Racial Templates For Player Characters (5e Variant Rule)

Racial Templates For Player Characters

Isn't it weird how going by the rules as written an elf who is also half-vampire loses the advantages of being an elf? Or how a human who has fiendish blood (a tiefling) isn't as versatile as a regular human? Obviously the D&D logic is that races should be balanced against each other but some GMs probably think that's kind of retarded. If you believe badassery is more important than game balance, then you may allow player characters to have racial templates. And you should have a beer with me sometime because you're cool, but I digress. A racial template is a straight upgrade that makes your dude more badass, usually without taking anything away in return. If as a player you choose a template, you gain the racial traits provided by your template on top of the racial traits of your original race & subrace. The only cost is an experience penalty which you receive in the form of a level adjustment.

A few examples of racial templates for you to use in your game are listed below.

Beastial

Ability Score Increase. Your Strength or Dexterity score increases by 2, and your Constitution score increases by 1. As usual, you can't increase an ability score above 20 with this feature.
Darkvision. Your animalistic heritage granted you a beast's vision, making you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. 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. If your race already has darkvision, the radius of your darkvision increases by 60 feet.
Keen Senses. Your beastial heritage enhanced all of your senses. You have proficiency in the Perception skill.
Nature Inhabitant. When you're in nature is when you feel like you're truly at home. You gain proficiecy in the Survival skill. You have advantage in Dexterity (Stealth) checks while surrounded by heavy foliage or dense trees.
Level Adjustment +1. After gaining your first level, you must gain 300 experience before being capable of gaining experience and leveling up normally.

Celestial

Darkvision. Thanks to your celestial heritage, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. 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. If your race already has darkvision, the radius of your darkvision increases by 60 feet.
Celestial Resistance. You have resistance to necrotic and radiant damage.
Celestial Legacy. You know the light cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the lesser restoration spell and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. When you reach 5th level, you can cast the daylight 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.
Level Adjustment +2. After gaining your first level, you must gain 1,200 experience before being capable of gaining experience and leveling up normally.

Dhampir (Half-Vampire)

Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score increases by 2. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.
Darkvision. Thanks to your vampiric heritage, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. 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. If your race already has darkvision, the radius of your darkvision increases by 60 feet.
Spider Climb. You have a climbing speed equal to your walking speed. In addition, you can climb difficult surfaces, including across vertical surfaces and upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.
Vampire's Bite. You have the ability to make a bite attack against either a willing creature, a creature that is charmed or grappled by you, or a creature that is incapacitated or restrained. You can use your Strength or Dexterity for your bite's attack roll. On a hit, your bite deals necrotic damage equal to 1d6 plus the ability modifier used to make the attack roll. You may also choose to regain hit points equal to the amount of necrotic damage dealt with this attack. You may regain hit points from this trait a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. Any expended uses of this feature are restored after a long rest.
Vampiric Gaze. You can cast the charm person spell, using Charisma as your spellcasting ability. You require no components to cast this spell using this trait, but your target must be able to see you. Once you have used this trait, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
Level Adjustment +3. After gaining your first level, you must gain 3,900 experience before being capable of gaining experience and leveling up normally.

Dragonic

Ability Score Increase. Your Strength and Dexterity, scores increase by 1.
Darkvision. Thanks to your draconic heritage, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. 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. If your race already has darkvision, the radius of your darkvision increases by 60 feet.
Keen Senses. You have proficiency in the Perception skill.
Dragonic Ancestry. You are distantly related to a particular kind of dragon. Choose a type of dragon from the below list; this determines the damage and area of your breath weapon. You're also resistant against said damage type.

