Races

Racial Traits The description of each race includes racial traits
that are common to members of that race. The following entries appear among the traits of most
races. Ability Score Increase Every race increases one or more of a character’s ability scores. Age The age entry notes the age when a member of the
race is considered an adult, as well as the race’s
expected lifespan. This information can help you decide how old your character is at the start of the game. You can choose any age for your character,
which could provide an explanation for some of your
ability scores. For example, if you play a young or
very old character, your age could explain a
particularly low Strength or Constitution score,
while advanced age could account for a high
Intelligence or Wisdom. Alignment Most races have tendencies toward certain alignments, described in this entry. These are not binding for player characters, but considering why your dwarf is chaotic, for example, in defiance of
lawful dwarf society can help you better define your
character. Size Characters of most races are Medium, a size category
including creatures that are roughly 4 to 8 feet tall.
Members of a few races are Small (between 2 and 4
feet tall), which means that certain rules of the game
affect them differently. The most important of these
rules is that Small characters have trouble wielding
heavy weapons, as explained in “Equipment.” Speed Your speed determines how far you can move when
traveling ( “Adventuring”) and fighting (“Combat”). Languages By virtue of your race, your character can speak,
read, and write certain languages. Subraces Some races have subraces. Members of a subrace have the traits of the parent race in addition to the traits specified for their subrace. Relationships
among subraces vary significantly from race to race
and world to world.
Dwarf Dwarf Traits Your dwarf character has an assortment of inborn
abilities, part and parcel of dwarven nature. Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score
increases by 2. 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. Alignment. Most dwarves are lawful, believing
firmly in the benefits of a well-ordered society. They
tend toward good as well, with a strong sense of fair
play and a belief that everyone deserves to share in
the benefits of a just order. 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. 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.

Hill Dwarf As a hill dwarf, you have keen senses, deep intuition,
and remarkable resilience. Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score
increases by 1. Dwarven Toughness. Your hit point maximum increases by 1, and it increases by 1 every time you gain a level. Elf Elf Traits Your elf character has a variety of natural abilities,
the result of thousands of years of elven refinement. Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score
increases by 2. 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. Alignment. Elves love freedom, variety, and selfexpression, so they lean strongly toward the gentler aspects of chaos. They value and protect others’ freedom as well as their own, and they are more
often good than not. 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. 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. Fey Ancestry. 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; such dreams are actually mental exercises
that have become reflexive through years of practice.
After resting in this way, you gain the same benefit that a human does from 8 hours of sleep. Languages. You can speak, read, and write
Common and Elvish. Elvish is fluid, with subtle
intonations and intricate grammar. Elven literature
is rich and varied, and their songs and poems are famous among other races. Many bards learn their
language so they can add Elvish ballads to their
repertoires. High Elf As a high elf, you have a keen mind and a mastery of
at least the basics of magic. In many fantasy gaming
worlds, there are two kinds of high elves. One type is
haughty and reclusive, believing themselves to be
superior to non-elves and even other elves. The other type is more common and more friendly, and often encountered among humans and other races. Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence score
increases by 1. Elf Weapon Training. You have proficiency with
the longsword, shortsword, shortbow, and longbow. Cantrip. You know one cantrip of your choice
from the wizard spell list. Intelligence is your
spellcasting ability for it. Extra Language. You can speak, read, and write
one extra language of your choice. Halfling Halfling Traits Your halfling character has a number of traits in
common with all other halflings. Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score
increases by 2. Age. A halfling reaches adulthood at the age of 20
