Ronaultian Player Options
This document outlines the player options for the world, including scourge-themed or Ronault specific subclasses for player use. It contains one subclass per base Player's Handbook classes, and two for artificer from Tasha's Cauldron to Everything. It also has alterations to base class features such as Spellcasting.
Base Rule Changes
Bhulerian Spellcasting
In Ronault, arcane magic can be a physical resource found and mined underground in the form of Bhulerian Crystals. These minerals have their own corresponding school of magic (plus one special) and elemental/energy type, alongside natural phenomena. The crystals are rated by Grade and Quality, two deterministic factors on the potency of the crystals once they're refined.
The Grades from worst to best are: Basic, Fine, Choice, Excellent, and Supreme. Quality is on a scale of 1-5, with 1 being the worst.
The crystal types and their associated elements are as follows:
Table: Crystal Types & Element Types
| Crystal | Element |
|---|---|
| Abjuration | Force |
| Conjuration | Cold |
| Divination | Psychic |
| Enchantment | Acid |
| Evocation | Fire |
| Illusion | Thunder |
| Necromancy | Necrotic or Radiant |
| Transmutation | Lightning |
| Universal | Any (except Poison) |
Casting a Spell
Casting a spell remains unchanged. You still use an available spell slot to cast a spell of that level.
Recovering Spell Slots
Spell slots aren't recovered the same on Ronault as they are in other worlds. There is no difference for recovery method for arcane and divine casters.
Bhulerian Crystals
In order to recover spell slots, characters must have a supply of crystals on hand. Through these, they can recover spell slots over the course of a rest, detailed below.
Crystals have ambient energy equal to a spell slot level inside determined by grade. The number of slots is determined by quality, numbered 1 to 5. A holder can recover a spell slot less than or equal to the crystal's potency. Once you use a crystal and recover spell slots from it, it cannot be used for any purpose except recovering spell slots. If there are any remaining slots in the crystal, they bleed away into the atmosphere over the course of an hour if you or someone else doesn't recover that slot.
For example, Billy the wizard has a Basic Grade Quality 4 Evocation Crystal he wants to recover from. Over the course of a long rest, he can recover up to four 2nd-level spell slots.
Table: Crystal Grade and Potency
| Grade | Spell Slot Level |
|---|---|
| Supreme | Up to 9th-level |
| Excellent | Up to 7th-level |
| Choice | Up to 5th-level |
| Fine | Up to 3rd-level |
| Basic | Up to 2nd-level |
Learning New Spells
Spells are learned normally according to your class. Wizards do not need to spend gold to record spells, the cost being offset by hoarding the crystals needed to ultimately cast them, but still require the time to write down the techniques and formulas to learn a spell.
Alternative Class Feature Rules
Alternative rules to class features when using this system of spell recovery.
All
All classes have the following changes, when applicable:
Spellcasting. All classes & subclasses with Spellcasting now use the Bhulerian Spellcasting system.
Sorcerer
Sorcerer has the following changes:
Expanded Spell Lists. Subclasses without expanded spell lists now have expanded spell lists.
Spell Versatility. Sorcerers now have Spell Versatility, a 1st-level feature. Whenever you finish a long rest, you can replace one spell you learned from this Spellcasting feature with another spell from the sorcerer spell list. The new spell must be the same level as the spell you replace.
Subclasses
The following subclasses have expanded spell lists. You learn additional spells when you reach certain levels in this class, as shown on the <Subclass> Spells table. Each of these spells counts as a sorcerer spell for you, but it doesn't count against the number of sorcerer spells you know.
Divine Soul Spells
| Sorcerer Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 1st | guiding bolt |
| 3rd | aid |
| 5th | daylight |
| 7th | aura of purity |
| 9th | greater restoration |
Draconic Spells
| Sorcerer Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 1st | burning hands, chromatic orb, gust |
| 3rd | alter self, dragon's breath |
| 5th | fear, hypnotic pattern |
| 7th | find greater steed, hallucinatory terrain |
| 9th | mislead, summon draconic spirit |
Shadow Spells
| Sorcerer Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 1st | bane, arms of hadar, toll of the dead |
| 3rd | ray of enfeeblement, shadow blade |
| 5th | spirit shroud, summon shadowspawn |
| 7th | phantasmal killer, shadow of moil |
| 9th | enervation, modify memory |
Storm Spells
| Sorcerer Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 1st | thunderwave, witch bolt, thunderclap |
| 3rd | shatter, warding wind |
| 5th | call lightning, thunder step |
| 7th | summon elemental, storm sphere |
| 9th | control winds, maelstrom |
Wild Spells
| Sorcerer Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 1st | faerie fire, tasha's hideous laughter, vicious mockery |
| 3rd | beast sense, spike growth |
| 5th | bestow curse, summon fey |
| 7th | freedom of movement, hallucinatory terrain |
| 9th | dawn, wrath of nature |
Warlock
Warlock has the following changes:
Pact Magic (Spell Slots). Since warlocks recover all spells on a short rest and their magic is gained in an awkward state of a contract then retaining that power, recovering spell slots is a little more cumbersome.
