Booze Rules
Sometimes, players just wanna drink. Sometimes you can run an entire session in a single tavern and the players don't even care. They just wanna drink, carouse, and have fun with the (mostly) non-violent parts of the brain. And besides, ideas of "Drunken Masters" and such have existed all the way back to the 80s. These variant rules are meant for campaigns were bars, alcohol, and those wobbly monks and hearty Barbarians who just wanna drink can get together peacefully before they drunkenly punch each other's teeth out.
Drunken Conditions
Each drink has its own Potency. When you drink an alcoholic beverage. roll a Constitution saving throw equal to 10 + Potency, with a cumulative +1 penalty for every drink you've had so far. If you fail, your Alcohol Level increases by that drink's Potency. You may choose to fail this saving throw. Creatures receive twice the number of Alcohol Level points for each size category below Medium they are or half for each size category above Medium, rounded down.
Once your Alcohol Level is equal to your Constitution modifier (minimum 1), you have the Tipsy condition. While you have the tipsy condition, you have the following modifiers:
- A tipsy creature gains +2 to Charisma (Persuasion) checks against creatures who are Indifferent or friendlier.
- A tipsy creature suffers -2 to checks made to resist Charisma (Persuasion) or (Deception) skill checks
Once your Alcohol Level is equal to one half of your Constitution score, rounded down, you have the Drunk condition. In addition to the modifiers for having the tipsy condition, you also have:
- Drunk characters have a -2 penalty to both Intelligence and Wisdom checks and saving throws.
- Drunk characters suffer a -2 penalty to spell and weapon attacks.
Once your Alcohol Level equals 10 + your Constitution modifier, you now have the Wasted condition. In addition to the modifiers for having the drunk condition, you suffer the poisoned condition and have the following modifier:
- A wasted creature must make a Constitution saving throw at once an hour they are awake or spend one minute vomiting. While vomiting, they cannot perform any other actions and automatically fail all saving throws.
- Once a wasted creature begins a long rest, they must make a Constitution saving throw or fail to gain any benefit from the rest. Both saving throw DCs are equal to their Alcohol Level.
Once your Alcohol Level is equal to your Constitution score, you are immediately incapacitated. You must succeed a Constitution saving throw equal to your Alcohol Level or begin making death saving throws. Another creature can
Alcohol and Races
We may entertain these ideas of Orcs and Dwarves heaving big tankards of their favorite drinks and not batting an eye, and these mental images might have you against these rules because their races aren't taken directly into account.
However, these races tend to have a higher Constitution score, indirectly supporting them to fulfill these fantasies. On top of that, these races tend to stick to their racial drinks, which are described on the next page. These drinks go easier on the races that brew them, really bolstering the "I can drink however much I please" image that surrounds these races.
So no, there isn't a direct racial modifier to your alcohol tolerance. But there also doesn't need to be. Some Elves or even Gnomes could out-drink a full grown Orc, leading to an embarrassing night for the latter party.
make a Medicine check to stabilize you as normal.
Poison Resistance
A creature with poison resistance has advantage on saving throws to avoid becoming drunk. If a creature is immune to the poisoned condition, they cannot become drunk and are unaffected by Drunken Conditions.
Types of Drinks
All the types of drinks in the world tend to break down into a few of the same general traits. To this end, it's to the Dungeon Master or homebrewer (ha) to make the specifics of a particular bottle the player characters may find in the old noble's kitchen, but the mechanics still come back to the same few numbers.
Each drink has a unique Potency. They can be anything from a negative, to sober you up, or a specialty drink meant to affect a certain race differently than normal. Some even have magical affects in addition. The only way to find out which is which is by drinking them yourself. After all, how were you supposed to know Farmer's Breath didn't make you explode?
A drink's special trait does not activate unless you fail a saving throw against a drink with that trait. You only gain the benefit of the properties of the last drink you failed a saving throw against and only keep it for as long as you have the drunk condition.
Drink Properties
Dangerous: All creatures deal 1d4 bludgeoning damage with their unarmed strikes, unless they would otherwise deal more.
Disarming: Creatures have disadvantage on Perception checks, excluding creatures who match the Racial Trait of this drink.
Infatuating: Humanoids without the Fey Ancestry trait have disadvantage on spell saves against spells and effects that inflict the Charmed condition.
