Greek Races

Most of the character races options available in a standard D&D campaign are inspired from standard fantasy sources. Elves and Dwarves came from Norse mythology. Gnomes are a Victorian fairy tales invention. Halflings and Half-Orcs were introduced in J. R. R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings. Dragonborn and Tieflings were specifically created to D&D.

To simply allow players to use D&D core races in a Greek Campaign is slightly inappropriate. Most characters in Greek Mythos are humans, so an easy solution from a purist perspective is to allow only humans as player character race. But character race are a core choice in the character creation process; another options is to reflator the races to fit better with the greek archetypes. Those are some suggestion to do that:

Core races

The Elves can be concepted as Nymphs, since they are gracile, magical, fey related long lived beings. This means that elf characters in a greek campaing should be female. You can reflavour High elves as Hesperides, a subtype of nymphs that tends a blissful garden in the far western corner of the world. The Wood Elves are Hamadryades, a specific type of nymphs related to the Dryades that appears in the Monster Manual. Finally, Drow Elves are Lampades, nymphs of the Underworld that are companions to Hecate and can cause madness. You can create new subtypes of Elves to reflect other notable subtypes of Nymphs, as Naiads or Muses. Half-elves, of course, are the hybrid children of nymphs and men, like the mighty Achilles, son of the nymph Thetis and the human hero Peleus.

The Dwarves can be reflavored as the Dactyls, an archaic mythical race of male beings associated with the Earth. They are skilled smiths and healing magicians; they taught metalworking, mathematics, and the alphabet to humans. The Hill Dwarves are the Idaen Dactyls from Mount Ida in Phrygia, who serves the Great Mother (Rhea/Cybeles). Morover, the mountain dwarfs are Cretan Dactyls; they are associated with Hephaestus and works with automatons and heavy bronze metallurgy. You can reflavour the Halflings as Pygmy, a comical race of dwarfs from the early greek mythos. They are involved in a constant war with cranes, in their far land in the rim of the known world. They ride goats, and use spears and slings. Both subraces can be interpreted as different tribes of Pygmy.

There are some dragon-human hybrids in the Greek myths that can be reinterpreted as Dragonborns. Both the founders of Thebes and Athens were dragon-men, the spartoi and the autochthones. Their descendants are now humans, but some early dragonlike childrens could have survived in hibernation, as King Erichthonius did in an early myth. The gnomes of D&D can be reflavored as Cercopes, a race of mischievous forest creatures. They are proverbial as liars, cheats and accomplished knaves, and have some monkey physical traits.

You can equate the orcs (and half-orcs) with the Laestrygonians, a tribe of man-eating humanoid creatures that inhabit the country of Lamos, in the Italian coast. There no true demons in the Greek Mythology, but the closer analogues are the cacodaemons. A tiefling can be interpreted as a half-human, half-cacodaemon. Alternatively, you can choose to reflavor it as a human demigod sired by underworld god like Hephaestus or Hades, or maybe a descendant from the mighty Titans.

Supplementary Races

The aasimar (VGoM) can be equated to half human, half eudaemon, wise spirits that sometimes appears in Greek myths and philosophy. Otherwise, you can choose to make a Aasimar character a human demigod, children of a wise god as Apollo, Rhea or even Zeus. You can use the Fallen Aasimar as a mold to create a children of Ares character.

The monster species as Bugbear, Goblin, Hobgoblin, Kobold, Orc and Yuan-ti doesn’t have a clear-cut analogue in the Greek world. You can simply allow them as to be played as the humanoid tribes that inhabit the fringes of the Greek known world.

The aarakocra (EEPC) don’t have a direct analogue. The most appropriate bird humanoid creatures are harpies and sirens, that in D&D are somehow fused in the harpy entry in MM. A female bard aarakocra mechanically is like the sirens that lured Oddyseus, and a female barbarian aarakocra replicates the harpies that battled the Argonauts and Heracles.

There are many shapeshifting examples in the Greek myth, so a Changeling (WGtE) is easily adaptable. Usually shapeshifting is irreversible, but the gods can change shape at will. The most famous shapechanger is Zeus, so a demigod sired by him (a very probable outcome since he is also a womanizer) can have a limited version of this skill. Lower profile shapeshifter gods include Proteus and Nereus.

The deep gnomes (EEPC) can be adapted as long-lost Cercopes tribe. Alternatively, you can think the deep gnomes as part of Hades’s retinue.

You can reflavor the Firbolg(VGoM) as Satyrs, half-goat humanoids characters very present in the Greek mythos. But the Greek satyrs were more mischievous and amoral that the Firbolgs, and probably smaller and faster. Change the Powerful build trait for a base walking speed of 40 feet, as the base Satyr in MM.

Genasi are not completely inappropriate since the concept of the four elements has been born in the ancient Greek phylosophy. They can be concepts as human that acquired a deep connection with a specific element.

The Gith (MToF) can reflavored them as survivors from Atlantis, a fabled island nation destroyed by his hubris. Instead of the gith’s adamantine, the atlanteans have Orichalcum. The gith subraces can be explains as the warrior chaste (githyanki) and the priest caste (githzerai) that are now into open conflict.

The mythic hyperboreans can be used to reflect the Goliath(VGoM) race. They inhabit the farther north, beyond the realm of Boreas, the North Wind lesser god.

You can adapt Kalashtar (WGtE) to play as a human with a special link with a counselor eudaemon, a friendly incorporeal spirit. It was said that Socrates during his lifetime had a similar arrangement with an eudaemon that always warned him of threats and bad judgment, but never directed his actions

Kenku, Tabaxi and Lizardfolk(VGoM) doesn’t have a clear Greek analogue. You can justify them as travelers from a far place. If you want to introduce Egypt, you can assume they are servant or children of the animal-headed gods of Egypt. Kenkus can be reflavored as servants of Thoth, the Lizardfolk serves Sobek, and the Tabaxi are sired by the cat-headed Bast.

There are many cases of lycanthropy in Greek mythos, so the Shifters (WGtE) race is very appropriate. Shifters in Greece can be from Arcadia, the homeland of Lykaon, the original werewolf

The Tritons(VGoM) are very appropriate to a Greek campaign. They can be easily adapted as part of the Poseidon’s court.

If you want to include Warforged (WGtE) as a playable race in a greek campaign, there are many places to draw inspiration. Pygmalion from Cyprus was able to create a lifelike animated ivory statue. Both Daedalus and Hephaestus are also known to have created automata for their workshops. You probably should create new subraces mixing the Envoy, Juggernaut and Skirmisher traits. Artistic warforged (Charisma +2, Specialized Design, Swift) and Worker Warforged (Strength +2, Powerful build, Integrated Tool)

Playtesting Races

There are no nonhuman races more appropriate for a Greek setting that the Centaur (UA, Centaur & Minotaur). Centaurs are very prominent in the Greek mythos, and they are a powerful nation of many nomadic tribes. The most famous centaur character is Chiron, mentor of heroes as Jason and Achilles.

There are no elephants in Greece, so a Loxodon (UA, Races of Ravnica) must come from far lands, probably India. The Vedalken also has some Indian resonance, especially if you allow four handed vedalkens. There are only one Minotaur (UA, Centaur & Minotaur) in the classic Greek myths, but you can easily explain that Asterion, the Minotaur of Crete, is the progenitor of an entire race.

Simic hibrids(UA, Races of Ravnica) are a weird concept. You can probably explain a hybrid character as a byproduct of Circe’s shapeshifting magic. Viashino can be explained as magic mishap, too.

Greek Classes

The twelve classes presented in the Player's Handbook are available to playing in a Greek Mythic Campaign. Some class, like the Monk, requires changes and reflavoring; other classes could be used at face value. This chapter includes also twelve new archetypes.

Barbarian

Barbarian, in a Greek context, means "foreigner", or "non-greek". It doesn't have the meaning of "incivilized". We are tempted to think that in a Greek mythic campaign, most barbarians are non-greek foreigners: hyperborean, thracian, etruscan, asians. That is appropriate, but it is important to remember that inside Greece there are many wild regions inhabited by people following the way of the ancients. Arcadians, Epireans, Thessalyans, the old autochthon people that has been there from the start, way before the Dorian invasions. A warrior that comes from those wild regions will probably be a barbarian.

Even the greatest Greek hero, Heracles, was a furious fighter, able to turn into a mindless rage when it was appropriate. A barbarian is out of place in a battlefield as part of a phalanx, or in a civilized contest in the Games, but it could be great as a traveler's bodyguard or as an auxiliary skirmisher.

Core archetypes

The Path of the Berserker is a great choice for a wanderer barbarian, especially if he comes from Northern Hyperborean regions. A Spartan berserker could be allowed, as a naturally violent warrior disinclined in follow the disciplined fight of the hoplites.

The Path of the Totem warrior are very appropriate in a Greek campaign. In the time of the pelasgians, the warriors used to associate in loose clans based in animal motifs. The arcadians maintains that custom. Two of the most famous societies are the men of the wolf and the men of the bear, that dates back to the times of King Lykaon (the wolf) and his daughter, princess Callisto (the she-bear).

A berserker from the path of the Battlerager (SCAG) is a rare occurrence in a greek world. He could be a foreigner warrior coming from harsher lands, like Hatti or Assyria.

