There are two ways that a creature's chances of success can be increased or decreased.

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Advantage & Disadvantage

Sometimes a circumstance grants advantage or disadvantage on an ability check, a saving throw , or an attack roll . When that happens, you roll two twenty-sided dice instead of one. For advantage, you use the higher of the two rolls. For disadvantage, you use the lower of the two rolls.

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Expertise Dice

Some class features or abilities grant you an expertise die for an attack roll or saving throw, or in a specific skill or tool proficiency. When you make a d20 roll with which you have gained an expertise die, roll 1d4 and add the number rolled to the result of your check.

You can never roll more than one expertise die on the same roll. If another class feature or situation grants an expertise die that applies to the same roll, you don’t gain another die; instead, the size of the expertise die increases for that check, from 1d4 to 1d6, or 1d6 to 1d8. If you have a 1d8 expertise die on a check, further expertise dice have no effect.

If you have advantage or disadvantage at the same time as an expertise die, only the d20 is rolled twice, not the expertise die.

While advantage is most commonly used to represent circumstantial factors affecting a situation, expertise dice represents the particular training a character takes into the adventure.

Sometimes the Narrator will call for a group check. Group checks take place when the entire party is engaged in a single task, such as climbing a cliff or sneaking up on an enemy camp. The more skilled members of the group are able to help the less skilled members. 

In a group check, every player makes an ability check . If more than half of the group succeeds in their check, the group as a whole succeeds. If half or less of the group succeed, the group as a whole fails.

A critical success occurs if every member of the group succeeds, and a critical failure takes place if every member of the group fails.

 

 

Planetouched Traits 

 

Characters with planetouched heritage share the following traits. 

Age. Planetouched typically mature at the same rate as humans but have slightly longer lifespans. Planetouched born to non-planetouched parents' lifespans tend to mirror that of their parents’ heritage. 

Size. Planetouched are usually of similar build and size to humans, though those born to non-human parents more closely resemble the heritage of their parents. Your size is Medium, but can be Small with approval from your Narrator. 

Speed. Your base Speed is 30 feet. 

Darkvision. Thanks to your supernatural ancestors, your vision is not impeded by darkened conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You cannot discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Immortal Blessing. Your connection with the source of your bloodline allows you to cheat death. When you would ordinarily be reduced to zero hit points, you are instead reduced to one hit point. You cannot use this feature again until you have finished a long rest.

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Planetouched Gifts 

Planetouched can vary wildly from each other depending on their bloodline. In addition to the traits granted by your planetouched heritage, select one of the following heritage gifts to determine the nature of your ancestor. 

Aasimar 

This heritage of planetouched is created through some sort of divine intervention, or when a bloodline contains celestial blood. These planetouched often have a color scheme that is brighter than those of other heritages, with lots of golds and warm hues being found among them. Their divine blood also twists their features into something frighteningly angelic, resulting in horns that resemble halos or headdresses, and occasionally even planetouched with extra sets of eyes. You have the following traits:

Celestial Legacy. You know the guidance cantrip. In addition, you can use an action to touch a willing creature and restore a number of hit points equal to your level. Once you use this trait, you must finish a long rest before doing so again. 

Divine Protection. You have resistance to radiant damage. 

Language. You have an innate ability to recognize Celestial, and are able to speak, read, write, and sign it. 

Tiefling

The most common reason for planetouched born to nonmagical parents is having an archdevil somewhere in the family tree. Tieflings can be spotted by the horns growing from their skulls and they often have skin colored like their fiendish ancestors, some also smelling faintly of sulfur or brimstone. You have the following traits:

Hellish Resistance. You have resistance to fire damage. 

Infernal Legacy. You know the produce flame cantrip. Once you reach 3rd level, you can cast arcane riposte (fire damage only) once per long rest. At 5th level, you can cast heat metal without material components once per long rest . Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells. 

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Paragon Gift 

When you reach 10th level, you are an exemplar of the planetouched, and you gain one of the following features. 

Ancestral Resistance

Your bloodline makes you immune to a single damage type. 

Aasimar: You gain immunity to radiant damage.

Tiefling: You gain immunity to fire damage.

Hellish Assault

All fire damage you deal ignores resistance . If a creature is immune to fire damage, it instead takes half damage. 

Radiant Assault

All radiant damage you deal ignores resistance . If a creature is immune to radiant damage, it instead takes half damage. 

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Planetouched Culture 

Planetouched are a rare heritage and many of their kind find themselves in a culture with very few people quite like them. This is particularly the case for planetouched with infernal bloodlines. Still, planetouched have organized to form cultures of their own—in fact on some worlds there are entire human cultures that became planetouched en masse. 

As the origins of planetouched are diverse so too are their lifestyles. Planetouched are much more likely than any other heritage to adopt another culture, since planetouched are often diaspora communities. Integration and assimilation into another culture is not always easy for planetouched, and they typically opt to form enclaves so they can define themselves on their own terms. 

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Suggested Cultures

While you can choose any culture for your planetouched character, the following cultures are linked closely with this heritage : circusfolk , forsaken , lone wanderer , steamforged .
 

Orc Traits 

Characters with orc heritage share the following traits: 

Age. Orcs mature faster than humans, reaching adulthood around age 14. They age noticeably faster, usually only living to be 60–75 years old. 

Size. Orcs are rarely under 6 feet tall, and weigh somewhere over 200 pounds. Your size is Medium. 

