Questions tagged [racial-traits]
For questions primarily about racial traits, the quantifiable capabilities or limitations specific to a race or species in tabletop RPGs, such as Dwarves, Orcs, Romulans, etc. (See also: the [races] tag.)
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I am looking for information and the physical description of Deep Halflings
I am looking for the physical description and information on the Deep Halflings race in 3.5 D&D. Can anyone fill me in or direct me to a source?
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Can you cast racial spells with a spell slot? [duplicate]
Take for instance, a level 5 (standard) tiefling warlock. Would you be able to cast your Darkness and Hellish Rebuke spells with a spell slot? Both spells appear on the warlock spell list and could be ...
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Can the shove from the Minotaur race's Hammering Horns trait knock an enemy prone?
The minotaur playable race has the Hammering Horns trait, which says (Guildmasters' Guide to Ravnica, p. 19):
Immediately after you hit a creature with a melee attack as part of the Attack action ...
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Does a Warforged receive all the benefits of a long rest while wearing armor?
In Eberron: Rising From The Last War (p. 36), the Warforged's Integrated Protection trait states that you can take a rest while donning or doffing armor. The Sentry's Rest trait also states that you ...
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Do a creature's special abilities still function after the creature dies?
Do a creature's special abilities still function after the creature dies?
I know that, for example, the paladin's class feature Aura of Courage specifies that it doesn't function if the paladin is ...
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Do racial spells need spell slots? [duplicate]
Do the spells from Drow Magic need slots to cast? Or can they be used by characters without spell slots, like a fighter?
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Between the half-orc's Savage Attacks trait and the Elven Accuracy racial feat, which is better?
In a mathematical comparison of the Half-Orc Savage Attacks trait and the Elf/Half-Elf feat Elven Accuracy (XGtE, p. 74), which one increases average damage more at level 10 for a Fighter-Champion 5 / ...
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How much can changelings alter the length of specific body parts?
Like with disguise self, changelings can alter their total height by 1 foot. So they could make both their legs 1 foot shorter, and that would work. In theory, they could even turn both their legs ...
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Is there any mechanical support for aarakocra flying continuously for days?
The description of the aarakocra includes a section called Sky Wardens containing interesting sentences such as:
They can spend hours in the air, and some go as long as days, locking their wings in ...
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When does the kobold racial trait "Grovel, Cower, and Beg" take effect?
The kobold racial trait Grovel, Cower, and Beg is described as follows (VGtM, p. 119):
As an action on your turn, you can cower pathetically to distract nearby foes. Until the end of your next turn,...
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How does the size of the Gold Dragonborn fire breath weapon work?
I know that the gold dragonborn in D&D 5e have a 15ft cone as breath weapon, but is that 15ft radius cone or 15ft diameter cone?
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Are augmented creatures considered their previous type?
For the simplest example, take a vampire, whose type is undead (augmented humanoid). Is it affected by hold person?
If the augmented subtype doesn't cause a creature to have its other subtype as a "...
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What are the balance implications of the Ixalan Vampire using bloodthirst on downed opponents?
For reference, from the Plane Shift: Ixalan PDF:
Bloodthirst
You can drain blood and life energy from a willing creature, or one that is grappled by you, incapacitated, or restrained. Make a melee ...
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Can a changeling player character look like a skeleton?
I have an for a changeling character, but instead of appearing in a human form or stuff like that, I want them to look like a skeleton. I'm thinking a grim reaper-type character, but I know I can't ...
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Does a Shifter Druid lose its racial Shifting benefit if its Wildshape is dropped to zero HP?
This is a follow up to my other question: Can a Shifter Druid use its racial Shifting feature in Wildshape?. The answer to that question states that a character which is a Shifter (race) and is also a ...
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Can a Shifter Druid use its racial Shifting feature in Wildshape?
The Shifter race from Eberron Rising from the Last War has the Shifting ability:
Once per short rest as a bonus action, you can assume a more bestial appearance. This transformation lasts for 1 ...
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In Eberron: Rising from the Last War, can warforged become exhausted if they decide not to take a long rest?
