyofthesebardsliesinthepursuitofbeautyandtruth,notinfealtyt
oamonarchorfollowingthetenetsofadeity,Anoblewhokeepssuchabardas
aheraldoradvisorknowsthatthebardwouldratherbehonestthanpolitic.

Thecollege'smembersgatherinlibrariesandSometimesinactualcolleges,
completewithclassroomsanddormitories,tosharetheirlorewithoneanoth
er.Theyalsomeetatfestivalsoraffairsofstate,wheretheycanexposecorru
ption,unravellies,andpokefunatself-importantfiguresofauthority.

BONUSPROFICIENCIESWhenyoujointheCollegeofLoreat3rdlevel,you
gainproficiencywiththreeskillsofyourchoice.

CuTtincWorps

Alsoat3rdlevel,youlearnhowtouseyourwittodistract,confuse,andother
wisesaptheconfidenceandcompetenceofothers.Whenacreaturethatyouc
anseewithin60feetofyoumakesanattackroll,anabilitycheck,oradamage
roll,youcanuseyourreactiontoexpendoneofyourusesofBardicInspiratio
n,rolling

aBardicInspirationdieandsubtractingthenumberrolledfromthecreature
'sroll.Youcanchoosetousethisfeatureafterthecreaturemakesitsroll,but
befaretheDMdetermineswhethertheattackrollorability

checksucceedsorfails,orbeforethecreaturedealsitsdamage.Thecreature
i s i m m u n e i f i t c a n ’t h e a r y o u o r i f i t ' s i m m u n e t o b e i n g c h a r m e d .
ADDITIONALMAGIGALSECRETSAt6thlevel,youlearntwospellsofyour
choicefromanyclass,Aspellyouchoosemustbeofalevelyoucancast,show
nontheBardtable,oracantrip.Thechosenspellscountasbardspellsforyou
butdon'tcountagainstthenumberofbardspellsyoukno

PEERLESSSKILL

Startingat14thlevel,whenyoumakeanabilitycheck,youcanexpendoneus
eofBardieInspiration.RollaBardicInspirationdieandaddthenumberroll
edtoyourabilitycheck.Youcanchoosetodosoafteryourollthediefortheab
ilitycheck,butbeforetheDMtellsyouwhetheryousucceedorfail.

C O LLE G E O F VALO R

BardsoftheCollegeofValoraredaringskaldswhosetaleskeepalivetheme
moryofthegreatheroesofthepast,andtherebyinspireanewgenerationofh
eroes.Thesebardsgatherinmeadhallsoraroundgreatbonfirestosingthede
edsofthemighty,bothpastandpresent.Theytravelthelandtowitnessgreat
eventsfirsthandandtoensurethatthememoryofthoseeventsdoesn'tpassfr
omtheworld.Withtheir

songs,theyinspireotherstoreachthesameheightsofaccomplishmentasth
eheroesofold.

BONUSPROFICIENCIES

WhenyoujointheCollegeofValorat3rdlevel,yougainproficiencywithme
diumarmor,shields,andmartialweapons.

C O M BAT I N S PI RAT I O N

Alsoat3rdlevel,youlearntoinspireothersinbattle.

AcreaturethathasaBardieInspirationdiefromyoucanrollthatdieandaddt
henumberrolledtoaweapondamagerollitjustmade.Alternatively,whenan
attackrollismadeagainstthecreature,itcanuseitsreactiontorolltheBard
icInspirationdieandaddthenumberfolledtoitsACagainstthatattack,afte
rsecingtherollbutbeforeknowingwhetherithitsormisses.

E X T R AAT TA C K S t a r t i n g a t 6 t h l e v e l , y o u c a n a t t a c k t w i c e , i n s t e a d o f o n c e .
wheneveryoutaketheAttackactiononyourturr

BATT LE MAG I C

At14thlevel,youemasteredtheartofweavingspellcastingandweaponusei
ntoasingleharmoniousact.Whenyouuseyouractiontocastabardspell,you
canmakeoneweaponattackasabonusaction.

CLERIC

Armsandeyesupraisedtowardthesunandaprayer

onhislips,anelfbeginstoglowwithaninnerlightthat

Spillsouttohealhisbattle-worncompanions.Chantingasongofglory,adw
arfswingshisaxe

dnwideswathstocutthroughtheranksoforesarrayedagainsthim,shouting
praisetothegodswith©everyfoe'sfall.
Callingdownacurseupontheforcesofundeath,ahumanliftsherholysymbo
laslightpoursfromittodrivebackthezombiescrowdinginonhercompanio
ns.

Clericsareintermediariesbetweenthemortalworldandthedistantplaneso
fthegods.Asvariedasthegodstheyserve,clericsstrivetoembodythehandi
workoftheirdeities.Noordinarypriest,aclericisimbuedwithdivinemagi
c,

H EALE R SAN D WAR R I O R S

Divinemagic,asthenamesuggests,isthepowerof

thegods,flowingfromthemintotheworld.Clericsareconduitsforthatpow
er,manifestingitasmiraculouseffects.Thegodsdon'tgrantthispowertoev
eryonewhoseeksit,butonlytothosechosentofulfillahighcalling.

H a r n e s s i n g d i v i n e m a g i c d o e s n ’t r e l y o n s t u d y o r t r a i n i n g .Ac l e r i c m i g h t l e a
rnformulaicprayersandancientrites,buttheabilitytocastclericspellsrel
i e s o n d e v o t i o n a n d a n i n t u i t i v e s e n s e o f a d e i t y ’s w i s h e s .

Clerimbinethehelpfulmagicofhealingandinspiringtheirallieswithspell
sthatharmandhinderfoes.Theycanprovokeaweanddread,laycursesofpla
gueorpoison,andevencalldownflamesfromheaventoconsumetheirenemi
es.Forthoseevildoerswhowillbenefitmostfromamacetothehead,clerics
dependontheircombattrainingtoletthemwadeintomeleewiththepowerof
thegodsontheirside.

DrvinEAGENTS

Noteveryacolyteorofficiantatatempleorshrineisacleric.Somepriestsar
e c a l l e d t o a s i m p l e l i f e o f t e m p l e s e r v i c e , c a r r y i n g o u t t h e i r g o d s ’w i l l t h r o u
ghprayerandsacrifice,notbymagicandstrengthofarms.Insomecities,pri
esthoodamountstoapoliticaloffice,viewedaSasteppingstonetohigherpo
sitionsofauthorityandinvolvingnocommunionwithagodatall.Truecleric
sarerareinmosthierarchies,

Whenaclerictakesupanadventuringlife,itisusuallybecausehisorhergod
demandsit.Pursuingthegoalsofthegodsofteninvolvesbravingdangersbe
yondthewallsofcivilization,smitingevilorseekingholyrelicsinancientt
ombs.Manyclericsarealsoexpectedtoprotect

THeCteric

=Femi

ProficiencyLevelBonusFeatures1st42Spelleasting,DivineDomain2nd+
2ChannelDivinity(1/rest),DivineDomainfeature

3rd+2_

4th+2AbilityScoreImprovementsth+3DestroyUndead(CR1/2)6th+3Cha
nnelDivinity(2/rest),

DivineDomainfeature

(CR1),DivineDomainfeatureDivineIntervention
DestroyUndead(CR2)AbilityScoreImprovement

DestroyUndead(CR3)

AbilityScoreImprovement

th+6DestroyUndead(CR4),DivineDomainfeature18th+6ChannelDivinit
y(3/rest)

AbilityScoreImprovementDivineInterventionimprovement

t h e i r d e i t i e s ’w o r s h i p e r s , w h i c h c a n m e a n f i g h t i n g r a m p a g i n g o r c s , n e g o t i a
tingpeacebetweenwarringnations,orsealingaportalthatwouldallowade
monprincetoentertheworld.

Mostadventuringclericsmaintainsomeconnectiontoestablishedtemples
a n d o r d e r s o f t h e i r f a i t h s .At e m p l e m i g h t a s k f o r a c l e r i c ’s a i d , o r a h i g h p r i e s t
mightbeinapositiontodemandit.

C R EAT I N GAC LE R I CAs y o u c r e a t e a c l e r i c , t h e m o s t i m p o r t a n t q u e s t i o n t o c

onsideriswhichdeitytoserveandwhatprinciplesyouwantyourcharactert
oembody.AppendixBincludeslistsofmanyofthegodsofthemultiverse.Ch
eckwithyourDMtolearnwhichdeitiesareinyourcampaign.Onceyou'vech
osenadeity,consideryourcleric'srelationshiptothatgod.Didyouenterthi
sservicewillingly?Ordidthegodchooseyou,impellingyouintoservicewit
hnoregardforyourwishes?Howdothetemplepriestsofyourfaithregardyo
u:asachampionoratroublemaker?Whatareyourultimategoals?Doesyour
deityhaveaspecialtaskinmindforyou?Orareyoustrivingtoproveyourself
worthyofagreatquest?

QuickBuILD

Youcanmakeaclericquicklybyfollowingthesesuggestions.First,Wisdo
mshouldbeyourhighestabilityscore,followedbyStrengthorConstitution
,Second,choosetheacolytebackground.

Cantrips

KnownIst2nd3rd4thSth6th7th8th9th32

33

342

442—-—SS=|——

443Beer-|-44°933—-—-—-—-—=

AbilityScoreImprovement,DestroyUndead

—SpellSlotsperSpellLevel—

ae

BanunuuneBarapaRaRoRBoewuuebuueSeleoeoleoleBwbwewbwowNNY
NNRRNNN=

ce

C LAS S F EAT U R E S
Asacleric,yougainthefollowingclassfeatures.

HitPoints

HitDice:1d8perclericlevel

HitPointsat1stLevel:8+yourConstitutionmodifier

HitPointsatHigherLevels:1d8(or5)+yourConstitutionmodifierpercleri
clevelafter1st

PROFICIENCIES

Armor;Lightarmor,mediumarmor,shieldsWeapons:Allsimpleweapons

Tools:None

SavingThrows:Wisdom,CharismaSkills:ChoosetwofromHistory,Insigh
t,Medicine,Persuasion,andReligion

EQUIPMENTYoustartwiththefollowingequipment,inadditiontotheequi
pmentgrantedbyyourbackground:

+(a)amaceor(b)awarhammer(ifproficient)

+(a)scalemail,(b)leatherarmor,or(c)chainmail(ifproficient)

+(a)alightcrossbowand20boltsor(6)anysimpleweapon

+ ( a ) a p r i e s t ' s p a c k o r ( 6 ) a n e x p l o r e r ’s p a c k

«Ashicldandaholysymbol

SPELLCASTING

Asaconduitfordivinepower,youcancastclericspells.Seechapter10forth
egeneralrulesofspellcastingandchapter11fortheclericspelllist.git

CANTRIPS

At1stlevel,youknowthreecantripsofyourchoicefromtheclericspelllist.
Youlearnadditionalclericcantripsofyourchoiceathigherlevels,asshow
nintheCantripsKnowncolumnoftheClerictable.

P R E PAR I N GAN D CAS T I N G S P E L L S

TheClerictableshowshowmanyspellslotsyouhavetocastyourspellsofIst
levelandhigher.Tocastoneofthesespells,youmustexpendaslotofthespel
l ’s l e v e l o r h i g h e r ,Yo u r e g a i n a l l e x p e n d e d s p e l l s l o t s w h e n y o u f i n i s h a l o n g
rest.

Youpreparethelistofclericspellsthatareavailableforyoutocast,choosin
gfromtheclericspelllist.Whenyoudoso,chooseanumberofclericspellseq
ualtoyourWisdommodifier+yourclericlevel(minimumofonespell),Thes
pellsmustbeofalevelforwhichyouhavespellslots.

Forexample,ifyouarea3rd-levelcleric,youhavefourIst-levelandtwo2nd
-evelspellslots.WithaWisdomof16,yourlistofpreparedspellscaninclud
esixspellsofIstor2ndlevel,inanycombination.IfyoupreparetheIst-level
spellcurewounds,youcancastitusingaIstlevelor2nd-levelslot.Castingt
h e s p e l l d o e s n ’t r e m o v e i t f r o m y o u r l i s t o f p r e p a r e d s p e l l s .

PAR T 1 | G LAS S

Youcanchangeyourlistofpreparedspellswhenyoufinishalongrest.Prepa
ringanewlistofclericspellsrequirestimespentinprayerandmeditation;a
tleast1minuteperspelllevelforeachspellonyourlist,

SPELLCASTINGABILITY

Wisdomisyourspelleastingabilityforyourclericspells.Thepowerofyour
spellscomesfromyourdevotiontoyourdeity.YouuseyourWisdomwhenev
eraclericspellreferstoyourspellcastingability.Inaddition,youuseyour
WisdommodifierwhensettingthesavingthrowDCforaclericspellyoucast
andwhenmakinganattackrollwithone.

SpellsaveDC—8+yourproficiencybonus+yourWisdommodifier

Spellattackmodifier=yourproficiencybonus+yourWisdommodifier

RITUALCASTINGYoucancastaclericspellasaritualifthatspellhastherit
ualtagandyouhavethespellprepared.

SPELLCASTINGFocusYoucanuseaholysymbol(foundinchapter5)asaspe
lleastingfocusforyourclericspells.

DiIvINEDOMAIN

Chooseonedomainrelatedtoyourdeity:Knowledge,Life,Light,Nature,Te
mpest,Trickery,orWar.Eachdomainisdetailedattheendoftheclassdescri
ption,andeachoneprovidesexamplesofgodsassociatedwithit.Yourchoic
egrantsyoudomainspellsandotherfeatureswhenyouchooseitat1stlevel.I
talsograntsyouadditionalwaystouseChannelDivinitywhenyougainthatf
eatureat2ndlevel,andadditionalbenefitsat6th,8th,and17thlevels.

DOMAINSPELLSEachdomainhasalistofspells—itsdemainspells—thaty
ougainattheclericlevelsnotedinthedomaindescription.Onceyougainado
m a i n s p e l l , y o u a l w a y s h a v e i t p r e p a r e d , a n d i t d o e s n ’t c o u n t a g a i n s t t h e n u m
berofspellsyoucanprepareeachday.

Ifyouhaveadomainspellthatdoesn'tappearontheclericspelllist,thespell
isnonethelessaclericspellforyou.

CHANNELDIVINITY

At2ndlevel,yougaintheabilitytochanneldivineenergydirectlyfromyour
deity,usingthatenergytofuelmagicaleffects.Youstartwithtwosucheffec
ts:TurnUndeadandaneffectdeterminedbyyourdomain.Somedomainsgran
tyouadditionaleffectsasyouadvanceinlevels,asnotedinthedomaindescr
iption.

WhenyouuseyourChannelDivinity,youchoosewhicheffecttocreate.You
mustthenfinishashortorlongresttouseyourChannelDivinityagain.

SomeChannelDivinityeffectsrequiresavingthrows.Whenyouusesuchan
effectfromthisclass,theDCequalsyourclericspellsaveDC.

Beginningat6thlevel,youcanuseyourChannelDivinitytwicebetweenrest
s,andbeginningat18thlevel,
youcanuseitthreetimesbetweenrests.Whenyoufinishashortorlongrest,y
ouregainyourexpendeduses.

CrannetDivinity:TurnUNDEAD

Asanaction,youpresentyourholysymbolandspeakaprayercensuringtheu
ndead.Eachundeadthatcanseeorhearyouwithin30feetofyoumustmakeaW
isdomsayingthrow,Ifthecreaturefailsitssavingthrow,itisturnedfor1mi
nuteoruntilittakesanydamage.

Aturnedcreaturemustspenditsturnstryingtomoveasfarawayfromyouasit
can,anditcan'twillinglymovetoaspacewithin30feetofyou.Italsocan'tta
kereactions,Foritsaction,itcanuseonlytheDashactionortrytoescapefro
maneffectthatpreventsitfrommoving.Ifthere'snowheretomove,thecreat
urecanusetheDodgeaction.

ABILITYSCOREIMPROVEMENT

Whenyoureach4thlevel,andagainat8th,12th,16th,and19thlevel,youcan
increaseoneabilityseoreofyourchoiceby2,oryoucanincreasetwoability
s c o r e s o f y o u r c h o i c e b y 1 ,As n o r m a l , y o u c a n ’t i n c r e a s e a n a b i l i t y s c o r e a b o v
e20usingthisfeature,

DestroyUNDEAD

Startingat5thlevel,whenanundeadfailsitssavingthrowagainstyourTurn
Undeadfeature,thecreatureisinstantlydestroyedifitschallengeratingis
atorbelowacertainthreshold,asshownintheDestroyUndeadtable.

DestroyUNDEAD

ClericLevelDestroysUndeadofCR...Sth1/2orlower8thTorlowerZorlowe
rZorlowerVth4orlower

DivineINTERVENTION

Beginningat10thlevel,youcancallonyourdeitytointerveneonyourbehalf
w h e n y o u r n e e d i s g r e a t . I m p l o r i n g y o u r d e i t y ’s a i d r e q u i r e s y o u t o u s e y o u r a
ction.Describetheassistanceyouseek,androllpercentiledice.Ifyourolla
numberequaltoorlowerthanyourclericlevel,yourdeityintervenes.TheD
Mchoosesthenatureoftheintervention;theeffectofanyclericspellorcler
i c d o m a i n s p e l l w o u l d b e a p p r o p r i a t e . I f y o u r d e i t y i n t e r v e n e s , y o u c a n ’t u s e
t h i s f e a t u r e a g a i n f o r 7 d a y s . O t h e r w i s e , y o u c a n u s e i t a g a ’y o u f i n i s h a l o n g r
est.At20thlevel,yourcallforinterventionsucceedsautomatically,noroll
required.

DIVINEDOMAINS

Inapantheon,everydeityhasinfluenceoverdifferentaspectsofmortallife
a n d c i v i l i z a t i o n , c a l l e d a d e i t y ’s d o m a i n .Al l t h e d o m a i n s o v e r w h i c h a d e i t y
h a s i n f l u e n c e a r e c a l l e d t h e d e i t y ’s p o r t f o l i o . F o r e x a m p l e , t h e p o r t f o l i o o f t
heGreekgodApolloincludesthe

domainsofKnowledge,Life,andLight.Asacleric,youchooseoneaspectof
y o u r d e i t y ’s p o r t f o l i o t o e m p h a s i z e , a n d y o u a r e g r a n t e d p o w e r s r e l a t e d t o t h
atdomain.

Yourchoicemightcorrespondtoaparticularsectdedicatedtoyourdeity.Ap
ollo,forexample,couldbeworshipedinoneregionasPhoebus(“radiant”)A
pollo,emphasizinghisinfluenceovertheLightdomain,andinadifferentpl
aceasApolloAcesius(“healing”),emphasizinghisassociationwiththeLif
edomain.Alternatively,yourchoiceofdomaincouldsimplybeamatterofpe
rsonalpreference,theaspectofthedeitythatappealstoyoumost,

E a c h d o m a i n ’s d e s c r i p t i o n g i v e s e x a m p l e s o f d e i t i e s w h o h a v e i n f l u e n c e o v
erthatdomain.GodsareincludedfromtheworldsoftheForgottenRealms,G
reyhawk,Dragonlance,andEberroncampaignsettings,aswellasfromtheC
eltic,Greek,Norse,andEgyptianpantheonsofantiquity.

KNOWLEDGEDOMAIN

Thegodsofknowledge—includingOghma,Boccob,Gilean,Aureon,andTh
oth—valuelearningandunderstandingaboveall.Someteachthatknowledg
eistobegatheredandsharedinlibrariesanduniversities,orpromotethepra
cticalknowledgeofcraftandinvention.Somedeitieshoardknowledgeand
keepitssecretstothemselves.Andsomepromisetheirfollowersthattheywi
llgaintremendouspoweriftheyunlockthesecretsofthemultiverse.Follow
ersofthesegodsstudyesotericlore,collectoldtomes,delveintothesecretp
lacesoftheearth,andlearnalltheycan.Somegodsofknowledgepromotethe
practicalknowledgeofcraftandinvention,includingsmithdeitieslikeGo
nd,Reorx,Onatar,Moradin,Hephaestus,andGoibhniu.

KNOWLEDGEDOMAINSPELLS

ClericLevelSpellsIstcommand,identify3rdaugury,suggestionSthnonde
tection,speakwithdead7tharcaneeye,confusion9thlegendlore,scrying

BLESSINGSOFKNOWLEDGE

AtIstlevel,youlearntwolanguagesofyourchoice.

Youalsobecomeproficientinyourchoiceoftwoofthe

followingskills:Arcana,History,Nature,orReligion.Yourproficiencybo
nusisdoubledforanyabilitycheck

youmakethatuseseitherofthoseskills.

CHANNELDivinity:

KNOWLEDGEOFTHEAGES

Startingat2ndlevel,youcanuseyourChannelDivinitytotapintoadivinew
ellofknowledge.Asanaction,

youchooseoneskillortool.For10minutes,youhaveproficiencywiththech
osenskillortool.

CHANNELDIvINiTy:READTHOUGHTS

At6thlevel,youcanuseyourChannelDivinitytoreadacreature'sthoughts.
Youcanthenuseyouraccesstothecreature'smindtocommandit.

Asanaction,chooseonecreaturethatyoucanseewithin60feetofyou.Thatc
reaturemustmakeaWisdomsavingthrow.Ifthecreaturesucceedsonthesav
ingthrow,youcan'tusethisfeatureonitagainuntilyoufinishalongrest.

Ifthecreaturefailsitssave.youcanreaditssurfacethoughts(thoseforemos
tinitsmind,reflecti:currentemotionsandwhatitisactivelythiabout)whe
nitiswithin60feetofyou.Thiseffectlastsfor1minute.rs{

Duringthattime,youcanuseyouractiontoendthiseffectandcastthesugges
tionspellonthecreaturewithoutexpendingaspellslot.Thetargetautomati
callyfailsitssavingthrowagainstthespell.By

POTENTSPELLGASTING

=Startingat8thlevel,youaddyourWisdommodifiertothedamageyoudeal
withanyclericcantrip,

V I S I O N S O F T H E PAS T

Startingat17thlevel,youcancallupvisionsofthe

pastthatrelatetoanobjectyouholdoryourimmediatesurroundings.Yousp
endatleast1minuteinmeditationandprayer,thenreceivedreamlike,shado
wyglimpsesofrecentevents.Youcanmeditateinthiswayforanumberofmin
utesequaltoyourWisdomscoreandmustmaintainconcentrationduringtha
ttime,asifyouwerecastingaspell.

Onceyouusethisfeature,youcan'tuseitagainuntilyoufinishashortorlong
rest.

ObjectReading.Holdinganobjectasyoumeditate,youcanseevisionsofthe
object'spreviousowner,Aftermeditatingfor1minute,youlearnhowtheow
neracquiredandlosttheobject,aswellasthemostrecentsignificanteventi
nvolvingtheobjectandthatowner.

Iftheobjectwasownedbyanothercreatureintherecentpast(withinanumbe
rofdaysequaltoyourWisdomscore),youcanspend1additionalminuteforc
achownertolearnthesameinformationaboutthatcreature.

