House Rules

The current house rules are in effect and will be adjusted / added / removed as need be, at the DM discretion.

  1. Inspiration:

    1. Use it or lose it -- lasts 1 gaming session.
    2. 2 pts (max 1 per player) awarded at the start of each session for:
      1. Excellent Roleplaying
      2. Most Ridiculous or Epic moment
    3. What can you do with Inspiration?
      1. Taking an additional action on your turn
      2. Get Advantage on a attack role, skill check or save
      3. Impose Disadvantage on an enemy's attack role, skill check or save

  2. Exhaustion:

    1. in addition to the normal causes of exhaustion, a level of exhaustion will be gained when:
      1. Dropping to 0 HP
      2. Failing a death save by more than 5
      3. Being resurrected (max of level 5).
    2. Effects by Level of Exhaustion:
      1. -1 to all roles, speed reduced by 5 feet.
      2. -2 to all roles, speed reduced by 10 feet.
      3. -3 to all roles, speed reduced by 15 feet.
      4. -4 to all roles, speed reduced by 20 feet.
      5. -5 to all roles, speed reduced by 25 feet.
      6. death
    3. Removing 1 level of exhaustion requires a 3-days of non-adventuring (light duty)

  3. Death

    - Character death occurs when:
    1. 3 failed death saves. Note, when unconscious, you will take an automatic critical hit when attacked -- this equals 2 failed death saves.
    2. 6 levels of exhaustion
    3. Damage taken would bring you to your negative hit point (i.e. 15 hp character takes 30 damage).
    4. Plausible situation where randomness has no bearing on the death - no save will be given.

  4. Feats during level advancement at 4, 12 (in single character class).

    - When leveling up during these levels, you can take either:
    1. 2 ability points to increase stats (can split, for example +1 DEX, +1 STR) (Note max 20)
    2. 1 ability point AND 1 feat

  5. Feats during Character Creation

    - Each PC gets 1 free feat at level 1 from the list below. Humans can choose any feat (even those outside this list), assuming they meet the prerequisites.
    1. Athlete, Charger, Dungeon Delver, Durable, Healer, Heavily Armored, Lightly Armored, Moderately Armored, Ritual Caster, Tavern Brawler, Tough, Weapon Master

  6. Rebalanced Feats

    - the following list of feats are allowed in the game. Homebrew feats or other feats may be allowed it makes sense from an RP Perspective.

  7. Lingering/Grievous Wounds

    Can occur occasionally when there are critical, near-max damage big hits taken (i.e. 1/2 of hp). Healing may require magic or time to recover from. Lingering Wound Chart.

  8. Called Shots

    - Will not be allowed. This is primarily for speed. Lingering/Grievous wounds can still occur, but will be prompted by the DM.

  9. Potions in Battle

    - healing potions can be used with a bonus action instead of a full action in battle. Other potions require a full action to use

  10. Concentration Spells

    - You can concentrate on up to 2 spells at a time with the following limitations: 1) one can be offensive/debuff, one can defensive/buff, 2) The spell slots must not be more than 1/2 of your full caster level. Examples: Level 8 / 2 = 4. Can concentrate on 2x level 2 spells. Level 14 / 2 = 7. Can concentrate on 1x level 4 and 1x level 3 spell.

  11. Short Rests

    - are 15 minutes

  12. Long Rests

    - it is assumed that a short rest is the first part of a long rest, so if it gets interrupted, a short rest will have occured.

  13. NPC Death

    - NPCs will be allowed death saves on a case by case basis -- less important NPCs will not get saves.

  1. Flanking

    +2 to hit is offered if all:
    1. You are within 5ft of an enemy
    2. You have an ally within 5ft of the same enemy
    3. That enemy has no allies within 5ft of it.
    4. Note -- facing does not matter.

