In place of D&D’s rules around races, we are using the third-party supplement Ancestry and Culture, which separates a character’s biological heritage from their cultural heritage. With these rules, for example, you can play a dwarf who was raised by wood elves. The introduction to Ancestry and Culture covers the problematic history of race in fantasy literature and TTRPGs. It also explains why this distinction both makes sense and promotes the ideals of diversity, equity, and inclusion that we value in real life.
Ancestries
Ancestry represents a character’s biological heritage.
Dragonborn Ancestry
Proud and noble, dragonborn carry the strength and elemental power of their draconic ancestors, striving to embody their heritage’s ideals. See the Player’s Handbook for more details.
Age
Young dragonborn grow quickly. They walk hours after being born, attain the size and development of a 10-year-old human child by the age of 3, and reach adulthood by 15. They live to be around 80.
Size
Dragonborn are taller and heavier than humans, standing well over 6 feet tall and averaging almost 250 pounds. Your size is Medium.
Speed
Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Draconic Ancestry
You have draconic ancestry. Choose one type of dragon from the Draconic Ancestry table. Your breath weapon and damage resistance are determined by the dragon type, as shown in the table.
Breath Weapon
You can use your action to exhale destructive energy. Your draconic ancestry determines the size, shape, and damage type of the exhalation.
Dwarf Ancestry
Stout and enduring, dwarves are renowned for their resilience, craftsmanship, and deep ties to their ancestral traditions.
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.
Darkvision
Accustomed to life underground, 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.
Dwarven Resilience
You have advantage on saving throws against poison, and you have resistance against poison damage, most likely a feature of you ancestors’ diet.
Dwarven Toughness
Your hit point maximum increases by 1, and it increases by 1 every time you gain a level, due in large part to the long history of difficult labor required to survive underground for generations.
Elf Ancestry
Graceful and long-lived, elves are deeply attuned to the natural world and possess an unyielding connection to magic and the fey.
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.
Darkvision
Historically accustomed to twilit forests and the night sky, 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.
Keen Senses
You have proficiency in the Perception skill, a trait that all people with elven ancestry share.
Fey Ancestry
Thanks to your fey heritage, you have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can’t put you to sleep.
Trance
Elves don’t need to sleep. Instead, they meditate deeply, remaining semiconscious, for 4 hours a day. (The Common word for such meditation is “trance.”) While meditating, you can dream after a fashion. After resting in this way, you gain the same benefits that other humanoids do from 8 hours of sleep.
Giff Ancestry
Massive and imposing, the giff are a race of hippo-like humanoids known for their discipline, camaraderie, and unparalleled skill with firearms.
Giff are tall, broad-shouldered folk with hippo-like features. Some have smooth skin, while others have short bristles on their faces and the tops of their heads. As beings of impressive size and unforgettable appearance, giff are noticed wherever they go.
Giff are the predominant intelligent species of the Gol River Valley, although their folklore suggests that the giff are not native to this region. Rather, they migrated to this verdant area from distant shores in an age lost to the past.
Creature Type
You are a Humanoid.
Size
You are Medium.
Speed
Your walking speed is 30 feet, and you have a swimming speed equal to your walking speed.
Astral Spark
Your psychic connection to the Astral Plane enables you to mystically access a spark of divine power, which you can channel through your weapons. When you hit a target with a simple or martial weapon, you can cause the target to take extra force damage equal to your proficiency bonus.
You can use this trait a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, but you can use it no more than once per turn. You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
Firearms Mastery
You have a mystical connection to firearms that traces back to the gods of the giff, who delighted in such weapons. You have proficiency with all firearms and ignore the loading property of any firearm. In addition, attacking at long range with a firearm doesn’t impose disadvantage on your attack roll.
Hippo Build
You have advantage on Strength-based ability checks and Strength saving throws. In addition, you count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.
Halfling Ancestry
Halflings are a small, cheerful people whose resilience and resourcefulness allow them to thrive in the face of adversity.
Age
Halflings reach adulthood around the age of 20 and live into their second century. Their long lives are filled with storytelling, craftsmanship, and a deep love for hearth and home.
Size
Halflings are small in stature, standing between 3 and 4 feet tall. Your size is Small.
Speed
Your base walking speed is 25 feet.
Nimble Grace
Halflings are naturally dexterous. You can move through the space of any creature that is of a size larger than yours.
Lucky
Halflings have an uncanny knack for turning bad luck around. When you roll a 1 on an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll.
