A collection of variant rules for character creation. These are optional and not every player should be required to follow the same variants to construct their character. Check with your Dungeon Master before using any of these.
When rolling dice for ability scores with 4d6, re-roll any 1's until there are none. Then drop the lowest number as usual and add the rest. This ensures that the lowest possible score is a 6 (three 2's) instead of a 3 (three 1's). It keeps player ability scores from dropping into the extremes. Additionally you can make it a range, so any numbers rolled that are 1-2 are re-rolled until there are none. At that range the lowest number would be 9 (three 3's), and ensuring a player's worst score only has a -1 modifier. Good for beginner players who are easy to become disappointed from failure due to randomization.
Roll 1d12 + 6 instead of rolling 4d6, and dropping the lowest. This effectively flattens the probability curve to make all numbers of equal weight, but keeps all scores within the range of 7-18.
This can also be converted to 1d8+8 to remove extreme highs and lows, keeping the numbers between 9-16
If you want to be a madman, just roll a d20 for each ability score and go with it. You have the potential of getting 20s across the board, but also 1's.
This option allows the player to have more control over their ability scores but still adding some randomness. Players all start with a base of 8 across all ability scores. Now roll 8d4. Each number rolled on a d4 can be added to any one ability score. eg: four of the d4 you rolled were 1, 1, 3, and 4. You take the die that rolled a 4 and add that 4 onto Dexterity. The die that rolled a 3 is added to Wisdom and the two dice that rolled 1's and both are added to Constitution
An individual ability score cannot go over a total of 18. Once a number rolled by a d4 is added to an ability score it cannot be used on another ability score. An additional option is to use the "re-roll 1's" listed above in addition to this rule so that the lowest possible points to spend is 16 (eight 2's) instead of 8(eight 1's)
Instead of rolling for dice, every player in the party will share a pool of points to spend on their Ability Scores. There are 27 available points in the pool to spend per player character, for a normal party of 4 that's 108 available points. All ability scores for each player character start at 8 and increasing any ability scores costs a point from the party's pool for each number above 8. The highest ability score you can end up with is 16. Players should be able to discuss and decide how to distribute all the points in the party pool together across their characters.
This rule removes randomization and allows the group to coordinate their overall party structure better. This does require everyone playing to cooperate with each other and is a better option for experienced players or groups that are interested in a Min/Max game. This can also be a good way for players to establish roles for the party, such as if the group wanted a clear hierarchy with one character taking on role of an experienced leader then that character may have more points spent on them overall compared to the rest of the party.
Instead of individual player character races handing out ability score improvements to specific ability scores, a player has the option of spending points across their ability scores. A player has up to 3 Ability Improvement Points to distribute however they want across their ability scores with these rules and restrictions:
In D&D the main gameplay revolves around improvising with randomization and that philosophy can be incorporated into racial traits. This is a variant rule that gives each playable race a randomized collection of traits through the rolling of dice. Players are given 3d6 to roll, with duplicate numbers rerolled. Each number rolled gives the character a trait that matches that number. Players can reroll their traits if they want but they have to throw away all their previous rolls. Each race has their own randomized table of traits to roll on. Some races do have certain traits that are mandatory, such as Elves
Human
Age.Humans reach adulthood in their late teens and live less than a century
Size. Humans vary widely in height and build, from barely 5 feet to well over 6 feet tall. Regardless of your position in that range, your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and one extra language of your choice. Humans typically learn the languages of other peoples they deal with, including obscure dialects. They are fond of sprinkling their speech with words borrowed from other tongues: Orc curses, Elvish musical expressions, Dwarvish military phrases, and so on. |
Human Traits Table
Roll the Dice
| # | Trait | Description | | 1 | Skill Proficiency | You gain proficiency in one skill of your choice | | 2 | Gain Feat | You gain one feat of your choice | | 3 | Tool Proficiency | You gain proficiency in one tool of your choice | | 4 | Weapon Training | You have proficiency with longswords, shortswords, and hand crossbows | | 5 | Extra Language | You learn an additional language | | 6 | Ability Score Increase | One ability scores of your choice increases by 1 |
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Elf
Age. Although elves reach physical maturity at about the same age as Humans, the elven understanding of Adulthood goes beyond physical growth to encompass worldly experience. An elf typically claims adulthood and an adult name around the age of 100 and can live to be 750 years old.
Size. Elves range from under 5 to over 6 feet tall and have slender builds. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Fey Ancestry. You have advantage on Saving Throws against being Charmed, and magic can’t put you to sleep.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Elvish. Elvish is fluid, with subtle intonations and intricate grammar. Elven literature is rich and varied, and their songs and poems are famous among other races. Many bards learn their language so they can add Elvish ballads to their repertoires.