In Eberron: Rising from the Last War (p. 36), the warforged's Constructed Resilience trait includes the following benefit:
You don’t need to sleep, and magic can’t put you to sleep.
The Sentry's ...
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Can the Coerce action be used on a PC?
While this is a way to take away player agency, the second part of the Haughty Obstinacy feat says: "If a creature rolls a failure on a check to Coerce you using Intimidation, it gets a critical ...
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Magic jar's interaction with ability increases and racial feats
Magic Jar p. 257 of the Player's Handbook states:
Once you possess a creature's body, you control it. Your game statistics are replaced by the statistics of the creature, though you retain your ...
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Does the Grung's racial-trait poison work on all bolts when using a crossbow?
With the Grung's racial trait Poisonous Skin, you can apply poison to your weapon as part an an attack:
You can also apply this poison to any piercing weapon as part of an
attack with that weapon, ...
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Can the Half-Orc's Relentless Endurance trait protect them from things that would normally kill someone instantly?
In our campaign, we have a Half-Orc Barbarian. Very original. We are going along this cliff-side fortress and are worried about falling off. The Half-Orc's player jokingly says that he'll be fine, due ...
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Can a Loxodon PC wield a 2-handed sword and a shield with one hand and their trunk?
Could a Loxodon in full plate armor with tower shield in one hand, wield a greatsword with the other hand and their trunk?
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How do the Elven Sub-races work? [closed]
Though I have approached this in a few ways before, I am left confused on the sub-races elves have. Referencing The PHB (P.23/24), DndBeyond, SCAG (P.106) and an Unearthed Arcana from WotC (Knowing it'...
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To what extent should DMs let players modify their racial traits? [closed]
I'm working on a party and one of my players wants to be a tiefling with an air genasi mother and a tiefling father. They want to Look like a tiefling but have the race bonuses of an air genasi.
In ...
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Are Simic Hybrids no longer able to access the features of their original race?
I am creating a drow monk character who, to oversimplify things, was altered by an ex-member of the Simic Combine in order to put them in a sort of Witness Protection. For this question, the only two ...
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What does an Aquatic Half-Elf Variant mean?
Though I know this has been addressed somewhat here, here, and here, I am still getting a little confused on what changes come to half-elf variants when it comes to looks, ability differences, and ...
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Does the target keep racial ability score bonuses after casting Reincarnate?
When casting the spell Reincarnate (PHB pg.271), does the target retain the ability score bonuses of their previous race?
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Does the Githyanki's racial spellcasting ignore all spell components, or only the material components?
The githyanki playable racial option has the Githyanki Psionics trait, which permits limited casting of a few spells. It is similar to the spellcasting granted to several other racial options, but ...
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Could a goliath grapple huge creatures because of his Powerful Build?
Goliaths have feature Powerful Build, which says
Powerful Build. You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.
Does it mean that ...
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Can a Firbolg using the Hidden Step trait remain invisible when casting a spell?
The Firbolg's Hidden Step trait (Volo's Guide to Monsters, p. 107) reads:
As a bonus action, you can magically turn invisible until the start of your next turn or until you attack, make a damage ...
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Do racial/feat/non-Spellcasting classes' spellcasting abilities count as a spellcasting ability for Staff of Power?
DMG p. 141 states the following (bolded for emphasis):
A magic item, such as certain staffs, may require you to use your own spellcasting ability when you cast spell from the item. If you have more ...
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Can racial spell slots work with Sorcerer's Font of Magic & Flexible Magic?
Can racial spell slots work with Sorcerer's Font of Magic & Flexible Magic?
EX: Can you use a tiefling's once a day Burning Hands Lv2 and convert it to 2 Sorcery Points? Can This work the other ...
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Can non-lycanthropes with specific alternate forms appear as hybrids?
Say a succubus from Savage Species chooses to look like a country's queen as her alternate form. But she also wants to use her demonic claws and wings. Can she just take the queen's appearance as her ...
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What spellcasting ability is used for the Githzerai race's version of the Detect Thoughts spell?
