#communityresponse

Commoner 

You come from a humble social rank, perhaps working as a farmer, servant, or laborer. 

Although your background is not as glamorous as others, you find it easy to blend in wherever you go and have a sort of folksy wisdom that can sometimes help you out of a jam. 

When you choose this background, choose a profession that is found among the common folk, or roll a d20 and consult the following table to determine your  particular expertise. 

d20                         Result 

1–2                         Fisher 

3                             Forester 

4–7                         Laborer

8–11                       Messenger

12–16                     Serf

17–18                     Servant

19                           Shepherd

20                           Trapper Skill Proficiencies: Investigation, Persuasion

Trait — Salt of the Earth: Since you come from the ranks of the common folk, you fit in among them with ease. 

You can find a place to hide, rest, or recuperate among commoners, unless you have shown yourself to be a danger to them. 

They will shield you from the law or anyone else searching for you, though they will not risk their lives for you.

Suggested Equipment: Common clothes, iron pot, spade, tool kit (appropriate to your profession), 14GP, 4SP.

Guide

You know the wilderness like the back of your hand. 

You have spent many days and nights in the wild, sometimes traveling on your own but more often leading others along rarely used tracks and paths.

Skill Proficiencies: Choose two from Animal Handling, Athletics, History, Medicine, Nature and Survival.

Trait — Wanderer: You have an excellent memory for maps and geography and can always recall the general layout of terrain, settlements, and other features around you. 

In addition, you can find food and fresh water for yourself and up to five other people each day, provided that the land offers berries, small game, water, and so forth.

Suggested Equipment: Backpack, bedroll, hempen rope (50 ft.), tent, tinderbox, traveler’s clothes, waterskin, winter blanket, 40GP, 8SP.

Guild Thief

You made a living by stealing as a member of a thieves’ guild. 

The guild is similar to a modern organized crime syndicate. 

It exacts protection money from criminals and businesses alike, and uses its influence to keep the city watch focused on apprehending criminals who operate without the guild’s blessing. 

Necessity might have driven you to this work, having no other means to provide for yourself, or you might have been an orphan taken in by a thieves’ guild. 

Whatever your reasons, you learned how to slip into places where others would prefer you not go, neutralizing traps, locks, and sentries with uncanny skill.

Skill Proficiencies: Investigation, Stealth.

Trait — Thieves’ Cant: Among thieves, there is a secret language, a combination of jargon words and secret signs that members of the criminal underworld know and use. 

Creatures hearing you converse in Thieves’ Cant might think you say one thing when you are actually saying something else entirely. 

You have learned the secret language of thieves. 

You can correctly interpret thief signs and doublespeak, and you can communicate in this manner to others familiar with this language.

Suggested Equipment: Thieves’ tools, lampblack, oil can, breeches with secret pocket, small steel mirror, belt pouch, 18GP, 4SP.

Jester

You were employed as a jester by a noble. 

You performed acrobatic stunts, told jokes and stories, and provided entertainment for your employer and his or her guests. 

However, you also served a key role, lacing your entertainment with criticisms and observations too controversial for others to speak aloud.

Skill Proficiencies: Acrobatics, Performance

Trait — Licensed Fool: You enjoy the rare privilege of speaking your mind with little concern for repercussions. 

As a jester, it is your duty to use comedy to point out the absurdities of the world. 

You can criticize through the lens of humor without offense. 

In addition, you can gain access to nobles in order to perform. 

When traveling, you can usually find a meal and a place to stay in the local castle or manor house in return for a performance.

Suggested Equipment: Jester’s motley, tin scepter, musical instrument (your choice), book of bawdy poems and jokes, traveler’s clothes, 38GP.

Knight

You have successfully completed your training as a squire and earned the title of knight. 

Your title carries many responsibilities, and you are expected to behave in a chivalrous manner, protect the innocent, and mete justice across the land. 

You might be sworn to a noble house or be a wandering knight, questing for some prize or glory.

Skill Proficiencies: Choose two from Athletics, History, Insight, Intimidation, Perception, Religion and Survival

Trait — Knight’s Station: When you are among nobility or some other group that would recognize your station as a knight, you can expect to receive free accommodations and food for yourself and your adventuring companions for the duration of your stay. 

