TEXT: ©2015 Wizards of the Coast LLC 
  1
  Unearthed	Arcana:		
  Waterborne	Adventures	
  “Believe	me,	my	young	friend,	there	is	nothing—
  absolutely	nothing—half	so	much	worth	doing	as	
  simply	messing	about	in	boats.”	
  —Kenneth	Grahame,	The	Wind	in	the	Willows	
  	
  The	following	new	character	options	showcase	a	
  simple	design	approach	to	adventure	on	the	high	
  seas.	These	rules	were	created	to	be	specifically	
  useful	for	nautical	D&D	campaigns,	but	they	are	
  general	enough	that	they	can	be	useful	in	any	
  campaign.	
  	 The	Dungeon	Master’s	Guide	contains	the	rules	
  for	managing	ships	at	sea,	along	with	encounter	
  tables,	rules	for	weather,	and	other	useful	tools.	
  By	combining	those	rules	with	these	new	
  options,	your	campaign	will	be	ready	to	set	sail.	
  	 What	Is	Unearthed	Arcana?	You	can	think	of	
  the	material	presented	in	Unearthed	Arcana	as	
  similar	to	the	first	wave	of	the	fifth	edition	D&D	
  playtest.	These	game	mechanics	are	in	draft	
  form,	usable	in	your	campaign	but	not	fully	
  tempered	by	playtests	and	design	iterations.	
  They	are	highly	volatile	and	might	be	unstable;	if	
  you	use	them,	be	ready	to	rule	on	any	issues	that	
  come	up.	They’re	written	in	pencil,	not	ink.	For	
  these	reasons,	material	in	this	column	is	not	
  legal	in	D&D	Organized	Play	events.	
  Minotaur	(Krynn)	
  In	the	world	of	Krynn,	the	setting	of	the	
  Dragonlance	saga,	minotaurs	live	in	an	honor‐
  based	society	where	strength	determines	power	
  in	both	the	gladiatorial	arenas	and	in	daily	life.	
  At	home	on	both	land	and	sea,	the	minotaurs	of	
  Krynn	are	ferocious	sea	raiders	who	rank	as	the	
  ablest	and	most	dangerous	sailors	in	the	world.	
  Arrogant	Conquerors	
  Minotaurs	embrace	the	notion	that	the	weak	
  should	perish	and	that	the	strong	must	rule—
  and	that	they	themselves	are	the	strongest	and	
  most	powerful	race	on	Krynn.	They	believe	their	
  destiny	is	to	rule	the	world,	and	that	their	
  dominion	will	be	one	of	conquest	and	military	
  might.	To	that	end,	all	minotaurs	are	trained	in	
  weapons,	armor,	and	tactics	from	a	young	age.	
  	 The	minotaurs’	arrogance	stems	from	a	
  combination	of	strength,	cunning,	and	intellect—
  three	virtues	they	hold	dear,	and	which	they	
  deem	the	foundation	of	their	greatness.	They	
  believe	that	this	combination	of	traits	is	what	
  sets	them	apart	from	their	rivals.	
  Trial	by	Combat	
  Minotaur	society	is	built	on	the	principle	that	
  might	makes	right,	and	that	considerations	of	
  justice	are	unnecessary.	The	minotaurs	are	led	
  by	an	emperor	served	by	a	council	of	eight	
  minotaurs	called	the	Supreme	Circle.	All	posts	
  within	the	government,	including	the	emperor’s,	
  are	won	by	the	strongest	and	cleverest	
  minotaurs,	as	proved	by	combat	in	the	Circus.	
  	 The	Circus	is	the	only	means	by	which	a	
  minotaur	can	rise	in	society.	It	is	a	grand,	annual	
  display	of	single	combat	in	which	minotaurs	
  battle	each	other	for	supremacy.	Minotaur	
  youths	must	prove	themselves	in	the	Circus	to	
  earn	their	passage	to	adulthood.	