AreaReading.Asyoumeditate,youseevisionsofrecenteventsinyourimme
diatevicinity(aroom,street,tunnel,clearing,orthelike,uptoa50-footcu
be),goingbackanumberofdaysequaltoyourWisdomscore.Foreachminute
youmeditate,youlearnaboutonesignificantevent,beginningwiththemos
trecent.Significanteventstypicallyinvolvepowerfulemotions,suchasba
ttlesandbetrayals,marriagesandmurders,birthsandfunerals.However,t
heymightalsoincludemoremundaneeventsthatareneverthelessimportant
in-yourcurrentsituation.

LIFEDOMAIN

TheLifedomainfocusesonthevibrantpositiveenergy—oneofthefundame
ntalforcesoftheuniverse—thatsustainsalllife.Thegodsoflifepromotevi
talityandhealththroughhealingthesickandwounded,caringforthoseinne
ed,anddrivingawaytheforcesofdeathandundeath.Almostanynon-evildei
tycanclaiminfluenceoverthisdomain,particularlyagriculturaldeities(s
uchasChauntea,Arawai,andDemeter),sungods(suchasLathander,Pelor,a
ndRe-Horakhty),gods

ofhealingorendurance(suchasIImater,Mishakal,Apollo,andDiancecht),
andgodsofhomeandcommunity(suchasHestia,Hathor,andBoldrei),

LireDOMAINSPELLS

ClericLevelSpellsIstbless,curewounds3rdlesserrestoration,spiritualw
eaponbeaconofhope,revivifydeathward,guardianoffaithmasscurewoun
ds,raisedead

rreWoctiedfaeeuseaspellofIstTevelorhighertorestorehitpointstoacreat
u r e , t h e c r e a t u r e r e g a i n s a d d i t i o n a l h i t p o i n t s e q u a l t o 2 + t h e s p e l l ’s l e v e l .

CHANNELDIVINITY:PRESERVELIFEStartingat2ndlevel,youcanuseyo
urChannelDivinitytohealthebadlyinjured.

Asanaction,youpresentyourholysymbolandevokehealingenergythatcan
restoreanumberofhitpointsequaltofivetimesyourclericlevel.Choosean
ycreatureswithin30feetofyou,anddividethosehitpointsamongthem.Thi
sfeaturecanrestoreacreaturetonomorethanhalfofitshitpointmaximum.Y
oucan'tusethisfeatureonanundeadoraconstruct.

BLEsseDHEALER

Beginningat6thlevel,thehealingspellsyoucastonothershealyouaswell.
Whenyoueastaspellof1stlevelorhigherthatrestoreshitpointstoacreatur
e o t h e r t h a n y o u , y o u r e g a i n h i t p o i n t s e q u a l t o 2 + t h e s p e l l ’s l e v e l .

DivineSTRIKE

At8thlevel,yougaintheabilitytoinfuseyourweaponstrikeswithdivineen
ergy.Onceoneachofyourturnswhenyouhitacreaturewithaweaponattack,
youcancausetheattacktodealanextra1d8radiantdamagetothetarget,Whe
nyoureach14thlevel,theextradamageincreasesto2d8.

SupremeHEALING

Startingat17thlevel,whenyouwouldnormallyrolloneormorediceteresto
rehitpointswithaspell,youinsteadusethehighestnumberpossibleforeac
hdie.Forexample,insteadofrestoring2d6hitpointstoacreature,youresto
re12.

LicutDOMAIN

Godsoflight—includingHelm,Lathander,Pholtus,Branchala,theSilverF
lame,Belenus,Apollo,andRe-Horakhty—promotetheidealsofrebirthand
renewal,truth,vigilance,andbeauty,oftenusingthesymbolofthesun.Som
eofthesegodsareportrayedasthesunitselforasacharioteerwhoguidesthe
sun

acrossthesky.Othersaretirelesssentinelswhoseeyespierceeveryshadow
andseethrougheverydeception.

Somearedeitiesofbeautyandartistry,whoteachthat©

artisavehicleforthesoul'simprovement.Clericsofagodoflightareenligh
t e n e d s o u l s i n f u s e d w i t h r a d i a n c e a n d t h e p o w e r o f t h e i r g o d s ’d i s c e r n i n g v i s
ion,chargedwithchasingawayliesandburningawaydarkness.

LiGHTDOMAINSPELLSClericLevelSpellsIstburninghands,faeriefire3r
dflamingsphere,scorchingraysthdaylight,fireball7thguardianoffaith,
walloffireothflamestrike,serping

BonusCantripWhenyouchoosethisdomainatistlevel,yougainthelightcan
tripifyoudon'talreadyknowit.

WAR D I N G F LAR EAl s o a t I s t l e v e l , y o u c a n i n t e r p o s e d i v i n e l i g h t b e t w e e n y o

urselfandanattackingenemy.Whenyouareattackedbyacreaturewithin30
feetofyouthatyoucansee,youcanuseyourreactiontoimposedisadvantage
ontheattackroll,causinglighttoflarebeforetheattackerbeforeithitsormi
Anattackerthatcan'tbeblindedisimmunetothisfeature.

YoucanusethisfeatureanumberoftimesequaltoyourWisdommodifier(am
inimumofonce).Youregainallexpendeduseswhenyoufinishalongrest.

C HAN N E LD i v i n i t y : RAD IAN C E O F T H E DAW N S t a r t i n g a t 2 n d l e v e l , y o u c a

nuseyourChannelDivinitytoharnesssunlight,banishingdarknessanddea
lingradiantdamagetoyourfoes.

Asanaction,youpresentyourholysymbol,andanymagicaldarknesswithin
30feetofyouisdispelled.Additionally,eachhostilecreaturewithin30feet
ofyoumustmakeaConstitutionsavingthrow.Acreaturetakesradiantdama
geequalto2410+yourclericlevelonafailedsavingthrow,andhalfasmuchd
amageonasuccessfulone.Acreaturethathastotalcoverfromyouisnotaffec
ted.

I M P R O V E D F LAR E

Startingat6thlevel,youcanalsouseyourWardingFlarefeaturewhenacreat
urethatyoucanseewithin30feetofyouattacksacreatureotherthanyou.

POTENTSPELLGASTINGStartingat8thlevel,youaddyourWisdommodifi
ertothedamageyoudealwithanyclericcantrip.

CoronaorLicHT

Startingat17thlevel,youcanuseyouractiontoactivateanauraofsunlightt
hatlastsfor1minuteoruntilyoudismissitusinganotheraction.Youemitbri
ghtlightina60-footradiusanddimlight30feetbeyondthat.Yourenemiesin
thebrightlighthavedisadvantageonsavingthrowsagainstanyspellthatde
alsfireorradiantdamage.

NatTurEDOMAIN

Godsofnatureareasvariedasthenaturalworld

itself,frominscrutablegodsofthedeepforests(suchasSilvanus,Obad-Ha
i,Chislev,Balinor,andPan)tofriendlydeitiesassociatedwithparticulars
pringsandgroves(suchasEldath).Druidsreverenatureasawholeandmight
serveoneofthesedeities,practicingmysteriousritesandrecitingall-but-
forgottenprayersintheirownsecrettongue.Butmanyofthesegodshavecle
ricsaswell,championswhotakeamoreactiveroleinadvancingtheinterests
ofaparticularnaturegod.Theseclericsmighthunttheevilmonstrositiesth
atdespoilthewoodlands,blesstheharvestofthefaithful,orwitherthecrop
softhosewhoangertheirgods.

NatureDomainSPELLS

ClericLevelSpellsIstanimalfriendship,speakwithanimals3rdbarkskin,
spikegrowthSthplantgrowth,windwall7thdominatebeast,graspingvine9
thinsectplague,treestride

PAR T t | C LAS S E S

AC O LYT E O F NAT U R E

AtIstlevel,youlearnonedruidcantripofyourchoice.Youalsogainproficie
ncyinoneofthefollowingskillsofyourchoice:AnimalHandling,Nature,o
rSurvival.

B o n u s P R O F I C I E N C YAl s o a t 1 s t l e v e l , y o u g a i n p r o f i c i e n c y w i t h h e a v y a r m
or.

CHanneLDiviniry;CHARMANIMALS

AN D P LAN T S

Startingat2ndlevel,youcanuseyourChannelDivinitytocharmanimalsand
plants.

Asanaction,youpresentyourholysymbolandinvokethenameofyourdeity,
Eachbeastorplantcreaturethatcanseeyouwithin30feetofyoumustmakea
Wisdomsavingthrow.Ifthecreaturefailsitssavingthrow,itischarmedbyy
oufor1minuteoruntilittakesdamage,Whileitischarmedbyyou,itisfriend
lytoyouandothercreaturesyoudesignate.

DamrenELEMENTS

Startingat6thlevel,whenyouoracreaturewithin30feetofyoutakesacid,c
old,fire,lightning,orthunderdamage,youeanuseyourreactiontograntres
istancetothecreatureagainstthatinstanceofthedamage.

DIVINESTRIKE

At8thlevel,yougaintheabilitytoinfuseyourweaponstrikeswithdivineen
ergy.Onceoneachofyourturns:whenyouhitacreaturewithaweaponattack
,you

cancausetheattacktodealanextra148cold,fire,orlightningdamage(your
choice)tothetarget.Whenyoureach14thlevel,theextradamageincreasest
o248.

MAS T E R O F NAT U R E

At17thlevel,yougaintheabilitytocommandanimalsandplantcreatures.W
hilecreaturesarecharmedbyyourCharmAnimalsandPlantsfeature,youca
ntakeabonusactiononyourturntoverballycommandwhateachofthosecrea
tureswilldoonitsnextturn.

TEMPESTDOMAIN

GodswhoseportfoliosincludetheTempestdomain—includingTalos,Umb
erlee,Kord,Zeboim,theDevourer,Zeus,andThor—governstorms,sea,and
sky.Theyincludegodsoflightningandthunder,godsofearthquakes,somef
iregods,andcertaingodsofviolence,physicalstrength,andcourage.Inso
mepantheons,agodofthisdomainrulesoverotherdeitiesandisknownfors
wiftjusticedeliveredbythunderbolts.Inthepantheonsofseafaringpeople
,godsofthisdomainareoceandeitiesandthepatronsofsailors.Tempestgod
ssendtheirclericstoinspirefearinthecommonfolk,eithertokeepthosefol
konthepathof

PAR T 1 | C LAS S E S

righteousnessortaencouragethemtooffersacrificesofpropitiationtowar
doffdivinewrath.

TEMPESTDOMAINSPELLS
ClericLevelSpellsIst(fogcloud,thunderwave3rdgustofwind,shatterSth
calllightning,sleetstorm7thcontrolwater,icestormothdestructivewave
,insectplague

BONUSPROFICIENCIESAtIstlevel,yougainproficiencywithmartialwea
ponsandheavyartTa

THESTORM

Alsoat1stlevel,youcanthunderouslyrebukeattackers.Whenacreaturewit
hin5feetofyouthatyoucanseehitsyouwithanattack,youcanuseyourreacti
ontocausethecreaturetomakeaDexteritysavingthrow.Thecreaturetakes
248lightningorthunderdamage(yourchoice)onafailedsavingthrow,andh
alfasmuchdamageonasuccessfulone.

YoucanusethisfeatureanumberoftimesequaltoyourWisdommodifier(am
inimumofonce).Youregainallexpendeduseswhenyoufinishalongrest.

C H a n n e t D i v i n i t y : D e s t R u c T I V E W RAT H S t a r t i n g a t 2 n d l e v e l , y o u c a n u s e y
ourChannelDivinitytowieldthepowerofthestormwithuncheckedferocit
y.

Whenyourolllightningorthunderdamage,youcanuseyourChannelDivinit
ytodealmaximumdamage,insteadofrolling.

THUNDERBOLTSTRIKE

At6thlevel,whenyoudeallightningdamagetoaLargeorsmallercreature,y
oucanalsopushitupto10feetawayfromyou.

DIVINESTRIKE

At8thlevel,yougaintheabilitytoinfuseyourweaponstrikeswithdivineen
ergy.Onceoneachofyourturnswhenyouhitacreaturewithaweaponattack,
youcancausetheattacktodealanextra1d8thunderdamagetothetarget.Whe
nyoureach14thlevel,theextradamageincreasesto2d8.

STORMBORN

At17thlevel,youhaveaflyingspeedequaltoyourcurrentwalkingspcedwh
eneveryouarenotundergroundorindoors.

TRICKERYDOMAIN

Godsoftrickery—suchasTymora,Beshaba,Olidammara,theTraveler,Gar
lGlittergold,andLoki—aremischief-makersandinstigatorswhostandasa
constantchallengetotheacceptedorderamongbothgodsandmortals.They'
repatronsofthieves,scoundrels,gamblers,rebels,andliberators.Theircl
ericsareadisruptiveforceintheworld,puncturingpride,mockingtyrants,
stealingfromtherich,freeingcaptives,andfloutinghollowtraditions.The
yprefer

directconfrontation,

TrickeryDOMAINSPELLSClericLevelSpells

Istcharmperson,disguiseselfrdmirrorimage,passwithouttrace

Sthblink,dispelmagic7thdimensiondoor,polymorphSthdominateperson
,modifymemory
BLESSINGOFTHETRIGKSTER

StartingwhenyouchoosethisdomainatIstlevel,youcanuseyouractiontot
ouchawillingcreatureotherthanyourselftogiveitadvantageonDexterity
(Stealth)checks.Thisblessinglastsfor1houroruntilyouusethisfeatureag
ain.

CrannetDivinity:INVOKEDUPLICITYStartingat2ndlevel,youcanuseyo
urChannelDivinitytocreateanillusoryduplicateofyourself.

Asanaction,youcreateaperfectillusionofyourselfthatlastsfor|minute,o
runtilyouloseyourconcentration(asifyouwereconcentratingonaspell).
Theillusionappearsinanunoccupiedspacethatyoucanscewithin30feetof
you.Asabonusactiononyourturn,youcanmovetheillusionupto30feettoas
paceyoucansee,butitmustremainwithin120feetofyou,

F o r t h e d u r a t i o n , y o u c a n c a s t s p e l l s a s t h o u g h y o u w e r e i n t h e i l l u s i o n ’s s p a c
e,butyoumustuseyourownsenses.Additionally,whenbothyouandyourill
usionarewithin5feetofacreaturethatcanseetheillusion,youhaveadvanta
geonattackrollsagainstthatcreature,givenhowdistractingtheillusionis
tothetarget.

CrannetDivinity:CLOAKorSHADOWSStartingat6thlevel,youcanuseyou
rChannelDivinitytovanish.

Asanaction,youbecomeinvisibleuntiltheendofyournextturn.Youbecom
evisibleifyouattackorcastaspell.

DIVINESTRIKEAt8thlevel,yougaintheabilitytoinfuseyourweaponstrik
eswithpoison—agiftfromyourdeity.Onceoneachofyourturnswhenyouhi
tacreaturewithaweaponattack,youcancausetheattacktodealanextra1d8
poisondamagetothetarget.Whenyoureach14thlevel,theextradamageinc
reasesto2d8,

ieImprovedDupticity:At17thlevel,youcancreateuptofourdoalieates:of
yourself,insteadofone,whenyouuseInvokeDuplicity.Asabonusactionon
yourturn,youcanmaveanynumberofthemupto30feet,toamaximumrangeo
f120feet.

WAR D O MAI N

Warhasmanymanifestations.Itcanmakeheroesofordinarypeople.Itcanb
edesperateandhorrific,withactsofcrueltyandcowardiceeclipsinginstan
cesofexcellenceandcourage.Ineithercase,thegodsofwar

gdeeds.Theclericsofouigodsexcelinbattle,inspiringotherstofightthego
odfightorofferingactsofviolenceasprayers.Godsofwarincludechampio
nsofhonorandchivalry(suchasTorm,Heironeous,andKiri-Jolith)aswell
asgodsofdestructionandpillage(suchasErythnul,theFury,Gruumsh,and
Ares)andgodsofconquestanddomination(suchasBane,Hextor,andMaglu
biyet).Otherwargods(suchasTempus,Nike,andNuada)takeamoreneutral
stance,promotingwarinallitsmanifestationsandsupportingwarriorsina
nycircumstance.

WarDomainSPELLSClericLevelSpellsIstdivinefavor,shieldoffaith3rd
m a g i c w e a p o n , s p i r i t u a l w e a p o n 5 t h c r u s a d e r ’s m a n t l e , s p i r i t g u a r d i a n s 7 t h
freedomofmovement,stoneskin9thflamestrike,holdmonster
BONUSPROFIGIENCIESAtIstlevel,yougainproficiencywithmartialwea
ponsandheavyarmor,

WAR PR i e s T F r o m I s t l e v e l , y o u r g o d d e l i v e r s b o l t s o f i n s p i r a t i o n t o y o u w h i l
eyouareengagedinbattle.WhenyouusetheAttackaction,youcanmakeone
weaponattackasabonusaction.

YoucanusethisfeatureanumberoftimesequaltoyourWisdommodifier(am
inimumofonce).Youregainallexpendeduseswhenyoufinishalongrest.

GHANNELDivinity:GurpepSTRIKE

Startingat2ndlevel,youcanuseyourChannelDivinitytostrikewithsupern
aturalaccuracy.Whenyoumakeanattackroll,youcanuseyourChannelDivi
nitytogaina+10bonustotheroll.Youmakethischoiceafteryouseetheroll,
butbeforetheDMsayswhethertheattackhitsormisses.

C HAN N E LD i v i n t t y : WAR G o p ' s B LE S S I N G

At6thlevel,whenacreaturewithin30feetofyoumakes.anattackroll,youca
nuseyourreactiontograntthatcreaturea+10bonustotheroll,usingyourCh
annelDivinity.Youmakethischoiceafteryouseetheroll,butbeforetheDM
sayswhethertheattackhitsormisses.

DivineSTRIKE

At8thlevel,yougaintheabilitytoinfuseyourweaponstrikeswithdivineen
ergy.Onceoneachofyourturnswhenyouhitacreaturewithaweaponattack,
youcancausetheattacktodealanextra1d8damageofthesametypedealtbyt
heweapontothetarget.Whenyoureach14thlevel,theextradamageincreas
esto2d8.

AVATAR O F BATT LEAt 1 7 t h l e v e l , y o u g a i n r e s i s t a n c e t o b l u d g e o n i n g , p i e r

cing,andslashingdamagefromnonmagicalweapons.

PAR T 1 | G LAS S E S

DruIpD

Holdinghighagnarledstaffwreathedwithholly,anelfsummonsthefuryoft
hestormandcallsdownexplosiveboltsoflightningtosmitethetorch-carry
ingorcswhothreatenherforest.

Crouchingoutofsightonahightreebranchintheformofaleopard,ahumanp
eersoutofthejungleatthestrangeconstructionofatempleofEvilElementa
lAi r , k e e p i n g a c l o s e e y e o n t h e c u l t i s t s ’a c t i v i t i e s .

Swingingabladeformedofpurefire,ahalfelfchargesintoamassofskeletal
soldiers,sunderingtheunnaturalmagicthatgivesthefoulcreaturesthemo
ckingsemblanceoflife.

Whethercallingontheelementalforcesofnatureoremulatingthecreatures
oftheanimalworld,druidsareanembodimentofnature'sresilience,cunnin
g,andfury,Theyclaimnomasteryovernature.Instead,theyseethemselves
asextensionsofnature'sindomitablewill.

PO W E R O F NAT U R E

Druidsreverenature
boveall,gainingtheirspellsandothermagicalpowerscitherfromtheforce
ofnatureitselforfromanaturedeity.Manydruidspursueamysticspirituali
tyoftranscendentunionwithnatureratherthandevotiontoadivineentity,
whileothersservegodsofwildnature,animals,orelementalforeTheancien
tdruidictraditionsaresometimescalledtheOldFaith,incontrasttothewor
shipofgodsintemplesandshrines.

Druidspellsareorientedtowardnatureandanimals.thepoweroftoothandc
law,ofsunandmoon,offireandstorm.Druidsalsogaintheabilitytotakeona
nimalforms,andsomedruidsmakeaparticularstudyofthispractice,evento
thepointwheretheypreferanimalformtotheirnaturalform.

P R E S E R V E T H E BALAN C E

Fordruids,natureexistsinaprecariousbalance,Thefourelementsthatmak
eupaworld—air,earth,fire,

Proficiency

LevelBonusFeatures

Ist42Druidic,Spelleasting

2nd+2WildShape,DruidCircle

3rd+2=

4th42WildShapeimprovement,AbilityScoreImprovement

Sth43-

6th43DruidCirclefeature

7th+3-

8th3WildShapeimprovement,

AbilityScoreImprovementeS

44DruidCirclefeature

AbilityScoreImprovement

DruidCirclefeature

AbilityScoreImprovement

TimelessBody,BeastSpellsAbilityScoreImprovementArchdruid

andwater—mustremaininequilibrium.Ifoneelementweretogainpowerov
ertheothers,theworldcouldbedestroyed,drawnintooneoftheelementalpl
anesandbrokenapartintoitscomponentelements,Thus,druidsopposecult
sofElementalEvilandotherswhopromoteoneelementtotheexclusionofot
hers.

Druidsarealsoconcernedwiththedelicateecologicalbalancethatsustains
plantandanimallife,andtheneedforcivilizedfolktoliveinharmonywithn
ature,notinoppositiontoit.Druidsacceptthatwhichiscruelinnature,andt
heyhatethatwhichisunnatural,includingaberrations(suchasbeholdersa
ndmindflayers)andundead(suchaszombiesandvampires),Druisometime
sleadraidsagainstsuchcreatures,espewhenthemonstersencroachonthed
r u i d s ’t e r r i t o r y .

Druidsareoftenfoundguardingsacredsitesorwatchingoverregionsofuns
p o i l e d n a t u r e . B u t w h e n a s i g n i f i c a n t d a n g e r a r i s e s , t h r e a t e n i n g n a t u r e ’s b a
lanceorthelandstheyprotect,druidstakeonamoreactiveroleincombating
thethreat,asadventurers.

ly

C R EAT I N GAD R U I D |

Whenmakingadruid,considerwhyyourcharacterhassuchaclosebondwith
nature,PerhapsyourcharacterlivesinasocietywheretheOldFaithstillthr
ives,orwasraisedbyadruidafterbeingabandonedinthedepthsofaforest.P
erhapsyourcharacterhadadramaticencounterwiththespiritsofnature,co
mingfaceto

facewithagianteagleordirewolfandsurvivingtheexperience.Maybeyour
characterwasbornduringanepicstormoravolcaniceruption,whichwasint
erpreted

CantripsKnownIst2nd3rd4thSth6th7th8th9th

—SpellSlotsperSpellLevel—

2SSSSee23SSee2iiee343———"==7=34.322)-oSSS3i?232SS3hoptsSSa
e3REaRS3Hsteen

4Get3yresams

4eeeae!Wereeyee

4aesopStee

4Pessoa,

4‘ieTeap4(esSeMouwbaaes4an)(eeSes—4doaSESSSasaeae4433331111
41.ESSeaa4ieSCRaSeen,a)

a s a s i g n t h a t b e c o m i n g a d r u i d w a s p a r t o f y o u r c h a r a c t e r ’s d e s t i n y .

Haveyoualwaysbeenanadventureraspartofyourdruidiccalling,ordidyou
firstspendtimeasacaretakerofasacredgroveorspring?Perhapsyourhome
landwasbefouledbyevil,andyoutookupanadventuringlifeinhopesoffind
inganewhomeorpurpose.

