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  VARIANT RULES 1 
  
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.  
  VARIANT RULES 2 
  The following are variant rules, core rule reminders, and 
  campaign options for the discerning DM. The author has 
  over 25 years of experience playing the game and enjoys 
  fiddling with the rules and adapting stuff from older 
  editions. 
  RACIAL ATTRIBUTES 
  Darkvision: Racial darkvision can be treated as a 
  form of low-light vision that requires a minimum 
  of light.  
   
                     
     If you have darkvision 60 ft., you can see the dim 
  light a light source casts as if it were bright light, 
  and the darkness within an additional 60 feet of 
  you as if it were dim light. That area of darkness is 
  only lightly obscured as far as that creature is 
  concerned (i.e., disadvantage on Wisdom 
  Perception checks that rely on sight).  
     Magical darkvision works as RAW. 
  Sunlight Sensitivity. All creatures with darkvision 
  have disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks 
  that rely on sight when they, or whatever they are 
  trying to perceive, is in direct sunlight.   
   
  Halflings and Gnomes (summary)  
   Small Size 
   Between 3½ and 4½ feet tall, average 50 pounds. 
   You can move through the space of any creature 
  that is of a size larger than yours.  
   You can hide behind creatures of larger size 
  (granting you cover).  
   You have disadvantage on attack rolls with heavy 
  weapons.  
   You maximum natural Strength score is 18. 
   
  ABILITY SCORES 
  Unlike other abilities, the following abilities can’t 
  be raised with normal ability score increases. 
  Instead, the DM awards increases to Courage and 
  Sanity – or impose reductions – based on a 
  character’s action. 
   
  COURAGE 
  Measures a character's grit, nerve, and bravery 
  when confronted with fear, danger, pain, grief, or 
  overwhelming odds. 
    Whenever a spell or situation calls for a Wisdom 
  saving throw or ability check related to fear or 
  morale, Courage is used instead.  
    A character’s initial Courage score is determined 
  by rolling 4d6, dropping the lowest die, and adding 
  his or her Wisdom modifier. 
   
  COMELINESS  
  Comeliness reflects physical attractiveness, social 
  grace, hygiene, and personal beauty of the 
  character. It is used to determine initial reactions 
  to the character, and characters with high 
  comeliness may affect the wills and actions of 
  others. While charisma deals specifically with 
  leadership and interactions between characters, 
  comeliness deals with attractiveness and first 
  impressions.  Comeliness helps determining your 
  Passive Charisma, which—for humanoid races—
  affects other humanoids, giants, and bipedal 
  creatures of human-like form and motivation. 
    A character’s Comeliness score is chosen by the 
  player upon character creation (maximum 18). 
   
  
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  VARIANT RULES 3 
   
   
   
    The DM can apply racial adjustments to Passive 
  Charisma when the reaction of characters of other 
  races is concerned.  
    Examples of possible racial adjustments:  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  SKILLS 
  Strength 
  ATHLETICS (SWIMMING) 
  Characters without the Athletics skill proficiency 
  never learned to swim. They must succeed 
  Strength checks in order to stay afloat or swim 
  (swimming speed 5), even in calm water.  
    Swimming speed for player characters with 
  Athletics proficiency is 10 (Small size) or 15 
  (Medium size). Gaining any distance in rough 
  water (treacherous currents, storm-tossed waves, 
  or areas of thick seaweed) requires a successful 
  Strength (Athletics) check, unless a creature has a 
  natural or magical Swimming Speed (e.g. aquatic 
  elf, merfolk). If the Armor table in the PHB shows 
  “Disadvantage” in the Stealth column, the wearer 
  has disadvantage on Strength (Athletics) checks 
  related to swimming. 
    If a character fails three Swimming checks in a 
  row, it is out of breath and starts drowning. 
   
   
   
  LEARNING TO SWIM 
  You can spend time between adventures learning 
  to swim. The training lasts 30 days and costs 30 gp. 
  It grants the character a situational Strength 
  (Athletics) skill proficiency for swimming.   
   
   
  Dexterity  
  OPEN LOCKS 
   You have tools and you're proficient with them: 
  roll Dexterity check with proficiency bonus 
   You have tools and you're not proficient with 
  them: roll Intelligence check DC 10 and Dexterity 
  check with disadvantage.  
   You don't have tools, but you're proficient with 
  them: you have to get some improvising tools, but 
  you know what's best for the job. You roll 
  Dexterity check with disadvantage. 
   You don't have tools and you're not proficient 
  with them: good luck. You have to get some 
  improvising tools, and you succeed on a natural 20 
  on a d20 roll. 
   