  	 Participation	in	the	Circus	is	yet	another	
  reason	why	minotaurs	look	down	on	other	folk.	
  To	the	minotaurs,	death	and	glory	in	battle	are	a	
  natural	process.	Combat	is	the	key	to	ensuring	
  that	the	strong	survive,	and	that	the	weak	are	set	
  aside	before	they	can	undermine	their	superiors’	
  grand	schemes	of	conquest.	
  Honor	above	All	
  For	all	their	cruelty,	minotaurs	are	bound	by	a	
  powerful	sense	of	honor.	Each	victory	brings	
  greater	honor	to	both	individual	minotaurs	and	
  their	families.	Defeat	invokes	a	stain	that	only	
  death	can	fully	wash	away.	
  
  ©2015 Wizards of the Coast LLC 
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  	 Honor	demands	that	minotaurs	keep	their	
  word	once	it	is	offered,	and	each	minotaur	
  remains	faithful	to	friends	and	clan	above	all	
  else.	Minotaurs	rarely	befriend	folk	of	other	
  races,	as	they	all	too	often	encounter	them	only	
  in	battle.	If	a	minotaur	does	strike	up	a	
  friendship,	it	is	typically	with	other	creatures	
  that	display	the	minotaurs’	virtues	and	love	of	
  battle.	To	such	friends,	a	minotaur	becomes	an	
  ally	whose	support	will	never	waver.	
  Sea	Reavers	
  In	the	world	of	Krynn,	the	minotaurs	rule	a	chain	
  of	islands	dominated	by	the	isles	of	Mithas	and	
  Kothas.	Bound	by	the	sea	on	all	sides,	the	
  minotaurs	focused	their	tenacity,	strength,	and	
  cunning	to	become	some	of	the	most	skilled	and	
  ferocious	mariners	in	the	world.	They	range	
  across	the	water	in	their	ships,	raiding	and	
  pillaging	as	they	wish.	Minotaurs	sometimes	
  engage	in	trade,	but	they	much	prefer	to	take	
  what	they	want	by	force.	After	all,	as	the	
  strongest	of	all	folk,	they	deserve	the	treasures	
  and	goods	that	lesser	creatures	have	gathered.	
  Minotaur	Names	
  Minotaur	clan	names	originate	with	a	great	hero	
  whose	descendants	take	on	that	name	as	their	
  own,	doing	their	best	to	live	up	to	the	ideals	of	
  their	ancestor.	On	Krynn,	clan	names	are	always	
  preceded	by	the	prefix	“es‐”	for	minotaurs	from	
  lands	controlled	by	the	island	of	Mithas,	or	“de‐”	
  for	minotaurs	from	areas	under	the	sway	of	
  Kothas.	
  	 Male	Names:	Beliminorgath,	Cinmac,	Dastrun,	
  Edder,	Galdar,	Ganthirogani,	Hecariverani,	Kyris,	
  Tosher,	Zurgas	
  	 Female	Names:	Ayasha,	Calina,	Fliara,	Helati,	
  Keeli,	Kyri,	Mogara,	Sekra,	Tariki,	Telia	
  	 Clan	Names:	Athak,	Bregan,	Entragath,	
  Kaziganthi,	Lagrangli,	Mascun,	Orilg,	Sumarr,	
  Teskos,	Zhakan	
  Minotaur	Traits	
  Your	minotaur	character	possesses	a	number	of	
  traits	that	reflect	the	power	and	superiority	of	
  your	kind.	
  	 Ability	Score	Increase.	Your	Strength	score	
  increases	by	1.	
  	 Conqueror’s	Virtue.	From	a	young	age,	you	
  focused	on	one	of	the	three	virtues	of	strength,	
  cunning,	or	intellect.	Your	choice	of	your	
  Strength,	Intelligence,	or	Wisdom	score	
  increases	by	1.		
