Table Of Contents 4 Class, spell and item changes

1 Setting up 4.1 Class lore

1.1 Your game, your rules 4.1.1 Barbarians
1.1.1 Past and present 4.1.2 Bards
1.1.2 Custom origin 4.1.3 Clerics
1.2 How to use this primer 4.1.4 Druids
4.1.5 Paladins
2 Player races 4.1.6 Rangers
2.1 Dragonborn 4.1.7 Sorcerers
2.1.1 Turbulent history 4.1.8 Warlocks
2.1.2 Cultists and bandits 4.1.9 Wizards
2.1.3 Chromatic features 4.1.10 Reflavoring subclasses
2.1.4 Dragonborn traits 4.2 Spell changes
2.2 Elves 4.2.1 Planar travel
2.2.1 Ancient history 4.2.2 Forbidden magic
2.2.2 Living in a human world 4.2.3 Forgotten lore
2.2.3 Elf appearance 4.3 Item changes
2.2.4 Elven subraces 4.3.1 Illegal trafficking
2.2.5 Elf traits 4.3.2 Availability
2.2.6 Dark elves 4.3.3 Metalwork
2.3 Half-elves 4.3.4 Item adjustments
2.3.1 Half-elf traits 4.4 New subclasses
2.4 Humans 4.4.1 Bard college: Pacts
2.4.1 Human traits 4.4.2 Cleric domain: Metallic
2.4.2 Getarians 4.4.3 Sorcerous origin: Archfey Champion
2.4.3 Highlanders 4.4.4 Warlock patron: Spider Queen
2.4.4 Islanders
2.4.5 Tisenin 5 Appendix: Character names
2.4.6 Varra 5.1 Abyssal
2.5 Tieflings 5.2 Draconic
2.5.1 Tiefling origins 5.3 Elvish
2.5.2 Shunned and reviled 5.4 Getarian
2.5.3 Varied appearance 5.5 Sylvan
2.5.4 Tiefling subraces 5.6 Tisenyi
2.5.5 Tiefling traits 5.7 Varran
2.6 Other races
2.7 Draconic heritage
This work includes material taken from the System
3 Custom origin Reference Document 5.1 (“SRD 5.1”) by Wizards of the
3.1 Feature points Coast LLC and available at
3.2 Physical features https://dnd.wizards.com/resources/systems-reference-
3.3 Cultural features document. The SRD 5.1 is licensed under the Creative
3.4 Labels Commons Attribution 4.0 International License available at
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode.
This is the fourth public version of the "Player Options"
document for the Heart of Darkness campaign and its
setting of Varris. The latest version is available for free at The GM companion
https://navypink.itch.io/hod-player . This document is meant for players—a short, GM-facing
companion to it is provided within the Introduction to the
Heart of Darkness book to give guidance to GM's looking to
How to use this document expand on your character options and backstories. It does
This document is the official player primer for the contain campaign spoilers, though, so make sure to only
homebrew Heart of Darkness campaign to help you create a read the player options and ask your GM for any relevant
character. If you are a player, your GM has likely sent this to additional information, for example about the settlement
you as a means of preparing you for the campaign. Don't be your character may have lived in, what beings they might
intimidated by the page count of this document—you have worship and who might be your warlock patron, if you are
no obligation to read all of it in order to prepare your interested in fleshing out your character even further.
character. The campaign will introduce you to every bit of This document is not a character creation guide and
lore you'll need to know. assumes you are already familiar with the basic
principles of the process or that your GM is helping you.

1
Setting up

V
arris is the continent on which the Heart of Darkness campaign takes place. It takes its name from the Varran
Empire, an evil human state that conquered and ruled it for centuries before being defeated by a joining of its
former slaves a thousand years ago. Due to the empire's years of rule, many modern people of the continent,
called the Varszi, still unknowingly perpetuate the Varra's harmful biases towards others based on their race or
occupation. Since the Varra subjugated others using arcane magic, most inhabitants of the continent still hold an
irrational fear of the practice itself, regardless of its purpose.
For example, as a dragonborn born in high mountains, your
Your game, your rules character would have likely never faced prejudice of any
Many aspects of your character may lead to their unfair kind. They might still be exposed to certain assumptions
treatment throughout the campaign. If you would like to while in Getari, the Varszi kingdom that Heart of Darkness
avoid it or change how it affects your character, make sure takes place in, but would be quick to realize that whoever is
to bring up any concerns you may have to your GM—your making them is blinded by an irrational fear or hatred of
character should not be forced to suffer bias wherever they something they don't understand.
go simply because you chose to, for instance, play as a Ultimately, remember that your character is yours to
wizard. Ultimately, the extent to which your GM leans into create, whether it's in accordance with, or in spite of,
this particular aspect of Varris' worldbuilding should common assumptions that close-minded NPCs might make
depend on the comfort and preferences of all players, so about them.
make sure to discuss it as a group, or in private if you prefer.
Certain storylines in the Heart of Darkness campaign Custom origin
assume a set of biases from particular NPC's—your If you would like more customization options than simply
character is never forced to ally with or forgive anyone who choosing a predefined set of racial features, you can create
treats them poorly because of their own bias. a custom origin character that combines whichever physical
and cultural characteristics you want for your character.
Past and present Check page 13 for more details.
Unless explicitly stated in a race or subrace's description,
your character is assumed to be from the continent of Varris
and therefore is likely to have been exposed to its particular
How to use this primer
prejudices and stereotypes from an early age, both in how As a player, you likely know which class and race you are
they were raised and how they are treated now. interested in for your character already and maybe you even
However, it's important to understand that these have some ideas about which spells or weapons you want to
assumptions about, for example, the "typical" traits or use.
preferences of your character's lineage are largely cultural. A few of races have been rewritten for this setting, so you
They are presented in descriptions of races for the purposes may want to skim the descriptions of Varszi elves, tieflings,
of informing your character's personality and backstory. For dragonborn and humans to see if you're interested in any of
example, most copper elves are likely aware of being them. You do not, by no means, need to read the entirety
thought to be better bards, which leads to them being likely of this document. Another option is to combine the
to pursue a career one due to the, often not fully realized, features of the aforementioned races to create a custom
bias of those who might hire them as one. These origin character (page 13).
assumptions form a kind of self-fulfilling prophecy that Of course, you can still play the other basic races that are
many Varszi are unaware of. It's completely up to you to not altered for this setting: the dwarf, gnome, halfling or
conform to or subvert these tropes within your character. half-orc, with any subrace you choose. Any race your GM
There is another possibility for your character—you may allows has its place in Varris.
choose that they are not native to Varris, hailing, for Once you've selected your race, think about which class
example, from the islands off its shore or remote mountains you would be interested in playing. If you are uncertain, look
that the ancient Varran Empire never reached. You can read at the "New Subclasses" section for inspiration. Once you've
about the Islander and Highlander human subraces to learn decided on a class, you may want to read the "Class
more about their cultures, but characters of all races of Changes". If you've chosen to play as a spellcaster, you may
Varris inhabit these parts of the world as well. also be interested in the "Spell Changes" section and if
there are magic items you are interested in having on your
character, read through the "Item Changes" section.
May the Ladies watch over you in your journey through
Varris, and have fun playing your great character!

2
 Player races

T
he races of Varris are as varied and diverse as Languages of Varris
those of any fantasy world. Elves, Modern Speakers Rare Speakers
dragonborn, half-elves, humans and
tieflings have been given a complete Common Humans
Merchants
Abyssal Fiends
Tieflings
overhaul, with new racial traits and subraces Dwarvish Dwarves Draconic Dragons
to match the lore of the setting. Everything Dragonborn
you need to know about your next character's Elvish Elves Kobolds
origins is given in the introductions to each of the races. For Getarian Getarians (Humans) Infernal Archfiends
ease of use, the table on the right shows all languages that Gnomish Gnomes Warlocks
your character may learn, divided into modern and rare. Halfling Halflings Sylvan Fey
The race features below are only templates, ready to use Goblins
for your character but far from your only option. If you wish Orcish Orcs Clerics
to give your character different features or combine features Tisenyi Tisenin (Humans) Varran Varra (Humans)
of different races, go to page 13 for rules on how to create a Wizards
custom origin character.