   
  
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  VARIANT RULES 4 
  USE ROPE  
     
   
    You can bind a character or an object by making a 
  Dexterity check. The DM secretly rolls the check 
  and adds any Rope Kit proficiency bonus. This 
  determines the knot’s DC.  
    A character with the following race, class or 
  background has proficiency with the Rope kit. 
   
   
  Rope Kit. This kit is an organized collection of 
  rope sizes, pre-cut and ready to use. A rope kit is 
  made from a 100-foot silk rope. It includes: 
     8 x 3-foot segments  
     4 x 6-foot segments 
     2 x 12-foot segments 
     1 x 25-foot segment  
    If you have rope kit proficiency, then you are 
  assumed to have —along with your adventuring 
  gear —the rope you need in a survival situation. 
  The DM might impose a 15 gp cost  if you didn’t 
  mention purchasing the rope kit ahead of time.  
   
   
  Intelligence / Wisdom 
  LANGUAGES 
  This house rule replaces the PHB starting languages 
  and Linguist feat, and the languages of ethnicities 
  described in the Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide. 
   
  In our campaign, the Common tongue is divided 
  into three main dialects: Chondathan (northern 
  and central lands of Faerûn), Guran (e.g. Chult, 
  Calimshan and other southern lands), and Shou 
  (e.g. Kara-Tur, far eastern lands).  
    At level 1, your character knows one native 
  language (Chondathan, Dwarvish, Elvish, Orc, etc.), 
  and your background can give you access to one or 
  more additional languages. 
    However, the maximum number of languages you 
  can know at any given time is limited by your 
  Intelligence score, as shown on the following table.  
   
    
  LEARNING A NEW LANGUAGE   
  You can spend time between adventures learning a 
  new language. First, you must find an instructor 
  willing to teach you. The training lasts a minimum 
  of 150 days and costs 1 gp per day. After 150 days, 
  you make an Intelligence check with the following 
  DC: 
   
     
    You have advantage on the check if the language 
  you are trying to learn shares a common script 
  with a previously known language. A failed roll 
  indicates the need to spend another 50 days 
  learning the language, followed by a new 
  Intelligence check. Each subsequent failed check 
  requires you to take an additional 50 days of 
  training.  
   
  MEMORY 
  Your Intelligence (Memory) check measures your 
  ability to recall recent information.  
    The DM might call for a Memory check when you 
  try to remember an event, a piece of information, a 
  magical command word, a name, a place, or the 
  identity of a person (or a group) you have met  in 
  the course of the current campaign.  
    What other Intelligence skills cover: 
  
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  VARIANT RULES 5 
    Arcana: Ancient mysteries, magic traditions, 
  arcane symbols, cryptic phrases, constructs, 
  dragons, magical beasts and monstrosities, the 
  Weave, spells, magic items, magical traps, magical 
  writing, the Planes.  
   
   
    History: Royalty, wars, constructions, political 
  figures, folk heroes, legends, laws, local lore, 
  customs, traditions, lineages, heraldry, genealogy, 
  types of government, towns, cities, and countries. 
    Nature: Beasts, humanoids, fey, giants, the 
  Underdark, the wilderness, vermin, weather, lands, 
  terrain, climate, herbs and plants. 
    Religion: Deities, pantheons, myths, religious 
  legends, heroes and mystics, ecclesiastic traditions, 
  religious customs, theocracies, superstitions, holy 
  feasts, domains and symbols, the undead, 
  shamanism, prayers, sacred rites, sacred places, 
  angels and demons.  
   
   
  FEATS 
  DECK BRAWLER 
  Prerequisite: Sailor Background (includes variants) 
  Accustomed to fighting on ships, barges or 
  anything else that floats, you gain the following 
  benefits: 
   Increase your Strength or Dexterity score by 1, to 
  a maximum of 20. 
   You gain a +2 bonus to initiative while standing 
  on anything that is floating on water. 
   Climbing doesn’t halve your speed. 
   You can add your proficiency bonus to any check 
  that involves boarding another sea vessel. 
   
   
   
  GAMBLER 
   Increase your Dexterity or Intelligence score by 1, 
  to a maximum of 20. 
   You gain proficiency in two gaming sets of your 
  choice. 
   