  	 Age.	Minotaurs	enter	adulthood	at	around	the	
  age	of	17	and	can	live	up	to	150	years.	
  	 Alignment.	Minotaurs	believe	in	a	strict	code	
  of	honor,	and	thus	tend	toward	law.	They	are	
  loyal	to	the	death	and	make	implacable	enemies,	
  even	as	their	brutal	culture	and	disdain	for	
  weakness	push	them	toward	evil.	
  	 Size.	Minotaurs	typically	stand	well	over	6	feet	
  tall	and	weigh	an	average	of	300	pounds.	Your	
  size	is	Medium.	
  	 Speed.	Your	base	walking	speed	is	30	feet.	
  	 Horns.	You	are	never	unarmed.	You	are	
  proficient	with	your	horns,	which	are	a	melee	
  weapon	that	deals	1d10	piercing	damage.	Your	
  horns	grant	you	advantage	on	all	checks	made	to	
  shove	a	creature,	but	not	to	avoid	being	shoved	
  yourself.	
  	 Goring	Rush.		When	you	use	the	Dash	action	
  during	your	turn,	you	can	make	a	melee	attack	
  with	your	horns	as	a	bonus	action.	
  	 Hammering	Horns.	When	you	use	the	Attack	
  action	during	your	turn	to	make	a	melee	attack,	
  you	can	attempt	to	shove	a	creature	with	your	
  horns	as	a	bonus	action.	You	cannot	use	this	
  shove	attempt	to	knock	a	creature	prone.	
  	 Labyrinthine	Recall.	You	can	perfectly	recall	
  any	path	you	have	traveled.	
  	 Sea	Reaver.	You	gain	proficiency	with	
  navigator’s	tools	and	vehicles	(water).	
  	 Languages.	You	can	speak,	read,	and	write	
  Common.	
  Minotaur	Bonds	
  When	creating	a	minotaur	character	rooted	in	
  Krynn	(or	in	any	campaign	that	draws	on	the	
  backstory	presented	here),	you	can	use	the	
  following	table	of	bonds	to	help	flesh	out	your	
  character.	Use	this	table	in	addition	to	or	in	place	
  of	your	background’s	bond	or	a	bond	of	your	
  creation.	
  
  ©2015 Wizards of the Coast LLC 
  3
  d6 
  Bond 
  1 
  My opponent in the Circus for my trial of 
  adulthood was chosen years ago. Though we 
  sparred only once, I fell deeply in love. Rather than 
  fight my beloved to the death, I fled from home 
  and have been branded a coward. 
  2 
  I’m the last of my clan. If I die without achieving 
  great deeds, the hero who is my clan’s patron will 
  be forgotten. 
  3 
  I was part of a raiding party that was defeated and 
  enslaved. I’ve escaped and sworn revenge. 
  4 
  I never shared my people’s love of violence. I’m 
  part of a conspiracy to topple the emperor’s 
  violent regime. 
  5 
  I claim that I am an exile from my people, but in 
  truth I have been sent to serve as a spy. I’m 
  expected to leave secret messages telling my folk 
  of villages and towns that are ripe targets for 
  conquest. 
  6 
  I’m the last survivor of a ship wrecked in a storm. 
  Occasionally, the spirits of my shipmates appear in 
  my dreams and ask me to complete tasks they left 
  unfinished in life.  
  Minotaurs in Your Campaign 
  We chose the minotaurs of Krynn as the model for our 
  depiction of this race for a very specific reason. Tying 
  them to the sea and a distinct culture helps give 
  minotaurs more flavor than serving as just another big, 
  brutish monster race. After all, we already have half‐
  orcs in the Player’s Handbook and the goliath in our 
  Elemental Evil Player’s Companion. As an added bonus, 
  these minotaurs are Medium (as opposed to Large for 
  the monstrous version) and are thus much easier to 
  balance against the Player’s Handbook races. 