QuickBuitp

Youcanmakeadruidquicklybyfollowingthesesuggestions.First,Wisdom
shouldbeyourhighestabilityscore,followedbyConstitution.Second,cho
osethehermitbackground.

C LAS S F EAT U R E S

Asadruid,yougainthefollowingclassfeatures.

HirPoints

HitDice:1d8perdruidlevel
HitPointsat1stLevel:8+yourConstitutionmodifier

HitPointsatHigherLevels;1d8(or5)+yourConstitutionmodifierperdruid
levelafterIst

PROFICIENCIES

Armor:Lightarmor,mediumarmor,shields(druidswillnotweararmororus
eshieldsmadeofmetal)

Weapons:Clubs,daggers,darts,javelins,maces,quarterstaffs,scimitars,
sickles,slings,spears

Tools:Herbalismkit

SavingThrows:Intelligence,Wisdom

Skills:ChoosetwofromArcana,AnimalHandling,Insight,Medicine,Natu
re,Perception,Religion,andSurvival

EQUIPMENT

Youstartwiththefollowingequipment,inadditiontotheequipmentgrante
dbyyourbackground:

-(a)awoodenshieldor(b)anysimpleweapon

«(a)ascimitaror(6)anysimplemeleeweapon

+ Le a t h e r a r m o r , a n e x p l o r e r ’s p a c k , a n d a d r u i d i c f o c u s

DrvuIpIC

YouknowDruidic,thesecretlanguageofdruids.You—

canspeakthelanguageanduseittoleavehidden\messages.Youandothersw
hoknowthislanguageautomaticallyspotsuchamessage,Othersspottheme
ssage'spresencewithasuccessfulDC15Wisdom(Perception)checkbutcan
'tdecipheritwithoutmagic.

SPELLCASTING

Drawingonthedivineessenceofnatureitself,youcancastspellstoshapeth
atessencetoyourwill.Seechapter10forthegeneralrulesofspellcastingan
dchapter11forthedruidspelllist.

CANTRIPS

AtIstlevel,youknowtwocantripsofyourchoicefromthedruidspelllist.Yo
ulearnadditionaldruidcantripsofyourchoiceathigherlevels,asshownint
heCantripsKnowncolumnoftheDruidtable.

P R E PAR I N GAN D CAS T I N G S P E L L S

‘TheDruidtableshowshowmanyspellslotsyouhavetocastyourspellsofIst
levelandhigher,Tocastoneofthesedruidspells,youmustexpendaslotofth
espell'slevelorhigher.Youregainallexpendedspellslotswhenyoufinisha
longrest.
Youpreparethelistofdruidspellsthatareavailableforyoutocast,choosin
gfromthedruidspelllist.Whenyoudoso,chooseanumberofdruidspellsequ
altoyourWisdommodifier+yourdruidlevel(minimumof

SAC R E D P LAN T SAN D W O O DAd r u i d h o l d s c e r t a i n p l a n t s t o b e s a c r e d , p a r t i

cularlyalder,ash,birch,elder,hazel,holly,juniper,mistletoe,oak,rowan
,willow,andyew,Druidsoftenusesuchplantsaspartofaspellcastingfocus
,incorporatinglengthsofoakoryewor

|sprigsofmistletoe,

‘Similarly,adruidusessuchwoodstomakeotherobjects,

such2sweaponsandshields.Yewisassociatedwithdeath

|andrebirth,soweaponhandlesforscimitarsorsicklesmightbefashionedf
romit.Ashisassociatedwithlifeandoak

ek2desertregionmi

PAR T 1 | C LAS S E S

onespell),Thespellsmustbeofalevelforwhichyouhavespellslots.

Forexample,ifyouarea3rd-leveldruid,youhavefour{st-levelandtwo2nd
-levelspellslots.WithaWisdomof16,yourlistofpreparedspellscaninclud
esixspellsoflstor2ndlevel,inanycombination.IfyoupreparetheIst-level
spellcurewounds,youcancastitusingaIst-evelor2nd-levelslot.Castingt
hespelldoesn'tremoveitfromyourlistofpreparedspells.

Youcanalsochangeyourlistofpreparedspellswhenyoufinishalongrest.Pr
eparinganewlistofdruidspellsrequirestimespentinprayerandmeditatio
n:atleast1minuteperspelllevelforeachspellonyourlist.

_SPELLCASTIcastingabilityforyourdruidicdrawsuponyourdevotionan
dture.YouuseyourWisdomwhenevertoyourspellcastingability.Inadditi
on,

-WisdommodifierwhensettingthesavingthrowDCforadruidspellyoucast
andwhenmakinganattackrollwithone.

SpellsaveDC=8+yourproficiencybonus+yourWisdommodifier

Spellattackmodifier—yourproficiencybonus+yourWisdommodifieraRi
ruatCastineYoucancastadruidspellas'aritualifthatspellhastheritualtag
andyouhavethespellprepared.

SPELLCASTINGFocusYoucantseadruidicfocus(foundinchapter5)asasp
elleastingfocusforyourdruidspells.

WILDSHAPEral

Startingat2ndlevel,youcanuseyouractiontomagicallyassumetheshapeo
fabeastthatyouhave‘seenbefore.Youcanusethisfeaturetwice.Youregain
expendeduseswhenyoufinishashortorlongrest.

Yourdruidleveldeterminesthebeastsyoucantransforminto,asshowninth
eBeastShapestable,At2ndlevel,forexample,youcantransformintoanybe
astthathasachallengeratingof1/4orlowerthatdoesn'thaveaflyingorswi
mmingspeed.
BeastSHAPESLevelMax.CRLimitations2nd1/4Noflyingorswimmingspe
edWolf4thy2NoflyingspeedCrocodile8th1=Gianteagle

‘Example

Youcanstayinabeastshapeforanumberofhoursequaltohalfyourdruidleve
l(roundeddown),Youthenreverttoyournormalformunlessyouexpendanot
heruseofthisfeature,Youcanreverttoyournormalformearlierbyusingabo
nusactiononyourturn,Youautomaticallyrevertifyoufallunconscious,dr
optoOhitpoints,ordie.

Whileyouaretransformed,thefollowingrulesapply:

+Yourgamestatisticsarereplacedbythestatisticsofthebeast,butyouretai
nyouralignment,personality,andIntelligence,Wisdom,andCharismasco
res.Youalsoretainallofyourskillandsavingthrowproficien-cies,inaddit
iontogainingthoseofthecreature.Ifthecreaturehasthesameproficiencya
syouandthebonusinitsstatblockishigherthanyours,usethecreature'sbon
usinsteadofyours.Ifthecreaturehasanylegendaryorlairactions,youcan'
t u s e t h e m . W h e n y o u t r a n s f o r m , y o u a s s u m e t h e b e a s t ’s h i t p o i n t s a n d H i t D i c
e.Whenyoureverttoyournormalform,youreturntothenumberofhitpoints
youhadbeforeyoutransformed,However,ifyourevertasaresultofdroppin
gto0hitpoints,anyexcessdamageartiesovertoyournormalform.Forexam
ple,ifyoutake10damageinanimalformandhaveonly1hitpointleft,yourev
e r t a n d t a k e 9 d a m a g e .As l o n g a s t h e e x c e s s d a m a g e d o e s n ’t r e d u c e y o u r n o r m
alformto0hitpoints,youaren'tknockedunconscious.Youcan'tcastspells,
andyourabilitytospeakortakeanyactionthatrequireshandsislimitedtoth
ecapabilitiesofyourbeastform.Transformingdoesn'tbreakyourconcentr
ationonaspellyou'vealreadycast,however,orpreventyoufromtakingacti
onsthatarepartofaspell,suchascalllightning,thatyou'vealreadycast.Yo
uretainthebenefitofanyfeaturesfromyourclass,race,orothersourceandc
anusethemifthenewformisphysicallycapableofdoingso.However,youca
n'tuseanyofyourspecialsenses,suchasdarkvi-sion,unlessyournewforma
lsohasthatsenseYouchoosewhetheryourequipmentfallstothegroundiny
ourspace,mergesintoyournewform,oriswornbyit.Wornequipmentfuncti
onsasnormal,buttheDMdecideswhetheritispracticalforthenewformtow
e a r a p i e c e o f e q u i p m e n t , b a s e d o n t h e c r e a - t u r e ’s s h a p e a n d s i z e .Yo u r e q u i p
mentdoesn'tchangesizeorshapetomatchthenewform,andanyequipmentt
h a t t h e n e w f o r m c a n ’t w e a r m u s t e i t h e r f a l l t o t h e g r o u n d o r m e r g e w i t h i t E q u i
pmentthatmergeswiththeformhasnoeffectuntilyouleavetheform.

DruipCIRCLE

At2ndlevel,youchoosetoidentifywithacircleofdruids:theCircleoftheLa
ndortheCircleoftheMoon,bothdetailedattheendoftheclassdescription.
Yourchoicegrantsyoufeaturesat2ndlevelandagainat6th,10th,and14thle
vel.

ABILITYSCOREIMPROVEMENTWhenyoureach4thlevel,andagainat8th,
12th,16th,and19thlevel,youcanincreaseoneabilityscoreof

yourchoiceby2,oryoucanincreasetwoabilityscoresofyourchoiceby1.As
normal,youcan'tincreaseanabilityscoreabove20usingthisfeature.

TIMELESSBopy_

Startingat18thlevel,theprimalmagicthatyouwieldcausesyoutoagemore
slowly.Forevery10yearsthatpass,yourbodyagesonly1year.
BEASTSPELLS|

Beginningat18thlevel,youcancastmanyofyourdruidspellsinanyshapeyo
uassumeusingWildShape.Youcanperformthesomaticandverbalcompone
ntsofadruidspellwhileinabeastshape,butyouaren'tabletoprovidemateri
alcomponents,

ARCHDRUID__eeAt20thlevel,youcanuseyourWildShapeanunlimitednu
mberoftimes.

Additionally,youcanignoretheverbalandsomaticcomponentsofyourdrui
dspells,aswellasanymaterialcomponentsthatlackacostandaren'tconsu
medbyaspell,Yougainthisbenefitinbothyournormalshapeandyourbeasts
hapefromWildShape.

DRUIDCIRCLES

Thoughtheirorganizationisinvisibletomostoutsiders,druidsarepartofa
societythatspanstheland,ignoringpoliticalborders.Alldruidsarenomin
allymembersofthisdruidicsociety,thoughsomeindividualsaresoisolate
dthattheyhaveneverseenanyhigh-ran!membersofthesocietyorparticipa
tedindruidic_gatherings.Druidsrecognizeeachotherasbrothersandsiste
rs.Likecreaturesofthewilderness,however,druids—sometimescompete
withorevenpreyoncachot!ialAtalocalscale,druidsareorganizedintocirc
lesthat—sharecertainperspectivesonnature,balance,andthe|¢wayofthe
druid.

C I R C L E O F T H E LAN D

TheCircleoftheLandismadeupofmysticsandsageswhosafeguardancientk
nowledgeandritesthrough

avastoraltradition.Thesedruidsmeetwithinsacredcirclesoftreesorstan
d i n g s t o n e s t o w h i s p e r p r i m a l s e c r e t s i n D r u i d i c . T h e c i r c l e ’s w i s e s t m e m b e r
spresideasthechiefpriestsofcommunitiesthatholdtotheOldFaithandser
veasadvisorstotherulersofthosefolk.Asamemberofthiscircle,yourmagi
cisinfluenced

bythelandwhereyouwereinitiatedintothecircle'smysteriousrites.

BonusCANTRIPWhenyouchoosethiscircleat2ndlevel,youlearnoneaddit
ionaldruidcantripofyourchoice,

NAT U RALR E C O V E RYS t a r t i n g a t 2 n d l e v e l , y o u c a n r e g a i n s o m e o f y o u r m a g

icalenergybysittinginmeditationandcommuningwithnature,Duringasho
rtrest,youchooseexpendedspellslotstorecover.Thespellslotscanhaveac
ombinedlevelthatisequaltoorlessthanhalfyourdruidlevel(roundedup),
a n d n o n e o f t h e s l o t s c a n b e 6 t h l e v e l o r h i g h e r .Yo u c a n ’t u s e t h i s f e a t u r e a g a i
ntuntilyoufinishalongrest

Forexample,whenyouarea4th-leveldruid,youcanrecoveruptotwolevels
worthofspellslots.Youcanrecovereithera2nd-levelslotortwoIstlevelsl
ots.

CirceSPELLs
Yourmysticalconnectiontothelandinfusesyouwiththeabilitytocastcert
ainspells.At3rd,5th,7th,and9thlevelyougainaccesstocirclespellsconne
cted

tothelandwhereyoubecameadruid.Choosethatland—aretic,coast,desert
,forest,grassland,mountain,swamp,orUnderdark—andconsulttheassoci
ated

listofspells.

Onceyougainaccesstoacirclespell,youalwayshaveitprepared,anditdoes
n ’t c o u n t a g a i n s t t h e n u m b e r o f s p e l l s y o u c a n p r e p a r e e a c h d a y . I f y o u g a i n a c
cesstoaspellthatdoesn'tappearonthedruidspelllist,thespellisnonethele
ssadruidspellforyou.

PAR T 1 | G LAS S E S

CircleSpells

oldperson,spikegrowth

sleetstorm,slow

freedomofmovement,icestormcommunewithnature,coneofcold

CircleSpells3rdmirrorimage,mistystepSthwaterbreathing,waterwalk7t
hcontrolwater,freedomofmovement9thconjureelemental,scrying

DesertDruidLevelCircleSpells3rdblur,silenceSthcreatefoodandwater,
protectionfromenergy7thblight,hallucinatoryterrainOthinsectplague,
wallofstone

ForestDruidLevelCircleSpells3rdbarkskin,spiderclimbSthcalllightnin
g,plantgrowth7thdivination,freedomofmovement9thcommunewithnatu
re,treestride

G RAS S LAN D D r u i d L e v e l C i r c l e S p e l l s 3 r d i n v i s i b i l i t y , p a s s w i t h o u t t r a c e
Sthdaylight,haste7thdivination,freedomofmovement9thdream,insectp
lague

M o u n r TAI N D r u i d Le v e l C i r c l e S p e l l s 3 r d s p i d e r c l i m b , s p i k e g r o w t h S t h l i g
htningbolt,meldintostone7thstoneshape,stoneskinothpasswall,wallofs
tone

C i r c l e S p e l l s 3 r d d a r k n e s s , M e l f ’s a c i d a r r o w

waterwalk,stinkingcloud7thfreedomofmovement,locatecreature9thins
ectplague,scrying

UNDERDARKDruidLevelCircleSpells3rdspiderclimb,webSthgaseousf
orm,stinkingcloud7thgreaterinvisibility,stoneshapeothcloudkill,inse
ctplague

LAN D ’s S T R I D E S t a r t i n g a t 6 t h l e v e l , m o v i n g t h r o u g h n o n m a g i c a l d i f f i c u l t
terraincostsyounoextramovement,Youcanalsopassthroughnonmagical!
plantswithoutbeingslowedbythemandwithouttakingdamagefromthemif
theyhavethorns,spines,orasimilarhazard.

Inaddition,youhaveadvantageonsavingthrowsagainstplantsthataremag
icallycreatedormanipulatedtoimpedemovement,suchthosecreatedbythe
entanglespell.

N a t u r e ' s WAR D

W h e n y o u r e a c h 1 0 t h l e v e l , y o u c a n ’t b e c h a r m e d o r f r i g h t e n e d b y e l e m e n t a l s
orfey,andyouareimmunetopoisonanddisease.

Nature'sSANCTUARYWhenyoureach14thlevel,creaturesofthenaturalw
orldsenseyourconnectiontonatureandbecomehesitanttoattackyou.Whe
nabeastorplantcreatureattacksyou,thatcreaturemustmakeaWisdomsavi
ngthrowagainstyourdruidspellsaveDC,Onafailedsave,thecreaturemust
chooseadifferenttarget,ortheattackautomaticallymisses.Onasuccessfu
lsave,thecreatureisimmunetothiseffectfor24hours.

Thecreatureisawareofthiseffectbeforeitmakesitsattackagainstyou.

CIRCLEOFTHEMOON

DruidsoftheCircleoftheMoonarefierceguardiansofthewilds.Theirorder
gathersunderthefullmoontosharenewsandtradewarnings.Theyhauntthe
deepestpartsofthewilderness,wheretheymightgoforweeksonendbeforec
rossingpathswithanotherhumanoidcreature,letaloneanotherdruid.

Changeableasthemoon,adruidofthiscirclemightprowlasagreatcatoneni
ght,soaroverthetreetopsasaneaglethenextday,andcrashthroughtheunde
rgrowthinbearformtodriveoffatrespassingmonster,Thewildisinthedrui
d ’s b l o o d .

ComBaTWILDSHAPEWhenyouchoosethiscircleat2ndlevel,yougainthea
bilitytouseWildShapeonyourturnasabonusaction,ratherthanasanaction
.

Additionally,whileyouaretransformedbyWildShape,youcanuseabonusa
ctiontoexpendonespellslottoregain1d8hitpointsperlevelofthespellslot
expended.

CrrcLeFoRMSTheritesofyourcirclegrantyoutheabilitytotransforminto
moredangerousanimalforms.Startingat2ndlevel,youcanuseyourWildSh
apetotransformintoabeastwithachallengeratingashighas1(youignoreth
eMax.CRcolumnoftheBeastShapestable,butmustabidebytheotherlimita
tionsthere).

Startingat6thlevel,youcantransformintoabeastwithachallengeratingas
highasyourdruidleveldividedby3,roundeddown.

PRIMALSTRIKE

Startingat6thlevel,yourattacksinbeastformcountasmagicalforthepurp
oseofovercomingresistanceandimmunitytononmagicalattacksanddama
ge.

E LE M E N TALW I LD S HAPE

At10thlevel,youcanexpendtwousesofWildShapeatthesametimetotransf
ormintoanairelemental,anearthelemental,afireelemental,orawaterele
mental.

THOUSANDForMs
By14thlevel,youhavelearnedtousemagictoalteryourphysicalforminmor
esubtleways,Youcancastthealterselfspellatwill.

alDruipsANDTHEGops

Somedruidsveneratetheforcesofnaturethemselves,butmostdruidsarede
votedtooneofthemanynaturedeitiesworshipedinthemultiverse(thelists
ofgodsinappendix

Bincludemanysuchdeities).Theworshipofthesedeitiesisoftenconsidere
damoreancienttraditionthanthefaithsofclericsandurbanizedpeoples.In
fact,intheworldofGreyhawk,thedruidicfaithiscalledtheOldFaith,andit
claimsmanyadherentsamongfarmers,foresters,fishers,andotherswholi
vecloselywithnature.ThistraditionincludestheworshipofNatureasapri
malforcebeyondpersonification,butalsoencompassestheworshipofBeor
y,theOerthMother,aswellasdevoteesofObad-Hai,Ehlonna,andUlaa.

IntheworldsofGreyhawkandtheForgottenRealms,druidiccirclesarenotu
suallyconnectedtothefaithofasinglenaturedeity.AnygivencircleintheF
orgottenRealms,forexample,mightincludedruidswhorevereSilvanus,M
ielikki,Eldath,Chauntea,oreventheharshGodsofFury:Talos,Malar,‘Aur
il,andUnnberlee.ThesenaturegodsareoftencalledtheFirstCircle,thefirs
tamongthedruids,andmostdruidscountthemall(eventheviolentones)asw
orthyofveneration,

ThedruidsofEberronholdanimisticbeliefscompletelyunconnectedtothe
SovereignHost,theDarkSix,oranyoftheotherreligionsoftheworld.They
believethateverylivingthingandeverynaturalphenomenon—sun,moon,
wind,fire,andtheworlditself—hasaspirit.Theirspells,then,areameanst
ocommunicatewithandcommandthesespirits.Differentdruidicsects,tho
ugh,holddifferentphilosophiesabouttheproperrelationshipofthesespir
itstoeachotherandtotheforcesofcivilization,TheAshbound,forexample,
believethatarcanemagicisanabominationagainstnature,theChildrenof
Winterveneratetheforcesofdeath,andtheGatekeeperspreserveancienttr
aditionsmeantteprotecttheworldfromtheIncursionofaberrations.

FIGHTER

Ahumaninclangingplatearmorholdshershieldbeforeherassherunstowar
dthemassedgoblins.Anelfbehindher,cladinstuddedleatherarmor,pepper
sthegoblinswitharrowsloosedfromhisexquisitebow.Thehalf-orenearby
shoutsorders,helping

thetwocombatantscoordinatetheirassaulttothebestadvanta

Ad w a r i n c h a i n m a i l i n t e r p o s e s h i s s h i e l d b e t w e e n t h e o g r e ’s c l u b a n d h i s c o m
panion,knockingthedeadlyblowaside,Hiscompanion,ahalf-elfinscalear
mor,Swingstwoscimitarsinablindingwhirlasshecirclestheogre,looking
forablindspotinitsdefenses

Agladiatorfightsforsportinanarena,amasterwithhistridentandnet,skill
edattopplingfoesandmovingthemaroundforthecrowd'sdelight—andhiso
wntacticaladvantage.Hisopponent'sswordflareswithbluelightaninstan
tbeforeshesendslightningflashingforthtosmitehim.

Alloftheseheroesarefighters,perhapsthemostdiverseclassofcharacters
intheworldsofDUNGEONS&DRAGONS.Questingknights,conqueringov
erlords,royalchampions,clitefootsoldiers,hardenedmercenaries,andba
nditkings—asfighters,theyallsharean
Heled

asterywithweaponsandarmor,anda

thoroughknowledgeoftheskillsofcombat.Andtheyarewellacquaintedwit
hdeath,bothmetingitoutand

Staringitdefiantlyintheface.

WELL-ROUNDEDSPECIALISTS

Fighterslearnthebasicsofallcombatstyles.Everyfightercanswinganaxe,
fencewitharapier,wieldalongswordoragreatsword,useabow,andeventra
pfoesinanetwithsomedegreeofskill.Likewise,afighterisadeptwithshiel
dsandeveryformofarmor.Beyondthatbasicdegreeoffamiliarity,eachfig
hterspecializesinacertainstyleofcombat.Someconcentrateonarchery,

someonfightingwithtwoweaponsatonce,andsomeonaugmentingtheirmar
tialskillswithmagic.Thiscombinationofbroadgeneralabilityandextensi
vspecializationmakesfighterssuperiorcombatants

onbattlefieldsandindungeonsalike.

TRAINEDFORDANGER

Noteverymemberofthecitywatch,thevillagemilitiaorthequeen'sarmyis
afighter.Mostofthesetroopsarerelativelyuntrainedsoldierswithonlyth
emostbasiccombatknowledge.Veteransoldiers,militaryofficers,traine
dbodyguards,dedicatedknights,andsimilarfiguresarefighters

THEFIGHTER

Proficiency

LevelBonusFeatures

Ist42FightingStyle,SecondWind

2nd+2ActionSurge(oneuse)

3rd42MartialArchetype

4th+2AbilityScoreImg

Sth43ExtraAttack

6th+3AbilityScoreImprovement

7th43MartialArchetypefeature

8th3AbilityScoreImprovement

9thv4Indomitable(oneuse)

10th+4MartialArchetypefeature

ith+4ExtraAttack(2)

12th44AbilityScoreImprovement

3th+5indomitable(twouses)
4th+5AbilityScoreImprovement

15thae)MartialArchetypefeature

16th+5AbilityScoreImprovement

With+6ActionSurge(twouses),Indomitable(threeuses)

18th+6MartialArchetypefeature

19th+6AbilityScoreImprovement

ExtraAttack(3)

Somefightersfeeldrawntotisetheirtrainingasadventurers.Thedungeond
elving,monsterslaying,andotherdangerousworkcommonamongadventur
ersissecondnatureforafighter,notallthatdifferentfromthelifeheorshel
eftbehind.Therearegreaterrisks,perhaps,butalsomuchgreaterrewards—
fewfightersinthecitywatchhavetheopportunitytodiscoveramagicflamet
onguesword,forexample.