Racial: Races associated with a certain kind of alcohol receive one less point to their Alcohol Level when they choose to fail the save against its Potency. They do not receive this benefit if they attempt the save but still fail anyway. Mixed-race creatures receive this benefit from both of their parent races.
Sobering: Rather than add to your Alcohol Level, you instead subtract this drink's Potency from your Alcohol Level.
Wild Magic: Creatures with the drunk condition must make a roll on the Wild Magic table whenever they sneeze, vomit, or otherwise at the DM's discretion.
| Drink | Potency | Properties |
|---|---|---|
| Ales | ||
| Common | 1 | |
| Stout | 2 | |
| Dwarven | 3 | Racial (Dwarf) |
| Wines | ||
| Common | 1 | |
| Mead | 1 | Racial (Human) |
| Aged | 2 | |
| Elven | 3 | Racial (Elf), Infatuating |
| Orcish | 3 | Racial (Orc), Dangerous |
| Spirits | ||
| Water | 1 | Sobering |
| Brandy | 2 | |
| Gin | 2 | |
| Halfling Tea | 2 | Racial (Halfling), Disarming |
| Tequila | 2 | |
| Vodka | 2 | |
| Whiskey | 2 | |
| Gnomish | 3 | Racial (Gnome), Wild Magic |
| Draconic Tequila | 3 | Racial (Dragonborn) |
Dragon Tequila. Each race of dragon and their followers brew it to taste specific to a breed of dragon, however they all act the same. Burning on the way down and into the heart of creatures who are never as ready as they think they are. It's said that minor qualities manifest and tell you what kind brewed it, from static electricity in the bottle to a sour taste or the heartburn left after the bottle's empty.
Dwarven Ale. Known primarily to Mountain Dwarves and communities friendly to them, Dwarven Ale is renown for being the strongest brews known to the civilized races. There is a strong, almost bitter taste that bites the throat and punches the stomach of the weaker races.
Elven Wine. Elven Wines are some of the fanciest, most cultured alcohols spread wide with every community who trades with them. Although there are flavor and brewing differences between the fruits of a High Elf's vineyard, a Wood Elf's forest, or a Dark Elf's mushroom farms, they all mechanically resemble each other.
Gnomish Whiskey. Forest Gnomes don't have the facilities or attention span to brew whiskey the regular way. Instead they use bits of their talents descended from their Fey ancestors to imbue baby wheat mash in water with alcoholic essence. The side effects are laughable to them, but other races don't find them to be as funny.
Halfling Tea. These herbal concoctions aren't called any alcoholic name so many people tend to forget how potent they are. Halflings of all alignments enjoy the drinks themselves, but some unscrumptious little folk use it maliciously against larger races who have larger loot.
Orcish Wine. Orcs typically aren't a race known for their wines, but that's all because of prejudice. Orcish wine is very fine, similar to an Elven grape-wine, but brewed a little cruder. The techniques and ingredients, therefore the taste as well, vary between tribes but generally are regarded by the tribe as one of the most important professions.
Specialty Drinks
Some spirits have additional properties, not all magical, that differentiate them from other spirits of their category. Unless otherwise stated, a drink's special trait does not activate unless you fail a saving throw against a drink with that trait. You only gain the benefit of the properties of the last drink you failed a saving throw against and only keep it for as long as you have the drunk condition.
| Name | Category | Special |
|---|---|---|
| Age Old Hate | Orcish Wine | Orcs who drink this may enter a Rage as the Barbarian class feature. |
| Auroch's Hide | Dwarven Ale | For one hour after drinking this, you are immune to the effects of extreme heat. |
| Farmer's Fireball | Whiskey | You may spit a burning bubble of the whiskey at a target. |
| House Secret | Stout Ale | You have a +2 to resist poison and alcohol. |
| Lolthicite | Elven Wine | You may choose to let a Lolthite spider climb out of your mouth. |
| Sober Thoughts | Brandy | Sobering. |
Age Old Hate. When an Orc tribe declares war, they begin to brew great batches of a very special wine. Usually including the blood or other materials from their enemy, just a gulp and enough hate in their heart is enough to send an Orc into a prestigious fit of anger. An Orc who already has the Rage class feature does not expend a use of the feature when entering a Rage from Age Old Hate.