    Casting minotaurs as conquest‐minded, honorable 
  pirates gives them a distinct flavor while providing many 
  roleplaying hooks for players. When adding a new race 
  to your own campaign, it’s always a good idea to think 
  about its culture, its relationship to other folk, and how 
  the two can combine to give it a unique place in your 
  world. Creating a table of bonds such as the one 
  provided for minotaurs can be a good place to start. 
    Casting minotaurs as mariners has some interesting 
  implications for a setting. The Labyrinthine Recall ability 
  makes minotaurs perfect sailors, as they can travel the 
  seas with little fear of becoming lost or losing their way. 
  A minotaur navigator is an unmatched master of the 
  sea. When adapting races to your campaign, look for 
  similar hooks that might be buried in special abilities or 
  elements of a creature’s story that you might otherwise 
  overlook. 
    Remember that the story we provide is only a starting 
  point. Modifying this minotaur to move it away from its 
  roots in Krynn is as easy as swapping the proficiencies 
  provided by Sea Reaver for some other option that 
  better reflects your setting. As a guideline, consider 
  swapping the tool proficiencies for proficiency in any 
  one skill, for proficiency with thieves’ tools, or for 
  proficiency with two tools other than thieves’ tools.  
  Fighting	Style:	Mariner	
  The	following	new	option	can	be	selected	by	
  fighters,	paladins,	and	rangers	for	the	Fighting	
  Style	class	feature.	
  	 Whether	a	buccaneer,	an	experienced	sailor,	or	
  a	specially	trained	marine,	a	mariner	can	scale	a	
  ship’s	rigging	and	swim	through	choppy	water	
  with	ease.	Adapted	to	wearing	light	and	medium	
  armor,	mariners	can	defend	themselves	without	
  relying	on	heavy	armor	or	bulky	shields.	Most	of	
  them	thus	wield	two‐handed	weapons	or	fight	
  with	a	pair	of	blades.	
  Mariner	
  As	long	as	you	are	not	wearing	heavy	armor	or	
  using	a	shield,	you	have	a	swimming	speed	and	a	
  climbing	speed	equal	to	your	normal	speed,	and	
  you	gain	a	+1	bonus	to	AC.	
  Mariner Design Notes 
  Fighting Style is a good way to introduce a specific flavor 
  of game play for multiple characters at once. In a sea‐
  based campaign, you can expect lots of battles in the 
  water and on board ships. Swimming and climbing 
  speeds are very handy in such environments, but they 
  can also prove useful in other areas. 
    The mariner’s AC bonus comes with conditions, but it 
  plays into the restrictions a mariner must observe to 
  gain a swimming or climbing speed. In addition, a ship‐
  based campaign lends itself to fighters who wield 
  scimitars (representing a cutlass) and a dagger, and who 
  wear light armor. This specific AC bonus helps support 
  that character option.  
  Roguish	Archetype:	
  Swashbuckler	
  You	focus	your	training	on	the	art	of	the	blade,	
  relying	on	speed,	elegance,	and	charisma	in	
  equal	parts.	While	other	warriors	are	brutes	clad	
  
  ©2015 Wizards of the Coast LLC 
  4
  in	heavy	armor,	your	method	of	fighting	looks	
  more	like	performance.	Rakes,	duelists,	and	
  pirates	typically	follow	this	archetype.	
  	 A	swashbuckler	excels	in	single	combat,	and	
  can	fight	with	two	weapons	while	safely	darting	
  away	from	an	opponent.	Swashbucklers	are	
  especially	talented	at	making	difficult	maneuvers	
  to	escape	enemies	or	attack	from	an	unexpected	
  direction.	
  Fancy	Footwork	
  Starting	at	3rd	level,	you	are	a	continuous	blur	of	
  motion	in	battle	as	you	dart	in,	attack,	and	slip	
  away	to	safety.	During	your	turn,	if	you	make	a	
  melee	attack	against	a	creature,	that	creature	
  cannot	make	opportunity	attacks	against	you	for	
  the	rest	of	your	turn.	