Dragonborn
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 Cultists and bandits
bound most chromatic dragons of Varris to their will. They After the empire was felled by rebels led by elven slaves, the
experimented on the captured creatures, going as far as to dragonborn began being seen as worse than the remaining
have their humanoid slaves bear their children, creating the Varra—combining the traits of the hated chromatic dragons
first half-dragons. Over time, those half-dragons were and an arcane origin, many humans and elves considered
brought into Varran society in hopes of creating powerful them unnatural, foul beasts—this was, of course,
wizards. undeserved, as the dragonborn didn't have an inherent
The dragonborn that resulted from these experiments tendency towards evil like their draconic ancestors did. If
were seen as a sign of the might of the empire, as through anything, it was their poor treatment by the new human
by defying the natural order the Varra achieved something society that caused many of them to turn to where they were
that was, to them, greater than even humans. However, accepted —cults and bandit packs, both at the outskirts of
many dragonborn struggled with how different they were humanoid civilization.
from regular humans, even back at a time when they were To say that dragonborn are vile, wicked creatures is a lie.
thought of as great, despite their terrible origin. However, to say that many of them have given up proving
that belief false is the truth for many of these outcasts.
If you feel uncomfortable with the origins of dragonborn
Not all is bleak for those with chromatic blood, though—
presented here, you may decide to play a character who was
some states and settlements have been attempting to break
exposed to the same elemental energy responsible for
through their bias against them in recent years, whether it's
granting chromatic dragons their breath weapons later in
out of the kindness of their hearts or for more pragmatic
their life.
reasons. Change is slow and the future remains uncertain.

3
Chromatic features Dragonborn subrace traits
Dragonborn are easily recognized by their smooth, reptilian Additionally, every dragonborn gains the traits of their
skin, typically of the color of their draconic ancestors, but subrace: a resistance to one damage type, which is also
sometimes of a more human-like shade. Their eyes are also used for their breath weapon, a tendency towards a specific
brightly colored and reflective like the eyes of cats. Parts of alignment, a +1 increase to an ability score, as well as not
their skin tend to be covered with scales, typically replacing being affected by non-magical difficult terrain in a particular
body hair that other races might have. Rarely, dragonborn type of terrain and proficiency with a certain type of
possess tails or small horns resembling those of chromatic equipment.
dragons. Their faces are similar to those of elves—angular The following table lists the features of each subrace:
and noble, owing to their common ancestry. Color Damage Alignment Ability Terrain Proficiency
Black Acid LE Str Swamp Shields
Dragonborn traits Blue Lightning LE Int Desert Light armor
Both dragonborn and tieflings have a base race. Select a Green Poison LE Int Forest Longbows
race that isn't a dragonborn, tiefling or half elf—it will grant
you certain features. All dragonborn share the following Red Fire CE Cha Mountain Longswords
traits: White Cold CE Str Arctic Battleaxes

Age
Dragonborn mature at the same rate humans do but live a Elves
little longer on average, around 100 years. Elves are the only humanoid race native to Varris, one with
a long and complicated history than spans millennia. Some
Ability Score Increase elves think themselves superior to other races of Varris, but
Your Constitution score increases by 2, while your Strength most only mourn their past greatness, cut short by the
score increases by 1. Alternatively, you may replace this with tyranny of the humans they themselves once aided.
the Ability Score Increase of your base race.
Ancient history
Size When the Archfey fought to reclaim the world from
Dragonborn are about the height of their base race, with a chromatic dragon tyrants, one of them, known as She Who
slightly more muscular build. Your size is Medium or Small. Sees, sent her angel to enchant the eggs of a few chromatic
If your size is Small, you can still use Heavy weapons with dragons. Her fey magic transformed the dragons into a new,
no drawbacks as long as you're proficient with them. more powerful kind of creature—a metallic dragon.
Speed Chromatic dragons realized far too late that their own
Your base walking speed is that of your base race plus 5 ft. children were the Archfey's tool of destruction and were
inevitably defeated. Over time, the metallic dragons,
Heightened senses
followers of their Archfey maker, lost their shapechanging
You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were capabilities and in their humanoid forms became known as
bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t elves. While their culture prospered undisturbed, the
discern color in darkness, only shades of gray. Additionally, Archfey brought other humanoid races into the world from
you gain blindsight out to a range of 10 feet, meaning that other, unknown planes. The elves taught them their arcane
your vision cannot be impeded by darkness, the blinded magic, which was soon turned against them as a human
condition or other means of obscuring your vision. tribe known as the Varra rebelled against the other races
and created their empire, which subjugated and enslaved
Breath Weapon other races.
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.
Languages
You can speak, read, and write Common and Draconic.

4
 Living in a human world Elven subraces
After the collapse of the Varran Empire, the elves scattered. The six distinct elven subraces are descended from the six
Some, called wild elves by humans, retreated to their varieties of metallic dragons. The traits of metallic dragons
ancient forests, like the magical Forest of Eyes in Getari, the are often thought to be polar opposites of those of the
sacred spring of their civilization, vowing to never live chromatic dragons they are descended from, with elves
among humans again after the years of shame and taking after their metallic ancestors. This is largely a
enslavement they had endured. Others decided to put their modern, human attempt to more easily label elves as one or
race's past behind them and try to work with humans to another thing that they are often not. However, it's a
create a world where they could live in peace among with common belief that elves are predestined by the Archfey
them and other non-human races—they are often called city who created them to have very particular strengths,
elves. One might think that out of all the non-human races, weaknesses and preferences based on their subrace. Some
the elves would stand out as those who the human society elves treat them as divine talents, though most see it for
of states like Getari would treat as their own, perhaps even what it is—stereotyping.
revere them for their direct connection to the Archfey. It was Stereotypes
also the elves who fought the most valiantly against the about elves by subrace
Subrace Positive Negative Occupation
Varran Empire and the chromatic dragons before them, and
while there is some degree of remembrance for those elven Brass Friendly Deceptive Artists, craftsmen, officials
heroes, they are often forgotten about in favor of the Bronze Just Strict Guards, soldiers, sailors
humans who rose to power once the war was over due to Copper Creative Unreliable Bards, merchants, travelers
their overwhelming numbers.
Many humans believe that the best role for an elf in a Gold Wise Impractical Teachers, scholars, priests
human-dominated society is that of a priest—their ancient Platinum Talented Haughty Leaders, priests, teachers
ways are seen as more authentic to the teachings of the Silver Devout Inflexible Priests, paladins, soldiers
Ladies by some. Others argue that the elven and human
ways of worshiping the Archfey have become so divergent Copper and brass elves, being the most numerous in
that they should be treated as separate religions, with their Varris, are likely to be found in every corner of the
own churches and priests—human churches for humans continent, especially in larger settlements. As such, humans
and elven churches for elves. This approach, however, is don't tend to think much of them or treat them much
seen by many elves as an attempt to alienate them and they differently than they would treat their own kin. Similarly,
tend to oppose it. And while it is true that elves in general copper and brass half-elves are the most common.
tend to be more devoted to their faith, having been created Many bronze elves have been employed as warriors for
and, arguably, favored by the Ladies, many of them feel as generations and, as such, many cities, especially coastal
though reducing them to the role of priests and scholars is ones, entrust guard duties to them owing to their
little better than the Varran practice of sorting slaves into adaptability.
tasks based on race. Gold and silver elves are less common than their copper,
brass and bronze kin, but still far from a rare sight. Many
Elf appearance find themselves encouraged to pursue priesthood due to
To most humans, the appearance of elves is striking—their their perceived close connection to the divine. While there
imposing height, metallic-colored skin and eyes, as well as is no evidence for that, it is a fact that many of them may
the sharpness of their androgynous features all inspire awe face less bias while pursuing higher education, which they
and sometimes even fear upon a first encounter. Elves are likely to take advantage of, it they can afford it.
whose draconic heritage runs deep, have ears resembling
those of their metallic ancestors.

A blessing and a curse

Platinum elves are a rare subrace of Varrisian elves, thought
to have emerged from either 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 as everyone else does, but those who strive to climb the
ranks of their communities find that their perceived blessing
actually makes it much easier.

5
Elf traits Pacify
All elves share the following traits: You know the friends cantrip. Additionally, you you can cast
the sleep spell as a 2nd-level spell with this trait; you regain
Age the ability to cast it when you finish a long rest.
Elves mature physically at the same rate humans do but Adaptable
their mental development never stops. They are considered You gain a climbing or swimming speed of 30 ft. (your
adults around the age of 30 and live up to about 150 years. choice). If you choose a swimming speed, you can breathe in
Ability Score Increase both air and water and if you choose a climbing speed, you
Your Wisdom and Charisma scores both increase by 1. gain resistance to damage from falling.

Size Mimicry
Elves are generally taller than humans, owing to their You can mimic any sounds you have heard, including voices.
draconic bloodline, ranging from the average copper elf A creature that hears the sounds can tell they are imitations
being 5'11 to the average gold elf measuring 6'4 in height, with a successful Wisdom (Insight) check, the DC for
while being generally slender. Your size is Medium. which equals 10 + your proficiency bonus.

