Introduction

Welcome to the Tome of Variance (ToV), an independent handbook of variant rules options for the fifth edition of Dungeons & Dragons®^† (D&D®^†, Wizards of the Coast). Within this tinkerer's tome, core game mechanics are buffed and built on, reconfigured and re-imagined, while keeping the distinctive feel (and compatibility) of fifth edition gameplay.

Adding Optional Depth

The handbook has been designed as a cohesive but modular set of options that add useful depth for both roleplayer and rollplayer, without disrupting compatibility or accessibility. Fairness and balance are central tenets, whilst allowing for different campaign styles: options with a (pseudo) realism approach may suit a grittier campaign; alternative versions may create a more heroic feel.

How to Use This Book

This rulebook is organized into four parts. The first contains core options and mechanics. The second contains additional options for specific circumstances, equipment, or feats. The third is an appendix for more experimental options and the fourth is an archive of useful alternate options from previous editions of the Tome.

If a chapter catches your interest, try it out in a playtest or even a regular session - either as a block, or by picking individual options. Even the more transformative options are designed to be friendly with game balance and involve minimal or no conversion. If they don't catch your interest, or

fail to shine in the playtest, you can leave them and still try some of the other options. Although everything in this ruleset is designed to play well together, each option also stands alone and you can simply select the options that suit your group's taste and style.

Notes on the Tome

My thanks to all the curious experimentalists who pulled this Tome of Variance off the shelf of possibilities, dusted off their shiny click clack maths rocks, and tried out some new twists on the classic rules. I'm stunned that some very big names have picked this up and I've been very proud to see some ToV originals appear in the playtests and rules for some upcoming big name publications.

Thanks to GM Binder for fantastic design tools, and to Wizards of the Coast for their really supportive SRD creative commons release and Fan Content Policy, including stunning artwork.

This project took flight as a by-product of the pandemic, a side-quest during the long campaign against that microscopic BBEG. I hope you enjoy exploring these new options as much as I have enjoyed giving them a home between these pages.

The rules here have been extensively playtested through multiple iterations, but I'll always remain keen to hear about any issues or suggestions; please let me know at Rules.Mechanic@gmail.com (or on "X" @Rules_Mechanic).

If you found this handbook useful, please spread the word. And if you would like to do more, consider a donation to your favorite charity. Charity income has been hit very hard since the pandemic and every bit helps.

[RM]

^† Wizards of the Coast LLC

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VARIANCE | INTRODUCTION

Degree of Success

Degree of success (or failure) is a shared feature of many of the main variant options in this handbook. It's a simple way to add depth by expanding “pass or fail” into a spectrum of outcomes, while also linking skill to the likelihood of achieving the best results. It rewards players for doing what they can to achieve the very best roll, while giving them reason to think twice about risking a botched effort.

This variant builds on the "Degrees of Failure" option in Wizards of the Coast's Dungeon Master's Guide^† to provide a standard system for both success and failure across different types of rolls, while preserving the familiar fifth edition mechanic of Difficulty Class (DC) being in tiers of +/- 5. It’s a very intuitive system: rolling much higher than the target results in a much better outcome, rolling much lower results in a much worse outcome. And using steps of +/- 5 keeps the system fast and undemanding.

For example, the next table shows the rolls that would lead to each outcome when making a DC 10 or a DC 15 roll. For a

DC 10 roll, after adjusting for any modifiers: a 10 is marginal; above that's a success; from 15 it's a strong success; and from 20 it's a critical success. Similarly, below 10 is a failure; from 5 it's a heavy failure; and from 0 it's a critical failure.

In playtesting, these tiered outcomes have been immensely popular, both the descriptive flavor and the mechanics. Some outcomes, like heavy failure on an attack roll, don't need a mechanical effect (it's more exciting to move on to the next attack) but even there, a narrative effect was very popular.

Rolling a Natural 1 or 20

Rolling a critical success or critical failure when using degree of success is the equivalent of rolling a natural 20 or a natural 1 with the standard system. In playtesting, the preferred option was to combine the two by keeping the effect of a natural 20 or 1: simply count a roll of 20 as always being a critical success and a 1 as always being a critical failure.

Stacking Advantage and Disadvantage

In the core rules, advantage and disadvantage don’t stack. So advantage from multiple sources is no greater than a single source of advantage. Similarly, if there are multiple sources imposing advantage and disadvantage, then neither apply, even if there are more sources of one than the other.

To stack, you can simply allow multiple sources of advantage and disadvantage to cancel one-for-one. If there are more sources of advantage than disadvantage, then advantage applies, and visa versa. As an additional option, if you are left with multiple advantage (or disadvantage), you may choose to allow additional dice for each.

^† Wizards of the Coast LLC

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VARIANCE | DEGREE OF SUCCESS

Ability Checks

Many adventure modules include a range of outcomes for key ability checks by providing a spectrum of DCs for each check, across the common tiers of DC 10 (easy), 15 (medium), 20 (hard), etc.

The degree of success rules presented here extend that depth to all ability checks by giving a spectrum of outcomes according to the degree of success (or failure) against a single DC.

Perhaps you are attempting a Charisma (Persuasion) check to ask for a queen’s help. A critical failure might mean that she throws you in the dungeon for your impudence; a heavy failure that she sends you away; simple failure has no additional consequence so you can try again with the High Vizier; marginal could get her support but with a bribe; simple success results in her support as intended; strong success gets some extra aid from the High Vizier who was listening in; and critical success could inspire the Queen to put on her armor and lead the way!

Perhaps you are listening in a door, or trying to recall some information. Degree of success can determine how much you hear or remember beyond the basic facts. While degree of failure can determine how badly you misinterpret things.

The descriptions in the table below aim to be fluid enough to adapt to any ability check and fit within your story, while giving a consistent framework to guide the outcome.

Marginal can often be the most interesting result and the outcome here is similar to the "Success at a Cost" option (Dungeon Master’s Guide^†, Wizards of the Coast). The ability check succeeded …but only just, so there is only a partial success or some negative consequence.

Help with Ability Checks

This variant of "Working Together" is based on Optional Rule's Friends with Advantage. If you can reasonably receive help from one or more others, then both you and one helper (your choice) roll. If the helper's bonus would be greater than yours, then they use your bonus. Use the highest result.

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Sequential Checks

Sequential checks are a simple and effective option to determine a multi-stage or multi-skill challenge. The rogue who creeps along the rooftops (Sneak) before leaping down (Acrobatics) to surprise their mark. The wizard hunting through the library of the ancients for the cure to the bard's curse (Arcana and Investigation). However, note that each cumulative check adds difficulty in a similar way to rolling with disadvantage, so consider dropping a difficulty level (5 DC) for each additional ability check to maintain a similar chance of overall success.

If you are using the Degree of Success option, consider only using degree of success for the final ability check, unless each check is a distinct stage with a distinct outcome. However, if you want a cumulative degree of success, a marginal (exact roll) could confer disadvantage on the next roll (so that you may even wish to abandon and restart the attempt), a strong success (5+) could allow a reroll on the next roll, and a critical success (10+) could confer advantage on the next roll (see table below).

Result	Description
Critical Failure (10-)	Now in a worse situation than started, due to this stage
Heavy Failure (5-)	A small negative consequence, due to this stage failing
Failure (1-)	Fails without additional consequences
Marginal (0)	Disadvantage on next stage's roll
Success (1+)	Next stage as normal
Strong Success (5+)	You may reroll the next check, but must keep the reroll
Critical Success (10+)	Advantage on next stage's roll

^† Wizards of the Coast LLC

VARIANCE | ABILITY CHECKS

Ability Checks in Combat

Using abilities during combat can add another dimension to the action, while also bringing in skills that otherwise get side-lined once initiative is rolled. Identifying the monstrosity (Nature), celestial (Religion) or elemental (Arcana) that has attacked the party; determining (Investigation) the construct's weaknesses; disguising the somatic (Sleight of Hand) or verbal (Deception) component of a spell; scaring (Intimidate) or distracting (Performance) an opponent; persuading

(Persuasion) onlookers to join the fight; tumbling (Acrobatics) or barging (Athletics) past an opponent to retrieve your fallen sword without Leaving Yourself Open (page 14).

To enable this, you may allow these improvised actions to use a bonus action instead of a main action, if the check is then rolled with disadvantage. If the ability check requires an interaction with an object, it still requires the time associated with that interaction (and you can, as usual, interact with one object or feature of the environment for free on your turn).

Saving Throws

Much like ability checks, saving throws really lend themselves to degrees of success or failure, both in narrative and in mechanics.

The two tables here cover both main types of saving throws: saves to entirely avoid an effect, damage, or a condition; and saves to halve damage from an effect.

For compatibility with saving throw outcomes presented in monster stat blocks etc, follow the system of "Specific Beats General" so that any specific outcomes described elsewhere take precedence over the general outcomes described here.

Saving Throw to Avoid Effect

Roll	Effect	Damage	Conditions
Critical Failure (10-)	Maximum effect	Take maximum damage	Double duration. Disadvantage on first save to end condition
Heavy Failure (5-)	Enhanced effect	Roll damage dice with advantage*	Double duration
Failure (1-)	Usual effect	Usual damage	Usual effect
Marginal (0)	Partial effect	Half damage	Half duration. Advantage on first save to end condition
Success (1+)	Negates	Negates	Negates
Strong Success (5+)	Negates. Automatic success for rest of day if same effect from same source	Negates. Automatic success for rest of day if same effect from same source	Negates. Automatic success for rest of day if same effect from same source
Critical Success (10+)	Negates. Automatic success for rest of day if same source	Negates. Automatic success for rest of day if same source	Negates. Automatic success for rest of day if same source

Saving Throw to Halve Damage

Roll	Damage
Critical Failure (10-)	Take maximum damage (damage dice count as their highest possible roll)
Heavy Failure (5-)	Roll damage dice with advantage*
Failure (1-)	Usual damage
Marginal (0)	You may use your reaction to take half damage
Success (1+)	Half damage
Strong Success (5+)	Quarter damage
Critical Success (10+)	No damage

*To roll damage dice with advantage, roll double the number of dice and use the higher roll(s).