The Path of the Ancestral Guardian (XGtE) could be appropriate for tribal warriors coming from Etruria, where there are primitive cults to the ancestors. The Path of the Storm Herald (XGtE) is easy to adopt; the sea barbarians could come from the Aegean islands, the tundra ones could come from the mountains in Thrace, and the desert ones could came from Arabia or Aethyopia.

Playtesting archetypes

The barbarians from the Path of the Zealot could be followers of Ares, probably from Thrace.

Path of Dionysiacal Revelry

Dionysus is a quirky god. As many other gods, he came from the east, many centuries ago, but their foreign essence never abandoned him; he is a "barbarian god" in the Greek pantheon. He has a cohort of priests and followers, as any other gods, but they follow a different kind of lifestyle, a life of chaos and pleasure. He is a god of leisure and irreverence, opposed to other stricter gods like Apollo. Many of those lessons can't be taught openly; so, the Dionysus priest have created a sect called the Dionysian mysteries. Like the Eleusian mysteries of Demeter, only the initiated can be taught the secrets of Dionysus.

There are some warriors trained in the secrets of the Dionysian mysteries, called Revelers. They can enter in a violent rage using wine and some exotics drugs. They have strange powers; the God Dionysius can show them bloody visions, prophecies of violence and pain. Some revelers are non-humans, like centaurs or satyrs. Other revelers are Greek merchants and soldiers, that maintains his adherence to Dionysus' rituals as a secret.

A specific kind of revelers is the maenads, an order of female barbarians. They govern secretly some islands in the Aegean Sea, like Lemnos, and they usually kill any uncaught visitors that discovers his rites. The maenads disregard any armor and use a special gold and wood mace called thyrsus as his weapon of choice. They appear as mostly inoffensive to male observers, until their rage triggers.

Visions of blood

Starting when you choose this path at 3rd level, when you start a rage you can choose to receive a supernatural vision. Roll a d4 to determine the nature and effects of it:

Visions

d4	Visions
1	Vision of violence: During your rage, you deal an extra 1d6 damage in your melee weapon attacks.
2	Vision of blood: During your rage, add your Wisdom bonus to the first attack roll against each creature
3	Vision of destiny: During your rage, you can take the Dodge action as a bonus action.
4	Vision of prophecy: You see a brief prophetic vision, at DM's will. You are stunned until the end of your next turn.

Healing drunkenness

Beginning at 6th level, as long as you are in a rage, you can drink 8 oz of alcoholic beverage (usually pure wine) as an action. If you do, you regain hit points equal to three times your barbarian level. This action counts as an attack for purposes of maintaining your rage.

Dionysus’ gift

Starting at 10th level, you can perceive the secret currents that connects the sacred beverages of Dionysus. You can always sense whether there are alcoholic beverages within 1 mile of you. You know the precise location of any bottle, amphora, pithos, krater, skin or barrel of wine, beer or similar drinks. You also know the quality, variety and aging of the beverage. In addition, you are immune to poison damage and poisoned condition.

True Revelry

Starting at 14th level, when you succeed on a saving throw against spell that targets only you, the caster is affected by the spell as if they had targeted themselves with the spell. The caster has disadvantage on this saving throw.

Bards

Art and poetry hold a special place in the greek heart. Even when the Bard’s class concept have celtic overtones, the Greek appreciate a poet like almost no other people in the world. A well-spoken bard is well received in any Greek polis, as in the countryside.

Core archetypes

The bards of the College of Lore are respected, especially in cultured polises as Athens or Mileto. They can teach their secrets to the sons of the oligarchs for a substantial fee. If they are politically inclined, they can be elected as officials in their homelands. If they are wise enough, they can join the Academia, a loose organization of sages centered in Athens, with the mission to compile all the knowledge of the world.

The bards of the College of Valor are preferred in more warlike cities, like in Sparta. You can model them as the battle-hardened chroniclers, like Xenophon. The term skald is never used; you can call them aoidos (singer).

The College of Glamour(XGtE) is especially appropriate for greek bards. The greatest bardic hero, Orpheus, could be easily modeled as a bard of the College of Glamour. Replace the references to fey with references to the Muses, Nymphs or the Kabeiri.

The blades of the College of Swords (XGtE) are admissible, but not very greek in their spirit. You can assume they came from the Persian lands.

The College of Whispers(XGtE) is very appropriate for a Greek political campaign. They could be used to model the elected officers in democratic cities as Athens.

Playtesting archetypes

The College of Satire are different from the Greek comedians and dramaturges but could be allowed with a few flavor changes.

College of Epics

Bards of the College of Epics are between the peaceful lorekeepers of the College of Lore, and the battle trained skalds of the college of Valor. The rapsodes, as they are known, enjoy the adventure and the battlefield, but mostly at observers. Their art is to create epic songs of war, love and violence.

The most famous rapsode is, of course, the blind poet Homer, creator of the Iliad and the Odyssey. However, the rapsodes are the most prestigious of the artists of the greek world. They have many competitions, where the best creator can gain honor, fame, and immortality.

Divine inspiration

When you reach 6th level, you can grant a Bardic Inspiration die a number of times equal to 2 plus your charisma modifier (a minimum of three times). You regain any expended uses when you finish a short or long rest.

Call upon the Muse

Since 14th level, as an action, the Bard can call on the power of a muse in his own body, gaining powerful inspiration. One of the nine muses must be specifically summoned. The bard must complete a long rest before using this trait again.

Calliope (Muse of Epic Poetry): You gain 4 Bardic inspiration dice, which are d12 instead of your normal Bardic inspiration dice.

Uratia (Muse of Astronomy): For 1 minute, you and any allies within 60 feet gain darkvision up to 60 feet and are invisible.

Terpsichore (Muse of Dance): For 1 minute, you and any allies within 60 feet increase their base speed by 30 ft. During this time they do not provoke attacks of opportunity."

Clio (Muse of history): You recover up to three expended spell slots. The spell slots can have a combined level that is equal to or less than half your bard level (rounded up) and none of the slots can be 6th level or higher.

Thalia (Muse of Comedy): Up to seven creatures of your choice that can see you within 30 feet perceives you as hilariously funny, and falls into fits of laughter. The targets must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or fall prone, become incapacitated and unable to stand up for the duration. Creatures with Intelligence score of 4 or less aren’t affected. At the end of each of its turn, and each time the creatures take damage, the target can make another Wisdom saving thrown to end the effect. The effect also ends after 1 minute.

Euterpe (Muse of Music): For 1 minute, you gain advantage on all Charisma ability checks. Any creature charmed by you automatically fails any Wisdom, Intelligence or Charisma saving throw.

Erato (Muse of Love poetry): You can cast Dominate person without using a spell slot. If the target creature is attracted by your race and gender, it has disadvantage on the saving throw.

Melpomene (Muse of Tragedy): You whisper a tragic sonnet that up to seven creatures of your choice within 60 feet can hear, wracking them with terrible pain. The targets must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the target takes 8d6 psychic damage and must immediate use their reaction, if available, to safely move as far its speed allows away from you. On a successful save, the target takes half as much damage and doesn’t have to move away. A deafened creature automatically succeeds on the save.

Polyhymnia (Muse of hymns): As a bonus action, when you cast a spell with its lowest spell slot that has effects at greater levels, you can call upon your muse. Every creature with 60ft. Can use their reaction to sing in inspired harmony and raise the effective spell slot of the spell cast by one. The maximum spell slot a spell can be raised to in this way is 8th.

Cleric

In the greek world, gods are everywhere. Every idiom and vow, every legend and decision, include one of the gods as a reference. In such a theocratic society, clerics are important and powerful. At the same time, the true followers of the gods are few and sparse: most heroes of the greek myth were fighters, rogues and an occasional sorceress.

More than simply ch0ose a domain, a cleric in D&D Greek Campaign must choose a god, and then reflect what domain is appropriate to that god. Fortunately, most gods have many attributes and aspects, sometimes contradictory. For example, Athena is a god of pacific craftsmanship, but also of tactical war.

For this rulebook, we will take the convention that the clerics are ordained priest of the Olympian gods only: Zeus, Hera, Apollo, Artemis, Poseidon, Aphrodite, Hermes, Hephaistos, Dionysus and Demeter. This excludes Hades, Persephone and Hecate (the chtonic gods), and a myriad of lesser gods and ascended heroes as Asclepius and Heracles. The reason is that the Olympian are the only ones that are formally respected as a such, and that can have an organized cult like the Cleric class represent. The followers of those other gods could be better represented with other classes like Druid, Sorcerer or Bard. Unfortunately, some domains are a better match for the non-Olympian gods, like Death and Magic.

Core Archetypes

There is not a specific god of Knowledge in the Greek Pantheon, as required for the Knowledge domain. The Muses and their mother Mnemosine doesn’t have a priestly cult. Of the Olympians, the wise Athena or the mischievous Hermes are appropriate as patrons of a Knowledge cleric.

The god of Healing usually is considered Asclepius, but he is in fact an ascended demigod. Instead the Life Domain should be used for a priest of Apollo, Asclepius’ father. Alternatively, Hera, Aphrodite or Demeter could patronize a healing – based cleric.

The sun god in the greek pantheon is Helios, but Apollo also took the aspect of the god of the light. A cleric of the Light Domain should revere Apollo.