Speed Arcane Talent

Your base walking speed is 30 ft. You learn the prestidigitation cantrip and one other wizard
cantrip of your choice.
Darkvision Her Blessing
You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were Whenever you are in moonlight, you gain a +2 bonus to AC
bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t and all saving throws. Whenever you are in daylight, you
discern color in darkness, only shades of gray. have resistance to psychic damage and gain a +1 bonus to
Skilled any spellcasting DC you have.
You gain proficiency in 1 additional skill of your choice. Divine Talent
Fey Ancestry You learn the thaumaturgy cantrip and can cast the bless
You have advantage on Wisdom saving throws. spell as a 2nd-level spell with this trait; you regain the ability
to cast it when you finish a long rest.
Metallic affinity
Owing to your draconic origins, you are proficient with any Dark elves
armor and shield made of the metal corresponding to your Some think of dark elves as a race distinct from other elves,
subrace. Additionally, any attacks you make with weapons but they have more in common with their more ancient kin
made of that same metal gain a +2 bonus to hit. than most elves like to admit.
In times of Varran expansion, an angel of the Archfey
Languages known as Enkhebet enchanted some elven eggs to grant
You can speak, read, and write Common and Elvish. 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
Elf subrace traits rival, and sought to teach elves faithful to her divination
Additionally, every elf gains the traits of their subrace: a magic of their own. A famed temple was established where
resistance to one damage type, a tendency towards a specific the oracle of Enkhebet and the wizard-priests who served
alignment, a +1 increase to an ability score, as well as a her studied arcane magic under the angel's guidance.
unique trait gained at 3rd level. Many contemporary scholars claim that Enkhebet,
The following table lists the features of each elf subrace: seeking more power, eventually desired to become a deity.
While her reasons are unknown, she opened a gate to the
Metal Resistance Alignment Ability Trait lower plane for herself and many of her elves, and, under the
Brass Fire CG Cha Pacify new name of Bethem, became the fiendish queen of a group
Bronze Lightning LG Con Adaptable
of dark elves known as the maanen, recognizable by their
stark white hair and gray skin.
Copper Acid CG Cha Mimicry Those dark elves who did not follow the fallen angel
Gold Fire LG Int Arcane Talent remained on Varris, but face much hatred and distrust from
Platinum Radiant NG Wis Her Blessing their fellow elves. Only six years after Enkhebet's fall, the
Silver Cold LG Wis Divine Talent
elves of Varris were enslaved by the Varra due to their
reduced numbers. The statistics on the next page represent
dark elves of Varris, not the maanen of the lower plane.

6
 Dark elf traits Half-elf traits
Dark elves gain all traits of an elf of their subrace save for As a half-elf, you gain the following traits:
Darkvision, their subrace's Ability Score Increase and their
3rd-level trait, which are replaced with the following: Age
Half-elves mature at around the age that humans do, but
Alignment they tend to live slightly longer, around 100 years.
Dark elves lean towards neutrality in alignment, rather than
good, so the average silver dark elf might be Lawful Neutral Ability Score Increase
instead of Lawful Good. You gain whatever ability score increase you non-elf race
would get with no subrace. Additionally, your Wisdom and
Ability Score Increase Charisma scores both increase by 1.
Your Wisdom, Intelligence, or Charisma score (your choice)
increases by 1. Size
Half-elves are typically the size of their non-elf race, with a
Superior Darkvision more slender build. Your size is Small or Medium.
Accustomed to the darkness of the Depths, you have
superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in Speed
dim light within 120 feet of you as if it were bright light, and Your base walking speed is 30 ft.
in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in Fey Ancestry
darkness, only shades of gray. You have advantage on Wisdom saving throws.
Spellweaver's Magic Varied origins
You know the prestidigitation cantrip and you can cast the You gain one feature of your choice of your non-elf race or
faerie fire spell as a 1st-level spell with this trait; you regain one of its subraces, like an islander's Versatile or a
the ability to cast it when you finish a long rest. Once you dragonborn's Heightened Senses.
reach 3rd level, you can also cast the darkness spell with
this trait; you regain the ability to cast it when you finish a Languages
long rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these You can speak, read, and write Common, Elvish and any one
spells. additional language of your choice.
Half-elf subrace traits
Variant rule: elemental mastery
Additionally, every half-elf gains the traits of their subrace: a
resistance to one damage type, a tendency towards a
If a character has a damage type resistance from their elf,
specific alignment and a +1 increase to an ability score.
half-elf, dragonborn or tiefling subrace and a spell, class The following table lists the features of each elf subrace:
feature, or a magical effect grants them resistance to that
same damage type, they instead gain immunity to it for as Metal Resistance Alignment Ability
long as both resistances are in effect. Brass Fire CG Cha
Bronze Lightning LG Wis

Half-elves
Copper Acid CG Cha
Gold Fire LG Int
Half elves are either the children of an elf and a non-elf, or Platinum Radiant NG Wis
of half-elves. Either way, they combine the traits of an elf Silver Cold LG Str
with those of another race.
Most half-elves dwell in settlements where elves are not
the majority, but not marginalized to the point of being
afraid of non-elf contact, like the Getarian capital of
Thesaneri or its coastal satellite town of Sirraen. Many find
work as artists, poets, or officials working under local
governments, especially in settlements with a large
population of both elves and non-elves.
When creating a half-elf, you will have to choose the
non-elf race you want represented in your features,
such as a human or dwarf, as well as an elven
subrace. If you select dragonborn or tiefling as
your non-elf race, the base race for their
features is that of an elf.

7
 Getarians
More varied character options
You hail from Getari, the coastal kingdom where trade is
You may be interested in playing a character who is, for
everything and the setting of the Heart of Darkness
example, a half-human half-dwarf, or any other combination campaign. Getarians pride themselves on their great
that is not accounted for in this document. Following the invention, the printing press, which has allowed their
half-elf's example, you may choose two races: one of them
country to flourish in the last century. They value charisma
grants you your size and one other race or subrace feature of as much as they do manual skills, since they know that a
your choice, while the rest of your features are those of the good craftsman is one who knows how to sell their product,
second race of your choice. If you do it, make sure to "trade" not just how to make it.
features of roughly equivalent value. In the case of the half- The typical Getarians tend to be quite tall for humans,
elf, the 3rd-level subrace feature is "traded" for whatever with fair skin, eyes ranging in color from grey to blueish-
non-elf feature the player chooses. You are encouraged to green and dark blonde, brown or red curly hair.
customize your character's lineage however your GM
allows. You can also check page 13 for the "custom origin". Ability score increase
Your Charisma and Dexterity scores each increase by 1.
Alignment
Getarians shun extremes—they believe that the best trade
Humans relationships are established by those with an open mind.
They lean strongly towards the Neutral alignment.
Humans have been the most common race in Varris since
the Varran age, but they are not native to it, or the world as a Craftsman's hands
whole. They were brought into it by the powerful Archfey You gain proficiency in the Sleight of Hand skill as well as
along with several other humanoid races, all hailing from one set of tools of your choice.
home worlds that they no longer remember. Some humans
believe that they are, in fact, native to Varris and that the Merchant's tongue
Archfey created them to rule over it. Other view the Ladies You gain advantage on Charisma ability checks made to
as favoring the elves and turn to dragon or fiend worship. bargain for better prices when selling and buying goods.
Most, however, are not concerned with where they came Citydweller's eyes
from and focus on where they can yet go. You have proficiency in any Wisdom checks made to find
someone or something in any modern settlement.
Human traits
All modern humans have the following traits in common: Highlanders
The highlanders lead difficult lives in the tall mountains, at
Age altitudes that most would have difficulty surviving. Some
Humans mature at the age of 20 and live around 80 years. claim that their ancestors must have had the blood of white
dragons running through their veins to survive in such
Ability Score Increase conditions. The highlanders would likely scoff at this—to
Your Dexterity score increases by 1. them, it's all a matter of hard work and grit.
Size Ability score increase
Your size is Medium. Your Constitution score increases by 2.
Alignment Alignment
Humans lean towards the Neutral alignment as a whole, The islanders value hard work and standing by what you
with different subraces shifting the tendency a little. believe in, regardless of what may come your way—they
lean towards law in alignment.
Social animal
Harsh winters
You gain proficiency in one Charisma skill of your choice. You are naturally adapted to high altitudes and cold
Basic military training
climates. You can move across icy surfaces without needing
You gain proficiency with shortswords, maces, or shields. to make an ability check. Additionally, difficult terrain
composed of ice or snow doesn't cost you extra movement.
Languages Mountain hunter
You know Common and one extra modern language of your You are proficient in Survival checks. Additionally, you make
choice. ability checks to track and identify humanoids, beasts and
monstrosities in mountainous terrain with advantage.
Human subrace traits
Choose a subrace from the ones presented on this and the Nomadic lifestyle
next two pages and add its traits to your character. Your base movement speed is 35 ft.