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VARIANCE | SAVING THROWS

Combat

Combat is perhaps the most visible and iconic of the three pillars of adventuring in fifth edition. The core options here, degree of success and defense rolls, can add depth, telling you a bit more about the quality of an attack or how you evaded it. It lends itself to a more descriptive outcome and can provide handy prompts that flesh out more of the flavor of the fight. As always, options here may be used separately or together. Additional options for specific combat situations and tactics are described in Part 2.

Degree of Success: Combat

Degree of success can also be used for combat and is similarly intuitive in describing the quality of an attack. A better attack bonus increases the chance of hitting and of hitting well, increasing damage by shifting the degree of success towards strong and critical hits. Equally, armor not only reduces the chance of being hit but also the success margin, reducing the damage being dealt by that strike.

On average, degree of success will slightly increase the damage being done per attack (whether melee, ranged, or spell), as additional strong and critical hits will usually more than balance the glancing blows. The same will be seen with heavy and critical failures from saving throws, so the effect is largely similar across different sources of damage.

Roll	Outcome
Natural 1 (or Critical Failure, 10-)	Critical Fumble - dramatically / comically bad attempt that provokes an opportunity attack in melee, or misfire if ranged
Heavy Failure (5-)	Bad Miss - poor attack
Failure (1-)	Near Miss - dodged / deflected by armor
Marginal (0)	Glancing Blow - half damage
Success (1+)	Hit - usual damage
Strong Success (5+)	Strong Hit - a clean strike, roll damage dice with advantage (roll double the dice and use the higher rolls)
Critical Success (10+)	Critical Hit - maximum damage (damage dice count as their highest possible roll)

Using Average Damage

If you're using average damage for monsters, just add 50% when rolling damage with advantage, or double on a critical hit. In playtesting, this made average damage very popular: saving the GM time but still having appropriate variability.

Extended Glancing Blow Variant

If you want to emphasize the visible role of armor as damage reduction, you can extend the glancing blow range: none if unarmored; only on a marginal roll for light armor; marginal +1 for medium armor; and marginal +2 for heavy armor.

However, this slows play and the effect of armor already becomes very distinct if you use the Defense option (page 7).

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Critical Hits and Fumbles

Critical Hits as Maximum Damage

A variant for critical hit damage. Instead of doubling damage dice, use the maximum of the regular damage dice (so each die counts as its highest possible roll). This has a similar average effect, but never does less damage than a normal hit (or strong hit) and also avoids chance extremes from high rolls on doubled dice. Essentially a critical hit becomes the highest possible damage that a hit might normally achieve.

Effects That Increase Damage Dice

A number of effects add extra damage dice, either on any roll (e.g. Divine Smites, Sneak Attacks, Martial Advantage, etc) or only on a critical hit (e.g. Brutal Criticals, Savage Attacks, etc). With the standard rules, the first group are doubled (or, in this case, counted as maximum) on a critical hit and the second are not. You may wish to keep this.

An alternative that works well with degree of success (where critical hits can be more common), is for this to depend on declaring intent before the attack roll. So if you declare a Sneak Attack or a Smite before your attack roll, it will occur on any hit and be affected by the degree of success outcome (half damage with a glancing blow, maximum damage with a critical hit, etc). If you declare a Sneak Attack after the attack roll, or your Brutal Critical is triggered by a critical, then it is not affected by the degree of success (so you just roll the standard extra dice, not doubled or maxed).

Misses & Critical Fumbles

In playtesting, miss mechanics could slow combat at a time when it's better to keep things moving, so it's best if only a natural 1 is a critical fumble. However, a narrative effect was very popular: the bigger the miss, the worse the attack.

Melee

A critical fumble on a melee attack (or melee spell attack), provokes an opportunity attack from (just) the target. You can avoid the opportunity attack if you have another attack that turn and choose to use it to rescue the fumble instead, preventing the opportunity attack from being triggered.

VARIANCE | COMBAT SUCCESS

Ranged

A critical fumble on a ranged attack (or ranged spell attack), results in a misfire. The attack is then rerolled against a random ally within range, including yourself. You can avoid the misfire if you have another attack that turn and choose to use it to rescue the fumble instead, preventing the misfire.

Defense

Defense rolls are an intuitive way to represent defensive skill, allowing a player to roll to oppose an attack being made against them. This builds on the system used for opposed ability checks, as a true contest of skill that scales with combat ability, while also providing more martial options on- and off- turn.

Their use is linked to your bonus action, which maintains balance, "action economy" and realtime impact, while providing a helpful new use of your bonus action if you didn't have one, and a strategic choice if you did. A limited number of defense rolls reflects the limitations of defending against multiple attacks and leads to further strategic choices about which attacks to focus on.

Another advantage of bringing defensive ability into the attack, is that it doesn't then need to be reflected in hit points, which can then become more specifically health and toughness ("Damage and Healing", page 8).

Finally, the defense roll allows a visible difference between armor and defense, aiding cinematic description but also allowing players to develop their style.

Note that defense rolls are intended for player characters and nonplayer characters who have levels, as opposed to monsters who don't. Which works well - a gelatinous cube really is more about absorbing hp than parrying blows with its pseudopodia.

This option has been enormously popular in playtesting and has become the new core defense variant for this Tome.

Bonus Action: Defend

When you take the Defend bonus action, you gain a defense roll that you may use until the start of you next turn to oppose one melee attack made against you, or against an ally within 5’. If you have the Extra Attack feature, you gain an additional defense roll for each extra attack it gives you.

During the first round of each combat, before the start of your turn, you may gain your defense dice as a reaction.

Defense Rolls

When a creature attacks you, you may choose to use one of your defense rolls but must do so before you see the attack roll. You must be wielding a martial melee weapon, a shield, or have the Martial Arts feature, to make defense rolls.

A defense roll is essentially a contested attack roll. You roll a d20 and add your attack bonus and any other modifiers, as if you were making an attack roll yourself. If your defense roll exceeds your opponent’s attack roll, then their attack fails. Otherwise, their attack overcomes your defense and their roll is then compared against your AC in the usual way (this AC comparison is also used for their degree of success).

• If you roll a natural 20, or if your defense roll exceeds the attack roll by 10 or more, you have advantage on your next attack or defense roll against that creature before the end of your next turn.
• If the attacker rolls a natural 1, you may use your reaction to make an opportunity attack against that creature, using your defense roll for the attack.

Gaining Additional Defense Rolls

You may forgo any number of melee attacks from your Attack action to gain an additional defense roll for each.

Reactive Fighting Style

You may use your reaction to make a defense roll.

Arrowcutter Fighting Style

You may also use your defense rolls when attacked with a ranged attack (including ranged spell attacks).

Bonus Action: Fend

When you take the Fend bonus action, your actions (such as ranged attacks and casting, see Leaving Yourself Open page 14) don’t provoke opportunity attacks for the rest of the turn.

Bonus Action Versatility

The various bonus action options in this Tome aim to ensure that there is always a choice to be made with your bonus action, to help define your current combat priorities: raging, defending, additional weapon attack / unarmed strike, second breath, cunning action, ability checks, spending ki, reacting, marking, casting, fending, healing, inspiring, wildshaping, commanding companion or summoned entity, etc.

Additional Versatility Options:

• During your turn, you may exchange your action for a bonus action (but not visa versa).
• During your turn, you may exchange your bonus action to gain an extra reaction until the start of your next turn (but not visa versa). You can still only use one reaction during a single turn.

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VARIANCE | DEFENSE DICE

Negative Hit Points

With this variant, damage can take you below 0 hp and this determines your death saving throw DC. This is a dangerous situation to be in and takes its toll. If you do recover, you initially only recover to 0 hp, where you remain unconscious but stable.

Dropping Below 0 HP

When you drop below 0 hp, you take a level of exhaustion.

While You Have Less Than 0 HP:

• During your turn, you are unconscious and can't take any actions but you can spend a Hit Die (or take a level of exhaustion to spend a Hit Die if no Hit Dice left) to heal that roll (plus Constitution modifier).
• Another creature can attempt to stabilize you by performing a Medicine check (DC 10 or half your hp below 0, whichever is higher), to bring your hp back to 0.
• You don't heal past 0 hp in a single turn. Healing that would take you above 0 hp, instead heals you to 0 hp.
• At the end of your turn, you must succeed on a death saving throw (Constitution saving throw with a DC of 10 or half your hp below 0, whichever is higher) or take another level of exhaustion. If using Degree of Success, see optional table below. Reaching level 6 exhaustion results in death.

At 0 HP (Unconscious but Stable):

• You recover consciousness when you heal to 1 hp or more.
• After you finish a short or long rest, you naturally recover consciousness and 1 hp (plus any hp from spending a Hit Die).

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Death Saving Throw - Degree of Success

Roll	Effect
Critical Failure (10-)	Take 1 level of exhaustion. Then make an additional death saving throw this turn
Heavy Failure (5-)	Take 1 level of exhaustion. Death saving throw next turn is with disadvantage
Failure (1-)	Take 1 level of exhaustion
Marginal (0)	Death saving throw next turn is with disadvantage
Success (1+)	No effects
Strong Success (5+)	Death saving throw next turn is with advantage
Critical Success (10+)	Stabilized (hp recover to 0)

Gritty Injury Variants

For a more gritty campaign, you may chose a grittier variant with additional effects from dropping below 0 hp:

• Hit point maximum permanently reduced by 1
• Injury: acquire a debilitating injury ("Recuperating" SRD 5.1^†, or "Lingering Injuries" Dungeon Master's Guide^†, both Wizards of the Coast)
• Any healing is reduced by half when at 0 or negative hp
• and/or Stunned for a round when recover consciousness.

Knocking a Creature Out

You can avoid taking a creature below 0 hp in melee by intentionally pulling your blow. You must decide to do this before you roll damage. This halves the damage but if that takes them below 0 hp, reduce their hp to 0 instead.

^† Wizards of the Coast LLC

VARIANCE | DAMAGE AND HEALING

Overexertion

The following overexertion options allow alternative uses of Hit Dice or exhaustion in desperate circumstances.

Heroic Reaction

You may spend a level of exhaustion to take an additional reaction this round (although you can't take more than one reaction during the same turn). You must then finish a short or long rest before you can do this again.

Variant Exhaustion

Ordinarily, the six levels of exhaustion each introduce a distinct effect (disadvantage on ability checks; speed halved; disadvantage on attack rolls and saving throws; hit point maximum halved; speed reduced to 0; death).