Both Artemis and Demeter could the patrons of a Nature domain cleric. Those goddess also had older cults that predate their acceptance into the Olympian pantheon; the followers of those cults are druids or rangers.

The Tempest domain is especially appropriate for Zeus, since he monopolizes the lightning bold as his weapon of choice. Poseidon could also be the god of some Tempest clerics.

Trickery domain is traditionally the province of Hermes, Aphrodite and Dionysus.

The War domain is appropriate both for Ares and Athena. Ares is inclined into the rage-based aspect of the warfare, while Athena is worried about tactics, logistic and weaponry.

The Death Domain is intended to be used only for NPC, but it could be used to represent Hades’ priests.

The Arcana Domain (SCAG) could be used to represent a Hecate priestess. This kind of cleric are in practice very rare; Hecate prefer to use sorcerers or sorceresses as her main followers

The Forge Domain(XGtE) is the main domain appropriate for Hephaestus’ priest.

The Grave Domain (XGtE) is similar to the Death domain. Hades is the main god of Death in greek mythology, but he has almost no priests or cult.

Playtesting Archetypes

Both Athena and Hera has protective attributes; the Protection Domain could reflect their priests. The Order Domain (UA) is appropriate for Athena, Zeus and Hera priests.

Prophecy Domain

The future is preordained in the greek mythos. Fate is a strong current that can be deceived temporarily, but eventually will prevail. Not even gods can alter what is meant to be.

There are many prophets in greek mythos, but only a few are true clerics. Most male prophets, like Tiresias or Casandra, weren’t god-sponsored; they are individuals that has a granted or innate skill with premonition. Those prophets could be modeled as wizards of the school of divination.

This Domain represent the oracular priest: the Pythia of Delphi Oracle, the Oracles of Dodona, or god-inspired seers like Calchas or Mopsus. The prophecy domain clerics are a godsend to guide heroes in the right way.

Of the Olympian Gods, the two more appropriates are Apollo and Zeus, sponsors of Delphi and Dodona oracle. But other gods could be the patrons, since foreseeing is not an attribute monopolized by a single god. A drinking-trance cleric of Dionysus, or an Artemis seer specialized in ornithomancy could be feasible.

Prophecy Domain Spells

Cleric level	Spells
1st	Alarm, Identify
3rd	Detect thoughts, Augury
5th	Nondetection, Clairvoyance
7th	Divination, Arcane eye
9th	Commune, Seeming

Bonus Proficiency

At 1st level, you become proficient in a saving throw of your choice.

Channel Divinity: Omen

Starting at 2nd level, you can give an Omen to a friendly creature. You can only use this Channel Divinity immediately following a long rest. You provide a cryptic short sentence, like “Arrows beware” or “The strength of bulls or lions cannot stop the foe”. Until the next long rest, the creature can invoke the sentence if he is doing something related to it. If he does, he can gain advantage on an attack roll, saving throw or ability check, or impose a disadvantage on another creature’s attack roll. Omens can be interpreted in many ways, as long as the GM approves.

Channel Divinity: Cryptic remark

At 6th level, as an action, you can puzzle an enemy with a weird, compelling sentence using your Channel Divinity. Choose a humanoid that speak your language and can hear your words. The target must succeed on an Intelligence saving throw or be stunned for 2d4 rounds, or until it receives damage.

Glossolalia

Starting at 8th level, you can understand all spoken languages. Any creature that can understand a language can understand what you say.

Not today

Starting at 8th level, you have proficiency in death saving throws.

Final Blaze of Glory

Starting at 17th level, you can reveal that a creature is going to have its finest hour, and possibly its last one. You can choose a friendly creature at the end of a long rest. Until the next long rest, the creature can take an additional action in any of its turns. The effect is not magical, and the creature doesn’t have to know that the effect is in place. If the creature is reduced to 0 hit points until the next long rest, the effects ends. If the creature dies, it can’t be resurrected except with a wish.

Druids

Druids represent mainly the nature cults that are beyond the scope of temples, cities and liturgies. They were leftovers of older times that predate the invasions of the peoples that were latter called the Greek. The ancient pelasgians populated the Greek peninsula many millennials ago; they adored the Nymphs, the deposed god Proteus, the Samotracian Kabeiri, the archaic cult of Artemis, and the chthonian Deities. The druids are the priests of the remnants of those ancient cults. They are enemies of the Olympic priesthood, as their own deities are. The druids almost never approach the temples of the Olympians, and they have their own places of veneration. We use the word “druids” for this chapter, but in the greek world the people call them hierophants.

Core Archetypes

The Circle of the Land could represent the druids that follow the cult of the Nymphs, lesser goddesses that are tied to some terrains. The Coast druids could follow the Nereids nymphs; the Mountains are inspired by the Oreads. The Forest Druids are trained by the Dryads and Hamadryads, and the Swamp Druids venerate the Lampads. Most land druids are female.

The Circle of the Moon follows the teaching of Proteus, the old Man of the Sea, the god of many forms. He is an ancient god, deprived of this domain by Poseidon. The center of the cult is the isle of Pharos, in Egypt, but he is adored by druids in any stream or river.

Playtesting Archetypes

The Circle of the Dreams could be used to model the cult of the Greater Gods, a very secretive religion centered in the small island of Samothrace. Just replace the fey references for references to the Kabeiri, mysterious fey-like creatures older that the Olympian gods themselves.

The Circle of the Shepherd is related to the ancient cult of Artemis that predates their elevation as an Olympic goddess. Just change the hawk spirit with a Deer spirit. All the shepherd druids are female, and they must maintain his chastity in order to appease the goddess.

Finally, the Circle of Twilight is associated to the Chtonian deities, like Persephone and Hades. Even when some people consider them as Olympian, their cults are totally segregated from Zeus and their kind. The Circle of Spores(UA) could be reflavored as the cult of Attis, an ancient Phrigian god of death and resurrection.

Circle of the Mysteries

The Eleusinian Mysteries are believed to be of considerable antiquity, predating the ascent of the Olympian gods. Most of the details of the cult are secret, only known by the initiates. Many sages thinks that Mysteries intent to elevate man above the human sphere into the divine and to assure his redemption by making him a god and so conferring immortality upon him.

The most popular origin story tells us about Demeter’s quest. Demeter's daughter Persephone (also referred to as Kore, "maiden") was gathering flowers, when she was seized by Hades, the god of death. He took her to his underworld kingdom. Distraught, Demeter searched high and low for her daughter. The other gods ignored the search. Distressed, Demeter started to teach the humans some of the secrets of the gods, to coerce Zeus to allow the return of her daughter. The King of the God finally forced Hades to return Persephone. Demeter allowed selected humans to preserve the secrets she taught; but with great discretion. A secretive cult was created, centered in the city of Eleusis: the Mysteries.

To become an initiate of the Mysteries, a man must be tested in many ways. The secrets of Demeter are powerful, and only the most responsible and smart people could be initiated on them.

Initiate of the Mysteries

Starting at 2nd level, you learn some of the Least Mysteries, getting new sources of knowledge. You can add half your proficiency bonus, rounded down, to any ability check you make that doesn’t already include your proficiency bonus.

Rituals of the Mysteries

At 6rd level, you learned how to craft some magical items related to the cult of the Mysteries.

Kykeon: You learned to prepare Kykeon, a mystical beverage based in fermented barley. Kykeon allow to perceive remote events. The Kykeon is considered a potion of clairvoyance. You can craft a dose of it working eight days and paying 200 gp of material components.

Kalathos: You learned to build a Kalathos, a special basket that can contain more things that it looks from the outside. Consider it as a bag of holding, except it is basket instead of a bag. You can craft a Kalathos working on it twenty days and spending 500 gp of material components.

Kisme: You learned how to build a Kisme, a small box containing blessed seeds. Consider it as a bag of beans, except it is a small box instead of a bag. You can craft a Kisme working on it twenty days and spending 500 gp of material components.

Lesser Mysteries

By 10th level, you have learned magical secrets unknown to other druids. Choose two spells from any class, including this one. A spell you choose must be of a level you can cast, as shown on the Druid table, or a cantrip.

The chosen spells count as Druid spells for you and are included in the number in the Spells Known column of the Bard table.

Greater Mysteries

At 14th level, you learned the greater mysteries of Demeter. During each long rest, choose a spell from any class. You can cast this spell spending a spell slot of the same level, as it was a Druid spell. Once you cast a specific spell, you can’t cast it again in your lifetime. You can’t choose a cantrip with this feature.

Fighter

Fighter is the most common class in the violent ancient world. Greek have specific commitment to warfare, as most citizen of the polis are considered soldiers in wartime. The training in the

Core Archetypes

Of the fighter archetypes, Champion is the most appropriated. The simplest Greek hero is a champion chosen by a god, bestowed with their power and glory.

The Battle masters are especially appropriate for Sparta, the archetypical war-centered civilization. A battle master could be a weapon trainer or a successful general (a strategoi).

An eldricht knight is a rare archetype in a greek world. Probably it could represent a Thessalian witch warrior.

A Purple Dragon Knight/Banneret (SCAG) would be used to model a noble warrior king, like Menelaus.