  Toujours	l’Audace	
  At	3rd	level,	your	unmistakable	confidence	
  propels	you	into	battle.	You	add	your	Charisma	
  modifier	to	your	initiative	rolls.	
  	 In	addition,	you	can	use	Sneak	Attack	with	any	
  melee	attack	made	against	a	target	that	has	none	
  of	your	allies	adjacent	to	it.	
  Panache	
  At	9th	level,	your	charm	becomes	as	sharp	and	
  dangerous	as	your	blade.	As	an	action,	you	can	
  make	a	Charisma	(Persuasion)	check	contested	
  by	a	creature’s	Wisdom	(Insight)	check.	The	
  creature	must	be	able	to	hear	you,	and	the	two	of	
  you	must	share	a	language.	
  	 If	you	succeed	on	the	check	and	the	creature	is	
  hostile,	it	must	target	you	with	any	attacks	it	
  makes	and	cannot	willingly	move	farther	away	
  from	you.	This	effect	lasts	for	1	minute	or	until	
  you	move	more	than	60	feet	away	from	the	
  target.		
  	 If	you	succeed	on	the	check	and	the	creature	is	
  not	hostile,	it	is	charmed	by	you	for	1	minute.	
  While	charmed,	it	regards	you	as	a	friendly	
  acquaintance.	
  Elegant	Maneuver	
  You	complete	difficult	maneuvers	with	practiced	
  ease.	Starting	at	13th	level,	you	can	use	a	bonus	
  action	to	gain	advantage	on	the	next	Dexterity	
  (Acrobatics)	or	Strength	(Athletics)	check	you	
  make	on	your	turn.	
  Master	Duelist	
  At	17th	level	your	mastery	of	the	blade	lets	you	
  turn	failure	to	success	in	combat.	If	you	miss	
  with	an	attack,	you	can	choose	to	roll	the	attack	
  again	with	advantage.	Once	you	use	this	ability,	
  you	cannot	use	it	again	until	you	finish	a	short	or	
  long	rest.	
  Swashbucklers and Two‐Weapon 
  Fighting 
  The swashbuckler relies on a good understanding of the 
  D&D rules to realize its potential, specifically when it 
  comes to fighting with two weapons. Other characters 
  must use a bonus action to Disengage if they want to 
  escape a melee, but a swashbuckler’s Fancy Footwork 
  ability bundles a more limited version of Disengage 
  within your attack. This allows you to use your bonus 
  action to fight with two weapons, and then safely evade 
  each foe you attacked.  
  Sorcerous	Origin:	Storm	
  Your	innate	magic	comes	from	the	power	of	
  elemental	air.	Perhaps	you	were	born	during	a	
  howling	gale	so	powerful	that	folk	still	tell	
  stories	of	it.	Your	lineage	might	include	the	
  influence	of	potent	air	creatures	such	as	vaati	or	
  djinni.	Whatever	the	case,	the	magic	of	the	storm	
  permeates	your	soul.	
  	 Storm	sorcerers	are	invaluable	members	of	a	
  ship’s	crew.	Their	magic	allows	them	to	exert	
  control	over	wind	and	weather	in	their	
  immediate	area.	Their	abilities	also	prove	useful	
  in	repelling	attacks	by	sahuagin,	pirates,	and	
  other	waterborne	threats.	
  Stormborn	
  The	arcane	magic	you	command	is	infused	with	
  elemental	air.	You	can	speak,	read,	and	write	
  Primordial.	In	addition,	you	gain	the	following	
  spells	at	the	listed	sorcerer	level.	These	spells	do	
  not	count	against	the	number	of	sorcerer	spells	
  you	know.	
