Only the brave or foolhardy dare even the briefest foray into Underland, and few survive such treks long enough to make a habit of it. Underlanders are survivors through and through, having known the leanest of times in tunnels home to monsters and deadly traps alike. The harshness of subterranean life makes Underlanders extremely cautious about whom they trust, but once they form a bond with someone, their loyalty is ironclad. At the same time, Underlanders can be incredibly patient when danger is near—but when the moment to strike is at hand, theirs is sure.

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

Ear for Echoes. You have blindsight out to a range of 10 feet. If you already had blindsight, its range increases by 10 feet.

Eat Like a Bird. You grew used to eating very little. You can go a number of days equal to half your Constitution modifier without suffering any fatigue from lack of Supply .

Tunnel Finder. You have advantage on checks made to navigate underground.

Superior Darkvision. You have darkvision out to a range of 60 feet. If you already had darkvision, its range increases to 120 feet instead.

Underlander. You gain an expertise die on checks made for journey activities while in Underland.

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

One of the most difficult aspects of life in Underland is finding enough food to eat—or protecting what food one can find. An underharvester is someone who’s mastered the practice of gathering food in the harshest of environments, learning by painful experience (or wise lessons) what food is safe to eat. Mushrooms in particular are a valuable resource for underharvesters, something they take with them whenever they travel to a new area. Whiling away so many hours in the quiet darkness makes underharvesters an introspective lot, as does their penchant for using mushrooms to make their lives more enjoyable. underharvesters use mushrooms in ways many others find quite odd, from mildly poisoning themselves to stay warm in the subterranean cold, filling their bellies with mushrooms with no nutritional value in order to stave off hunger pangs, or ingesting hallucinogenic spores for recreation or religious purposes.

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

Expert Forager. Once per long rest , you can spend 4 hours of time to locate Supply for yourself and one other creature, or magical reagents worth up to 5 gold.

Shroomfinder. You gain advantage on checks made to find and identify mushrooms, as well as on checks made to cook mushrooms or use them as alchemical ingredients. In addition, you gain an expertise die on attack rolls and saving throws against plant creatures.

Sporekeeper. You keep on your person a number of pouches filled with various kinds of mushroom spores. When you have access to these pouches and use a medicinal, the medicinal’s duration is doubled.

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

The oceans of Underland are sailed by an eclectic mix of merchants, pirates, explorers, adventurers, and agents of the various underground factions. While less affected by extreme weather than their surface counterparts, these subterranean seas possess hazards of their own, and those who sail them (and survive) are made resourceful and resilient indeed. Sunless mariners spend most of their lives on (or under) the water, operating boats and submarines on the shipping lanes that link Underland’s ports. Crews of sunless mariners are sometimes all one heritage, but more often they are an eclectic mix of the people who make their homes underground. Elves, grimlocks, gnomes, dwarves, ratlings, and many others live side by side on these vessels, combining their talents to prevail against the unforgiving depths.

Unlike surface-world sailors, sunless mariners always know how to swim. It is not uncommon for a contingent of mariners to swim alongside their vessel, hauling it with ropes through narrow passages. Many ships that sail the sunless seas feature airlock-like chambers or magical fields that allow humanoids to enter the ship beneath the water.

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

Resilient Lungs. Repeated underwater forays have strengthened your lungs. You can hold your breath for twice as long as normal.

Lightless Perception. If you do not have darkvision, you gain darkvision with a range of 60 feet. If you already have darkvision, its range increases to 120 feet.

Strong Swimmer. You gain an expertise die on Athletics checks related to swimming.

Sailor. You gain proficiency with water vehicles.

Water Magic. You know the mending cantrip. Once you reach 3rd level, you can cast gust of wind once per long rest . You can cast these spells without components, and when casting them your spellcasting ability is your choice of Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma.

Languages. You can speak, read, write, and sign Common and Undercommon. You can also read and write Grimlock texture writing.

Sewer rats are ratlings who live by their wits in the most inhospitable parts of cities. They venture out at night in search of food and other necessities, stealing whatever they can’t scavenge. Able to wriggle through tiny spaces and laughing at locks, sewer rats operate much like a thieves’ guild—albeit one more interested in food than riches.