In this variant to exhaustion (derived from a post by Horwath), those effects instead all gradually accumulate over the six levels. So you gain a cumulative -1 penalty on all ability checks, attack rolls, saving throws and casting rolls (page 11); a cumulative -1 to AC and to your spellcasting DC; a cumulative -1 to your damage rolls; and a cumulative -5 to speed (to a minimum of 5 ft). Essentially a -1 penalty to all rolls, plus the reduction in speed, per level of exhaustion. 6th level remains death.

With the overexertion options above, you may well accumulate exhaustion during combat. The gradual accumulation of effects with variant exhaustion limits the immediate impact of these. For a heroic setting, you may wish to limit this further by having new exhaustion levels only

come into effect at the end of combat, as the players push through with a heroic last stand. This can even be extended to death (i.e. irreversibly dying, rather than dead), allowing you to roleplay a fitting end outside the heat of battle.

Exhaustion Effects

Level	Cumulative Effect
1	-1 to ability checks, attack rolls, saving throws, AC, DCs, & damage rolls; speed reduced by 5 ft
2	-2 to ability checks, attack rolls, saving throws, AC, DCs, & damage rolls; speed reduced by up to 10 ft
3	-3 to ability checks, attack rolls, saving throws, AC, DCs, & damage rolls; speed reduced by up to 15 ft
4	-4 to ability checks, attack rolls, saving throws, AC, DCs, & damage rolls; speed reduced by up to 20 ft
5	-5 to ability checks, attack rolls, saving throws, AC, DCs, & damage rolls; speed reduced by up to 25 ft
6	Death

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VARIANCE | EXHAUSTION

Spellcasting

With this variant, a single casting roll replaces spell attack rolls and spell DCs, and can now be applied to all spells. This is a little simpler and more intuitive for new players, but also has the advantage of linking all magic to the caster's skill and making more of a story of each spell.

Casting Roll

A casting roll is simply a d20 plus your spell attack bonus (which remains your spellcasting ability modifier plus your proficiency bonus).

• Spell attack: roll against target's AC
• Saves: use the roll as the DC for any saves
• Other spells: to successfully cast the spell, roll against a casting DC of 10 plus the spell level it was cast (or upcast) at. Cantrips have a DC of 10.

...and that's it. A simple intuitive system that covers all spells and puts the rolls in the caster's hands.

Additional Options

A few additional options can build on this simple core system.

Spell-like Abilities

Some PCs have spells or spell-like abilities that represent an innate ability and don't use spell slots. These spells or effects are generally limited in choice and in number of uses. These can be considered as being more innately reliable and any d20 roll of less than 10 can be treated as a 10.

Monsters

Similarly, monsters have reliable innate casting and you can simply use a 10 as their d20 roll, instead of rolling (or simply use the fixed spell save DC in their stat block if relevant).

If you wish to save time on monsters attempting saving rolls, you can instead use a 10 as their average d20 roll and add the usual modifiers. Or, even faster, avoid both roll and modifiers, and just use the actual value of their relevant ability score instead (which is usually very similar).

Saves

The rolled spell save DC is likely to be higher than your fixed spell save DC would have been (since these were effectively 8 + spell attack bonus). That's fine in a heroic magic setting and has other trade-offs in a gritty magic setting (see below).

Heroic Magic Settings

For a heroic magic setting, you don't lose the spell slot if a spell fails due to the casting DC, and spells that have attack rolls or saves don't also need to succeed against the casting DC.

Gritty Magic Settings

For a gritty magic setting, you lose the spell slot if a casting fails and you must succeed against the casting DC for all spells, even those attack rolls or saves. So Fireball, a 3rd level spell with casting DC 13, would fail on a roll of 12, and targets wouldn't take any damage (instead of taking half or full damage depending on their save).

Casting Advantage & Disadvantage

Another spellcaster who is able to cast the same spell may use the Help action to aid you in casting the spell, allowing you to roll the casting roll with advantage (or a helping roll, page 4). Conversely, conditions that cause you to make all ability checks with disadvantage (for example, the frightened or poisoned conditions) also impose disadvantage on casting rolls. If you are casting with disadvantage, it may be safer to stick to lower level spells.

Disrupting a Spell

If another creature can detect that you are in the process of casting a spell (for example, can see the somatic component or hear the verbal component), the act of casting can be used to trigger a reaction before the spell completes (for example, if the creature has Readied an Attack or movement).

If you take damage while casting a spell with a casting time of 1 action or longer, it could disrupt your concentration and cause the spell to fail. You must make the usual Constitution saving throw (DC 10 or half the damage you take, whichever number is higher) to allow the spell to proceed.

Counterspell

Another way to disrupt a spell is with Counterspell. The spell variant below resolves this as a contested casting roll.

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VARIANCE | SPELLCASTING

Tactical Combat

As with the core options in Part 1, the additional options here in Part 2 may be used individually or together. These additional options have a narrower focus, with less effect on core mechanics, so are easily swapped in or out. This first section focuses on combat and tactics, with options that can add a layer of situational depth to combat.

Variant Initiative

With this variant, initiative is determined by a single lead creature on each side. The DM chooses which player (and which opponent) would have to react. This will usually be the ones who are closest or who are already interacting (e.g. the lead player as the party enter the throne room, or the player who had been negotiating with the bandits when things got nasty). If there are several equally involved players, then let the players choose amongst themselves.

Group Check

If others would be able to help, e.g. other creatures keeping a lookout, you can use the Help with Ability Checks option (page 4)

Monster Initiative

Monsters' initiative can simply be 10 + their Dexterity bonus.

Player Order

Players choose the order they'll go in (and decide any tactics, with no further discussion between different players' turns), although the player who rolled initiative must go first that round. The DM chooses the order monsters go in when it's their side's turn.

Alternating Initiative

The simplest system is to have each side take all of its turns before the other side takes theirs. However, combat can be

more balanced, and more exciting, if individual players and monsters alternate turns, as suggested by Cody Lewis.

You may even want to split out multiple attacks/actions from a single powerful creature when fighting multiple opponents, but this becomes rapidly complex if applies to more than one creature.

Surprise Variant

A simple variant for determining surprise is for it to occur when your opponents beat your initiative roll by 10 or more. You add +5 to your roll if you're hidden from your opponents.

Pre-empting an Attack

When you roll initiative, so long as you're not surprised, you may use your reaction to say or do something quick that might interrupt the start of combat (e.g. shouting "Stop, we're on your side!"). You can't then take another reaction during the first round of combat.

Leaving Yourself Open

In a fight, a creature’s actions can create an opening for an opportunity attack. With this variant, some additional situations provoke attacks from opponents in melee range.

Movement:

• Moving out of your opponent’s range
• Standing from prone
• Picking up an item from the ground (e.g. recovering a weapon after being disarmed)

Actions:

• Making a ranged attack
• Casting a spell with a casting time of more than 1 action, or a casting time of 1 action if the range is more than 15 ft
• Any action that actively ignores your opponent

You don’t provoke an opportunity attack when you teleport or when someone or something moves you without using your movement, action, or reaction.

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VARIANCE | TACTICAL COMBAT

Ranged Attack Into Melee

This is a common situation for ranged weapons and spell attacks but hitting the right target is more difficult and comes with some risk. The following option formalizes the use of cover with a simple guide for how much cover to apply.

Friendly Fire

If a you miss with a ranged attack into melee (including a ranged spell attack), reroll (once) as an attack on a second creature in that melee (the nearest opponent of the target, or select any creature at random in the melee). If you're using Degree of Success, the misfire of a critical fumble could also target allies outside of the melee, including yourself.

Called Shot

This is a general flexible option for when an attacker wants to target a specific part of their opponent’s body, or wants to have a specific effect such as a trip, or to lock blades, pin a weapon, disarm, or anything else. The attacker must declare their intention before making the attack roll. Simply apply a -1 to -10 modifier on the attack roll, depending on the difficulty (see Called Shot Difficulty table, where assumed chance is the typical chance for matched opponents).

A called shot can’t be attempted if it takes the die roll needed to hit above 20, nor can limited-use attack bonuses or automatic hits be used for these actions.

The default modifier can be considered -5 (note that this parallels degree of success). Or refer to this difficulty table:

Called Shot Difficulty

Modifier	Difficulty	Assumed Chance
-2	Relatively simple	about a 50% chance
-4	Doable with a good hit	about a 40% chance
-6	Also requires luck	about a 30% chance
-8	Unlikely	about a 20% chance
-10	Possible but improbable	about a 10% chance

If using stacked advantage, an alternative is that a relatively simple called shot applies one level of disadvantage to the roll, while a complex called shot applies two levels.

Strength and Damage

Although your Strength modifier is commonly used for attack and damage rolls, Dexterity (ranged weapons or weapons with the finesse property) and Charisma (some warlocks) are also used.

With degree of success, an attack modifier also translates into increased damage by increasing the success margin, resulting in more strong and critical hits. Since this captures the impact of ability (Strength, Dexterity, Charisma, etc), the damage roll bonus can more specifically reflect power. This is also relevant for ranged attacks, where draw strength (or throwing strength) would be expected to influence damage (except for spells and firearms).

If you want to reflect this in the damage bonus, then use half the non-Strength ability modifier (round up), and add half you Strength modifier (also round up). This means Strength always contributes, while keeping all options viable.

If you do use this option, it rebalances Dexterity well and provides space to broaden options for fighters by allowing them to treat any weapon without the heavy property as having the finesse property.

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VARIANCE | TACTICAL COMBAT

Magic Options

This section includes additional options for spells, with personalization, increased spell slot flexibility, and an option to handle teleporting into melee. Each option can be used with any (or none) of the others, including Casting Roll, Disrupting a Spell, Degree of Success, and Overexertion.

Developing Spells

Players can have their own versions of spells that are mechanically identical but add flavor, and interest, by having a personalized appearance. Tasha's Cauldron of Everything^† (Wizards of the Coast) formalizes this with excellent guidance on how to personalize a character's spells to fit a theme that is meaningful for them. If you are using the degree of success and casting roll options from this tome, the success margin also determines if the spell ends up looking the way it was intended.