Speed. Your base Speed is 30 feet. 

Darkvision. Your orcish blood grants you superior vision in dark or dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You cannot discern color in darkness, only shades of gray. 

Heavy Lifter. When determining your carrying capacity and the weight that you can push, drag, or lift, your size is considered to be Large. 

Mighty Attacks. When you score a critical hit with a melee weapon attack, you can roll one of the weapon’s damage dice an additional time and add it to the extra damage of the critical hit. 

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Orcish Gifts 

While most orcs are all lumped into the same category, there are actually multiple orcish heritages that hail from different regions and environs. Those whose ancestors are from barren deserts have adapted in different ways from those who historically dwelled in the forests or plains. Additionally, those few tribes that revel in battle have grown to have different traits than those that value family or their ancestors above all else. In addition to the traits granted by your orcish heritage, choose one of the following heritage gifts. 

Acclimatized 

Your family hails from an area known for its extreme conditions, such as the arctic, desert, or even a particularly treacherous swamp. Even if you have not spent much time there, the ability of your family to adapt to their living conditions has been passed down to you. Orcs with this gift can vary wildly in appearance due to the area which they are from; those from the desert may have taken on a paler, dusky skin tone in order to survive the heat, while those from the arctic may have a coating of fine hairs and darker skin tones in order to retain heat. 

Just Like Home. Choose one type of terrain, reflecting the area from which your family hails: arctic, desert, mountain, or swamp. You ignore all naturally created difficult terrain of that type. Additionally, you gain an expertise die on Survival checks made within this terrain type, and gain a type of damage resistance related to your chosen terrain: arctic—cold, desert—fire, mountain—lightning, swamp—poison.

Ancestral Blessing 

Orcs with this gift are believed to have been blessed by their ancestors. Every family has their own beliefs for why this occurs; it could be to honor the good deeds of their parents, the success of their clan in battle or the arts, or even to take pity on a child in a desperate situation. Orcs with this heritage often seem to have a sort of divine aura that sets them apart. You have the following traits: 

Divine Protection. You have resistance to radiant damage. 

Touch of Divinity. You know the resistance cantrip. In addition, you can cast the shield spell once per long rest. 

Magic Adept 

The true origin of the magic adepts—the odanti—has been lost to time, but the elders tell tales of fey-touched ancestors and the tribe’s proclivity for magic. 

Magic Adept. You are born with magic coursing through your veins, and are able to utilize it in a number of ways. You learn one cantrip of your choice from the wizard spell list. At 3rd level, choose one 1st- or 2nd-level spell from the wizard spell list. You can cast the chosen spell without any material components once per long rest. A 1st-level spell chosen this way can be cast at 2nd-level using this trait, if the spell allows. Your spellcasting ability for this trait is the same as the ability score used in the spellcasting class in which you have the highest level, or Charisma if you have no levels in a spellcasting class. 

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Orc Paragon

Starting at 10th level, you become a paragon of orcishness. You gain the following feature. 

Relentless Resilience

When you are reduced to 0 hit points but not killed outright, you can drop to 1 hit point instead. Once you have used this trait, you cannot do so again until you finish a long rest. 

Additionally, the many struggles of your ancestors has given you a thick skin, and the ability to shrug off less powerful blows. Your Armor Class increases by 1. 

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Orc Culture 

The simple name “orc” often has the prejudice of thousands of years of conflict bearing down upon it. Many orcs are shackled to a simplistic portrayal of war and blood, and are used to hearing the title “orc” spat with the same venom as the titles of “demon” or “invader.” Orcs often either live with these accusations, or distance themselves from anyone that would spout them. 

Orcs are not inherently evil but tend to follow their impulses and instincts—which often gets them into trouble. They are passionate and tend to pity the comparatively demure, tame emotions of their neighbors. An orc in love burns with unbridled passion, a terrified orc experiences the primordial horror of the end of days, and an enraged orc can see a minor slight as an insult and challenge to their very being. Any and all of these emotions can get them into trouble, but it’s the rage that’s most remembered. 

Easily rallied to a cause, many tyrants over the millenia have roused orcs into fearsome war hordes. Once a rallying cry goes out it can keep building momentum and growing in number until dozens of orcish tribes work themselves into a frenzy. A war horde is less of an army and more of a solid wall of passionate orcish anger. Once the object of their rage has been obliterated and their instigator reaps the rewards, most simply lay their weapons down and return home. 

Sadly, war hordes are the first and last impression in many minds of what encompasses an orc tribe. Those who venture to orcish homelands are often surprised at the artistic havens they find instead of war camps. Orcish hunters and gatherers provide enough surplus food to support ample leisure time, and most orcs spend the majority of their time pursuing their passions. Orc territory is often filled with countless friendly brawls, gorgeous tapestries and carvings, and orcish chants and throat songs that recount the history of generations. 

Depending on what passion has won the day, life within an orc tribe can be carefree or filled with violence. While orcish tribe members are usually orc or half-orcs themselves, most tribes welcome all comers. Whether the tribe spends its time singing chants or demolishing armies, it’s not uncommon to see other humanoids covered in orcish brands right alongside them. However your character was raised, they were moulded and influenced by the orcish tribe around them. 

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Suggested Cultures

While you can choose any culture for your orc character, the following cultures are linked closely with this heritage: caravanner , stoic orc , warhordling , wildling .