and generally lives into the middle of his or her second century. Alignment. Most halflings are lawful good. As a
rule, they are good-hearted and kind, hate to see others in pain, and have no tolerance for oppression. They are also very orderly and traditional, leaning heavily on the support of their community and the comfort of their old ways. Size. Halflings average about 3 feet tall and weigh
about 40 pounds. Your size is Small. Speed. Your base walking speed is 25 feet. Lucky. When you roll a 1 on the d20 for an attack
roll, ability check, or saving throw, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll. Brave. You have advantage on saving throws
against being frightened. Halfling Nimbleness. You can move through the space of any creature that is of a size larger than
yours. Languages. You can speak, read, and write
Common and Halfling. The Halfling language isn’t
secret, but halflings 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 halflings speak Common to
converse with the people in whose lands they dwell
or through which they are traveling. Lightfoot As a lightfoot halfling, you can easily hide from
notice, even using other people as cover. You’re
inclined to be affable and get along well with others. Lightfoots are more prone to wanderlust than
other halflings, and often dwell alongside other races
or take up a nomadic life. Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score
increases by 1. Naturally Stealthy. You can attempt to hide even
when you are obscured only by a creature that is at
least one size larger than you. Human Human Traits It’s hard to make generalizations about humans, but your human character has these traits. Ability Score Increase. Your ability scores each
increase by 1. Age. Humans reach adulthood in their late teens
and live less than a century. Alignment. Humans tend toward no particular
alignment. The best and the worst are found among
them. Size. Humans vary widely in height and build,
from barely 5 feet to well over 6 feet tall. Regardless
of your position in that range, your size is Medium. Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet. Languages. You can speak, read, and write
Common and one extra language of your choice. Humans typically learn the languages of other
peoples they deal with, including obscure dialects.
They are fond of sprinkling their speech with words
borrowed from other tongues: Orc curses, Elvish
musical expressions, Dwarvish military phrases, and so on. Dragonborn Dragonborn Traits Your draconic heritage manifests in a variety of
traits you share with other dragonborn. Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score
increases by 2, and your Charisma score increases
by 1. Age. Young dragonborn grow quickly. They walk
hours after hatching, 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. Alignment. Dragonborn tend to extremes, making
a conscious choice for one side or the other in the cosmic war between good and evil. Most dragonborn
are good, but those who side with evil can be terrible
villains. 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 Dragon Damage Type Breath Weapon Black Acid 5 by 30 ft. line (Dex. save) Blue Lightning 5 by 30 ft. line (Dex. save) Brass Fire 5 by 30 ft. line (Dex. save) Bronze Lightning 5 by 30 ft. line (Dex. save) Copper Acid 5 by 30 ft. line (Dex. save) Gold Fire 15 ft. cone (Dex. save) Green Poison 15 ft. cone (Con. save) Red Fire 15 ft. cone (Dex. save) Silver Cold 15 ft. cone (Con. save) White Cold 15 ft. cone (Con. save) 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. When you use your breath weapon, each creature
in the area of the exhalation must make a saving
throw, the type of which is determined by your
draconic ancestry. The DC for this saving throw
equals 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 increases to 3d6 at 6th level, 4d6 at
11th level, and 5d6 at 16th level. After you use your breath weapon, you can’t use it
again until you complete a short or long rest. Damage Resistance. You have resistance to the damage type associated with your draconic ancestry. Languages. You can speak, read, and write
Common and Draconic. Draconic is thought to be one of the oldest languages and is often used in the study
of magic. The language sounds harsh to most other
creatures and includes numerous hard consonants
and sibilants. Gnome Gnome Traits Your gnome character has certain characteristics in
common with all other gnomes. Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence score
increases by 2. Age. Gnomes mature at the same rate humans do, and most are expected to settle down into an adult
life by around age 40. They can live 350 to almost
500 years. Alignment. Gnomes are most often good. Those
who tend toward law are sages, engineers,
researchers, scholars, investigators, or inventors.