Brave
Halflings are known for their resilience in the face of danger. You have advantage on saving throws against being frightened.
Halfling Ingenuity
Small in stature but clever in thought, halflings gain proficiency in one tool or gaming set of their choice, representing a lifetime of curiosity and creativity.
Human Ancestry
Humans are the most adaptable and ambitious of all the common ancestries, thriving in nearly every environment and known for their boundless potential.
Age
Humans mature in their late teens and rarely live beyond a century, but their ambition and adaptability allow them to accomplish much within their lifetimes.
Size
Humans stand between 5 and 6 feet tall and have a wide range of builds. Your size is Medium.
Speed
Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Resourceful Learners
You gain proficiency in one skill of your choice, reflecting humanity’s innate ability to adapt and learn.
Ambitious Talent
Humans often have a defining talent that sets them apart. Choose one feat at 1st level that represents your unique drive or focus.
Diverse Origins
Humans hail from a wide array of cultures and traditions. Choose an additional language to reflect your background or upbringing.
Tiefling Ancestry
Marked by their fiendish heritage, tieflings walk a path between worlds, blending infernal power with mortal determination.
Age
Tieflings mature at the same rate as humans, but their fiendish heritage often grants them a slightly longer lifespan, allowing them to live up to 120 years.
Size
Tieflings are similar in build to humans, standing between 5 and 6 feet tall. Your size is Medium.
Speed
Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Infernal Legacy
Your fiendish ancestry grants you magical abilities. You know the Thaumaturgy cantrip. Once you reach 3rd level, you can cast the Hellish Rebuke spell as a 2nd-level spell once per long rest. When you reach 5th level, you can cast the Darkness spell once per long rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.
Fiendish Resistance
The blood of fiends runs through your veins, granting you resistance to fire damage.
Devil’s Tongue
Tieflings often possess a silver tongue that can charm or intimidate with ease. You gain proficiency in either the Deception or Persuasion skill (your choice).
Sinister Presence
Your fiendish heritage makes others uneasy, whether through a subtle aura of menace or your physical appearance. You have advantage on Charisma (Intimidation) checks against creatures that can see you.
Cultures
Many traits—such as alignment, language, skills, and even ability score increases—are tied to an individual’s culture, as they do not depend on one’s biological parents as much as they do on the systems of belief and practices of the community of one’s upbringing. Nonetheless, each species generally keeps to its own and has its own cultures, based on region.
Bandit Culture
Various bands of outlaws, raiders, and criminals found throughout the Gol River Valley, Vaulridge Plains, or Riviera. Typically human.
Ability Score Increase
Dexterity +1
Alignment
Generally selfish or chaotic, although outlaws with hearts of gold are possible.
Proficiency
Animal riding, Stealth
Language
Common plus one other
Weapon training
Short sword, short bow
Dunewalker Culture
The desert-dwelling dunewalkers are the primary culture of those who live in the Zalkhuutai Desert. Elves make up the majority of this culture, with the reminder being predominantly Dragonborn. The core social unit of this culture is the nomadic band, which is typically comprised of a single species, although a band may include a few individuals of other species.
Dunewalkers match others of their species in height and weight. Their coloration is typically darker, ranging from warm tawny and golden shades to deep sepia tones. Their eyes are amber, brown, or black. Dunewalker elf hair usually comes in shades of brown or black, though some have hair of a dark auburn or copper color.
Dunewalker elves are canny survivors and hunters, aware of the precious resources and dire dangers of their harsh lands. They step lightly across the sands and seem to simply vanish right before one’s eyes, as if they were nothing more than a mirage conjured by the heat.
Ability Score Increase
Your Wisdom increases by 1.
Alignment
Surviving in harsh conditions requires individuals to put their group ahead of their own interests. Dunewalkers thus tend toward lawful and good alignments. However, they can also be hostile to outsiders, making neutral alignments common as well.
Desert Dweller
You are adapted to life in the desert. You suffer no ill effects from high temperatures, and you require no additional water in such conditions. You have proficiency in the Survival skill.
Desert Mirage
While outdoors in a sunny area with an ambient temperature warmer than freezing, you can use a bonus action to create a minor natural phenomenon that surrounds you and up to a number of allies within 10 feet of you equal to your proficiency bonus. The mirage lightly obscures each of you from the view of any creature more than 30 feet away from you for 1 minute. For the duration, each target can attempt to hide even if a target is obscured only by this mirage. You can’t use this trait again until you finish a short or long rest.