 

Human Traits 

 

Characters with human heritage share a variety of traits in common. 

Age. Humans reach basic maturity around age 18, although many continue to grow in body and mind through their twenties. Only the most exceptional human elders live past 100 years. 

Size. Most adult humans are in the 5 to 6 foot range, although taller and shorter statures do occur. Your size is Medium (with your Narrator’s permission, your size can instead be Small.) 

Speed. Your base Speed is 30 feet. 

Fast Learner. With their shorter life spans, humans can acquire knowledge at a higher rate than more long-lived heritages (although not all acquire the wisdom to use it). You gain proficiency in one additional skill of your choice. In addition, you require half as much time as normal to train yourself in the use of a suit of armor, tool, or weapon during downtime.

Intrepid. Your survival instinct is remarkably strong. When you make an ability check, attack roll, or saving throw, you can choose to gain an expertise die on that roll. Once you use this trait, you cannot use it again until you finish a short or long rest. 

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Human Gifts 

Humanity’s most overlooked trait is their physical and spiritual endurance. How a human exhibits this hereditary resilience varies on their personal disposition. In addition to the traits found in your human heritage , select one of the following gifts. 

Diehard Survivor 

Foes of humanity may see them as ants, but humans are equally difficult to eliminate. The ancestors of human beings learned to survive through the harshest conditions, including drought, winter, and famine. Humans, in their stubbornness, can even pull themselves back from the brink of death to fulfill their dreams. You have the following traits:

Feast and Famine. You can tighten your belt during hard times. You can go a number of days equal to your Constitution modifier without suffering any fatigue from lack of Supply . Afterward you require twice as much Supply for as many days as you went without.

Radical Perseverance. Through your sheer stubbornness and will to live, you sometimes manage to wriggle out of death’s grasp. You die after 4 failed death saving throws instead of 3. 

Ingenious Focus 

Not all human minds work the same—some have a nearly miraculous level of focus. People with this intellectual mode often bring a surprising level of insight and passion to almost any topic they engage. In spite of their brilliance, they typically have difficulty with more general awareness. You have the following traits:

Inexorable Concentration. When you fail a Constitution saving throws to maintain concentration, you can immediately reroll it, taking the new result. You may use this trait a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum 1), and regain all expended uses after a long rest. 

Resident Expert. You have a reputation for painstaking detail on certain tasks and subjects. Choose two tools with which you are proficient , or a skill with which you are proficient from Animal Handling, Arcana, Culture, Engineering, History, Medicine, Nature, or Religion. When you make a check with that tool or skill and the d20 shows a natural result of less than 10, you can count the d20 result as being 10. 

Spirited Traveler 

The power of movement is one of humanity’s evolutionary advantages. An ancient human hunting strategy for killing fast game is persistence hunting—following prey relentlessly, shifting between walking and running endlessly until a beast became too exhausted to defend itself. Many humans maintain their health through running, and foot races are a universal favorite game. In a word, humans gifted at running will go far. You have the following traits: 

Desperate Dash. When you take the Dash action, your movement this turn does not provoke opportunity attacks. During this movement, you gain an expertise die on Athletics checks made to jump, and Dexterity saving throws. Once you use this trait, you cannot use it again until you finish a short rest . 

Marathon Runner. The first time between each long rest you would gain a level of fatigue , you do not gain that level of fatigue. You still suffer a level of fatigue from finishing a long rest without any Supply .

Sojourner’s Fortitude. You gain an expertise die on saving throws made to resist fatigue for marching longer than 8 hours. 

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The following gifts are additionally available in sci-fi settings using the Voidrunner's Codex :

Adapted

As humans began to venture away from their world and explore the galaxy, they encountered hardships and challenges they never could have imagined—and proved themselves to be one of the most adaptable species in the cosmos. Confronting each new hurdle head-on, humans began to tinker with their genetics, creating new adaptations capable of surviving anything the galaxy could throw at it. Through splicing non-human or synthetic DNA, ancestors of these humans take human survival skills to a new frontier. Beyond basic survivability, you are adapted for one specific environment. You gain the following trait:

Just Like Home. Choose one type of terrain, reflecting the area from which your family hails: arctic, desert, mountain, or swamp. You ignore all naturally created difficult terrain of that type. Additionally, you gain an expertise die on Survival checks made within this terrain type, and gain a type of damage resistance related to your chosen terrain: arctic—cold, desert—fire, mountain—lightning, swamp—poison.

Jovian

Growing up on a high-gravity world has lent you remarkable endurance. You recover one level of fatigue during a short rest as long as you have only two or fewer levels of fatigue, and you count as size Large when determining your carrying capacity.

Prodigy

Humans once believed they only used a portion of their total brain, and that using more would give them access to supernatural abilities. Whether through natural or forced evolution, space-time anomalies, or other strange quirks of galactic exploration, some humans have evolved beyond the limitations of the physical. Many people with this gift are marked by some telltale sign of their mental power or their evolution, such as glowing eyes or loss of vestigial or unused traits.

Your natural abilities allow you limited ability to command a potent effect. Choose a level I psionic power. You know your chosen power and you can manifest it once without expending psionic points. You must finish a short or long rest before you can manifest it in this way again. Your manifesting ability modifier for this trait is the same as the ability score used in the manifesting class in which you have the highest level, or Intelligence if you have no levels in a manifesting class.