8
 Islanders Tisenin
To the east of the continent of Varris is a vast, largely The remote, mountainous kingdom of Tisenya is not a place
uncharted sea. The majority of its inhabitable islands form many outsiders dare to enter. This is mostly due to its
two distinct archipelagos—the Aisone, or eastern islands, or rigorously enforced ban on arcane magic and the use of
the Madhdine, or southern islands. The Aisone islands are brutal physical punishments against those who break its
much closer to the coast of Varris and are subsequently strict laws. Those brave enough to trade with the Tisenin
better known than the more remote Madhdine islands. are usually interested in the unique anti-magic devices that
Getarian merchants have recently began making regular Tisenyi knights use to contain imprisoned spellcasters.
trips to the Aisone and even established a few ports and The Tisenin were the first former slaves to break free of
small settlements to facilitate their trade with the locals. Varran oppression. They believe that a paladin named
Most islanders are unfavorable to the Varszi presence in Ratignev, the first king of Tisenya, was chosen by the
their homeland, with many having taken up piracy as a Archfey and that all subsequent kings of Tisenya carry this
means to profit off of the outsiders in return. divine blessing. While non-humans exist in Tisenya, they are
The people of the islands are as varied as those of the much rarer than in other parts of Varris.
coast, but they have some traits in common due to their
share environment—their adaptability, the fast pace of their Ability score increase
lives and their unwillingness to take anything for granted Your Wisdom and Constitution scores each increase by 1.
while cherishing what they get. Many of them have part-
elven ancestry, being descended from the bronze elf ship Alignment
crews of the Varran age. The Tisenin have earned a reputation for their strict
adherence to the law, something they are taught from a
Ability score increase young age. They lean strongly towards law in alignment.
Your Constitution and Dexterity scores each increase by 1.
Intimidating presence
Alignment You have proficiency in the Intimidation skill. If a creature
The islanders are constantly forced to adapt to shifting within 30 ft. of you is frightened of another creature, the
circumstances, never able to dwell anywhere for too long at frightened creature is also is frightened of you for the same
a time—they lean towards chaos in alignment. duration.
Feeling good Mental discipline
Whenever you finish a long rest, you gain temporary hit You have advantage on Wisdom saving throws made against
points equal to your proficiency bonus. spells. Whenever an allied creature that you can see and
who can hear you fails a Wisdom saving throw against a
Of the desert spell, you can use your reaction to warn it, allowing it to roll
You are naturally adapted to hot climates. You are also again, possibly turning the failure into a success.
immune to the effects of the heat metal spell, make
Constitution saves against the effects of dehydration with Professional
advantage and can survive on half a pound of food a day. You have proficiency with one type of tools of your choice.
You can add your proficiency modifier to Intelligence ability
Versatile checks connected to the usage of these tools.
You gain a swimming speed of 30 ft. and a climbing speed of
20 ft. You are proficient with waterborne vehicles.

9
Varra Tiefling origins
In ages past, the Varran Empire ruled the continent with an Very little is known about archfiends and their minions, but
iron fist thanks to the immense power of its wizards, famed most of those who follow them are outcasts, driven mad by
dragon riders included. However, the defeat of the empire some elemental power beyond their comprehension or
did not mean the end of the Varra—their descendants control. Fiend cults are nothing new in Varris—they have
scattered throughout the lands they once occupied, most existed for as long as the archfiends have. The origins of
still cultivating the arcane traditions of their people. tieflings lie in the worship and summoning of fiends.
The Varra are a diminutive people with tan skin and black
or dark brown hair and eyes. It is said that in times of the Tiefling origins
empire, a spell was used to change the colors of one's irises 1d6 Character's origin
according to their social status, with only commoners 1 The child of two tieflings.
having their natural eye color. Despite the prejudice they 2 The result of a curse placed on their parents.
face, the Varra are considered by many to be the most
attractive of the humans, though it does little to gain them 3 The child of a humanoid and a fiend.
the favor of elves. Certain aspects of traditional Varran 4 The descendant of an unknown archfiend.
fashion and appearance can draw negative attention in the 5 The result of exposure to fiendish energy, for example
lands they once ruled over—long, straight hair, earrings, through a planar portal or artifact.
elaborate golden jewelry, heavy eye makeup or robes in 6 The part or side effect of a pact with a fiend.
vibrant shades of red, purple or blue.
The archfiends are raw, elemental energy—those who
Alignment were chromatic dragons are now the very elemental
The Varra were a harsh society where one's worth was essence of the magic that keeps dragons alive. They have
judged equally according to their skill, cunning and ambition become the very forces of nature that the ancient chromatic
—their descendants lean towards evil in alignment. dragons used to worship. They are said to not even
command or control their minions—they spawn in an
Ability score increase endless sea of chaos that is an archfiend's domain. At least,
Your Intelligence or Charisma score (your choice) increases such are the accounts of captured cultists before they faced
by 2. execution.
Some of their fiendish minions are fully sentient, though,
Forgotten lore especially those who were transformed into fiends or were
You know the Draconic or Varran language (your choice). born part-fiends. The infamous succubi, part-fey and part-
fiend, have lured many a mortal into pacts, sometimes
Varran magic sealed with the birth of a tiefling child.
You know the prestidigitation cantrip and one other wizard Many tieflings grow up orphaned, either due to their
cantrip of your choice. Additionally, you know one 1st-level cultist parents having been executed or otherwise killed as a
wizard spell. You choose what your spellcasting ability for result of their worship, or because their parents, having
these spells is between Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma. faced the same prejudice as them, got involved in illegal and
You also gain one 1st-level spell slot that you can use to cast risky activities to survive. They rarely know their own
a 1st-level spell and regain it after completing a long rest. origins.

If you would like to build a more detailed backstory for your

tiefling, consult with your GM to let you read the archfiend
Tieflings table in the GM's guide inside the campaign book.
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 Shunned and reviled
retaliation and banishment to the lower plane known as the Tieflings are, and always have been, unfairly considered the
Depths, where they are trapped in an elemental chaos that lowest of the low. The Varra thought of them as echoes of an
has formed around them, spawning wicked fiendish archfiend's failed attempt at godhood, using them only for
minions who serve them. Many archfiends were once the most menial and unpleasant of tasks—they did, however
chromatic dragons who attempted to usurp more power for prove to be effective components for high-level magic.
themselves through unnatural means and were punished Presently, tieflings still face vehement and unrestrained
for it, but some are fallen celestials, even angels. prejudice on the grounds of religion. They are commonly
assumed to be fiends or, at the very least, active cultists.

10
 Varied appearance Force tieflings
Many tieflings have few noticeably fiendish features and A black dragon's acidic breath can be a deadly weapon, but
outwardly appear less reptilian than dragonborn. Their skin what's even more deadly is the environment it dwells in. The
and hair are most commonly humanoid in color and texture, dark swamps pull their victims in without mercy—such is
with often the only obviously tiefling features being the the way of a force archfiend, to act without hesitation, pause
claws on their hands, which many of them hide under or regret. Force tieflings are strong, brave and determined,
gloves, and the black sclerae of their eyes, typical of fiends. sometimes to the point of recklessness.
Rarely, tieflings might have more obviously draconic traits, Ice
such as horns or tails, but this is often the result of tieflings
Whatever is frozen by a white dragon's breath stands still
dragonborn blood. for all time. Ice tieflings, unlike their feral draconic
Some tieflings have been known to have unusual, multi- counterparts, are terrifyingly calm and patient in executing
colored skin or eyes, as if they were a mixture of two distinct their plans. They dislike the noise and distraction of
elements—the origins of those tieflings are unknown. Your settlements and often live outside of civilization as hermits.
tiefling can look as fiendish or humanoid as you choose.
Shadow tieflings
Because tieflings are under the direct influence of strong It is unclear if shadow tieflings are descended from any type
elemental magic, they may experience more uniform of dragon that modern researchers are aware of, but they
tendencies towards certain patterns of thought or behavior are said to be extremely secretive and deceptive. Their skin
than other races do. However, this magic doesn't affect every ranges from stark white to jet black, sometimes even
tiefling in the same way and many live their lives ignoring
metallic shades, seemingly reflecting their unclear origins.
it, or treat it as an affliction that must be managed.
Tiefling traits
Tieflings have the following traits in common:
Tiefling subraces Age
The varieties of tieflings are not as strict as those of elves or Tieflings mature at the same rate humans do, but tend to
dragonborn. They represent the element that the archfiend live shorter, 60 years on average.
embodies and as such, in theory, every archfiend and their
minions might spawn a different tiefling subrace. However, Alignment
the following six subraces should be enough for now. Tieflings lean strongly towards a chaotic alignment.
Sometimes, their harsh lives push them towards evil as well.
Flame tieflings
Hailing from the element of fire and, often, red dragons Ability Score Increase
turned archfiends, the flame tieflings are fire incarnate and Your Charisma, Dexterity and Intelligence scores each
are what comes to mind when most common folk think of increase by 1.
the tiefling race. Their skin is often dark or red and their
eyes glow like flames. They are intimidating and fierce. Size
Tieflings, much like dragonborn, are typically the size of
Air tieflings their base race, but with a more slender build. Your size is
When blue dragons searched for their elemental origins, Small or Medium.
they found a barren wasteland where only the unrestrained
wind battered desert sand. Air tieflings commonly have Claws
depressive or nihilistic thoughts—the unease within them Your claws are natural, finesse weapons that you are
often causes them to be considered mad by common folk, proficient with, which you can use to make melee weapon
but that is untrue for the most part. attacks. On a hit, you deal psychic damage equal to 2d6 +
the ability modifier you used for the attack roll.
Death tieflings If you have resistance to a damage type other than
A green dragon's poison breath accelerates the process of psychic from your tiefling subrace, you can choose to have
death and decay in their natural forest environment. your claws deal damage of that type instead.
Similarly, death tieflings house the force of decay within
them which pushes them to believe that those who cannot Superior Darkvision
survive should die—not all death tieflings succumb to this Accustomed to the darkness of the Depths, you have
instinct, but those who do often work as assassins or superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in
poisoners. 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.