C R EAT I N GAF I G H T E R

Asyoubuildyourfighter,thinkabouttworelatedelementsofyourcharacter
’s b a c k g r o u n d : W h e r e d i d y o u g e t y o u r c o m b a t t r a i n i n g , a n d w h a t s e t y o u a p a r
tfromthemundanewarriorsaroundyou?Wereyouparticularlyruthless?Di
dyougetextrahelpfromamentor,perhapsbecauseofyourexceptionaldedic
ation?Whatdroveyoutothistraininginthefirstplace?Athreattoyourhome
land,athirstforrevenge,oraneedtoproveyourselfmightallhavebeenfacto
rs.

Yo u m i g h t h a v e e n j o y e d f o r m a l t r a i n i n g i n a n o b l e ’s a r m y o r i n a l o c a l m i l i t i a .
Perhapsyoutrainedinawaracademy,learningstrategy,tactics,andmilitar
yhistory.Oryoumightbeself-taught—unpolishedbutwelltested.Didyout
akeuptheswordasawaytoescapethelimitsoflifeonafarm,orareyoufollow
ingaproudfamilytradition?Wheredidyouacquireyourweaponsandarmor
?Theymighthavebeenmilitaryissueorfamilyheirlooms,orperhapsyouscr
impedandsavedforyears

tobuythem.Yourarmamentsarenowamongyourmostimportantpossession
s—theonlythingsthatstandbetweenyouanddeath'sembrace.

QuickBuILb

Youcanmakeafighterquicklybyfollowingthesesuggestions,First,makeS
trengthorDexterityyourhighestabilityscore,dependingonwhetheryouw
anttofocusonmeleeweaponsoronarchery(orfinesseweapons),Yournext-
highestscoreshouldbe.Constitution,orIntelligenceifyouplantoadoptth
eEldritchKnightmartialarchetype.Second,choosethesoldierbackgroun
d.

C LAS S F EAT U R E S

Asafighter,yougainthefollowingclassfeatures,

HitPoints

HitDice:1d10perfighterlevel

HitPointsat1stLevel:16+yourConstitutionmodifier
HitPointsatHigherLevels:1d10(or6)+yourConstitutionmodifierperfigh
terlevelafterIst

PROFICIENCIES

Armor:Allarmor,shields

Weapons:Simpleweapons,martialweaponsTools:None

SavingThrows:Strength,Constitution

PAR T 1 | C LAS S E S

Skills:ChoosetwoskillsfromAcrobatics,AnimalHandling,Athletics,His
tory,Insight,Intimidation,Perception,andSurvival

EQUIPMENTYoustartwiththefollowingequipment,inadditiontotheequi
pmentgrantedbyyourbackground:

+(a)chainmailor(5)leather,longbow,and20arrows

«(a)amartialweaponandashieldor(b)twomartialweapons

+(a)alightcrossbowand20boltsor(b)twohandaxes

+ ( @ ) a d u n g e o n e e r ' s p a c k o r ( b ) a n e x p l o r e r ’s p a c k

FIGHTINGSTYLEah

Onceyouusethisfeature,youmustfinishashortorlongrestbeforeyoucanu
seitagain.Startingat17thlevel,youcanuseittwicebeforearest,butonlyon
ceonthesameturn.

MAR T IALAR C H E TY P E

At3rdlevel,youchooseanarchetypethatyoustrivetoemulateinyourcomba
tstylesandtechniques,ChooseChampion,BattleMaster,orEldritchKnigh
t , a l l d e t a i l e d a t t h e e n d o f t h e c l a s s d e s c r i p t i o n . T h e a r c h e t y p e y o u ’c h o o s e g
rantsyoufeaturesat3rdlevelandagainat7th,10th,15th,and18thlevel.

Youadoptaparticularstyleoffightingasyourspecialty.Chooseoneofthef
ollowingoptions.Youcan'ttakeaFightingStyleoptionmorethanonce,eve
nifyoulater~gettochooseagain.

AR C H E RYYo u g a i n a + 2 b o n u s t o a l t a c k r o l l s y o u m a k e w i t h r a n g e d w e a p o n s .

DEFENSEWhileyouarewearingarmor,yougaina+1bonustoAC.

DUELING

Whenyouarewieldingameleeweaponinonehandandnootherweapons,you
gaina+2bonustodamagerollswiththatweapon.

GreatWEAPONFIGHTING

Whenyourolla1or2onadamagedieforanattackyoumakewithameleeweapo
nthatyouarewieldingwithtwohands,youcanrerollthedieandmustusethen
ewroll,evenifthenewrollisa1ora2,Theweaponmusthavethetwo-handedo
rversatilepropertyforyoutogainthisbenefit.
PROTECTION

Whenacreatureyoucanseeattacksatargetotherthanyouthatiswithin5feet
ofyou,youcanuseyourreactiontoimposedisadvantageontheattackroll.Y
oumustbewieldingashield.

Two-WEAPONFIGHTINGWhenyouengageintwo-weaponfighting,youcan
addyourabilitymodifiertothedamageofthesecondattack.

SECONDWIND

Youhavealimitedwellofstaminathatyoucandrawontoprotectyourselffro
mharm.Onyourturn,youcanuseabonusactiontoregainhitpointsequalto1
d10+yourfighterlevel,

Onceyouusethisfeature,youmustfinishashortorlongrestbeforeyoucanu
seitagain.

ACTIONSURGE

Startingat2ndlevel,youcanpushyourselfbeyondyournormallimitsforam
oment,Onyourturn,youcantake

oneadditionalactionontopofyourregularactionandapossiblebonusactio
n.

PAR T 1 | G LAS S E S

;=ABILITYSCOREIMPROVEMENT

el,youcanincreaseoneability2,oryoucanincreasetwoability

E x r r aATTAC K

Beginningat5thlevel,youcanattacktwice,insteadofonce,wheneveryout
aketheAttackactiononyourturn.Thenumberofattacksincreasestothreew
henyoureach11thlevelinthisclassandtofourwhenyoureach

20thlevelinthisclass.

I N D O M I TAB LE

Beginningat9thlevel,youcanrerollasavingthrowthatyoufail,Ifyoudoso
,youmustusethenewroll,andyoucan'tusethisfeatureagainuntilyoufinis
halongrest.

Youcanusethisfeaturetwicebetweenlongrestsstartingat13thlevelandth
reetimesbetweenlongrestsStartingat17thlevel.

MAR T IALAR C H E TY P E S

Differentfighterschoosedifferentapproachestoperfectingtheirfighting
prowess.Themartialarchetypeyouchoosetoemulatereflectsyourapproac
h.

CHAMPION

ThearchetypalChampionfocusesonthedevelopmentofrawphysicalpower
honedtodeadlyperfection.Thosewhomodelthemselvesonthisarchetypec
ombinerigoroustrainingwithphysicalexcellencetodealdevastatingblow
s.

IMPROVEDCRITICAL

Beginningwhenyouchoosethisarchetypeat3rdlevel,yourweaponattacks
scoreacriticalhitonarollof19or20.

R E MAR KAB LEAT H LE T E ‘ S t a r t i n g a t 7 t h l e v e l , y o u c a n a d d h a l f y o u r p r o f i c

iencybonus(roundup)toanyStrength,Dexterity,orConstitutioncheckyo
u m a k e t h a t d o e s n ’t a l r e a d y u s e y o u r p r o f i c i e n c y b o n u s .

Inaddition,whenyoumakearunninglongjump,thedistanceyoucancoverin
creasesbyanumberoffeetequaltoyourStrengthmodifier.

ADDITIONALFIGHTINGSTYLEAt10thlevel,youcanchooseasecondopti
onfromtheFightingStyleclassfeature.

SUPERIORCRITICALStartingat15thlevel,yourweaponattacksscoreacri
ticalhitonarollof18-20.

SURVIVOR

At18thlevel,youattainthepinnacleofresilienceinbattle.Atthestartofeac
hofyourturns,youregainhitpointsequalto5+yourConstitutionmodifieri
fyouhavenomorethanhalfofyourhitpointsleft.Youdon'tgainthisbenefiti
fyouhave0hitpoints.

BATT LE MAS T E R

ThosewhoemulatethearchetypalBattleMasteremploymartialtechniques
passeddownthroughgenerations.ToaBattleMaster,combatisanacademic
field,sometimesincludingsubjectsbeyondbattlesuchasweaponsmithing
andcalligraphy.Noteveryfighterabsorbsthelessonsofhistory,theory,an
dartistry

thatarereflectedintheBattleMasterarchetype,butthosewhodoarewell-r
oundedfightersofgreatskillandknowledge.

ComBarTSuPERIORITY

Whenyouchoosethisarchetypeat3rdlevel,youlearnmaneuversthatarefue
ledbyspecialdicecalledsuperioritydice.

Maneuvers.Youlearnthreemaneuversofyourchoice,whicharedetailedun
der“Maneuvers”below.Manymaneuversenhanceanattackinsomeway.Yo
ucanuseonlyonemaneuverperattack.

Youlearntwoadditionalmaneuversofyourchoiceat7th,10th,and15thleve
l.Eachtimeyoulearnnewmaneuvers,youcanalsoreplaceonemaneuveryou
knowwithadifferentone.

SuperiorityDice.Youhavefoursuperioritydice,whichared8s.Asuperiori
tydieisexpendedwhenyouuseit,Youregainallofyourexpendedsuperiorit
ydicewhenyoufinishashortorlongrest.

Yougainanothersuperioritydieat7thlevelandonemoreat15thlevel.

SavingThrows.Someofyourmaneuversrequireyourtargettomakeasaving
throwtoresistthemaneuver'seffects.ThesavingthrowDCiscalculatedasf
ollows:

ManeuversaveDC=8+yourproficiencybonus+yourStrengthorDexterity
modifier(yourchoice)

S T U D E N T O F WARAt 3 r d l e v e l , y o u g a i n p r o f i c i e n c y w i t h o n e t y p e o f a r t i s a n
'stoolsofyourchoice.

KnowYourENEMY

Startingat7thlevel,ifyouspendatleast1minuteobservingorinteractingw
ithanothercreatureoutsidecombat,youcanlearncertaininformationabou
titscapabilitiescomparedtoyourown.TheDMtellsyouifthecreatureisyou
requal,superior,orinferiorinregardtotwoofthefollowingcharacteristic
sofyourchoice:

+Strengthscore

+Dexterityscore

+Constitutionscore

+ArmorClass

+Currenthitpoints

+Totalclasslevels(ifany)

+Fighterclasslevels(ifany)

I M P R O V E D C O M BAT S U P E R I O R I TYAt 1 0 t h l e v e l , y o u r s u p e r i o r i t y d i c e t u
rnintod10s,At18thlevel,theyturnintod12s.

RELENTLESS

Startingat15thlevel,whenyourollinitiativeandhavenosuperioritydicer
emaining,youregain1superioritydie,

MANEUVERSThemaneuversarepresentedinalphabeticalorder.

Commander'sStrike.WhenyoutaketheAttackactiononyourturn,youcanfo
rgooneofyourattacksanduseabonusactiontodirectoneofyourcompanion
stostrike.Whenyoudoso,chooseafriendlycreaturewhocanseeorhearyoua
ndexpendonesuperioritydie.Thatcreaturecanimmediatelyuseitsreactio
n t o m a k e o n e w e a p o n a t t a c k , a d d i n g t h e s u p e r i o r i t y d i c t o t h e a t t a c k ’s d a m a g
eroll.

DisarmingAttack,Whenyouhitacreaturewithaweaponattack,youcanexpe
ndonesuperioritydietoattempttodisarmthetarget,forcingittodroponeit
e m o f y o u r c h o i c e t h a t i t ' s h o l d i n g ,Yo u a d d t h e s u p e r i o r i t y d i e t o t h e a t t a c k ’s
damageroll,andthetargetmustmakeaStrengthsavingthrow,Onafailedsav
e,itdropstheobjectyouchoose.Theobjectlandsatitsfeet.

DistractingStrike.Whenyouhitacreaturewithaweaponattack,youcanexp
endonesuperioritydietodistractthecreature,givingyouralliesanopenin
g.Youaddthesuperioritydietotheattack'sdamageroll.Thenextattackroll
againstthetargetbyanattackerotherthanyouhasadvantageiftheattackis
madebeforethestartofyournextturn,“:
EvasiveFootwork,Whenyoumove,youcanexpendonesuperioritydie,rolli
ngthedieandaddingthenumberrolledtoyourACuntilyoustopmoving.

FeintingAttack.Youcanexpendonesuperioritydicanduseabonusactionon
yourturntofeint,choosingonecreaturewithin5feetofyouasyourtarget.Y
ouhaveadvantageonyournextattackrollagainstthatcreature,Ifthatattac
k h i t s , a d d t h e s u p e r i o r i t y d i e t o t h e a t t a c k ’s d a m a g e r o l l .

GoadingAttack,Whenyouhitacreaturewithaweaponattack,youcanexpen
donesuperioritydietoattempttogoadthetargetintoattackingyou.Youadd
thesuperioritydictotheattack'sdamageroll,andthetargetmustmakeaWis
domsavingthrow.Onafailedsave,thetargethasdisadvantageonallattackr
ollsagainsttargetsotherthanyouuntiltheendofyournextturn.

LungingAttack.Whenyoumakeameleeweaponattackonyourturn,youcane
xpendonesuperioritydietoincreaseyourreachforthatattackby5feet.Ifyo
uhit,youaddthesuperioritydietotheattack'sdamageroll.

PAR T 1 | C LAS S E S

ManeuveringAttack.Whenyouhitacreaturewith@weaponattack,youcane
xpendonesuperioritydietomaneuveroneofyourcomradesintoamoreadva
n t a g e o u s p o s i t i o n .Yo u a d d t h e s u p e r i o r i t y d i e t o t h e a t t a c k ’s d a m a g e r o l l , a n
dyouchooseafriendlycreaturewhocanseeorhearyou.Thatcreaturecanuse
itsreactiontomoveuptohalfitsspeedwithoutprovokingopportunityattac
ksfromthetargetofyourattack,

MenacingAttack,Whenyouhitacreaturewithaweaponattack,youcanexpe
ndonesuperioritydietoattempttofrightenthetarget.Youaddthesuperiori
t y d i e t o t h e a t t a c k ’s d a m a g e r o l l , a n d t h e t a r g e t m u s t m a k e a W i s d o m s a v i n g t h
row.Onafailedsave,itisfrightenedofyouuntiltheendofyournextturn.

Parry.Whenanothercreaturedamagesyouwithameleeattack,youcanuseyo
urreactionandexpendonesuperioritydietoreducethedamagebythenumbe
ryourollonyoursuperioritydie+yourDexteritymodifier.

PrecisionAttack.Whenyoumakeaweaponattackrollagainstacreature,you
canexpendonesuperioritydietoaddittotheroll.Youcanusethismaneuver
beforeoraftermakingtheattackroll,butbeforeanyeffectsoftheattackare
applied.

PushingAttack.Whenyouhitacreaturewithaweaponattack,youcanexpend
onesuperioritydietoattempttodrivethetargetback.Youaddthesuperiorit
y d i e t o t h e a t t a c k ’s d a m a g e r o l l , a n d i f t h e t a r g e t i s La r g e o r s m a l l e r , i t m u s t m
akeaStrengthsavingthrow.Onafailedsave,youpushthetargetupto15feet
awayfromyou.

Rally.Onyourturn,youcanuseabonusactionandexpendonesuperioritydie
tobolstertheresolveofoneofyourcompanions.Whenyoudoso,chooseafri
endlycreaturewhocanseeorhearyou.Thatcreaturegainstemporaryhitpoi
ntsequaltothesuperioritydieroll+yourCharismamodifier.

Riposte,Whenacreaturemissesyouwithameleeattack,youcanuscyourrea
ctionandexpendonesuperioritydietomakeameleeweaponattackagainstt
h e c r e a t u r e . I f y o u h i t , y o u a d d t h e s u p e r i o r i t y d i e t o t h e a t t a c k ’s d a m a g e r o l l .

SweepingAttack.Whenyouhitacreaturewithameleeweaponattack,youca
nexpendonesuperioritydietoattempttodamageanothercreaturewiththes
ameattack.Chooseanothercreaturewithin5feetoftheoriginaltargetandw
ithinyourreach.Iftheoriginalattackrollwouldhitthesecondcreature,itta
kesdamageequaltothenumberyourollonyoursuperioritydie.Thedamagei
softhesametypedealtbytheoriginalattack.

TripAttack.Whenyouhitacreaturewithaweaponattack,youcanexpendone
superioritydietoattempttoknockthetargetdown.Youaddthesuperiorityd
i e t o t h e a t t a c k ’s d a m a g e r o l l , a n d i f t h e t a r g e t i s La r g e o r s m a l l e r , i t m u s t m a k
eaStrengthsavingthrow.Onafailedsave,youknockthetargetprone.

ELDRITCHKNIGHT

ThearchetypalEldritchKnightcombinesthemartialmasterycommontoall
fighterswithacarefulstudyofmagic.EldritchKnightsusemagicaltechniq
uessimilartothosepracticedbywizards.Theyfocustheirstudy

ontwooftheeightschoolsofmagic:abjurationandevocation.Abjurationsp
ellsgrantanEldritchKnightadditionalprotectioninbatile,andevocations
p e l l s d e a l d a m a g e t o m a n y f o e s a t o n c e , e x t e n d i n g t h e f i g h t e r ’s r e a c h i n c o m b
at.Theseknightslearnacomparativelysmallnumberofspells,committingt
hemtomemoryinsteadofkeepingtheminaspellbook.

SPELLCASTING

Whenyoureach3rdlevel,youaugmentyourmartialprowesswiththeability
tocastspells.Seechapter10forthegeneralrulesofspellcastingandchapte
r11forthewizardspelllist.

Cantrips.Youlearntwocantripsofyourchoicefromthewizardspelllist.Yo
ulearnanadditionalwizardcantripofyourchoiceat10thlevel.

SpellSlots.TheEldritchKnightSpellcastingtableshowshowmanyspellsl
otsyouhavetocastyourspellsof1stlevelandhigher.Tocastoneofthesespe
l l s , y o u m u s t e x p e n d a s l o t o f t h e s p e l l ’s l e v e l o r h i g h e r .Yo u r e g a i n a l l e x p e n d
edspellslotswhenyoufinishalongrest.

Forexample,ifyouknowthe|st-levelspellshieldandhavea1stlevelanda2n
d-levelspellslotavailable,youcancastshieldusingeitherslot.

SpellsKnownofIst-LevelandHigher,Youknowthree1st-levelwizardspel
lsofyourchoice,twoofwhichyoumustchoosefromtheabjurationandevoca
tionspellsonthewizardspelllist.

TheSpellsKnowncolumnoftheEldritchKnightSpellcastingtableshowsw
henyoulearnmorewizardspellsofIstlevelorhigher.Eachofthesespellsmu
stbeanabjurationorevocationspellofyourchoice,andmustbeofalevelfor
whichyouhavespellslots.Forinstance,whenyoureach7thlevelinthisclas
s,youcanlearnonenewspellofIstor2ndlevel.

Thespellsyoulearnat8th,14th,and20thlevelcancomefromanyschoolofm
agic,

Wheneveryougainalevelinthisclass,youcanreplaceoneofthewizardspel
lsyouknowwithanotherspellofyourchoicefromthewizardspelllist.Then
ewspellmustbeofalevelforwhichyouhavespellslots,anditmustbeanabju
rationorevocationspell,unlessyou'rereplacingthespellyougainedat8th,
14th,or20thlevel.

SpelicastingAbility.\ntelligenceisyourspellcastingabilityforyourwiz
ardspells,sinceyoulearnyourspellsthroughstudyandmemorization.You
useyourIntelligencewheneveraspellreferstoyourspellability.Inadditio
n,youuseyourPetoceuine:whensettingthesavingthrowDCforawizardspe
llyoucastandwhenmakinganattackrollwithone.

SpellsaveDC=8+yourproficiencybonus+yourIntelligencemodifier

Spellattackmodifier=yourproficiencybonus+yourIntelligencemodifier

WEAPONBOND

At3rdlevel,youlearnaritualthatcreatesamagicalbondbetweenyourselfa
ndoneweapon.Youperformtheritualoverthecourseof1hour,whichcanbed
one

ELpritcHKNIGHTSPELLCASTING

FighterCantripsSpells—SPellSlotsperSpellLevel—LevelKnownKnown
Ist2nd3rd4thSth6th7th8th9th10thMthTath13th4thTsth16thVth18th19t
h20th

wmeuranunae|

Ss

Socot)hsetosPsMEshws|

souwownss|

duringashortrest.Theweaponmustbewithinyourreachthroughouttheritu
al,attheconclusionofwhichyoutouchtheweaponandforgethebond.

Onceyouhavebondedaweapontoyourself,youcan'tbedisarmedofthatwea
ponunlessyouareincapacitated.Ifitisonthesameplaneofexistence,youc
ansummonthatweaponasabonusactiononyourturn,causingittoteleportin
stantlytoyourhand.

Youcanhaveuptotwobondedweapons,butcansummononlyoneatatimewit
hyourbonusaction.

Ifyouattempttobondwithathirdweapon,youmustbreakthebondwithoneof
theothertwo.

WarkMacic

Beginningat7thlevel,whenyouuseyouractiontocastacantrip,youcanmak
eoneweaponattackasabonusacti

ELDRITCHSTRIKE

At10thlevel,youlearnhowtomakeyourweaponstrikesundercutacreature'
sresistancetoyourspells.Whenyouhitacreaturewithaweaponattack,that
creaturehasdisadvantageonthenextsavingthrow

itmakesagainstaspellyoucastbeforetheendofyournextturn,

ARCANECHARGE
At15thlevel,yougaintheabilitytoteleportupto30feettoanunoccupiedsp
aceyoucanseewhenyouuseyourActionSurge.Youcanteleportbeforeoraft
ertheadditionalaction.

I M PR O V E D WAR M a c i c

Startingat18thlevel,whenyouuseyouractiontocastaspell,youcanmakeo
neweaponattackasabonusaction.

Herfistsablurastheydeflectanincominghailofarrows,_ahalf-elfsprings
overabarricadeandthrowsherself

7intothemassedranksofhobgoblinsontheotherside.

Shewhirlsamongthem,knockingtheirblowsasideand

sendingthemreeling,untilatlastshestandsalone.Takingadeepbreath,ahu
mancoveredintattoos

Settlesintoabattlestance.Asthefirstchargingorcs

~reachhim,heexhalesandablastoffireroarsfromhismouth,engulfinghisf
oes.