This may inspire players to want to develop spells that are also mechanically different. This is a bigger undertaking, requiring a consideration of game balance, and in-game resources (time and cost). Balance is easier with variant spells than new ones and there is guidance under "Creating a Spell" (Dungeon Master's Guide^†, Wizards of the Coast). One simple way to create variant spells is to add a metamagic-like enhancement to an existing spell, increasing its spell level by one. There are also many homebrew collections that may provide inspiration, although balance can be variable, depending on the source.

The option described below provides the in-game mechanics for developing that new spell, using a three stage

process: research, development, and testing. Each stage has a requirement in terms of time and cost that will need repeated if that stage is unsuccessful.

Level. The maximum level of spell a PC can develop should be one level below their own spell level in that class.

Time. It takes significant downtime to develop a new spell: 1 week per level, for each of the three stages.

Cost. Developing a new spell is also expensive. 100 gp per level per week is reasonable.

Stage 1 - Research. This stage reflects the study required to develop the theory underlying the spell. To successfully complete the research stage, you must succeed in an Arcana skill check (using your spellcasting ability) with a DC of 15 plus twice the spell level.

Stage 2 - Development. This stage represents the practical development of the spell from the research theory. It requires a successful Investigation skill check (using your spellcastingability) with a DC of 15 plus twice the spell level.

Stage 3 - Testing. This last stage reflects mastery of the spell to the point where it can be finalized and reliably cast. If using the casting roll option, the character must succeed in a casting roll with an additional penalty on the DC equal to the spell's level (so the DC is now 10 plus three times the spell level). If not using the casting roll option, you may substitute a successful Performance skill check (using your spellcasting ability), with a DC of 15 plus twice the spell level.

You may want to use the degree of success option for these sequential checks (page 4). Any critical failure means the spell can’t be attempted again, heavy failure that you must restart from Stage 1. The Stage 3 result would apply to the first time you then cast the spell.

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VARIANCE | MAGIC OPTIONS

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Equipment

Shields

These options apply uniformly to all typical shield shapes and sizes, since the trade-off between maneuverability versus cover of different designs is balanced by their effects on active versus passive defense. However, very small shields are a little different and are a separate option below.

Cover

Perhaps the most historically relevant role of shields. While outside of melee (i.e. not within reach of an opponent), you may take the Dodge action, or your reaction, to use your shield as three-quarters cover (+5 to AC and Dexterity saves) instead of its usual +2 to AC (from shield or from half cover).

Closing Range

If using the Closing Range option, a shield provides cover for the wielder when closing on an opponent with a longer reach weapon, so it doesn't provoke an opportunity attack.

Bucklers and Vambraces

Bucklers (very small shields) and vambraces (a form of forearm armor) can give a +1 bonus to AC when used in a free hand, so long as you have proficiency in shields. They don’t give the other benefits listed above but a buckler can be donned or doffed as an object interaction (doesn't use an action if it is the only object interacted with that turn) and vambraces allow the free hand(s) to perform other actions (e.g. sleight of hand or somatic components of a spell).

Shield	Cost	Armor Class (AC)	Weight
Shield	10 gp	+2	6 lb
Buckler	10 gp	+1	2 lb
Vambraces (pair)	15 gp	+1	3 lb

Quality, Repair & Bonuses

Many campaign settings have a region with more (or less) advanced metalcraft, or with superior or exotic materials, and nobody’s weapons or armor work quite as well once they have picked up some major dents from a 40ft fall or a bruising battle with a stone golem.

A simple way to bring this into your game is to give an item a +1 if it is expertly made, or a -1 if it is poorly or primitively made, or damaged. If bought or sold, the cost of the item also changes (a minimum of double, or half price, respectively).

Superior or exotic materials may affect other properties: weight (and hence strength requirement for armor), bulk/sound (removing stealth disadvantage), resilience (increased integrity die size, e.g. d12, see below), or material (e.g. non-metal). Each increases cost by a minimum of double.

• Damaged or poor quality weapon: -1 to attack bonus and damage
• Damaged or poor quality armor: -1 to AC (inc shields)
• Expertly made weapon: +1 to damage and/or attack bonus
• Expertly made armor: +1 to AC (not shields)
• Superior or exotic materials: altered properties

A damaged item can be repaired for half its new cost. PCs with the relevant artisan’s tools and proficiency (smith’s tools for metal, leatherworker's for leather, etc) may also make their own repairs (DC 15). A 1 hour repair lasts until a complete repair can be performed during downtime.

A +1 from quality isn't magical for the purposes of resistance or immunity to nonmagical weapons and the maximum total bonus from quality and any magical bonus remains +3 (and +3 should be reserved for high level play).

In many settings, a damage bonus of +3 is fine but bonuses to AC and attack bonus are best limited to +1 to better match the maximum AC and attack bonuses seen for monsters.

Instead of a further attack bonus, magic weapons can have increased damage (e.g. a d4 bonus to all damage rolls, or proficiency bonus once per combat), or a unique feature (e.g. a once-per-combat cantrip, once-per-day 1st level spell, or a negation of disadvantage effects), or a bonus to your Strength score (while staying within the ability score cap).

Instead of a further AC bonus, magic armor and shields can provide damage reduction (e.g. a d4 damage reduction every turn, or proficiency bonus oncer per combat), or a unique feature (such as limited-use damage resistance, save proficiencies, or temporary hit points).

Acquiring Damage

Optional sources of damage are described below:

Situational. This can be thematic as part of the campaign narrative, such as the example of the 40ft fall.

Critical fumble. There can be a chance of weapon damage on a critical fumble. You can choose the frequency of this to match the mood of the campaign. For most campaigns, use a d6 integrity die after a critical fumble, with damage occurring when you roll a 1 on the integrity die. However, a heroic campaign could use a d20 integrity die and a gritty campaign could use a d4. A superior weapon (see above) might use a larger integrity die (e.g. a d12 instead of a d6).

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VARIANCE | EQUIPMENT

Deliberate. If using the Called Shot option, allow an attacker to target (-10 penalty or 2 levels of disadvantage) the weapon, armor, or shield. Or -5 penalty (1 level of disadvantage) and allow an integrity die roll.

Added Weapon Properties

With this option, weapons are given one of three new properties to allow a little more differentiation between otherwise similar items. Those three properties are:

Reliable. A weapon that is designed for dependability in dealing damage. If you roll a 1 or 2 on a damage die, you may reroll the die.

Defensive. A weapon that is designed to parry or guard. +1 to your defense rolls and AC. If a defensive weapon is in your off-hand, +1 to your defense rolls only.

Penetrating. A weapon that is designed to get through defenses and armor. +1 to its attack (but not defense) rolls.

If using this option, a shield also gives +1 to defense rolls.

For simplicity, all monsters’ attacks can be treated as having the penetrating property.

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Weapons (Part 1)

Weapon	Cost	Damage	Weight	Properties
Simple Melee Weapons
Club	1 sp	1d4 bludgeoning	2 lb.	Light, reliable
Dagger / Dirk	2 gp	1d4 piercing	1 lb.	Finesse, light, thrown (range 20/60), penetrating
Greatclub	2 sp	1d8 bludgeoning	10 lb.	Two-handed, reliable
Handaxe	5 gp	1d6 slashing	2 lb.	Light, thrown (range 20/60), penetrating
Javelin	5 sp	1d6 piercing	2 lb.	Thrown (range 30/120), penetrating
Light Hammer	2 gp	1d4 bludgeoning	2 lb.	Light, thrown (range 20/60), penetrating
Mace / Flail	5 gp	1d6 bludgeoning	4 lb.	Reliable
(Quarter) Staff	2 sp	1d6 bludgeoning	4 lb.	Versatile (1d8), defensive when two-handed
Sickle	1 gp	1d4 slashing	2 lb.	Light, reliable
Spear	1 gp	1d6 piercing	3 lb.	Thrown (range 20/60), versatile (1d8)
Simple Ranged Weapons
Crossbow, light	25 gp	1d8 piercing	5 lb.	Ammunition (range 80/320), loading, two-handed, penetrating
Dart	5 cp	1d4 piercing	1/4 lb.	Finesse, thrown (range 20/60), penetrating
Shortbow	25 gp	1d6 piercing	2 lb.	Ammunition (range 80/320), two-handed, penetrating
Sling	1 sp	1d4 bludgeoning	—	Ammunition (range 30/120), reliable

VARIANCE | EQUIPMENT

Inventory Slots

Inventory slots are a simplified and streamlined approach to encumbrance that many players will be very familiar with from other games.

In the core rules, you can carry a total weight (in lb) of up to 5x your Strength score before becoming Encumbered. So 5 lb (2.5 kg) for every point of Strength. Most items are around 5 lb anyway, so you can instead simply use a number of 5 lb Inventory Slots equal to your Strength score.

Just use one line on your character sheet for each slot. You can double them up while Encumbered. Or triple them while Heavily Encumbered.

• Worn clothes and armor don't count (shields do). Worn armor has a separate Strength requirement or Encumbrance effect (see Armor Options above).
• Light items (coins, rings, potions) don't use slots unless you have an excessive number of them.
• Heavy items (personal tent, weapons with the heavy property) use 2 slots.
• And very heavy items use more (e.g. a set of spare armor requires a number of slots equal to its base AC modifier, i.e. base AC - 10)

So a rogue with a Strength score of 10, has 10 inventory slots. Their short sword and dagger don't count, neither does the hardened leather armor they're wearing, nor their thieves' tools, nor the 100 gp and 4 gems in their purse. But their lantern (with 10 days of oil), long bow, quiver (with 20 arrows), rope (20 ft), crowbar, disguise kit, food (5 days), water (5 days), bedroll, and tarp fill the 10 slots.

Inventory Slots

Slots	Weight	Items
0	<3 lb	Weapons with the Light property (up to 2), ranged weapons that deal up to d6 damage (up to 2), money (<500 coins), potions (<10), rings, spell components, small instrument, thieves' tools, etc
1	~5 lb	Most items, including weapons (except Light or Heavy), shields, quiver (20 arrows/bolts), spell book, basic food (5d), water (5d), lantern (10d oil), torches (10), rope (20 ft), change of clothes, crowbar, iron spikes (10), bedroll, tarp, healing kit, artisan's tools, etc
2	~10 lb	Weapons with the Heavy property, tent (per person), etc

Lightly Encumbered. An optional first stage of encumbrance. You are Lightly Encumbered when you use more Inventory Slots than half your Strength score. You gain 1 temporary Exhaustion level while Lightly Encumbered.