  
  ©2015 Wizards of the Coast LLC 
  5
  Storm Sorcerer Bonus Spells 
  Sorcerer  
  Level 
  Spells 
  1st 
  Fog cloud, thunderwave 
  3rd 
  Gust of wind, levitate 
  5th 
  Call lightning, sleet storm 
  7th 
  Conjure minor elementals,* ice storm 
  9th 
  Conjure elemental** 
  * Unless you gain this spell from another source, you 
  can summon only smoke mephits, steam mephits, ice 
  mephits, or dust mephits with it. 
  **Unless you gain this spell from another source, you 
  can summon only air elementals with it. 
  Tempestuous	Magic	
  At	1st	level,	you	are	attuned	to	elemental	air	
  magic.	Whenever	you	cast	a	spell	other	than	a	
  cantrip	during	your	turn,	whirling	gusts	of	
  elemental	air	surround	you.	You	can	use	a	bonus	
  action	to	fly	10	feet	without	provoking	
  opportunity	attacks.	
  Heart	of	the	Storm	
  At	6th	level,	you	gain	resistance	to	lightning	and	
  thunder	damage.	Whenever	you	cast	a	spell	
  other	than	a	cantrip	that	deals	lightning	or	
  thunder	damage,	a	stormy	aura	surrounds	you.	
  In	addition	to	the	spell’s	effects,	creatures	of	
  your	choice	within	10	feet	of	you	take	lightning	
  or	thunder	damage	(choose	each	time	this	ability	
  activates)	equal	to	half	your	sorcerer	level.	
  Storm	Guide	
  At	6th	level,	you	gain	the	ability	to	subtly	control	
  the	weather	around	you.	
  	 If	it	is	raining,	you	can	use	an	action	to	cause	
  the	rain	to	stop	falling	in	a	20‐foot	radius	
  centered	on	you.	You	can	end	this	effect	as	a	
  bonus	action.	
  	 If	it	is	windy,	you	can	use	a	bonus	action	each	
  round	to	choose	the	direction	that	the	wind	
  blows	in	a	100‐foot	radius	around	you.	The	wind	
  blows	in	that	direction	until	the	end	of	your	next	
  turn.	You	have	no	ability	to	alter	the	speed	of	the	
  wind.	
  Ribbons 
  On the R&D team, any ability meant to convey flavor 
  rather than a mechanical advantage is referred to as a 
  ribbon—a thing that’s mostly for show. Thieves’ Cant is 
  a great example of a ribbon ability, and Storm Guide 
  also falls into this category.  
    We don’t weigh ribbons when balancing one class or 
  option against another. For example, Heart of the Storm 
  carries the power load at 6th level for the storm 
  sorcerer, while Storm Guide is here only to show how 
  these sorcerers can excel as sailors. It isn’t meant to 
  help in combat, but it’s potentially very useful in 
  maneuvering a ship. 
  Storm’s	Fury	
  At	14th	level,	the	storm	energy	you	channel	
  through	your	magic	seethes	within	your	soul.	
  When	you	are	hit	by	a	melee	attack,	you	can	use	
  your	reaction	to	deal	lightning	damage	to	the	
  attacker	equal	to	your	sorcerer	level.	The	
  attacker	must	also	make	a	Strength	saving	
  throw,	with	a	DC	equal	to	8	+	your	Charisma	
  bonus	+	your	proficiency	bonus.	On	a	failed	save,	
  the	attacker	is	pushed	in	a	straight	line	20	feet	
  away	from	you.		
  Wind	Soul	
  At	18th	level,	you	gain	a	flying	speed	of	60	feet	
  and	immunity	to	lightning	and	thunder	damage.	
  	 As	an	action,	you	can	reduce	your	flying	speed	
  to	30	feet	for	one	hour	and	choose	a	number	of	
  creatures	within	30	feet	of	you	equal	to	3	+	your	
  Charisma	modifier.	The	chosen	creatures	gain	a	
  flying	speed	of	30	feet	for	1	hour.	
  	
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/5th Edition (5e)/Unearthed Arcana/UA04 - Waterborne Adventures.pdf