Both Arcane Archer (XgtE) and Sharpshooter (UA) are appropriated for an archer character. Archers are uncommon in the Greek world; many came from the Anatolian peninsula. However, both Apollo and his sister Artemis are excellent archers, and their followers are trained on show bow. (Artemis is appropriate to match the fey flavor choices of the Arcane archer). Alternatively, you can reflavour those archetype as sling-based. A Cavalier (XGtE) isn’t easy to adapt to a Greek Campaign. Probably, a Cavalier can come from the Thracian or Scythian lands, where the most skilled riders of the ancient world were born.

Neither Knight(UA) or Samurai(XGtE) are very suitable for a Greek campaign. A knight analogue could be modeled as a Companion Macedonian rider, but even those won’t appear in history until the Hellenic period, later that the standard timeframe of Greek mythos. You can use samurai to represent a noble Persian warrior.

Playtesting Archetypes

The Brute (UA) can be easily added to any Greek Campaing. Many of the bandits and brigands that antagonize the heroes in the Greek myths can be concepted as brutes.

Hoplite

Hoplites are citizen-warriors of the greek polis, armed with longspear (dorys), a shortsword (xiphos), a shield (aspis) and a breastplate. Any citizen can have those and became a hoplite, but this archetype represents a trained and dedicated soldier, perfectly used in the way of the phalanx. As a fighter, a hoplite is a passive but relentless warrior. He waits in the line, with their longspear ready and their shield set. The sword is only used when the spear is lost or the formation is broken. Hoplites doesn’t have complicate tactics; they are just advance step by step, protected by armor and shield, and push until their enemies fall.

Win by your spear

Beginning when you choose this archetype at 3rd level, your mastery with the longspear became deadly. When you hit a creature that is more than 5 ft. from you with a melee weapon attack, you deal 1d6 piercing damage in addition to any weapon damage.

In addition, while you are wielding a weapon, other creatures provoke an opportunity attack from you when they enter your reach.

Calisthenics

Starting at 7th level, your permanent training perfected your body. You gain advantage in any Strength or Constitution check you perform.

Argive Shield

At 10th level, you gain a +1 bonus to AC while wearing a shield. You can't be frightened.

In addition, you can force a foe to get back. As a reaction when a creature fails a melee attack against you, you can shove it with your shield.

Molon labe

Starting 15th level, your weapon attacks score a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20.

In addition, you can take Dodge as a bonus action

With it or on it!

Beginning 18th level, you can’t be charmed. In addition, your bonus from Argive Shield increase to +2.

Longspear

This rules mention the longspear, a weapon that is not included in PHB. It represents the classic greek spear used by the hoplites, longer that an asian spear since it was designed to be used in a close formation, and too heavy to be thrown. Mechanically, it is an option between a spear and the pike. Simple Melee Weapon Cost: 3 gp Damage: 1d6 piercing Weight: 8 lb Properties: Versatile (1d8), reach

Monk

The flavor of the monk class is strictly tied to Asian martial arts, as perceived by western pop culture. Even when there are “monks” in Christian Greece (like the monks in Mt. Athos), they are whole different archetype.

Fortunately, there are analogues in the Greek tradition for the monk. The Greeks enjoyed unarmed martial arts, and the pugilism was a well-known discipline. Gymnastics and athletics are integral part of the Greek culture. Monks could be reflavored as boxers, athletes or sportsman trained specially to physical and moral perfection. Just replace the use of the word “ki” with another metaphysical concept more appropriate, like “psique”.

Core Archetypes

The way of the open hand could be used to represent greek boxers, the practitioners of the discipline known as pygmachia. Pollux, one of the hero twins known as the Dioscuri, was an accomplished boxer.

The way of the four elements is harder to reflavour. The concept of four elements is Greek. Maybe the archaic philosophers like Heraclitus or Anaximander could have been monks of the four elements.

The way of the Shadow doesn’t have a clean analogue. There are no ninjas in ancient Greece, and darkness doesn’t have a clear cult. Probably a Shadow Monk comes from the Persian lands.

The way of the long death (SCAG) neither have a parallel. They could be conceptualized as a hero favored by Hades. The way of the sun soul (SCAG/XGtE) is also problematic. A single monk of the sun can be a follower of Helios, maybe a guardian of his cattle in Sicily. Both archetypes could also be conceptualized as Egyptians immigrants, since both Death and the Sun are important concepts in his religion and mythology.

The Way of the Drunken Master (XGtE) is appropriate for a tabern brawler analoge in the Greek culture. Curiously, the best race to create a Drunken Master is Centaur, since they have a reputation of drunkenness.

The way of the Kensei (XGtE) could represent any fighter trained in ritual or philosophical combat that renounces armor and shield in lieu of a more mobile approach to warfare. Sounds great for an Athena’s favored female fighter.

Playtesting Archetypes

The concept of pacifism is mostly unknown in mythic Greece. But a non-lethal monk like the ones from the Way of tranquility (UA) could be inspired in the Eleusinian mysteries, a tradition that vowed not to shed blood.

Way of the Olympic Games

The monks of the Way of the Olympic games are athletes that dedicated their lives to physical and mental perfection. All men in Greece spend time in sport, but those are professional, with no other goals. Professional athletes dream to triumph in the games, especially the Olympics that were held in Olympia, every four years.

Olympic winners are famous in Greece, and the athletes with good chances to win are respected and appreciated elsewhere. Many travel and run some adventures, as a non-standard training regime.

Olympic Disciplines

Starting when you choose this tradition at 3rd level, choose two of those features:

Stadium race: When you use Step of the Wind to take Dash as a bonus action, triple the speed instead of double it.

Diaulios race: When you use Step of the Wind to take Disengage as a bonus action, you gain advantage in your Dexterity saving throw until the start of your next turn.

Palei (wrestling) : You have advantage on attack rolls against a creature you are grappling.

Pygmachia (boxing) When you use Flurry of blows, add +1d4 to the damage of each attack.

Pankration (free style boxing): When you use Flurry of blows, add an additional unarmed strike as part of the same bonus action.

Javelin throwing: When you use a monk weapon in a range attack, you can use any monk feature that only applies to melee attacks, like stunning attack. Increase the range of monk throwing weapons in 20 ft.

Discus throwing: When you use the Attack action with a throwing monk weapon on your turn, you can make one attack throwing monk weapon as a bonus action.

Rock throwing: When you use deflect missiles to make a ranged attack with a catched missile, you don’t need to pay 1 ki.

Hoplite race: You gain proficiency in light and medium armor. You gain the effects of Unarmored movement and Martial arts while you are wearing light or medium armor or a shield. (But not unarmored defense).

Chariot race: You gains proficiency in Wisdom (Animal handling) checks. Any monk features that modifies your speed or change your dash or disengage actions also applies to your mount or vehicle.

Archery: You gain proficiency in shortbow. Shortbow is considered a monk weapons.

Pentathlon

At 6th level, choose three more Olympic disciplines.

Agonal challenge

At 6th level, you can spend 1 ki point to cast the spell Compelled duel as a bonus action.

Glory

Beginning at 11th level, you are well known due your athletics feats, and your physical prowess impose respect. You can add your Strength or Dexterity modifier in any Charisma check.

Immortality

Since 17th level, you become so famous that your name is immortalized in history books and monuments. When you are reduced to 0 hit points and are not killed outright, you can choose to drop to 1 hit point instead. Once you use this ability, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.

Paladin

In this edition of D&D, the paladins are not tied to a god or a specific alignment, but to Sacred Oaths. That make easy to fit a greek mythology world, since oaths are already an important part of the mythos. A paladin is no different of any other fighter or ranger, except that he vowed something. Just give him a longspear and a hoplon shield, and he is another hoplite. Give them a hide armor and a club and he is another errant hero.

The word “paladin”, of course, can’t be used in this context. A paladin can be referred simply as a sacred fighter that vowed to fulfil a quest. The most simply of the paladins are the ones that vowed to protect his homeland, like Hector in the Iliad. The warrior kings of the myth like Minos of Crete or Cadmus of Thebes could be another example.

Core Archetypes

The paladins of the Oath of Devotion are uncommon, since most greek heroes are tainted with hubris and pragmatism. In any case, a fighter that is pious enough could be a great contrast paired with more morally ambiguous characters. In the Iliad, both Diomedes and Aeneas are great examples.

The Oath of Vengeance is a classic archetype. There are a large number of avengers in the greek myths.

The Oath of the Ancients looks like a great option for an old-style greek hero, a defender of the old gods and the pelasgian rites that predate the ascent of the Olympian gods.

The Oath of the Crown (SCAG) is great for devoted servants of a greek warrior king, or the warrior king themselves like Agammenon or Creon.

The Oathbreaker archetype could represent a traitor, or someone that felt into hubris and broke his vows. They aren’t always evil, but every person they meet think they are.

Playtesting Archetypes

The Oath of Conquest is interesting for Lawful evil fighter, interested in invading and conquer lands. The Spartans has a such fame, especially in his relationship with the Messenian wars

The Oath of Treachery is excellent to create a Odysseus-like character, able to sow dissent and take any opportunity.

Vow of the Polis

The Polis, the City, is the main unit of national identification in a greek campaign. A man can be Spartan before to be Laconian or even greek. Most of the polis-dwellers are very proud of his status, and they are committed to defend his city beyond anything else. This vow represents a commitment so strong that grant semi-magical abilities.