Encumbered. You are Encumbered when you use more Inventory Slots than your Strength score. You gain 2 temporary Exhaustion levels while Encumbered. Once you accumulate 1 hour of being Encumbered, you must take a short or long rest before doing so again.

Heavily Encumbered. You are Heavily Encumbered when you use more Inventory Slots than double your Strength score. You gain 3 temporary Exhaustion levels while Heavily Encumbered. Once you accumulate 1 minute of being Heavily Encumbered, you must take a short or long rest before doing so again.

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VARIANCE | EQUIPMENT

Crafting Magic Items

The optional rules here build on the guidance under "Creating a Magic Item" in the Dungeon Master's Guide^† (Wizards of the Coast), using an extension of the Developing Spells system (page 17). There are three main classes of magic item crafting: a magical bonus, an imbued spell and a bespoke effect. An item can be imbued with one of each.

Imbued Spell

This involves imbuing the item with the ability to cast a spell. You can only imbue a spell that you yourself can cast. The required player level, time, cost and development checks are equivalent to developing a spell of double that level. An imbued spell can be cast once every day (resetting at dawn) and has all the same properties, including casting time, as the original spell.

Equivalent Spell Level Difficulty

Imbued spell level	Equivalent difficulty
Cantrip	See text
1st level	2nd level
2nd level	4th level
3rd level	6th level
4th level	8th level

Cantrips

Cantrips are a special case. The required player level, time, cost and development checks depend on the number of times the cantrip can be cast per day (once is equivalent to a 1st level spell development, twice to a 2nd level, up to 8 which is equivalent to an 8th level spell development).

For cantrips that scale with player level, the level is that of the item wielder not the crafter.

Enhanced Spells

A spell may be enhanced with a metamagic version when it's imbued; treat this as increasing the spell level by one (and so increasing the difficulty level by 2). A spell may also be imbued to be cast more than once a day: increase the

equivalent difficulty level by 2 for each extra casting. Finally, a spell may be imbued at an upcast level; simply treat it as that higher level.

Charges

Instead of one or two spell castings that reset each day, an item may hold a number of charges, as is the case for many wands. Imbuing the spell follows the same rules and gives 1 charge. Additional charges (up to a maximum of 10) can be added (or restored) any time afterwards, either by the original crafter or more commonly by a suitable level arcane tradesperson in a major town. Each charge takes a number of days equal to the spell's level (minimum 1) and costs either 100 gp per day per level (half this cost is materials, half is profit) or 1/10 of the total value of the item.

Bespoke Effects

Bespoke effects might include breathing underwater, resistance to a damage type, an ability score increase, or a feat or class ability. Consider which spell, racial ability, class ability, feat, etc the effect is most like. This will determine the difficulty of the crafting.

A feat, racial ability or 2 point ability score increase is equivalent to a 5th level spell development, a half-version of the effect is equivalent to a 3rd level spell development. For a spell, use the spell rules above. For a class ability, the equivalent difficulty level is the level the class ability is gained.

The crafter must also have access to someone or something that has the desired ability, to model the crafting.

For all these effects, if the source effect is always on, then so is the magical version. If the source effect is used a limited number of times or day, then the magical version can be used only once per day (to imbue an additional use, add 2 levels to the equivalent spell development level).

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VARIANCE | CRAFTING MAGIC ITEMS

Feats

Feats that relate to combat or spellcasting can be adapted to make additional use of the options described in this Tome. These adapted feats, as well as twelve new feats, are described below. There are also additional variant options for gaining or replacing feats, as well as a re-working of two-weapon fighting that incorporates defensive fighting.

Adapted Feats

The feats in this section are adapted from the Player's Handbook^† (Wizards of the Coast). Original mechanics are in plain text and Variance adaptations highlighted in bold.

"Alert"^†

• You can’t be surprised while conscious.
• You have a +5 bonus to initiative.
• Other creatures don’t gain advantage on attack rolls against you as a result of being hidden from you, or teleporting to attack you.
• When you use the Ready action to prepare an Attack action and have the Extra Attack feature, you may also make those extra attacks as part of the attack. Any attack ability that usually applies once per turn may only apply once per round.

"Defensive Duelist"^†

Prerequisite: Dexterity 13 or higher

If you're wielding a finesse weapon that you're proficient with when another creature attacks and hits you (whether melee, ranged or spell attack), you may use your reaction to make them roll an additional d20 and take the lower roll, potentially causing the attack to miss you.

"Great Weapon Master"^†

• Whenever your attack reduces a creature to 0 hp, any excess damage from the attack may carry over to another creature within reach with the same AC or less. If the remaining damage reduces that creature to 0 hp, you may repeat this process, carrying over the remaining damage until there are no valid targets, or until the damage carried over fails to reduce a creature to 0 hp.
• On your turn, when you score a critical hit with a melee weapon or reduce a creature to 0 hit points with one, you may make a melee weapon attack as a bonus action.
• Before you make a melee attack with a heavy weapon with which you are proficient, you may take a penalty to the attack roll, up to your proficiency bonus. If that attack hits, you add double that amount to the attack's damage.

"Mage Slayer"^†

• When a creature within reach of you begins casting a spell, you may use your reaction to make a melee weapon attack against that creature, potentially disrupting the spell.
• If you are not in melee (i.e. no opponents within reach of you) and a creature further than 5 feet from you begins casting a spell, you can use your reaction to make a ranged attack against that creature, potentially disrupting the spell.
• When you damage a creature that is concentrating on a spell, that creature has disadvantage on the saving throw it makes to maintain its concentration. This includes saving throws against having a spell disrupted.
• You have advantage on saving throws against spells cast by creatures within 5 feet of you.

"Lucky"^†

You have 1 luck point. Whenever you make a d20 roll, you may spend 1 luck point to roll an additional d20. You may use this ability before or after the original roll, but before the outcome is revealed. You choose which of the d20s is used.

You may also spend 1 luck point when an attack roll is made against you. Roll a d20, and choose whether the attacker's roll uses their d20 roll or yours.

If multiple creatures use a luck point on the same roll, they cancel out, so there are no additional dice.

If you roll a natural 1 or 20 on the roll made when you spend a luck point, then you regain the luck point.

Otherwise, you regain the expended luck point when you finish a long rest.

"Sharpshooter"^†

• Attacking at long range doesn't impose disadvantage on your ranged weapon attack rolls.
• Your ranged weapon attacks ignore half cover and treat three-quarters cover as half cover.

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VARIANCE | FEATS

"Spell Sniper"^†

Prerequisite: The ability to cast at least one spell

• The range is doubled for any spell you cast that requires a spell attack roll.
• Your ranged spell attacks ignore half cover and treat three-quarters cover as half cover.
• When you use the Ready action to prepare a ranged spell attack for when creatures move in your line of sight, you may also use your bonus action to Ready a second ranged spell attack, so long as it has a casting time of a bonus action and one of the spells is a cantrip.
• You learn one cantrip that requires an attack roll. The cantrip must be from the bard, cleric, druid, sorcerer, warlock, or wizard spell list. Your spellcasting ability for the cantrip depends on the spell list it came from: Charisma for bard, sorcerer, or warlock; Wisdom for cleric or druid; or Intelligence for wizard.

"War Caster"^†

You have practiced casting spells in the midst of combat, learning techniques that grant you the following benefits:

• You have advantage on Constitution saving throws that you make to maintain your concentration on a spell when you take damage. This includes saving throws against having a spell disrupted.
• You don't provoke an opportunity attack when casting a spell with a casting time of 1 action, even if its range is more than 15 ft.
• You can cast spells that have somatic components even if you have weapons or a shield in one or both hands.
• When a hostile creature's movement or actions provoke an opportunity attack from you, you may use your reaction to cast a spell at the creature, instead ofn making an opportunity attack. The spell must have a casting time of 1 action (or 1 bonus action) and must target only that creature.

Weapon Training "Weapon Master"^†

Renaming the "Weapon Master"^† feat as Weapon Training

• Increase your Strength or Dexterity score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
• You gain proficiency with 4 weapons of your choice.

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New Feats

Aim Under Pressure

Thanks to extensive practice with making ranged attacks under close pressure, you gain the following benefits:

• Being within reach of a hostile creature doesn’t impose disadvantage on your ranged attack or ranged spell attack rolls.
• You don't provoke an opportunity attack when making a ranged attack or ranged spell attack.
• Having the frightened or poisoned conditions doesn’t impose disadvantage on your ranged attack or ranged spell attack rolls, or on your casting rolls.

Dynamic Duelist

When you make a successful defense roll opposing a melee attack, you can use your reaction to make a melee attack back at that creature, using that same roll. If you made your defense roll as a reaction (e.g. Reactive fighting style), you make this attack as part of same reaction.

Mental Expertise

Through extensive training, you are an expert in focusing your mind. You gain the following benefits:

• When you are subjected to an effect that allows you to make an Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma saving throw, you may use your reaction to add your proficiency bonus to your roll for that save. If you already have proficiency in that roll, you don't add a second bonus but instead gain advantage on the roll. You must use this reaction before you make the saving throw roll.

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VARIANCE | FEATS

Mental Resilience

Accustomed to pushing through mental adversity, you gain the following benefits:

• When you are subjected to an effect that allows you to make an Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma saving throw, you may use your reaction to spend a Hit Die and add it to your roll for that save. You may use this reaction after you see the saving throw roll, potentially making a failed saving throw into a success (or changing the degree of success).
• When you are subject to an ongoing condition as a result of a failed Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma saving throw, you may take a level of exhaustion and end that condition as if you had succeeded in the saving throw.

Physical Resilience

Accustomed to pushing through physical adversity, you gain the following benefits:

• When you are subjected to an effect that allows you to make a Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution saving throw, you may use your reaction to spend a Hit Die and add it to your roll for that save. You may use this reaction after you see the saving throw roll, potentially making a failed saving throw into a success (or changing the degree of success).
• When you are subject to an ongoing condition as a result of a failed Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution saving throw, you may take a level of exhaustion and end that condition as if you had succeeded in the saving throw.