  HEALER  (Replaces PHB Healer feat) 
  Prerequisite: Proficiency with Medicine skill 
  You are a skilled herbalist, healer, and surgeon.  
  and gain the following benefits: 
   Proficiency with the Herbalism kit. 
   Whenever you use an action and spend a use of a 
  healer’s kit on a target, the target may spend 1 hit 
  dice. If they do, the target heals damage as if they’d 
  spent the hit dice at the end of a short rest.  
   Whenever you spend a use of a healer’s kit to 
  stabilize a dying creature, that creature regains a 
  number of hit points equal to either your 
  Intelligence or Wisdom modifier (your choice). 
   Once per day after a short or long rest, you may 
  expend a use of a healer’s kit to grant a creature a 
  bonus saving throw against one disease or one 
  condition currently affecting it at the end of that 
  short rest. The condition can be blinded, deafened, 
  paralyzed, or poisoned. The saving throw gains a 
  bonus equal to your Intelligence or Wisdom 
  modifier (your choice). The DC of the saving throw 
  equals the DC of the spell or effect that initiated 
  the disease or condition. If used during a long rest, 
  you may grant this bonus save to a number of 
  creatures equal to either your Intelligence or 
  Wisdom modifier (your choice). Each creature 
  treated during a long rest requires one use of a 
  healer’s kit. 
   
  MARTIAL ADEPT (PHB p. 168) 
  You can take the Martial Adept feat a second time 
  with the following benefits: 
   You learn two additional maneuvers; 
   You gain another superiority die; 
   
  MASTER HERBALIST 
  You are an expert at locating, preparing, and 
  administering herbs. You gain the following 
  benefits: 
   You have advantage on Intelligence (Nature) 
  checks to gather herbs for herbal concoctions. 
   You have advantage on Wisdom (Medicine) 
  checks to prepare concoctions of the Healing type.  
   You have resistance to nonmagical poison 
  damage. 
   
  
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  VARIANT RULES 6 
  NIMBLE 
  Prerequisite: Dexterity 13 or higher 
  You are built for speed, so you are built to get out 
  of the way of an attack. Gain the following benefits: 
   Add +1 bonus to your AC while you are wearing 
  light or no armor. This stacks with any other effect 
  that add to your AC. 
   You can take the disengage action as a bonus 
  action on each of your turns.  
   You gain a superiority die (d6). Using this 
  superiority die, you can use the Give Ground 
  maneuver (see New Maneuvers section) as a 
  reaction.  You regain your expended superiority 
  die when you finish a short or long rest. 
   
  PUGILIST 
  You are trained in one of several weaponless 
  combat techniques and gain the following benefits: 
   You have studied the detailed anatomy of your 
  opponents, intimidate them with your unshakable 
  confidence, are able to pinpoint weak spots with a 
  keen eye, or use your high pain tolerance to power 
  through your enemy’s defenses. Choose an ability 
  score. You may use that ability score in place of 
  Strength for the attack and damage rolls of your 
  unarmed strikes. 
   When you take the Attack action on your turn, you 
  can make an additional unarmed strike as a bonus 
  action.  
   Your unarmed damage increases by one die type. 
  For example, from 1 point to 1d4, or 1d10 to 1d12. 
     You can select this feat multiple times. You 
  unarmed damage increases by one die type.  
   
  SKIRMISHER’S STEALTH 
  Prerequisite: Dexterity 13 or higher 
  Your combine speed and stealth in combat to make 
  yourself hard to pin down. You are difficult to 
  detect even if you attack or otherwise take actions 
  that would normally reveal your presence. 
   Increase your Dexterity or Wisdom score by 1, to 
  a maximum of 20.  
   At the start of your turn, pick a creature you are 
  hidden from. You remain hidden from that 
  creature during your turn, regardless of your 
  actions or the actions of other creatures. As a 
  bonus action at the end of your turn, you can make 
  a Dexterity (Stealth) check to hide again if you 
  fulfill the conditions needed to hide. Otherwise, 
  creatures are aware of you at the end of your turn. 
   
   
  WHIP MASTER  
  You have practiced extensively with a whip: 
   Increase your Dexterity score by 1, to a max. of 
  20. 
   When you hit a creature with a whip on your 
  turn, you can use a bonus action to attempt to 
  Grapple, Trip or Disarm the target. If you do so, the 
  attack does not cause any damage. Target makes a 
  Strength saving throw DC 8 + your proficiency 
  bonus + your STR or DEX modifier (the same one 
  you used to make the attack roll).  
    Alternatively, you can use your action to interact 
  with objects within whip reach. E.g., you can pull 
  small items to you, flip switches, hit buttons, grasp 
  onto an object like a grappling hook. As a bonus 
  action, you can release the object the whip is 
  grasping. 
   