Dunewalker Weapon Training
You have proficiency with the longbow, scimitar, shortbow, and spear.
Languages
You can speak, read, and write Common and one additional language, either Elvish or Draconic, depending on the predominant species of your band.
Sand Spirit
Difficult terrain comprised of sand or similar desert environs doesn’t cost you extra movement.
Frostfell Culture
The peoples of Tal Kheer share a common culture known as the “Frostfell.” These peoples live in areas that are deep with snow through most of the year or locked in permafrost. They are tenacious survivors, accustomed to living off the land and surviving on the slim bounty of their cold home.
Similar to the Dunewalker Culture, Frostfells are typically organized into nomadic bands. Most Frostfell bands are primarily or exclusively elves while a handful are primarily or exclusively Dragonborn. Individuals of any species, however, can be found in a nomadic band.
Frostfells tend to have pale or even ivory coloration, often tinted blue in varying degrees. Hair color is usually stark white or pale blonde, though about one in ten have hair that is a deep blue-black in color. They commonly have eyes of blue or green, ranging from pale shades that appear almost white to deep, rich hues.
Ability Score Increase
Your Constitution increases by 1.
Alignment
Frostfell culture teaches individual reliance and a deep respect for nature. Individuals tend toward neutral alignments and the gentler side of chaos.
Cold Dweller
You have resistance to cold damage.
Frostfell Weapon Training
You have proficiency with the spear, warhammer, shortbow, and longbow.
Ice Crafting
You can magically form an item from nearby water, ice, or snow. The crafting takes 1 minute, and you can form any nonmagical object without moving parts weighing up to 10 pounds. Though made of ice, the object functions as a similar item made of standard materials. The object has AC 13, hit points equal to a resilient object of appropriate size, and is immune to cold damage but vulnerable to fire damage. If the ambient temperature is warmer than freezing, the object lasts 1 minute. As long as the ambient temperature remains at freezing or colder, the object lasts for 24 hours or until destroyed. Once you have crafted an object using this trait, you can’t do so again until you have completed a short or long rest.
Languages
You can speak, read, and write Common and one additional language, either Elvish or Draconic, depending on the predominant species of your band.
Snow Step
Difficult terrain composed of snow or ice doesn’t cost you extra movement.
Gol Valley Giff Culture
Giff comprise the majority of the Gol River Valley’s aristocracy and rule the land through various feudal arrangements.
Alignment
Any
Language
Common, Giff
Proficiency
Something cultural, like games or calligraphy.
Weapon training
Firearms, scimitar
Gol Valley Human Culture
Humans make up the bulk of the serfs and working class of the Gol River Valley.
Ability Score Increase
Pick: +3 to one; +2 to one and +1 to another; or +1 to three.
Alignment
Any
Language
Common, Giff
Lightfoot Halfling Culture
Lightfoot halfling culture is warm and welcoming, placing value in hospitality and good neighborliness. Those who grew up among halflings often make good comrades and allies.
Ability Score Increase
Your Dexterity score increases by 2, and your Charisma score increases by 1.
Alignment
Halfling society also tends toward neatness, both in their physical spaces and in their social relations. As a rule, they are good-hearted and kind, hate to see others in pain, and have no tolerance for oppression. They are also orderly and traditional, leaning heavily on the support of their community and the comfort of their old ways.
Brave
You have advantage on saving throws against being frightened.
Languages
You can speak, read, and write Common and Halfling. The Halfling language isn’t secret, but members of halfling culture are loath to share it with others. They write very little, so they don’t have a rich body of literature. Their oral tradition, however, is very strong. Almost all people in halfling societies speak Common to converse with the people in whose lands they dwell or through which they are traveling.
Mountain Dwarf Culture
As a mountain dwarf, you’re strong and hardy, accustomed to a difficult life in rugged terrain.
Ability Score Increase
Your Strength score increases by 2.
Dwarven Armor Training
You have proficiency with light and medium armor.
Dwarven Combat Training
You have proficiency with the battleaxe, handaxe, light hammer, and warhammer.
Tool Proficiency
You gain proficiency with the artisan’s tools of your choice: smith’s tools, brewer’s supplies, or mason’s tools.
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.
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.
Riviera Human Culture
Humans are the predominant species of the Riviera region.
Ability Score Increase
Pick: +3 to one; +2 to one and +1 to another; or +1 to three.