Shield Expertise

Prerequisite: Shield proficiency

Through extensive training, you have developed expertise in the defensive use of a shield. You gain the following benefits when you have a shield donned:

• You can use your defense rolls even when attacked with a ranged attack or ranged spell attack.
• Also, when another creature attacks you (whether melee, ranged or spell attack), you may use your reaction to give them disadvantage on their roll.

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VARIANCE | FEATS

Spontaneous Caster (Origin: Atsur)

Prerequisite: The ability to cast at least one spell

Once per long rest, you can try to cast a spell that you don’t know. The spell must be from a spell level and list that you have access to, and must be 5th level or lower. Expend a spell slot of that level or higher and when the casting duration is complete, make a casting roll (DC of 10 plus the spell’s level; adding your spell attack bonus to the roll).

If you succeed, you cast the spell normally (you may not use metamagic options with this spell). If you fail, the spell is not cast and you instead cast a random cantrip, with a random target, from your class spell list. Alternatively, you may wish to use a "wild magic" table for failed attempts.

Versatile Caster

Prerequisite: The ability to cast at least one spell

You have an exceptionally breadth of spellcasting knowledge:

• You know and can prepare 1 extra spell. The spell must be from a level and spell list that you have access to, and must be 5th level or lower. You may change your choice of spell after you finish a long rest.
• You have advantage on Arcana checks related to spellcasting, including identification of a spell as it's being cast.

Vigilant

Prerequisite: Extra Attack class feature (or Thirsting Blade invocation)

Accustomed to the organized chaos of melee combat, you have developed a keen sense of combat awareness and can take advantage of opportunities that others may miss. Once during a round:

• You may take an additional reaction.
• Or you may gain an additional defense roll.
• Or if at the start of your turn you've not been attacked or targeted since your last turn, you may make an additional melee attack (against a creature in reach at that time).

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain any expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Warlord / Martial Leadership

Prerequisite: Extra Attack class feature (or Thirsting Blade invocation)

A veteran of martial combat, your leadership skills can provide support and inspiration to those around you. To do so, you use a bonus action on your turn to choose one creature other than yourself within 60 feet of that you can communicate with. That creature gains an additional Martial Inspiration die, a d6.

Once within the next 10 minutes, the creature can use the die as an extra d6 Heroic Effort roll, without expending a Hit Die (page 10). Once the Martial Inspiration die is rolled, it is lost. A creature can have only one Martial Inspiration die at a time.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain any expended uses when you finish a long rest.

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VARIANCE | FEATS

Wielding Two Weapons

Historically, a small second weapon was often used alongside a full-weighted primary weapon for defense (effectively a similar role to a buckler) or to use when fighting became close-pressed. Paired light weapons were common in some fighting styles / cultures and there is historical record of highly specialized individuals using paired full-weighted one-handed weapons. Below is an optional variant to the standard dual wielding rules, including a more defensive role where the size of the second weapon is of less importance and is instead used to gain 1 or more defense dice.

Two-Weapon Fighting

When you take the Attack action and attack with a light melee weapon that you're holding in one hand, you can use a bonus action to make an attack with a different light melee weapon that you're holding in the other hand (you don't add your ability modifier to the damage of the bonus attack, unless that modifier is negative).

If you choose not to make this bonus action attack with your second weapon, you gain +1 to AC and defense rolls until the start of your next turn.

If either weapon has the thrown property, you can throw the weapon, instead of making a melee attack with it.

Two-Weapon Fighting Style

You can use two-weapon fighting even when one of the one-handed melee weapons you are wielding isn’t light.

If both weapons are light, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second weapon.

"Dual Wielder"^† Feat

So long as you are proficient with both of the weapons that you're using, you gain the following benefits:

• You can use two-weapon fighting, even when the one-handed melee weapons you are wielding aren’t light. If you have the Two-Weapon Fighting Style, you may add your ability modifier to the damage of both weapons.
• You can draw or stow two one-handed weapons when you would normally be able to draw or stow only one.
• When you use two-weapon fighting, the attack with your second weapon (or the defense die you may chose to gain instead) no longer requires your bonus action. You may choose to forgo this attack to gain an additional defense roll instead; if you do, you also gain +1 to AC and defense rolls until the start of your next turn.

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VARIANCE | FEATS

Appendix A: Variant Sorcerer

The appendices in this third part of the handbook describe some more experimental options - the "unearthed arcana" of this Tome.

The underlying mechanical detail is a bit more exposed and the language a bit less polished. They have been included for those who like to try something a bit more experimental, with rough edges that may still evolve significantly. They are peripheral options, so have been separated out into these experimental appendices.

This first appendix introduces two new variants on spellcasting, designed to reflect the more innate nature of a sorcerer's magic, and the physical strain associated with that. Common to both is a different approach to spellcasting ability and a move away from spell slots to a system more grounded in the sorcerer's own health resources and constitution. However the two variants use very different approaches to the mechanics of such a magic system.

Innate Variant

For the Innate variant sorcerer, your casting rolls (page 11) determine the number of spells you cast in a day. You use Constitution as your spellcasting ability score. If your casting roll succeeds, the spell is cast. If it fails, the spell fails and you can't attempt any further spells until you finish a short rest. On a heavy or critical failure, you can't attempt any further spells until you finish a long rest. You may use these options with or without other Degree of Success effects (page 12).

Each time you cast a spell, you get a cumulative -1 modifier to your casting roll. This resets when you finish a long rest. So if you've already cast 3 spells that day, you make your next casting roll with a -3 penalty. With this system, spells of your current level rapidly risk a failed roll and no further casting. A 5th level sorcerer may have a 75% chance of casting Fireball but is unlikely to succeed more than twice in a day, even if they cast no other spells. Low level spells are much more reliable, until the -1 modifiers add up.

You can overcome bad rolls by drawing on your own health energy. You may spend any number of Hit Dice to increase the roll (Hit Dice always count as d6s, even if you have larger Hit Dice available), or you can take a level of exhaustion to reroll.

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VARIANCE | APPENDIX A

Channeler Variant

For the Channeler variant sorcerer, the Spell Points system (Dungeon Master's Guide^†, Wizards of the Coast) determines the number of spells you cast in a day. However, you don't have immediate access to the arcane energy, or mana, that fuels those spell points. Instead you can hold a small mana reservoir but need to draw more energy to cast larger spells. This mana comes from a Source to which you have a deep innate connection, whether elemental, natural or supernatural.

Drawing Mana. From 1st level, you are able to tap your Mana Source to channel arcane energy for your spells.

Tapping Mana. As a bonus action on your turn, you may tap mana from your Source, gaining mana up to the highest level of sorcerer spell you know. So a 5th level sorcerer who has access to 3rd level spells may tap up to 3 mana.

Gathering Mana. When you take the Cast a Spell action, you may Gather mana instead. This gains you mana up to the highest level of sorcerer spell you know plus your proficiency bonus. So the same 5th level sorcerer may gather up to 3 + 3 = 6 mana.

Heroic Effort. At any time, you may draw on your own health energy by spending a Hit Die to gain mana equal to that roll.

Mana Reservoir

You can safely hold mana equal to the highest level of sorcerer spell you know, without needing control. This is known as your mana reservoir.

Controlling Mana. When you end your turn holding more mana than your reservoir, you may choose to release the excess (still counts to your daily maximum), or to try to keep hold of it by making a Constitution saving throw. The DC equals 10 plus the excess mana and a natural 1 is always a failure. If you fail this check, you lose all the mana you were holding and are unable to channel more until you finish a short rest.

Mana Burn. When you fail a Constitution saving throw to control excess mana, you may spend hit points or Hit Dice to add to that roll, potentially making the failed saving throw into a success. Or you may take a level of exhaustion to reroll.

Mana Stores. Some rare magic items may function as mana stores, increasing your mana reservoir.

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Casting Spells

You spend mana to cast spells, again using the Spell Points system (Dungeon Master's Guide), where each mana is a spell point and costs increase from 2 spell points for a 1st level spell to 13 spell points for a 9th level one.

Life Energy Alternative

You can adapt the Channeler sorcerer to use a life energy Source. Life energy may be channeled sustainably (preservation magic) or drained unsustainably (defiling magic). For this adaptation, Tapping Mana is sustainable but Gathering Mana becomes an alternative bonus action with a life energy cost (hp lost for each mana gained). This may be voluntary, with hp split evenly between yourself and any number of willing allies. Or it may be involuntary, with hp split evenly amongst all creatures within 30 ft who fail a Constitution save with DC equal to 10 + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier (if all creatures save, no mana is drawn).

Other Class Features

All other features for these sorcerer variants are shared with the standard sorcerer, except Flexible Casting.

Tapping Reserves

Since you don't use spell slots, Flexible Casting can't be used to generate sorcery points. This is replaced with Tapping Reserves. As a bonus action on your turn, you can spend a Hit Die to gain 1d6 sorcery points.

Appendix B: Blinkstep Rogue

Although this Tome is focused more on general rules than it is on classes etc, the variant sorcerer options explore new spellcasting mechanics and this rogue subclass explores a melee teleporter (page 18), fulfilling the archetype of the rogue who uses their magic to get in and out of impossible situations.

The Blinkstep Rogue

Some rogues augment their stealth and agility with magic, using tricks of movement and illusion. These might include street hustlers and burglars, but also mischief-makers, covert operators and, of course, adventurers.

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VARIANCE | APPENDIX B

Spellcasting

At 3rd level, you acquire the ability to cast spells.

Cantrips. You know three cantrips of your choice from the wizard spell list, two of which must be transmutation or illusion spells. You learn another at 10th level.

Spell Slots. The Blinkstep Rogue Spellcasting table shows how many spell slots you have. To cast a spell, you must expend a slot of the spell's level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.

Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher. You know three 1st-level spells of your choice from the wizard spell list, two of which must be transmutation and illusion spells.

The Spells Known column of the Blinkstep Rogue Spellcasting table shows when you learn more wizard spells. Each must be a transmutation or illusion spell, at a level for which you have spell slots. The spells you learn at 8th, 14th & 20th level can come from any school of magic.

Whenever you gain a level in this class, you can replace one of the wizard spells you know with another spell from the wizard spell list, at a level for which you have spell slots. the new spell must be a transmutation or illusion spell, unless it's replacing the spell from any school of magic that you gained at 3rd, 8th, 14th, or 20th level.