  2. Item Identification

    is more difficult than in base rules. Magical Items, effects, and curses have a DC value to learn information about them. Some items may have multiple levels of DCs.
    1. Experimentation may give some information, as appropriate.
    2. For the Identify spell you do an Arcana check plus an additional +5. Also you will learn whether there are other secrets which are more difficult to discern. You will NOT learn how many additional secrets or their DC.
    3. You cannot identify an item over a short rest without if you do not have Arcana proficiency (or relevant background).
    4. If you do have arcana proficiency (or relevant background), you can attempt an arcana check over a Short Rest with at -6 penalty to the check.
    5. If you do have arcana proficiency (or relevant background), you can attempt an arcana check over a 4-hour Long study period or longer. Bonuses are as follows (a test can be attempted at each segment):
      1. 4 hours: +0
      2. 8 hours: +2
      3. 12 hours: +4
      4. 16 hours: +6

  3. Spell Components

    - Until characters reach level 5, they can ignore all component and costs. Thereafter, all spell casting requirements must be met, including spells previously learned.

  4. Counterspelling:

    When a spellcaster counterspells a counterspell, both spellcasters roll on the Wild Magic Surge table.

  5. Spell Choices

    - A player can change out known spells until they get to level 5, after which normal rules apply.

  6. Swimming with Armor

    - Swimming in armor for extended periods of time will require CON saves to avoid exhaustion effects.
    1. When swimming with armor:
      1. no/Light armor - no effect (can swim unencumbered)
      2. Medium armor - for 1 minute (10 rounds), no effect. After 1 minute (turn 11) needs to take CON save per round as below
      3. Heavy armor - 1/2 speed. For 1 round, no effect. every round after must make an (increasingly difficult) CON save to avoid sinking, as below. If you start sinking and then pass the next check, you can try to swim up for air.
        1. Round 2: DC 12
        2. Round 3: DC 14
        3. Round 4: DC 16, etc.... max DC 30
      4. If you sink, you sink at 15 ft per round.
      5. Swimming while encumbered / overburdened with gear -- counts as heavy armor
      6. Shields -- armor counts as one heavier than current
    2. If an armor is designed for swimming, or has a magical effect which breaks the rules above, this will be handled on a case by case basis.

  7. Mithral Armor

    is considered magical and conveys the following benefits:
    1. The weight of Mithral is 1/4 that of the non-mithral version
    2. Mithral never imposes stealth disadvantage
    3. Counts as one armor class lighter for the purposes of swimming
    4. Resizes to wearer
    5. 13 + Dex with Chain Shirt (Light armor)
    6. 14 + Dex with Breastplate (Light armor)
    7. 15 + Dex (max 3) with Half Plate (Medium Armor)
    8. 16 + Dex (max 1) with Chain Mail (Medium Armor)
    9. 18 + Dex (max 1) with Plate (Heavy Armor)
the following rules are proposed but not currently in play

Resurrection

(Adapted from source: Matt Mercer)

Character death can often prove to become a minor inconvenience in some campaigns once the adventuring party reaches a certain level, with spells being available to return fallen comrades from the afterlife with temporary setbacks, robbing a small element of danger, and threat to future conflicts and challenges within the story.

If a character is dead, and a resurrection is attempted by a spell or spell effect with longer than a 1 action casting time, a Resurrection Challenge is initiated. Up to 3 members of the adventuring party can offer to contribute to the ritual via a Contribution Skill Check. The DM asks them each to make a skill check based on their form of contribution, with the DC of the check adjusting to how helpful/impactful the DM feels the contribution would be.

After all contributions are completed, the DM then rolls a single, final Resurrection success check with no modifier. The base DC for the final resurrection check is 10, increasing by 2 for each previous successful resurrection the character has undergone (signifying the slow erosion of the soul’s connection to this world). For each successful contribution skill check, this DC is decreased by 3, whereas each failed contribution skill check increases the DC by 1.

Upon a successful resurrection check, the player’s soul (should it be willing) will be returned to the body, and the ritual succeeded. On a failed check, the soul does not return and the character is lost.

Only the strongest of magical incantations can bypass this resurrection challenge, in the form of the True Resurrection or Wish spells. These spells can also restore a character to life who was lost due to a failed resurrection ritual.