  HEALING, INJURIES AND RECOVERY  
   A PC rolls once for hp per level. If the rolled 
  number is lower than average, take average hp. 
   Characters don’t regain hit points at the end of a 
  long rest. Instead, they can spend Hit Dice to heal 
  at the end of a long rest, just as with a short rest. 
  (DMG p. 267) 
   When reduced to 0 hp, the character gains a level 
  of exhaustion. 
   One failed death saving throw equals a roll on the 
  Lingering Injuries table (DMG p. 272). 
   
  HEALER’S KIT  
  As a house rule, any individual can spend one use 
  of a healer’s kit to stabilize a companion. If you 
  have proficiency in the Medicine skill, you gain the 
  following benefits when using a healer’s kit. 
   When you use a healer’s kit to stabilize an ally, 
  that ally also regains 1 hit point. 
   During a short rest, you may expend one use of a 
  healer’s kit to bind wounds, offer pain-numbing 
  salves, and apply natural anticoagulants. The 
  target heals 1d6+4 hit points of damage. The target 
  also gain a number of hit points equal to its 
  number of hit dice.  
   
  MASSIVE ENERGY DAMAGE 
  When you take acid, cold, fire or lightning damage 
  in a single turn equal to or greater than half your 
  hit points maximum, you must succeed on a DC 15 
  Constitution saving throw or suffer a debilitating 
  pain equal to one level of exhaustion. You also lose 
  
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  VARIANT RULES 7 
  your action and you can’t take reactions until the 
  end of your next turn. You recover all levels of 
  exhaustion gained because of this type of damage if 
  you receive magical healing. 
   
  AGING EFFECT 
  Child: -4 Str, -2 Con, and Wis 
  Middle age: –1 to Str, Dex, Con and +1 to Int, Wis 
  Old age: –2 to Str, Dex, Con and +1 to Int, Wis 
  Venerable age: –3 to Str, Dex, Con and +1 to Int, Wis 
   
  EXTREME COLD   (Replaces RAW: DMG) 
  At the end of an hour exposed to extreme cold, a 
  creature must succeed a Constitution saving throw 
  or gain one level of exhaustion.  
   
   
   
  COMBAT 
  MULTIPLE OBJECT INTERACTIONS  
  You can interact with two objects or features of the 
  environment for free (instead of one as RAW): e.g. 
  draw two swords; draw a bow and kick open a 
  door; drink the ale in a flagon and grab a bauble 
  from the table.  
    Unslinging your backpack, opening it, and 
  retrieving an object counts as an interaction with 
  two objects.  
    You still need to take the Use An Object action 
  when the object itself requires a full action to have 
  any effect (e.g. drinking a magical potion, using a 
  tinker device).   
   
  HERO POINTS 
  At the start of a gaming session, each player 
  receives a d6 heroic die. This d6 can be added to 
  any one roll – attack, damage, ability check, saving 
  throw, etc. The die can be rolled after seeing the 
  result of the initial die roll.   
    The DM can grant another heroic die when 
  awarding Inspiration (instead of advantage). 
    Heroic dice must be used during the current 
  gaming session. Unlike the d20 Inspiration die, 
  they are not carried from one session to the next 
  and cannot be given to another player. 
   
  COVER  
  Half-cover or three-quarter cover imposes the 
  same penalty : disadvantage on the attack roll.  
   
  CRITICAL DAMAGE 
  When rolling critical damage, the original die is 
  always maxed and you only roll for the additional 
  damage. For example, a crit with a longsword deals 
  8+1d8+modifiers damage.  
   
  DISARM    
  If you don’t know the disarming attack maneuver: 
  as written in the DMG (attack roll contested by 
  target’s STR or DEX) except you always have 
  disadvantage on you roll (no matter how the target 
  is holding the item). 
    If you know the disarming attack maneuver (class 
  feature or feat): you don’t have disadvantage on 
  your roll and your attack does damage. Use the 
  Disarm maneuver rule (PHB p. 74) to determine 
  success. 
   
  FLANKING 
  Both flanking creatures have to belong to the 
  barbarian, fighter, paladin or ranger classes 
  (classes that gain an extra attack at 5th level) to 
  gain the benefit of advantage on melee attack rolls. 
  Clerics of the War domain can also benefit from 
  this combat tactic. 
   
