Dungeons of Drakkenheim House Rules

by GabrielGroenendaal

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Dungeons of Drakkenheim House Rules

Character Creation

  • Starting Level: Characters will start at Level 2.

  • Ability Scores: Characters stats will be built using standard point buy.

  • Rolling HP: PCs take max HP instead of rolling.

  • Multiclassing: Multiclassing is allowed.

  • Feats: Feats are allowed, and every character starts with a feat at level 1. See changes to feats below.

  • Usable Character Options: All character options from published materials from WotC are usable with the exceptions of backgrounds from Guildmasters Guide to Ravnica, Strixhaven, and Dragon Queen. Unearthed Arcana is allowed at my discretion. I may occasionally tweak material to address power imbalances

  • Starting Equipment: Starting equipment is standard, although weapons and armors can be substituted within reason.


On Flavor

Because of the unique premise of this game, I will be very flexible when it comes to reflavoring mechanics, equipment, and spells to better support a character's theme and concept. For example:

  • You want your character to wear heavy armor but appear unclothed except for a fur loincloth. Totally fine, although you still have disadvantage on stealth checks

  • You're a warlock who wants their Pact of the Chain familiar to be a big, talking teddy bear. We can reflavor an imp.

  • You're a fighter who wants to tear apart enemies with their bare claws, but want to use feats like great weapon master. We can flavor a greatsword to be unarmed attacks.

On Background

Drakkenheim is no more. An eldritch storm of falling stars devastated the city on that woeful eve, leaving behind a meteorite that would have lasting effects on the city and its inhabitants.

Fifteen years later, Drakkenheim is a dismal urban wasteland contaminated by otherworldly magic and haunted by hideous monsters. Fantastic wealth, lost knowledge, and powerful artifacts lie ready for the taking by adventurers brave or foolish enough to venture into the ruins. However, even those who survive the dangers of Drakkenheim may not return unmarked by its terrors.


Campaign Mechanics

Due to the eldritch nature of Drakkenheim and the magic therein, this campaign features several new mechanics.

The Haze

There are more hazards in Drakkenheim than monsters and rival factions. A billowing mist filled with glinting multi-coloured motes has settled over the entire city, which adventurers call the Haze. It's like the dust never really settled after the meteor fell.

Characters gain no benefit from taking a long rest within the Haze. Adventurers should be well-rested before mounting expeditions into the ruins, as they'll need to escape the city to regain their hit points and spell slots.

Contamination

Characters will also encounter deadly eldritch contamination caused by creatures, delerium, and other magical phenomena in Drakkenheim.

High contamination can lead to debilitating symptoms, mutations, and even death. Ability, equipment, and spells that protect against diseases, magic, or poisons do not work against contamination. It cannot be healed naturally, nor readily removed with low-level spells.

Players will need to work with the factions and find creative solutions to manage these problems during their adventure.

Rival Factions

Five factions have arrived in Drakkenheim to advance their ambitious agendas. Though their ideologies and methods differ, each seek valuable resources and lost secrets within the city.

All the factions hope to attract talented adventurers to their cause, drawing would-be heroes into a fierce political intrigue that may boil over into violent struggle. Those who wish to decide the fate of Drakkenheim must choose their allies well and their enemies carefully.

House Rules

General

  • Using Potions: Potions take a Bonus Action to consume, and an Action to administer to another creature.

  • Non-Lethal Damage: Any damage, except from AoEs, can be declared non-lethal.


Weapons

  • Heavy Weapons: Small creatures are capable of wielding heavy weapons with no penalty.

  • Drawing Weapons: You can always draw a weapon as part of the action made to attack with it.

  • Called Shot: Before you make an attack with a weapon that you are proficient with, you can choose to take a penalty to the attack roll equal to your proficiency bonus. If that attack hits, you add twice your proficiency bonus to the damage roll.

  • Dual Wielding. When you take the Attack action and attack with a light melee weapon that you’re holding in one hand, you make an extra attack with a different light melee weapon that you’re holding.


Feats

  • Sharpshooter: Now provides a +1 to Dexterity. No longer provides option to modify attack rolls for extra damage.

  • Great Weapon Master: Now provides a +1 to Strength. No longer provides option to modify attack rolls for extra damage.

  • Heavy Armor Master: The damage reduction to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage is now equal to your proficiency bonus.

  • Magic Initiate: Now a half feat, increasing Charisma, Wisdom, or Intelligence by 1 depending on the spellcasting class. In addition, you can cast any spells from this feat using your own spell slots.

  • Tavern Brawler: If you have other features that increase the damage die of your unarmed attacks (Monk martial arts, racial attacks), then Tavern Brawler adds an additional 1d4 to your unarmed attacks.