If a spell with a casting time of 1 action is used to attempt to restore life (via the Revivify spell or similar effects), no contribution skill checks are allowed. The character casting the spell makes a Rapid Resurrection check, rolling a d20 and adding their spellcasting ability modifier. The DC is 10, increasing by 2 for each previous successful resurrection the character has undergone. On a failure, the character’s soul is not lost, but the resurrection fails and increases any future Resurrection checks’ DC by 2. No further attempts can be made to restore this character to life until a resurrection spell with a casting time higher than 1 action is attempted.

Example:

Farnjar has been resurrected twice already. His base DC is then 10 + 2*2 = DC 14.

Cleric Tandi attempts to cast revivify immediately after a combat. Being a spell with 1 action to cast, she rolls a d20 + spellcasting modifier +3. Roll: 9+3 = 12. The resurrection fails, and the DC for future saves goes up by 2.

After doing a long-rest, Tandi attempts again, this time with raise dead, which has a 1 hour casting time. Her party members help:
  • Bruno, the paladin, praying to the god of the devout, is ruled by the DM to require an Intelligence (Religion) check at an easy to medium difficulty. The DM sets this at DC 12. Role: 12+5 = 17. As a result DC for the RES test is reduced by 3.
  • Ajax, the barbarian, loudly demands the soul of the fallen to return from the aether. The DM required a Charisma (Intimidation) check at difficulty since it was unlikely that gods of the departing soul would listen to such a plea. The DM sets this at DC 22. Role: 13 +6 = 19. As a result the DC for the RES test is increased by 1.
  • Willowleaf, a druid, creates a concoction of herbs that his forest god taught him. He drains this into the open mouth of Farnjar and offers some to the rest of the helpers. This is ruled by the DM to require a Medicine or Nature check at medium difficulty. The DM sets this at DC 15. Role: 16 + 6 = 22. As a result the RES test is reduced by 3.
The DM now rolls a final check as follows: Base DC 16 - 3 (Bruno) + 1 (Ajax) - 3 (Willowleaf) = DC 11. Role: 15 = pass. Farnjar is brought back to life and his new base resurrection save is DC 18.

Lingering Wounds

Lingering wounds can be applied after all are TRUE:
  • Critical hit
  • near-max damage
  • with the use of an inspiration point
The DM will apply lingering wounds on PCs when monsters CRIT and do near-max damage.
Reference

Rebalanced Feats

Alert

Always on the lookout for danger, you gain the following benefits:
  • You gain a +5 bonus to initiative.
  • You can't be surprised while you are conscious.
  • Other creatures don't gain advantage on attack rolls against you as a result of being hidden from you.

Athlete (Avail at Lvl-1)

You have undergone extensive physical training to gain the following benefits:
  • Increase your Strength or Dexterity score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
  • When you are prone, standing up uses only 5 feet of your movement.
  • Climbing doesn't cost you extra movement.
  • You can make a running long jump or a running high jump after moving only 5 feet on foot, rather than 10 feet.

Actor

Skilled at mimicry and dramatics, you gain the following benefits:
  • Increase your Charisma score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
  • You have advantage on Charisma (Deception) and Charisma (Performance) checks when trying to pass yourself off as a different person.
  • You can mimic the speech of another person or the sounds made by other creatures. You must have heard the person speaking, or heard the creature make the sound, for at least 1 minute. A successful Wisdom (Insight) check contested by your Charisma (Deception) check allows a listener to determine that the effect is faked.

Charger + (Avail at Lvl-1)

If you move at least 15 feet in a straight line immediately before making an attack, you either gain a +5 bonus to the attack's damage roll (if you chose to make a melee attack and hit) or push the target up to 10 feet away from you (if you chose to shove prone and you succeed).

Crossbow Expert-

Thanks to extensive practice with the crossbow, you gain the following benefits:
  • You ignore the loading quality of crossbows with which you are proficient.
  • Being within 5 feet of a hostile creature doesn't impose disadvantage on your ranged attack rolls.
  • When you use the Attack action and attack with a one handed weapon, you can use a bonus action to attack with a loaded hand crossbow you are holding. This shot is always made at disadvantage, regardless of circumstance.

