Where to start
If you're interested I invite you to read the whole document, but I understand if you don't have the time for that (or if you're just not that into the rules). I will explain any relevant rules as they come up at the table.
However, there are a few things that you definitely should at least skim so you're not caught of guard at the table:
- The Inspired Actions rules.
- The Classes & Races rules.
- The Gameplay rules.
Inspired Actions
Dungeons and Dragons is at its core about role playing. Inspired Actions will make this aspect of the game more tangible. The rules are as follows:
Each player gets an Inspiration Card at the start of the session. You can only have one point at a time. A player can spend an Inspiration Card to take an inspired action provided that action somehow ties into one of your character's personality characteristics. If your Ideal is “I will do anything to save a person in danger,” and you want to swing across a ravine on a vine to rescue someone who is about fall into the ravine and hanging by one hand, that fits. You can claim an Inspired Action.
When you take an Inspired Action, you can:
- gain Advantage on an Ability check, Attack roll, or Saving Throw,
- give Advantage to someone else’s Ability check, Attack roll, or Saving Throw provided you are in a position to assist them directly in some way,
- impose Disadvantage on someone else’s Ability check, Attack roll, or Saving Throw throw provided you are in a position to hinder their action directly in some way.
Whatever it is, the Inspired Action must somehow connect to one of your Personal Characteristics.
When you don’t have Inspiration, you can Claim a Setback to gain Inspiration. To Claim a Setback you must:
- impose Disadvantage on your own Ability check, Attack roll, or Saving Throw based on one of your Personal Characteristics,
- make a decision that creates a significant story setback, obstacle, or hindrance.
When you want to Claim a Setback, simply ask the GM.
For example: “I’m easily distracted by shiny objects, so I’m distracted by the giant pile of treasure. Can I Claim a Setback and take disadvantage on my saving throw against the dragon’s fire breath?” After you Claim a Setback, you get an Inspiration Card. You can use the Inspiration Card to take an Inspired Action. And on and on it goes.
Classes & Races
Homebrew classes & races are allowed, and even encouraged. However, discuss with your GM what you would like to play before creating your character. Inspiration for different races and classes can be found in The Elemenatal Evil Player's Companion, The Dark Arts Player's Companion, City and Wild, Rule of Law, The Sprouting Chaos Player's Companion, The Tortle Package, The Beastfolk and finally Volo's Guide to Monsters.
Revised Ranger
If you would like to play a ranger, use Ranger Redux by /u/Smyris.
Sorcerer: Favored Soul
If you play to play a sorcerer with the Sorcerous Origin feature, use the version in this class document instead.
Warlock: Pact Blade
The Warlock can use Charisma for melee attacks with the pact weapon. Otherwise Warlocks need to pump Str or Dex in addition to their class ability to be effective.
Monk: Way of the Four Elements
This version of the subclass is used for balance reasons. The version in The Player's Handbook is deemed weak.
No Variant Human
Variant Human is not available. Instead all characters get one feat of their choice at level 1.
Spells
Spells are fun! That's why the spells in the (Not Quite) Complete Tome of Spells, in the Metabot's Manual of Magical Martial Maneuvers and in The Elemenatal Evil Player's Companion are available. Without these sets of additional spells, some builds seem to be rather light on spell choices. Definitely check these out to enhance your play. The spells in Metabot's Manual are a little more helpful for half-casters, since many of them involve melee attacks, which are useful to half-casters.
Charm Person & Friends
If the target failed its first save, when the spell ends, it has to make another save to realize that it was under the effect of the spell. If it makes that second save it becomes hostile, as described in the original rules. If it fails that second save, it's merely confused about what happened. The target may not have been targeted by this spell by the same caster in the past 24 hours. Otherwise, the spell's utility is so limited that it might as well just be a "open lock when the person with the key is around" spell.
Find Familiar
Owls summoned with this spell don't have the Flyby feature.