Certain nobles might decline, but this is a serious breach of etiquette and usually has social consequences.

Suggested Equipment: lance, token of affection, signet ring, sealing wax, light warhorse with saddle and bridle, grooming kit for horses, feed (seven days), traveler’s clothes, 32GP, and 5SP.

Minstrel

You wander the land performing music, telling tales, and entertaining audiences with your talents. 

Rarely does a community not welcome you in, as you bring news of distant lands to the common folk.

Skill Proficiencies: Performance, Persuasion

Trait — Noted Performer: You can always find a place to perform, usually in an inn or tavern. 

At such a place, you receive free lodging and food (within reason) as long as you perform each night. 

In addition, your performance makes you something of a local figure. 

When strangers recognize you in a town where you have performed, they typically take a liking to you.

Suggested Equipment: Fine clothes, ink, musical instrument (your choice), paper (five sheets), traveler's clothes, 27GP.

Priest

You have pledged your life to serve a god, pantheon of gods, or philosophy. 

You serve as an intermediary between your chosen power and the mortal world, conducting sacred rites, offering sacrifices, and expounding the teachings of your faith to those you meet. 

When you choose this background, select a deity or power. 

Your knowledge and experience is drawn from your time as a priest in the service of that faith.

Skill Proficiencies: Religion, Insight 

Trait — Temple Services: You belong to a specific temple dedicated to your chosen power. 

You have a residence there, and you can perform religious ceremonies and offer sermons drawn from the sacred teachings of your faith. 

While near your temple, you can call upon acolytes and fellow priests for assistance, provided the assistance you ask for is not hazardous and you remain in good standing with your temple. 

Additionally, when you are in a location that has a temple, shrine, or other presence of your faith, you can expect to receive free healing, care, and religious services for yourself and your adventuring companions from others aligned with your faith.

Suggested Equipment: Holy symbol, flask of holy water, ink, ink pen, paper (ten sheets), vestments, 3GP, 9SP, 8CP.

Thug

Years of being a street tough have given you an aura of menace. 

Your look communicates a basic message to those who annoy you: You’d as soon break their knees as receive an apology. 

Threats and bullying tactics come easily to you. 

Your demeanor has landed you jobs with less-­than-­reputable organizations in the past, where you’ve provided both protection and muscle.

Skill Proficiencies: Intimidation, Athletics

Trait — Bad Reputation: No matter where you go, people are afraid of you due to your connections to the dangerous criminal underworld or your history of violence. 

When you are in a place of civilization, you can get away with minor criminal offenses, such as refusing to pay for food at a tavern or breaking down doors at a local shop, since most people will not report your activity to the authorities.

Storm Genasi

Purple skinned genasi with silvery szuldar and most commonly a crown of crystalline silver spikes coming from the head.

Ability Score Increase: Your Dexterity score increases by 1.

Lightning Resistance: You have resistance to Lightning damage.

Promise of Storms: You know the Thunderclap cantrip. Once you reach 3rd level, you can cast the Thunderwave spell once with this trait as a 1st-level spell, and you regain the ability to cast it this way when you finish a long rest. Constitution is your spellcasting ability for these spells. 

Plague Genasi

With skin the color of dried blood these genasi are marked by their unusual black szuldar and rust-like flakes that emanate from their scalp.

Ability Score Increase: Your Constitution score increases by 1.

Plaguebearer: You have advantage on saving throws against poison and disease, and you have resistance against poison damage.

Mantle of Pestilence: As a Bonus Action, you emanate an aura of sickness in a 10 foot radius. Any enemy that ends its turn in your aura takes 5 poison damage.

This Aura lasts for 1 minute. It ends early if you are knocked Unconscious or become Incapacitated.

Variant Plague Genasi

Plaguebearer: You have advantage on saving throws against poison and disease, and you have resistance against poison damage.

Ill Caller: You know the Infestation cantrip. Once you reach 3rd level, you can cast the Ray of Sicknessspell once with this trait as a 1st-level spell, and you regain the ability to cast it this way when you finish a long rest. Constitution is your spellcasting ability for these spells.

Void Genasi

With near-black skin and even darker szuldar, these genasi actually cast a shadow of darkness from atop their head.

