Dragon cults exist in most major cities, hidden deep within forgotten cellars or ancient crumbling ruins, plotting their draconic overlord’s return to power. The life of a dragon cultist is often filled with hushed conversations in darkened rooms, acquisitions of “sacrifices”, and the ever present tantalizing promise of a taste of their dragon god’s power. Dragon cultists often live entirely mundane lives by day, only to shuffle down some darkened stair to their “true lives” down below. 

Characters raised in the dragoncult culture share a variety of traits in common with one another. 

Draconic Umbra. Dragon cultists are often blessed with power from the object of their devotion so that they may spread their dragon’s word or further its plans. As a bonus action, you can cause draconic power to course around you in a draconic umbra. This draconic umbra lasts for 1 minute or until you use a bonus action to end it. Once you have used this trait, you cannot use it again until after you finish a long rest . Choose one of the following effects: 

Damaging Umbra: Common amongst the chromatic dragons, this umbra burns with draconic power. Once on each of your turns while this umbra is active, you can deal extra damage of the type dealt by your Dragon Breath to one target when you deal damage to it with an attack or a spell. The extra damage equals half your level (minimum 1). If you are not dragonborn, you may choose the damage type dealt by your umbra from those available in the Dragon Breath trait.

Ethereal Umbra: Common amongst the essence dragons, this umbra shimmers with draconic will. While this umbra is active you can move through nonmagical solid objects and occupied spaces as if they were difficult terrain . Opportunity attacks made against you while this umbra is active have disadvantage . You cannot move further than 5 feet into walls or other solid objects in this way. If you would end your turn in an occupied space, you are shunted into the nearest unoccupied space and take 1d6 force damage.

Spiritual Umbra: Common amongst the gem dragons, this umbra shifts with draconic cunning. While this umbra is active you gain an expertise die on Stealth checks, and once on each of your turns you may alter your appearance (as the disguise self spell). When your umbra ends, so do any illusions conjured by it. 

Protective Umbra: Common amongst the metallic dragons, this umbra sparks with draconic ingenuity. While this umbra is active you gain resistance to the damage type dealt by your Dragon Breath (if you already had resistance to that damage type, you gain immunity instead), and you gain an expertise die on Wisdom or Intelligence checks. If you are not dragonborn, you may choose the damage type for your umbra from those available in the Dragon Breath trait.

Secrets of the Wyrm. Draconic cults require diverse skill sets and the utmost secrecy. Choose two skills from among Arcana, Deception, Persuasion, Religion, or Stealth. You have proficiency in the chosen skills. 

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

Thriving in the darkest, most remote depths, deep gnomes excel when working in darkened or stealth conditions. In general deep gnomes tend to be thin and muscular, and typically bald. They have adapted to underground environments and are at home in the darkness, easily blending in against rocks and stonework. This cultural predilection for stealth manifests itself in magical abilities, including the power to blind others, change appearance, and even conceal themselves from divination magic.

With precious stones common in their communities, deep gnomes place great value on gems and many turn their hand to jewelcraft. Other than to trade for their wares, their society does not welcome outsiders. As such, most find deep gnomes to be unfriendly and humorless; within their own kind however, they show kindness and compassion. Hardworking, deep gnome settlements tend to revolve around mining and forging. Most of these towns and villages are carved out of great underground caverns, and many deep gnomes never leave them—several have grown to the size of cities.

Characters raised in the deep gnome culture share a variety of traits in common with one another. 

Superior Darkvision. The range of your darkvision increases to 120 feet. If you didn’t have darkvision already, you instead gain darkvision to a range of 60 feet.

Dark Gnome Magic. You can cast disguise self once per long rest. Once you reach 3rd level, you can cast blindness/deafness (blindness only) once per long rest. At 5th level, you can cast nondetection once per long rest. You don’t need material components for these spells, and when casting them your spellcasting ability is Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma (whichever is highest). 

Subterranean Camouflage. You gain an expertise die on Stealth checks made to hide in rocky terrain. 

Languages. You can speak, read, write, and sign Common, Gnomish, and Undercommon.

Deep dwarves make their homes underground, far from most other creatures and from the sun. Their communities are the most isolated of all dwarven cultures. Some of them refuse trade even with other dwarves. Those that do trade, however, quickly realize that some goods they grow underground cannot live on the surface, and vice versa. Deep dwarf beer is unique, prized across all other dwarven cultures and many other peoples. 

Living so isolated and surrounded by dangerous monsters makes these people extremely cautious and calls for specialized training. While hammers and axes are similar to tools dwarves use, they are not much use in the cramped environments deep dwarves navigate. 

