Custom origin (5e)

The diversity of the people of Varris goes beyond the discrete racial categories discussed above. Not every elf has a distinctly "elven" appearance, not every human bleeds red, and not every dragonborn has access to a breath weapon. This "custom origin" option was created to account for this wide spectrum of physical traits, regardless of your character's heritage.

If you choose to create a custom origin character, you have access to a pool of 5 points to use on your physical features. These features describe your character's external appearance and internal anatomy. Whenever you would gain access to an Ability Score Improvement or a Feat while leveling up, you can instead choose to gain 1 more point to spend on a physical feature.

If you choose a custom origin character, your size is Medium or Small. You age at about the same rate as humans do. Your base walking speed is 30 ft.

Physical features

Ability Score Improvement (Cost 1). Increase two different ability scores by 1 each, or one ability score by 2. You can spend up to 2 points total on this feature in character creation.

Elemental Blood (Cost 1). Many people of Varris have been affected by planar and elemental energies. Traces of this magic can be found in their blood, affecting its color and properties. Elemental blood by itself grants you a resistance to a certain damage type, as shown in the table below. Poison damage resistance comes with immunity to the poisoned condition. This feature can only be acquired once.

Blood Features. If you have Elemental Blood, you can acquire one of the features specific to its type for 1 point.

Claws. Your claws are natural, finesse weapons that you are proficient with, which you can use to make melee weapon attacks. On a hit, you deal slashing damage equal to 1d6 +the ability modifier you used for the attack roll.
If you have Elemental blood, you can replace your claws' damage type with a damage type you are resistant to.

Innate Spellcasting. Spend 1 point to learn a single cantrip, or 2 points to be able to cast a 1st-level spell of your choice once per day. Your spellcasting ability for all innate spellcasting is Wisdom or Charisma (your choice).

Senses. Spend 1 point to gain darkvision (60 ft.) or increase its range by 60 ft., or 2 points to gain advantage on Perception checks using one sense of your choice.

Conditions. You can gain advantage on saving throws against a condition for 1 point, or become immune to it for 2 points. Choose one condition from the following: blinded, charmed, deafened, frightened, prone.

Labels

A label determines your character's "race" for the purposes of spells, class features, magic items, and how they are perceived by others.

At character creation, you choose one or two labels for your character. You can only choose a given label if at least one of the features you chose is a specific feature that can be found in that race's template. An Ability Score Improvement or darkvision are not specific features. If you have no specific features, you are a human. If you acquire any new features after character creation, you cannot select features associated with labels other than your own — for example, you cannot gain Elemental Blood or darkvision if you are a human — unless your character undergoes a physical transformation that your GM says allows you to change your racial labels.

If the race associated with your label has subraces or vairants (such as the dark elf), you can make your label more specific, ie. "gold day elf" instead of simply "elf".

Listed below are the 5e racial templates.

Dragonborn description

In ancient times, chromatic dragon tyrants ruled Varris. They were ultimately defeated by the Archfey and their elves, but some still remain. On occasion, a chromatic dragon has a half-dragon child with a minion of another race—over a few generations, a line like this morphs from half-dragons to dragonborn, typically once the character in question is no longer immune to the damage type associated with their chromatic ancestor.

Half-dragons still exist, though rare, and due to their direct ties to chromatic parents, they are not usually welcome in most settlements and tend to serve their draconic parent as minions, often along with their humanoid parent.

Turbulent history

During the reign of the Varran Empire, its human wizards bound most chromatic dragons of Varris to their will. They experimented on the captured creatures, going as far as to have their humanoid slaves bear their children, creating the first half-dragons. Over time, those half-dragons were brought into Varran society in hopes of creating powerful wizards. The dragonborn that resulted from these experiments were seen as a sign of the might of the empire, as through by defying the natural order the Varra achieved something that was, to them, greater than even humans. However, many dragonborn struggled with how different they were from regular humans, even back at a time when they were thought of as great, despite their terrible origin.

Cultists and bandits

After the Varran Empire was felled by rebels led by elven slaves, the dragonborn began being seen as worse than the remaining Varra — combining the traits of the hated chromatic dragons and an arcane origin, many humans and elves considered them unnatural, foul beasts. This was, of course, undeserved, as the dragonborn didn't have an inherent tendency towards evil like their draconic ancestors did. If anything, it was their poor treatment by the new human society that caused many of them to turn to where they were accepted —cults and bandit packs, both at the outskirts of humanoid civilization.

To say that dragonborn are vile, wicked creatures is a lie. However, to say that many of them have given up proving that belief false is the truth for many of these outcasts.