Sewer rats make no distinction between scavenging from garbage piles and stealing from bakeries and warehouses. If something’s not being used, it’s fair game. It’s hard to keep rats out of a storeroom, especially if the rats have nimble brains, access to thieves’ tools, and more than a passing familiarity with magical defenses.

When sewer rats do take something valuable, they’re happy to return it. Tolerant cities sometimes host a “sewer rat bazaar” where owners of stolen items can reclaim their property in exchange for colorful feathers or sweet treats.

While most sewer rats are ratlings, any humanoid willing to turn their back on polite society may be welcomed into a sewer rat enclave. Fugitives, exiles, and orphans alike can find companionship among a ratling family.

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

Dirty Rat. You make saving throws against disease with advantage .

Maze Runner. You can’t become lost while retracing a route within 10 feet of a wall or cliff.

Sewer Born. You gain either a swim speed or a climb speed (your choice) equal to your Speed.

Sewer Sneak. You are proficient with thieves’ tools and your choice of the Arcana, Acrobatics, Athletics, or Stealth skill.

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

Though every motley is unique, they share much in common and find comfort in each other’s company. What develops from there is a loving community that is accepting of all types of people, embracing exiles, outcasts, and anyone else who seeks a peaceful life. Motley collectives may be permanent settlements or nomadic caravans, but no matter what form they take, all collectives value cooperation. In a motley collective, each member’s peculiarity is turned into a strength. Someone with a monstrous pincer, for example, might help prepare pelts and construct dwellings, while a person with keen senses acts as a scout or guard. Those raised in a motley collective often make excellent adventurers, as they are quick to recognize able allies and opportunities that others would pass over.

Characters raised in a motley crew share a variety of traits in common with one another.

Expert Cooperator. When you use the Help action to aid another creature make an ability check, they also gain an expertise die .

Mimicry. You can mimic animal sounds and humanoid voices. A creature that hears the sounds can tell they are imitations with a successful Insight check against a DC of 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier.

Steady Nerves. You are immune to the rattled condition.

Motley Weapon Training. You have proficiency with the light hammer, maul, warhammer, and war pick.

Superior Darkvision. You are used to living in the dark and can see further in darkness and dim light than others of your kind. You have darkvision out to a range of 60 feet. If you already had darkvision, its range increases to 120 feet instead.

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

A group of ratlings is called a “mischief”—for good reason, as many hapless victims of ratling pranks will tell you. Mischiefs of ratlings travel from place to place, mocking the mighty, shocking the stuffy, thwarting the wicked, and helping themselves to food and luxuries along the way.

A mischief often has a reason for traveling besides pleasure-seeking. Some ratling clans are skilled musicians or troupes of actors. Others are tinkers or traders, wicked pirates, or even altruistic outlaws who protect the downtrodden. What every mischief shares is a communal social structure and mutual trust. Mischief ratlings constantly improvise, taking cues from each other as they engage in elaborate hijinks, with little thought for the long-term consequences.

Mischief makers lead thrill-seeking, exuberant lives and leave chaos in their wake. Discontent members of more staid communities, especially teens, often envy their freedom and impudence. A traveling mischief can collect humans, elves, gnomes, and other folks unsatisfied with their lives.

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

Follow My Lead. When you are involved in a group skill check, you are treated as proficient in the skill if anyone in the group is proficient in the skill.

Sudden Retreat. When a creature makes an opportunity attack against you, it does so with disadvantage .

Table for One. If you are Small, you can make a Deception check or use a disguise kit to appear to be Medium while standing on another Small humanoid’s shoulders.

Tricks of the Trade. You are proficient in Deception, Performance, or Sleight of Hand, or with disguise kits (your choice).

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

Mycelial communities tend to be simple, consisting of family groups known as melds that live deep underground. Meld-members are curious but cautious. They know Underland is full of dangers, and thus approach unfamiliar creatures and people with considered care.

Mycelials maintain a strong oral tradition focused on passing on their songs and stories. They engage in trade with other peoples, exchanging the gems they uncover while eating softer ores for whatever they might need.