11
Tiefling subrace traits Shadow Path
Additionally, every tiefling gains the traits of their subrace: a As a reaction to taking damage from a melee attack, you can
resistance to one damage type that they can replace with a teleport up to 20 ft. to an unoccupied space you can see that
resistance to psychic damage, a tendency towards a specific isn't in sunlight.
alignment, a +1 increase to an ability score, as well as a When you reach 6th level, the range of this teleportation
unique trait gained at 3rd level. increases to 30 ft. and at 9th level to 60 ft.
The following table lists the features of each subrace:
Element Damage Alignment Trait Other races
Flame Fire Cha Burn Dwarves, gnomes, halflings and half-orcs remain
Air Lightning Int Kinetic unchanged from the basic rules.
Death Poison Int Decompose If you wish to bring an uncommon race from another
source or one you yourself created (pending GM approval)
Force Acid Dex Gravity Magic
into Varris, there is nothing stopping you from using it—the
Ice Cold Dex Freeze Archfey brought all sorts of humanoids onto the world
Shadow Necrotic Cha Shadow Path beyond the ones mentioned above. However, be prepared to
disregard that race's original lore. Your character can still
The amount of damage dice for these features doubles have all the traits of their race, but their connection to any
when you reach 6th level, then again at 9th level. extraplanar gods or other entities is irrelevant on Varris. As
their people have lived under the Archfey's watch for two
Burn millennia now, unaware of the original place they inhabited
If you hit an enemy who stands on a horizontal surface such in their world's culture, try to craft your character in
as grass or stone with an attack on your turn, you can use reference to the reality of Varris. Tips on how to do so
your bonus action to set the surface in a 10 ft. radius from depending on their class can be found on the next page.
them (including the space they occupy) or fire with a non- One type of uncommon race that may not be extraplanar
magical flame for 1 minute, causing any creature who like most humanoids is part-fey creatures, such as satyrs,
enters the area or starts their turn in it to take 1d4 fire half-dryads, half-hags, sirens, and such. If you wish to bring
damage. A casting of thaumaturgy or similar magic causes in a rare race and root it more in Varris' reality, you may
one 5 by 5 ft. square of the caster's choice to cease burning. consider making them part-fey without altering their
If you use this feature again while another area is already features.
burning, the previous fire disappears as soon as you light a
new one.
Draconic heritage
Kinetic Over the years, many elves and dragonborn have mixed with
If you hit an enemy with an attack on your turn, you can use other races—today, nearly half of Varris' population has
your bonus action to move them by 5 ft. in any direction into some traces of draconic blood. To represent that, you may
an unoccupied space, provided that the space offers stable create a character with a draconic heritage, while being of a
footing, such as grass, stone or a floor. race that doesn't normally have any elemental damage
When you reach 6th level, the maximum length of this resistances.
movement increases to 10 ft. and at 9th level to 15 ft. If you decide that your character has a draconic heritage,
they gain all features of their race and subrace normally.
Decompose Additionally, they gain resistance to a damage type and a
If you reduce an enemy to 0 hit points on your turn, you can slight alignment leaning on the law-chaos axis:
use your bonus action to cause all hostile creatures within
10 ft. of the target to take 1d6 poison damage. Metallic Damage Alignment Chromatic Damage Alignment
Gold Fire Law Red Fire Chaos
Gravity Magic Silver Cold Law White Cold Chaos
As a reaction to taking damage from an attack, you can pull Bronze Lightning Law Blue Lightning Law
the attacker down with your magic, reducing their speed by
10 ft. until the start of your next turn and dealing 1d4 force Copper Acid Chaos Black Acid Law
damage to them. Brass Fire Chaos Green Poison Law

Freeze
As a reaction to taking damage from a melee attack, you can
freeze the air in a 10 ft. radius, dealing 1d6 cold damage to Characters with draconic heritages are often marked by eyes
all hostile creatures in the area. the color of their draconic ancestor's scales.

12
 Custom origin

T
he 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, as well as
cultural backgrounds.

Innate Spellcasting. Spend 1 point to learn a single

Feature points 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
If you choose to create a custom origin character, you have spellcasting is Wisdom or Charisma (your choice).
access to two pools of points at character creation: 5 points
to use on your physical features and 3 points to use on your Senses. Spend 1 point to gain darkvision (60 ft.) or increase
cultural features. Physical features describe your its range by 60 ft., or 2 points to gain advantage on
character's external appearance and internal anatomy, while Perception checks using one sense of your choice.
cultural features are acquired while growing up in a certain Conditions. You can gain advantage on saving throws
environment and learning different things as a result.
Whenever you would gain access to an Ability Score against a condition for 1 point, or become immune to it for 2
Improvement or a Feat while leveling up, you can instead points. Choose one condition from the following:
choose to gain 2 points (your choice of 1 point per pool or 2 Blinded, charmed, deafened, frightened, prone.
points for either physical or cultural features). Being put to sleep (as in Fey Ancestry).
Physical features Cultural features
Ability Score Improvement. Increase two different ability You can spend 1 point to gain a specific proficiency:
scores by 1 each, or one ability score by 2. Both Language. You can read, speak, and write in one
improvements cost 1 point each. You can spend up to 2 language beyond Common.
points total on this feature in character creation. Skills. You gain proficiency with any 2 skills.
Weapons. You gain proficiency with any 2 weapons.
Elemental Blood. Many people of Varris have been affected Tools. You gain proficiency with 2 types of tools.
by planar and elemental energies. Traces of this magic can
be found in their blood, affecting its color and properties. Setting-Specific Features. You can spend 1 point to gain
This feature costs 1 point and can normally only be any of the following human subrace features (pages 8-10):
acquired once, unless your GM agrees to let you have more. Craftsman's Hands, Merchant's Tongue, Citydweller's Eyes,
Harsh Winters, Mountain Hunter, Nomadic Lifestyle,
Draconic Elven Fiendish Feeling Good, Of the Desert, Versatile, or Intimidating
Color Resistance Metal Resistance Element Resistance Presence. You can spend 2 points to gain either Mental
Red Fire Gold Fire Flame Fire
Discipline or Varran Magic.
White Cold Silver Cold Ice Cold
Labels
Blue Lightning Bronze Lightning Air Lightning
A label determines your "race" for the purposes of spells,
Black Acid Copper Acid Force Acid class features, magic items, and social interactions.
Green Poison Brass Fire Death Poison At character creation, you choose one or two labels for
Platinum Radiant Shadow Psychic your character. You can only choose a given label if at least
one of the features you chose, whether cultural or physical,
Poison damage resistance comes with immunity to the is a specific feature that can be found in that race's
poisoned condition. template, listed in the previous section. An Ability Score
Blood Features. If you have Elemental Blood, you can Improvement or Darkvision are not specific features, but
acquire a feature specific to it. Spend 1 point to gain one of languages are. If you have no specific features, you are
the options, or 2 to gain both. human and choose your subrace (ethnicity) freely.
If you acquire any new features after character creation,
Blood type Feature options you cannot select features associated with labels other than
Draconic Breath weapon (p. 4)
your own—for example, you cannot gain Elemental Blood
Native terrain (p. 4) or darkvision if you are a human—unless your character
Elven Metallic Affinity (p. 6)
undergoes a physical transformation that your GM says
Subrace trait (p. 6) allows for it.
Fiendish Claws (p. 11)
The only exception is that you can acquire any new
Tiefling subrace trait (p. 12) language for 2 points, but it does not change your labels.