Defensive Duelist +

Prerequisite: Dexterity 13 or higher

Once per round, when you are wielding a finesse weapon with which you are proficient and another creature hits you with a melee attack, you can add your proficiency bonus to your AC for that attack, potentially causing the attack to miss you. You regain the ability to use this feature at the begining of your next turn. You can use this feature again before regaining the ability to do so, but it requires your reaction.

Dual Wilder +

You master fighting with two weapons, gaining the following benefits:
  • You gain a +1 bonus to AC while you are wielding a separate melee weapon in each hand.
  • Once on each of your turns when you take the Attack action and attack with a melee weapon that you’re holding in one hand, you can attack with a different melee weapon that you’re holding in the other hand as a part of the same attack action.
  • You can use two-weapon fighting even when the one-handed melee weapons you are wielding aren't light.
  • You can draw or stow two one-handed weapons when you would normally be able to draw or stow only one.

Dungeon Delver + (Avail at Lvl-1)

Alert to the hidden traps and secret doors found in many dungeons, you gain the following benefits:
  • Increase your Intelligence or Wisdom score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
  • You have advantage on saving throws made to avoid or resist traps, and to find hidden doors.
  • You have resistance to the damage dealt by traps.
  • You can search for traps while traveling at a normal pace, instead of only at a slow pace.

Durable + (Avail at Lvl-1)

Hardy and resilient, you gain the following benefits:
  • Increase your Constitution score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
  • When you roll a Hit Die to regain hit points, regain double the amount rolled.

Elemental Adept

Prerequisite: The ability to cast at least one spell
  • When you gain this feat, choose one of the following damage types: acid, cold, fire, lightning, or thunder.
  • Spells you cast ignore resistance to damage of the chosen type. In addition, when you roll damage for a spell you cast that deals damage of that type, you can treat any 1 on a damage die as a 2.
  • You can select this feat multiple times. Each time you do so, you must choose a different damage type.

Grappler +

Prerequisite: Strength 13 or higher

You've developed the skills necessary to hold your own in close-quarters grappling. You gain the following benefits:
  • If you successfully grapple a creature on your turn, you can attempt to knock it prone as a bonus action
  • You have advantage on attack rolls against a creature you are grappling.
  • You can grapple creatures 1 size larger than normal.

Great Weapon Master

You've learned to put the weight of a weapon to your advantage, letting its momentum empower your strikes. You gain the following benefits:
  • On your turn, when you score a critical hit with a melee weapon or reduce a creature to 0 hit points with one, you can make one melee weapon attack as a bonus action.
  • Before you make a melee attack with a heavy weapon that you are proficient with, you can choose to take a -5 penalty to the attack roll. If the attack hits, you add +10 to the attack's damage.

Healer (Avail at Lvl-1)

You are an able physician, allowing you to mend wounds quickly and get your allies back in the fight. You gain the following benefits:
  • When you use a healer's kit to stabilize a dying creature, that creature also regains 1 hit point.
  • As an action, you can spend one use of a healer's kit to tend to a creature and restore 1d6 + 4 hit points to it, plus additional hit points equal to the creature's maximum number of Hit Dice. The creature can't regain hit points from this feat again until it finishes a short or long rest.

Heavily Armored (Avail at Lvl-1)

Prerequisite: Proficiency with medium armor

You have trained to master the use of heavy armor, gaining the following benefits:
  • Increase your Strength score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
  • You gain proficiency with heavy armor.

Heavy Armor Master +

Prerequisite: Proficiency with heavy armor

You can use your armor to deflect strikes that would kill others. You gain the following benefits:
  • Increase your Strength score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
  • While you are wearing heavy armor, bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage that you take from non-magical weapons is reduced by an amount equal to your proficiency bonus.