Unbound

When humans began to venture into deep space, many never settled down. Whether living their lives as asteroid miners within their solar system, Voidrunner's Codex 24 living aboard space stations, or as members of generational colony ships, some humans found themselves particularly suited to life within zero gravity. For some, this is evolution in action, for others it is wanderlust turned outward toward the stars. You have the following traits:

Space Legs. You are adapted to the unique rigors of zero gravity, suffering minimal disorientation and even showing increased mobility. While in zero gravity, your base speed increases by 10 feet and you gain a climb speed equal to your base speed.

Vacuum Resistance. The harsh vacuum of space is an ever-present threat in space travel, but you are adapted to it, for a time. You gain an expertise die to Constitution checks to resist the effects of a hard v acuum, and add your proficiency bonus to the number of minutes you can hold your breath. In addition, you gain resistance to cold damage.

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Human Paragon

When you reach 10th level, you are an exemplar of humankind, and you gain one paragon gift from the following list. 

Determined 

When you are bloodied and make an attack roll  or saving throw , you can use this feature to treat the result of the d20 roll as a natural 20. Once you use this feature, you cannot use it again until you finish a short or long rest . 

Wind at Your Back

Your Speed increases by 10 feet. You ignore difficult terrain when you Dash. When you make a melee weapon attack against a creature, until the end of your turn you do not provoke opportunity attacks from it. 

Voracious Learner 

You gain an expertise die in each of three different skill or tool proficiencies. 

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Human Culture 

With life spans considerably shorter than elves and dwarves, the pace of human culture is rapid. Even in cultures which value stability, one hundred years is long enough for human society to change radically, and a millennium enough to lose entire human civilizations to the ravages of time. Some human cultures are more innovative or fast-paced than others, although the hunger for progress is not a value shared by all human societies. 

Due to the high birth rate of humans compared to other heritages they often find themselves exploring and settling new lands. Humans are adaptable and can grow into almost every living situation imaginable, and while they tend to populate the land rapidly, they’re rarely alone. Human cultures can span entire continents, and their cities house countless people of every shape, size, and heritage. However your character was raised, they were moulded and influenced by the human culture around them. 

Suggested Cultures

While you can choose any culture for your human character, the following cultures are linked closely with this heritage : cosmopolitan , imperial , settler , villager .
 

 

Halfling Traits 

 

Characters with the halfling heritage share a variety of traits in common with one another. 

Age. Halflings mature into adults around the age of 20 and usually live for about 150 years, with some venerable halflings living up into their 180s or 190s. 

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

Speed. Your base Speed is 25 feet.

Fearless. You are immune to the effects of the frightened condition , whether caused by magic or by natural phenomena. You might still feel fear, but you are able to ignore it; alternatively you might be unable to even experience that emotion, and are unable to understand it in others.

Halfling Nimbleness. You can move through the space of any creature that is of a size larger than yours. 

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

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Halfling Gifts 

Halflings are widespread and the halflings from one borough may bear little resemblance to those from the other end of the world. There are a few prominent trends in halflings though. In addition to the traits found in your halfling heritage , select one of the following halfling gifts. 

Burrowing Claws 

If their creation myth is to be believed, halflings have a primordial form still represented by a trait sometimes seen today. You are significantly more hirsute than most halflings, and prone to patches of scruffy hair along your forearms and back. Your irises are often quite wide and deeply black, and your rocklike fingernails tend to grow with flattened edges. In halfling communities, these traits often come with insulting nicknames like “shovel-claws” or “scruffs”. You have the following traits: 

Burrow. You have a burrowing speed of 10 feet. You can use your burrowing speed to move through nonmagical sand, loose earth, loamy soil, mud, or snow, but not solid rock. You do not naturally leave any sort of tunnel behind but you can attempt to create a 5-foot by 5-foot wide tunnel in earth, soil, or snow by spending extra time and effort shoring it up and adding support. This reduces your burrowing speed to 5 feet every 15 minutes. 

Claws. Your nails grow into strong shovel-like claws. The claws are natural weapons, which you can use to make unarmed strikes that deal slashing damage equal to 1d4 + your Strength modifier. 

Tuft Feet 

You have thick patches of bushy hair that grow atop your proportionally large feet. You don’t need to wear shoes, or any sort of foot covering, as your big hairy feet are usually calloused and tough enough to tread on most anything. You have the following traits: 

Big Feet. You gain an expertise die on checks and saving throws made to resist being knocked prone. 

Thick Soles. You are immune to damage from sharp terrain hazards (such as caltrops, broken glass, or the spike growth  spell) and ignore difficult terrain caused by them. Additionally, other kinds of difficult terrain reduces your movement speed by 5 feet instead of halving it. 

Twilight-Touched 

You are blanched of both emotion and color with wide, alarmingly pure white eyes, and skin that is either starkly pallid or disquietingly sallow. There’s no hair at all atop your head or you have only a few bedraggled locks of hair. You form stronger communal bonds than other halflings, and can speak without the need for words. You have the following traits: 

Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 30 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray. 

Telepathy. You can speak telepathically to any creature within 30 feet of you that you can see. The creature understands you only if the two of you share a language. You can speak telepathically in this way to one creature at a time. 

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Halfling Paragon 

When you reach 10th level, you are an exemplar of halflingkind, and you gain the following paragon gift. 

Increased Luck

When you use your Lucky trait, you may reroll results of 2 or 3.

