This is where I will list homebrew and optional rules for my campaign, a Table of Contents is included to help with navigation.
Free Resource of the different classes and subclasses in Fifth Edition D&D
Editable/Fillable Character Sheets for General Use and Specific Classes
Character creation rules change from campaign to campaign, so double check with your DM on what rules apply. Generally, the following apply:
Characters start at level 3
Some species may not be legal, double check with your setting's specific ruling.
Ability Scores will be determined with the Point Buy System (PHB pg.13)
Unless specified otherwise, a character's ability score cannot go above 20
When creating a character, try to focus on making a story character not a game character.
Roleplay is required by all
You don't need to have an accent, just a story to work with and a personality for your character
If you give your character a flaw, you will receive a benefit to your character. The greater the flaw, the greater the benefit.
Player: My character Glimscar is blind! He uses his wild shapes to obtain sight.
DM: That's really cool, I'll allow you to have a 20ft tremor sight (Blind sight) when you are back in your druid form! That's fun character design.
How We Do Travel
To Expedite the monotony of travel we are introducing a travel action economy. When travelling, every player has a
General Luck Roll
This facilitates how lucky the individual players and the party
Heavy Action
This is something that requires a great amount of effort to do. Typically something that you dedicate a great amount time and effort.
Light Action
This is something
Roleplay Action
Non-Lethal Alternatives
With the new dying and exhaustion rules came an interesting conflict of rules where at this point any non-spell attack can be done non-lethally, in a logical way, and the creature would have it's hit points reach 0 but they wouldn't die. This rule, like all my rules, would apply to the enemies attacking you all. Now we have an interesting situation, that I have a solution for. We are going to utilize the Comatose rules presented in the DMG.
Comatose. The character has 1 Hit Point and the Unconscious condition. The character can regain Hit Points as normal, but the character remains Unconscious until they are targeted by a Greater Restoration spell or experience a sudden awakening (see below).
Sudden Awakening. After finishing a Long Rest, the character makes a DC 20 Constitution saving throw. On a successful save, the Unconscious condition ends on the character. On a failed save, the condition persists.
Indomitable Spirit:
When you have the dying condition, you can summon the strength and adrenaline required to come back to the fight healthy enough to make a difference.
Before you roll your death saving throw on your turn, you may choose to revive yourself. This is a free action that when done has the following effects:
You lose the dying condition and regain 1/3 of your max health.
You permanently fill in a failed saving throw. This stays filled in even after a long rest. This cannot go away except with divine intervention or equal powered influence.
Short Rest Rule:
Short Rests are now 10 minutes long.
Half casters may now, in leu of healing, spend their hit dice to recover spell slots
This conversion is 2 hit die per spell slot level
CLASS CHANGES
Check out my Class Changes page to see the improvements I've made towards some classes to bring the bar up higher
WEAPON CHANGES
Check out my Weapon Changes page to see the improvements I've added. I basically stole from OneD&D because they actually did SOMETHING right!
Revised Exhaustion and the Dying Condition
Revised Exhaustion:
There are 10 levels of exhaustion now, instead of 6. Each level of exhaustion will count as a deduction from your d20 roll. Making your raw roll what you rolled - exhaustion level value, the minimum value you can achieve is 1 which is considered a Natural 1. This is NOT a modifier, this means you are unable to roll natural 20s if you are exhausted at all. This deduction also applies to both rolls made with advantage/disadvantage.
If you reach 10 levels of exhaustion, you are dead.
For visual sake, here is what is looks like when you ma
Exhaustion Level: Deduction
1 Level : -1 d20 Deduction
2 Levels : -2 d20 Deduction
3 Levels : -3 d20 Deduction
4 Levels : -4 d20 Deduction
5 Levels : -5 d20 Deduction
6 Levels : -6 d20 Deduction
7 Levels : -7 d20 Deduction
8 Levels : -8 d20 Deduction
9 Levels : -9 d20 Deduction
10 Levels : Dead
Dying condition:
When your hit points are equal to 0, you fall prone and gain this condition.
At the start of your turn roll a death saving throw (This functions as normal)
On your turn, you can only use your action, bonus action, or move action.
Once you use one of these actions, your turn ends.
If you use your actions, you gain 3 levels of exhaustion.
If you use your bonus action, you gain 1 level of exhaustion.
While you have this condition, you cannot use any of your actions to stand up from prone.
