Dungeons & Dragons is populated by various species, from humans and halflings to tiefling and genasi. Your choice of your character's race will have a fundamental effect on who they are. This chapter shall provide information on additional playable races and the racial traits that accompany them.
Beyond the elves commonly found across the multiverse, there are some subraces that are much less known. These additional elf subrace options include the high flying Avariel and the arctic hunter Snow Elves.
Avariel, also known as winged or sky elves, are a rare sight to
be seen, but when they are seen, they embody grace. Avariels
soar through the sky on wings. They have a long drawn
history of conflict with dragons, which has led to their rarity
as a race.
Like other elves, avariel can live to be over 750 years old.
As an avariel, you have the following racial traits.
Creature Type. You are a Humanoid. You are also
considered an elf for any prerequisite or effect that requires
you to be an elf.
Size. You are Medium.
Speed. Your walking speed is 30 feet.
Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you
as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim
light. You discern colors in that darkness only as shades of
gray.
Flight. You have a flying speed of 30 feet. To use
this speed, you can’t be wearing medium or heavy armor.
Keen Senses.You have proficiency in the Perception skill.
Sharp Eyes.Eyes. When you make an Intelligence
(Investigation) check, you can make the check with
advantage. You can use this trait a number of times equal to
your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses
when you finish a long rest.
Trance. You don't need to sleep, and magic can't put you to
sleep. You can finish a long rest in 4 hours if you spend those
hours in a trancelike meditation, during which you retain
consciousness.
Whenever you finish this trance, you can gain two
proficiencies you don't have, each one with a weapon or tool
of your choice selected from the Player's Handbook. You
mystically acquire these proficiencies by drawing them from
shared elven memory, and you retain them until you finish
your next long rest.
Snow elves as a group have found their home in the arctic.
Over time they have evolved to adapt to the harsh cold and
thrive in it. Other elves may see snow elves as savages or
barbaric in nature, as they are fierce hunters and care little
for the modernity of the world beyond them.
Like other elves, snow elves can live to be over 750 years
old.
As a snow elf, you have the following racial traits.
Creature Type. YYou are a Humanoid. You are also
considered an elf for any prerequisite or effect that requires
you to be an elf.
Size You are Medium.
Speed Your walking speed is 30 feet.
Child of the Snow. You have resistance to cold
damage. When you reach 5th level, you can cast the protection from
energy spell once with this trait and regain the ability to do so
when you finish a long rest. When you use this feature to cast
protection from energy, it can only be used to give a creature
resistance to cold damage.
Darkvision You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you
as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim
light. You discern colors in that darkness only as shades of
gray.
Fey Ancestory. You have advantage on saving throws you
make to avoid or end the charmed condition on yourself.
Keen Senses.You have proficiency in the Perception skill.
Tracker's Sense. You have advantage on Wisdom
(Survival) checks you make to find or track a creature.
Trance. You don't need to sleep, and magic can't put you to
sleep. You can finish a long rest in 4 hours if you spend those
hours in a trancelike meditation, during which you retain
consciousness.
Whenever you finish this trance, you can gain two
proficiencies you don't have, each one with a weapon or tool
of your choice selected from the Player's Handbook. You
mystically acquire these proficiencies by drawing them from
shared elven memory, and you retain them until you finish
your next long rest.
Arctic dwarves much like all other dwarves are very hard workers,
but they do their work in the harshest of conditions. Laying claim
upon the land of icy tundras, arctic dwarves have made their
civilization. Across years, these dwarves have changed to their
environment, becoming smaller, stronger and smarter. Though their
stature is small, they are a proud people and are able to back up
their pride.
Like other dwarves, arctic dwarves typically have a lifespan
of 350 years.
As an arctic dwarf, you have the following racial traits.
Creature Type. You are a Humanoid. You are also
considered a dwarf for any prerequisite or effect that requires
you to be a dwarf.
Size. Arctic dwarves are smaller than most other dwarves.
Your are Small..
Arctic Dwarven Resilience. You have resistance to
cold damage.
Darkvision.
You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you
as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim
light. You discern colors in that darkness only as shades of
gray.
Forged in the Cold. Though small, arctic dwarves
are mighty fighters. You gain proficiency with one heavy weapon of
your choice and while wielding this type of weapon you do not suffer
the negative effects of wielding a heavy weapon while being a small
creature.
Frigid Artisan. You gain proficiency with two
artisan’s tools of your choice.
Historical Intuition. Whenever you make an
Intelligence (History) check, you can roll a d4 and add the number
rolled to the total ability check.
Acting as defenders of forests and trees are the dryads. This race of beautiful fey maidens have features seemingly made of wood, leaves and foliage. Most of these forest protectors spend their lives bound to a specific tree they have chosen, but some venture out into the world.
As a dryad, you have the following racial traits.
Creature Type. You are a Fey.
Size. Your are Medium.
Speed. Your walking speed is 30 feet.
Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you
as if it were bright light and in darkness as if it were dim
light. You discern colors in that darkness as shades of gray.
Dryad Magic. You know the shillelagh cantrip. Starting at
3rd level, you can cast the goodberry spell with this trait.
Starting at 5th level, you can also cast the animal messenger
spell with this trait. Once you cast goodberry or animal
messenger with this trait, you can't cast that spell with it
again until you finish a long rest. You can also cast either of
those spells using any spell slots you have of the appropriate
level.
Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma is your spellcasting
ability for these spells when you cast them with this trait
(choose when you select this race).
Fey Charm. You can target one humanoid or beast that you
can see within 30 feet of you. If the target can see you, it must
make a Wisdom saving throw or be charmed by you for 1
minute. The saving throw DC equals 8 + your proficiency
bonus + your Wisdom modifier. A charmed creature can
repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns. You
can have no more than one creature charmed in this way at a
time. You can use this trait a number of times equal to your
proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when
you finish a long rest.
Speech of Beast and Leaf. You have the ability to
communicate in a limited manner with Beasts, Plants, and
vegetation. They can understand the meaning of your words,
though you have no special ability to understand them in
return. You have advantage on all Charisma checks you make
to interact with them.