Characters raised in the meld-member culture share a variety of traits in common with one another.

Cautious Approach. You gain proficiency in Stealth. As long as you don’t move more than 10 feet in a turn, you gain an expertise dice on Stealth checks.

Songs of the Circle. You’ve learned the songs and stories of your meld. You gain proficiency in History and Performance, and with one musical instrument of your choice.

Superior Darkvision. You are used to living in the dark and can see further in darkness and dim light than others of your kind. You have darkvision out to a range of 60 feet. If you already had darkvision, its range increases to 120 feet instead.

Spore Fortitude. Long exposure to mycelial spores has improved your ability to resist poisons . You have advantage on saving throws against poison, and you have resistance to poison damage.

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

It is a testament to the human spirit that, when a group of engineers became trapped underground thousands of years ago, they found a way to survive instead of dying terrified in the dark. Their descendants started being born without eyes, becoming the first grimlocks. Even the name “grimlock,” a reference to the grim fate of being locked in the earth, speaks to the ingenuity and grit of these brave souls. In the generations since the first grimlock was born, eyelessness has become a trait that parents can pass on to their children, even if they do not live in the depths of the earth.

Grimlocks live an isolated existence heavy with responsibility. Tasked with the self-imposed duty of keeping the geology of the regions they inhabit stable (a response to the tragedy that created their society) they build communities that run on reliable schedules and provide routine training for all. They are a serious people, but not a joyless one, and their respect for innovation and problem solving has allowed them to not only persist for centuries, but to achieve levels of advancement unseen on the surface.

The original grimlocks were made up entirely of humans, but over time they absorbed people of other heritages who were willing to take up the responsibility of stabilizing the earth. Grimlocks welcome anyone who can adapt to unlit environments and is willing to help their community. Modern grimlock communities are surprisingly diverse, given their isolation. Those who lack darkvision often go blind in the lightless tunnels of a grimlock community, but their other senses sharpen to compensate.

Characters raised in the grimlock culture share the following traits:

Grimlock Training. Specialized training has equipped you to aid your community. Choose one of the following:
• Maintenance. You gain proficiency in the Engineering skill and with tinker’s tools.
• Medic. You gain proficiency in the Medicine skill and with herbalist’s kits.
• Security. You gain proficiency with the Stealth skill and with shortswords and shotguns.

Whatever’s At Hand. Underland is a dangerous place, and grimlocks learn to defend themselves with whatever’s handy, such as tools like pry bars and wrenches. You gain proficiency with improvised weapons.

Lightless Expertise. You never suffer disadvantage for being unable to see while making skill checks, so long as one of your other senses (such as touch or hearing) can compensate.

Languages. You can speak Common and Undercommon and you can read Grimlock texture writing, which uses the words and grammar of Undercommon. Because most grimlocks lack traditional sight, blind members of their society are not taught the written or signed forms of the languages they use to communicate. Grimlocks with darkvision learn the written and signed forms of Common and Undercommon normally.

Additionally, many grimlocks (especially those of human, halfling, or dragonborn heritage) do not have eyes; their faces are smooth where their eyes would usually be, and their skulls lack eye sockets. The following traits are most commonly seen in grimlocks whose heritages lack the darkvision ability. If you wish, you gain the following traits:

Blind. You are permanently blind and can’t see beyond the range of your blindsight. You can’t benefit from any ability or magical effect that would grant you visual sight or darkvision. Your inability to see, however, is not without its advantages. You are immune to any illusion spell that relies on vision, such as blur , darkness , or invisibility , and you are also immune to attacks and effects that require meeting a creature’s eyes, such as a medusa’s petrifying gaze. Additionally, you gain an expertise die on Perception checks that don’t rely on sight.

Echolocation. While you are not deafened , you have blindsight with a range of 60 feet. You count as being able to see targets within the range of your echolocation.

Sensitive Ears. Any time you take thunder damage, you make a Constitution save against a DC of 10 or half the damage taken, whichever is higher. On a failure, you are deafened until the end of your next turn.