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Halfling Culture 

The “Poem of Kin” is the oldest document recounting the halfling creation myth, and the origins for many other peoples for that matter. Even from the text’s own accounts the halfling creator, the Shaper, is deceased, which may partly explain why almost all of them have a strong sense of community. Halflings believe that they must look out for each other, and that a great gift was imparted to them—a gift that must be passed forward. 

Wherever halflings live they form neighborhoods, and to a halfling a neighbor is practically a family member. Families may squabble sometimes but a deeply-ingrained trait of halfling culture is that a halfling is expected to take on the problems of a sibling as if they were their own. 

Halfling communities tend to be insular and are often cut off from the rest of the world. While quick to help someone on their doorstep, halflings in some regions can often be indifferent to far-off plights, unaware or unconcerned with danger or injustice just a few townships over. However, halflings historically have little tolerance for bullies of any size. 

Halflings do not build empires, but their safe and hospitable communities dot landscapes across the world, and the world is better for them. Most halflings are cheerful, friendly, and genuinely caring and kind in a fashion rare in a tumultuous world. 

Suggested Cultures

While you can choose any culture for your halfling character, the following cultures are linked closely with this heritage : kithbáin halfling   mustbairn halfling , stout halfling , tunnel halfling .
 

 

Gnome Traits

Characters with gnome heritage share the following traits: 

Age. Gnomes mature at about the same rate as humans , and are expected to settle down into adult life by the age of 40. They can live anywhere from 350 to nearly 500 years. 

Size. Gnomes range from 3 to 4 feet tall, and weigh around 40 pounds on average. Your size is Small. 

Speed. Your base Speed is 25 feet. 

Darkvision. Gnomes have adapted to see easily in darkened conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You cannot discern color in darkness, only shades of gray. 

Gnome Cunning. You gain an expertise die on Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma saving throws against magic.

Gnomish Magic. You know the  minor illusion cantrip. Your spellcasting ability for this spell is Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma (whichever is highest).

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Gnome Gifts 

Gnomes are often overlooked, due in part to living under the veil of their illusion magic. Diverse gnome populations live in almost any territory imaginable—even in cities. Choose one of the following heritage gifts. 

Gnomish Agility 

Adept at avoiding the attacks of the “Big Folk”, you gain +1 to your Armor Class against creatures of a size category larger than your own.

Into Mist 

As a bonus action, or as a reaction immediately after taking damage, you can turn invisible . The invisibility lasts until the end of your next turn, and it ends early if you attack, deal damage, cast a spell, or force a creature to make a saving throw. Once you use this feature, you must finish a short or long rest before doing so again. 

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Gnomish Paragon 

When you reach 10th level, you are an exemplar of gnomekind, and you gain the following paragon gift.

Cunning Reflexes

Choose one of the following saving throws : Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution. You gain an expertise die when using the chosen saving throw to resist magic. 

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Gnome Culture 

Gnomish culture is often accompanied by a constant hum of activity and merriment. These gnomes are known for having eccentric senses of humor, an inquisitive streak, and a knack for creative and technological ventures. While they are often overlooked, their cultures can have major impacts on the areas they inhabit—trees along common roads nearby feature signs advertising bright, exciting parties, and town criers in settlements within walking distance spread word of the annual Artisan’s Fair or the next social occasion of note. Over the course of centuries, gnomish cultures enrich the communities around them. 

Gnomes can thrive in bustling cities or in fey forests—though their location will likely influence the culture exhibited. Rarely will you find an isolated community of gnomes that rejects outside influence, as they are often eager to learn about and experience other cultures. While illusion magic is something most all gnomes are gifted with, it isn’t because they wish to hide themselves away from the rest of the world; they simply want to present themselves to the world when they are good and ready to do so. In gnomish culture it is expected that “getting ready” can entail multiple hours of preening and preparation, with the end result often looking as disheveled as the beginning. 

Suggested Cultures

While you can choose any culture for your gnome character, the following cultures are linked closely with this heritage : deep gnome , forest gnome , forgotten folx , tinker gnome .

 

Elf Traits

 

Characters with the elf heritage share a variety of traits in common with one another. 

Age. Elf children mature at the same rate as human children, but elvish cultures do not consider them to be fully mentally developed (nor matured) until they acquire a century of life experience. Elves today can live to be 700 or older, and legends speak of elves who simply never die. 

Size. Elves have a slender and graceful build. Some stand as tall as average humans , although most are a head or so shorter. Your size is Medium. 

Speed. Your base Speed is 30 feet. 

Darkvision. Having your ancestral origins in the twilight realms, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray. 

Fey Ancestry. You gain an expertise die on saving throws against being charmed , and magic can’t put you to sleep . 

Trance. Elves don’t need to sleep. Instead, they meditate deeply, remaining conscious (the Common word for such meditation is “trance.”) While meditating, you can dream after a fashion; such dreams are actually mental exercises that became reflexive through years of practice. When you take a long rest , you spend 4 hours in your trance state (instead of sleeping for 6 hours). During the trance you suffer no penalty to passive Perception. A long rest remains 8 hours for you as normal, and the remainder of the time must be filled only with light activity. 

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Elf Gifts 

Elves are known for their uncanny perceptiveness, which according to some can even extend to the power to read minds and see the future—although such powers are very rare. In addition to the traits found in your elf heritage, select one of the following gifts. 

Mystic Rapport 

Some elves are so attuned to the arcane that they can see magical energy with their eyes, sense the presence of nearby elves, and communicate mentally. 

