Heroic Origins: Peoples of the Dream

In character creation, a character’s bloodline, culture, and background form a distinct and unified origin. Each component reveals one facet of a character’s complex history, combined into a unique path of life.

Ancestry represents the physical or magical form of your character, granted by their birth and in-born nature. Ancestry includes norms for Age, Size, Speed, and the innate features you have at your disposal.

Culture adds in ancestral upbringings, favored traditions, or how you’re an outcast within your own culture. Culture grants you languages other than Common, proficiencies, and other learned features.

Background covers how you live day to day - affirming, challenging, or even confounding your roots.

Ability Score Increases

As you create your character, add +2 to one ability score and +1 to another, or add +1 to three ability scores. If you gain an increase to an ability score, it cannot exceed +2 and may not exceed a score of 20. In those cases, increase another ability score of your choice.

Ancestry Features

Below are the inherent traits for each of the bloodlines commonly found in the Dream.

Ancestry Features

Each ancestry lists an age of physical adulthood, common social maturity (in parentheses), and common maximum lifespan. Of course, a rare few defy these standards.

Race	Age	Size	Speed	Innate Feature(s)
Aasimar	16 (21) - 160	Medium	30	Celestial Legacy, Darkvision
Dwarf	16 (50) - 350	Medium	25	Darkvision, Stone Sense
Elf, Daev	16 (100) - 750	Medium	30	Superior Darkvision, Fey Ancestry, Shadow Sense, Sunlight Sensitivity, Trance
Elf, High	16 (100) - 750	Medium	30	Darkvision, Fey Ancestry, High Sense, Trance
Elf, Wood	16 (100) - 750	Medium	35	Darkvision, Fey Ancestry, Wood Sense, Trance
Halfling	20 (33) -150	Small	25	Lucky, Brave, Halfling Nimbleness
Human	16 (20) - 100	Medium	30	Born to Dream
Dragonborn	15 - 80	Medium	30	Draconic Ancestry, Breath Weapon, Damage Resistance
Gnome	16 (40) - 500	Small	25	Darkvision, Gnome Cunning
Half-Elf	16 (20) - 180	Medium	30	Darkvision, Fey Ancestry, Adaptation
Half-Orc	14 (16) - 75	Medium	30	Darkvision, Relentless Endurance
Tiefling	16 (20) - 160	Medium	30	Darkvision, Fiendish Resistance

Celestial Legacy. You have been blessed with a celestial lineage, one that guides you to face darkness and lead others to the light. You gain the following benefits:

• You gain resistance to radiant and necrotic damage.
• You know the light cantrip and may cast cure wounds a number of times equal to your proficiency modifier without expending a spell slot. You regain these uses after completing a long rest. You may select Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma as the spellcasting modifier. You may also cast this spell with any spell slots you have.

Stone Sense. Whenever you make an ability check related to traversing, navigating, moving quietly, studying, or discerning details about natural stone, stonework, or metal objects, double your proficiency bonus if you have it. You are always considered proficient in the Intelligence checks for these purposes. You may also cast the identify spell at will without components upon stone, stonework, or metallic objects.

Shadow Sense. You are proficient with the Perception skill and double your proficiency bonus on Perception checks, as well as on Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma checks (e.g. moonlit seduction, sensing others in the shadows, intimidating whispers) while you are lightly or heavily obscured if you have the skill.

High Sense. You are proficient with the Perception skill and double your proficiency bonus on Perception checks, as well as on Intelligence ability checks where you rely on direct observation with your senses, (e.g. Investigation based on examining the scene, appraising magical phenomena, identifying creatures) if you have the skill.

Wood Sense. You are proficient with the Perception skill and double your proficiency bonus on Perception checks, as well as on Wisdom ability checks where you rely on direct observation with your senses, (e.g. identifying illnesses with obvious symptoms, tracking footprints in a forest, noticing a blush) if you have the skill.

Brave. You have advantage on saving throws against being frightened. If you succeed on a saving throw against being frightened, roll with advantage on the next ability check, attack roll, or saving throw against the cause of your fear. This benefit fades after you complete a short or long rest. If you are immune to the frightened condition, you gain the benefit of your bravery if anything even attempts to frighten you.

Born to Dream. Your blood is touched deeply by your region, circumstances of birth, or personal drives as the Dream bends towards your story. Choose one from the following options:

• Increase one ability score by 2, or two ability scores by 1. These cannot be the same as those you've already increased at 1st level.
• You gain a boon from your region of the Dream and increase one ability score by 1. This cannot be the same as those you've already increased at 1st level.

Draconic Ancestry. In addition to deciding the damage type of your breath weapon and damage resistance, you also have an affinity for territory similar to your ancestor. You gain your choice from a climbing or swimming speed equal to your walking speed, or ignoring difficult terrain from nonmagical hazards, usually based on the dragon’s territory. Here are some recommendations, but dragonborn vary.