Not all is bleak for those with chromatic blood, though—some states and settlements have been attempting to break through their bias against them in recent years, whether it's out of the kindness of their hearts or for more pragmatic reasons. Change is slow and the future remains uncertain.

Chromatic features

Dragonborn are easily recognized by their smooth, reptilian skin, typically of the color of their draconic ancestors, but sometimes of a more human-like shade. Their eyes are also brightly colored and reflective like the eyes of cats. Parts of their skin tend to be covered with scales, typically replacing body hair that other races might have. Rarely, dragonborn possess tails or small horns resembling those of chromatic dragons. Their faces are similar to those of elves—angular and noble, owing to their common ancestry.

Dragonborn features (5e)

All dragonborn share the following traits:

Age. Dragonborn mature at the same rate humans do but live a little longer on average, around 100 years.

Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 2, while your Strength score increases by 1.

Size. Dragonborn are about the height of the humanoids they are descended from, usually with a more muscular build. Your size is Medium or Small.
If your size is Small, you can still use Heavy weapons with no drawbacks as long as you're proficient with them.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 35 ft.

Heightened senses. 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. Additionally, you gain blindsight out to a range of 10 feet, meaning that your vision cannot be impeded by darkness, the blinded condition or other means of obscuring your vision.

Breath Weapon. You can use your action to exhale destructive energy. Your draconic ancestry determines its damage type.
When you use your breath weapon, each creature in a 15 ft. cone must make a Dexterity saving throw. The DC for this saving throw equals 12 + your proficiency bonus. A creature takes an amount of d6's of damage equal to half your level, rounded down, on a failed save, and half as much damage on a successful one.
After you use your breath weapon, you can't use it again until you complete a short or long rest or if you receive healing for more than half your maximum hit points. When you reach 3rd level, you can choose to use your breath weapon on either a 20 ft. cone or a 5 by 60 ft. line.

Dragonborn subrace traits

Additionally, every dragonborn gains the traits of their subrace: a resistance to one damage type, which is also used for their breath weapon, a tendency towards a specific alignment, and an +1 increase to an ability score. Dragonborn are also not affected by non-magical difficult terrain in a particular type of terrain.

The following table lists the features of each subrace:

Dragonborn adaptations (Bludgeon)

If you select the Dragonborn race, you can alternatively use the Drakon adaptations from the base Bludgeon rules. If you do, you will have to select a single element for your Dragon Breath in Character Creation.

Elf description

If you are interested in finding out more about Elven culture rather than their physical features, check the Elven heritage for more information.

Ancient history

When the Archfey fought to reclaim the world from chromatic dragon tyrants, one of them, known as She Who Sees, sent her angel to enchant the eggs of a few chromatic dragons. Her fey magic transformed the dragons into a new, more powerful kind of creature—a metallic dragon. Chromatic dragons realized far too late that their own children were the Archfey's tool of destruction and were inevitably defeated. Over time, the metallic dragons, followers of their Archfey maker, lost their shapechanging capabilities and in their humanoid forms became known as elves. While their culture prospered undisturbed, the Archfey brought other humanoid races into the world from other, unknown planes. The elves taught them their arcane magic, which was soon turned against them as a human tribe known as the Varra rebelled against the other races and created their empire, which subjugated and enslaved other races.

Living in a human world

After the collapse of the Varran Empire, the elves scattered. Some, called wild elves by humans, retreated to their ancient forests, like the magical Forest of Eyes in Getari, the sacred spring of their civilization, vowing to never live among humans again after the years of shame and enslavement they had endured. Others decided to put their race's past behind them and try to work with humans to create a world where they could live in peace with them and other non-human races — they are often called city elves. One might think that out of all the non-human races, the elves would stand out as those whom the human society of states like Getari would treat as their own, perhaps even revere them for their direct connection to the Archfey. It was also the elves who fought the most valiantly against the Varran Empire and the chromatic dragons before them, and while there is some degree of remembrance for those elven heroes, they are often forgotten about in favor of the humans who rose to power once the war was over due to their overwhelming numbers.

Many humans believe that the best role for an elf in a human-dominated society is that of a priest — their ancient ways are seen as more authentic to the teachings of the Ladies by some. Others argue that the elven and human ways of worshiping the Archfey have become so divergent that they should be treated as separate religions, with their own churches and priests — human churches for humans and elven churches for elves. This approach, however, is seen by many elves as an attempt to alienate them and they tend to oppose it. And while it is true that elves in general tend to be more devoted to their faith, having been created and, arguably, favored by the Ladies, many of them feel as though reducing them to the role of priests and scholars is little better than the Varran practice of sorting slaves into tasks based on race.