Alignment
Any
Language
Common, plus one other
Proficiency
One type of tool
Weapon proficiency
Short sword, spear
Rugged Dragonborn Culture
As a rugged dragonborn, you’re strong and hardy, accustomed to a difficult life in rocky terrain of the Skyreach Mountains.
Ability Score Increase
Your Constitution score increases by 2, and your Charisma score increases by 1.
Tool Proficiency
You gain proficiency with the artisan’s tools of your choice: smith’s tools, brewer’s supplies, or mason’s tools.
Languages
You can speak, read, and write Common and Draconic.
Dragon Lore
Dragonborn communities are often proud of their draconic heritage. You have advantage on any Intelligence checks to recall information about dragons.
Spindrift Dwarf Culture
While most dwarves ensconce themselves in the earth, spindrift dwarves have a bond with the ocean, and many spend most of their lives at sea. They tend to be slightly taller and slimmer than their landlubber cousins. Their hair and beards are lightened by exposure to sun and salt, often tied or braided against the wind. Many are comfortable barefoot and typically wear loose clothing that doesn’t hinder their work.
Spindrift dwarves settle on islands and mainland coasts, always in areas with natural harbors. Certain clans rarely come ashore at all, spending their lives on ships at sea, coming into port only when necessity dictates. There are even stories of spindrift dwarves that live on artificial islands made of ships lashed together—both seaworthy and not—along with other bits of flotsam and jetsam.
Ability Score Increase
Your Dexterity score increases by 1.
Dwarven Marine Training
You have proficiency with the club, handaxe, hand crossbow, net, rapier, and scimitar.
Nautical Proficiency
You gain proficiency with one of the following: carpenter’s tools, navigator’s tools, or woodcarver’s tools. In addition, you gain proficiency with vehicles (water).
Rigger
When you are not wearing heavy armor or using a shield, you have a climbing speed equal to your base walking speed.
Sailor’s Eyes
Accustomed to the harsh glare of sunlight on the sea, you don’t have darkvision, unlike other dwarves.
Shipwright
Whenever you make an Intelligence (Investigation) check related to the seaworthiness or quality of craftsmanship of a sailing vessel, you are considered proficient in the Investigation skill and add double your proficiency bonus to the check, instead of your normal proficiency bonus.
Spindrift Step
As a bonus action (or a reaction when you are submerged in water), you can magically step across water. You can walk across the surface of water as if it were solid ground for a number of rounds equal to your level or until your concentration ends (as if concentrating on a spell). If you are submerged in water when you activate this trait, you are carried to the surface of the water at a rate of 60 feet per round. You can’t use this trait again until you finish a short or long rest.
Urban Halfling Culture
Urban Halflings comprise the merchant class of the Gol River Valley. Rather than living in grassy hills, tending their gardens, and puffing pipes, urban halfling communities hock wares at the market, grow networks of contacts and customers, and prefer snuff tobacco. Urban halfling communities tend to be who work hard and celebrate with as much intensity.
Ability Score Increase
Your Charisma score increases by 2 and Dexterity by 1.
Alignment
Urban halfling community members look out for one another, but they also recognize that each person has to work to support themselves and their kin as well. In general, those who grow up in urban halfling communities tend toward neutrality.
Artful Dodgers
Those who grow up in urban halfling neighborhoods surrounded by larger folk get used to getting out of way of others, either through agility or smooth words. You have proficiency in either the Acrobatics or the Persuasion skill.
Mercantile
You gain proficiency with your choice of artisan tools, usually studying under one of the guildmasters of the community and working to sell the guild’s wares at the market.
Languages
You can speak, read, and write Common and Halfling.
Vaulridge Human Culture
Humans make up the bulk of the serfs and working class of the Vaulridge Plains.
Ability Score Increase
Pick: +3 to one; +2 to one and +1 to another; or +1 to three.
Alignment
Any
Language
Common, plus one other
Wood Elf Culture
The culture of wood elves values individual freedoms and self-expression and embraces nature as a parent.
Ability Score Increase
Your Dexterity score increases by 2 and Wisdom by 1.
Alignment
The forest elven culture values freedom, variety, and self-expression, so those who grow up in it may lean toward the gentler aspects of chaos. Forest elven culture tends to value the freedom of the wilds, as well as their own.
Languages
You can speak, read, and write Common and Elvish.
Forest Elven Weapon Training
You have proficiency with the longbow, shortbow, rapier, and net.
Way of the Wood
You have proficiency in the Stealth and Survival skills. When you are in forest, you add double your proficiency bonus to the checks, instead of your normal proficiency bonus.