Elves with the gift of Mystic Rapport have the following traits: 

Arcane Sensitivity. You gain proficiency in Arcana. 

Arcane Empathy. Your sensitivity to the flow of magic lets you speak to the hearts of others. You have a limited ability to communicate telepathically with those within 30 feet of you. Though this grants the target no ability to respond telepathically, they can understand you as long as you share a language with them. 

Prescient Vision 

Some elves don’t live in the present moment, their spirits shifting back and forth in the currents of time. Although mainly used for contemplation, this mystical experience is also useful for predicting what may yet come to pass—though like sand in the waves, the future is always churning. 

Elves with the gift of Prescient Vision have the following trait: 

Glance the Future. Your eyes can see a few moments into the future, and your mind apprehends the divergent possibilities. Once between rests you can use a bonus action to roll a d20 and record the result. Before the end of your next short or long rest , when a creature you can see within 60 feet makes an ability check , attack roll, or saving throw , you can use your reaction to replace their roll with your recorded result. When the creature is also rolling an expertise die , only the d20 roll is replaced. When the creature is rolling more than one d20, such as when it has advantage or when a halfling is using their Lucky trait, the replacement applies to the creature’s final roll.

Once you use this feature, you cannot use it again until you finish a short or long rest . 

Preternatural Awareness 

The conventional senses of elves are thought to be more finely tuned than those of other mortals. Some scholars debate whether it is merely a matter of sensitivity, or if the elvish trance meditation heightens their awareness in a way other mortals simply are unable to rival. 

Elves with the gift of Preternatural Awareness have the following traits: 

Keen Senses. You gain proficiency in Perception. 

Prophetic Instincts. Your ability to detect danger is nearly supernatural. You gain a bonus to initiative rolls equal to your Wisdom modifier, and you can’t be surprised while conscious (including during your Trance). 

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Elven Paragon 

When you reach 10th level, you are an exemplar of elfkind, and you gain one paragon gift from the following list. 

Elfsight 

Nature cannot block the legendary accuracy of your people. Your attack rolls ignore half cover, and an area being lightly obscured does not impose disadvantage on your ability checks . You do not have disadvantage from making ranged attacks at long range.

Inexorable Darkvision.

There is no range limit for your darkvision. 

Spiritual Awareness

You are able to cast detect thoughts a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus between each long rest . Your spellcasting ability for this spell is Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma (whichever is highest).

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Elf Culture

Humans are likely to make superficial claims about elves (“everything they do is beautiful and magical.”) Although the claim is simplistic, it is true that elves value beauty and mystery. Elvish goods are renowned for their ingenious design and painstaking craftsmanship. Besides their elegant beauty, elvish specialty crafts are lightweight, easy to use, and often subtly enchanted. Being people who live multiple centuries, elves often seek comfort in the reliability of nature’s cycle, finding nostalgia and hope in the emergence and reemergence of familiar plants and beasts. The one constant in the world is change, and yet it moves ever onward in the shape of a wheel—this and many other mysteries captivate the hearts of elves, provoking a distinctive artistic genius. Even elvish despots and cynics find it difficult to remove themselves from these entrenched values. 

Whatever an elf does, they commit decades to mastering that art. Whereas a human mage must learn all they can about the arcane in short years, elves have the luxury and cultural mandate to interrogate every detail of their discipline. For elvish priests no doctrine or ritual goes unquestioned, and an elvish soldier learns multiple theories of warfare and can recount their historical evolution in detail. 

Although centuries of wisdom often produces kindness, an unending experience of suffering can likewise produce bitter cruelty. Since ancient times human myths about elves often portray them as magically inflicting disease or lurking in the dark to commit mischief against an unsuspecting victim. These accounts are often merely tall tales but the notions are nonetheless plausible. Some of the most vicious tyrants in the multiverse are elves who believe they are better than other beings, or those whose hatred is blood-red enough to stain history forever. Even so, elves contemplate the “long view” when planning their perfect victory. Human generals might authorize poisoning wells, salting the earth, or ravaging the land with an arcane menace—but only the most ruthless and crazed elves would deploy tactics whose harm would curse future generations. 

Elves make their homes all across the world and the multiverse. Living in the shadow of their ancient empires, elves can’t help but reflect on their culture as living through its twilight years. Although it is hard to call a culture “flourishing” when it is slowly withdrawing from existence, elves nonetheless enjoy many stable communities built on millenia of intricate traditions. 

Suggested Cultures

While you can choose any culture for your elf character, the following cultures are linked closely with this heritage : eladrin , high elf , shadow elf , wood elf .
 

 

Dwarf Traits 

 

Characters with the dwarf heritage share a variety of traits. 

Age. Dwarves age as fast as humans , but most cultures only consider them adults at 50. They have extremely long lives; some dwarves live to be over 400 years old and their average life span is 350 years. 

Size. Dwarves are short and stout. They stand around 4 or 5 feet tall and average 150 pounds of weight. Your size is Medium. 

Speed. Your base Speed is 25 feet. Your Speed is not reduced by wearing heavy armor or wielding tower shields. 

Darkvision. You have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray. 

Creator’s Blessing. You were born with the gift of creation. You gain proficiency with one set of artisans’ tools (either brewer’s supplies, mason’s tools) or smith’s tools. During a long rest , you can use these tools for crafting instead of sleeping and still receive the full benefits of the long rest. 

