Appendix D — Additional Rules

This appendix collects rules that are not included in the Player’s Handbook or are only partially included.

Tool Proficiencies

Sources: Player’s Handbook and Xanathar’s Guide to Everything

Cartographer’s Tools

Using cartographer’s tools, you can create accurate maps to make travel easier for yourself and those who come after you. These maps can range from large-scale depictions of mountain ranges to diagrams that show the layout of a dungeon level.

Ability: Wisdom.

Crafting: Map.

Components. Cartographer’s tools consist of a quill, ink, parchment, a pair of compasses, calipers, and a ruler.

Arcana, History, Religion. You can use your knowledge of maps and locations to unearth more detailed information when you use these skills. For instance, you might spot hidden messages in a map, identify when the map was made to determine if geographical features have changed since then, and so forth.

Nature. Your familiarity with physical geography makes it easier for you to answer questions or solve issues relating to the terrain around you.

Survival. Your understanding of geography makes it easier to find paths to civilization, to predict areas where villages or towns might be found, and to avoid becoming lost. You have studied so many maps that common patterns, such as how trade routes evolve and where settlements arise in relation to geographic locations, are familiar to you.

Craft a Map. While traveling, you can draw a map as you go in addition to engaging in other activity.

Carpenter’s Tools

Skill at carpentry enables a character to construct wooden structures. A carpenter can build a house, a shack, a wooden cabinet, or similar items.

Ability: Wisdom.

Crafting: Club, Greatclub, Quarterstaff, Barrel, Chest, Ladder, Pole, Portable Ram, Torch.

Components. Carpenter’s tools include a saw, a hammer, nails, a hatchet, a square, a ruler, an adze, a plane, and a chisel.

History. This tool proficiency aids you in identifying the use and the origin of wooden buildings and other large wooden objects.

Investigation. You gain additional insight when inspecting areas within wooden structures, because you know tricks of construction that can conceal areas from discovery.

Perception. You can spot irregularities in wooden walls or floors, making it easier to find trapdoors and secret passages.

Stealth. You can quickly assess the weak spots in a wooden floor, making it easier to avoid the places that creak and groan when they’re stepped on.

Fortify. With 1 minute of work and raw materials, you can make a door or window harder to force open. Increase the DC needed to open it by 5.

Temporary Shelter. As part of a long rest, you can construct a lean-to or a similar shelter to keep your group dry and in the shade for the duration of the rest. Because it was fashioned quickly from whatever wood was available, the shelter collapses 1d3 days after being assembled.

Cook’s Utensils

Adventuring is a hard life. With a cook along on the journey, your meals will be much better than the typical mix of hardtack and dried fruit.

Ability: Wisdom.

Crafting: Rations.

Components. Cook’s utensils include a metal pot, knives, forks, a stirring spoon, and a ladle.

History. Your knowledge of cooking techniques allows you to assess the social patterns involved in a culture’s eating habits.

Medicine. When administering treatment, you can transform medicine that is bitter or sour into a pleasing concoction.

Survival. When foraging for food, you can make do with ingredients you scavenge that others would be unable to transform into nourishing meals.

Prepare Meals. As part of a short rest, you can prepare a tasty meal that helps your companions regain their strength. You and up to five creatures of your choice regain 1 extra hit point per Hit Die spent during a short rest, provided you have access to your cook’s utensils and sufficient food.

Gaming Set

Proficiency with a gaming set applies to one type of game, such as Three-Dragon Ante or games of chance that use dice.

Ability: Wisdom.

Components. A gaming set has all the pieces needed to play a specific game or type of game, such as a complete deck of cards or a board and tokens.

History. Your mastery of a game includes knowledge of its history, as well as of important events it was connected to or prominent historical figures involved with it.

Insight. Playing games with someone is a good way to gain understanding of their personality, granting you a better ability to discern their lies from their truths and read their mood.

Sleight of Hand. Sleight of Hand is a useful skill for cheating at a game, as it allows you to swap pieces, palm cards, or alter a die roll. Alternatively, engrossing a target in a game by manipulating the components with dexterous movements is a great distraction for a pickpocketing attempt.

Herbalism Kit

Proficiency with an herbalism kit allows you to identify plants and safely collect their useful elements.

Ability: Intelligence.

Crafting: Antitoxin, Candle, Healer’s Kit, Potion of Healing.

Components. An herbalism kit includes pouches to store herbs, clippers and leather gloves for collecting plants, a mortar and pestle, and several glass jars.