The Detect Thoughts spell states:
[...] the creature can use its action on its turn to make an Intelligence check contested by your Intelligence check if it succeeds, the spell ends.
This spell is ...
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Can Infernal Tiefling Always Fly?
Swords of The Coast lists the flying ability for the Winged Tiefling. One player in a group I DM created a "Tiefling (Infernal) Warlock (Undying)" which he has been very specific and detailed about ...
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How do I calculate my AC for a Tortle Draconic Bloodline sorcerer with a shield?
I play a Tortle Draconic Bloodline sorcerer, and my DM and myself are scratching our heads on what its AC total should be.
The Draconic Bloodline sorcerer gets an AC of 13 + Dex, but Tortles get an AC ...
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How well can a Changeling copy voices?
A Changeling's shapechanger feature allows them to change their voice as an action. But unlike Kenku, the actor feat, and Rogue(Assassin)'s impostor feature, "mimicry" isn't mentioned.
Are ...
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Can a Kenku Swashbuckler use the Panache feature?
I am the DM for a player character that is a Kenku Swashbuckler that is currently level 8 and will be level 9 within the next few sessions. The player has been following the advice in the sidebar of ...
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Is it balanced to give a Simic Hybrid extra Animal Enhancements?
It's my turn to DM, and the previous DM wants to play a Simic Hybrid, but they want to use three of the animal enhancements available, instead of two. Specifically, they want Underwater Adaptation, ...
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Can a Changeling shift directly from one temporary form to another?
In the Eberron: Rising from the Last War book the Changeling "Shapechanger" ability (page 18) begins by stating that:
As an action, you can change your appearance and your voice.
However it ends ...
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How do the different seasons work for Eladrin?
In Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes, the Eladrin race has Winter, Summer, Spring, and Fall seasons. I know it affects the Fey Step, but how?
Also, could you make an eladrin without choosing a season?
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Can Forest Gnomes secretly converse (like Thieves' Cant) with other Forest Gnomes/Firbolgs/Speak with Animals users via Speak with Small Beasts?
My party has two Forest Gnomes and a Firbolg and they want to use their racial features to secretly communicate.
Forest Gnomes have
Speak with Small Beasts: Through sound and gestures, you may
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Can a changeling transform into races with a tail/horns?
I have read that a changeling can transform into any creature they have seen, unless it's larger/smaller then their size and they can't change into something that has a different body shape than them. ...
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Dealing with a minmaxer player - is this legal? [duplicate]
So, the main question is, can one create expertise through using proficiency and another proficiency?
Let me try and explain, A level 9 mind flayer savant player character would regularly roll +13 to ...
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Can a Scourge Aasimar fly?
One of my players is a scourge aasimar. I see absolutely no indication anywhere that he can fly but he created the character thinking he could, indeed, fly. At this point, he's level one and hasn't ...
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Does a UA envoy warforged have to choose a specific vehicle?
According to the accepted answer that was written by Dinomaster to this question, the envoy warforged from Unearthed Arcana: Eberron Races can choose a vehicle for their integrated tool. However, on ...
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Do natural weapons work with the Booming Blade spell?
As far as I can tell, there are three different ways that "natural weapons" are described:
Aarakocra:
Talons: You are proficient with your unarmed strikes, which deal 1d4 slashing damage on a hit.
...
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Does an NPC stat block get racial bonuses added to it?
Specifically, there is a character in the Curse of Strahd (p. 133):
Also, it's worth pointing out that (from p. 119):
The only example I know of (in Curse of Strahd, at least) of an NPC statblock ...
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Does a familiar count as an ally? [duplicate]
If a hobgoblin wizard had a familiar summoned, would that familiar count as an ally, thus boosting the Saving Face ability?
Saving Face:
Hobgoblins are careful not to show weakness in front of their ...
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Is it feasible to play a Grung character in the Descent into Avernus adventure?
The Grung race has the Water Dependency aspect that requires they spend an hour each day immersed in water.
I don't know much about the Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus campaign but I get the ...
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