Mountain dwarves are adapted to underground living but the deep dwarves even more so, with the ability to see clearly in the darkest depths. They are a pessimistic culture, distrustful and often cruel, with a society that emphasizes adversarial relationships even amongst kin. Most deep dwarf adventurers are exiles, cast out for breaking a cynical code of behavior.

Characters raised in the deep dwarf culture share a variety of traits in common with one another. 

Superior Darkvision. You grew so used to being underground that you can see in the dark farther than other dwarves. The range of your darkvision increases to 120 feet. If you didn’t have darkvision already, you gain darkvision with a range of 60 feet.

Deep Magic. You know the resistance cantrip. Once you reach 3rd level, you can cast jump once per long rest. At 5th level, you can cast enlarge/reduce once per long rest . You don’t need material components for these spells, but you can’t cast them while you’re in direct sunlight (although sunlight has no effect on them once cast). Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for these spells. 

Deep Suspicion. Your lack of trust protects you from some magic. You have advantage on saving throws against illusions and to resist being charmed or paralyzed .

Underground Combat Training. You are proficient with hand crossbows, short swords, and war picks. 

Languages. You can speak, read, write, and sign Common, Dwarvish, and Undercommon. 

Cosmopolitans grew up in one of the world’s largest, most diverse cities. People of every heritage and way of life brush shoulders, speaking any tongue that can be imagined. Any faith can find a place of worship—even if it is in a home and not a proper temple. The main roads are active all through the night, and there are shadowy alleys where any good might be procured no matter the hour. 

Folks tend to have polarized opinions on the city—you either love it or hate it. For some people the big city is a cesspool of corruption and debauchery, but for others the cosmopolitan lifestyle represents what could be: a peaceful global society. The ideal of creating a culture where everyone can fit in fills some folks with hope. 

Characters raised in the cosmopolitan culture share a variety of traits in common with one another. 

Discreetly Armed. Even while armed, you know how to keep the fact discreet and nonthreatening. You gain an expertise die on checks made to persuade others to let you remain armed or to conceal weapons or items about your person.

Fashion Sense. You know how to read people through their clothes and bearing. After you spend at least 1 minute observing a creature within 60 feet, you can use an action to make either an Insight or History check against a DC equal to the creature’s passive Deception check score. On a success, you learn the following information about that creature:

• Whether the creature has a lower Charisma score than yourself.
• The creature’s culture and national origin (if any).
• The creature’s social standing in the local majority culture. 

Skill Versatility. In the big city, you never know what skills you’ll need to get by. You gain proficiency in Culture and one other skill of your choice. 

Urban Denizen. You know your way around big cities, and know how to find people in urban locations. You can make an Investigation check to learn the location of (or at the Narrator’s discretion gain a helpful clue to the trail of) a person by discreetly asking around in the right places. The difficulty of the check is DC 15 if the individual is not hiding, or DC 20 if they are trying to conceal their location.

Well-Connected. You gain an extra connection, selected from a background of your choice. This person is of a different heritage or national origin than yourself. 

Languages. You can speak, read, write, and sign in Common and two additional languages. 

Sometimes a village, farm, or city becomes a hub of new ideas and innovations in knowledge and technology. Other times, great institutes of learning arise, universities and colleges where one can spend their entire life in study. Those from these learned communities are renowned for their ability to apply their intellect to their field of expertise.

Characters raised in the collegiate culture share a variety of traits in common with one another. 

Philosophic Mind. Your rationale shields your psyche occasionally. Once between long rests , at the start of your turn you can suppress the effects of an enchantment spell you are under for 1 round as your logic overrides it.

Practiced Artisan. You are proficient with calligrapher’s supplies and two other artisan's tools.

Studied Discipline. You have extensive knowledge in certain fields. For all skill proficiencies gained through this trait, you always choose which ability score to use for these rolls (Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma). Choose one of the following:

Architecture: You gain proficiency in Engineering. You can use a bonus action to intuitively identify the weight-bearing wall or pillars of a structure, dealing double damage against it with your next weapon attack. Alternatively, you can double the hit points a structure regains from the next action you or an ally take to repair it.

Engineering: You gain proficiency in Engineering, and you gain an expertise die on checks made to fix or take apart mechanical mechanisms. You also gain an expertise die on checks and saving throws made against environmental damage from structural changes and collapse.

Fine Arts: You gain proficiency in Performance. In addition, choose one artisan's tool you are proficient with. You gain an expertise die on checks made using that tool.