Those who tend toward chaos are minstrels,
tricksters, wanderers, or fanciful jewelers. Gnomes
are good-hearted, and even the tricksters among
them are more playful than vicious. Size. Gnomes are between 3 and 4 feet tall and average about 40 pounds. Your size is Small. Speed. Your base walking speed is 25 feet. 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. Gnome Cunning. You have advantage on all Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma saving throws
against magic. Languages. You can speak, read, and write
Common and Gnomish. The Gnomish language,
which uses the Dwarvish script, is renowned for its technical treatises and its catalogs of knowledge
about the natural world. Rock Gnome As a rock gnome, you have a natural inventiveness
and hardiness beyond that of other gnomes. Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score
increases by 1. Artificer’s Lore. Whenever you make an
Intelligence (History) check related to magic items,
alchemical objects, or technological devices, you can add twice your proficiency bonus, instead of any proficiency bonus you normally apply. Tinker. You have proficiency with artisan’s tools
(tinker’s tools). Using those tools, you can spend 1
hour and 10 gp worth of materials to construct a
Tiny clockwork device (AC 5, 1 hp). The device
ceases to function after 24 hours (unless you spend
1 hour repairing it to keep the device functioning),
or when you use your action to dismantle it; at that
time, you can reclaim the materials used to create it. You can have up to three such devices active at a
time. When you create a device, choose one of the following options: Clockwork Toy. This toy is a clockwork animal, monster, or person, such as a frog, mouse, bird,
dragon, or soldier. When placed on the ground, the toy moves 5 feet across the ground on each of your
turns in a random direction. It makes noises as
appropriate to the creature it represents. Fire Starter. The device produces a miniature flame,
which you can use to light a candle, torch, or
campfire. Using the device requires your action. Music Box. When opened, this music box plays a
single song at a moderate volume. The box stops
playing when it reaches the song’s end or when it
is closed. Half-Elf Half-Elf Traits Your half-elf character has some qualities in
common with elves and some that are unique to
half-elves. Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score
increases by 2, and two other ability scores of your
choice increase by 1. Age. Half-elves mature at the same rate humans
do and reach adulthood around the age of 20. They
live much longer than humans, however, often
exceeding 180 years. Alignment. Half-elves share the chaotic bent of
their elven heritage. They value both personal
freedom and creative expression, demonstrating
neither love of leaders nor desire for followers. They
chafe at rules, resent others’ demands, and sometimes prove unreliable, or at least
unpredictable. Size. Half-elves are about the same size as humans, ranging from 5 to 6 feet tall. Your size is Medium. Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet. Darkvision. Thanks to your elf blood, 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. Fey Ancestry. You have advantage on saving
throws against being charmed, and magic can’t put you to sleep. Skill Versatility. You gain proficiency in two skills
of your choice. Languages. You can speak, read, and write
Common, Elvish, and one extra language of your
choice. Half-Orc Half-Orc Traits Your half-orc character has certain traits deriving
from your orc ancestry. Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score
increases by 2, and your Constitution score increases
by 1. Age. Half-orcs mature a little faster than humans, reaching adulthood around age 14. They age noticeably faster and rarely live longer than 75 years. Alignment. Half-orcs inherit a tendency toward
chaos from their orc parents and are not strongly
inclined toward good. Half-orcs raised among orcs
and willing to live out their lives among them are usually evil. Size. Half-orcs are somewhat larger and bulkier than humans, and they range from 5 to well over 6
feet tall. Your size is Medium. Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet. Darkvision. Thanks to your orc blood, 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. Menacing. You gain proficiency in the Intimidation skill. Relentless Endurance. When you are reduced to 0
hit points but not killed outright, you can drop to 1
hit point instead. You can’t use this feature again
until you finish a long rest. Savage Attacks. When you score a critical hit with
a melee weapon attack, you can roll one of the weapon’s damage dice one additional time and add it
to the extra damage of the critical hit. Languages. You can speak, read, and write
Common and Orc. Orc is a harsh, grating language
with hard consonants. It has no script of its own but is written in the Dwarvish script. Tiefling Tiefling Traits Tieflings share certain racial traits as a result of their
infernal descent. Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence score
increases by 1, and your Charisma score increases
by 2. Age. Tieflings mature at the same rate as humans
but live a few years longer. Alignment. Tieflings might not have an innate
tendency toward evil, but many of them end up
there. Evil or not, an independent nature inclines
many tieflings toward a chaotic alignment. Size. Tieflings are about the same size and build as
humans. Your size is Medium. Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet. 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. 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. Languages. You can speak, read, and write
Common and Infernal.