Subraces.Ancient divides among the elven people resulted in three main subraces: high elves, wood elves, and dark elves, who are commonly called drow. Choose one of these Subraces. In some worlds, these Subraces are divided still further (such as the sun elves and moon elves of the Forgotten Realms), so if you wish, you can choose a narrower subrace.
High Elf
Cantrip. You know one cantrip of your choice from the wizard spell list. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for it.
Wood Elf
Mask of the Wild. You can attempt to hide even when you are only lightly obscured by foliage, heavy rain, Falling snow, mist, and other natural phenomena.
Dark Elf
Sunlight Sensitivity. You have disadvantage on Attack rolls and on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight when you, the target of your Attack, or whatever you are trying to perceive is in direct sunlight.
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. Charisma is your Spellcasting Ability for these Spells. |
Elf Traits Table
Roll the Dice
| # | Trait | Description | | 1 | Fleet of Foot | Your base walking speed increases to 35 feet | | 2 | Keen Senses | You have proficiency in the Perception skill | | 3 | Trance | Instead of sleeping you can meditate deeply, remaining semiconscious, for 4 hours a day. After resting in this way, you gain the same benefit that a human does from 8 hours of sleep | | 4 | Elf Weapon Training | You have proficiency with the Longsword, Shortsword, Shortbow, and Longbow | | 5 | 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 (Reroll if also rolled Superior Darkvision) | | 6 | Superior Darkvision | You can see in dim light within 120 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 |
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Dwarf
Age. Dwarves mature at the same rate as Humans, but they’re considered young until they reach the age of 50. On average, they live about 350 years.
Size. Dwarves stand between 4 and 5 feet tall and average about 150 pounds. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 25 feet. Your speed is not reduced by wearing Heavy Armor.
Dwarven Resilience. You have advantage on Saving Throws against poison, and you have Resistance against poison damage (explained in “Combat”).
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Dwarvish. Dwarvish is full of hard consonants and guttural sounds, and those characteristics spill over into whatever other language a dwarf might speak.
Subrace. Two main Subraces of Dwarves populate the worlds of D&D: hill dwarves and Mountain dwarves. Choose one of these Subraces.
Hill Dwarf
Dwarven Toughness. Your hit point maximum increases by 1, and it increases by 1 every time you gain a level.
Mountain Dwarf
Dwarven Armor Training. You have proficiency with light and Medium Armor. |
Dwarf Traits Table
Roll the Dice
| # | Trait | Description | | 1 | Dwarven Combat Training | You have proficiency with the Battleaxe, Handaxe, Light Hammer, and Warhammer | | 2 | Tool Proficiency | You gain proficiency with the artisan’s tools of your choice: smith’s tools, brewer’s supplies, or mason’s tools | | 3 | Stonecunning | Whenever you make an Intelligence (History) check related to the origin of stonework, you are considered proficient in the History skill and add double your Proficiency Bonus to the check, instead of your normal Proficiency Bonus | | 4 | Something Something | Rabble Rabble | | 5 | 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 (Reroll if already have Superior Darkvision) | | 6 | Superior Darkvision | You can see in dim light within 120 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 |
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Half-Elf
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Halfling
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Gnome
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Half-Orc
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Tiefling
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Dragonborn
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Races do not start off with features aside from Age, Size, Speed, and Language. Instead players use Trait Points to choose all character traits from a list to build your own trait list unique to that character. Each character has 5 Trait Points to spend and each trait costs either one or two points to acquire. (possible prerequisite restrictions for some features)
Instead of using Racial Traits or Subraces specific to a particular race, the additional abilities and traits are packaged into their own separate groups of traits and abilities. Building on the idea that your character has a long history of ancestors, each having passed on skills, knowledge, and natural abilities that had fit their needs for survival and success.
Races will still have certain physical traits that are common among them such as size, speed, and age limits. However something such as an Elf's Darkvision is not guaranteed to elves as a whole, instead it would be considered a trait that was naturally developed or magically gifted to a group of individuals in the past and that trait was passed on to their descendants. Players make two selections from the Heritage list below, One from the Major Traits, and one from the Minor Traits. This is related to what would be considered dominant and recessive genes, or knowledge that is directly or indirectly learned from the individuals that raised, trained, or inspired this character early on in their life.
This variant rule allows players to freely customize their characters how they want but still asks the player to carefully consider their choices, as they cannot choose more than two separate heritage traits to combine with some combinations working better together than others.
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