   
  RANGED ATTACK 
  When attacking a target beyond normal range, you 
  suffer a -5 penalty on your attack roll (instead of 
  disadvantage).  
   
  SHIELD BASH 
  Similar to the Two-Weapon fighting rule: If you 
  take the Attack action on your turn, you can use a 
  bonus action to attempt a shield bash. 
   Disadvantage on the attack roll 
   STR modifier + Proficiency bonus (if proficient 
  with shelds)  Hit: 1d4 (no STR mod. bonus) 
  (bludgeoning) 
     The Shield Master feat (PHB p. 170) lifts the 
  disadvantage penalty and allows you to add your 
  STR modifier to the damage. 
  
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  VARIANT RULES 8 
  TWO-WEAPON FIGHTING   
  Use two light one-hand melee weapons. Attack 
  with one melee weapon; use bonus action to use 
  other weapon: disadvantage on the attack roll for 
  second attack). 
   Do not add damage mods to second attack (unless 
  mod is negative). 
   If either light melee weapon has the thrown 
  property, you can throw the weapon instead of 
  making a melee attack with it. 
   The Dual Wielder feat allows you to use one-
  handed melee weapons that aren’t light, and you 
  gain AC +1; you no longer have disadvantage with 
  the off-hand weapon.  
   The Two-Weapon fighting style allows you to add 
  your damage mod (STR or DEX) to your second 
  attack, and you no longer have disadvantage with 
  the off-hand weapon. 
   
  FIGHTING STYLES  
  The following options for the Fighting Style feature are available 
  to the fighter, paladin and ranger classes.  
   
  HAND AND A HALF 
  When you wielding a melee weapon with the 
  versatile property, no shield and no other weapon, 
  gain a +1 to hit and +1 to damage. 
   
  From Unearthed Arcana articles: 
   
  CLOSE QUARTERS SHOOTER  
  You are trained in making ranged attacks at close 
  quarters. When making a ranged attack while you 
  are within 5 feet of a hostile creature, you do not 
  have disadvantage on the attack roll. Your ranged 
  attacks ignore half cover and three-quarters cover 
  against targets within 30 feet of you. Finally, you 
  have a +1 bonus to attack rolls on ranged attacks. 
   
  MARINER  
  As long as you are not wearing heavy armor or 
  using a shield, you have a swimming speed and a 
  climbing speed equal to your normal speed, and 
  you gain a +1 bonus to AC. The mariner’s AC bonus 
  comes with conditions, but it plays into the 
  restrictions a mariner must observe to gain a 
  swimming or climbing speed. In addition, a 
  ship‐based campaign lends itself to fighters who 
  wield scimitars (representing a cutlass) and a 
  dagger, and who wear light armor. This specific AC 
  bonus helps support that character option.   
  TUNNEL FIGHTER  
  You excel at defending narrow passages, doorways, 
  and other tight spaces. As a bonus action, you can 
  enter a defensive stance that lasts until the start of 
  your next turn. While in your defensive stance, you 
  can make opportunity attacks without using your 
  reaction, and you can use your reaction to make a 
  melee attack against a creature that moves more 
  than 5 feet while within your reach. 
   
  NEW MANEUVERS 
  When a character selects a maneuver to learn from 
  the Battle Master’s list of maneuvers, they may 
  choose one of the following: 
     Drop Prone. Whenever you take damage from a 
  ranged weapon attack, you can use your reaction 
  and expend a superiority die to drop prone as a 
  reaction and reduce the damage of the next ranged 
  attack against you on this turn by the number you 
  roll on your superiority die. 
     Give Ground. As a reaction, whenever you take 
  damage from a melee weapon attack or a melee 
  spell attack (such as flame blade), you may expend 
  a superiority die to move five feet away from that 
  attacker in order to reduce the damage of the 
  attack by an amount equal to the roll of your 
  superiority die.  
     If none of the three squares behind you are 
  possible destinations, you may not give ground 
  (even if you could otherwise pass through the 
  square, such as when occupied by an ally).  Also, 
  you may not give ground to move into difficult 
  terrain unless you roll a successful skill check (such 
  as using Acrobatics to leap backward onto a table.)  
  If the move backward fails, you do not reduce the 
  incoming damage and lose your superiority die.  
     You may not use this maneuver when knocked 
  down, prone, pulled, teleported, or if you’re unable 
  to move because of a condition.  
  
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