Feats
Using homebrew & Unearthed Arcana feats is encouraged. They allow for more in depth character building. Inspiration for feats can be found in Rule of Law and City and Wild.
Level 1: One feat!
Every character gains one feat of their choice at level one. This feat should encourage variation and role play. Lucky cannot be chosen for this feat.
Equipment
Adventuring Gear
PC's can buy a new item in town: "Adventuring Gear". This item functions similarly to Dungeon World's item of the same name. It costs 30 gp, weighs 20 lb., and has 5 charges. Spending a charge allows the PC to pull out any mundane item that they need. Examples of mundane items include: shovel; crowbar; grappling hook; torch, caltrops; oil flask; steel mirror.
Potion Consumption
Drinking a potion yourself only takes a Bonus Action. Feeding one to someone else is an Action.
Shield Doffing
Doffing a shield can be done using the free use of an object interaction, similar to drawing or dropping a weapon.
Donning a shield still requires an Action, but this provides a little bit more flexibility in combat, allowing for dramatic actions.
Thrown Weapons
Thrown weapons that are light, as well as javelins and darts, gain the ammunition property.
Gameplay
Leveling up
Leveling up is done between sessions and during long rests.
No basic ammunition
Because nobody wants to have to go to the 'arrow store' each time they are in town, each character has unlimited basic ammunition.
Flanking
The flanking Rules in the Dungeon Master's Guide are used.
Double advantage
Advantages and disadvantages stack up to 2, which makes it a double advantage. This means that 1 disadvantage cancels out 1 advantage. At the discretion of the GM some situations will result in double advantage.
Knocking a Creature Out
Unless the weapon used to deliver the knock-out blow is specifically made for such purpose, the target gets a Constitution save to avoid being knocked out (and the damage that goes along with it).
Alternative Darkvision
Darkvision is replaced with low-light vision for all races that don't live underground (or deep underwater). Creatures with low-light vision can see in areas of dim light as if it were bright light, and then 10 foot past areas of dim light as if it were dim light. This means for instance that Drow and others who live permanently underground keep darkvision, but elves, orcs and other races who live above ground trade it for low-light vision. This keeps darkness ominous & threatening, and it increases drama.
The Wilderness
No one in Dungeons and Dragons travels into the wilderness lightly. There are griffons and owlbears and goblins and ghosts and territorial elves and all other manner of creatures in the wilds who will be happy to relieve you of your life and treasure, not to mention the everpresent threat of death from exposure and starvation.
Food & Water
While adventuring you need to eat and drink, but keeping track of every pound of food and every liter of water individually is not what you came to do. However, it is a part of role playing that can provide excellent moments for story telling and plot development. Therefore food and water is combined in an easy to keep track of item: Rations. One ration provides food and water for all party members for one day. Rations are easy to keep track off: One ration weighs 2 lbs per party member and costs 5sp per party member. Normal rations never go off. Rations are bought before going into the wilderness.
Resting
The wilderness is dangerous and the PCs are taking their lives into their own hands when they venture out into it. In civilization access to medicine, soft beds, apothecaries to provide spell components, and taverns to restore morale are assumed, but in the wilderness to get the benefits of long rest the characters will have to do more work. When taking a long rest the characters go through a check list of roles and tasks:
1. The Camp Master
The campmaster is responsible for finding a suitable spot to take a long rest. Long rests cannot be taken just anywhere. If there is no safe space, the party might not be able to take a long rest. The Camp Master can do a Nature check to see if they can find a suitable resting spot.
The difficulty of finding this spot successfully and leading the party to this spot without leaving too many tracks depends on the environment. Before rolling a Nature check the player can explain to the game master what kind of resting spot they are looking for.
Wearing armor while sleeping
To receive the benefits of a long rest a character needs proficiency in the armor that they are wearing while sleeping.