Draconic Ancestry

Dragon	Damage Type	Breath Weapon
Black	Acid	5 by 30 feet line Dexterity saving throw.
Blue	Lightning	5 by 30 feet line Dexterity saving throw.
Brass	Fire	5 by 30 feet line Dexterity saving throw.
Bronze	Lightning	5 by 30 feet line Dexterity saving throw.
Copper	Acid	5 by 30 feet line Dexterity saving throw.
Gold	Fire	5 by 30 feet line Dexterity saving throw.
Green	Poison	5 by 30 feet line Constitution saving throw.
Red	Fire	5 by 30 feet line Dexterity saving throw.
Silver	Cold	5 by 30 feet line Dexterity saving throw.
White	Cold	5 by 30 feet line Constitution saving throw.
Amethyst	Force	5 by 30 feet line Strength saving throw.
Crystal	Radiant	5 by 30 feet line Dexterity saving throw.
Emerald	Psychic	5 by 30 feet line Wisdom saving throw.
Sapphire	Thunder	5 by 30 feet line Constitution saving throw.
Topaz	Necrotic	5 by 30 feet line Constitution saving throw.
Cave	Poison	5 by 30 feet line Constitution saving throw.
Flame	Fire	5 by 30 feet line Dexterity saving throw.
Mythril	Acid	5 by 30 feet line Dexterity saving throw.
Sea	Cold	5 by 30 feet line Constitution saving throw.
Wind	Cold	5 by 30 feet line Constitution saving throw.

Breath Weapon. You can use your action to exhale destructive energy. It deals damage in an area according to your ancestry. When you use your breath weapon, all creatures in the area must make a saving throw, the type of which is determined by your ancestry. The DC of this saving throw is 8 + your Constitution modifier + your proficiency bonus. A creature takes 2d6 damage on a failed save, and half as much damage on a successful one. The damage increase to 3d6 at 6th level, 4d6 at 11th, and 5d6 at 16th level. After using your breath weapon, you cannot use it again until you complete a short or long rest.
Level Adjustment +3. After gaining your first level, you must gain 3,900 experience before being capable of gaining experience and leveling up normally.

Infernal

Darkvision. Thanks to your infernal heritage, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. 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. If your race already has darkvision, the radius of your darkvision increases by 60 feet.
Hellish Resistance. You have resistance to fire damage.
Infernal Legacy. You know the thaumaturgy cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the hellish rebuke spell as a 2nd-level 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.
Level Adjustment +2. After gaining your first level, you must gain 1,200 experience before being capable of gaining experience and leveling up normally.

Marine

Amphibious. You can breathe air and water.
Natural Swimmer. You have a swim speed equal to your walking speed.
Level Adjustment +1. After gaining your first level, you must gain 300 experience before being capable of gaining experience and leveling up normally.

Undead

Darkvision. You have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. 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. If your race already has darkvision, the radius of your darkvision increases by 60 feet.
Undead Nature. You are undead, not a humanoid. You have immunity to poison damage and to the poisoned condition.
Level Adjustment +1. After gaining your first level, you must gain 300 experience before being capable of gaining experience and leveling up normally.

Wild Talent (Natural Psionic)

Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence score increases by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.
Mind Blast. You can use your action to blast a creature within 60 feet of you with psionic energy. The creature must make a Wisdom saving throw (DC = 8 + your Intelligence modifier + your proficiency bonus). On a failure, the creature takes 2d8 psychic damage and is stunned until the end of your next turn. The damage increases to 3d8 at 5th level, 4d8 at 9th level, and 5d8 at 13th level, and 6d8 at 17th level. After you use your mind blast, you can't use it again until you complete a short or long rest.
Psionics. You know the mage hand cantrip. Additionally, you can cast the detect thoughts spell at will, without using a spell slot or any components. If a creature successfully makes a saving throw against this feature, you can't use it on that creature again until you finish a long rest. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for these spells.
Psychic Resistance. You have resistance to psychic damage.
Telepath. You have telepathy to a range of 60 feet.
Level Adjustment +3. After gaining your first level, you must gain 3,900 experience before being capable of gaining experience and leveling up normally.

Winged

Flight. You have a flying speed equal to your walking speed.
Skyborn. You naturally acclimate to high altitudes, even if you've never been to one. This includes elevations above 20,000 feet.
Level Adjustment +2. After gaining your first level, you must gain 1,200 experience before being capable of gaining experience and leveling up normally.

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