In addition to the base rules for recovering spell slots, you must also follow the rules of recovering spell slots from crystals. Also, when you recover spell slots, recovering one spell slot drains two from the crystal.
Wizard
Wizard has the following changes:
Arcane Recovery. In addition to the base feature, you must also follow the rules of recovering spell slots from crystals.
Subclasses
Certain subclasses may have been changed, as listed here.
<School> Savant (e.g. Evocation Savant) Whenever you use a crystal whose school matches your own subclass to recover spell slots over the course of a long rest, you can recover one more spell slot than usual. You gain this benefit when using universal crystals.
Other Rules
Disease
Rather than having specific and different conditions for each and every disease, sickness will be handled similarly for all diseases to help simplify things. Diseases will have stages, between three and five, that they will progress/regress through. A character afflicted by a sickness will have to make Constitution Saves vs the disease's DC, regressing back one stage if successful or progressing one stage if they fail the save. This roll occurs at the end of a long rest.
Effects of Ailments
Sickness can cause a myriad of effects, ranging from simple penalties, permanent conditions, other esoteric and magical problems, or even death. Illness will usually start off mild in earlier stages, and extreme consequences towards the end or later stages.
Curing Sickness
Getting better from illness is key to keeping a character's performance in top condition. Sometimes it's a simple matter of letting the body fight the infection, or other methods may be employed to hasten the recovery process. These methods usually will reduce the sickness by one stage, others can cure them outright.
Perpetual Sickness
Some diseases and viruses, like the common cold, cannot be cured entirely. A creature with a perpetual sickness is considered to be at 'stage 0' when not actively fighting it off, but healthy. A creature with a perpetual sickness has disadvantage on a save when rolling whether you contract the same ailment again.
Examples
Here is an example of sicknesses from the SRD that have been adapted to this system, and the signature ailment for the setting, The Scourge.
Cackle Fever
Cackle fever causes the afflicted to have fits of crippling mad laughter. It targets humanoids, although gnomes are strangely immune. Symptoms appear 1d4 hours after infection, and include a fever and disorientation.
Disease DC: 13
Disease Spread: Any non-gnome humanoid who starts its turn within 6 feet of an infected creature must make a Constitution Save vs the disease's DC, becoming infected at stage 1 after 1d4 hours on a failed save. On a successful save, they are immune to the mad cackling of that creature for 24 hours.
| Stage | Effect |
|---|---|
| 1 | The afflicted suffers 1 point of exhaustion that isnt removed until cured. |
| 2 | The creature suffers from a -5 penalty to Wisdom (Perception) skill checks due to disorientation. |
| 3 | The ill creature must make a Constitution save vs the disease's DC whenever something stressful like entering combat, taking damage, experiencing fear, or having a nightmare. On a failure, they have an uncontrollable fit of mad laughter for 1 minute and are incapacitated. They can make the save at the end of each of their turns to end this effect early. |
| 4 | The creature has uncontrollable bouts of giggling and laughter whenever they speak. |
| 5 | A creature who reaches this stage suffers from madness, rolling on the long term madness table from the Dungeon Master's Guide (p.258). |
The Scourge
The Scourge is a magical ailment whose severity hinges on the magical capability and attunement of the creature it infects. It infects any living creature and is particularly lethal to any outsider or extraplanar entities. Symptoms appear 1d12 hours after infection, which include a fever, paleness, bodily fluids taking on an iridescent yellow-green hue, and performance fluctuations with magic.
Scourge Matter
Scourge matter is the most common fatal end for creatures afflicted with this ailment. It is a gooey slop of yellow green iridescent matter that is created when a creature finally perishes or when attempting to cure the disease with magic.
Disease DC: 17
Disease Spread: A creature who comes in contact with scourge matter or is affected by a spell cast by an infected creature must make a Constitution Save vs the disease's DC, becoming infected at stage 1 after 1d12 hours on a failed save. On a successful save, they aren't infected. Scourge creatures may also spread the disease with physical attacks, and the Scourge can infect magic and magic items, spreading its infection to those who carry those items.
| Stage | Effect |
|---|---|
| 1 | The creature becomes more paranoid and distrustful, rolling any Charisma (Persuasion) checks at disadvantage. |
| 2 | Blood, tears, and sweat become iridescent yellow-green, with the irises of the eyes following soon after. If you recover spell slots, you can only regain half of your usual number. Additionally you take 1 point of exhaustion that remains until you regress from this stage. |
| 3 | When you cast a spell, roll a d6. On evens, it is upcast and you expend an extra spell slot. On odds, it casts as normal. |
| 4 | Whenever you enter a stressful situation, such as entering combat, taking damage, or experiencing fear, roll a d6. On evens, you cast a cantrip of the GM's choosing, even if you cant normally cast magic. |
| 5 | Every day you enter this stage, except the time you initially advance to this stage, roll a Constitution Save vs the disease DC. On a failure, the GM rolls a d100. On a 1-79, you perish and turn into scourge matter. On a 80-100, you die and become a Scourge Elemental. If your character has a magic class, the chance for becoming a Scourge Elemental increases by 5 for each level you have in that class. |