This archetype is specially appropriate for princes and kings, since they are usually tied to the fate of a city. Other archetypes in this document emphasizes traveling and adventuring in the wilderness; this one instead is devised to support a single-city campaign. A paladin of the polis is expected to mingle into the city politics, as part of the royal family or as an officer in any kind.

Even if the paladin travel abroad, he should take any opportunity to further their city agenda, both in warfare and trade.

Tenets of the Polis

Paladin of this oath share these tenets:

Defend the city: Your city is your family. Each one of his citizen must be protected from outside threats. If the city is attacked, you must return to it and defend it all your strength.

Pacify the city: The city is not his buildings, or his laws, or his territory. The city is the sum of their citizens. Be neutral in politics and inner struggles of your homeland. Preach cooperation and defuse any internal conflict with pacific means.

Expand the city: A city is prosperous as long as you can expand its sphere of influence. Became a ambassador of the city, and try to honor it with your acts and your words.

Champion the city: Enemies of your polis must be dissuaded, deterred or destroyed. You are committed to handle external threats by any means necessary.

Oath spells

You gain oath spells at the paladin levels listed:

Oath spells

Paladin level	Spells
3rd	Sanctuary, Illusory script
5th	Warding bond, Calm emotions
9th	Tongues, Sending
13th	Divination, Mordenkainen’s private sanctum
17th	Planar binding, Legend lore

Channel Divinity

When you take this oath at 3rd level, you fain the following two Channel Divinity options:

Ostracize Citizen: as an action, you present your holy symbol and speak a lawful proclamation using your Channel Divinity. Choose a creature within 60 feet that is a citizen or resident of your city. That creature must make a Wisdom saving throw, unless it is immune to being frightened.

On a failed save, the creature chooses exile or acceptance. If it chooses exile, it is frightened for 1 hour, or until he takes any damage. If he left the city fleeing, it has a compulsion that make him unable to reenter the city until an official pardon is proclaimed.

If the creatures choose acceptance, it is charmed by you until the end of the day, or until you or your companions do anything harmful to it. The charmed citizen regards you as a city officer or political authority. When the effects end, the citizen don’t know it was charmed by you.

Arrest Enemy: As an action, you present your holy symbol and speak a threatening speech, using your Channel Divinity. Choose one creature with 60 feet that you can see. The creature must be an enemy of the city. (Chthonic monsters are considered enemies of the entire humanity, so they are always eligible). The creature must make a Wisdom saving throw unless it is immune to being frightened. If the creature is into the limits of your city, it has disadvantage in the saving throw.

On a failed save, the creature is frightened for 1 minute or until it takes any damage. While frightened, the creature’s speed is 0, and it can’t benefit from any bonus to speed. If it is wearing weapons or magic items in his hands, it drops them to the floor.

City emissary

By 7th level, you gain extra proficiencies related to the nature of your city. Choose two of the following features:

Ancient City (Thebes, Argos): You gain proficiency with History and Calligrapher's supplies.

Breadbasket of Greece (Argos, Thebes): You gain proficiency with Survival and Brewer’s suplies.

Bronze Sculpturing School (Argos, Rodas): You gain proficiency with Perception and Tinker’s tools.

City of Intrigue (Athens, Thebes): You gain proficiency with Investigate and Deception.

Classical Architecture (Corinth, Athens): You gain proficiency with History and Mason’s Tools.

Commercial Hub (Corinth, Athens): You gain proficiency with Persuasion and Calligrapher's supplies.

Cosmopolitan hub (Athens, Tyre): You gain proficiency with Cartographer tools and an additional language.

Crime backwater (Corinth): You gain proficiency with Sleight of Hand and Thieves’ tools.

Decadent power (Micenas, Knossos): You gain proficiency with Deception and Poisoner’s Kit.

Democratic Government (Athens, Rhodes): You gain proficiency with Persuasion and Insight.

Diplomacy hub (Corinth, Delphi): You gain proficiency with Persuasion and Calligrapher’s supplies.

Famed Hetairas (Corinth): You gain proficiency with Performance and Jeweler’s tools.

Famed woods (Lebanon): You gain proficiency with Survival and Carpenter’s tools.

Gifted inventors (Syracuse, Athens): You gain proficiency with Investigation and Alchemist’s supplies.

Harsh terrain (Sparta): You gain proficiency with Survival and Medicine.

Home of Philosophers (Athens, Miletus): You gain proficiency with Arcana and Calligrapher's supplies.

Livestock industry (Thebes): You gain proficiency with Animal Handling and Leatherwork’s tools.

Luxury trade (Rhodes): You gain proficiency with Perception and jeweler’s tools.

Medicine specialization (Cos):You gain proficiency with Medicine and Herbalism kit.

Military power (Sparta, Thebes): You gain proficiency with Intimidation and smith’s tools.

Naval power (Aegina, Athens): You gain proficiency with Perception and Navigator’s Tools.

Oracular Site (Delphi, Dodona): You gain proficiency with Religion and Calligrapher's supplies.

Pottery industry (Argos, Corinth): You gain proficiency with Insight and Potter’s Tools.

Site of Games (Olympia, Corinth): You gain proficiency with Athletics and Acrobatics.

Textile Industry (Rhodes): You gain proficiency with Insight and Weaver’s Tools.

Theatrics tradition (Athens): You gain proficiency with Performance and a Musical instrument.

Tyrannical government (Corinth, Syracuse): You gain proficiency with Deception and Disguise kit.

Always watchful

Starting at 15th level, you can’t be surprised. You gain a +4 attack bonus in the first attack roll you made in each combat.

City Patron Demigod

At 20th level, you ascend to the status of a demigod, patron of the city. Using your action, you undergo a transformation. For 1 hour, you gain the following benefits:

• At the start of each of your turns, you and friendly creatures within 30 feet of you regain 5 hit points.
• You gain advantage in attack rolls against enemies of your city.
• You gain proficiency in all saving throws, including death saving throws.

Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finished a long rest.

Ranger

Rangers are an excellent class for a greek mythic campaign. Most heroes are explorers and hunters that travel the wilderness and confront wild monsters. That’s falls entirely into the ranger camp. Rangers in D&D are no directly tied to a god, but they probably venerate Artemis anyways.

Core Archetypes

The Beast Master ranger is a great archetype for thracians, that have a great skill to train wild animals and use them to fight their enemies.

There are many Hunters in the greek lore; the most well-known is Orion. Most of them are Thessalians or Arcadians.

Playtesting archetypes

The Deep Stalkers are unheard in a greek campaign; the Underworld is not a place to hunt in the greek mythos. Also, the Horizon Walker is unfeasible, since there are no concept of planes of existence in the mythos.

The Primeval Guardian looks like an interesting way to create a playable dryad character.

Chthonic Slayer

The concept of “chthonic” is ambiguous in the greek lore. Mainly, it represents both the gods that are hidden underground (Hades and Persephone and his court), and a collection of monster that roam free in the world. A chthonic slayer is a ranger specialized in kill those inhuman monsters and use his remains to greatly enhance his own powers.

Perseus, Heracles and Bellerophon are the main chthonic slayers of the myths. Perseus in fact decapitated the gorgon Medusa and used his beheaded head as a weapon. Heracles did the same, using the venom of the Lernaean Hydra to coat his arrows, and creating an armor with the hide of the Nemean armor. A ranger of this subclass can perform similar feats, providing that he can slay those monsters first.

Design Notes

Most ranger classes are context-dependent; their features depend a lot of the terrain and the monster the adventurers are encountering in his campaign. The Chthonic Slayer is even worse, since their skills requires to confront specific kinds of monster. If a ranger simply uses his spoils slots with the monster he randomly meets in his adventures, he risks to create an unfocused character. This archetype works better in sandbox campaigns, where a player can proactively look for specific monster without derail an adventure, or for a player that is willing to accept that their features can’t be chosen beforehand.

Spoils of the Monsters

At 3rd level, you learn how to reap the spoils of fallen monsters to reinforce you with strange new powers. You are using an old magic, older than gods and mages, to bind yourself to the remains of chtonic beasts.

You gain two spoils slots at 3rd level, and gain a new one at 7th, 11th and 15th level. When you kill a monster, afterward during a short rest you can perform a special ritual to bind yourself to part of the corpse, using a spoil slot. Some spoils are like magical items, but only you can use it; they are called trophies. If you left a trophy alone for more than a minute, it will lost any magical power and you have a new free slot. Alternatively, you can willingly destroy a trophy to free a spoil slot.

Other spoils don’t have an item, but you gain inner abilities; those are called rites. When you perform a rite, the features you gain are now permanent, and the spoil slot can’t be freed in a future time. The rites usually involves a small sacrifice ceremony where you offer the meat of the monster to the gods, burning or burring it.

In order to reap a spoil (either a rite or a trophy) you need to slain personally a monster (other characters can help, but you personally have to strike the last blow to reduce it to 0 hp or less.) “Monster” in this case means an abomination, monstrosity, dragon, giant or fiends; humanoids, undead or fey are not usually considered monsters. Depending of the monster slain, you can choose for a rite or trophy listed:

Aboleth mucus (Rite): To reap this spoil, you must slay an aboleth or other similar deep sea monster. You can breathe air and water and gain swim 40 ft speed.