Ability Score Increase: Your Wisdom score increases by 1.

Haunted Mind: You have resistance to Psychic damage.

Void Assumption: As a Bonus Action, you cease to exist and can take no actions until the start of your next turn. You have line of sight to no creature, and no creature has line of sight to you. 

At the start of your next turn, you re-appear in the unoccupied space of your choice within 60 feet of the place you left.

Variant Void Genasi

Haunted Mind: You have resistance to Psychic damage.

Voidchild: You can cast the Darkness spell once with this trait, requiring no material components, and you regain the ability to cast it this way when you finish a long rest. Constitution is your spellcasting ability for this spell.

HAPPY JANUARY 1ST EVERYBODY!

What’s a better way to start 2018 than sitting around a table, rolling dice, and coming up with some brand new Characters, with the potential to do anything!

With help from the Amazing CreativeRogues Community, we’ve created a Set of Tables you can use for Creating Your New Character!

Using these Tables, you can Roll for your Character’s Race, Subrace, Class, Subclass, Alignment, Background and Ability Score Array!

So All You Have To Do Is Sit Back And Roll Some Dice While Enjoying The New Year’s Festivities!

Armor of Faith

Prerequisites: Cleric or Paladin Class, 5th Level

The favor of your deity wards you from harm. 

While you are neither wearing heavy armor or wielding a shield, you gain a +3 bonus to AC. 

Rampage

Prerequisites: Barbarian Class

Once per round, when you score a critical hit with a melee weapon attack, you can immediately make a melee weapon attack against the same creature as a bonus action. 

You do not add your ability modifier to the damage of the bonus attack, unless that modifier is negative.

Words of Friendship

Prerequisites: Bard Class, 5th Level 

You infuse your words with arcane power, transforming even the simplest speech into compelling oration.

Once per Long Rest, you can expend a use of your Bardic Inspiration to gain a +5 bonus to the next Charisma (Persuasion) or Charisma (Deception) check you make.

This bonus increases to +6 at 10th Level, and +7 at 15th Level.

Virtue of Valor

Prerequisites: Bard Class, College of Valor

Once per round, when an ally of you reduces an enemy to 0 hit points, and the ally is within 30 feet of you, you can take a bonus action to grant temporary hit points to the ally equal to 1 + your Constitution or Charisma modifier (whichever is higher).

Primal Guardian

Prerequisites: Druid Class

You may choose to use your Constitution or Wisdom modifier (whichever is higher) for determining AC while not wearing heavy armor.

Beast Empathy 

Prerequisites: Druid Class

You gain a +2 bonus to Charisma checks against beasts. 

You can communicate simple concepts and commands to such creatures, though they are under no compulsion to obey you. 

With a successful Insight check (DC determined by the DM), you can read a creature’s body language and vocalizations enough to understand basic messages from it.

Wilderness Tracker

Prerequisites: Druid Class

During a short rest, you can make a Wisdom (Perception) check (DC determined by the DM) to inspect the area around you. 

This area can be as large as 50 feet on a side. 

If your check succeeds, you determine the number and nature of the creatures that have moved through the area in the past 24 hours. You ascertain when and where they entered the area, as well as when and where they left.

Bloody Balance

Prerequisites: Paladin Class

While you are within 5 feet of an ally that is below half their hit point maximum, you gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls.

Black Flame Form

Prerequisites: Rogue Class, Arcane Trickster

The shadows nearby deepen as dark flames erupt from your body, enveloping and protecting you.

As a bonus action on your turn, you assume a dark, fiery form that lasts until you make an attack roll or until the end of your next turn. 

While in this form, you gain resistance to bludgeoning, piercing and slashing damage from non-magical weapons, and any creature that hits you with a melee attack takes 1d6 fire damage. 

This feat's damage increases by 1d6 when you reach 5th level (2d6), 11th level (3d6), and 17th level (4d6).

Scales of the Dragon

Prerequisites: Sorcerer, Draconic Bloodline

The first time you are reduced to below half your hit point maximum during combat, you gain a +2 bonus to AC until the end of your next turn.