You learn additional spells with some of your Roguish Archetype features. You may cast these a set number of times without expending spell slots or spell components and without requiring a casting roll (page 11), but may also cast them with a spell slot if available.

Spellcasting Ability. Intelligence is the spellcasting ability for your wizard spells:

Unearthly Step

Starting at 3rd level, you can cast Misty Step with this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain expended uses when you finish a long rest.

At 9th Level, when an attacker that you can see deals damage to you, you can use your reaction to move up to 15’ away and and the damage dealt is halved.

At 13th level, you can cast Misty Step at will, as if it were a cantrip for you.

Rogue Magic

Starting from 3rd level, in addition to your Blinkstep Rogue spells and Unearthly Step, you learn a Rogue Magic spell. You may cast this spell once with this feature and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. Doing so doesn't require spell components and doesn't expend a spell slot. At 9th level and 13th level, you learn an additional Rogue Magic spell that you may cast instead.

At 3rd level, choose one Rogue Magic spell from the following list: blur, invisibility, or pass without trace.

At 9th level, choose another Rogue Magic spell, either: blink, gaseous form, or haste.

At 13th level, choose a third Rogue Magic spell, either: dimension door, etherealness, or greater invisibility.

Blinkstep

At 17th level, you gain the ability to teleport at will. You may use any of your movement to teleport that distance instead, including breaking up teleportation before and after your actions or between attacks. Movement while teleporting does not provoke opportunity attacks and you may move through objects and creatures, so long as you can see the location that you are teleporting to.

You may also use your reaction to move up to 15’ at any time. Any damage being dealt to you at the time is halved.

Blinkstep Rogue Spellcasting

Rogue Level	Cantrips Known	Spells Known	1st	2nd	3rd	4th
3rd	3	3	2	-	-	-
4th	3	4	3	-	-	-
5th	3	4	3	-	-	-
6th	3	4	3	-	-	-
7th	3	5	4	2	-	-
8th	3	6	4	2	-	-
9th	3	6	4	2	-	-
10th	4	7	4	3	-	-
11th	4	8	4	3	-	-
12th	4	8	4	3	-	-
13th	4	9	4	3	2	-
14th	4	10	4	3	2	-
15th	4	10	4	3	2	-
16th	4	11	4	3	3	-
17th	4	11	4	3	3	-
18th	4	11	4	3	3	-
19th	4	12	4	3	3	1
20th	4	13	4	3	3	1

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VARIANCE | APPENDIX B

Appendix C: Bounded Accuracy

Degree of success works best when all degrees can occur but the most extreme ones are uncommon. Bounded accuracy (a design principle aiming to keep the maximum range of results relatively narrow) helps with this. However, bounded accuracy in fifth edition has widened over time as new sources of bonuses have led to potentially large cumulative effects. The bounded accuracy options described here aim to address that, using a similar approach to Paizo's Pathfinder^‡ system.

Modifiers Don't Stack

With this change, any positive modifiers beyond your proficiency bonus and an ability score modifier generally don't stack with each other. Instead, only the largest single bonus from your equipment (e.g. magical bonuses or Added Weapon Properties) and the largest single bonus from any effects or features (e.g. spells, Bardic Inspiration, Heroic Effort, etc) are applied. So magical bonuses from multiple items don't stack and neither do situational bonuses from multiple "buffing" spells.

For bonuses that involve dice, roll the dice and use the highest roll from amongst them. Compare this with any fixed bonuses, if there are any, to choose the largest single bonus.

Ability Checks & Saves

    Items. Bonuses such as from the Cloak of Protection, Ioun Stone - Protection or Ring of Protection, effects) don't stack with each other.

Effects. These are often from spells or abilities; only use the highest bonus (e.g. Bardic Inspiration, Bless, Guidance, Heroic Effort, Resistance, aura effects, etc).

Attack Bonus

Your Attack Bonus continues to include your proficiency bonus and the ability modifier you use for that attack.

Items. Only add the highest equipment/item bonus (e.g. a +1 weapon, or an Added Weapon Property for attack or defense rolls)

Effects. Likewise, only add the highest effect/feature bonus (e.g. from the Archery fighting style, Bardic Inspiration, Bless, Focused Aim, Foe Slayer, Sacred Weapon, Weapon Expertise, etc.)

Spell Attack Bonus & Save DC

Your Spell Attack Bonus also continues to include your proficiency bonus and your spell ability modifier. As does your Spell Save DC or Casting roll. Modifiers to these are uncommon (most often from a magic item or from Heroic Effort), but again only use the highest item bonus and highest effect bonus.

Armor Class

The +2 bonus from a shield, the +2 or +5 from cover, or the potential +1 bonus from two-weapon fighting don't stack with each other but do stack with other bonuses.

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    Items. Armour and equipment bonuses, such as natural armor, Unarmoured Defense, and magical bonuses from armor, shields, or other items (e.g. Cloak of Protection, Ioun Stone - Protection, Ring of Protection, Defender weapons, etc) don't stack with each other.

Effects. Bonuses from the Defense fighting style, Haste, Heroic Effort, Multiattack Defense, Shield, Shield of Faith, etc, also don't stack with each other.

So if a fighter with the Defense fighting style, +1 plate armor, a +1 shield and wielding a sword (defensive property), has Haste and Shield of Faith cast on them, their AC is 23: 18 (plate AC) +2 (wielding shield) +1 from items (from one of their magical items, or the sword) + 2 from effects (Haste or Shield of Faith replaces the fighting style bonus).

Expertise

At higher levels, Expertise adding a second proficiency bonus can begin to stretch Degree of Success. If you are using the Stacking Advantage and Disadvantage option, then Expertise can instead confer one level of advantage. The Mental Expertise, Shield Expertise and Weapon Expertise feats also use this.

• If you're using the "Proficiency Dice" option (Dungeon Master's Guide^†, Wizards of the Coast), Expertise with Proficiency Dice is instead advantage on the Proficiency Die roll.

Epic Level Play

At levels above 20 (or with magic items such as some of the Manuals), the ceiling on Ability Scores might be raised. it's best to limit this to a maximum of a 24 and in a single stat (with the exception of barbarians with the Primal Champion feature, who have both Strength and Constitution).

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^‡ Paizo Inc.

VARIANCE | APPENDIX C

Appendix D: Arcane Melee

This new and very experimental appendix describes a feat system for two broad groups of cantrips that can be used in melee combat to enable the archetype of a warrior channeling magic energy through their attacks, or a magic user controlling a weapon of pure energy. This pre-dates the fifth edition 2024 playtests but will adapt to them after the 2024 release.

Battle Mage

Prerequisite: Battle Mage Initiate

You have further honed your skills in arcane melee. This grants you the following benefits:

• You gain access to another damage type to use with the Arcane Strike cantrip, either force, necrotic, radiant, psychic, or thunder.
• You gain access to an additional number of arcane maneuvers equal to your Proficiency Bonus; you may change your choice whenever you gain a level.
• When you make a successfully attack with the Arcane Strike cantrip, you may then use your bonus action to cast a spell that normally has a casting time of 1 action. You may do this a number of times equal to your Proficiency Bonus and regain expended uses after you complete a long rest.

Arcane Weapon

cantrip evocation

---

• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: Self (5-foot radius)
• Components: S, V
• Duration: Instantaneous

---

Choose an Arcane Weapon damage type and maneuver that you know. You create an arcane force, with appearance suitable to the damage type and maneuver, that you may wield in a spell melee attack against one creature within 5 feet of you (e.g. a Lightening Slam may manifest as a blue hammer, crackling with electricity, that extends from you arm to strike your opponent). The attack benefits from your chosen arcane maneuver and a successful hit deals 1d8 of your chosen damage type. The damage dice increase to 2d8 at 5th level, 3d8 at 11th level, and 4d8 at 17th level.

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VARIANCE | APPENDIX D

Appendix E: Character Creation & Progression

Some of the options here increase flexibility in character creation and progression to allow greater customization of your character. Others are experimental options aiming to improve balance or simplify mechanics. These options add to those of recent fifth edition sourcebooks.

Paired Scores

Here you may choose any advantageous score, so long as you match it with a disadvantageous score that is at least as rare. The standard "best-3-of-4d6" roll has a skewed distribution, so the average (mean) roll is just over 12 (rather than the central 10.5 of a straight 3d6 roll) and 12 is also the middle (median) roll. Matched probabilities are listed in the table below. Your character starts with 12 in all six ability scores and you may replace a 12 with any higher number, so long as you replace a different 12 with the matched lower number.

Best-3-of-4d6 Distribution

Selected Score	Probability of rolling this, or higher	Matched Score	Probability of rolling this, or lower
18	1.6%	5	1.2%
17	5.8%	7	5.7%
16	13.0%	8	10.5%
15	23.1%	9	17.5%
14	35.5%	10	26.9%
13	48.8%	11	38.3%

3d6 Distribution

Since the additional flexibility allows additional optimization, you may find a "best-3-of-4d6" distribution too generous. Here is the equivalent table for a straight 3d6 distribution.

Selected Score	Probability of rolling this, or higher	Matched Score	Probability of rolling this, or lower
18	0.5%	3	0.5%
17	1.9%	4	1.9%
16	4.6%	5	4.6%
15	9.3%	6	9.3%
14	16.2%	7	16.2%
13	25.9%	8	25.9%
12	37.5%	9	37.5%
11	50%	10	50%

Points System

If you want even more flexibility, you can use a points system across the six ability scores, rather than having to use matched pairs. The points system described here bases the difference from one score to the next on the difference in probably of rolling that high (or low) if 4d6 were used.

The cost for any given ability score value is listed in the table below, with a 12 as no cost. You may choose any six ability score values such that the total cost is 0 or less.

Best-3-of-4d6 Distribution

Score	Cost
3	-28
4	-21
5	-16
6	-12
7	-9
8	-7
9	-5
10	-3

Score	Cost
11	-1
12	0
13	+1
14	+2
15	+4
16	+7
17	+10
18	+16

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VARIANCE | APPENDIX E

3d6 Distribution

Score	Cost
3	-42
4	-30
5	-22
6	-16
7	-11
8	-7
9	-4
10	-1

Score	Cost
11	+1
12	+4
13	+7
14	+11
15	+16
16	+22
17	+30
18	+42

    (Here, log(1.12) scales the minimum change (10 to 11) to 2, which is needed to allow the central value of 10.5 to be "0".)