2. Fire Keeper
The Fire Keeper is responsible for creating the campfire. Fire is not always necessary for a succesful long rest, but when the weather is cold a campfire is required to gain the benefits of a long rest. A campfire has upsides and downsides. On the one hand, a campfire provides vision and allows characters to cook their food which provides extra benefits. On the other, a campfire might increase the visibility of the party. A firekeeper has the following options:
- Foraging for firewood & creating a fire. This involves a Nature check.
- Creating a campfire with some other means that doesn't require firewood.
3. The Forager / Hunter / Cook
The forager/hunter is responsible for providing food for the party. They have the following options:
- Use a ration. This is an easy foolproof way of providing food for the party, but it is relatively expensive.
- Hunt or forage for food & water. The character can go out into the wilderness to look for food. This will involve a Nature check. If they are successful, the party won't need to spend a ration that day. This option is not available if the character has no access to the wilderness.
- Provide food & water some other way.
- Prepare the food.
If the PCs find some way to take civilization with them (for instance by buying a tent or by using magic), long rests might come with extra benefits.
4. Setting up Security
This task is done by party collectively. What kind of security measures are set up by the characters is up to the players and is not subject to a standard set of rules. Security measures should be adjusted based on the kind of environment the players are in and what kind of monsters they expect to encounter.
5. The Watch
This task is done by all people. If the weather is cold, the watch needs to stay near the campfire, but otherwise they may take some distance from the party if they wish to stay hidden.
Short Rest
In contrast to long rests, short rests don't require any specific preparation. However, some preparation is always recommended. Short rests still require a full hour to be effective.
Sleeping & Eating
Taking a long rest is not required, but characters still require daily sleep and sustenance. A character can go 1 + their Constitution modifier days (minimum of 1 day) without rations before they get an automatic level of exhaustion. When they go without sleep or meditation for 1 day, they get 1 level of exhaustion.
Light Activities
During a long rest, light activities such as copying spells into a spellbook are possible, granted that an adequate light source is available for said activity.
Exhaustion
The rules of exhaustion are not changed, but are repeated here for reference. The effects of exhaustion stack. Finishing a long rest reduces a creature's exhaustion level by 1
| Exhaustion level | Effect |
|---|---|
| 1 | Disadvantage on ability checks |
| 2 | Speed halved |
| 3 | Disadvantage on attack rolls and saving throws |
| 4 | Hit point maximum halved |
| 5 | Speed reduced to 0 |
| 6 | Death |
Traveling
The most important part of wilderness expeditions that most adventurers ignore to their peril is planning the journey.
The Jobs
Once the party is in the wild, there are three jobs that must be filled. The difficulty for each roll is based on the terrain the players traverse. If you have an accurate map, you have advantage on your survival check.
Rangers
The Natural Explorer feature of the ranger is modified under these rules. Now, instead of preventing the party from being lost and doubling the amount of food foraged, it simply means that the ranger automatically succeeds with whatever role he or she takes during the journey. Alternately, the ranger may choose to roll with advantage to try for a better than average result.
The Trailblazer
The trailblazer makes a Nature check to successfully navigate the terrain and make sure the party gets to where it's going.
The Quartermaster
The provisioner checks with if the party has enough rations for their journey and discusses with the party what specific items, clothing and equipment they might need for their wilderness travels. They may also make a Survival check to forage and hunt for additional food along the way.
The Scout
The scout makes a Perception check to watch for danger during the journey.
Using the wilderness
The wilderness is a source of amazing resources. Characters can gather these resources to either sell when they are back in civilization or create their own items with them.
Hunting, Foraging & Other Activities
In order to increase rations, characters can choose to make a Nature check to spend extra time on hunting and foraging. Any creatures found or killed while hunting can be harvested for parts according to the rules in the Wilderness Survival Guide (pg. 3).
Characters can also spend extra time to collect resources. They can decide to extend their journey or extend their long rest to do this. For inspiration see the rules in The Wilderness Survival Guide.