Movingwiththesilenceofthenight,ablack-cladhalflingstepsintoashado
wbeneathanarchandemergesfromanotherinkyshadowonabalconyastone'
sthrowaway.Sheslidesherbladefreeofitscloth-wrappedscabbardandpee
rsthroughtheopenwindowatthetyrantprince,sovulnerableinthegripofsl
eep.

Whatevertheirdiscipline,monksareunitedintheirabilitytomagicallyhar
nesstheenergythatflowsintheirbodies,Whetherchanneledasastrikingdi
splayofcombatprowessorasubtlerfocusofdefensiveabilityandspeed,thi
senergyinfusesallthatamonkdoes.

THEMacicoFKt

Monksmakecarefulstudyofamagicalenergythatmostmonastictraditions
callki.Thisenergyisanclement

ofthemagicthatsuffusesthemultiverse—specifically,theelementthatflo
wsthroughlivingbodies.Monksharnessthispowerwithinthemselvestocre
a t e m a g i c a l e f f e c t s a n d e x c e e d t h e i r b o d i e s ’p h y s i c a l c a p a b i l i t i e s , a n d s o m e
oftheirspecialattackscanhindertheflowofkiintheiropponents.Usingthi
senergy,monkschanneluncannyspeedandstrengthintotheirunarmedstrik
es.Astheygainexperience,theirmartialtrainingandtheirasteryofkigives
themmorepowerovertheirbodiesfdthebodiesoftheirfoes,

TRAININGANDASCETICISM

SmallwalledcloistersdotthelandscapesoftheworldsofD&D,tinyrefuges
fromtheflowofordinarylife,wheretimeseemstostandstill.Themonkswho
livethereseckpersonalperfectionthroughcontemplationandrigoroustrai
ning.Manyenteredthemonasteryaschildren,senttolivetherewhentheirpa
rentsdied,whenfoodcouldn'tbefoundtosupportthem,orinreturnforsome
kindnessthatthemonkshadperformedfortheirfamilies.

Somemonksliveentirelyapartfromthesurroundingpopulation,secludedf
romanythingthatmightimpedetheirspiritualprogress,Othersareswornto
isolation,
+30ft.

emergingonlytoserveasspiesorassassinsatthecommandoftheirleader,an
oblepatron,orsomeothermortalordivinepower,

Themajorityofmonksdon'tshuntheirneighbors,makingfrequentvisitsto
nearbytownsorvillagesandexchangingtheirserviceforfoodandothergoo
ds.Asyersatilewarriors,monksoftenendupprotectingtheirneighborsfro
mmonstersortyrants.

Foramonk,becominganadventurermeansleavingastructured,communall
ifestyletobecomeawanderer.Thiscanbeaharshtransition,andmonksdon'
tundertakeitlightly.Thosewholeavetheircloisterstaketheirworkseriou
sly,approachingtheiradventuresaspersonaltestsoftheirphysicalandspi
ritualgrowth.

Asarule,monkscarelittleformaterialwealthandaredrivenbyadesiretoac
complishagreatermissionthanmerelyslayingmonstersandplunderingthe
irtreasure.

C R EAT I N GAM O N K

ProficiencyMartialKiUnarmored

LevelBonusArtsPoints©MovementFeatures

Ist42\d4--UnarmoredDefense,MartialArts2nd+21d42+10ft.Ki,Unarrm
oredMovement

3rd+21d43+10ft.MonasticTradition,DeflectMissiles4th+21d44+10ft.A
bilityScoreImprovement,SlowFallSth+31d65+10ft,ExtraAttack,Stunni
ngStrike

6th+31d66+15ft.Ki-EmpoweredStrikes,MonasticTraditionfeature7th+
31d67+15ft.Evasion,StillnessofMind

8th+31468+15ft.AbilityScoreImprovement

9th+41d69)+15ft.UnarmoredMovementimprovement10th+41d610+20ft
.PurityofBody

ith+4idsv420ft.MonasticTraditionfeature

12th+414812+20ft.AbilityScoreImprovement

13th+51d83+20ft.TongueoftheSunandMoon,

14th+51d84+25ft.DiamondSoul

15th+5,1815425ft.TimelessBody

16th4514816425ft.AbilityScoreImprovement

W7th+61d10W7425ft.MonasticTraditionfeature

18th+61d108+30ft.EmptyBody

19th+6id1019+30ft.AbilityScoreImprovement
PerfectSelf

Asyoumakeyourmonkcharacter,thinkaboutyourconnectiontothemonast
erywhereyoulearnedyourskillsandspentyourformativeyears.Wereyoua
n o r p h a n o r a c h i l d l e f t o n t h e m o n a s t e r y ’s t h r e s h o l d ? D i d y o u r p a r e n t s p r o m i
seyoutothemonasteryingratitudeforaserviceperformedbythemonks?Di
dyouenterthissecludedlifetohidefromacrimeyoucommitted?Ordidyouc
hoosethemonasticlifeforyourself?

Considerwhyyouleft.Didtheheadofyourmonasterychooseyouforapartic
ularlyimportantmissionbeyondthecloister?Perhapsyouwerecastoutbec
auseofsomeviolationofthecommunity'srules,Didyoudreadleaving,orwe
reyouhappytogo?Istheresomethingyouhopetoaccomplishoutsidethemo
nastery?Areyoueagertoreturntoyourhome?

Asaresultofthestructuredlifeofamonasticcommunityandthediscipliner
equiredtoharnesski,monksarealmostalwayslawfulinalignment.

QuickBuILp

Youcanmakeamonkquicklybyfollowingthesesuggestions.First,makeDe
xterityyourhighestabilityscore,followedbyWisdom.Second,choosethe
hermitbackground,

C LAS S F EAT U R E S

Asamonk,yougainthefollowingclassfeatures.

HrPoints

HitDice:1d8permonklevel

HitPointsatIstLevel:8+yourConstitutionmodifier

HitPointsatHigherLevels:1d8(or5)+yourConstitutionmodifierpermonk
levelafter1st

PROFICIENCIES

Armor:None

Weapons:Simpleweapons,shortswords

T o o l s : C h o o s e o n e t y p e o f a r t i s a n ’s t o o l s o r o n e m u s i c a l i n s t r u m e n t

SavingThrows:Strength,DexteritySkills:ChoosetwofromAcrobatics,At
hletics,History,Insight,Religion,andStealth

EQuirMENTYoustartwiththefollowingequipment,inadditiontotheequip
mentgrantedbyyourbackground:

+(a)ashortswordor(5)anysimpleweapon+(@)adungeoneer'spackor(4)a
nexplorer'spack+10darts

UNARMOREDDEFENSEBeginningatIstlevel,whileyouarewearingnoar
mor

andnotwieldingashield,yourACequals10+yourDexteritymodifier+your
Wisdommodifier.
MAR T IALAR T S

AtIstlevel,yourpracticeofmartialartsgivesyoumasteryofcombatstylest
hatuseunarmedstrikesandmonkweapons,whichareshortswordsandanysi
mplemeleeweaponsthatdon'thavethetwo-handedorheavyproperty.‘

Yougainthefollowingbenefitswhileyouareunarmedorwieldingonlymon
kweaponsandyouaren'twearing:armororwieldingashicld:rs

YoucanuseDexterityinsteadofStrengthfortheattackanddamagerollsofy
ourunarmedstrikesand—monkweapons.gYoucanrollad4inplaceofthenor
maldamage

ofyourunarmedstrikeormonkweapon.Thisdiechangesasyougainmonklev
els,asshownintheMartialArtscolumnoftheMonktable.

WhenyouusetheAttackactionwithanunarmedstrikeoramonkweapononyo
urturn,youcanmakeoneunarmedstrikeasabonusaction.Forexample,ifyo
utaketheAttackactionandattackwithaquarter-staff,youcanalsomakeanu
narmedstrikeasabonusaction,assumingyouhaven'talreadytakenabonusa
ctionthisturn.

Certainmonasteriesusespecializedformsofthemonkweapons.Forexampl
e,youmightuseaclubthatistwolengthsofwoodconnectedbyashortchain(c
alledanunchaku)orasicklewithashorter,siraighterblade(calledakama).
Whatevernameyouuseforamonkweapon,youcanusethegamestatisticspro
videdfortheweaponinchapter5.

Ki

Startingat2ndlevel,yourtrainingallowsyoutoharnessthemysticencrgyo
fki.Youraccesstothisenergyisrepresentedbyanumberofkipoints.Yourm
onkleveldeterminesthenumberofpointsyouhave,asshownintheKiPoints
columnoftheMonktable.

Youcanspendthesepointstofuelvariouskifeatures.Youstariknowingthre
esuchfeatures:FlurryofBlows,PatientDefense,andStepoftheWind.Youl
earnmorekifeaturesasyougainlevelsinthisclass,

Whenyouspendakipoint,itisunavailableuntilyoufinishashortorlongrest
,attheendofwhichyoudrawallofyourexpendedkibackintoyourself,Youm
ustspendatleast30minutesoftherestmeditatingtoregainyourkipoints.

Someofyourkifeaturesrequireyourtargettomakeasavingthrowtoresistth
efeature'seffects.ThesavingthrowDCiscalculatedasfollows:

KisaveDC=8+yourproficiencybonus+yourWisdommodifier

PAR T 1 | C LAS S E S

FiurryoFBLows

ImmediatelyafteryoutaketheAttackactiononyourturn,youcanspend1kip
ointtomaketwounarmedstrikesasabonusaction.

PAT I E N T D E F E N S E Y o u c a n s p e n d | k i p o i n t t o t a k e t h e D o d g e a c t i o n a s a b o n u
sactiononyourturn.=

StepoFTHEWIND
Youcanspend|kipointtotaketheDisengageorDashactionasabonusaction
onyourturn,andyourjumpdistanceisdoubledfortheturn.

whileyouarenaringarmororwieldingashield.Thisbonusincreaseswheny
oureachcertainmonklevels,asshownintheMonktable.

‘1,yougaintheabilitytomovealongverticalsurfacesandacrossliquidson
yourturnwithoutfallingduringthemove.

MonasticTRADITION

Whenyoureach3rdlevel,youcommityourselftoamonastictradition:theW
ayoftheOpenHand,theWayofShadow,ortheWayoftheFourElements,alld
etailedattheendoftheclassdescription,Yourtradition

grantsyoufeaturesat3rdlevelandagainat6th,11th,and17thlevel.

DEFLECTMISSILES_

Startingat3rdlevel,youcanuseyourreactiontodeflectorcatchthemissile
whenyouarehitbyaranged‘weaponattack.Whenyoudoso,thedamageyout
akefromtheattackisreducedby1d10+yourDexteritymodifier+yourmonkl
evel.

Ifyoureducethedamageto0,youcancatchthemissileifitissmallenoughfor
youtoholdinonehandandyouhaveatleastonehandfree.Ifyoucatchamissil
einthisway,youcanspend1kipointtomakearangedattackwiththeweapono
rpieceofammunitionyoujustcaught,aspartofthesamereaction.Youmaket
hisattackwithproficiency,regardlessofyourweaponproficiencies,andth
emissilecountsasamonkweaponfortheattack.

ABILITYSCOREIMPROVEMENT

Whenyoureach4thlevel,andagainat8th,12th,16th,and19thlevel,youcan
increaseoneabilityscoreofyourchoiceby2,oryoucanincreasetwoability
s c o r e s o f y o u r c h o i c e b y 1 .As n o r m a l , y o u c a n ’t i n c r e a s e a n a b i l i t y s c o r e a b o v
e20usingthisfeature.

SLowFALL_

Beginningat4thlevel,youcanuseyourreactionwhenyoufalltoreduceanyf
allingdamageyoutakebyanamountcqualtofivetimesyourmonklevel.

E X T R AAT TA C K

Beginningat5thlevel,youcanattacktwice,insteadofonce,wheneveryout
aketheAttackactiononyourturn.

STUNNINGSTRIKE

Startingat5thlevel,youcaninterfereaesthe:flowofkiinanopponent'sbod
y.Whenyouhitanothercreaturewithameleeweaponattack,youcanspend1
kipointtoattemptastunningstrike.ThetargetmustsucceedonaConstituti
onsavingthroworbestunneduntiltheendofyournextturn.

K1-EMPOWEREDSTRIKES

Startingat6thlevel,yourunarmedairikesecountasmagicalforthepurpose
ofovercomingresistanceandimmunitytononmagicalattacksanddamage,
E VAS I O N

At7thlevel,yourinstinctiveagilityletsyoudodge

outofthewayofcertainareaeffects,suchasabluedragon'slightningbreath
orafireballspell.Whenyouaresubjectedtoaneffectthatallowsyoutomake
aDexteritysavingthrowtotakeonlyhalfdamage,youinsteadtakenodamag
eifyousucceedonthesavingthrow,andonlyhalfdamageifyoufail.

STILLNESSOFMIND_

Startingat7thlevel,youcanuseyouractiontoendoneeffectonyourselfthat
iscausingyoutobecharmedorfrightened.

PurityoFBopy

At10thlevel,yourmasteryofthekiflowingthroughyoumakesyouimmunet
odiseaseandpoison.

TONGUEOFTHESUNANDMOON

Startingat13thlevel,youlearntotouchthekiofothermindssothatyouunde
rstandallspokenlanguages.Moreover,anycreaturethatcanunderstandaB
ugiscanunderstandwhatyousay.

DraMONDSOUL

Beginningat14thlevel,yourTaaieeyofkioutsaedEeproficiencyinallsavi
ngthrows.Additionally,wheneveryoumakeasavingthfail,youcanspend1
kipointtorerollitarsecondresult.

TIMELESSBopy

At15thlevel,yourkisustainsyousothatyousuffernoneofthefrailtyofolda
ge,andyoucan'tbeagedmagically.Youcanstilldieofoldage,however.Ina
ddition,younolongerneedfoodorwater.

EMPTYBopy

Beginningat18thlevel.youcanuseseyouraction|tospend4kipointstobeco
meinvisiblefor1minute.

iie

Duringthattime,youalsohaveresistancetoalldamagebutforcedamage.

Additionally,youcanspend8kipointstocasttheastralprojectionspell,wit
houtneedingmaterialcomponents.Whenyoudoso,youcan'ttakeanyotherc
reatureswithyou.

PERFECTSELF

At20thlevel,whenyourollforinitiativeandhavenokipointsremaining,yo
uregain4kipoints.

MONASTICTRADITIONS

Threetraditionsofmonasticpursuitarecommoninthemonasteriesscattere
dacrossthemultiverse.Mostmonasteriespracticeonetraditionexclusivel
y,butafewhonorthethreetraditionsandinstructeachmonkaccordingtohis
orheraptitudeandinterest.Allthreetraditionsrelyonthesamebasictechni
ques,divergingasthestudentgrowsmoreadept.Thus,amonkneedchooseat
raditiononlyuponreaching3rdlevel.

WayHEOPENHAND_

MonksoftheWayoftheOpenHandaretheultimatemastersofmartialartsco
mbat,whetherarmedorunarmed.Theylearntechniquestopushandtripthei
ropponents,manipulatekitohealdamagetotheirbodies,andpracticeadva
ncedmeditationthatcanprotectthemfromharm.

OpenHANDTECHNIQUE

Startingwhenyouchoosethistraditionat3rdlevel,

youcanmanipulateyourenemy'skiwhenyouharnessyourown,Wheneveryo
uhitacreaturewithoneoftheattacksgrantedbyyourFlurryofBlows,youca
nimposeoneofthefollowingeffectsonthattarget:

+ItmustsucceedonaDexteritysavingthroworbeknockedprone.

+ItmustmakeaStrengthsavingthrow.Ifitfails,youcanpushitupto15feeta
wayfromyou.

«Itcan'ttakereactionsuntiltheendofyournextturn.

WHOLENESSOFBODY6thlevel,yougaintheabilitytohealyourself.Asana
ction,youcanregainhitpointsequaltothreetimes

yourmonklevel.Youmustfinishalongrestbeforeyoucanusethisfeatureag
ain.

TRANQUILITY

Beginningat11thlevel,youcanenteraspecialmeditationthatsurroundsyo
uwithanauraofpeace.Attheendofalongrest,yougaintheeffectofasanctua
ryspel!thatlastsuntilthestartofyournextlongrest(thespellcanendearlya
snormal).ThesavingthrowDCforthespellequals8+yourWisdommodifier
+yourproficiencybonus.

Q U I V E R I N G PAL MAU LT t h l e v e l , y o u g a i n t h e a b i l i t y t o s e t u p l e t h a l v i b r a t i
o n s i n s o m c o n e ’s b o d y . W h e n y o u h i t a c r e a t u r e w i t h a n u n a r m e d s t r i k e , y o u c a
nspend3kipointstostarttheseimperceptiblevibrations,whichlastforanu
mberofdaysequaltoyourmonklevel.Thevibrationsareharmlessunlessyo
uuseyouractiontoendthem.Todoso,youandthetargetmustbeonthesamepl
aneofexistence.Whenyouusethisaction,thecreaturemustmakeaConstitu
tionsavingthrow.Ifitfails,itisreducedto0hitpoints.Ifitsucceeds,ittake
s10410necroticdamage.

Youcanhaveonlyonecreatureundertheeffectofthisfeatureatatime.Youc
anchoosetoendthevibrationsharmlesslywithoutusinganaction,

WayOFSHADOW

MonksoftheWayofShadowfollowatraditionthatvaluésstealthandsubterf
uge.Thesemonksmight

becalledninjasorshadowdancers,andtheyserveasspiesandassassins.So
metimesthemembersofaninjamonasteryarefamilymembers,formingacla
nsworntosecrecyabouttheirartsandmissions.Othermonasteriesaremore
l i k e t h i e v e s ’g u i l d s , h i r i n g o u t t h e i r s e r v i c e s t o n o b l e s , r i c h m e r c h a n t s , o r a
nyoneelsewhocanpaytheirfees.Regardlessoftheirmethods,theheadsoft
hesemonasteriesexpecttheunquestioningobedienceoftheirstudents.

SHapowARTS

Startingwhenyouchoosethistraditionat3rdlevel,youcanuseyourkitodup
licatetheeffectsofcertainspells.Asanaction,youcanspend2kipointstoca
stdarkness,darkvision,passwithouttrace,otsilence,withoutprovidingm
aterialcomponents.Additionally,yougaintheminorillusioncantripifyou
don'talreadyknowit.

SHapowSTEP

‘AtGthlevel,yougaintheabilitytostepfromoneshadowintoanother.When
youareindimlightordarkness,

asabonusactionyoucanteleportupto60feettoanunoccupiedspaceyoucans
eethatisalsoindimlightordarkness,Youthenhaveadvantageonthefirstme
leeattackyoumakebeforetheendoftheturn.

CLoaXkoFSHADOWS

By11thlevel,youhavelearnedtobecomeonewiththeshadows.Whenyouare
inanareaofdimlightordarkness,youcanuseyouractiontobecomeinvisibl
e.Youremaininvisibleuntilyoumakeanattack,castaspell,orareinanarea
ofbrightlight.

vAw r 1 | C LAS S E S

OppoRTUNIST

At17thlevel,youcanexploitacreature'smomentarydistractionwhenitish
itbyanattack,Wheneveracreaturewithin5feetofyouishitbyanattackmad
ebyacreatureotherthanyou,youcanuseyourreactiontomakeameleeattack
againstthatcreature.

WayOFTHEFourELEMENTS

Youfollowamonastictraditionthatteachesyouloharnesstheelements.Wh
enyoufocusyourki,youcanalignyourselfwiththeforcesofcreationandbe
ndthefourelementstoyourwill,usingthemasanextensionofyourbody.So
memembersofthistraditiondedicatethemselvestoasingleelement,butoth
ersweavetheelementstogether.

Manymonksofthistraditiontattootheirbodieswithrepresentationsofthei
rkipowers,commonlyimaginedascoilingdragons,butalsoasphoenixes,fi
sh,plants,mountains,andcrestingwaves.

DisciPLeOFTHEELEMENTS

Whenyouchoosethistraditionat3rdlevel,youlearn

magicaldisciplinesthatharnessthepowerofthefourelements.Adisciplin
erequiresyoutospendkipoints

eachtimeyouuseit

YouknowtheElementalAttunementdisciplineandoneotherelementaldisc
iplineofyourchoice,whicharedetailedinthe“ElementalDisciplines”sect
ionbelow.Youlearnoneadditionalelementaldisciplineofyourchoiceat6t
h,11th,and17thlevel.

Wheneveryoulearnanewelementaldiscipline,youcanalsoreplaceoneele
mentaldisciplinethatyoualreadyknowwithadifferentdiscipline.

CastingElemental!Spells.Someelementaldisciplinesallowyoutocastsp
ells,Seechapter10forthegeneralrulesofspellcasting.Tocastoneofthese
spells,youuseitscastingtimeandotherrules,butyoudon'tneedtoprovide
materialcomponentsforit.

Onceyoureach5thlevelinthisclass,youcanspendadditionalkipointstoin
creasethelevelofanelementaldisciplinespellthatyoucast,providedthatt
hespellhasanenhancedeffectatahigherlevel,asburninghandsdoes,Thesp
e l l ’s l e v e l i n c r e a s e s b y | f o r e a c h a d d i t i o n a l k i p o i n t y o u s p e n d . F o r e x a m p l e ,
ifyouareaSth-levelmonkanduseSweepingCinderStriketoeastburningha
n d s , y o u c a n s p e n d 3 k i p o i n t s t o c a s t i t a s a 2 n d - l e v e l s p e l l ( t h e d i s c i p l i n e ’s b
asecostof2kipointsplus1).

‘Themaximumnumberofkipointsyoucanspendtocastaspellinthisway(inc
ludingitsbasekipointcostandanyadditionalkipointsyouspendtoincreas
eitslevel)isdeterminedbyyourmonklevel,asshownintheSpellsandKiPoi
ntstable.

SPELLSANDKiPOINTS

MonkLevelsMaximumKiPointsforaSpellSth-8th39th—-12th413th-16th
517th-20th6

=AT e e

E LE M E N TALD I S C I PLI N E S T h e e l e m e n t a l d i s c i p l i n e s a r e p r e s e n t e d i n a l p
habeticalorder,Ifadisciplinerequiresalevel,youmustbethatlevelinthis
classtolearnthediscipline.

BreathofWinter(17thLevelRequired).Youcanspend6kipointstocastcone
ofcold.

ClenchoftheNorthWind(6thLevelRequired).Youcanspend3kipointstoca
stholdperson.

ElementalAttunement.Youcanuseyouractiontobrieflycontrolelemental
forcesnearby,causingoneofthefollowingeffectsofyourchoice:

Createaharmless,instantaneoussensoryeffectrelatedtoair,earth,fire,or
water,suchasashowerofsparks,apuffofwind,asprayoflightmist,oragent
lerumblingofstone.

Instantaneouslylightorsnuffoutacandle,atorch,orasmallcampfire.

Chillorwarmupto1poundofnonlivingmaterialforupto1hour,

Causeearth,fire,water,ormistthatcanfitwithina1-footcubetoshapeitsel
fintoacrudeformyoudesig-natefor1minute.

EternalMountainDefense(11thLevelRequired).Youcanspend5kipointst
ocaststoneskin,targetingyourself.