Tough. Your hit point maximum increases by 1, and it increases by 1 every time you gain a level. 

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Dwarf Gifts 

The Forge God bestows all kinds of divine gifts upon his children. In addition to the traits found in your dwarven heritage , select one of the following dwarven gifts. 

Dwarven Stability 

You gain an expertise die on saving throws against effects that would knock you prone, and on saving throws made to resist being shoved.

Dwarven Toughness 

As a bonus action, you gain a number of temporary hit points equal to 1d10 plus your level. These temporary hit points last for 1 minute. You can’t use this trait again until after you finish a long rest . 

You gain an expertise die on saving throws against poison, and you have resistance against poison damage. 

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Dwarven Paragon 

As a dwarf accumulates deeds and glory, the Forge God bestows upon them even greater gifts. When you reach 10th level, you gain one of the following paragon gifts. 

Fury of the Earth 

As an action, you can strike the ground with a melee weapon you’re proficient with. The ground in a 30-foot burst centered on you becomes difficult terrain. Each creature on the ground in the area makes a Dexterity saving throw (DC 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier) or is knocked prone. A creature concentrating on a spell makes a Constitution saving throw or its concentration is broken. You can't use this feature again until after you finish a long rest . 

Unbreakable 

When you succeed on a death saving throw , you can expend one Hit Die to regain 1 hit point as if your check result was a natural 20. You can’t use this feature again until after you finish a short or long rest . 

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Dwarf Culture

No other people can craft as well as dwarves do—or at least that’s what most dwarves believe. Considering how frequently envious invaders attack their communities, there must be some truth to that. In response to these raids some dwarves make their homes in inhospitable places where thieves are unable to follow. The struggle of survival in such environments shapes dwarven culture to this day. Some dwarves hide deep in the mountains, avoiding contact with the outside world. Others travel from place to place, never putting down roots. Most, however, fight. Dwarven warriors are as feared as their well-crafted weapons are admired.

Another important factor in dwarven culture is their relationship with the Forge God. For some cultures the creator god is all-important and the priesthood attains immense power. However, dwarves do not reflect their love for the creator by building innumerable cathedrals and churches. For most dwarves labor itself is holy and crafting is a kind of prayer. There is no better offering to the Forge God than a sharp sword, a sturdy shield, or a foaming cup of beer. More cosmopolitan communities might embrace different gods, but it’s very rare that a dwarven community doesn’t at least pay lip service to the god of the forge. 

Dwarven communities frequently establish trading relations and friendly rivalries with each other. It is not uncommon for a clan of mountain dwarves to send their young to spend a few decades with hill dwarves or for devoted dwarves to visit other dwarven communities to spread the Forge God’s gospel. Sometimes this cultural exchange causes loosely-connected communities to become full-fledged empires, bursting with creativity, commerce, and innovation. Just as commonly though these empires fall victim to greedy monsters and bitter feuds. There are as many dwarven songs about lost kingdoms as there are human songs about broken hearts.

Dwarves can be found in the most unexpected places in the world. If there is enough room to swing a hammer, you can bet some dwarf has already considered living there. Though dwarves are slow to trust, they respect talent and innovation. It is not rare for them to offer training for particularly skilled smiths or brewers they meet in their travels, regardless of their heritage. However your character was raised, they were moulded and influenced by the dwarven culture around them. 

Suggested Cultures

While you can choose any culture for your dwarf character, the following cultures are linked closely with this heritage: deep dwarf , forsaken , godbound , hill dwarf , mountain dwarf .

 

Dragonborn Traits 

 

Characters with the dragonborn heritage share a variety of traits in common with one another. 

Age. Young dragonborn are largely independent within hours of hatching. They develop quickly, reaching the equivalent development of an adolescent human by the age of 3, and then fully maturing into adults by the age of 15. Their maximum life span is about 80 years. 

Size. Dragonborn have imposing statures. Most stand well over 6 feet tall and weigh between 250 and 300 pounds. Your size is Medium. 

Speed. Your base Speed is 30 feet. 

Dragon Breath. Drawing upon great reservoirs of draconic power, you can unleash magical destruction upon your foes. You can use your dragon breath as an action.

Choose the type of damage dealt by your breath weapon from the following list: acid, cold, fire, force, lightning, necrotic, poison, psychic, radiant, or thunder.

Additionally, choose between a 30-foot line that is 5 feet wide or a 15-foot cone for the area that your breath weapon affects. Each creature in the breath’s area makes a Dexterity saving throw . If your breath weapon deals psychic damage, a Wisdom saving throw is made instead of Dexterity; if cold, necrotic, poison, radiant, or thunder, a Constitution saving throw . The DC for this saving throw equals 8 + your Constitution modifier + your proficiency bonus .

A creature takes 2d6 damage on a failed saving throw , and half damage on a success. The damage increases to 3d6 at 4th level, 4d6 at 9th level, 5d6 at 14th level, and 6d6 at 19th level.

After you use your dragon breath, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest .

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Dragonborn Gifts

Dragonborn are diverse and highly varied even within a single draconic progenitor’s bloodline. In addition to the traits found in your dragonborn heritage , select one of the following dragonborn gifts. 