Arcana. Your knowledge of the nature and uses of herbs can add insight to your magical studies that deal with plants and your attempts to identify potions.

Investigation. When you inspect an area overgrown with plants, your proficiency can help you pick out details and clues that others might miss.

Medicine. Your mastery of herbalism improves your ability to treat illnesses and wounds by augmenting your methods of care with medicinal plants.

Nature and Survival. When you travel in the wild, your skill in herbalism makes it easier to identify plants and spot sources of food that others might overlook.

Identify Plants. You can identify most plants with a quick inspection of their appearance and smell.

Leatherworker’s Tools

Knowledge of leatherworking extends to lore concerning animal hides and their properties. It also confers knowledge of leather armor and similar goods.

Ability: Dexterity.

Crafting: Sling, Whip, Hide Armor, Leather Armor, Studded Leather Armor, Backpack, Crossbow Bolt Case, Map or Scroll Case, Parchment, Pouch, Quiver, Waterskin

Components. Leatherworker’s tools include a knife, a small mallet, an edger, a hole punch, thread, and leather scraps.

Arcana. Your expertise in working with leather grants you added insight when you inspect magic items crafted from leather, such as boots and some cloaks.

Investigation. You gain added insight when studying leather items or clues related to them, as you draw on your knowledge of leather to pick out details that others would overlook.

Identify Hides. When looking at a hide or a leather item, you can determine the source of the leather and any special techniques used to treat it. For example, you can spot the difference between leather crafted using dwarven methods and leather crafted using halfling methods.

Musical Instruments

Proficiency with a musical instrument indicates you are familiar with the techniques used to play it. You also have knowledge of some songs commonly performed with that instrument.

Ability: Charisma.

History. Your expertise aids you in recalling lore related to your instrument.

Performance. Your ability to put on a good show is improved when you incorporate an instrument into your act.

Compose a Tune. As part of a long rest, you can compose a new tune and lyrics for your instrument. You might use this ability to impress a noble or spread scandalous rumors with a catchy tune.

Navigator’s Tools

Proficiency with navigator’s tools helps you determine a true course based on observing the stars. It also grants you insight into charts and maps while developing your sense of direction.

Ability: Wisdom.

Components. Navigator’s tools include a sextant, a compass, calipers, a ruler, parchment, ink, and a quill.

Survival. Knowledge of navigator’s tools helps you avoid becoming lost and also grants you insight into the most likely location for roads and settlements.

Sighting. By taking careful measurements, you can determine your position on a nautical chart and the time of day.

Tattooist’s Tools

Proficiency with tattooist’s tools allows you to create intricate designs on the skin of a living creature. Tattoos can be a mark of allegiance, a symbol of faith, a superstitious ward, or a personal statement.

Ability: Dexterity.

Components. Tattooist’s tools include a selection of needles, a mortar and pestle for grinding pigments, ink pots, a sterilizing agent, and clean leather rags. These are typically kept in a sturdy leather case.

Arcana. Your knowledge of intricate symbols and magical script, combined with your artistic skill, can help you discern magical properties within a tattoo or identify ancient runic etchings.

History. Your knowledge of tattoos allows you to recognize traditional designs, from the markings of a remote tribe to the intricate scrollwork favored by an ancient magical order. You can identify the approximate origin or cultural significance of a tattoo.

Insight. Examining someone’s tattoos can reveal much about their background, affiliations, and personal history. You can often determine gang memberships, military service, religious devotions, or important life events from their ink.

Deception. You can create temporary tattoos or modify existing ones to help establish a false identity or allegiance, though such work fades after several days.

Medicine. Your understanding of skin, healing, and infection prevention grants you additional insight when treating wounds or skin conditions. You can use this knowledge to effectively clean and bind a wound, granting advantage on any Wisdom (Medicine) check made to stabilize a dying creature.

Apply Tattoo. You can apply a tattoo to a willing creature. The complexity and size of the tattoo determine the time and DC of the check. A successful check means the tattoo is applied cleanly and safely; a failed check might result in a poorly drawn tattoo, scarring, or a minor infection. A simple tattoo (DC 10) might take 1 to 2 hours, while an intricate or large design (DC 15+) could take 4 to 8 hours or more.

Thieves’ Tools

Perhaps the most common tools used by adventurers, thieves’ tools are designed for picking locks and foiling traps. Proficiency with the tools also grants you a general knowledge of traps and locks.