Saving Throw Proficiencies

With this option, players may choose their own saving throw proficiencies, to reflect that their character's focus in training may differ from others within the same class (whether due to their archetype or their individual character).

Choose one of Dexterity, Constitution, or Wisdom, and one of Strength, Intelligence, or Charisma. Since this reflects your training focus, you may only choose ability scores that are 13 or higher.

As an additional option to allow that focus to change over time, you may change one selection whenever you have the Ability Score Improvement feature from gaining a level.

For campaigns with a more epic feel, or to improve balance, especially at higher levels, you may wish to use half-proficiency for all other saves.

Four Ability Scores

This very unorthodox experimental option reduces the six ability scores to just four, but is not quite as radical as it initially sounds.

Constitution is removed and its use replaced by Strength (except concentration checks, which use your spell modifier).

Charisma is also removed and its skills are distributed amongst the four remaining stats:

• Deception moves to Intelligence,
• Intimidation to Strength,
• Performance to Dexterity,
• and Persuasion to Wisdom.

For spellcasters that previously used Charisma:

• Warlocks use Intelligence,
• Paladins use Wisdom,
• while Bards and Sorcerers may choose either.

Charisma and Intelligence saves both now use Wisdom and you gain just one save proficiency from your class, either Strength (including Constitution), Dexterity or Wisdom

(including Intelligence & Charisma). The same could apply for monsters but it's easier to use existing stat blocks.

Overall, this change aims to improve balance between the scores and involve more classes in relevant social challenges.

Intelligence Proficiencies

With this common variant, added here for convenience, you start with an additional number of tool or language proficiencies equal to your Intelligence modifier.

Training & Versatility

As you progress through your levels, your interests, focuses and specializations progress and may shift and evolve. To reflect this, during downtime after you gain a level, you may gain a half-proficiency in a skill (half proficiency bonus), language (limited communication) or tool (half proficiency bonus; also advantage if at least half-proficient in the relevant skill) of your choice. If you already have half-proficiency, you gain full proficiency.

Subclass Flexibility

You may change subclass whenever you gain the subclass feature. You gain the first subclass feature(s) of the new subclass. If you return to a subclass, you continue from the last feature you received.

Multiclassing Commitment

Consider requiring a minimum number of levels (somewhere between 2 and 5) in a class for these to be kept if a character then gains levels in another class.

Simplified XP

A simplified method for awarding XP, derived from a post by Acromir. Any time the party overcomes a challenge, whether combat, exploration, social, or even crafting, simply decide on the difficulty: Easy, Medium, Hard, or Deadly and award each player the XP listed against the party's average level on the "XP Threshold by Character Level" table in the Dungeon Master's Guide^† (Wizards of the Coast).

If different PCs contributed significantly more or less, or had more or less challenge / risk, you can award individually.

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VARIANCE | APPENDIX E

The Archive

As this Tome evolves, some of the original options are being retired to this archive. They remain popular in the feedback and the modular nature of the Tome means that you can always still use them in place of the newer options. However they're being separated out into this archive to simplify the organization of the main Tome around their newer replacements.

Variant Defense - Defense Dice

This was the defense option in the previous edition of the Tome, before the Defence bonus action replaced it.

Instead of using a bonus action or gaining defense rolls, you gain a supply of defense dice that you can spend to add to your AC when attacked (additional dice may be used for other attacks or to re-roll, keeping the highest roll). The number and size of defense dice increase with level and class abilities, and their use and availability depend on actions in combat.

You gain a number of defense dice equal to the number of attacks you can make with the Attack action; these are d4s at 1st level, increasing to d6s from 8th level. You gain these dice at the beginning of combat (expiring if not used by the start of your next turn) and regain them when you take a melee action (melee attack, Help or Disengage, or Ready action for any of those or for movement). You don't gain defense dice from non-melee actions (ranged attack, Dash, Hide, Search, Spell, Use an Object, or Ready action for any of those).

Since your pool of defense rolls reflect the actions you took, certain actions already limit your ability to defend yourself and there is less need to also include those actions in Leaving Yourself Open (page 14), so just use the movement triggers there.

Finally, a -2 correction factor to players' AC maintains balance with monsters and the core rules.

If you choose to use this variant, you may wish to use a previous edition of the Tome (e.g. v5.2), which is organized around this as a core feature.

Combat Stance

You also gain a defense die when you Fend or Disengage as a bonus action (e.g. with Cunning Action), and you may forgo any number of melee attacks from your Attack action (and/or bonus action if your bonus action grants you a melee attack) to gain an additional defense die for each. Conversely, you may spend a defense die to add to one of your melee damage rolls, or spend two defense dice to add a die to one of your melee attack rolls.

Dodge

In this variant, Dodge does not impose disadvantage on attack rolls made against you, but instead gives you double your usual number of defense dice, which you may also use against ranged attacks, but you still make Dexterity Saving Throws with advantage.

Evasive Fighting Style

With the Evasive fighting style, you may use defense dice against ranged attacks and may use your reaction to gain a defense die (or reroll a defense die).

Variant Defense - Proficiency

This variant was the original defense option in early editions of the Tome, before the Defense Dice option replaced it. Instead of using a supply of defensive dice, a constant defensive bonus (your proficiency bonus) is added to your AC. A slightly bigger correction factor is needed for this (-4 as opposed to the -2 with defense dice).

So a level 6 fighter (proficiency bonus of +3), with a Dexterity of 14 (ability modifier of +2), and wearing breastplate armor (base AC 14), has a AC of 14 +2 +3 -4 = 15.

At lower levels, this will slightly increase the chance of being hit (and the chance of higher damage from Degree of Success). While at higher levels, the chance will slightly decrease. These effects balance well with the Gritty Progression option (page 8), so the options are best used together.

If you choose to use this variant, you may wish to use a previous edition of the Tome (e.g. v2.0), which is organized around this as a core feature.

Proficiency Dice

A hybrid variant of the Defense and Defense Dice options is to use a proficiency die ("Proficiency Dice" option, Dungeon Master's Guide^†, Wizards of the Coast) for the defense proficiency bonus. Players roll this proficiency die when defending, instead of applying the fixed proficiency bonus to their AC (the fixed -4 correction factor is still used).

As with Defense Dice, you may wish to restrict this to defenders who had taken a melee action on their turn.

Rolling your chance to influence an attack (and, with Degree of Success, its damage) allows players to feel more

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VARIANCE | ARCHIVE

Combat Stance

For these proficiency defense variants, the combat stance options use proficiency bonus instead of defense dice:

Limited Defense

If an individual can’t defend to their full ability, you may wish their defensive proficiency bonus to reflect this:

• Defender unable to use weapon / shield (e.g. arms bound): Adjust AC by removing bonuses from the shield (and/or weapon) and their proficiency bonus (Defense option).
• Defender unable to move freely (e.g. legs bound): Attacker rolls with advantage as per standard rules. Also remove any (positive) Dexterity bonus from defender's AC.
• Defender unable to move body / react (e.g. restrained or stunned): Both of the above apply.
• Defender fully immobilized (e.g. paralyzed or unconscious): All of the above apply plus any attack at a range of 5 ft or less is automatically a critical hit.
• A defender who actively ignores a melee attacker is treated as restrained for that attack.

Monsters

These defense variants are best used only for players and perhaps some NPCs. But if you do want to use them with monsters, use the same -4 correction factor, leading to the AC adjustment in the table below. Although proficiency dice can also be used for monsters, it is easier and faster for the DM to use the fixed proficiency bonuses for monsters.

Being Outnumbered

It's harder to defend against an opponent if you also need to pay attention to other potential assailants.

The Help action and abilities like Pack Tactics can partially represent this, as can optional flanking rules. Defense rolls and defense dice provide an alternative to flanking: the number of rolls / dice are limited and represent how you divide your defensive focus). However, two other simple alternatives are suggested here if you're not using the defense rolls or defense dice options.

(For these options, a melee group is a group where each creature is within reach of at least one opponent in the group.)

Variant 2: Attack Bonus Modifier

This variant uses attack bonus modifiers rather than advantage. If during an attacker's turn, their side outnumbers the opponents in that melee group, then the attacker gains a +1 to their attack bonus against those opponents. If their side outnumbers the opponents by 2:1, they gain +2 instead. If 3:1, they gain +3, and so on up to a maximum of +5.

Gritty Spell Success Table

If your campaign setting has rarer, less reliable magic, then you may wish to use this original, grittier version of the spellcasting Degree of Success table:

Roll	Spells with a Target	Other Spells
Critical Failure (10-)	Critical Misfire: switch target to you, or from you to a random target. You can’t cast further spells of that level or higher until you finish a short or long rest	Critical Surge: you, and others within 30 ft, take 1d6 force damage for each level of the spell. You can’t cast further spells of that level or higher until you finish a short or long rest
Heavy Failure (5-)	Misfire: switch to a random other target	Surge: take 1d4 force damage for each level of the spell
Failure (1-)	Fizzles	Fizzles
Marginal (0)	Very odd appearance. Disadvantage on spell attack roll. Advantage on saves against spell	Very odd appearance. Disadvantage on spell attack roll. Advantage on saves against spell
Success (1+)	Acceptable appearance	Acceptable appearance
Strong Success (5+)	Appears exactly as described	Appears exactly as described
Critical Success (10+)	Perfect. You may reroll any one roll within the spell, and choose which roll is used	Perfect. You may reroll any one roll within the spell, and choose which roll is used

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From www.artofmtg.com

VARIANCE | ARCHIVE

Rolling Success & 3d20

Degree of Success uses steps of +/- 5 to split success and failure into a spectrum from critical success through to critical failure. Steps of +/- 5 are easy to work with in-game and if you want to test out the math to see the chance of each result, that's easy to calculate (tables below).

Two other systems were playtested that involved rolling the degree of success. Each was initially very popular with some groups but then fell out of use. This was partly due to the additional rolls required and partly because effects that apply modifiers after a roll are more easily calculated with a single dice.

For those still using either variant, or interested in the math and mechanics underlying them, here's an in-depth look at the performance characteristics of the various degree of success methods.