13
Class, spell and item changes

T
his chapter lists different ways in which your GM may choose to alter pre-established rules or lore around certain
aspects of the game.

Class lore
The following information is meant to help you build a character who feels like a real part of the setting. As
such, this section contains no gameplay changes to the classes.

Clerics
Barbarians
Unlike in many fantasy settings, in Varris divine magic is not
Fierce highlander warriors, devout followers of the Archfey directly given to worshipers and is more the effect of them
who have returned to nature to commune with their deities, growing closer to the underlying elemental energies of the
guardians of priests and temples, or simply traveling entity they worship, drawing on them. There are, broadly
bandits who have stumbled upon a source of supernatural— speaking, two types of clerics on the continent: those who
perhaps chromatic—might, barbarians come in many forms worship the Archfey or their angels and those who worship
on Varris and none is seen as either particularly virtuous or the archfiends or the forces of nature they represent.
immoral by its people. Priests of the Archfey are respected in most modern
humanoid societies and often, especially in the case of
Bards humans and elves, granted informal leadership positions in
Traveling artists and poets occupy a strange niche in smaller settlements, like towns and villages. In fact, the
Varrisian society—they are often seen as "harmless mages", church has consistently held an important political position
as opposed to wizards and warlocks, and are sometimes in modern Varris, which some, especially those without
even employed by noble courts to use their magic for metallic heritage, dislike. Archfey priests often double as
utilitarian purposes. During the reign of the Varran empire, researchers, judges or government officials.
bards were thought of as functionally the same as wizards. Cultists of archfiends and chromatic dragons are also
In truth, bards are no less powerful than other arcane often wielders of divine magic. Unlike priests, they most
casters, but are rarely devoted enough to perfecting their commonly worship the elemental magic that granted
spellcasting to gain enough power to change the common dragons their powers in the first place, rather than the
opinion about their - they also know that the stereotype of dragons or archfiends as individuals. Archfiend worship is
harmless bardic magic works in their favor and prevents strictly illegal in most humanoid settlements and warrants
them from the harm that may come to wizards or warlocks. the penalty of death, so it's very rare for a cultist, even mad,
to wander into a city or town.
Druids
The druids of Varris commonly worship the Archfey—they
are most often hermits devoted to a particular Lady or angel,
believing that the civilized worship inside cities and
churches is not satisfactory or authentic to their faith.
Those druids have no reservations regarding the use of
metal armor, shields or weapons.
More rarely, druids may turn to the prehistoric worship of
the elements that the chromatic dragon tyrants practiced.
Paladins
The holy warriors, or knights errant, who roam Varris come
in all shapes and sizes, as on any other world. Most
commonly, they follow a personal moral code - they may
worship a powerful being such as an Archfey or archfiend,
but it's typically not central to their quest.

14
 Rangers
Commonly, the fantasy ranger is seen as an elf. This is
rarely true in Varris as most rangers are humans or half-
humans who have chosen to explore the great unknown of
either the ancient elven forests, the sea to the east and what
may lay beyond it, or even the dingy depths of humanoid
settlements. Most rangers are bounty hunters motivated by
fame and profit on their travels, dreaming of returning to Most Varszi wizards are forced to practice in secret or
their city with tall tales of adventure, but some are seclusion and as such, many suffer greatly under the stress
researchers or settlers. and either abandon their studies to return to their previous
lives or go mad, vowing to destroy those who sought to limit
Sorcerers them before. This does little to improve their reputation.
In times of the Varran Empire, sorcerers were shunned and
feared - a commoner, slave or woman who exhibited magical Reflavoring subclasses
powers without formal training was a threat to the You may be interested in playing a subclass that is not fully
established hierarchy where only the rich and powerful in-line with the lore laid out in this document. Here are a
could afford to have their children trained in the arcane arts. few tips on how to reflavor your character if that's the case:
Especially during their war with the Archfey-backed slave
rebellion that proved to be their downfall, the Varra were Any elemental-themed subclass can be tied to chromatic
weary of sorcerers, as they could be champions of their dragons or archfiends,
enemies, imbued with unpredictable fey magic. Attitudes Any divine-themed subclass can be tied to the Archfey,
towards sorcerers changed drastically after the empire's fall, their angels, or possibly the metallic dragons,
with Archfey champions and those with the blood of Any subclass that makes a martial character gain partial
celestials being granted positions of the greatest authority spellcasting can be tied to the Varran empire, with the
in the church and seen as prophets. Varra subrace working to boost the character's magic.
However, in modern times, as the church controls an
increasingly organized society, sorcerers are once again Spell changes
seen as inherently problematic —perhaps they are agents of The following changes to the lore and mechanics of certain
fiends, some clerics argue, or, even if they have the blood of spells are likely to be made in any Varris-based campaign. If
angels, who's to say they won't become corrupted? Despite you are planning to play a spellcaster, those changes may
their historical ties to the Archfey, sorcerers are slowly affect your choice of spells or even class.
becoming equated to the wizards and warlocks that humans
fear. Planar travel
Warlocks The world that Varris sits on is part of the material plane.
There are not records of travel between different worlds
During the Varran age, sons of high-ranking wizards who save for the migration of humanoids brought into Varris by
lacked either the brilliance or the dedication of their the Archfey and even then it's not clear if it was an instance
accomplished fathers were often encouraged to enter pacts of planar travel, teleportation, time travel or creation.
with fiends or ancient chromatic dragons to gain magical
power. This was most often done in secret, as it was seen as The Depths
shameful to not have "earned" one's spellcasting expertise. What is known is that there are ways to enter the lower
In modern day Varris, warlocks, much like wizards, are plane known as the Depths, the dark lair of the archfiends
reviled and seen as archfiend cultists—while this is and their evil minions. The church teaches that those who
certainly true in some cases, many different patrons can wound the Archfey with acts of great cruelty or selfishness
grant warlocks their power, including the angels of the are dragged down by unknown forces to the Depths to be
Archfey. transformed into mindless, fiendish shadows of what they
once were. Most inhabitants of Varris have never
Wizards encountered a fiend and don't wish for that to change, but
The words "arcanist", "enchanter" or sometimes stories of their fearsome power are often told as proof of the
"spellweaver" invoke fear in the common folk. Inevitably, a Archfey's protection over their mortal children.
connection is drawn in the minds of most modern people
between wizardry and the tyrannical Varran empire, ruled The Wilds
by an elite caste of powerful mages. While elves practiced Very little is known about the upper plane or the Wilds,
arcane magic before the Varra did and still do, they also aside from it being the lair of the Archfey and the home of
have a fear of high-level magic as it brings to their minds the their angels, as well as, presumably, all fey creatures.
now-fallen angel of magic Ekhebet and her fallen dark elves. Legends claim that the souls of faithful mortals are
Only the aforementioned dark elves, as well as people from transformed into celestial servants of the Ladies upon
outside what was once the Varran Empire's lands harbor no death.
resentment towards arcane magic and wizards in particular.