Auroch's Hide. Dwarves who find their mountain transforming into a volcano but are too stubborn to leave, blacksmiths who spend too long in the forge, and residents of a mountain that intersects with the Plane of Fire all have a common issue. It's just too hot. By brewing a side of beef into their ale, they've found a pretty tasty way around the otherwise prohibitive conditions that would cause other people to flee.
Farmer's Breath. Humans are known to drink just about anything. This whiskey gives a literal heartburn to anyone who drinks it, letting them belch up a single bubble that can fly at a target. This functions as a single use of the Firebolt cantrip, using your Constitution for your spell attack bonus.
House Secret. Taverns near the edges of kingdoms tend to have drinking contests with travelers from the neighboring nation and drink this to give themselves an edge. You may benefit from this drink while you have the tipsy or drunk conditions, but your system becomes too flooded to get the benefit while you have the wasted condition.
Lolthicite. An accidental invention, Lolthicite wine was made when a brewer left their fermentation pit unattended and a mother spider wanted to use it as a breeding hole. A Lolthite spider has the stats of a Giant Spider, except it is a friendly Tiny creature with an AC of 10 and a single hit point. If this feature is not used before you take a long rest, the egg inside the wine is instead digested and cannot hatch.
Sober Thoughts. This bittersweet brandy leaves a bad taste in your mouth for an hour or so after you drink it. Many barkeeps have a bottle under their counter to surprise guests.
Magic Drinks
Magic drinks otherwise function the same as nonmagical specialty drinks, except they lose their magical properties and become a normal spirit of their category if they are exposed to an Antimagic Field for one hour before serving or are drank while within an Antimagic Field. Their taste worsens a little too, but some don't mind it.
| Name | Category | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Brawler Prep | Gin | Healing with a boost |
| Detective's Flask | Vodka | Cliché but effective |
| Fireball | Whiskey | A demon child's favorite |
| Queen's Milk | Elven Wine | A key to a surprise encounter |
Brawler Prep. A warm, revitalizing drink that functions like a Potion of Healing, matching the rarities and healing values of the equivalent potion. It's best drunk just before a second fight, as you become resistant to attacks from specifically improvised weapons, natural weapons, and unarmed attacks for one minute.
Detective's Flask. This tastes like black coffee and burns on the way down. If you don't have Darkvision, you gain Darkvision out to a range of 1d4 multiplied by your Constitution score, to a minimum of 20 feet. The penalties for being drunk don't apply to Intelligence (Investigation), Wisdom (Insight), or Wisdom (Perception) skill checks.
Fireball. There's actual fire in this water. It's painful to anyone else who drinks it, even though the flavor alone is enough to ward someone off. Creatures who fail their saving throw take 1 point of fire damage if they don't have resistance to fire damage.
Queen's Milk. Elves actually don't like knowing this is nearby. They say it's uncomfortable knowing that someone could just charm you. I couldn't imagine how that feels. You have an advantage on Charisma (Persuasion) checks against Fey and creatures with Fey Ancestry. If you rest while you have the wasted condition, you might have a special Fey guest in your sleep.
Feats
If your campaign is using both the Feat variant features as well as these alcohol rules, you may choose from the following list of feats as long as you meet the prequisites.
Deep Gut
Prerequisite: Constitution 13 or more
- Increase your Constitution score by 1, to a maximum of 20
- You may add your Proficiency bonus to your Alcohol Level values to determine if you have the tipsy, drunk, or wasted, or incapacitated conditions.
- If you would suffer a penalty to a skill check due to your Alcohol Level, you instead suffer only half the penalty.
- You no longer have to make a Constitution saving throws while you have the wasted condition.
Liquid Courage
- Increase either your Wisdom score or your Constitution score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
- While you have the tipsy condition, you are immune to the Frightened condition. You have a heightened resistance to Intimidation and effects that would give you the Charmed condition, giving you advantage to resist.
- You receive an additional +4 to Charisma (Persuasion) checks to deal with humanoids who have a lower Alcohol Level than you. This is in addition to any other bonus you have to skill checks due to your Alcohol Level.
Liquid Talent
- Increase either your Strength score or Dexterity score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
- Choose two skills. While you have the tipsy condition, you are proficient in those skills.
Temperance of Mind
Prerequisite: Wisdom 13 or more
- Increase your Wisdom score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
- You may use Wisdom instead of Constitution to resist the effects of drinks.
