Birthright Rulebook - D&D 5e Conversion

Oct 6, 2026

Upload by Jake

Conversion guide from the Birthright Rulebook (2e) to D&D 5e rules, preserving the original Birthright theme and feel while adjusting only where playability or functionality needs improvement. Assumes the reader has the original Birthright campaign setting material and organizes the content to mirror the Rulebook sections, enabling parallel reading. Introduces multiple player-facing character options and variants, including race trait changes and cultural ability/skill/feat overviews for human lineages, such as Dragonborn, Dwarves, Elves, Halflings, Humans, and Tieflings.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryStory & Novel

FormatPDF

Pages19

Reading Time29 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Approach and Organization

Part I: Birthright Characters

Character Generation

Dragonborn

Dwarves

Elves

Gnomes

Half-Elves

Halflings

Humans

Tieflings

Character Class

Barbarian

Birthright Rulebook D & D 5e Conversion by Morten Helles ([morten.helles@gmail.com](morten.helles@gmail.com)) with help and inspiration [from the Birthright community at Birthright.net](from the Birthright community at Birthright.net) (thanks!) Introduction This document converts the Birthright Rulebook to D& D 5e rules. The conversion follows this approach: Stay true to the theme and flavor of the original Birthright and only make changes when there are problems with the playability and functionailty of the original rules. You are assumed to be in possession of the original Birthright Campaign Setting (2e) material, which can be purchased [as a PDF at dndclassics.com](as a PDF at dndclassics.com). The document has been organized in the same way as the Birthright Rulebook, that is, it has the same sections and therefore has a similar Table of Contents. As such, you can read this document alongside reading the Birthright Rulebook to learn how the rules of each section (if any) can be converted to D& D 5e rules. Several variants are proposed below. Most of these are recommended as they add more detail or flavor to your Birthright campaign. The DM decides which variants are used. Part I: Birthright Characters Character Generation Character creation follows the rules in the Player’s Handbook, except as noted below. The races generally follow the descriptions in the Birthright Rulebook, although their traits are changed as specified below. Dragonborn The dragonborn race does not exist in Cerilia. However, as a variant, a few isolated dragonborn might exist, sharing a mysterious past closely tied to one of Cerilia’s few dragons. The sorcerer class (with the dragonic bloodline sub type) seem to be a good fit for these. Dwarves A Cerilian dwarf has all the traits of the Dwarf race mentioned in the Player’s Handbook, plus the following: Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 2 more. ( For a total increase of 4. ) Ability Score Decrease. Your Dexterity score decreases by 2. Dense Body. You have an exceptionally stocky build and thick, sturdy bones. You have resistance against bludgeoning weapons and crushing damage. Favored enemy. You gain a +2 AC bonus against melee attacks made by Orogs and Ogres. High endurance. You calculate your carrying capacity as if your Strength score is 4 higher than it actually is. Anti magical. You have advantage on saving throws against arcane spells. Also, you cannot choose a spell casting class (or sub type) that employs arcane magic. As a variant, add also: Rock Eater. You can eat rocks for food and drink mud for water. Elves A Cerilian elf has all the traits of the Elf race mentioned in the Player’s Handbook, plus the following: Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence increases by 1. Elf Weapon Training. You have proficiency with the longsword, shortsword, shortbow, and longbow. Nature's Stride. Moving through natural difficult terrain does not cost you extra movement. A creature trying to track you through natural terrain always does so with disadvantage. Gnomes The gnome race does not exist in Cerilia. Half-Elves A Cerilian half elf has all the traits of the Half Elf race mentioned in the Player’s Handbook. Halflings A Cerilian halfling has all the traits of the Halfling race mentioned in the Player’s Handbook, plus the following: Shadow World Sense. As an action, you can detect evil (but not good) , detect magic (necromancy only) , and sense the presense of undead within 30 feet all at once. Also, you can sense the proximity of the Shadow World. Enter the Shadow World. Once between long rests, you can enter (and leave) the Shadow World if it is sufficiently close to Cerilia at your location. While in the Shadow World, you must actually move from the point of entry to the point of exit. Due to the hostile and creepy nature of the Shadow World, you’d normally want for your stay there to be as short as possible

FAQs

What is the main purpose of the document?

It converts the Birthright Rulebook rules to D&D 5e while keeping the original Birthright theme and only changing rules when needed for playability or functionality.

How is the document structured for reading alongside the original rulebook?

It mirrors the Birthright Rulebook’s section organization, so each section can be followed in parallel to see how its rules are converted to D&D 5e.

What changes does it introduce for character races?

It adapts race traits to fit Cerilia, adding or modifying abilities, resistances, proficiencies, and special features as variants, with examples for Dragonborn, Dwarves, Elves, Halflings, Humans, and Tieflings.

Oct 6, 2026

Upload by Jake