Ankhreg’s maw: (Trophy) To reap this spoil, you must slay an Ankheg or a similar monster with big mandibles. You gain a trophy that, in your hands only, count as a scimitar +1 that inflict 1d6 acid bonus damage.

Bag of dragon teeth (Trophy): To reap this spoil, you must slay a dragon of any kind. You gain a trophy, a bag with 64 teeth. As an action, you can drop up to seven teeth to the floor. If the floor is natural soil, each teeth will convert automatically in a skeleton. Those undead will follow your mental command, as with the spell animate dead. You can use a bonus action to command them as a whole, or to give them specific commands. After 24 hours, the skeleton will disappear, becoming dust. Once you have used all the 64 teeth in the bag, this trophy is considered destroyed.

Bath in blood: (Rite) To reap this spoil, you must slay a monster with immunity to non-magical weapons. You gain resistance to slashing, bludgeoning or piercing damage inflicted by non-magical weapons, except the one inflicted by a critical hit.

Dark mantle (Trophy): To reap this spoil, you must slay a darkmantle or another creature that can summon magical darkness. You gain a trophy that can be used as a clock. As long as you wear it, you can cast darkness at will.

Dragonshield (Trophy): To reap this spoil, you must slay a dragon of any kind. You gain a trophy, a shield. When you are wearing the shield, you gain resistance to a type of damage associated to the slain dragon. Typical types of damage are fire, cold, lightning, poison or acid.

Eyes of the beholder (Rite): To reap this spoil, you must slay a beholder or another monster able to shoot rays or hexes with their eyes. As an action, you can cast the spell Eyebite. You need to complete a short rest to use this feature again.

Facemask of the shapechanger (Trophy): To reap this spoil, you must slay a doppelganger or similar shapechanger. You gain a trophy, a transparent mask that you can wear in your face. As long as you are wearing it, you can cast the spell alter self at will.

Gorgoneion: (Trophy) To reap this spoil, you must slay a medusa, basilisk or gorgon, or any other monsters with petrifying power. You gain a trophy, a head or eye that you must carry covered inside a bag. Using your trophy, as an action, you can cast the spell Flesh to stone. You need to complete a short rest to use this feature again.

Lure of the Siren (Rite): To reap this spoil, you must slay a slain a harpy, a siren or another beautiful, seductive monster. Increase your Charisma score by 2, to a maximum of 20.

Skin of the beast (Trophy): To reap this spoil, you must slay a displacement beast or similar creature. You gain a trophy that, in your hands, could be used as a cloak of displacement. As long as you are wearing it, any creature that attacks you have disadvantage on attack rolls against you. If you take damage, the property ceases to function until you completes a short rest.

Soul of the Spider (Rite To reap this spoil, you must slay a giant spider, an ettercap, a drider or other arachnid monster. You gain resistance to poison damage. You ignore movement restriction caused by spider-like webbing. You can climb difficult surfaces including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check. The spell web is considered a ranger spell for you.

Tentacle’s whip (Trophy): To reap this spoil, you must slay a Carrion crawler, a Grell or a similar creature with poisoned tentacles. You gain a trophy that, in your hands only, count as a whip +1 that inflict 1d6 poison bonus damage.

Venom sacs (Trophy): To reap this spoil, you must slay a hydra, giant snake or other monster with a poison-based attack. You gain a trophy that generate poison. As a bonus action, you can coat a melee weapon or five missiles with poison. Only slashing o piercing weapons could be coated this way. The weapon will inflict 1d6 extra poison damage next time it is used. The coating is lost if the attack misses.

The GM can create new spoils, tailored to new or custom-made monsters.

Air rider

At 7th level, you gain a flying mount, a loyal animal companion that is attracted by your deeds, or by the monster’s carcasses that you left in your way. The mount could be a Pegasus, a Giant eagle, a Hippogriff or a similar flying creature with Challenge 2 or less.

You and your mount share a mental link. The mount obeys your mental commands as best as it can, and always know where you are. The mount can take an action as part of your turn. Any spell you cast that target only you also target your mount. If the mount drops to 0 hit points, you can summon a new one only after you slain a new monster and offer his carcass in sacrifice.

Masterful preparation

Starting 11th level, you learn how to slay any chthonic monster with tricks, a combination of special poisons, knowledge of weak points and allergenic substances. During a short or long rest, you can choose to adapt one of your weapons, to kill a specific kind of monster, or individual unique monster. Until the next short rest, when you hit that monster with your adapted weapon, the creature takes 2d8 extra damage. The weapons loses any adaptation if you get a natural 1 in an attack roll.

Legendary countermeasures

Starting at 15th level, your knowledge of how to fight a monster becomes legendary. You can spend your reaction to counter any legendary action or lair action of a specific monster within 60 feet of you. Consider it that the monster simply failed trying to do it.

Rogue

The trickier rogues are a one of the most common classes in a greek mythic campaign. The myths talk about many skilled men and women that uses his guile and charm to prevail. Sometimes, they are also competent warriors in his own right.

Core Archetypes

There is nothing bad with a thief in a greek world, but his emphasis in burglary and thievery could be less interesting in campaign more epic in tone. In a polis-based picaresque adventure, they are great. The thieves are represented in the myths in the person of Autolycus and Caco, and in the tales of the god Hermes.

An assassin is not unheard in a Greek world, but they are rare. Payed, covert assassination is considered a very dishonorable thing to do, something that can’t be accepted. An assassin probably will came from foreign lands like Persia or Egypt.

An arcane trickster is an interesting concept. Some mages in the myths can be modeled as mere tricksters.

A mastermind (SCAG) is a great archetype for a greek rogue. Odysseus was probably a rogue mastermind (with a few level of fighter or ranger, too). The swashbuckler (SCAG) has a name that makes you think in France in the 17th century, but it can be used as written for any hero that uses speed and light weapons. Theseus is a good example.

Playtesting archetypes

The scout is great as written for a greek campaign, even if a little bland. It is a different take of the skirmisher role that is expanded in the peltast archetype. The rogue inquisitive could be an interesting take for an officer of a great king. It usefulness is limited in a more epic campaign.

Peltast

A peltast is a well-trained skirmisher, able to disrupt phalanx formation with his javelins and then run away, or remain to fight in melee if needed. Mostly from Thrace and Paeonia, the Peltast emphasizes cunning and speed in the battlefield. Peltast carries a crescent-shaped wicker shield called a pelte.

Peltast usually takes a hit and run tactics. They uses their javelins (usually with sneak attack) and the takes the cunning action to run away.

Shield trickster

When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with shields.

If you are wearing a shield or a cloak, you can use your bonus action to create a cloud of dust, if the ground is appropriate. The cloud is a 20-foot radius sphere centered in a point on you. The area is heavily obscured. It last until the start of your next turn or until a wind of moderate or greater speed disperses it.

Dissuasive shot

Starting at 3rd level, you know how to throw a spear to your enemies in their feet. If you damage a creature with a thrown weapon in a range attack, that creature cannot use the dash action until the start of your next turn.

Feint

Starting at 9th level, you can add your Charisma modifier to an attack roll against an opponent that have intelligence 6 or more. You can only use this feature in a single attack in your turn.

Catch me if you can

Starting at 13th level, your speed increases in 10 feet. If you uses an Uncanny Dodge against a range attack, you take no damage.

Reliable thrower

Starting at 17th level, you have refined your skills as a skirmisher. Whenever you make a range weapon attack with a thrown weapon, you treat a d20 roll of 9 or lower as a 10.

Sorcerer

Magic is a strange occurrence in greek myths. And where it appears, they is used an innate power, something that comes from a mysterious source. There are no references to mysterious pacts, neither an intensive study nor research. In D&D terms, that means that most magic users in greek mythos are sorcerers.

Core Archetypes

The draconic bloodline sorcerer is, curiously, an appropriate archetype for a greek campaign. There are some obscure characters in the mythos that are depicted of half-dragons: the most important are the founders of Athens, the first king Cecrops I and his adoptive son Erichthonius. The descendant of those kings could have a draconic bloodline (and this also gives him a claim to the throne of Athens, an interesting adventure hook). Cadmus, the founder of Thebes, is known to have transformed into a dragon towards the end of his life.

The Chaos is the source of everything, according to Hesiod. A wild mage could be a rare fellow that is somewhat connected to his source and can use it to craft unstable magic.

A Storm Sorcerer (SCAG) gives a sorcerer extra abilities related with wind and thunder. That is unambiguously associated to Zeus in the mythos. A storm sorcerer could be a Scion of Zeus, a not so rare event because Zeus is an incorrigible womanizer.

Playtest Archetypes

A shadow sorcerer could be mage related to Nyx, a very powerful deity that predates the Olympian gods, and is the mother of dream, darkness, pain and deceit. Other option is that a shadow sorcerer is someone that fled from Hades, cheating death and learning dark magical secret at the same time.

A favored soul is a sorcerer touched by a god, who has limited access to clerical spells. The easier way to adapt those sorcerers is to think of them as demigods, probably scion of Apollo or Aphrodite.

The phoenix sorcerer is an interesting choice for a foreign magic user. In greek mythos, the likely source of a phoenix sorcerer is from Egypt or Phoenicia.