Elf appearance

To most humans, the appearance of elves is striking — their imposing height, metallic-colored skin and eyes, as well as the sharpness of their androgynous features all inspire awe and sometimes even fear upon a first encounter. Elves whose draconic heritage runs deep have ears resembling those of their metallic ancestors.

Elven subraces

The six distinct elven subraces are descended from the six varieties of metallic dragons. The traits of metallic dragons are often thought to be polar opposites of those of the chromatic dragons they are descended from, with elves taking after their metallic ancestors. This is largely a modern, human attempt to more easily label elves as something that they are often not. However, it is a common belief that elves are predestined by the Archfey who created them to have very particular strengths, weaknesses and preferences based on their subrace. Some elves treat them as divine talents, though most see it for what it is — stereotyping.

Copper, brass, and bronze elves, being numerous in Varris, are likely to be found in every corner of the continent, especially in Getari. As such, humans don't tend to think much of them. Many bronze elves have been employed as sailors and warriors for generations and, as such, many cities, especially coastal ones, entrust guard duties to them.

Gold and silver elves are less common than their copper, brass, and bronze kin, but still far from a rare sight. Many are encouraged to pursue priesthood due to their perceived close connection to the divine. While there is no evidence for that, it is a fact that many of them may face less bias while pursuing higher education, which they are likely to take advantage of, it they can afford it.

Platinum elves are a rare subrace of elves, thought to have emerged either from platinum dragons or some unique divine intervention. They are often marked by white skin and hair, with their eyes either being the color of platinum or, uniquely, one being silver and the other golden. This is thought of as a blessing from She Who Sees, the archfey responsible for creating elves, as the silver moon and golden sun are thought to be her two eyes, with which she watches the World. As such, platinum elves are sometimes revered as blessed with some special purpose or simply meant for leadership or guidance. Of course, many of them simply want to live their lives normally, but those who strive to climb the ranks of their communities find that their perceived blessing makes it much easier.

Variant: Dark elf

Some think of dark elves as a race distinct from other elves, but they have more in common with their more ancient kin than most day elves like to admit. In times of Varran expansion, an angel of the Archfey known as Enkhebet enchanted some elven eggs to grant them more potent arcane magic. She felt as though the elves were too passive and reliant on visions sent to them by the favored angel of She Who Sees, Ireshau, her longtime rival, and sought to teach elves faithful to her divination magic of their own. A famed temple was established where the oracle of Enkhebet and the wizard-priests who served her studied arcane magic under the angel's guidance. Many contemporary scholars claim that Enkhebet, seeking more power, eventually desired to become a deity. While her reasons are unknown, she opened a gate to the lower plane for herself and many of her elves, and, under the new name of Bethem, became the fiendish queen of a group of dark elves known as the maanen, recognizable by their stark white hair and gray skin.

Those dark elves who did not follow the fallen angel remained in Varris, but face much hatred and distrust from their fellow elves. Only six years after Enkhebet's fall, the elves of Varris were enslaved by the Varra due to their reduced numbers.

Elf features (5e)

All elves share the following traits:

Age. Elves mature physically at the same rate humans do but their mental development never fully stops. They are considered adults around the age of 30 and live up to about 150 years.

Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom and Charisma scores both increase by 1.

Size. Elves are generally taller than humans, owing to their draconic bloodline, ranging from the average copper elf being 5'11 to the average gold elf measuring 6'4 in height, while being generally slender. Your size is Medium.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 ft.

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.

Fey Ancestry. You have advantage on Wisdom saving throws.

Metallic affinity. Owing to your draconic origins, you are proficient with any armor and shield made of the metal corresponding to your subrace. Additionally, any attacks you make with weapons made of that same metal gain a +2 bonus to hit.

Elf subrace traits

Additionally, every elf gains the traits of their subrace: a resistance to one damage type, a tendency towards a specific alignment, a +1 increase to an ability score, as well as a unique trait gained at 3rd level.

The following table lists the features of each elf subrace:

Dark elf traits

The features below reflect the dark elves of Varris, not their kin on the lower plane, known as the maanen. Dark elves gain all traits of a day elf of their subrace save for their alignment leaning, Darkvision, both the Ability Score Increases and their subrace's 3rd-level trait, which are replaced with the following:

Alignment. Dark elves lean towards neutrality in alignment rather than good, so the average silver dark elf might be Lawful Neutral instead of Lawful Good.

Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom, Intelligence, or Charisma score (your choice) increases by 2.

Superior Darkvision. You have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. 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.

Spellweaver's Magic. You know the prestidigitation cantrip and you can cast the faerie fire spell as a 1st-level spell with this trait; you regain the ability to cast it when you finish a long rest. Once you reach 3rd level, you can also cast the darkness spell with this trait; you regain the ability to cast it when you finish a long rest. Your spellcasting ability for these spells is whichever ability you increased with your ASI.

Elf adaptations (Bludgeon)

Human description

Humans have been the most common race on the continent since the Varran age, but they are not native to it, or the world as a whole. They were brought into it by the powerful Archfey along with several other humanoid races, all hailing from home worlds that they no longer remember. Some humans believe that they are, in fact, native to Varris and that the Archfey created them to rule over it. Other view the Ladies as favoring the elves and turn to dragon or fiend worship. Most, however, are not concerned with where they came from and focus on where they can yet go.

There is no single "human" heritage for you to use. As a human, your character is most likely to live in one of the many kingdoms of Varris, like Getari, Scaenid, or Tisenya. The Varszi heritage allows you to connect your character to the broader identity of the continent, rather than a single country, though that label tends to exclude Tisenya. Additionally, many humans live on the Aisone and Madhdine Islands, and some lead the harsh lives of Highlanders, among the mountain-dwelling orcs. Humans also make up most of the Varran community, which is a minority in most Varszi states made up of the descendants of the wizards of the ancient Varran Empire.

Broad definition

When the Archfey first introduced a multitude of new peoples into Varris, the elves native to it could not tell them apart. To them, the difference between a human and a dwarf, halfling, or gnome was so marginal that they viewed them all as belonging to the same group of outsiders.

The core physical feature that unites dragons, fey, and fiends — the beings native to Varris, from which the dragonborn, elves, and tieflings are descended — is their elemental blood. The chromatic blood of dragons and their descendants springs naturally from the Material Plane. The metallic blood of elves is enchanted by the Archfey using magic from the upper plane. Similarly, fiendish blood is imbued with the elements in their purest and most unstable form. Following this distinction, a human is anyone who lacks elemental blood of any variety.

If you wish to play as a dwarf, halfling, orc, or any other race not native to Varris, you can use the human features listed below.

Human features (5e)

All modern humans have the following traits in common:

Age. Humans mature at the age of 20 and live around 80 years.

Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 2. Additionally, your Charisma score increases by 1.

Size. Your size is Medium or Small.

Alignment. Humans lean towards the Neutral alignment.

Evening the Odds. You gain proficiency with any two types of equipment (armor or weapons) of your choice. You gain a proficiency with one set of tools of your choice.

Social Animal. You gain proficiency in one of the following skills: Deception, Persuasion, Insight, Intimidation, or Sleight of Hand.

Tiefling description

Archfiends are creatures who have committed an act of blasphemy so great that it offended the Archfey themselves and who possess such great power that they survived their retaliation and banishment to the lower plane known as the Depths, where they are trapped in an elemental chaos that has formed around them, spawning wicked fiendish minions who serve them. Many archfiends were once chromatic dragons who attempted to usurp more power for themselves through unnatural means and were punished for it, but some are fallen celestials, even angels.

Tiefling origins

Very little is known about archfiends and their minions, but most of those who follow them are outcasts, driven mad by some elemental power beyond their comprehension or control. Fiend cults are nothing new in Varris — they have existed for as long as the archfiends have. The origins of tieflings lie in the worship and summoning of fiends.

The archfiends are raw, elemental energy—those who were chromatic dragons are now the very elemental essence of the magic that keeps dragons alive. They have become the very forces of nature that the ancient chromatic dragons used to worship. They are said to not even command or control their minions—they spawn in an endless sea of chaos that is an archfiend's domain. At least, such are the accounts of captured cultists before they faced execution. Some of their fiendish minions are fully sentient, especially those who were transformed into fiends or were born part-fiends. The infamous succubi, part-fey and part-fiend, have lured many a mortal into pacts, sometimes sealed with the birth of a tiefling child. Many tieflings grow up orphaned, either due to their cultist parents having been executed or otherwise killed as a result of their worship, or because their parents, having faced the same prejudice as them, got involved in illegal and risky activities to survive. They rarely know their own origins. If you would like to build a more detailed backstory for your tiefling, ask your GM about known archfiends.

