Ability Score Increases
Whatever D&D race you choose for your character,
you get a trait called Ability Score Increase. This
increase reflects an archetypal bit of excellence in
the adventurers of this kind in D&D's past. For example,
if you're a dwarf, your Constitution increases
by 2, because dwarf heroes in D&D are often exceptionally
tough. This increase doesn't apply to every
dwarf, just to dwarf adventurers, and it exists to
reinforce an archetype. That reinforcement is appropriate
if you want to lean into the archetype, but it's
unhelpful if your character doesn't conform to the
archetype.
If you'd like your character to follow their own
path, you may ignore your Ability Score Increase
trait and assign ability score increases tailored to
your character. Here's how to do it: take any ability
score increase you gain in your race or subrace
and apply it to an ability score of your choice. If you
gain more than one increase, you can't apply those
increases to the same ability score, and you can't
increase a score above 20.
For example, if the Ability Score Increase trait of
your race or subrace increases your Constitution by
2 and your Wisdom by 1 , you could instead increase
your Intelligence by 2 and your Charisma by 1.
Proficiencies
Some races and subraces grant proficiencies. These
proficiencies are usually cultural, and your character
might not have any connection with the culture
in question or might have pursued different training.
You can replace each of those proficiencies with a
different one of your choice, following the restrictions
on the Proficiency Swaps table.
For example, high elf adventurers have proficiency
with longswords, which are martial weapons. Consulting
the Proficiency Swaps table, we see that
your high elf can swap that proficiency for proficiency
with another weapon or a tool. Your elf might
be a musician, who chooses proficiency with a
musical instrument-a type of tool-instead of with
longswords. Similarly, elves start with proficiency
in the Perception skill. Your elf might not have the
keen senses associated with your kin and could take
proficiency in a different skill, such as Performance.
The "Equipment" chapter of the Player's Handbook
includes weapons and tools suitable for these
swaps, and your DM might allow additional options.
Personality
The description of a race might suggest various
things about the behavior and personality of that
people's archetypal adventurers. You may ignore
those suggestions, whether they're about alignment,
moods, interests, or any other personality trait. Your
character's personality and behavior are entirely
yours to determine.
Languages
Your character's race includes languages that your
character is assumed to know, usually Common
and the language of your ancestors. For example, a
halfling adventurer is assumed to know Common
and Halfling. Here's the thing: D&D adventurers are
extraordinary, and your character might have grown
up speaking languages different from the ones in
your Languages trait.
To customize the languages you know, you may
replace each language in your Languages trait with
a language from the following list: Abyssal, Celestial,
Common, Deep Speech, Draconic, Dwarvish,
Elvish, Giant, Gnomish, Goblin, Grippli, Halfling, Infernal,
Orcish, Primordial, Sylvan, or Undercommon.
Your DM may add or remove languages from that
list, depending on what languages are appropriate
for your campaign.
Changing a Skill
Sometimes you pick a skill proficiency that ends up
not being very useful in the campaign or that no longer
fits your character's story. In those cases, talk to
your DM about replacing that skill proficiency with
another skill proficiency offered by your class at 1st
level. A convenient time for such a change is when
you reach a level that grants you the Ability Score
Increase feature, representing that your character
has spent a level or two studying the new skill and
letting the old one atrophy.