Draconic Armor 

Some dragonborn grow tougher scales and sharper claws. These dragonborn tend to have short tails, wide faces, and broad shoulders, all of which are usually ridged with hardened scales or tipped with spikes. You have the following traits:

Claws. You grow retractable claws from the tips of your fingers. Extending or retracting the claws requires no action. The claws are natural weapons, which you can use to make unarmed strikes that deal slashing damage equal to 1d4 + your Strength modifier. 

Resistance. You have resistance to the damage type dealt by your Dragon Breath.

Scales. You have tough interlocked draconic scales. While you aren’t wearing armor, your AC equals 13 + your Dexterity modifier. You can use a shield and still gain this benefit. 

Draconic Fins 

Some dragonborn seem naturally adapted to aquatic environments with sleek, hydrodynamic, and often reflective scales. These dragonborn tend to have webbed hands and feet, and long serpentine tails. They also tend to grow soft fin-like scales along their legs and forearms. You have the following features: 

Swimmer. You have a swimming speed of 30 feet and you can hold your breath for up to 15 minutes at a time. 

Deep Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray. In addition, your eyes are perfectly adapted for spotting movement at depth, and the radius of your darkvision increases to 120 feet while underwater. 

Hard to Hit. You either have a tough shell or your quick movements and reflective scales make you difficult to strike. While you aren’t wearing armor, your AC equals 12 + your Dexterity modifier. You can use a shield and still gain this benefit. 

Draconic Wings 

Some dragonborn are born with draconian wings. They tend to have slender frames and smooth scale patterns, along with a long rudder-like tail to help them fly with their stocky wings. They’re far too heavy and lack the strength to really soar like true dragons, but their wings still allow them to lift off and fly a considerable distance before tiring. 

Flight. You have a fly speed of 30 feet. To use this speed, you can’t be wearing medium or heavy armor. Whenever you spend 3 full consecutive rounds airborne without landing, you gain a level of fatigue . Any fatigue gained in this way is removed upon finishing a short or long rest . 

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Draconic Paragon 

With enough time and training any dragonborn can unlock their draconic potential. When you reach 10th level, your dragonborn gift dramatically improves.

In addition, you gain resistance to the damage type dealt by your Dragon Breath. If you already have resistance to that type of damage, you gain immunity to it instead.

Impenetrable Draconic Armor

Your claws and scales harden to the deadly consistency of a true dragon. Your claws deal slashing damage equal to 1d8 + your Strength modifier, and your AC increases by 1.

Mighty Draconic Wings

Your fly speed increases to 40 feet and you can fly while wearing medium or heavy armor. When you would suffer fatigue from using your fly speed, you make a Constitution saving throw (DC 10 + 1 per previous save in the last minute). On a success, you do not suffer fatigue from flying that round. 

Sleek Draconic Fins

Your swim speed increases to 45 feet, you can breathe underwater, and your darkvision increases to 120 feet (or 240 feet while underwater). 

Additionally, while underwater you gain an expertise die on saving throws and weapon attack rolls.

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Dragonborn Culture

There are many circumstances in which a great wyrm might choose to sire a clutch of dragonborn, and the resulting dragonborn clans are as varied as their progenitors. Ultimately though, the life and society of each dragonborn clan is inexorably linked to the dragon that created it. 

Chromatic dragons usually see dragonborn as soldiers, cannon fodder to be created and spent for power and territory. Such militarized dragonborn clans tend to see their progenitor as a mighty general and inspiring leader who will guide them to glorious victory, often against dragonborn created by rival dragons. Such dragonborn clans are usually brutal, fearless, and blindly obedient to their progenitor. 

Essence dragons fly wingless over distant shores, their serpentine pennant-like bodies snapping back and forth magically as they soar. Their spirits are intertwined with the magic of the land and are usually tied to a specific sea, river, or mountain, or to a separate plane entirely. Essence dragons see their dragonborn as trusted guardians and custodians, charging them with the safety and protection of the place from which they draw their power. Such dragonborn clans are often highly attuned to nature, and guard their progenitor’s home at all costs. 

Gem dragons are rarely seen by surface dwellers and the same is true about their dragonborn. These wyrms live deep within the earth, sometimes for isolation and escape but often pursuing their own esoteric games and schemes millennia in the making. They see their dragonborn as agents, spies, and confidants. Their dragonborn are afforded an unusual level of respect, as they’re often the only creatures a gem dragon trusts enough to include wholly into its schemes. Such dragonborn clans are tight-knit but widely dispersed, often spending years in isolation only to reconvene when the time is right. 

Metallic dragons tend to see their dragonborn as children, regardless of their age. To the outside observer, they often seem like the dragon’s servants, and functionally they often are, but the relationship is more parental than feudal—for some, a more intolerable condition since their unquestioning service is rewarded with condescension and infantilization. Despite all this, such dragonborn clans are typically academic, studious, and often a voice of calm and reason when conflicts arise. 

Suggested Cultures

While you can choose any culture for your dragonborn character, the dragonbound and dragoncult cultures are linked closely with this heritage .

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Draconic Ancestry

There are many types of dragon in the multiverse.

Chromatic dragons include red, green, blue, white, and black wyrms. These dragons are typically evil in nature.

Metallic dragons include brass, bronze, copper, gold, and silver. Metallic dragons are generally known for their goodness.

Less common are essence dragons, such as the celestial, chaos, earth, river, sea, shadow, spirit, and underworld dragons (and the dragon turtle).

The gem dragons shimmer with amethyst, crystal, emerald, or sapphire.

You should decide on your draconic ancestry, whether it be one of these options or a combination.