FangsoftheFireSnake,WhenyouusetheAttackactiononyourturn,youcans
pend1kipointtocausetendrilsofflametostretchoutfromyourfistsandfeet
.Yourreachwithyourunarmedstrikesincreasesby10feetforthataction,as
wellastherestoftheturn,

Ahitwithsuchanattackdealsfiredamageinsteadofbludgeoningdamage,a
ndifyouspend1kipointwhentheattackhits,italsodealsanextra1d10fired
amage.

FistofFourThunders.Youcanspend2kipointstocastthunderwave.

FistofUnbrokenAir.Youcancreateablastofcompressedairthatstrikeslik
eamightyfist.Asanaction,youcanspend2kipointsandchooseacreaturewi
thin30feetofyou.ThatcreaturemustmakeaStrengthsavingthrow.Onafail
edsave,thecreaturetakes3410bludgeoningdamage,plusanextra1410blu
dgeoningdamageforeachadditionalkipointyouspend,andyoucanpushthe
creatureupto20feetawayfromyouandknockitprone.Onasuccessfulsave,t
h e - c r e a t u r e t a k e s h a l f a s m u c h d a m a g e , a n d y o u d o n ' t p u s h ’i t o r k n o c k i t p r o n
e.

FlamesofthePhoenix(11thLevelRecanspend4kipointstocastfireball.

GongoftheSummit(6thLevelRequired).spend3kipointstocastshatter.=

MistStance(11thLevelRequired).Youcan4Kipointstocastgaseousform,t
argetingae

RidetheWind(11thLevelRequired).Youcanspend4kipointstocastfly,tar
getingyourself,

RiverofHungryFlame(17thLevelRequired).Youcanspend5kipointstocas
twalloffire.

RushoftheGaleSpirits.Youcanspend2kipointstocastgustofwind.

ShapetheFlowingRiver.Asanaction,youcanspend1kipointtochooseanar
eaoficeorwaterno.largerthan30feetonasidewithin120feetofyou.Youca
nchangewatertoicewithintheareaandviceversa,andyoucanreshapeicein
theareainanymanneryouchoose.Youcanraiseorlowertheice'selevation,
createorfillinatrench,erectorflattenawall,orformapillar.Theextentofa
nysuchchangescan'texceedhalfthearea'slargestdimension.Forexample,
ifyouaffeeta30-footsquare,youcancreateapillarupto15feethigh,raiseo
r l o w e r t h e s q u a r e ’s e l e v a t i o n b y u p t o 1 5 f e e t , d i g a t r e n c h u p t o 1 5 f e e t d e e p , a
ndSoon.Youcan'tshapetheicetotraporinjureacreatureinthearea,

SweepingCinderStrike.Youcanspend2kipointstocastburninghands.

WaterWhip.Youcanspend2kipointsasabonusactiontocreateawhipofwate
rthatshovesandpullsacreaturetounbalanceit,Acreaturethatyoucanseeth
atiswithin30feetofyoumustmakeaDexteritysavingthrow.Onafailedsave
,thecreaturetakes3d10bludgeoningdamage,plusanextra1d10bludgeoni
ngdamageforeachadditionalkipointyouspend,andyoucaneitherknockitp
roneorpullitupto25fectclosertoyou.Onasuccessfulsave,thecreaturetak
eshalfas.muchdamage,andyoudon'tpullitorknockitprone.

WaveofRollingEarth(17thLevelRequired).Youcanspend6kipointstocas
twallofstone.

MonasticOrDERS

TheworldsofD&Dcontainamultitudeofmonasteries
andmonastictraditions,InlandswithanAsianculturalflavor,suchasShou
LungfartotheeastoftheForgottenRealms,thesemonasteriesareassociate
dwithphilosophicaltraditionsandmartialartspractice.TheIronHandSch
ool,theFiveStarsSchool,theNorthernFistSchool,and

theSouthernStarSchoolofShouLungteachdifferentapproachestothephys
ical,mental,andspiritualdisciplinesofthemonk,Someofthesemonasteri
eshavespreadtothewesternlandsofFaerdn,particularlyinplaceswithlarg
eShouimmigrantcommunities,suchasTheskandWestgate.

‘Othermonastictraditionsareassociatedwithdeitieswhoteachthevalueo
fphysicalexcellenceandmentaldiscipline,IntheForgottenRealms,theor
deroftheDarkMoonismadeupofmonksdedicatedtoShar(goddessofloss),
who.maintainsecretcommunitiesinremotehills,backallies,andsubterra
neanhideaways.MonasteriesofIlmater(godofendurance)arenamedafterf
lowers,andtheirorderscarrythenamesofgreatheroesofthefaith;theDisci
plesofSaintSollarstheTwice-MartyredresideintheMonasteryoftheYello
wRosenearDamara.ThemonasteriesofEberroncombinethestudyofmartia
lartswithalifeofscholarship.MostaredevotedtothedeitiesoftheSoverei
gnHost.

IntheworldofDragonlance,mostmonksaredevotedtoMajere,godofmedit
ationandthought.InGreyhawk,manymonasteriesarededicatedtoXanYae,
thegoddessoftwilightandthesuperiorityofmindovermatter,ortoZuoken,
godofmentalandphysicalmastery,

TheevilmonksoftheScarletBrotherhoodintheworldofGreyhawkderiveth
eirfanaticzealnotfromdevotionto.agodbutfromdedicationtotheprincipl
esoftheirnationandtheirrace—thebeliefthattheSuelstrandofhumanitya
remeanttoruletheworld.

PALAD I N

Cladinplatearmorthatgleamsinthesunlightdespitethedustandgrimeoflo
ngtravel,ahumanlaysdownherswordandshieldandplacesherhandsonamo
r t a l l y w o u n d e d m a n . D i v i n e r a d i a n c e s h i n e s f r o m h e r h a n d s , t h e m a n ’s w o u n
dsknitclosed,andhiseyesopenwidewithamazement.

Adwarfcrouchesbehindanoutcrop,hisblackcloakmakinghimnearlyinvis
ibleinthenight,andwatchesanorewarbandcelebratingitsrecentvictory.S
ilently,hestalksintotheirmidstandwhispersanoath,andtwoorcsarédead
beforetheyevenrealizeheisthere.

Silverhairshininginashaftoflightthatseemsto_illuminateonlyhim,anel
flaughswithexultation,HisSpearflasheslikehiseyesashejabsagainanda
gainatatwistedgiant,untilatlasthislightovercomesitshideousdarkness.

Whatevertheiroriginandtheirmission,paladinsare“unitedbytheiroathst
ostandagainsttheforcesofevil.Whetherswornbeforeagod'saltarandthew
itnessofapriest,inasacredgladebeforenaturespiritsandfeybeings,orina
momentofdesperationandgriefwiththedeadastheonlywitness,apaladin’
soathisapowerfulbond.Itisasourceofpowerthatturnsadevoutwarriorint
oablessedchampion.

Apaladinswearstoupholdjusticeandrighteousness,tostandwiththegoodt
hingsoftheworldagainsttheencroachingdarkness,andtohunttheforcesof
evilwherevertheylurk.Differentpaladinsfocusonvariousaspectsofthec
auseofrighteousness,butallareboundbytheoathsthatgrantthempowerto
dotheirsacredwork,Althoughmanypaladinsaredevotedtogodsofgood,ap
a l a d i n ’s p o w e r c o m e s a s m u c h f r o m a c o m m i t m e n t t o j u s t i c e i t s e l f a s i t d o e s f r
omagod.

Paladinstrainforyearstolearntheskillsofcombat,masteringavarietyofw
eaponsandarmor.Evenso,theirmartialskillsaresecondarytothemagicalp
owertheywield:powertohealthesickandinjured,tosmitethewickedandth
eundead,andtoprotecttheinnocentandthosewhojointheminthefightforju
stice.

BEYONDTHEMUNDANELIFE

Almostbydefinition,thelifeofapaladinisanadventuringlife.Unlessalast
inginjuryhastakenhimorherawayfromadventuringforatime,everypaladi
nlivesonthefrontlinesofthecosmicstruggleagainst

e l YT H E PALAD I N

ProficiencyLevelBonus—_Features

Ist+2DivineSense,LayonHands2nd+2FightingStyle,Spellcasting,Divin
eSmite31d+2DivineHealth,SacredOath4th42AbilityScoreImprovement
5th+3ExtraAttack

6th+3AuraofProtection

7th8SacredOathfeature

8th3AbilityScoreImprovement9th+4=

10th+4AuraofCourage

With+4ImprovedDivineSmite

12th+4AbilityScoreImprovement13th+5-

14th45CleansingTouch

15th45SacredOathfeature

16th+5AbilityScoreImprovementVth+6—

18th+6Auraimprovements

19th+6AbilityScoreImprovement

SacredOathfeature

evil.Fightersarerareenoughamongtheranksofthemilitiasandarmiesofth
eworld,butevenfewerpeoplecanclaimthetruecallingofapaladin.Whenth
eydoreceivethecall,thesewarriorsturnfromtheirformeroccupationsand
takeuparmstofightevil.Sometimestheiroathsleadthemintotheserviceof
thecrownasleadersofelitegroupsofknights,buteventhentheirloyaltyisf
irsttothecauseofrighteousness,nottocrownandcountry.

Adventuringpaladinstaketheirworkseriously.Adelveintoanancientruin
ordustycryptcanbeaquestdrivenbyahigherpurposethantheacquisitionof
treasure,Evillurksindungeonsandprimevalforests,andeventhesmallest
victoryagainstitcantiltthecosmicbalanceawayfromoblivion.

C R EAT I N GAPALAD I N
Themostimportantaspectofapaladincharacteris

thenatureofhisorherholyquest.Althoughtheclassfeaturesrelatedtoyour
oathdon'tappearuntilyoureach3rdlevel,planaheadforthatchoicebyread
ingtheoathdescriptionsattheendoftheclass.Areyouadevotedservantofg
ood,loyaltothegodsofjusticeandhonor,aholyknightinshiningarmorvent
uringforth

tosmiteevil?Areyouagloriouschampionofthelight,cherishingeverythin
gbeautifulthatstandsagainsttheshadow,aknightwhoseoathdescendsfro
mtraditionsolderthanmanyofthegods?Orareyouanembitteredlonerswor
ntotakevengeanceonthosewhohavedonegreatevil,sentasanangelofdeath
bythegodsordrivenbyyourneedforrevenge?AppendixBlistsmanydeities
worshipedbypaladinsthroughoutthemultiverse,such

—SpellSlotsperSpellLevel—

Ist2nd3rd4thSth2=——=3==aa3===ma4Zz424343434343434343434343
434343

asTorm,Tyr,Heironeous,Paladine,Kiri-Jolith,DolArrah,theSilverFlam
e,Bahamut,Athena,Re-Horakhty,andHeimdall.

Howdidyouexperienceyourcalltoserveasapaladin?Didyouhearawhisper
fromanunseengodorangelwhileyouwereatprayer?Didanotherpaladinsen
sethepotentialwithinyouanddecidetotrainyouasasquire?Ordidsometerr
ibleevent—thedestructionofyourhome,perhaps—driveyoutoyourquests
?Perhapsyoustumbledintoasacredgroveorahiddenelvenenclaveandfoun
dyourselfcalledtoprotectallsuchrefugesofgoodnessandbeauty.Oryoum
i g h t h a v e k n o w n f r o m y o u r e a r l i e s t m e m o r i e s t h a t t h e p a l a d i n ’s l i f e w a s y o u r
calling,almostasifyouhadbeensentintotheworldwiththatpurposestampe
donyoursoul.

Asguardiansagainsttheforcesofwickedness,paladinsarerarelyofanyevi
lalignment.Mostofthemwalkthepathsofcharityandjustice.Considerhow
youralignmentcolorsthewayyoupursueyourholyquestandthemannerinw
hichyouconductyourselfbeforegodsandmortals,Youroathandalignment
mightbeinharmony,oryouroathmightrepresentstandardsofbehaviorthat
youhavenotyetattained.

QuickBuitp

Youcanmakeapaladinquicklybyfollowingthesesuggestions.First,Stren
gthshouldbeyourhighestabilityscore,followedbyCharisma.Second,cho
osethenoblebackground.

PAR T LAS S E S

C LAS S F EAT U R E SAs a p a l a d i n , y o u g a i n t h e f o l l o w i n g c l a s s f e a t u r e s ,

HitPoints

HitDice:1d10perpaladinlevel

HitPointsat1stLevel:10+yourConstitutionmodifier

HitPointsatHigherLevels:1d10(or6)+yourConstitutionmodifierperpala
dinlevelafterIst

PROFICIENCIES|
Armor:Allarmor,shields

Weapons:Simpleweapons,martialweapons

Tools:None

SavingThrows:Wisdom,Charisma

Skills:ChoosetwofromAthletics,Insight,l1Medicine,Persuasion,andRe
ligion

EQUIPMENTYoustartwiththefollowingequipment,inadditiontotheequi
pmentgrantedbyyourbackground:

+(a)amartialweaponandashieldor(6)twomartialweapons

+(a)fivejavelinsor(6)anysimplemeleeweapon

+ ( a ) a p r i e s t ’s p a c k o r ( 4 ) a n e x p l o r e r ’s p a c k

+Chainmailandaholysymbol

DivineSENSE

FIGHTINGSTYLE__

At2ndlevel,youadoptastyleoffightingasyourspecialty,Chooseoneofthe
followingoptions.Youcan'ttakeaFightingStyleoptionmorethanonce,ev
enifyoulatergettochooseagain.

DEFENSEWhilcyouarewearingarmor,yougaina+1bonustoAC.

DUELINGWhenyouarewieldingameleeweaponinonehandandnootherwea
yougaina+2bonustodamagerolls

FIGHTINGadamagedieforanattackyouweaponthatyouarewieldingwitht
wohands,Prccanterllthedieandmustusethenewroll.Theweaponmusthave
thetwo-handedorversatilepropertyforyoutogainthisbenefit.

PROTECTION

Whenacreatureyoucanseeattacksatargetotherthanyouthatiswithin5feet
ofyou,youcanuseyourreactiontoimposedisadvantageontheattackroll,Y
oumustbewieldingashield.

SPELLCASTING

Thepresenceofstrongevilregistersonyoursenseslikeanoxiousodor,andp
owerfulgoodringslikeheavenlymusicinyourears.Asanaction,youcanope
nyourawarenesstodetectsuchforces.Untiltheendofyournextturn,youkn
owthelocationofanycelestial,fiend,orundeadwithin60feetofyouthatisn
otbehindtotalcover.Youknowthetype(celestial,fiend,orundead)ofanyb
eingwhosepresenceyousense,butnotitsidentity(thevampireCountStrah
dvonZarovich,forinstance).Withinthesameradius,youalsodetectthepre
senceofanyplaceorobjectthathasbeenconsecratedordesecrated,aswitht
hehallowspell.

Youcanusethisfeatureanumberoftimesequalto1+yourCharismamodifier
.Whenyoufinishalongrest,youregainallexpendeduses.
LayONHANDS

Yourblessedtouchcanhealwounds.Youhaveapoolofhealingpowerthatrep
lenisheswhenyoutakealongrest.Withthatpool,youcanrestoreatotalnum
berofhitpointsequaltoyourpaladinlevel*5.

Asanaction,youcantouchacreatureanddrawpowerfromthepooltorestore
anumberofhitpoinistothatcreature,uptothemaximumamountremainingi
nyourpool,

Alternatively,youcanexpend5hitpointsfromyourpoolofhealingtocureth
etargetofonediseaseorneutralizeonepoisonaffectingit.Youcancuremul
tiplediseasesandneutralizemultiplepoisonswithasingleuseofLayonHan
ds,expendinghitpointsseparatelyforcachone,

Thisfeaturehasnoeffectonundeadandconstructs.

PAR T 1 | C LAS S E S

By2ndlevel,youhavelearnedtodrawondivinemagicthroughmeditationan
dprayertocastspellsasaclericdoes.Seechapter10forthegeneralrulesofs
pelleastingandchapter11forthepaladinspelllist.

P R E PAR I N GAN D CAS T I N G S P E L L S

ThePaladintableshowshowmanyspellslotsyouhavetocastyourspells,To
castoneofyourpaladinspellsofAstlevelorhigher,youmustexpendaslotof
t h e s p e l l ’s l e v e l o r h i g h e r .Yo u r e g a i n a l l e x p e n d e d s p e l l s l o t s w h e n y o u f i n i s
halongrest.

Youpreparethelistofpaladinspellsthatareavailableforyoutocast,choosi
ngfromthepaladinspelllist.Whenyoudoso,chooseanumberofpaladinspel
lsequaltoyourCharismamodifier+halfyourpaladinlevel,roundeddown(
minimumofonespell),Thespellsmustbeofalevelforwhichyouhavespellsl
ots.

Forexample,ifyouarea5th-levelpaladin,youhavefour1st-levelandtwo2
nd-levelspellslots.WithaCharismaof14,yourlistofpreparedspellscanin
cludefourspellsofIstor2ndlevel,inanycombination.Ifyoupreparethe1st
-levelspellcurewounds,youcancastitusingaIst-levelora2nd-levelslot.
C a s t i n g t h e s p e l l d o e s n ’t r e m o v e i t f r o m y o u r l i s t o f p r e p a r e d s p e l l s .

Youcanchangeyourlistofpreparedspellswhenyoufinishalongrest.Prepa
ringanewlistofpaladinspellsrequirestimespentinprayerandmeditation:
atleast1minuteperspelllevelforeachspellonyourlist.

SPELLCASTINGABILITYCharismaisyourspellcastingabilityforyourpal
adinspells,sincetheirpowerderivesfromthestrengthof

yourconvictions.YouuseyourCharismawheneveraspellreferstoyourspel
leastingability.Inaddition,youuseyourCharismamodifierwhensettingt
hesavingthrowDCforapaladinspellyoucastandwhenmakinganattackroll
withone.

SpellsaveDC=8+yourproficiencybonus+yourCharismamodifier

Spellattackmodifier~yourproficiencybonus+yourCharismamodifier

SPELLCASTINGFocusYoucanuseaholysymbol(foundinchapter5)asaspe
llcastingfocusforyourpaladinspells.
DivineSMITE

Startingat2ndlevel,whenyouhitacreaturewithameleeweaponattack,you
canexpendonepaladinspellslottodealradiantdamagetothetarget,inaddit
iontotheweapon'sdamage.Theextradamageis2d8foraIstlevelspellslot,p
lus18foreachspelllevelhigherthanIst,toamaximumof5d8.Thedamagein
creasesby1d8ifthetargetisanundeadorafiend.

DIVINEHEALTH

By3rdlevel,thedivinemagicflowingthroughyoumakesyouimmunetodise
ase.

SACREDOaTH

Whenyoureach3rdlevel,yousweartheoaththatbindsyouasapaladinforev
er.Uptothistimeyouhavebeeninapreparatorystage,committedtothepath
butnotyetsworntoit.NowyouchoosetheOathofDevotion,theOathoftheAn
cients,ortheOathofVengeance,alldetailedattheendoftheclassdescripti
on.

Yourchoicegrantsyoufeaturesat3rdlevelandagainat7th,15th,and20thle
vel.ThosefeaturesincludeoathspellsandtheChannelDivinityfeature.

OaTHSPELLS

Eachoathhasalistofassociatedspells.Yougainaccesstothesespellsatthe
levelsspecifiedintheoathdescription,Onceyougainaccesstoanoathspell
, y o u a l w a y s h a v e i t p r e p a r e d . O a t h s p e l l s d o n ’t c o u n t a g a i n s t t h e n u m b e r o f s
pellsyoucanpreparecachday.

Tfyougainanoathspellthatdoesn'tappearonthepaladinspelllist,thespell
isnonethelessapaladin—spellforyou.£

~CHANNELDivinity=Youroathallowsyoutochanneldivineenergytofuel
magicaleffects.EachChannelDivinityoptionprovidedbyyouroathexplai
nshowtouseit.

WhenyouuseyourChannelDivinity,youchoosewhichoptiontouse.Youmu
stthenfinishashortorlongresttouseyourChannelDivinityagain.

SomeChannelDivinityeffectsrequiresavingthrows.Whenyouusesuchan
effectfromthisclass,theDCequalsyourpaladinspellsaveDC.

ABILITYSCOREIMPROVEMENT—_Whenyoureach4thlevel,andagainat
8th,12th,16th,and19thlevel,youcanincreaseoneabilityscoreofyourchoi
ceby2,oryoucanincreasetwoabilityscoresofyourchoiceby1.Asnormal,y
o u c a n ’t i n c r e a s e a n a b i l i t y s c o r e a b o v e 2 0 u s i n g t h i s f e a t u r e .

E x t T R AAT TA C K

BeginningatSthlevel,youcanattacktwice,insteadofonce,wheneveryout
aketheAttackactiononyourturn.

AURAOFPROTECTION

Startingat6thlevel,wheneveryouorafriendlycreaturewithin10feetofyo
umustmakeasavingthrow,thecreaturegainsabonustothesavingthrowequ
altoyourCharismamodifier(withaminimumbonusof+1),Youmustbecons
cioustograntthisbonus.
At18thlevel,therangeofthisauraincreasesto30feet.

AURAOFCOURAGE

S t a r t i n g a t 1 0 t h l e v e l , y o u a n d f r i e n d l y c r e a t u r e s : w i t h i n 1 0 f e e t o f y o u c a n ’t
befrightenedwhileyouareconscious,At18thlevel,therangeofthisaurain
creasesto30feet.

IMPROVEDDIVINESMITE

By11thlevel,youaresosuffusedwithrighteous

mightthatallyourmeleeweaponstrikescarrydivinepowerwiththem.When
everyouhitaercaturewithameleeweapon,Uiecreaturetakesanextra1d8ra
diantdamage.IfyoualsouseyourDivineSmitewithanattack,youaddthisda
magetotheextradamageofyourDivineSmite.

CLEANSINGToucH

Beginningat14thlevel,youcanuseyouractiontoendonespellonyourselfo
rononewillingcreaturethatyoutouch.

YoucanusethisfeatureanumberoftimesequaltoyourCharismamodifier(a
minimumofonce).Youregainexpendeduseswhenyoufinishalongrest.

SAC R E D OAT H S

Becomingapaladininvolvestakingvowsthatcommitthepaladintothecaus
eofrighteousness,anactivepathoffightingwickedness.Thefinaloath,tak
e n w h e n h e o r s h e r e a c h e s 3 r d l e v e l , i s t h e c u l m i n a t i o n o f a l l t h e p a l a d i n ’s t r a i
ning.Somecharacterswiththisclassdon'tconsiderthemselvestruepaladi
nsuntiltheyhavereached3rdlevelandmadethisoath.Forothers,theactual
swearingoftheoathisaformality,anofficialstamponwhathasalwaysbeent
r u e i n t h e p a l a d i n ’s h e a r t .

OAT H O F D E V O T I O N

TheOathofDevotionbindsapaladintotheloftiestidealsofjustice,virtue,a
ndorder.Sometimescalledcavaliers,whileknights,orholywarriors,these
paladinsmeettheidealoftheknightinshiningarmor,

actingwithhonorinpursuitofjusticeandthegreatergood.Theyholdthemse
lvestothehigheststandardsofconduct,andsome,forbetterorworse,holdt
herestoftheworldtothesamestandards.Manywhoswearthisoatharedevot
e d t o g o d s o f l a w a n d g o o d a n d u s e t h e i r g o d s ’t e n e t s a s t h e m e a s u r e o f t h e i r d e v
otion.Theyholdangels—theperfectservantsofgood—astheirideals,andi
ncorporateimagesofangelicwingsintotheirhelmetsorcoatsofarms.