If the Storm sorcery is adequate to model a Zeus offspring, the Sea Sorcery is especially appropriate for a Poseidon descendent. Also, there are numerous sea and river godlings, like Proteus, Amphitrite, the titan Okeanus, the Okeanids, etc. Any of those immortals can sire a child that could develop powers like the ones of this archetype.

The Stone Sorcery could represent the demigod sired by gods related to Earth (Rhea, Demeter), related to smithy and forgery (Hephaestus, the elder cyclops, the dactyls) or to a god of war as Ares. The Giant Soul Sorcerer (UA) represent the sire of the Giants, born from the blood of Uranus, and that battled with the Olympians called the Gigantomachy. Replace the references to the giant types with the names of the most famous giants. | Giant types | Giant Lineage| |:----:|:-------------| | Cloud giants | Asterius | | Fire giants | Enceladus | | Frost giants | Eurymedon | | Hill giants | Ephialtes | | Stone giants | Alcyoneus | | Storm giants | King Porphyrion |

Scion of Hecate

In the greek myths, the most famous sorcerers are female: Circe from Odyssey and Medea from the Argonauts fame. But there are other female sorceresses mentioned: Pasiphae, wife of Minos and mother of the Minotaur; Tethys, mother of Achilles and respected even by Zeus. This archetype represents those sorceresses. Only female sorceress should choose it.

The scion of Hecate are female descendants of the mysterious goddess of magic. In ancient times, the daughters of Hecate were the queens and rulers of the Aegean sea. After the Titanomachy and the ascent of the Olympian gods, most of the scions were slaughtered or tamed by gods and heroes. The few scions that remains are fugitives, disguising his powers, or as wives of powerful men in distant shores. Only one of each ten daughters of a scion manifest any powers. The rest of them usually represses the urge of weave magic, fearing for persecution.

The scions had learned to disguise his magic and hide it from the eyes of the men. They collected knowledge of ritual magic, like no other sorcerer can, and infused his magic with pervasive power that can affect even monsters and gods.

The scions are not priests of Hecate; some doesn’t even know the origin of his lineage. Certainly, his power is not divine in nature, but his origin is more mysterious. Hecate is a strange goddess, inhuman and uncanny; she doesn’t intervene in the world in the way other gods or titan does. The scions don’t have any organization or communication, except for their parentage. Each scion is a woman for herself and operate separate of her relatives.

Ritual Mastery

Starting at 1th level, you can cast a sorcerer spell as a ritual if the spell has the ritual tag and you know the spell.

In addition, you can cast the following spells as rituals, only if they are of a level for which you have spell slots. You can’t cast those spells using spell slots.

Scion of Hecate’s Ritual Spells

Level	Spells
1st	Detect poison and disease, Find Familiar, Identify, Speak with animals
2nd	Animal Messenger, Augury, Gentle Repose
3th	Feign Death, Phantom steed
4th	Divination
5th	Contact other plane

Disguise Spell

Starting at 6th level, you can disguise the casting of a spell and his effects, under the appearance of a mundane ritual or social situation. This is a Metamagic option.

When you cast a spell, you can spend 2 sorcery points to disguise the casting. You appear to be doing something else that casting a spell, like doing a speech, having a normal conversation with other characters over the course of a dinner, or reading a scroll and taking notes. The spell takes 20 minutes longer to cast that normal. You use a spell slot as usual, and you can cast it at a higher level. If the spell has material components, you must integrate they to the disguise. For example, if you are casting Detect Thoughts disguised as a mundane talk with a highborn officer, you can show him a copper piece and talk about the meaning of the figures in the coin. You can’t use a component pouch or an arcane focus with a disguise spell option

Any creature that is presenting the casting of the disguised spell can perform an Intelligence Saving Throw. If the creature isn’t a spellcaster, it has disadvantage in the saving throw. On a successful save the creature notices than a spell is being cast, but not specifically what spell is.

When the spell resolves, if it doesn’t’ have sensorial effects, nobody can perceive it happened, even if saving thrown are involved. If the spell has sensorial effects, the creatures affected, and the bystander can’t pinpoint the source of the spell correctly or identify it as a spell at all.

Piercing spell

Starting 14th level, your magic is powerful enough that can pierce most magical resistances. This is a Metamagic option.

When you cast a spell that forces a creature to make a saving throw to resist its effects, you can spend 2 sorcery point. The target can’t use the Legendary Resistance trait to choose to succeed in the saving thrown. Also, it loses any advantage on the saving thrown granted by the Magic Resistance trait.

Permanent spell

Starting 17th level, you know how to maintain a spell effortlessly, without concentration. This is a Metamagic option.

When you cast a spell that has a duration of 1 minute or longer, you can spend 2 sorcery points to make it permanent. A creature can only be affected to up to three spells with permanent duration using this feature (including other scions of Hecate). If a new permanent spell is cast when the target already has three, the new spell fails. The spells also end if the Scion of Hecate than casted them dies.

Warlock

There are no specific warlocks in the greek mythos, but there are many entities that could sponsor one. Discarding Olympian gods (that have followers modeled by the Clerics) and other lesser entities (that tend to take druids as his followers), there are a set of powerful and scary entities: the fallen ones. In the greek cosmogony, there are a variety of deities that were defeated by the Olympian gods and were slayed or imprisoned. The best well known are the Titans trapped in Tartarus, but it include monsters like Typhon or the Gigantes, deposed gods like Cronus or Uranus, or even dead heroes and demigods like Sisyphus.

Most warlocks in a greek campaign will have a conspirational approach; they are trying to free or revive their patrons. A natural enmity will appear with clerics, that represent the Olympian status quo. A wise DM could take this commandment and rivalry as inspiration for adventures and quests.

Core Archetypes

The archfey patron could be used to represent the least menacing titans trapped in Tartarus. Coeus, Phoebe, Leto and the moon titaness Selene are appropriate.

The fiend patron is easily mapped to Typhon, father of monster, a powerful entity that almost killed Zeus once.

The great old one could be used to represent the most powerful and uncanny titans and deposed gods trapped in Tartarus, like Cronus, Okeanus or Uranus.

The undying (SCAG) is best represented by Sisyphus, a mortal King of Corinth that tried to cheat Death (the godling Thanathos) and was punished carring a boulder up a hill in Tartarus.

Playtesting Archetypes

Helios is a titan, but he isn’t trapped and maintains his power as the Sun. He sired subservience to Apollo; a warlock following the Undying light could try to redeem his patron and free him of the Olympians.

The raven queen is a mysterious figure, appropriate to the Titan Hyperion, related to gold and the kingdom of dead.

The seeker patron is appropriate to the most benign titans, like Mnemosine mother of the muses, or Theia.

The Hexblade could be adapted to represent the most warlike titans, like Iapetus or Krius

The Bringer of Gifts

Of the many Titans and Titanides, the apparently most helpful and compassionate to humanity was Prometheus, the gentle Titan. He doesn’t’ participate to the Titanomachy, but he ended trapped in a Caucasus mountain, like his brothers. Zeus personally defeated him and tied him to the rocks, because Prometheus defied him, and bring the Fire, the divine element, to men.

Fire isn’t the only gift Prometheus granted to humanity. He taught mathematics, architecture, and glassblowing. He was depicted as a pacifist, and together with his brother Epimeteus, he helped to spare humanity of misery and hunger.

But many thinks that Prometheus wasn’t so pure or altruist. He, they think, was hatching a revolt against the gods, different from the one that ended badly for his kin.

Maybe he wanted to raise humanity to a level they can fight and harm the gods, and eventually replace Zeus and the Olympians with the restored Titans, in a new world order.

The exact plans of Prometheus are, nevertheless, unknown, as he is still trapped in the Caucasus Mountains. But even in his prison, as his fellow titans, he can be the patron of some warlocks that travel the greek world. Those warlocks are trained in the art of the mischievous gifts, in the secrecy and in the subtle weakening of the power of the Olympian gods. The promethean warlocks are always hiding his condition and looking for the allies to Prometheus and humanity; the older titans, the chthonic gods, the pelasgians cults and the gods of the far realms like Egypt and Asia.

Expanded Spell List

The Bringer of Gifts lets you choose from an expanded list of spells when you learn a warlock spell. The following spells are added to the warlock spell list for you.

Bringer of Gifts Expanded Seplls

Spell Level	Spells
1st	Identify, Burning hands
2nd	Enhance Ability, Continual flame.
3rd	Protection from Energy, Fireball
4th	Fabricate, Wall of Fire
5th	Creation, Flame strike

Dismal gift

Starting at 1st level, you can grant an item to a creature, called a gift. The item must cost at least 10 gp, and it should be something that you can wear or use frequently. The gift radiates faint magic of the school of necromancy. The gift is not cursed; and the creature can discard it freely. You must specifically announce the item as a gift, a homage or as an unrequested tribute; it won’t work if the item is granted as a payment, a loan or a trade of something material. Also, you can’t grant the item to a charmed creature; the item must be voluntarily accepted; with no magic involved.

If the creature is wearing or caring their gift, you know the approximate position and distance to the point where the creature is. Also, you can perceive the superficial emotions and mood of the creature; if it is pleased, angry, scared, relaxed, sleeping, etc. If you cast a spell against a creature that is wearing or carrying your gift, the creature has disadvantage in any saving thrown. Normally, the creatures that received the gifts are unawake of both effects.