Storm’s Embrace

Prerequisites: Sorcerer, Storm Sorcery

When you roll a natural 20 on an attack roll for a spell attack or magical weapon attack, wind surges around you and your enemy. You can push the target 5 feet in a direction of your choice and then fly a number of feet equal to 5 x your Sorcerer Level, after applying the attack’s other effects.

Wild Soul

Prerequisites: Sorcerer, Wild Magic Sorcery, 5th Level

When you finish a long rest, roll a d10 to determine a damage type.

You gain resistance to that damage type until the end of your next long rest. 

While you have resistance to that damage type, your spells ignore any target’s resistance to that damage type.

d10 Damage Type

Acid

Cold

Fire

Force

Lightning

Necrotic

Poison

Psychic

Radiant

After having 2 Players in my Group ask “What kind of Patrons are there?”, I’ve decided to make this, to make it easier!

Acererak, The Devourer

The Demi-Lich who created the Tomb of Horrors. 

He manifests as a yellowed skull with gems for eyes and teeth (including a summoning gem, which is left behind when he leaves), and he influences you to seize power and influence when presented with a chance to do so. 

Agares, Truth Betrayed

A former Earth Elemental general who was betrayed by his own emperor and lieutenants under false pretexts.

He demands that his seal be drawn upon earth or unworked stone; he won't appear otherwise. 

When he deigns to answer, a huge brown crocodile's head erupts from the seal, and then a hawk with eyes in its chest forces its way out of the croc's mouth, standing on its tongue and speaking to the summoner. 

Those bearing Agares' sign have a racking cough that causes them to spray dust and small stones from their mouth, making casting spells with verbal components almost impossible. 

His presence and influence makes a person incapable of lying. 

Amon, The Void Before The Altar

The corrupted essence of a once-goodly god. 

Amon manifests as a fire-breathing fang-toothed ram-headed black wolf with a snake for a tail.

He's one of the weakest vestiges, needing only mediocre warlock to summon. 

Warlocks of Amon sport ram's horns, are surly, irritable and compelled to oppose the actions of deities of fire, sun or law.

Andras, The Gray Knight

An Elf who served for centuries as first a paladin and then a blackguard before giving up on both sides in disgust. 

Andras manifests as a near-naked elf with an owl's head riding a giant wolf and carrying a greatsword. 

A warlock of Andras sprouts two small, vestigial owl's wings from their back, and if they succumb to his influence, they become so emotionally listless that they'll get bored and wander off from a fight if it lasts longer than 10 rounds. 

Andromalius, The Repentant Rogue

A chosen of the god of thieves, Olidammara, who repented on his deathbed, hoping to play the ultimate trick and steal his own soul away from his god. 

It worked too well; his god approved, once he realised the joke, but he couldn't take Andromalius back without wrecking the joke. 

So he made him a vestige instead. 

Answering only to a powerful warlock, he requires you to sacrifice any two of twenty-four different items as part of summoning him; a belt purse, a silver key, a gold ring, a pair of dice, a copper coin, a dagger, an apple, an arm bone, a scroll, a comb, a whistle, a fish hook, a mirror, an egg, a potion, a dead spider, an oak leaf, a human skull, a lock, a closed black book, a bell, a dove, a set of lock picks, and a mouse. 

When he manifests, he appears as a human man whose arms split into twelve forearms at each elbow, juggling the warlock's sacrifices and whatever the other 22 trinkets they didn't provide. 

The warlock gains an extra digit on each appendage for Andromalius, who influences his host to make mischief but shun thieving. 

Aym, Queen Avarice

A corrupt dwarven queen who destroyed her own kingdom through her insatiable greed. 

She manifests as a powerfully muscled female dwarf in the finery of an empress with two tentacles like giant worms for legs and two extra heads (a bull's and a lion's), wielding a star-shaped branding iron. 

She places a brand upon her host's left hand or forehead upon concluding a pact, and a warlock who succumbs to her influence is both stingy and greedy and compelled to offer money to any dwarf he or she meets. 

Balam, The Bitter Angel

The despondent spirit of a slain angel who was set an impossible task - purportedly ending the practice of humanoid sacrifice - that failed and claimed her life. 

She requires 1 hit point’s worth of blood from the warlock or a victim with 3+ Intelligence Score to be placed upon her seal before she manifests. 