TENETSOFDEVOTIONThoughtheexactwordsandstricturesoftheOathof
Devotionvary,paladinsofthisoathsharethesetenets,Honesty.Don'tlieor
cheat.Letyourwordbeoealyyourpromise.2afCourage.Neverfeartoact,th
oughcautioniswise.Compassion.Aidothers,protecttheweak,and=punish
thosewhothreatenthem.Showmercytoyourfoes,buttemperitwithwisdom.
2Honor.Treatotherswithfairness,andletyourhonorabledeedsbeanexamp
letothem.Doasmuchgoodaspossiblewhilecausingtheleastamountofharm
.Duty.Beresponsibleforyouractionsandtheirconsequences,protectthos
eentrustedtoyourcare,andobeythosewhohavejustauthorityoveryou.

OarTHSPELLSYougainoathspellsatthepaladinlevelslisted.
OaTHOFDEVOTIONSPELLS

PaladinLevelSpells3rdprotectionfromevilandgood,sanctuary5thlesser
restoration,zoneoftruth9thbeaconofhope,dispelmagic13thfreedomofm
avement,guardianoffaith17thcommune,flamestrike

CHANNELDIVINITYWhenyoutakethisoathat3rdlevel,yougainthefollo
wingtwoChannelDivinityoptions.

SacredWeapon,Asanaction,youcanimbueoneweaponthatyouarcholding
withpositiveenergy,usingyourChannelDivinity.For1minute,youaddyo
urCharismamodifiertoattackrollsmadewiththatweapon(withaminimum
bonusof+1).Theweaponalsoemitsbrightlightina20-footradiusanddimli
ght20feetbeyondthat.Iftheweaponisnotalreadymagical,itbecomesmagi
calfortheduration.

Youcanendthiseffectonyourturnaspartofanyotheraction.Ifyouarenolon
gerholdingorcarryingthisweapon,orifyoufallunconscious,thiseffecten
ds.

TurntheUnholy.Asanaction,youpresentyourholysymbolandspeakapraye
rcensuringfiendsandundead,usingyourChannelDivinity.Eachfiendorun
deadthatcanseeorhearyouwithin30feetofyoumustmakeaWisdomsavingt
hrow.Ifthecreaturefailsitssavingthrow,ilisturnedfor1minuteoruntilitr
akesdamage.

Aturnedcreaturemustspenditsturnstryingtomoveasfarawayfromyouasit
can,anditcan'twillinglymovetoaspacewithin30feetofyou,Italsocan'tta
ke

PAR T 1 | C LAS S E S

OeeSSeeeBREAKINGYourOaTHApaladintriestoholdtothehigheststanda
rdsofconduct,buteventhemostvirtuouspaladinisfallible.Sometimesthe
rightpathprovestoodemanding,sometimesasituationcallsforthelessero
ftwoevils,andsometimestheheatofemotioncausesapaladintotransgress
hisorheroath.

Apaladinwhohasbrokenavowtypicallyseeksabsolutionfromaclericwhos
hareshisorherfaithorfromanotherpaladinofthesameorder.Thepaladinm
ightspendanall-nightvigilinprayerasasignofpenitence,orundertakeafa
storsimilaractofself-denial.Afterariteofconfessionandforgiveness,the
paladinstartsfresh.

Ifapaladinwillfullyviolateshisorheroathandshowsnosignofrepentance,
theconsequencescanbemoreserious.

AttheDM'sdiscretion,animpenitentpaladinmightbe

forcedtoabandonthisclassandadoptanother,orperhaps

totaketheOathbreakerpaladinoptionthatappearsinthe

DungeonMaster'sGuide.——_—__=SaxsxesSs!s

reactions.Foritsaction,itcanuseonlytheDashaction

AuRAOFDEVOTION

Startingat7thlevel,youandfriendlycreatureswithin
10feetofyoucan'tbecharmedwhileyouareconscious.At18thlevel,theran
geofthisauraincreasesto30feet.

PURITYOFSPIRITBeginningat15thlevel,youarealwaysundertheeffects
ofaprotectionfromevilandgoodspell.

HotyNimBusAt20thlevel,asanaction,youcanemanateanauraofsunlight.
For1minute,brightlightshinesfromyouina30-footradius,anddimlightsh
ines30feetbeyondthat.Wheneveranenemycreaturestartsitsturninthebri
ghtlight,thecreattiretakes10radiantdamage.Inaddition,fortheduration
,youhaveadvantageonsavingthrowsagainstspellscastbyfiendsorundead
. O n c e y o u u s e t h i s f e a t u r e , y o u c a n ’t u s e i t a g a i n u n t i l y o u f i n i s h a l o n g r e s t .

OAT H O F T H EAN C I E N T S

TheOathoftheAncientsisasoldastheraceofelvesandtheritualsofthedrui
ds.Sometimescalledfeyknights,greenknights,orhornedknights,paladin
swhoswearthisoathcasttheirlotwiththesideofthelight

inthecosmicstruggleagainstdarknessbecausetheylovethebeautifulandl
ife-givingthingsoftheworld,

notnecessarilybecausetheybelieveinprinciplesofhonor,courage,andjus
tice.Theyadorntheirarmorandclothingwithimagesofgrowingthings—le
aves,antlers,orflowers—toreflecttheircommitmenttopreservinglifean
dlightintheworld,

TENETSOFTHEANCIENTS

ThetenetsoftheOathoftheAncientshavebeenpreservedforuncountedcent
uries.Thisoathemphasizestheprinciplesofgoodaboveanyconcernsoflaw
orchaos.Itsfourcentralprinciplesaresimple.

KindletheLight.Throughyouractsofmercy,kindness,andforgiveness,ki
ndlethelightofhopeintheworld,beatingbackdespair.

SheltertheLight.Wherethereisgood,beauty,love,andlaughterintheworl
d,standagainstthewickednessthatwouldswallowit.Wherelifeflourishes
,standagainsttheforcesthatwouldrenderitbarren.

PreserveYourOwnLight.Delightinsongandlaughter,inbeautyandart.Ify
o u a l l o w t h e l i g h t t o d i e i n y o u r o w n h e a r t , y o u c a n ’t p r e s e r v e i t i n t h e w o r l d .

BetheLight.Beagloriousbeaconforallwholiveindespair.Letthelightofy
ourjoyandcourageshineforthinallyourdeeds,

OaTHSPELLSYougainoathspellsatthepaladinlevelslisted.

OAT H O F T H EAN C I E N T S S PE LLS

PaladinLevelSpells3rdensnaringstrike,speakwithanimalsSthmoonbea
m,mistystep9thplantgrowth,protectionfromenergy13thicestorm,stones
kinWthcommunewithnature,treestride

CHANNELDIVINITYWhenyoutakethisoathat3rdlevel,yougainthe—foll
o w i n g t w o C h a n n e l D i v i n i t y o p t i o n s . ‘ - N a t u r e ’s W r a t h .Yo u c a n u s e y o u r C h a
nnelDivinitytoinvokeprimevalforcestoensnareafoe.Asanaction,youcan
causespectralvinestospringupandreachforacreaturewithin10feetofyou
thatyoucansee.ThecreaturemustsucceedonaStrengthorDexteritysaving
throw(itschoice)orberestrained.Whilerestrainedbythevines,thecreatu
rerepeatsthesavingthrowattheendofeachofitsturns.Onasuccess,itfrees
itselfandthevinesvanish.TurntheFaithless.YoucanuseyourChannelDivi
nitytoutterancientwordsthatarepainfulforfeyandfiendstohear.Asanact
ion,youpresentyourholy

symbol,andeachfeyorfiendwithin30feetofyouthatcanhearyoumustmake
aWisdomsavingthrow.Onafailedsave,thecreatureisturnedfor1minuteor
untilittakesdamage.

Aturnedcreaturemustspenditsturnstryingtomoveasfarawayfromyouasit
can,anditcan'twillinglymovetoaspacewithin30feetofyou.Italsocan'tta
kereactions,Foritsaction,itcanuseonlytheDashactionortrytoescapefro
maneffectthatpreventsitfrommoving.Ifthere'snowheretomove,thecreat
urecanusetheDodgeaction,

Ifthecreature'strueformisconcealedbyanillusion,shapeshifting,orothe
reffect,thatformisrevealedwhileitisturned.

Au RAO F WAR D I N G B e g i n n i n g a t 7 t h l e v e l , a n c i e n t m a g i c l i e s s o h e a v i l y u p o
nyouthatitformsaneldritchward.Youandfriendlycreatureswithin10feet
ofyouhaveresistancetodamagefromspells.

At18thlevel,therangeofthisauraincreasesto30feet.

UNDYINGSENTINEL

Startingat15thlevel,whenyouarereducedto0hit

pointsandarenotkilledoutright,youcanchooseto

dropto1hitpointinstead.Onceyouusethisability,you

can'tuseitagainuntilyoufinishalongrest.Additionally,yousuffernoneof
thedrawbacksofold

age,andyoucan'tbeagedmagically.

ELDERCHAMPION

At20thlevel,youcanassumetheformofanancient

forceofnature,takingonanappearanceyouchoose.

Forexample,yourskinmightturngreenortakeona

bark-liketexture,yourhairmightbecomeleafyormoss-

like,oryoumightsproutantlersoralion-likemane.Usingyouraction,youu
ndergoatransformation.

For1minute,yougainthefollowingbenefits:

Atthestartofeachofyourturns,youregain10hitpoints.

WheneveryoucastapaladinspellthathasacastingtimeofIaction,youcanc
astitusingabonusactioninstead.

Enemycreatureswithin10feetofyouhavedisadvan-tageonsavingthrowsa
gainstyourpaladinspellsandChannelDivinityoptions.
Onceyouusethisfeature,youcan'tuseitagainuntilyoufinishalongrest.

OAT H O F V E N G EAN C E

TheOathofVengeanceisasolemncommitmenttopunishthosewhohavecom
mittedagrievoussin.Whenevilforcesslaughterhelplessvillagers,whena
n e n t i r e p e o p l e t u r n s a g a i n s t t h e w i l l o f t h e g o d s , w h e n a t h i e v e s ’g u i l d g r o w s
tooviolentandpowerful,whenadragonrampagesthroughthecountryside
—attimeslikethese,paladinsariseandswearanOathofVengeancetosetrig
htthatwhichhasgonewrong.Tothesepaladinssometimescalledavengerso
rdarkknights—theirownpurityisnotasimportantasdeliveringjustice.

TENETSOFVENGEANCE

ThetenetsoftheOathofVengeancevarybypaladin,butallthetenetsrevolve
aroundpunishingwrongdoersbyanymeansnecessary.Paladinswhouphold
thesetenetsarewillingtosacrificeeventheirownrighteousnesstometeout
justiceuponthosewhodoevil,sothepaladinsareoftenneutralorlawfulneu
tralinalignment,Thecoreprinciplesofthetenetsarebrutallysimple.

FighttheGreaterEvil.Facedwithachoiceoffightingmyswornfoesorcomb
atingalesserevil,Ichoosethegreaterevil.

NoMercyfortheWicked.Ordinaryfoesmightwinmymercy,butmyswornen
emiesdonot.

B yAn y M e a n s N e c e s s a r y , M y q u a l m s c a n ’t g e t i n t h e w a y o f e x t e r m i n a t i n g m y
foes.

Restitution.|fmyfoeswreakruinontheworld,itisbecauseIfailedtostopth
em.Imusthelpthoseharmedbytheirmisdeeds.

OatHSPELLSYougainoathspellsatthepaladinlevelslisted.

OAT H O F V E N G EAN C E S PE LLS Pa l a d i n Le v e l S p e l l s

3rdbane,hunter'smark

Sthholdperson,mistystep

9thhaste,protectionfromenergy13thbanishment,dimensiondoor

1thholdmonster,scrying

PAR T 1 ] G LAS S E S

CHANNELDIvINITyWhenyoutakethisoathat3rdlevel,yougainthefollow
ingtwoChannelDivinityoptions.

AbjureEnemy,Asanaction,youpresentyourholysymbolandspeakaprayer
ofdenunciation,usingyourChannelDivinity.Chooseonecreaturewithin6
0feetofyouthatyoucansee.ThatcreaturemustmakeaWisdomsavingthrow,
unlessitisimmunetobeingfrightened.Fiendsandundeadhavedisadvantag
eonthissavingthrow.

Onafailedsave,thecreatureisfrightenedfor1minuteoruntilittakesanyda
m a g e . W h i l e f r i g h t e n e d , t h e c r e a t u r e ' s s p e e d i s 0 , a n d i t c a n ’t b e n e f i t f r o m a n
ybonustoitsspeed.
Onasuccessfulsave,thecreature'sspeedishalvedfor1minuteoruntilthecr
eaturetakesanydamage.

VowofEnmity.Asabonusaction,youcanutteravowofenmityagainstacreat
ureyoucanseewithin10feetofyou,usingyourChannelDivinity.Yougaina
dvantageonattackrollsagainstthecreaturefor|minuteoruntilitdropsto0h
itpointsorfallsunconscious.

R E LE N T LE S SAV E N G E R

By7thlevel,yoursupernaturalfocushelpsyoucloseoffafoe'sretreat.Whe
nyouhitacreaturewithanopportunityattack,youcanmoveuptohalfyoursp
eedimmediatelyaftertheattackandaspartofthesamereaction.Thismovem
e n t d o e s n ’t p r o v o k e o p p o r t u n i t y a t t a c k s .

SOULOFVENGEANCE

Startingat15thlevel,theauthoritywithwhichyouspeakyourVowofEnmit
ygivesyougreaterpoweroveryourfoe.Whenacreatureundertheeffectofyo
urVowofEnmitymakesanattack,youcanuseyourreactiontomakeameleew
eaponattackagainstthatcreatureifitiswithinrange.

AV E N G I N GAN G E L

At20thlevel,youcanassumetheformofanangelicavenger.Usingyouractio
n,youundergoatransformation.For|hour,yougainthefollowingbenefits:

+Wingssproutfromyourbackandgrantyouaflyingspeedof60feet.

+Youemanateanauraofmenaceina30-footradius.Thefirsttimeanyenemyc
reatureenterstheauraorstartsitsturnthereduringabattle,thecreaturemu
stsucceedonaWisdomsavingthroworbecomefright-enedofyoufor1minut
eoruntilittakesanydamage.Attackrollsagainstthefrightenedcreatureha
veadvantage.

O n c e y o u u s e t h i s f e a t u r e , y o u c a n ’t u s e i t a g a i n u n t i l y o u f i n i s h a l o n g r e s t ,

RANGER

Roughandwildlooking,ahumanstalksalonethroughtheshadowsoftrees,h
untingtheorcsheknowsareplanningaraidonanearbyfarm.Clutching

ashortswordineachhand,

hebecomesawhirlwindofsteel,cuttingdownoneenemyafteranother,

Aftertumblingawayfromaconeoffreezingair,anelffindsherfeetanddraw
sbackherbowtolooseanarrowatthewhitedragon,Shruggingoffthewaveof
fearthatemanatesfromthedragonlikethecoldofitsbreath,shesendsonear
rowafteranothertofindthegapsbetweenthedragon'sthickscales.

Holdinghishandhigh,ahalf-elfwhistlestothehawkthatcircleshighabove
him,callingthebirdbacktohisside,WhisperinginstructionsinElvish,hep
ointstotheowlbearhe'sbeentrackingandsendsthehawktodistractthecrea
turewhilehereadieshisbow,

Farfromthebustleofcandtowns,pastthehedgesthatshelterthemostdistan
tfarmsfromthe4
terrorsofthewild,amidthedense-packedtreesoftracklessforestsandacro
sswideandemptyplains,rangerskeeptheirunendingwatch

D EAD LYH U N T E R S

Warriorsofthewilderness,rangersspecializeinhuntingthemonstersthatt
hreatentheedgesofcivilization—humanoidraiders,rampagingbeastsand
monstrosities,terriblegiants,anddeadlydragons.Theylearntotracktheir
quarryasapredatordoes,movingstealthilythroughthewildsandhidingthe
mselvesinbrushandrubble.Rangersfocustheircombattrainingontechniq
uesthatareparticularlyusefulagainsttheirspecificfavoredfoes.Thankst
otheirfamiliaritywiththewilds,rangersacquiretheabilityspellsthathar
nessnature'spower,muchasadruiddoes.Theirspells,liketheircombatabil
i t i e s , e m p h a s i z e s p e e d , s t e a l t h , a n d t h e h u n t .Ar a n g e r ’s t a l e n t s a n d a b i l i t i e
sarehonedwithdeadlyfocusonthegrimtaskofprotectingtheborderlands.

I N D E PE N D E N TAD V E N T U R E R S

Thougharangermightmakealivingasahunter,aguide,oratracker,aranger’
struecallingistodefendtheoutskirtsofcivilizationfromtheravagesofmo
nstersandhumanoidhordesthatpressinfromthewild.Insomeplaces,range
rsgatherinsecretiveordersorjoinforceswithdruidiccircles.Manyranger
s,though,areindependentalmosttoafault,knowingthat,whenadragonora
bandoforcsattacks,arangermightbethefirst—andpossiblythelast—line
ofdefense,

Thisfierceindependencemakesrangerswellsuitedtoadventuring,sinceth
eyareaccustomedtolifefarfromthecomfortsofadrybedandahotbath.Face
dwithcity-bredadventurerswhogrouseandwhineaboutthehardshipsofthe
wild,rangersrespondwithsome

THERANGER

ProficiencySpells—SpellSlotsperSpellLevel—LevelBonusFeaturesKn
ownIstand3rd4thSthIst+2FavoredEnemy,NaturalExplorer2nd+2Fighti
ngStyle,Spellcasting22—(ee——_\3rd+2RangerArchetype,PrimevalAw
areness33=40=o=e\Ath+2AbilityScoreImprovement33_—a—Sth+3Extr
aAttack4426th+3FavoredEnemyandNaturalExplorerimprovements4427
th43RangerArchetypefeature5438th+3AbilityScoreImprovement,Land'
sStride5439th+4=64310th+4NaturalExplorerimprovement,HideinPlain
Sight643Nth+4RangerArchetypefeature74312th4AbilityScoreImprove
ment74313th+5_84zy14th5FavoredEnemyimprovement,Vanish84a15th
5RangerArchetypefeature94316th+5AbilityScoreImprovement9437th+
6=104318th+6FeralSenses1043AbilityScoreImprovernentnv43FoeSlay
er43

Buttheyquicklylearnthatotheradventurerswhocan~carrytheirownweigh
tinafightagainstcivilizationsfoesareworthanyextraburden.Coddledcit
yfolkmightnotknowhowtofeedthemselvesorfindfreshwaterinthewild,b
uttheymakeupforitinotherways.

C R EAT I N GARAN G E R

Asyoucreateyourrangercharacter,considerthenatureofthetrainingthatg
aveyouyourparticularcapabilities.Didyoutrainwithasinglementor,wan
d e r i n g t h e w i l d s t o g e t h e r u n t i l y o u m a s t e r e d t h e r a n g e r ’s w a y s ? D i d y o u l e a v
eyourapprenticeship,orwasyourmentorslain—perhapsbythesamekindof
monsterthatbecameyourfavoredenemy?Orperhapsyoulearnedyourskills
aspartofabandofrangersaffiliatedwithadruidiccircle,trainedinmysticp
athsaswellaswildernesslore.Youmightbeself-taught,areclusewholearn
edcombatskills,tracking,andevenamagicalconnectiontonaturethrought
henecessityofsurvivinginthewilds.

What'sthesourceofyourparticularhatredofacertainkindofenemy?Didam
onsterkillsomeoneyoulovedordestroyyourhomevillage?Ordidyouseeto
omuchofthedestructionthesemonsterscauseandcommityourselftoreinin
gintheirdepredations?Isyouradventuringcareeracontinuationofyourwo
rkinprotectingtheborderlands,orasignificantchange?

PAR T 1 | C LAS S E S

Li

go

Whatmadeyoujoinupwithabandofadventurers?Doyoufinditchallengingt
oteachnewalliesthewaysofthewild,ordoyouwelcometherelieffromsolit
udethattheyoffer?

QuickBuiLp

Youcanmakearangerquicklybyfollowingthesesuggestions.First,makeD
exterityyourhighestabilityscore,followedbyWisdom,(Somerangerswho
focusontwo-weaponfightingmakeStrengthhigherthanDexterity.)Secon
d,choosetheoutlanderbackground.

C LAS S F EAT U R E S

Asaranger,yougainthefollowingclassfeatures,

HitPoints

HitDice:1d10perrangerlevel

HitPointsat1stLevel:10+yourConstitutionmodifier

HitPointsatHigherLevels:1d10(or6)+yourConstitutionmodifierperran
gerlevelafter1st

PROFICIENCIES

Armor:Lightarmor,mediumarmor,shieldsWeapons:Simpleweapons,mar
tialweaponsTools:None

SavingThrows:Strength,Dexterity

Skills:ChoosethreefromAnimalHandling,Athletics,Insight,Investigati
on,Nature,Perception,Stealth,andSurvival

EQUIPMENTYoustartwiththefollowingequipment,inadditiontotheequi
pmentgrantedbyyourbackground:

+(a)scalemailor(6)leatherarmor

+(a)twoshortswordsor(6)twosimplemeleeweapons+(a)adungeoneer'spa
ckor(b)anexplorer'spack

«Alongbowandaquiverof20arrows
FAV O R E D E N E MY

Beginningat1stlevel,youhavesignificantexperiencestudying,tracking,
hunting,andeventalkingtoacertaintypeofenemy.

Chooseatypeoffavoredenemy:aberrations,beasts,celestials,constructs
,dragons,elementals,fey,fiends,giants,monstrosities,oozes,plants,oru
ndead.Alternatively,youcanselecttworacesofhumanoid(suchasgnollsa
ndorcs)asfavoredenemies.

YouhaveadvantageonWisdom(Survival)checkstotrackyourfavoredenem
ies,aswellasonIntelligencecheckstorecallinformationaboutthem.

Whenyougainthisfeature,youalsolearnonelanguageofyourchoicethatis
spokenbyyourfavoredenemies,iftheyspeakoneatall.

Youchooseoneadditionalfavoredenemy,aswellasanassociatedlanguage
,at6thand14thlevel.Asyougainlevels,yourchoicesshouldreflectthetype
sofmonstersyouhaveencounteredonyouradventures.

NAT U RALE X PLO R E R

Youareparticularlyfamiliarwithonetypeofnaturalenvironmentandaread
eptattravelingandsurvivinginsuchregions,Chooseonetypeoffavoredter
rain:arctic,coast,desert,forest,grassland,mountain,swamp,ortheUnde
rdark.WhenyoumakeanIntelligenceorWisdomcheckrelatedtoyourfavor
edterrain,yourproficiencybonusisdoubledifyouareusingaskillthatyou'
reproficientin,

Whiletravelingforanhourormoreinyourfavoredterrain,yougainthefollo
wingbenefits:

D i f f i c u l t t e r r a i n d o e s n ’t s l o w y o u r g r o u p ' s t r a v e l .Yo u r g r o u p c a n ' t b e c o m e l

ostexceptbymagicalmeans,

Evenwhenyouareengagedinanotheractivitywhiletraveling(suchasforag
ing,navigating,ortracking),youremainalerttodanger,

Tfyouaretravelingalone,youcanmovestealthilyatanormalpace.