- You may spend one minute performing a personal ritual, centering yourself and clearing your mind, to remove the cumulative penalty for amount of drinks you have had before your next one.
- You may make a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw to resist the secondary effect of an alcohol drink you consume.
Feat Variants
At DM's discretion, certain other feats may interact with your Alcohol Level.
Some suggestions could include:
Tavern Brawler. You receive a +2 to attack rolls with your unarmed strikes and natural weapons against enemies with the drunk condition. This increases to automatic hits against creatures who have the wasted condition.
Tough. Your Alcohol Level to reach incapacitation is increased by your proficiency bonus. This stacks with Deep Gut and other modifiers.
Items
There are some items that interact with one's Alcohol Level, either getting stronger depending on your drunkenness level, stronger the more drinks you consume, or only active at certain levels.
Barroom Knucks
Wondrous item, rare (requires attunement)
These gloves are made of brass that used to be part of a pair of tankards that wrap around the knuckles of the wearer, as well as the hanging cloth from tavern advertisements from days gone. Although useful in any fight, they're particularly nasty in the bar fights that broke the tankards and ripped the banners that they were made from.
While fighting without holding a conventional weapon and you have the drunk condition, your unarmed strikes do 1d6 bludgeoning damage unless they would otherwise deal more. Additionally, improvised weapons deal 1d8 damage.
Drunkard's Third Leg
Weapon (quarterstaff), rare (requires attunement)
Wherever there is a man who drinks too much too consistently, there is one of these leaned against his table. The wood is soaked in stale drink from years ago and a little wet to the touch.
While you have the tipsy condition, your speed increases by 5 feet. It increases again when you have the drunk condition and again when you have the wasted condition. Your alcohol level does not inflict a penalty to attacks with this weapon.
Kegstand Recurve
Weapon (longbow), rare (requires attunement)
This bow was made from a keg that size of a giant. It still smells like the stout ale it once held.
While you have the drunk condition, you may choose to gain a bonus to your damage roll equal to your Alcohol Level and do not suffer a penalty for attacks with this weapon.
Head Cleaner
Wondrous item, rare
This vial is full of a dark red, very bitter alchemical liquid. When enough is dripped into a glass, the drink inside has the Sobering trait. This vial has enough to affect up to 10 Potency of alcohol.
Shrewd Negotiator
Wondrous item, very rare (requires attunement)
While drinking from this tumbler, you have advantage to resist the effects of alcohol and poison inside it. So long as this tumbler is in your possession, you may cast Suggestion or Command against any creature you make a successful Charisma (Persuasion) check against who is at least once step further down the Alcohol Scale than you (drunk if you are tipsy, etc).
Creatures
Two competing creatures flock to the taverns and bars where they may find purchase and drink. These are the Booze Drake and the Rum Goblin. Vicious enemies of each other, you will never find both in the same ward of the city, let alone the same inn.
Booze Drakes
Unrelenting gossips, everyone's best friend after they're two or three deep, booze drakes are intelligent and conversational lesser dragons that enjoy close friendships with many barkeepers. They're typically propped up in their own booth away from the bar itself.
Rum Gremlin
Rum gremlins are sneaky little buggers, obsessed with only one thing. A smart barkeep knows how to bribe his local gremlins, creating a network of little sewer dwellers who steal from every other bar in the city to supply the cellar of their patron.
Booze Drake
Small dragon, True Neutral
- Armor Class 14 (natural armor)
- Hit Points 75 (10d6+40)
- Speed 20ft, fly 40ft
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 13 (+1) 12 (+1) 19 (+4) 17 (+3) 11 (+0) 17 (+3)
- Saving Throws Constitution +6
- Skills Insight +2, Perception +2, Persuasion +5
- Condition Immunities Charmed
- Senses Darkvision 60ft, passive perception 12
- Languages Common, Draconic, and two others
Gossipmonger. When the booze drake succeeds on a Charisma (Persuasion) check against a creature with the drunk or wasted conditions, the target feels compelled to gossip about each other creature it can see. Creatures who are immune to the Charmed condition are immune to this effect.
Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, 5ft reach, one target. Hit: 3 (1d4+1) piercing damage
Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, 5ft reach, one target. Hit: 4 (1d6+1) slashing damage
Breath Weapon (Recharge 5-6). A booze drake can burp a cloud of its last drink in a 15ft cone. All creatures within the area must make a Constitution saving throw as if they just drank that drink themselves.