• Climbing speed: copper, red, white, silver
• Swimming speed: black, bronze, gold
• Ignore difficult terrain: blue, brass, green

Gnome Cunning. You have advantage on Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma saving throws against magic, and on Intelligence ability checks to see through illusions, perform feats of calculation, or to examine the workings of complex devices or magics.

Adaptation. Your blood presents in its own way to reflect your mixed parentage. Choose one from the following options:

• You gain the High Sense, Wood Sense, or Shadow Sense ancestry feature from your parent
• You gain a boon from your home region and increase one ability score by 1.

Relentless Endurance. When you are reduced to 0 hit points but not killed outright, you can drop to 1 hit point instead. If the cause continues to deal damage as part of its action (such a monster's multi-attack or the magic missile spell), you gain immunity to all damage caused by that action. You roll with advantage on the next ability check, attack roll, or saving throw against the cause. This benefit fades after you complete a short or long rest. You can't use this feature again until you finish a long rest.

Fiendish Resistance. The fiendish blood in you altered your form and defies lesser threats. You have resistance to one damage type of your choice from acid, cold, fire, lightning, necrotic, poison, or radiant damage, and roll with advantage on saving throws to prevent one condition of your choice from being charmed, frightened, poisoned, or restrained.

Aren’t You Intelligent? It’s important to consider the specific context and larger meanings of the words we use in describing species, cultures, and histories. For the purposes of the Dream, some expressions of intelligence are favored in certain environments, but we must always consider how we value or judge forms of ability. Strength. Physical prowess isn’t just raw muscle, but also the practiced application of that strength to complete tasks. You can perform athletic feats where others would struggle to know where to begin. Dexterity. Beyond basic agility and aim, you’ve developed a mental toolbox of shortcuts and tricks for balance, fine manipulation, and movement. Your achievements are as mental as they are physical. Constitution. You know how to pace yourself and how to make the most of rest, and have a good ear to the body’s warnings. Stamina is as much a discipline as it is a physical act, and you have discipline. Intelligence. Despite the broad naming, you have mathematical, reasoning, and recall skills above the average from your peers. While narrow in scope, this intelligence may be highly valued. It relies as much on a lifetime of opportunity and expectation as innate processing, though many fail to realize it. Wisdom. You quickly process relationships between people and objects, minor changes, and the motives behind the actions you observe. Through a knowledge of context, you rise above the obvious. Charisma. Beyond simple appearance, Charisma measures social intelligence and the effective impact of your tone and choices on others. You know how to deliver on or subvert expectations in your favor. So if all abilities are both innate and cognitive, then skills all have a social component. From practice with peers to the written word, skills represent the edge that engaging with one’s peers and predecessors can provide over solving every problem with your own body and mind. Even for skills that ancestry grants through innate affinity, this comes to represent how those people learn and interact with others.

Culture Features

Below, we break out the sub-races and some features in the Player’s Handbook into common cultures with universal traits. Additional culture options are listed for those who live within each of the Dream's regions. Racial variants like tiefling bloodlines might replace the character’s culture as innate power guides your future.

Common Cultures of the Dream

Culture	Languages	Proficiencies	Cultural Feature(s)
Mountain	Dwarven or Gnomish	Light hammer, warhammer, war pick; light and medium armor; one tool from smith’s tools, brewer’s supplies, or mason’s tools	Ability Score Increase (Strength), Resilience
Hill	Dwarven, Orcish, or Halfling	Battleaxe, handaxe, light hammer, warhammer; one skill from Insight or Perception	Toughness, Resilience
Arcane Lineage	Two of your choice	One versatile weapon; two skills from Arcana, History, Investigation, Nature, and Religion	Arcane Education
Forest	Elvish or Gnomish	Battleaxe, Handaxe, longsword, shortbow, shortsword, longbow; one skill from Perception, Survival, or Stealth	Fleet of Foot, Mask of the Wild
Grassland or Rural	Halfling	One tool of your choice; Animal Handling and land vehicles	Naturally Stealthy or Ability Score Increase (Any)
Cosmopolitan or Coastal	Two of your choice	One skill or tool of your choice	A feat of your choice
Nomadic	One of your choice	One skill or tool of your choice	Critical Edge, Ability Score Increase (Strength)
Tinkerer	Dwarven or Gnomish	Alchemist’s tools, one other tool of your choice	Artificer’s Lore, Tinker
Half-Blooded	One of your choice	Two of your choice from skills or tools	-
Blood Inheritor	One of your choice	One skill from Arcana, Nature, Religion, or Survival	Bloodline Legacy or Celestial Revelation
Underdark (Daev)	Elvish or Undercommon	Rapier, shortsword, hand crossbow; one skill from Deception, Insight, or Stealth	Undermagic
Swamp	Gnomish or Halfling	Two skills from Deception, Nature, Perception, Religion, Stealth or Survival; water vehicles	Resilience

Arcane Lineage. Magic is as common as wind and rain to you, or at least it once was. You’ve benefited from an education of the mind and the basics of self-defense. Magic is never without danger, after all.