You can maintain a limited number of dismal gifts, equal to your warlock level plus your charisma bonus. The effects end if the gift is destroyed or discarded for more than ten days. If the creature transfer, sells or grant his gift to another creature, the effect also ends. The warlock can also end the effects voluntarily, as a bonus action; this automatically destroy the object, unless it is a rare or greater magic item.

Giftbond

Starting at 6th level, as a reaction, you can transfer a spell effect with duration of 1 minute or longer, to another creature that is carrying or wearing one of your dismal gifts. You can transfer the effect either from the creature to you, or from you to the creature. The effect could be either noxious or beneficial. Conditions like prone, petrified, etc.; can’t be transferred this way. If you transfer a noxious effect to an unwilling creature, the creature can make a Wisdom saving throw against you warlock spell save DC, with disadvantage; if it succeeds, the transfer fails.

Once you use this feature, you can´t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

Giftlink

Starting at 10th level, you have a telepathic link with each creature that is wearing or carrying one of your dismal gifts. You can communicate telepathically with each one of them, but they can’t communicate with each other. You don’t need to share any common language, and the communication is possible over any distance. Communication is faster than normal verbal communication; you can get a lot of information in this way in an instant. Creatures that can’t be charmed are immune to this feature.

As an action, you can access to the senses of a gifted creature in a covert way. The creature isn’t awake that something is tapering his senses unless it succeeds a Wisdom saving throw against you warlock spell save DC, with disadvantage. If the creature succeeds, you can’t access their senses until a week passes.

As an action, you can read the surface thoughts of a gifted creature secretly, using the link, with no saving throw. You can intent to prove deeper into the creature’s mind; it must make a Wisdom saving throw against you warlock spell save DC, with disadvantage. If it fails, you gain insight into his reasoning and mindset; you can explore thought and memories. If it succeeds, the effect ends, and you can’t retry until a week passes. In any case, the creature is awake that something has read or tried to read his mind but doesn’t know the source.

As an action, you can implant a suggestion into the mind of a gifted creature. The suggestion must be worded as a reasonable course of action; it can’t be something obviously harmful. The creature has a must make a Wisdom saving throw against you warlock spell save DC (no disadvantage). You can’t reuse this until you complete a long rest.

Cursed gift

Starting with 14th level, any dismal gift you grant to a creature are cursed. As long as the creature accept the gift, it is unwilling to part with the gift, keeping it within reach at all times. There is no saving throw to avoid the curse. The curse can be dispelled with a remove curse spell o similar. A cursed creature is compelled to avoid that kind of spell; it will violently resist any attempt to remove the curse.

Wizard

Wizardry is a rare skill in a greek world. Most of the magic users in the myths are wielders of a divine, innate magic. The most well-known mage, Circe, is really a sorcerer (even when she could be thought also as a wizard or an alchemist). Fortunately, there are many sages, philosophers and seers that could have magic powers. They belong more to the history than to the myth, but they are greek enough to be included.

Core archetypes

The school of abjuration is dedicated to protective magic. There are few defensive magical effects in the greek myth. The most well-known is the Palladium, an artifact that protected the city of Troy. An abjurer can be part of a secret society of abjurer mages dedicated to craft protective spells and artifacts like the Palladium.

The school of divination is overrepresented in the greek myths. Many seers earned his powers due his lineage or due a special incident. The most interesting diviner are Tyresias (that figured prominently in Oedipus myths) and Melampus, who even wrote magical treatises.

The school of enchantment are also well known. Probably the most appropriate model for an enchanter is Calypso, the nymph that beguiled Odysseus during many years in his island.

A power like the one wielded from the evokers of the School of evocation is rarely in hand of a mortal in the greek myth. Specifically, any wizards that cast a lightning bolt will be jealousy attacked by Zeus, who has the monopoly of the lightning.

There are few illusions and illusionist in the greek mythos. But the wizards of the school of illusion are very archetypical, and probably they could be used anyway. Zeus once created a permanent, solid illusion copy of Hera called Nephele to trick Ixion; a cloud-based illusionist wizard could be an interesting concept.

The school of necromancy appears sometimes in greek mythos. Odysseus himself performed a speak with dead rite in the Odyssey. A necromancer could live nearby one of the entries of the Underworld.

The school of transmutation is so classic that could be used for a greek environment. Polimorfization-like effects are very greek, appearing in a large number of legends, both in use for humans and gods. A transmuter could be consider something like a classic wizard.

The bladesinger (SCAG) are a written an elven archetype that combines song, magic and martial training. There are no elves in a greek concept. The most interesting analogue are the kouretes, a mythical brotherhood of shield-wearing, fighters/dancers. To adapt the bladesinger to the Kouretes, discard the elven-only restriction, add shield proficiency at “Training in war and song” and discard the non-shield clause in Bladesong.

Playtesting archetypes

The Teurgy wizards are the counterpart of the priest of Hecate (of the Domain Arcane). They are unknown in the myth themselves, but they can be concepted as wizard at the service of a patron god.

A war mage sounds like something that could be used by a wizard born in Sparta. Probably a mage like that is under the protection of Athene, a goddess that could appreciate some magic in the battlefield.

The loremaster archetype is interesting for natural philosophers/wizards, like Empedocles, that mixed magic with a profound knowledge of the world.

The School of Invention (UA) appears to be a bit too cyberpunk for Greek tastes, but you can create a artificer-like wizards inspired in Daedalus and the sage Archimedes. The Cretans and Aegeans Greek have a penchant for clockwork mechanism, like the Antikythera mechanism, and Talos, the Cretan mechanical colossus.

School of the Pythagoreans

Pythagoras of Samos was a semilegendary mathematician, religious figure and wizard. He founded the secret brotherhood of his name, the Pythagoreans. Those mages look for the secrets of the universe using both magic and science. The pythagoreans are proficient in knowledge that is ignored even for other wizards and sages. They are expert in mathematics, music, alchemy, astronomy, medicine and religion. There are women in their ranks, something that many Greek men think is outrageous.

The first disciples of Pythagoras tried to seize power in some cities of Greece many years ago. They failed; the brotherhood was officially forbidden, and his practices fell into obscurity and secrecy. Nobody knows if Pythagoras survived (many sources says that he already conquered death and obtained a form of immortality).

A pythagorean wizard probably learned magic by a single teacher, usually in secrecy. To complete his learning, a Pythagorean should try to contact other master of his brotherhood, and even the great Pythagoras himself.

Tetractys

The Pythagorean mathematical lore allow them to calculate precisely any chance of an outcome. Beginning when you select this school at 2nd level, instead to roll a d20 in a saving thrown (except death saving throws), attack roll o ability check, you can assume you get a natural 10 in the thrown. If you have advantage in the thrown, you can instead assume you get 14. If you have disadvantage in the thrown, you can instead assume you get 6. You can use this effect three times until you take a long rest.

Mnemotechnics

Beginning to 6th level, you can learn and memorize spell more effectively. Choose one of the follows:

• You can prepare a list of spells equal to your Intelligence modifier + your wizard level + your Wisdom modifier.
• Each time you gain a wizard level, you can add three wizard spells of your choice instead of two to your spellbook.
• When you use Arcane recovery, you recover a combined level of expended spell slot equal to half your wizard level (round up) plus two.

Arcane mathematics

Starting at 10th level, you learned how to manipulate the numeric variants and the geometry of the spells you cast. When you cast a spell using a spell slot, you can expend one additional spell slot to augment its effect for this casting. The effect depends of the spell slot you expend.

• An additional 1st – level spell slot can increase the area of effect of the spell. Increase in 50% any numeric variant in the area of effect definition.
• An additional 2nd – level spell slot can increase the spell’s range. If the spell’s range is at least 30 feet, it becomes 1 mile.
• An additional 3rd level spell slot increases the duration of the spell. If the duration is up to 1 minute, double it. If concentration is needed, you can maintain this spell for 1 additional minute without concentrating on it.

Metempsychosis

Starting at 14th level, you learned how to transmigrate your soul to the body of a nearby animal if you receive a deadly wound. If you fall to 0 hit point and you fall unconscious, you can choose to transfer your soul to a nearby beast with challenge rating of 1/4 or lower. The GM determines the beast, which should be adequate to the terrain. This break your concentration on any spell you’ve already cast.

You gain complete control of the creature. Your game statistics are replaced for the statistics of the beast, but you retain your alignment, personality and Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma scores. You also retain all your skill and saving thrown proficiencies, in addition to gaining those of the creature. You can cast spells in the animal form as is you have a spellcasting focus; spells with material components with a listed price can’t be casted. You retain any class, race or feat features that are reasonably useable in your new body. Your equipment and possession remain in your dying body; even if you approach to it as an animal you can’t use them. You can’t speak or communicate with your allies, unless telepathy or a spell like Speak with animals is used. Your hit points are those of the creature.

Your humanoid body remains 0 hit points, unconscious. Death saving thrown are still being rolled but is the GM who rolls the dice. If your body become stable by any means, your soul return to it automatically.

If your body dies, you remain in the animal body permanently. You can still operate as a character, but you can’t normally read your spellbook, so you can’t change your prepared spells. Any effect that revives your body will allow you to return to it.