Rum Gremlin
Small humanoid (goblinoid), chaotic neutral
- Armor Class 13
- Hit Points 9 (2d6+2)
- Speed 30ft
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 8 (-1) 16 (+3) 13 (+1) 10 (+0) 8 (-1) 10 (+0)
- Saving Throws Constitution +3
- Skills Stealth +5
- Senses Darkvision 60ft, passive perception 9
- Languages Goblin
Nimble Escape. The gremlin can take the Disengage or Hide action as a bonus action on each of its turns.
Racial Tolerance. The gremlin is immune to the Potency of nonmagical alcohol. Their Alcohol Level still rises if an effect would otherwise raise it.
Terror of the Barroom. Creatures with the drunk condition must make a DC 10 Wisdom saving throw each round they can see a Rum Gremlin or be frightened.
Actions
Broken Highball. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, 5ft Reach, one target. Hit: 5 (1d6+2) slashing damage
Swarm of Rum Gremlins
Large swarm of Small humanoids (goblinoids), chaotic neutral
- Armor Class 13
- Hit Points 72 (16d6 + 16)
- Speed 30ft
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 8 (-1) 16 (+3) 13 (+1) 10 (+0) 8 (-1) 10 (+0)
- Saving Throws Constitution +3
- Skills Stealth +5
- Damage Resistances Bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing
- Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, prone, restrained, stunned
- Senses Darkvision 60ft, passive Perception 9
- Languages Goblin
Alcoholic Fumes. A creature in the swarm's space must make a Constitution saving throw at the start of each of their turns as though they had just drank a 2 Potency drink. This increases as normal for drink rules.
Racial Tolerance. The gremlin is immune to the Potency of nonmagical alcohol. Their Alcohol Level still rises if an effect would otherwise raise it.
Swarm. The swarm can occupy another creature's space and vice versa, and the swarm can move through any opening large enough for a Small gremlin. The swarm can't regain hit points or gain temporary hit points.
Terror of the Barroom. Creatures with the drunk condition must make a DC 10 Wisdom saving throw each round they can see a Rum Gremlin or be frightened.
Actions
Broken Highballs. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 0ft, one creature in the swarm's space. Hit: 18 (4d6 + 4) slashing damage. If the swarm is bloodied, this deals 9 (2d6 + 2) slashing damage instead.
Tequila Spitup (Recharge 5-6). Each creature in the swarm's space or adjacent to the swarm must make a DC 11 Constitution saving throw or take 15 (2d12 + 2) acid damage and gain 2 points to their Alcohol Level. If the swarm is bloodied, they take 9 (1d12 + 2) acid damage and gain 1 point of Alcohol Content instead.
Keg Golem
Large Construct, unaligned
- Armor Class 16 (natural armor)
- Hit Points 147 (14d10 + 70)
- Speed 25 feet
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 21 (+5) 7 (-2) 20 (+5) 3 (-4) 10 (+0) 10 (+0)
- Saving Throws Strength +8, Constitution +8
- Skills Athletics +8
- Damage Resistances nonmagical bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing
- Damage Immunities poison
- Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, deafened, exhaustion, frightened, petrified, poisoned
- Senses Darkvision 60ft, passive Perception 10
- Languages Dwarven
- Challenge 8 (3,900 XP)
Alcoholic Fumes. Creatures within 5 feet of the golem must make a Constitution saving throw at the start of each turn as though they had just drank the highest potency ale in any of the golem's kegs. This increases as normal for drink rules.
Magic Resistance. The keg golem has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Neverending Supply. The keg golem is constructed from five kegs of ale, decided when the golem is made. The golem has an endless supply of each kind of ale in the kegs in its construction.
Actions
Multiattack. The keg golem makes two slam attacks.
Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5ft, one target. Hit: 14 (2d8 + 5)
Open Tap. The keg golem opens every tap on its body, creating a trail of ale behind it. Each creature who moves over a trail created this way makes a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw or fall prone. A creature who moves no more than half their movement speed before crossing this trail has advantage on this save, but a creature who has dashed this round automatically fails. The golem continues to leave this trail behind it until it uses a bonus action to close its taps.