Components. Thieves’ tools include a small file, a set of lock picks, a small mirror mounted on a metal handle, a set of narrow-bladed scissors, and a pair of pliers.

History. Your knowledge of traps grants you insight when answering questions about locations that are renowned for their traps.

Investigation and Perception. You gain additional insight when looking for traps, because you have learned a variety of common signs that betray their presence.

Set a Trap. Just as you can disable traps, you can also set them. As part of a short rest, you can create a trap using items you have on hand. The total of your check becomes the DC for someone else’s attempt to discover or disable the trap. The trap deals damage appropriate to the materials used in crafting it (such as poison or a weapon) or damage equal to half the total of your check, whichever the DM deems appropriate.

Spells

Primal Savagery

Source: Xanathar’s Guide to Everything

Transmutation Cantrip

Casting Time: 1 Action
Range/Area: Self
Components: S
Duration: Instantaneous
Attack/Save: Melee
Damage/Effect: Acid

You channel primal magic to cause your teeth or fingernails to sharpen, ready to deliver a corrosive attack. Make a melee spell attack against one creature within 5 feet of you. On a hit, the target takes 1d10 acid damage. After you make the attack, your teeth or fingernails return to normal.

The spell’s damage increases by 1d10 when you reach 5th level (2d10), 11th level (3d10), and 17th level (4d10).

Zephyr Strike

Source: Xanathar’s Guide to Everything

Transmutation 1

Casting Time: 1 Bonus Action
Range/Area: Self
Components: V
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
Attack/Save: Melee
Damage/Effect: Buff

You move like the wind. Until the spell ends, your movement doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks.

Once before the spell ends, you can give yourself advantage on one weapon attack roll on your turn. That attack deals an extra 1d8 force damage on a hit. Whether you hit or miss, your walking speed increases by 30 feet until the end of that turn.

Magic Tattoos

Wondrous item (tattoo), rarity varies

Source: Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything

Blending magic and artistry with ink and needles, magic tattoos imbue their bearers with wondrous abilities. Magic tattoos are initially bound to magic needles, which transfer their magic to a creature.

Once inscribed on a creature’s body, damage or injury doesn’t impair the tattoo’s function, even if the tattoo is defaced. When applying a magic tattoo, a creature can customize the tattoo’s appearance. A magic tattoo can look like a brand, scarification, a birthmark, patterns of scales, or any other cosmetic alteration.

Spellwrought Tattoo

Wondrous item (tattoo), rarity varies

Source: Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything

Produced by a special needle, this magic tattoo contains a single spell of up to 5th level, wrought on your skin by a magic needle. To use the tattoo, you must hold the needle against your skin and speak the command word. The needle turns into ink that becomes the tattoo, which appears on the skin in whatever design you like. Once the tattoo is there, you can cast its spell, requiring no material components. The tattoo glows faintly while you cast the spell and for the spell’s duration. Once the spell ends, the tattoo vanishes from your skin.

The level of the spell in the tattoo determines the spell’s saving throw DC, attack bonus, spellcasting ability modifier, and the tattoo’s rarity, as shown in the Spellwrought Tattoo table.

The rarer a magic tattoo is, the more space it typically occupies on a creature’s skin. The Magic Tattoo Coverage table offers guidelines for how large a given tattoo is.

Crafting a Spellwrought Tattoo

Source: Player’s Handbook, Dungeon Master’s Guide, Homebrew

We use the rules for crafting spell scrolls with modifications:

To craft a Spellwrought Tattoo, you and any assistants must have proficiency in the Arcana skill. You must be proficient with Tattooist’s Tools and use them to create the tattoo. Any assistants must also have proficiency.

A spellcaster can transfer a spell onto a willing creature’s skin and create a Spellwrought Tattoo, using the rules below.

Time and Cost. Creating a tattoo takes an amount of time and money based on the level of the spell, as shown in the Spellwrought Tattoo Costs table. For each day of inscription, you must work for 8 hours. If a tattoo requires multiple days, those days needn’t be consecutive.

Prerequisites for the Tattooist. To create a tattoo, you must have proficiency in the Arcana skill and with Tattooist’s Tools and have the spell prepared on each day of the inscription. You must also have at hand any Material components required by the spell; if the spell consumes its Material components, they are consumed only when you complete the tattoo. The tattoo’s spell uses your spell save DC and spell attack bonus.

Cantrips. If the tattooed spell is a cantrip, the version on the tattoo works as if the caster were your level.