15
Those who cross planes Forgotten lore
Very few creatures are known to be able to travel between In times of the Varran Empire, arcane magic was thriving,
the planes. The only ones capable of moving freely between with new spells of great power being invented on a daily
all three are the Archfey's angels, created specifically to basis. Most of these spells were lost to time or are known
carry out the bidding of the Ladies in places that they only to those who dare venture into Varran ruins, such as
themselves cannot reach, even, rarely, the Depths. the infamous ritual to bind a chromatic dragon to one's will,
The Archfey, for all their power, have never left the Wilds, or more mundane spells like arcanist's magic aura.
which leads most scholars to suspect that they are, in some It's not only the dead who keep their magical secrets -
way, bound to it and cannot directly interfere in mortal dark elves obscure knowledge of many spells taught to them
affairs. The same is true of archfiends, who, as punishment by Enkhebet, such as web, spider climb, or phantom steed.
for their evil deeds, were chained against their will to their Coveted spells such as alter self, moonbeam or conjure
dark prisons in the Depths. woodland beings are kept a secret by the church of the
Many common fiends, however, can travel into the Archfey, which reserves the right to teach them to priests.
material plane to wreak havoc, but rarely do—some suspect As with all restrictions, these exist to be overcome by
that they have means to disguise themselves as humanoids your character and enable growth—if you want your human
and that fiendish visits are actually much more common wizard to know the web spell, think about who or what they
than what is commonly assumed, but it's impossible to tell if learned it from—maybe they were raised by dark elves or
that is true. their studies of ancient elven texts revealed the spell's
Planar portals
formula.
Powerful, fiendish magic can create planar portals between
the material plane and the Depths—many cultists of
archfiends have opened them by drawing on the magic of
Item changes
their masters, but the church of the Archfey's efforts have What follows is a list of changes to the way items function in
led to such portals being extremely rare and quickly closed. the world of Varris, most notably magic items.
It is very likely that your GM will ban the use of the plane
shift spell by players and restrict it to creatures who can Illegal trafficking
innately cross the barriers between planes, like angels. While common-tier magic items like potions of healing or
scrolls of 1st level spells are freely available, even in smaller
Banishment towns, as there tends to be at least one person in every
Spells and effects that banish creatures to their native plane settlement capable of crafting them, uncommon magic
cause celestials and fey to be teleported to the Wilds and items, especially weapons and armor, often require to be
fiends to the Depths. Your GM may choose to have registered to local authorities or will at the very least draw
chromatic dragons and elementals be banished to clusters their attention.
of elemental energy within the material plane, for example Items of a rare and higher rarity are banned in most
teleporting a red dragon or magma mephits into a large settlements and using, trafficking, or selling them there
volcano. ranges from a minor offense to a serious crime.
Typically, the only group authorized to wield magic items
Etherealness or uncommon or rare rarity is the clergy. Some more
Any spell or effect that causes a creature to go into the affluent kingdoms arm their higher-ranking guards and
ethereal plane functions normally in Varris. warriors with magical equipment, but that is rare and seen
as reckless. There is a widespread fear of magic items being
Forbidden magic cursed, turning against the user or transforming them into
Due to the Varszis' main source of exposure to arcane fiends. As such, the Church says, magic items should be
magic being the Varran Empire, many states fear that if they contained to the only group who will use them responsibly
do not prevent spellcasters from rising to power, they will and can repel their foul properties—that being, of course,
once again conquer and enslave others. As such, the laws of themselves.
most Varszi states forbid or limit the use of arcane magic. Getari is known for being more lax than most Varrisian
Casting or teaching a spell to another creature ranges kingdoms when it comes to monitoring the trade of magic
from a minor offense to a crime worthy of a widespread items, as it's highly profitable to the local merchants, some
panic, depending on the state. Using harmful magic, of whom have their ways of either bypassing the local laws
especially in public or on an important political or religious or dealing with local authorities in "unconventional" ways.
figure, is punishable by death in many places, even if the
victim was not killed outright. Elves who wish to maintain Availability
their arcane traditions often resort to life outside of human Fantasy worlds are full of villages and hamlets that offer a
settlements. wide range of services, like an inn, tavern, a blacksmith and
shops. This is not the case in Varris. Any settlement smaller
than a town should not be expected to have these services,
so be careful when choosing the starting gear of your
character.

16
 Metalwork New subclasses
You may be wondering about the elves' Metallic Affinity trait. The following new subclasses are meant to enhance the
Along with it came a new system of crafting weapons from world of Varris with new, flavorful options that allow for
different metals, which your GM can read in full in the deeper immersion into the factions in play.
Heart of Darkness campaign book.
Here is what you need to know:
Bard college: Pacts
While most weapons, armor and shields are made of As a member of the bard college of pacts, you have a
steel, it's possible to buy or forge ones made of a different powerful patron who inspires your art. This patron can be
metal, as long as the blacksmith who is to forge it has an Archfey angel, a powerful succubus spellcaster, or even a
access to the right kind of metal between copper, brass, mighty chromatic dragon from a faraway land. Perhaps your
bronze, silver, gold and platinum. The price and weight patron became enamored with your songs and offered you
of a piece of equipment is multiplied by amounts specific power, or maybe you were the one who reached out to them
to the metal it's forged from. first. Either way, you patron demands to be praised in
Equipment made of copper is a little cheaper than that ballads and for their word to be spread throughout the lands
made of steel (70%), while all other types of metal are thanks to your art in exchange for magical power.
more expensive than steel and increase in price in the
order given in the last point, up to 1800% for platinum. Otherworldly speech
"Silvered" weapons don't exist on Varris and it's not When you join the college of pacts at 3rd level, you learn to
possible to coat your weapons and ammunition in silver speak, read and write a language that your patron can
for the price given in the basic rules. Instead, any weapon speak. Additionally, you have advantage on Charisma
or ammunition made of silver, gold or platinum counts as (Persuasion) checks targeting creatures of the same type
"silvered" for the purposes of determining damage types. as your patron.
Armor and shields made of those metals additionally
protect the wearer from creatures who are immune or Pact points
resistant to non-silvered damage, such as wraiths or Beginning at 3rd level, you gain the ability to gain pact
werewolves. points when you please your patron. You gain 1 pact point
Some creatures may be vulnerable to attacks with whenever you reduce a hostile creature of a CR above 0 to 0
weapons made of a specific metal, such as brass. hit points and whenever you use a spell slot of the highest
Platinum equipment, while terribly expensive and heavy, level available to you.
is the most efficient in the hands of a cleric or paladin. You can expend 3 pact points to use bardic inspiration
Item adjustments without expending any of your bardic inspiration dice. Your
pact points reset to 0 upon completing a long rest.
Below are adjustments made to specific items. This section
may not concern most players, but you can reference it later. Hurt and heal
Starting at 6th level, as a free action, you can expend any
Magical gear number of pact points you have and either add it to the next
Unless explicitly made of a non-metal material like dragon damage roll you make or regain hit points equal to the
scales or "pure radiance", all magical armors and weapons, number of pact points used.
like mithral armors, can be made of any metal. Additionally, every time you expend one of your bardic
inspiration dice, you gain 1 pact point.
Bags of holding
Placing two bags of holding next to each other or placing Wish fulfillment
one in an extradimensional space does not open a planar Beginning at 14th level, you use your action to grant a
portal in Varris, it simply destroys both items. willing creature that you can see within 30 ft. of you the
ability to cast any spell you know of up to 6th level one time.
Once they do, their soul is bound to you, causing you to gain
1 pact point whenever they reduce a creature to 0 hit points
and 3 pact points whenever they are reduced to 0 hit points.
You can use this action once per day, but the creature
remains bound to you forever.

17
Cleric domain: Metallic Grant me sight
Clerics who worship She Who Sees, the Archfey creator of Starting at 8th level, once per long rest, you can cast a
the elves also known as Nebet, "the Lady", in Sylvan, say divination spell from the wizard's spell list of any level up to
that she knows the past, present and the future. Her favored your highest-level spell slot without expending a spell slot. If
angel, Ireshau, known to humans as Lehani, sends visions you don't use this feature for a whole day, you gain an
into the dreams of the White-Eyed Lady's faithful to offer additional spell slot once you finish your next long rest that
them guidance. While the Archfey herself has never disappears at the start of your next long rest.
communicated with mortals, it is said that her entire body is Metallic
made of gleaming gold and silver and that if she were to soul
At 17th level, you are empowered with the soul of a metallic
travel to the material plane, her gargantuan form would dragon. You gain resistance to acid, cold, fire, lightning and
tower over the tallest mountains of the west. Her alignment radiant damage.
and long-term goals are a matter of debate among scholars, Additionally, whenever you cast a spell of the school of
as so little is known about her. divination, you gain immunity to one of the above damage
The elven holy symbols of She Who Sees are often silver types of your choice for 10 minutes. Whenever you use your
moons, golden suns or the two combined, with an eye Channel Divinity, up to 5 allied creatures in the aura, you
symbol being prominent in the art of modern humans. included, gain that immunity until the start of your next turn.
Metallic domain spells
Cleric level Spells
1st faerie fire, sleep
3rd detect thoughts, moonbeam
5th hypnotic pattern, sending
7th confusion, phantasmal killer
9th dream, modify memory