Fighter Class Homebrew

Class Features

Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d10 per fighter level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + your Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + your Constitution modifier per fighter level after 1st
Proficiences
Armor: All armor, shields
Weapons: Simple weapons, martial weapons
Tools: none
Saving Throws: Strength, Constitution
Skills: Choose two skills from Acrobatics, Animal Handling, Athletics. History, Insight, Intimidation, Perception, and Survival
Equipment
You start with the following equipment:
  • (a) chain mail or (b) leather, longbow, and 20 arrows
  • (a) a martial weapon and a shield or (b) two martial weapons
  • (a) a light crossbow and 20 bolts or (b) two handaxes
  • (a) a dungeoneer's pack or (b) an explorer's pack
Proficiency Bonus Tree
  • Level 1: +2
  • Level 5: +3
  • Level 9: +4
  • Level 13: +5
  • Level 17: +6
Known Maneuvers Tree
  • Level 1: 0
  • Level 2: 2
  • Level 6: 3
  • Level 11: 4
  • Level 14: 5
Features Tree
  • Level 1: Fighting Style, Second Wind
  • Level 2: Action Surge, Combat Superiority
  • Level 3: Martial Archetype
  • Level 4: Ability Score Improvement (ASI), Martial Versatility
  • Level 5: Extra Attack
  • Level 6: ASI
  • Level 7: Martial Archetype Feature
  • Level 8: ASI
  • Level 9: Indomitable
  • Level 10: Martial Archetype Feature
  • Level 11: Extra Attack (2)
  • Level 12: ASI
  • Level 13: Indomitable (2 uses)
  • Level 14: ASI
  • Level 15: Martial Archetype Feature
  • Level 16: ASI
  • Level 17: Action Surge (two uses), Indomitable (3 uses)
  • Level 18: Martial Archetype Feature
  • Level 19: ASI
  • Level 20: Extra Attack (3)

Fighting Style

You adopt a particular style of fighting as your specialty. Choose a fighting style from the list of optional features. You can't take the same Fighting Style option more than once, even if you get to choose again.

Fighting Style: Archery
  • You gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls you make with ranged weapons.
Fighting Style: Blind Fighting
  • You have blindsight with a range of 10 feet. Within that range, you can effectively see anything that isn’t behind total cover, even if you’re blinded or in darkness. Moreover, you can see an invisible creature within that range, unless the creature successfully hides from you.
Fighting Style: Defense
  • While you are wearing armor, you gain a +1 bonus to AC.
Fighting Style: Dueling
  • When you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no other weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls with that weapon.
Fighting Style: Great Weapon Fighting
  • When you roll a 1 or 2 on a damage die for an attack you make with a melee weapon that you are wielding with two hands, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll, even if the new roll is a 1 or a 2. The weapon must have the two-handed or versatile property for you to gain this benefit.
Fighting Style: Interception
  • When a creature you can see hits a target, other than you, within 5 feet of you with an attack, you can use your reaction to reduce the damage the target takes by 1d10 + your proficiency bonus (to a minimum of 0 damage). You must be wielding a shield or a simple or martial weapon to use this reaction.
Fighting Style: Protection
  • When a creature you can see attacks a target other than you that is within 5 feet of you, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on the attack roll. You must be wielding a shield.
Fighting Style: Superior Technique
  • You learn one additional maneuver of your choice from among those available to any archetype.
Fighting Style: Thrown Weapon Fighting
  • You can draw a weapon that has the thrown property as part of the attack you make with the weapon.
  • In addition, when you hit with a ranged attack using a thrown weapon, you gain a +2 bonus to the damage roll.
Fighting Style: Two-Weapon Fighting
  • When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack.
Fighting Style: Unarmed Fighting
  • Your unarmed strikes can deal bludgeoning damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier on a hit. If you aren’t wielding any weapons or a shield when you make the attack roll, the d6 becomes a d8.
  • At the start of each of your turns, you can deal 1d4 bludgeoning damage to one creature grappled by you.

Second Wind

You have a limited well of stamina that you can draw on to protect yourself from harm. On your turn, you can use a bonus action to regain hit points equal to 1d10 + your fighter level. Once you use this feature, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again.

Action Surge

Starting at 2nd level, you can push yourself beyond your normal limits for a moment. On your turn, you can take one additional action on top of your regular action and a possible bonus action.