Creating items
Players can create their own items! Read The Wilderness Survival Guide for inspiration:
- Bombs, poisons & potions (WSG pg. 7)
- Additional alchemical recipes (Alchemist Supplies)
- Armor & weapons (WSG pg. 10)
Weather
A part of Dungeons and Dragons that is often forgotten is the weather, but it can have a real impact on the lives the adventurers and the monsters they encounter. If you travel into the wilderness unprepaired there could be severe consequences.
Predictable
The weather usually behaves in predictable ways, so the characters can try to predict the weather with a Nature check. The weather is tied to the climate of the area, so the weather in arctic will be noticably different from the weather in the tropics. Additionally, weather will change over the four seasons, so plan accordingly.
Extreme Weather Conditions
| Type | Effects |
|---|---|
| Arctic Cold & Unbearable Heat | - When you spend a day outside in the arctic cold or unbearable heat make a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or gain 1 level of exhaustion. This excludes days of long distance travel. |
| Strong Wind | - In strong wind effective weapon range is reduced by 20%. - Because flying is difficult during strong winds, all medium (and smaller) sized creatures must either land at the end of their turn, or make a Dexterity or Strength saving throw or fall from the sky. |
| Gale | - During a gale, effective weapon range is reduced by 35%. - The loudness of the wind causes disadvantage on all Perception checks that rely on hearing. - Because flying is extremely difficult during a gale, all large (and smaller) sized creatures must either land at the end of their turn, or make a Dexterity or Strength saving throw or fall from the sky. - During a gale in the desert, there is a chance of a sandstorm. |
| Storm | - During storms, effective weapon range is reduced by 50%. - The loudness of the wind causes disadvantage on all Perception checks that rely on hearing. - Because flying is almost impossible during storms, all large (and smaller) sized creatures must either land at the end of their turn, or make a Dexterity or Strength saving throw or fall from the sky. - Any open flames are extinguished by the wind. |
| Blizzard or Thunderstorm | - In addition to the effects of a normal storm, a blizzards and thunderstorm reduce normal vision to 40 feet. - Perception checks that rely on sight have disadvantage. |
| Rain or Snow | - During rain or snow effective weapon range is reduced by 25%. - Normal vision is not significantly reduced. |
| Heavy Rain, Snow or Hail | - During heavy rain, snow or hail effective weapon range is reduced by 50%. - Any open flames are extinguished by the rain and snow. - Heavy rain causes disadvantage on Perception checks that rely on hearing and/or sight. - Normal vision is reduced to 60 feet. |
| Sandstorm | - During a sandstorm, normal vision is reduced to 5 feet. - Any open flames are extinguished by the sand. - The sand also causes disadvantage on Perception checks that rely on sight. |
| Fog | - During fog normal vision is reduced to 15 feet. - The fog also causes disadvantage on Perception checks that rely on sight. |
Be prepared
The effects in the 'Extreme Weather Conditions' are not exhaustive. For example, heavy rain can cause creatures to become soaked, which makes lighting based attacks more effective. When in doubt about the effects, ask your game master.
The downside of most effects can be negated by proper preparation. For instance, wearing sand goggles during a sandstorm increases normal vision up to 30 feet. Prepare with the proper equipment before going out in the wilderness. Be creative!
Other
Homebrew suggestions
The following are homebrew version that are available. Suggestions to this list are always welcome.
- Alternative patrons & spells for Warlocks can be found in The Compendium of Forgotten Secrets & here.
- Alternative domains & spells for Clerics can be found in The Compendium of Sacred Mysteries.
- Additional backgrounds can be found in The Backgrounds Omnibus & in Secondary Backgrounds.
- Alternative sub-races can be found in The Subrace Handbook.
- Bardic Reputation system can be found here.
Under Construction
The rules below are still under construction/consideration. They might or might not be implemented later.
Renown
See the Dungeon Masters Guide page 22.
Strongholds
See Fortresses, Temples & Strongholds.