Because tieflings are under the direct influence of strong elemental magic, they may experience more uniform tendencies towards certain patterns of thought or behavior than other races do. However, this magic doesn't affect every tiefling in the same way and many live their lives ignoring it, or treat it as an affliction that must be managed.

Shunned and reviled

Tieflings are, and always have been, unfairly considered the lowest of the low. The Varra thought of them as echoes of an archfiend's failed attempt at godhood, using them only for the most menial and unpleasant of tasks—they did, however prove to be effective components for high-level magic. Presently, tieflings still face vehement and unrestrained prejudice on the grounds of religion by Archfey worshipers. They are commonly assumed to be fiends or, at the very least, active cultists.

Varied appearance

Many tieflings have few noticeably fiendish features and outwardly appear less reptilian than the dragonborn do. Their skin and hair are most commonly humanoid in color and texture. Often, their only fiendish features are clawed hands—which many of them hide under gloves—and the black sclerae of their eyes, typical of fiends. Rarely, tieflings might have more obviously draconic traits, such as horns or tails, but this is often the result of dragonborn blood. Some tieflings have been known to have unusual, multi-colored skin or eyes, as if they were a mixture of two distinct elements—the origins of those tieflings are unknown. Your tiefling can look as fiendish or humanoid as you choose.

Tiefling features (5e)

Tieflings have the following traits in common:

Age. Tieflings mature at the same rate humans do, but tend to live shorter, 60 years on average.

Alignment. Due to being treated as outcasts, tieflings lean strongly towards a chaotic alignment. Sometimes, their harsh lives push them towards evil as well.

Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma, Dexterity and Intelligence scores each increase by 1.

Size. Since all tieflings have a mixed ancestry, their sizes and builds vary wildly. Your size is Small or Medium.

Claws. Your claws are natural, finesse weapons that you are proficient with, which you can use to make melee weapon attacks. On a hit, you deal psychic damage equal to 1d6 + the ability modifier you used for the attack roll. If you have resistance to a damage type other than psychic from your tiefling subrace, you can choose to have your claws deal damage of that type instead.

Superior Darkvision. Accustomed to the darkness of the Depths, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. 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.

Additionally, every tiefling gains the traits of their subrace: a resistance to one damage type (you can replace it with a resistance to psychic damage), a +1 increase to an ability score, as well as a unique trait gained at 3rd level. The amount of damage dice for these features doubles when you reach 6th level, then again at 9th level.

The following table lists the features of each subrace:

Tiefling adaptations (Bludgeon)

You can use the Daitya adaptations found in the base game rulebook if you prefer them, or mix and match them with the adaptations below.

Kinnara description

The diminutive, birdlike kinnara (feminine: kinnari) are native to the Aisone Islands and rarely have any reason to venture to the distant continent of Varris.

Angelic origins

The kinnara are said to have been created by an angel's divine intervention, similar to the elves of Varris, centuries ago. Whether they were created by enchanting humans or birds is up for debate, as the kinnara combine the features of both with the spark of a divine blessing. Their feathers often have a metallic sheen, owing to their celestial origin.

Birdlike appearance

Kinnara usually appear similar to Aisone Islanders, except for their distinct avian features. All kinnara have birdlike wings, though they are usually not large enough for flight. Most kinnara have wings attached at the hips, some at the waist or back. Some have birdlike tails, tiny wings sprouting at the sides of their face, or feathers covering their limbs. Their eyes sometimes have a soft golden or platinum glow.

Kinnara features (5e)

All kinnara and kinnari have the following traits in common:

Age. Kinnara mature faster than humans do, reaching adulthood in their early teens, but tend to live longer than they do, 100 years on average.

Alignment. Kinnara lean towards good alignments. If they live in a society that reveres them as divine, they are likely lawful too.

Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score insreases by 2. Additionally, your Charisma score increases by 1.

Size. Kinnara are usually a little shorter and of a more diminutive build than humans, but many never grow past the size of a human child. Your size is Medium or Small.

Celestial Origin. You have a resistance to radiant damage.

Diminutive Wings. Though your wings are not large enough to enable you to fly, they do grant you multiple benefits, as long as their are not restrained or damaged. Your jump distance is doubled. You float on the surface of water, even if you lack a swimming speed. Opportunity attacks against you are made at a disadvantage while you are using the dash action.

Sharing Love. Whenever you recover hit points by means other than taking a rest, you can touch a willing creature other than yourself as a bonus action to grant it temporary hit points equal to the amount of hit points you received in healing. Additionally, whenever you recover the hit points of another creature, you yourself recover half as many hit points as the original target of healing, rounded up.

Kinnara adaptations (Bludgeon)