Once you use this feature, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again. Starting at 17th level, you can use it twice before a rest, but only once on the same turn.

Combat Superiority

As a 2nd level fighter you learn maneuvers that can be used in combat to control the tides of battle.

Maneuvers.

  • You learn 2 maneuvers of your choice, which are listed in the Fighter Maneuver list. The full list of maneuvers is detailed at the end of the fighter section.
  • Your Martial Archetype will let you choose from an expanded list of maneuvers when you learn a maneuver, which are listed in the Archetype Maneuver list. Many maneuvers enhance an attack in some way. You can use only one maneuver per turn.
  • You learn additional maneuvers of your choice at 6th, 11th and 14th level. Each time you learn a new maneuver, you can also replace one maneuver you know with a different one. When you choose a martial archetype at level 3, you may replace any number of maneuvers with ones from the expanded list.

Hit Dice.

  • Many maneuvers will ask you or your target to roll a hit die. The hit dice are not consumed, but only used to determine the strength of the effect. You add your constitution modifier to the result of the hit die roll, as usual. So, as a fighter: 1d10 + CON mod.

Saving Throws.

  • Some of your maneuvers require your target to make a saving throw to resist the maneuver’s effects. The saving throw DC is calculated as follows:

Maneuver save DC = 8 + proficiency bonus + your Strength or Dexterity modifier (your choic

Fighter Maneuvers

  • All fighters can use 1 maneuver per turn
  • All fighters have access to the following maneuvers: Commanding Presence, Feinting Attack, Grappling Strike, Parry, Sweeping Attack, Tactical Assessment.

Martial Archetype

  • At 3rd level, you choose an archetype that you strive to emulate in your combat styles and techniques. There are many choices available to you, one of which is the Battle Master, detailed at the end of the class description. The archetype you choose grants you features at 3rd level and again at 7th, 10th, 15th, and 18th level.

Ability Score Improvement

  • When you reach 4th level, and again at 6th, 8th, 12th, 14th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

Martial Versatility

  • Whenever you reach a level in this class that grants the Ability Score Improvement feature, you can do one or both of the following, as you shift the focus of your martial practice:
    1. Replace a fighting style you know with another fighting style available to fighters.
    2. You can replace one maneuver you know with a different maneuver.

Extra Attack

  • Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.
  • The number of attacks increases to three when you reach 11th level in this class and to four when you reach 20th level in this class.

Indomitable

  • Beginning at 9th level, you can reroll a saving throw that you fail. If you do so, you must use the new roll, and you can't use this feature again until you finish a long rest. You can use this feature twice between long rests starting at 13th level and three times between long rests starting at 17th level.

Bladesinger

New Class Feature - Bladesong charges(2nd level)

When starting the bladesong, you get 1 charge (bladesong charges)
  • While there is at least 1 charge left, you can take free action to make a melee claw attack (as the powered up bladesong distracts your enemy)
  • A charge can be expended ONLY when taking an attack action.
  • Expending a charge gives a free action to do one of the following:
    1. Make another melee attack
    2. Cast a spell using a spell slot up to the number of charges that are used. This uses up your spell slot as normal.
  • Bladesong charges increase depending on level. These are replenished each time a the bladesong is activated and cannot stored.
    1. level 2: 1 charge
    2. level 6: 2 charges
    3. level 10: 3 charges

Spells

Remove Curse

This spell is interpreted to be able to remove minor curses. For major curses, additional components or tasks may be required to remove the curse.

Identify

This spell drastically increases the ability to learn about the properties of a magic item, but doesn't guarantee that every single thing is known about it. Identify can be cast once per day per item.

Wish

Remove "You might be able to achieve something beyond the scope of the above examples. " Open-ended wishes are still possible but only acquired through RP situations. Generally the spell could be better labelled "Replicate Spell"

Revivify, Rais dead, Resurrection

These all follow the resurrection rules.

Augury, Divination

The omen takes into account the DMs best guess of outcomes, irrespective of any future circumstances that might then change that outcome. In other words, the ruling prescribes the outcome.

Planeshift, Gate

Cannot be learned by leveling up.