She appears in the form of a huge purple snake, with the upper halves of three horned humanoid heads fitting together in a triangle to make up her head. 

A warlock of Balam develops a hollow yet guttural voice and a vocal distrust of clerics, paladins and gods. 

Chupoclops, Harbinger of Forever

What's a better way to end the Year, and start a New One, than sitting around a table, rolling dice, and coming up with some brand new Characters, with the potential to do anything!

But is your D&D character actually as unique as you think?

Perhaps you wanna be a little more "Unique" than the rest.

According to research & statistics & math & stuff... The Characters listed below are said to be the rarest race, class and archetype combinations in all of 5th Edition…

Jotunnblood (Variant Human)

Ability Score Increase: +1 Constitution, +1 Strength

Skills: You gain proficiency in Strength (Athletics).

Feat: Magic Initiate: You know the Light and Shocking Grasp Cantrips.

Additionally, you know the Detect Magic Spell. Once you cast it, you must finish a long rest before you can cast it again.

Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.

Dhampir (Variant Human)

Ability Score Increase: +1 Constitution, +1 Charisma

Skills: You gain proficiency in Charisma (Persuasion).

Feat: Savage Attacker: Once per turn when you roll damage for a melee weapon attack, you can reroll the weapon’s damage dice and use either total.

Variant Dhampir (Variant Human)

Ability Score Increase: +1 Wisdom, +1 Charisma

Skills: You gain proficiency in Charisma (Persuasion).

Feat: Magic Initiate: You know the Primal Savagery and Druidcraft Cantrips.

You may choose to use the Druidcraft Cantrip to instantly light or snuff out a candle, torch, or a small campfire.

Additionally, you know the Fog Cloud Spell. Once you cast it, you must finish a long rest before you can cast it again.

Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for these spells.

Half-Dwarf (Variant Human)

Ability Score Increase: +1 Constitution, and one ability score of your choice increases by 1.

Skills: You gain proficiency in Intelligence (History).

Feat: Fell Handed: You gain a +1 bonus to attack rolls you make with a handaxe, battleaxe, greataxe, warhammer, or maul.

Whenever you have advantage on a melee attack roll you make with the weapon and hit, you can knock the target prone if the lower of the two d20 rolls would also hit the target.

Whenever you have disadvantage on a melee attack roll you make with the weapon, the target takes bludgeoning damage equal to your Strength modifier (minimum of 0) if the attack misses but if the higher of the two d20 rolls would have hit.

If you use the Help action to aid an ally’s melee attack while you’re wielding the weapon, you knock the target’s shield aside momentarily. In addition to the ally gaining advantage on the attack roll, the ally gains a +2 bonus to the roll if the target is using a shield.

Bear Folk (Variant Human)

Ability Score Increase: +1 Constitution, +1 Strength

Skills: You gain proficiency in Strength (Athletics).

Feat: Sentinel: When you hit a creature with an opportunity attack, the creature’s speed becomes 0 for the rest of the turn.

Creatures provoke opportunity attacks from you even if they take the Disengage action before leaving your reach.

When a creature within melee range of you makes an attack against a target other than you (and that target doesn’t have this feat), you can use your reaction to make a melee weapon attack against the attacking creature.

Variant Bear Folk (Variant Human)

Ability Score Increase: +1 Constitution, +1 Strength

Skills: You gain proficiency in Strength (Athletics).

Beneath a crimson sun lie wastelands of majestic desolation and cities of cruel splendor, where sandal-clad heroes battle ancient sorcery and terrible monsters.

This is the World of Athas, the World of the Dark Sun!

Athas, a dying planet of savagery and desolation...

Life hangs by a thread in this barren land, and its heroes write their own stories in both blood and glory...

The World You Should Know...

The World of Dark Sun is unique in many ways...

Many things a player might assume as "Common" are missing or turned on their heads completely!

Athas is not a place of shining knights and robed wizards, of deep forests and divine pantheons.

To venture over the sands of Athas is to enter a world of savagery and splendor that draws on different traditions of fantasy and storytelling.

Simple survival beneath the dark red sun is often its own adventure...

Newcomers to Athas have much to learn about the world, its people, and its monsters...