If you use your reaction while you are dying, you gain 1 level of exhaustion
Resurrection:
When your party attempts to revive you from your early grave, it is not guaranteed.
These events require a Skill Challenge performed by all who are trying to bring the character
DC starts at 10, maximum number of participants is 5. Each check effects the final DC.
Each participant will roll play their plea, prayer, or offer to the kindred spirit or external force. Their performance will determine if their check is done with advantage, disadvantage, or straight roll. NPCs are typically a straight roll.
Successes lower the DC by 2.
Failures increase the DC by 1.
Once the final participant has done their roll, the DM rolls a straight d20, and shares the result with the ressurectee.
The spirit may choose to not come back if it is a failure.
Flanking is a bonus to attack rolls; this bonus is +(2+1per person flanking)
Player is attacking a monster. There are two allies that are assisting in flanking. Player's bonus to attack roll is +(2+2) = +4
Your character MUST have a flaw. Depending on the intensity of the flaw, you may receive a boon.
Hit dice rolling is done with advantage
Health Potion Rules:
Drink Potion as an Action: Maxed dice
Drink Potion as a Bonus Action: Roll the Dice
Pour into another's mouth as an Action:
Inside initiative: Roll the Dice
Outside initiative: Maxed Dice
Other Potions:
Can be used as a bonus action, and depending on what it does you may not get the full duration/effect
DM's discretion.
Skilled Players: Some ability checks can be made in combat without exhausting your action, dm's discretion will be expressed beforehand.
Chatty Players: You can use a free action to yell/talk in combat, but it must be 1-2 sentences in length.
Varied Ability Checks
Some ability checks can be done with different Ability Scores
Example: Barbarian tries to intimidate NPC with their physical appearances, they are proficient with intimidation, but have a bad Charisma score. In this case, they would be able to use their Strength score, with proficiency.
The DM Adjudicates the Rules
The rules of D&D cover many of the twists and turns that come up in play, but the possibilities are so vast that the rules can't cover everything. When you encounter something that the rules don't cover or if you're unsure how to interpret a rule, the DM decides how to proceed, aiming for a course that brings the most enjoyment to your whole group.
Exceptions Supersede General Rules
General rules govern each part of the game. For example, the combat rules tell you that melee weapon attacks use Strength and ranged weapon attacks use Dexterity. That's a general rule, and a general rule is in effect as long as something in the game doesn't explicitly say otherwise.
The game also includes elements—class features, spells, magic items, monster abilities, and the like—that sometimes contradict a general rule. When an exception and a general rule disagree, the exception wins. For example, if a feature says you can make melee weapon attacks using your Charisma, you can do so, even though that statement disagrees with the general rule.
Advantage and Disadvantage
Even if more than one factor gives you advantage or disadvantage on a roll, you have it only once, and if you have advantage and disadvantage on the same roll, they cancel each other.
Reaction Timing
Certain game features let you take a special action, called a reaction, in response to an event. Making opportunity attacks and casting the shield spell are two typical uses of reactions. If you're unsure when a reaction occurs in relation to its trigger, here's the rule: the reaction happens after its trigger, unless the description of the reaction explicitly says otherwise. Once you take a reaction, you can't take another one until the start of your next turn.
Proficiency Bonus
If your proficiency bonus applies to a roll, you can add the bonus only once to the roll, even if multiple things in the game say your bonus applies. Moreover, if more than one thing tells you to double or halve your bonus, you double it only once or halve it only once before applying it. Whether multiplied, divided, or left at its normal value, the bonus can be used only once per roll.
Bonus Action Spells
If you want to cast a spell that has a casting time of 1 bonus action, remember that you can't cast any other spells before or after it on the same turn, except for cantrips with a casting time of 1 action.
Concentration
As soon as you start casting a spell or using a special ability that requires concentration, your concentration on another effect ends instantly.
Temporary Hit Points
Temporary hit points aren't cumulative. If you have temporary hit points and receive more of them, you don't add them together, unless a game feature says you can. Instead, you decide which temporary hit points to keep.
Round Down
Whenever you divide or multiply a number in the game, round down if you end up with a fraction, even if the fraction is one-half or greater.
Have Fun
You don't need to know every rule to enjoy D&D, and each group has its own style—different ways it likes to tell stories and to use the rules. Embrace what your group enjoys most. In short, follow your bliss!
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