Whenyouforage,youfindtwiceasmuchfoodasyounormallywould.

Whiletrackingothercreatures,youalsolearntheirexactnumber,theirsize
s,andhowlongagoneypassedthroughthearea.

Youchooseadditionalfavoredterraintypesat6thand10thlevel.

FIGHTINGSTYLE

At2ndlevel,youadoptaparticularstyleoffightingasyourspecialty.Choos
eoneofthefollowingoptions.Youcan'ttakeaFightingStyleoptionmoretha
nonce,evenifyoulatergettochooseagain.

AR C H E RYYo u g a i n a + 2 b o n u s t o a t t a c k r o l l s y o u m a k e w i t h r a n g e d w e a p o n s .

DEFENSEWhileyouarewearingarmor,yougaina+1bonustoAC.

DUELING
Whenyouarewieldingameleeweaponinonehandandnootherweapons,you
gaina+2bonustodamagerollswiththatweapon.

TwO-WEAPONFIGHTING‘Whenyouengageintwo-weaponfighting,youc
anaddyourabilitymodifiertothedamageofthesecondattack.

SPELLCASTING

Bythetimeyoureach2ndlevel,youhavelearnedtousethemagicalessenceo
fnaturetocastspells,muchasadruiddoes.Seechapter10forthegeneralrule
sofspellcastingandchapter11fortherangerspelllist.

SPELLSLOTSTheRangertableshowshowmanyspellslotsyouhavetocasty
ourspellsofIstlevelandhigher.Tocastoneofthesespells,youmustexpend
a s l o t o f t h e s p e l l ’s l e v e l o r h i g h e r .Yo u r e g a i n a l l e x p e n d e d s p e l l s l o t s w h e n y
oufinishalongrest.

Forexample,ifyouknowtheIst-levelspellanimalfriendshipandhayea1st-
levelanda2nd-levelspellslotavailable,youcancastanimalfriendshipusi
ngeitherslot.

S P E L L S K N O W N O F I s t L E V E LAN D H I G H E R Y o u k n o w t w o I s t - l e v e l s p e l l s o
fyourchoicefromtherangerspelllist.

TheSpellsKnowncolumnoftheRangertableshowswhenyoulearnmorerang
erspellsofyourchoice.Eachofthesespellsmustbeofalevelforwhichyouha
ve

spellslots.Forinstance,whenyoureach5thlevelinthis

class,youcanlearnonenewspellof1stor2ndlevel.Additionally,whenyou
gainalevelinthisclass,

youcanchooseoneoftherangerspellsyouknow

andreplaceitwithanotherspellfromtheranger_

spelllist,whichalsomustbeofalevelforwhichyou

havespellslots.

SPELLCASTINGABILITY

Wisdomisyourspellcastingabilityforyourrangerspells,sinceyourmagic
drawsonyourattunementtonature.YouuseyourWisdomwheneveraspellre
ferstoyourspellcastingability.Inaddition,youuseyourWisdommodifier
whensettingthesavingthrowDCforarangerspellyoucastandwhenmaking
anattackrollwithone.

SpellsaveDC~8+yourproficiencybonus+yourWisdommodifier

Spellattackmodifier—yourproficiencybonus+yourWisdommodifier

RANGERARCHETYPE

At3rdlevel,youchooseanarchetypethatyoustrivetoemulate:HunterorBe
astMaster,bothdetailedattheendoftheclassdescription.Yourchoicegran
tsyoufeaturesat3rdlevelandagainat7th,11th,

and15thlevel,
P R I M E VALAWAR E N E S S

Beginningat3rdlevel,youcanuseyouractionandexpendonerangerspellsl
ottofocusyourawarenessontheregionaroundyou.For1minuteperleveloft
hespellslotyouexpend,youcansensewhetherthefollowingtypesofcreatu
resarepresentwithin1mileofyou(orwithinupto6milesifyouareinyourfav
oredterrain):aberrations,celestials,dragons,elementals,fey,fiends,an
d u n d e a d . T h i s f e a t u r e d o e s n ' t r e v e a l t h e c r e a t u r e s ’l o c a t i o n o r n u m b e r .

PAR T 1 ' | C LAS S E S “ i s o t t

ABILITYSCOREIMPROVEMENT

Whenyoureach4thlevel,andagainat8th,12th,16th,and19thlevel,youcan
increaseoneabilityscoreofyourchoiceby2,oryoucanincreasetwoability
s c o r e s o f y o u r c h o i c e b y 1 ,As n o r m a l , y o u c a n ’t i n c r e a s e a n a b i l i t y s c o r e a b o v
e20usingthisfeature.

E x t r aATTAC K

Beginningat5thlevel,youcanattacktwice,insteadofonce,wheneveryout
aketheAttackactiononyourturn.

LAN D ' s S T R I D E

Startingat8thlevel,movingthroughnonmagicaldifficultterraincostsyou
noextramovement.Youcanalsopassthroughnonmagicalplantswithoutbei
ngslowedbythemandwithouttakingdamagefromthemiftheyhavethorns,s
pines,orasimilarhazard.

Inaddition,youhaveadvantageonsavingthrowsagainstplantsthataremag
icallycreatedormanipulatedtoimpedemovement,suchthosecreatedbythe
entanglespell.

H I D E I N P LAI N S I G H T

Startingat10thlevel,youcanspend1minutecreatingcamouflageforyours
elf.Youmusthaveaccesstofreshmud,dirt,plants,soot,andothernaturally
occurringmaterialswithwhichtocreateyourcamouflage.

Onceyouarecamouflagedinthisway,youcantrytohidebypressingyoursel
fupagainstasolidsurface,suchasatreeorwall,thatisatleastastallandwid
easyouare.Yougaina+10bonustoDexterity(Stealth)checksaslongasyour
emaintherewithoutmovingortakingactions.Onceyoumoveortakeanactio
norareaction,youmustcamouflageyourselfagaintogainthisbenefit.

VAN I S H

Startingat14thlevel,youcanusetheHideactionasabonusactiononyourtur
n,Also,youcan'tbetrackedbynonmagicalmeans,unlessyouchoosetoleave
atrail.

FERALSENSES

At18thlevel,yougainpreternaturalsensesthathelpyoufightcreaturesyou
can'tsce.Whenyouattackacreatureyoucan'tsee,yourinabilitytoseeitdoe
sn'timposedisadvantageonyourattackrollsagainstit.

Youarealsoawareofthelocationofanyinvisiblecreaturewithin30feetofy
ou,providedthatthecreatureisn'thiddenfromyouandyouaren'tblindedor
deafened.

F O E S LAY E R

At20thlevel,youbecomeanunparalleledhunterofyourenemies.Onceonea
chofyourturns,youcanaddyourWisdommodifiertotheattackrollortheda
magerollofanattackyoumakeagainstoneofyourfavoredenemies.Youcanc
hoosetousethisfeaturebeforeoraftertheroll,butbeforeanyeffectsofther
ollareapplied.

RANGERARCHETYPES

Theidealoftherangerhastwoclassicexpressions:theHunterandtheBeast
Master.

HUNTER

EmulatingtheHunterarchetypemeansacceptingyourplaceasabulwarkbet
weencivilizationandtheterrorsofthewilderness.AsyouwalktheHunter's
path,youlearnspecializedtechniquesforfightingthethreatsyouface,fro
mrampagingogresandhordesoforestotoweringgiantsandterrifyingdrago
ns.

Hunter'sPreyAt3rdlevel,yougainoneofthefollowingfeaturesofyourchoi
ce,

ColossusSlayer.Yourtenacitycanweardownthemostpotentfoes.Whenyo
uhitacreaturewithaweaponattack,thecreaturetakesanextra1d8damageif
it'sbelowitshitpointmaximum.Youcandealthisextradamageonlyonceper
turn.

GiantKiller,WhenaLargeorlargercreaturewithin5feetofyouhitsormisse
syouwithanattack,youcanuseyourreactiontoattackthatcreatureimmedia
telyafteritsattack,providedthatyoucanseethecreature.

HordeBreaker.Onceoneachofyourturnswhenyoumakeaweaponattack,yo
ucanmakeanotherattackwiththesameweaponagainstadifferentcreaturet
hatiswithin5feetoftheoriginaltargetandwithinrangeofyourweapon.

DEFENSIVETacticsAt7thlevel,yougainoneofthefollowingfeaturesofyo
urchoice.

EscapetheHorde.Opportunityattacksagainstyouaremadewithdisadvant
age,

MultiattackDefense.Whenacreaturehitsyouwithanattack,yougaina+4b
onustoACagainstallsubsequentattacksmadebythatcreaturefortherestof
theturn,

SteelWill,Youhaveadvantageonsavingthrowsagainstbeingfrightened.

M U LT IATTAC KAt 1 1 t h l e v e l , y o u g a i n o n e o f t h e f o l l o w i n g f e a t u r e s o f y o u r c
hoiceVolley.Youcanuseyouractiontomakearangedattackagainstanynum
berofcreatureswithin10feetofapointyoucanseewithinyourweapon'sYou
musthaveammunitionforeachtarget,eryoumakeaseparateattackrollfore
achtarget.—WhirlwindAttack,Youcanuseyouractiontomakeameleeattac
kagainstanynumberofcreatureswithin5feetafyou,withaseparateattackr
ollforeachtarget.
SuperiorHUNTER'SDEFENSEAt15thlevel,yougainoneofthefollowingfe
aturesofyourchoice.

Evasion.Youcannimblydodgeoutofthewayofcertainareaeffects,suchasa
reddragon'sfierybreathoraJightningboltspell.Whenyouaresubjectedto
aneffectthatallowsyoutomakeaDexteritysavingthrowtotakeonlyhalfda
mage,youinsteadtakenodamage

ifyousucceedonthesavingthrow,andonlyhalfdamageifyoufail.

StandAgainsttheTide,Whenahostilecreaturemissesyouwithameleeattac
k,youcanuseyourreactiontoforcethatcreaturetorepeatthesameattackag
ainstanothercreature(otherthanitself)ofyourchoice.

UncannyDodge.Whenanattackerthatyoucanseehitsyouwithanattack,yo
u c a n u s e y o u r r e a c t i o n t o h a l v e t h e a t t a c k ’s d a m a g e a g a i n s t y o u .

BEASTMASTER

TheBeastMasterarchetypeembodiesafriendshipbetweenthecivilizedrac
esandthebeastsoftheworld.Unitedinfocus,beastandrangerworkasoneto
fightthemonstrousfoesthatthreatencivilizationandthewildernessalike.
EmulatingtheBeastMasterarchetypemeanscommittingyourselftothiside
al,workinginpartnershipwithananimalasitscompanionandfriend.

RAN G E R ' S C O M PAN I O N

At3rdlevel,yougainabeastcompanionthataccompaniesyouonyouradvent
uresandistrainedtofightalongsideyou.Chooseabeastthatisnolargerthan
Mediumandthathasachallengeratingof1/4orlower(appendixDpresentsst
atisticsforthehawk,mastiff,andpantherasexamples).Addyourproficien
c y h o n u s t o t h e b e a s t ’sAC , a t t a c k r o l l s , a n d d a m a g e r o l l s , a s w e l l a s t o a n y s a v
ingthrowsandskillsitisproficientin.Itshitpointmaximumequalsitsnorm
almaximumorfourtimesyourrangerlevel,whicheverishigher.

Thebeastobeysyourcommandsasbestasitcan.Ittakesitsturnonyourinitia
tive,thoughitdoesn'ttakeanactionunlessyoucommanditto.Onyourturn,y
oucanverballycommandthebeastwheretomove(noactionrequiredbyyou)
.YoucanuseyouractiontoverballycommandittotaketheAttack,Dash,Dise
ngage,Dodge,orHelpaction.OnceyouhavetheExtraAttackfeature,youca
nmakeoneweaponattackyourselfwhenyoucommandthebeasttotaketheAtt
ackaction,

Whiletravelingthroughyourfavoredterrainwithonlythebeast,youcanmo
vestealthilyatanormalpace.

Ifthebeastdies,youcanobtainanotheronebyspending8hoursmagicallybo
ndingwithanotherbeastthatisn'thostiletoyou,eitherthesametypeofbeas
tasbeforeoradifferentone,

EXCEPTIONALTRAINING.

Beginningat7thlevel,onanyofyourturnswhenyourbeastcompaniondoesn
'tattack,youcanuseabonusactiontocommandthebeasttotaketheDash,Dis
engage,Dodge,orHelpactiononitsturn.

BESTIALFury
Startingal11thlevel,yourbeastcompanioncanmake(woattackswhenyouc
ommandittousetheAttackaction.

SHARESPELLS

Beginningat15thlevel,whenyoucastaspelltargetingyourself,youcanals
oaffectyourbeastcompanionwiththespellifthebeastiswithin30feetofyo
u.

ROGUE

Signalingforhercompanionstowait,ahalflingcreepsforwardthroughthe
dungeonhall.Shepressesaneartothedoor,thenpullsoutasetoftoolsandpi
cksthelockintheblinkofaneye.Thenshedisappearsintotheshadowsasher
fighterfriendmovesforwardtokickthedooropen

Ahumanlurksintheshadowsofanalleywhilehisaccomplicepreparesforhe
rpartintheambush.Whentheirtarget—anotoriousslaver—passesthealley
way,theaccomplicecriesout,theslavercomestoinvestigate,andtheassas
s i n ’s b l a d e c u t s h i s t h r o a t b e f o r e h e c a n m a k e a s o u n d .

Suppressingagiggle,agnomewagglesherfingersandmagicallyliftstheke
y r i n g f r o m t h e g u a r d ’s b e l t . I n a m o m e n t , t h e k e y s a r e i n h e r h a n d , t h e c e l l d o o r
isopen,andsheandhercompanionsarefreetomaketheirescape.

R o g u e s r e l y o n s k i l l , s t e a l t h , a n d t h e i r f o e s ’v u l n e r a b i l i t i e s t o g e t t h e u p p e r
handinanysituation.Theyhaveaknackforfindingthesolutiontojustabout
anyproblem,demonstratingaresourcefulnessandversatilitythatisthecor
nerstoneofanysuccessfuladventuringparty.

S K I L LAN D P R E C I S I O N

Roguesdevoteasmuchefforttomasteringtheuseof

avarietyofskillsastheydotoperfectingtheircombatabilities,givingthem
abroadexpertisethatfewothercharacterscanmatch.Manyroguesfocusons
tealthanddeception,whileothersrefinetheskillsthathelptheminadungeo
nenvironment,suchasclimbing,findinganddisarmingtraps,andopeningl
ocks.

Whenitcomestocombat,roguesprioritizecunningoverbrutestrength.Aro
guewouldrathermakeoneprecisestrike,placingitexactlywheretheattack
willhurtthetargetmost,thanwearanopponentdownwithabarrageofattack
s.Rogueshaveanalmostsupernaturalknackforavoidingdanger,andafewl
earnmagicaltrickstosupplementtheirotherabilities.

ASuapyLIVING

Everytownandcityhasitsshareofrogues.Mostofthemliveuptotheworstst
ereotypesoftheclass,makingalivingasburglars,assassins,cutpurses,an
d c o n a r t i s t s , O f t e n , t h e s e s c o u n d r e l s a r e o r g a n i z e d i n t o t h i e v e s ’g u i l d s o r c r
imefamilies.Plentyofroguesoperateindependently,buteventheysometi
mesrecruitapprenticestohelpthemintheirscams

andheists.Afewroguesmakeanhonestlivingas

THEROGUE

ProficiencySneakLevelBonusAttackFeatures
I s t 4 2 1 d 6 E x p e r t i s e , S n e a kAt t a c k , T h i e v e s ’C a n t

2nd+21d6CunningAction

3rd+22d6—-RoguishArchetype

4th+22d6AbilityScoreImprovernent

sth+33d6UncannyDodge

6th33d6Expertise

7th434d6Evasion

8th34d6AbilityScorelmprovernent

9th+45d6—RoguishArchetypefeature

10th+45d6AbilityScoreImprovement

Vth446d6—_—ReliableTalent

J2th+46d6AbilityScoreImprovement

13th457d6—RoguishArchetypefeature

14th+57d6Blindsense

1sth58d6SlipperyMind

16th+5&d6AbilityScoreImprovernent

17th+69d6—_RoguishArchetypefeature

18th+69d6Elusive

19th+610d6AbilityScoreImprovement

StrokeofLuck

locksmiths,investigators,orexterminators,whichcanbeadangerousjobi
naworldwheredirerats—andwererats—hauntthesewers.

Asadventurers,roguesfallonbothsidesofthelaw.Somearehardenedcrimi
nalswhodecidetoseektheirfortuneintreasurehoards,whileotherstakeup
alifeofadventuretoescapefromthelaw.Somehavelearnedandperfectedth
eirskillswiththeexplicitpurposeofinfiltratingancientruinsandhiddenc
ryptsinsearchoftreasure.

C R EAT I N GAR O G U E

Asyoucreateyourroguecharacter,considerthecharacter'srelationshipto
thelaw.Doyouhaveacriminalpast—orpresent?Areyouontherunfromthela
w o r f r o m a n a n g r y t h i e v e s ’g u i l d m a s t e r ? O r d i d y o u l e a v e y o u r g u i l d i n s e a r c h
ofbiggerrisksandbiggerrewards?Isitgreedthatdrivesyouinyouradventu
res,orsomeotherdesireorideal?

Whatwasthetriggerthatledyouawayfromyourpreviouslife?Didagreatco
norheistgoneterriblywrongcauseyoutoreevaluateyourcareer?Maybeyo
uwereluckyandasuccessfulrobberygaveyouthecoinyouneededtoescapet
hesqualorofyourlife.

Didwanderlustfinallycallyouawayfromyourhome?Perhapsyousuddenly
foundyourselfcutofffromyourfamilyoryourmentor,andyouhadtofindan
ewmeansofsupport.Ormaybeyoumadeanewfriend—anothermemberofyo
uradventuringparty—whoshowedyounewpossibilitiesforearningalivin
gandemployingyourparticulartalents.

QuickBuILpYoucanmakearoguequicklybyfollowingthesesuggestions.F
irst,Dexterityshouldbeyourhighestabilityscore.MakeIntelligenceyour
next-highestifyouwanttoexcelatInvestigationorplantotakeuptheArcan
eTricksterarchetype.ChooseCharismainsteadifyouplantoemphasizedec
eptionandsocialinteraction.Second,choosethecharlatanbackground.

C LAS S F EAT U R E S

Asarogue,youhavethefollowingclassfeatures.

HirtPoints

HitDice;1d8perroguelevel

HitPointsatIstLevel:8+yourConstitutionmodifier

HitPointsatHigherLevels:1d8(or5)+yourConstitutionmodifierperrogu
elevelafter1st

PROFICIENCIES

Armor:Lightarmor

Weapons:Simpleweapons,handcrossbows,longswords,rapiers,shortswo
rds

T o o l s : T h i e v e s ’t o o l s

SavingThrows:Dexterity,Intelligence

Skills:ChoosefourfromAcrobatics,Athletics,Deception,Insight,Intimi
dation,Investigation,Perception,Performance,Persuasion,SleightofHa
nd,andStealth

PAR T 1 | C LAS S E S

EQUIPMENTYoustartwiththefollowingequipment,inadditiontotheequi
pmentgrantedbyyourbackground:x)

(a)arapieror(5)ashortsword(a)ashortbowandquiverof20arrowsor(b)as
h o r t s w o r d ( a ) a b u r g l a r ’s p a c k , ( b ) a d u n g e o n e e r ' s p a c k , o r ( c ) a n e x p l o r e r ' s p
ack

+ Le a t h e r a r m o r , t w o d a g g e r s , a n d t h i e v e s ’t o o l s

EXPERTISE

peopleinanareaareeasymarksorwillprovideasafehouseforthievesonther
un.

CUNNINGACTION
Startingat2ndlevel,yourquickthinkingandagilityallowyoutomoveanda
ctquickly.Youcantakeabonusactiononeachofyourturnsincombat.Thisac
tioncanbeusedonlytotaketheDash,Disengage,orHideaction.z

ROGUISHARCHETYPE

eanatonethatyeyoueinulaturrogueabilities:Thief,Assassin,

IldetailedattheendoftheclasscetypechoicegrantsyoufeaturesalasOth,1
3th,and17thlevel.

papepee

reach4thlevel,andagainat8th,10th,12th,

:thlevel,youcanincreaseoneabilityscoreofyourchoiceby2,oryoucaninc
reasetwoabilityscoresofyourchoiceby1.Asnormal,youcan'tincreaseana
bilityscoreabove20usingthisfeature.

UNCANNYDODGE

AtIstlevel,choosetwoofyourskillproficiencies,oroneofyourskillprofic
i e n c i e s a n d y o u r p r o f i c i e n c y w i t h t h i e v e s ’t o o l s .Yo u r p r o f i c i e n c y b o n u s i s
doubledforanyabilitycheckyoumakethatuseseitherofthechosenproficie
ncies.

At6thlevel,youcanchoosetwomoreofyourproficiencies(inskillsorwitht
h i e v e s ’t o o l s ) t o g a i n t h i s b e n e f i t

S N EAKATTAC K

Beginningat1stlevel,youknowhowtostrikesubtlyandexploitafoe'sdistr
action.Onceperturn,youcandealanextra1d6damagetoonecreatureyouhit
withanattackifyouhaveadvantageontheattackroll.Theattackmustuseafi
nesseorarangedweapon.

Youdon'tneedadvantageontheattackrollifanotherenemyofthetargetiswi
thin5feetofit,thatenemyisn'tincapacitated,andyoudon'thavedisadvant
ageontheattackroll.

‘Theamountoftheextradamageincreasesasyougainlevelsinthisclass,ass
hownintheSneakAttackcolumnoftheRoguetable.

T H I E V E S ’CAN T _

D u r i n g y o u r r o g u e t r a i n i n g y o u l e a r n e d t h i e v e s ’c a n t , a s e c r e t m i x o f d i a l e c t ,
jargon,andcodethatallowsyoutohidemessagesinseeminglynormalconve
r s a t i o n . O n l y a n o t h e r c r e a t u r e t h a t k n o w s t h i e v e s ’c a n t u n d e r s t a n d s s u c h m e
ssages.Ittakesfourtimeslongertoconveysuchamessagethanitdoestospea
kthesameideaplainly.Inaddition,youunderstandasetofsecretsignsands
ymbolsusedtoconveyshort,simplemessages,suchaswhetheranareaisdan
g e r o u s o r t h e t e r r i t o r y o f a t h i e v e s ’g u i l d , w h e t h e r l o o t i s n e a r b y , o r w h e t h e r t
he

Startingat5thlevel,whenanattackerthatyoucanseehitsyouwithanattack,
y o u c a n u s e y o u r r e a c t i o n t o h a l v e t h e a t t a c k ’s d a m a g e a g a i n s t y o u .

E VAS I O N
Beginningat7thlevel,youcannimblyHadeeta‘outofthewayofcertainarea
effects,suchasareddragon'sfierybreathoranicestormspell.Whenyouare
subjectedtoaneffectthatallowsyo