The Lady's acolyte Sorcerous origin: Archfey

When you choose this domain at 1st level, you gain the Champion
ability to speak Sylvan, the language of the Archfey. The cryptic Archfey have been known to sometimes decide
Additionally, you have advantage on saving throws against to bestow magical power upon a mortal—such a mortal was
the effects of illusion magic. often destined to achieve great things in the name of the
Channel Divinity: See all
Ladies, their destiny foreseen by the powers above, much
Starting at 2nd level, you can use your Channel Divinity to like the destiny of the first metallic dragons. However, not all
reveal any illusions that are trying to deceive you and your champions of the Archfey have chosen to follow their call to
allies. An aura of dim light appears in a 30 ft. radius circle a holy quest—some carve out their own path, even
around you until the start of your next turn. Any illusion becoming enemies of the ones who granted them their
magic affecting items or creatures of CR or level 1 or less in magic.
that area is dispelled. Fey magic
Additionally, any invisible of disguised creature of CR or Starting at 1st level, you learn additional spells when you
level above 1 must make a Constitution saving throw reach certain levels in this class, as shown on the Fey Spells
against your spell DC or have their illusion magic be table. Each of these spells counts as a sorcerer spell for you,
dispelled. If the creatures succeed on their save, you still but it doesn’t count against the number of sorcerer spells
know whether they are disguised or not and where the you know.
invisible creatures are. While the aura persists, all creatures
allied with you automatically succeed on saving throws and Sorcerer level Spells
ability checks made against illusion magic. 1st faerie fire, goodberry

Night and day 3rd moonbeam, spike growth

Beginning at 6th level, you gain a degree of control over the 5th protection from energy, hallucinatory terrain
power of the sun and moon. You can use your action to cast 7th conjure woodland beings, stone shape
the daylight spell if you are in dim light or darkness or the 9th greater restoration, reincarnate
darkness spell if you are in bright or dim light without using
a spell slot. The Faithful
You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Also at 1st level, you have advantage on saving throws
Wisdom modifier (minimum of once). You regain all against spells and magical effects used by good and neutral-
expended uses when you finish a long rest. aligned creatures. Additionally, fey creatures cannot target
you with harmful magic, but can still include you in its area
and target you with non-magical effects like attacks.

18
 The Ladies' Blessing Warlock patron: Spider Queen
At 6th level, you are immune to the charmed and frightened Fiendish powers and elusive Archfey alike might grant their
conditions. As a reaction to an allied creature within 30 ft. worshipers strange, spider-like abilities. The most common
that you can see failing a saving throw against a spell that spider queen patron is Bethem, the fallen angel and now
causes charm or fear, you can use a number of your sorcery fiendish leader of the dark elves, and, less commonly, her
points equal to the level of the spell that caused the effect to dead aspect, Enkhebet.
negate it. If it was caused by a different magical effect, you
must use a number of sorcery points equal to your level to Expanded spell list
negate it. You can only negate it for one creature at a time. The Spider Queen lets you choose from an expanded list of
Under Her Eye
spells when you learn a warlock spell. The following spells
Beginning at 14th level, the shining wings of a platinum are added to the warlock spell list for you.
dragon sprout from your back, granting you a flight speed Spider Queen Expanded Spells
equal to your walking speed. You can create these wings as Spell level Spells
a bonus action on your turn. They last until you dismiss
them as a bonus action on your turn. 1st feather fall, sleep
If you are wearing armor, it has no effect on the wings' 2nd locate object, web
usefulness, as, being made of metal, they rise as part of it. 3rd animate dead, phantom steed (giant spider)
4th fabricate, polymorph
Magical Trickery
At 18th level, the Archfey bestow their ultimate divine 5th modify memory, wall of stone
blessing upon you and allow you to learn one spell of any
level, from any class' spell list. That spell does not count Spiderlike
against your number of spells known. Starting at 1st level, you gain blindsight out to a range of 30
As a bonus action after you cast that spell, you can use a ft. You can also cast the animal friendship spell at-will, but
number of sorcery points equal to its level to switch it out only when it targets spiders. It counts as a warlock spell for
for a different spell from the sorcerer spell list of the same you but doesn't count against the number of your spells
level until the end of your next long rest and regain the spell known. Your spellcasting ability for this spell is Charisma.
slot you cast the spell with.
Venomous
Beginning at 6th level, you learn to produce venom inside
your teeth. You are immune to this venom. As an action, you
can coat a weapon in it, granting it additional 2d6 poison
damage on a hit for the next hour. You can do this a number
of times equal to your proficiency bonus and regain all
expended uses after completing a long rest.
Additionally, if you slay a humanoid with a weapon coated
in your own venom, they rise as a zombie that obeys your
telepathic commands and is destroyed at the start of your
next long rest.
Spider climb
At 10th level you gain a climbing speed equal to your
walking speed. In addition, you can move up, down, and
across vertical surfaces and upside down along ceilings,
while leaving your hands free.
Weaver
As a 14th-level warlock, you can now channel your patron's
power to create an otherworldly web. As an action while
under a ceiling, trees, or other environmental features that
can be latched onto, choose a point within 120 ft. of you that
you can see. Each creature that you choose in a 15 ft. radius
sphere originating from that point becomes restrained by
webbing and must make a Strength saving throw to avoid
being pulled up by the web up to 20 ft. into an unoccupied
space. Whether or not they succeeded on their saving throw,
the affected creatures are restrained for an amount of turns
equal to your charisma modifier before the web disappears.
Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you
finish a long rest.

19
Appendix: Character names

T
his section provides example names for your character, sorted by which in-universe language they originate
from. Varszi people don't tend to have last names unless they are nobles.
For each language relevant to the races presented above, the primary users—meaning races or cultures that
are likely to use names derived from the language, as well as the secondary users—races or cultures that
sometimes use names derived from the language.

Tisenyi
Abyssal Primary users: Tisenyi humans
Primary users: Fiends Secondary users: Tisenyi non-humans
Secondary users: Tieflings, Varra Male names: Bohun, Braslav, Dobromir, Grimslav, Kazimir,
Names: Akilu, Ashiptu, Bashmu, Dushu, Eribu, Ishtaru, Sambor, Tesislav, Tsestogoi, Vitos, Yaromir
Luimmu, Mushku, Nizirtu, Shikku, Shumru, Shungallu Female names: Bogutseha, Izbygneva, Dobromila,
Abyssal names are not gendered. Ludmila, Miroslava, Repiha, Svetoslava, Teslava, Zhyvia
Many male Tisenyi names can be made feminine by
Draconic adding "-a" at the end. "E" is often pronounced as "yeh".
Primary users: Dragons, Half-Dragons
Secondary users: Dragonborn, Elves Varran
Names: Aranth, Aszihal, Fel, Eszan, Hrkai, Irhdkai, Jan, Primary users: Varra
Jearan, Kahan, Karkai, Nunrei, Tirkai, Var, Vethn, Xoihal Secondary users: Dragonborn, Tieflings
Dragons tend to have two names separated by an Male names: Amerna, Asvanor, Bhaira, Dhernar, Kresnar,
apostrophe, pronounced as two words, i.e. Var'Eszan. "Sz" Magbhav, Magtur, Melamal, Nermaisos, Parasva, Rath,
is pronounced as "sh", "x" is pronounced as "ks", and "h" Setpuras, Thesan, Yetrunos, Yevsenor, Zaktar
marks a glottal stop. Female names: Agiosmati, Atstri, Baithi, Denivar, Dhanoz,
Dhosari, Gaini, Kerige, Laubhi, Maari, Mazakti, Miri,
Elvish Prasisekir, Raimegi, Tauipuris, Saivi, Zakmati
Primary users: Elves, Half-Elves The "sz" in Varran is pronounced like "sh". Vowels are
Secondary users: Getarian priests of the Archfey sometimes silent after the first syllable, which is stressed.
Names: Aeri, Ashal, Ayran, Cian, Dayael, Dearan, Dhatani,
Dhefel, Echeti, Elfelial, Hanari, Ilhyan, Mesiui, Nihan,
Rean, Sekan, Taehal, Vaeuan, Uhyeti, Yrdetan
Elvish names are not gendered by default, but you can
add "-a" or "-ye" to a name or erase an "n" at the end to
make it explicitly feminine. "C" is pronounced as "ts", and
"dh" is pronounced as "dz". The last syllable that isn't "ye"
or "a" is stressed.
Getarian
Primary users: Getarian humans
Secondary users: Getarian non-humans
Male names: Abar, Bert, Dan, Emiel, Getran, Huug, Jelet,
Jodon, Kamin, Meten, Redran, Trenet, Tres
Female names: Anna, Brana, Fila, Gorna, Helga, Karla,
Lara, Nenka, Ota, Raba, Sana, Talia, Ulla
Getarian names tend to be short and simple. Most
commonly, the last but one syllable is stressed.
Sylvan
Primary users: Fey, Celestials
Secondary users: Elves, priests of the Archfey
Names: Abay, Bet, Djeser, Djet, Eham, Gamhasu, Hefen,
Heka, Irrenef, Kabhu, Maani, Meri, Setu, Sin, Shau
To create a feminine name, add "-(e)t" at the end.

20