Magic: You gain proficiency in Arcana. In addition, at 3rd level, you can cast detect magic once per long rest . Your spellcasting ability for this spell is Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma (whichever is highest).

Mathematics: You gain proficiency in Engineering.  In addition, once between rests, you can spend a full uninterrupted minute observing an environment, at the end of which you can use the Ricochet combat maneuver without spending exertion. 

Medicine: You gain proficiency in Medicine. You gain an expertise die when identifying disease and poison, or doing small field surgeries and triage.

Sciences: Pick two skills from Arcana, History, Nature, and Religion. You gain proficiency with the two skills.

Languages. You can speak, read, write, and sign Common and three additional languages. 

Circusfolk value wit, surprise, and daring which they display in both their lifestyle and their folktales. While some communities are found in villages and insular neighborhoods, they are most famous for their traveling carnivals. These troupes often began as just a handful of entrepreneuring entertainers but blossomed into big top circuses with caravans complete with support staff, spouses, and new family members. Orphans, runaways, and misfits of all heritages find a new family among circusfolk. 

The circusfolk oral tradition is exceedingly rich and best known for its trickster characters. These mythological trickster-heroes are numerous and diverse—some never fail, others undermine their successes through their own folly. They all turn the world upside down. A circusfolk storyteller’s excellence is judged not by their perfect recall but by their improvisation and engagement with the audience. All this reveals the unspoken message of circusfolk stories: anything can change. 

Characters raised in the circusfolk culture share a variety of traits in common with one another. 

Rapid Escape. You can use the Disengage action as a bonus action. 

Slapstick. You are proficient with improvised weapons, and improvised weapons you use can deal 1d6 damage rather than the damage they normally deal. You can use Dexterity instead of Strength for the attack and damage rolls of your improvised weapons. 

Trickster’s Veil. You can cast disguise self once per long rest. Your spellcasting ability for this spell is Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma (whichever is highest). 

Languages. You can speak, read, write, and sign Common.

Sometimes societies are overturned by war and conflict, and there isn’t always a homeland to return to once the war is over. Refugees with nowhere to go often go nowhere together, forming great roaming caravans. They travel along the migratory routes of wild animal herds, or from city to city as travelling merchants, or to cities unafraid of a few hundred or a few thousand travelers suddenly arriving on their doorsteps. 

With no land to call their own the caravans make the roads their home. Wagons and carts are loaded up with everything that made their homeland theirs, songs herald their arrival, and colorful pennants wave behind them as they go. It can be an appealing lifestyle, and quite often runaways escape on caravans. Caravan life can be harsh, but it is still a life of adventure on the open road. 

Characters raised in the caravanner culture share a variety of traits in common with one another. 

Caravanner. Long hauls require steady handling of a wagon and a good rapport with the pack animals. You are proficient with the Animal Handling skill and with land vehicles. 

Long Hauler. Sometimes riding in a caravan means enduring long hours and harsh weather. You have proficiency in the Survival skill. In addition, you have advantage on saving throws made to avoid fatigue from a forced march.

Mobile Living. You can create a ramshackle version of a cart or wagon with 30 minutes of work if you have access to raw or reclaimed materials. Ramshackle vehicles created in this way function identically to their normal counterparts, except their gold piece value is always 0, they have half as many hit points as their normal counterparts, and they break and become useless if they are hit by any attack roll with a result of natural 20. 

Trampling Charge. Caravanners have learned to bowl down obstacles in their way. When you or a mount you’re riding uses the Dash action or a vehicle you’re driving uses the Ahead Full action, you can move through spaces occupied by creatures with a size category smaller than you, or your mount, or the vehicle. Creatures moved through in this way must make a Dexterity saving throw (DC equal to 8 + your Dexterity modifier + your proficiency bonus). On a failed save, creatures are knocked prone and take an amount of bludgeoning damage equal to your level. Creatures cannot be damaged twice from the same trampling charge. Once you use this trait, you cannot do so again until you finish a short or long rest .

Languages. You can speak, read, sign, and write Common and one other language.

The twenty-sided die (d20) is at the heart of Level Up’s action resolution mechanic. To make an attack, ability check, skill check , or saving throw , players roll a d20 and add their relevant modifiers. Apply any bonuses and penalties, and compare the total to the appropriate difficulty rating (Armor Class, Difficulty Class, and so on). If the total equals or exceeds the rating, the roll is a success. Otherwise, it’s a failure.

Group Checks

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 or a skill 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.