Arcane Education. You’ve practiced basic magics as commonly as others learn their chores or to read. You know two cantrips of your choice, excluding eldritch blast, but only one choice may inflict damage.

Critical Edge. (Rename of Savage Attacks) You’ve been trained to take full advantage of openings and weaknesses to leave telling blows, ending deadly battles or honor duels decisively if given the chance.

Half-Blooded. Born with the blood of two peoples, you were never fully embraced by either parent culture. You’ve picked up a number of useful skills to navigate the suspicions or assumptions of peers.

Blood Inheritor. Unusual or powerful blood flows in your veins, and no one ever let you forget it. With a proud legacy, or for your own protection, you relied on your gifts to deal with fear, worship, or ostracism.

Bloodline Legacy. (Replaces Fiendish Legacy) You know one cantrip of your choice, except for eldritch blast. When you reach 3rd level, choose one 1st-level spell to be able to cast. You regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. At 5th level, choose one 2nd-level spell to be able to cast, also regained as part of a long rest. Choose between Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma for your spellcasting modifier. You may also cast these spells with spell slots if you have them.

Celestial Revelation You gain your choice of the Necrotic Shroud, Radiant Consumption, or Radiant Soul aasimar racial features from Volo's Guide to Monsters or Mordenkainen's Monsters of the Multiverse.

Resilience. (Rename of Dwarven Resilience) You were raised consuming food and drink that other cultures would never consider, and the natural hazards of your region have left you hardier than most.

Toughness. (Rename of Dwarven Toughness) Arduous travels, hard labor, or constant threats to you and your loved ones have left you tougher than most in the face of harm. You’re ready to fight for your life.

Tinkerer. Your fascination with the tinker’s arts has isolated you from society at large. While people may come to you for unique solutions to their problems, those solutions may cause problems of their own.

Undermagic. (Replaces Drow Magic). You know the dancing lights cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the faerie fire spell once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. When you reach 5th level, you can cast the darkness spell once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. Choose between Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma for your spellcasting modifier. You may also cast these spells with spell slots if you have them.

Backgrounds in the Dream

Each region has its own roles and social stations, each with their own place and privileges within society. Consider the place each role may play in the larger scheme of things - a provocative masseur would be considered a criminal in the Capital, while a sex worker could be an entertainer, a guild artisan, an acolyte, or even a sage of the secrets of attraction, pleasure, or social health. Consider the themes and spirit of each area, and challenge yourself and your table to realize the social implications of these roles.

When crafting a unique character background, remember to include these benefits:

• Two skills related to your background
• Choose two from any tool proficiency, language, or cantrips that cannot inflict damage
• 50 gold pieces worth of equipment and spending money
• A feature from another background, or a custom background feature worked out with your DM. These should provide social perks or access to knowledge that may benefit in pursuing the story.

Silent Tongues There are many sign languages across the Dream, both simple and complex, but the most prevalent are Imperial Standard Hand, Elvish Hand, and Bone-Fingers. The Imperial Standard is a codification of nearly a half-dozen 'common' sign languages into something approaching a universal system, one currently being documented and reviewed by the Imperial Library. Elvish Hand is old, intimate, and complex, including many facial touches both to the speaker and recipient - though variant gestures for hunting or other tasks are considered less polite. Bone-Fingers started out as a means of communicating in storms and includes a tapping-tongue of code that can be felt across a taut rope. Those with the criminal background also gain access to the gesture and subtextual Thieves' Cant, and rogues may trade Thieves' Cant proficiency for another language.

Optional Rule: Heroes of Intellect

At character creation, a DM may choose to give characters with a positive Intelligence modifier the option to select additional languages, tool proficiencies, or the Arcana, History, Investigation, Nature, and Religion skills, with a number of choices equal to their Intelligence modifier.

If your Intelligence modifier permanently increases (through an Ability Score Improvement or other means), you may gain additional languages or proficiencies as above with a single week’s use of downtime at no cost. You’ve likely been studying, practicing, or tinkering throughout your adventuring career, and a few epiphanies strike you as you gain experience in the field.

As another variant, If you begin play with a negative Intelligence modifier, or if your modifier decreases permanently in play, the DM may require you to choose a language, tool proficiency, or one of the above skills to lose, as you lack the intellect to develop or remain sharp with your knowledge.