Criticals and Fumbles

When you roll a 20 on a d20 attack roll, saving throw, or ability check (before applying any modifiers, bonuses, and penalties), this is referred to as a “natural 20”. Rolling a 1 on a d20 attack roll, saving throw, or ability check (before applying any modifiers, bonuses, and penalties) is referred to as a “natural 1”.

Criticals and fumbles also provide opportunities for additional positive and negative consequences. For example, in addition to being a guaranteed success, a critical hit increases the damage caused by an attack (dealing double damage). At the Narrator’s discretion, a fumble might also result in a complication for the attacker, such as their weapon getting stuck in a wooden door, requiring an ability check to free it.

Advantage, Disadvantage, and Expertise

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

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.

When you have both advantage and disadvantage (regardless of from how many sources), they cancel each other out and you roll normally.

Expertise Dice

Some class features or traits 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 typically represent the particular training a character takes into the adventure.

Rounding

Unless noted otherwise, when rounding in Level Up you round down.

Your character begins the game with starting equipment determined by their background and class. Starting equipment includes everything from weapons and armor to general tools and items. Be sure to record your starting equipment on the character sheet. 

If you’d like to have more flexibility in the gear your character starts the game with you can alternatively use your class’ gold pieces (gp) to buy your own. 

Be sure to keep in mind that your character has to carry everything you buy! Strength scores determine the maximum amount of equipment characters can carry. Avoid going over a total weight in pounds greater than your Strength score times 15, and be mindful of any bulky items that weigh over 40 pounds or are larger than 2 feet across. 

If your character is going on a journey, they will also need to carry food and water with them (or whatever it is they eat and drink). You can carry a number of days' Supply equal to your Strength score, in addition to your equipment, weapons, and armor.

Defense

Your Armor Class (AC) represents your character’s ability to avoid sustaining damage in battle. Numerous things affect your AC in various ways, such as armor, traits, features, Dexterity and more. 

Unarmored, your character’s AC is 10 + their Dexterity modifier. While wearing armor, utilizing shields, or taking advantage of traits and features, the AC calculation will differ based on the circumstances. For equipment the details of AC calculation are available as part of an item’s description, and the criteria and effects of other options are listed in your character’s class, heritage, or culture.

When your character is subject to more than one way to calculate their AC, you can choose which one to apply. 

One of the key things to remember when making your character is that not everyone can use armor and shields. Your character must be proficient with armor and shields in order to use them with any efficiency, and there are certain drawbacks from struggling to use either without knowing how to properly do so. 

Offense

Weapons are the bread and butter of any savvy adventurer, even those who use them as only a last resort. 

Weapon attacks are made by rolling a d20 and adding your proficiency bonus (as long as your character is actually proficient with the weapon) and the appropriate ability modifier. Weapon damage is calculated by rolling the weapon’s damage die and adding any applicable modifiers.

Melee weapons use your character’s Strength modifier or Dexterity modifier for attack and damage rolls. 

Meanwhile, ranged weapons use Dexterity for attack and damage rolls. Some weapons with the thrown property, such as javelins, allow you to use your character’s Strength modifier instead. 

All attacks also indicate the type of damage they deal. A sickle deals slashing damage while a heavy maul deals bludgeoning damage. Damage types, besides being cool aspects of your character, also come into play as some situations may call for one type of damage type over the other.  

Some special attacks (basic combat maneuvers that you use to grapple or shove a creature) instead do an amount of damage called basic melee damage. This is equal to 1 + your Strength modifier.

There are six key ability scores that factor into everything that your character does in the game: Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma. These abilities and their uses are described in detail in later chapters. Review Table: Ability Scores in Theory and Practice to get an idea of what they are, what classes rely on them, and how they may come up in play. 

Ability scores are generated randomly by rolling four 6-sided dice and recording the total of the highest three dice on a spare sheet of paper. You continue to do this until you have a total of six numbers. 

Choose where you’d like to assign these numbers by recording each next to an ability score. 

After that’s done, modify your ability scores to account for any additional bonuses your character gained from their background. 

The final ability scores will determine your ability modifiers, which can be seen in the Ability Scores and Modifiers table. 

To figure out your ability modifier without the table, subtract 10 from an ability score and then divide the result by 2 (round down). Record the modifier next to your ability scores. 

Variant: Standard Ability Array

Instead of rolling dice to determine your six ability scores, you may choose to use the following scores instead: 15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8. 

Variant: Custom Ability Scores

With the Narrator’s approval, you can use the following method to create ability scores. 

You have 27 points to spend on ability scores. The cost of each score is shown on the Ability Score Point Cost table. This approach to ability score generation limits the highest score to 15 before the application of ability score increases from other sources.