  • Charger, Durable, Dual Wielder, Defensive Duelist, Elemental Adept, Grappler, Keen Mind, Mounted Combatant, Ritual Caster, Sentinel, Skulker: Now uses the rules from OneD&D.

Spells

  • Ritual Spellcasting: If you have a spell prepared that has the Ritual tag, you can cast that Spell as a Ritual. A special feature is no longer required for Ritual casting.

  • Barkskin: Now has an 8 hour duration and does not require concentration.

  • Silvery Barbs: No longer can be used to affect Saving Throws.

  • Conjure Animals / Conjure Woodland Beings: You only have the option to conjure CR1 and CR2 creatures. However, you get to choose which creatures you summon, control their behavior, and they move at the end of your turn.

  • Invisibility / Greater Invisibility: As part of the action used to cast this spell, the caster may take a free Hide action.


Races

  • Innate Spellcasting: Any race that receives spellcasting now benefits from the changes made in newer books: they can choose Wisdom, Charisma, or Intelligence as their spellcasting ability for these spells and can cast learned spells using spell slots.

Inspiration

  • Gaining Inspiration: When a player character rolls a 1 on an attack roll, saving throw, or ability check, they gain heroic inspiration. You may also get heroic inspiration at the DM's discretion.

  • One at a Time: You can only have one instance of heroic inspiration at a time. If something gives you heroic inspiration and you already have it, you can give it to another player character in your party that lacks it.

  • Using Inspiration: When you have heroic inspiration, you can expend it to give yourself advantage on a d20 roll (saving throw, ability check, attack roll). You decide to do so immediately after rolling the d20.

Class Changes

Warlock

  • Eldritch Blast: All Warlocks know Eldritch Blast, without counting against their number of cantrips known.

  • Expanded Spell List: Warlocks can treat all spells on their Patrons' expanded spell list as Spells Known.

  • Pact of the Blade: Grants proficiency in medium armor. When using your Pact Weapon, you can use Charisma instead of Strength or Dexterity for attack and damage rolls.

  • Pact Boon Improvement: When a Warlock selects a Pact Boon at level 3, they are granted an additional invocation slot, limited to invocations that have the chosen pact as a prerequisite. For example, at level 3 a Bladelock can select Improved Pact Weapon. They can swap this invocation out on level ups, as long as the new invocation obeys the same constraint.


Archfey Patron

  • Fey Presence: Is now a bonus action to perform, affects a 15 ft square, and has a number of uses equal to your Charisma modifier per long rest.

  • Misty Escape: Now has a number of uses equal to your Charisma modifier.


Great Old One Patron

  • Twisted Mind: At 1st level, you learn the cantrip Mind Sliver, and can cast it as a bonus action. When cast in this way, Mind Sliver targets a number of creatures equal to your Charisma modifier. You can cast Mind Sliver this way a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier, and regain all uses on a long rest.

  • Entropic Ward: Has a number of uses equal to your Charisma modifier.

  • Thought Shield: In addition to its other effects, now gives you advantage on saving throws to resist being charmed or frightened


Ranger

  • Favored Foe: You can cast Hunter's Mark without expending a spell slot. When cast this way, Hunters Mark does not require concentration, lasts one minute, and cannot be reapplied to other targets. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier per long rest.

  • Spellcasting: Rangers are now prepared spellcasters.

Monk

  • Ki Points: Monks have an additional number of ki points equal to their proficiency modifier.

  • Extra ASI: You get an extra ASI at 6th level.

  • Stunning Strike: Now has a number of free uses per long rest equal to your proficiency modifier. A target can only be targeted by Stunning Strike once per turn.


Way of the Ascendant Dragon

  • Breath of the Dragon: Now costs 1 ki point to use.

  • Wings Unfurled: The benefits now always apply when you use ki to use Step of the Wind.


Way of the Open Hand

  • Ebb and Flow (replaces Wholeness of Body): Beginning at 6th level, you can use the momentum of your enemies against them. When a creature misses you with a melee attack, you can use one of the following reactions:
    • You force it to make a Dexterity Saving throw. On a failed save, it is knocked prone and has its speed reduced to 0 until the end of its turn. Creatures at least one size larger than you have advantage on their saving throw.
    • You can make one unarmed strike against the creature.

Way of the Sun Soul

  • Searing Arc Strike: As a bonus action, you can force creatures in a 15-foot cone to make a Dexterity saving throw. Creatures take radiant damage equal to three rolls of your Martial Arts die on a failed save, half on a success. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of one) and regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest. If you have no uses remaining, you can spend 2 ki to use it again.

  • Searing Sun Burst: Now deals 4d6 damage baseline. You can spent up to 2 additional ki, each one increasing the damage by 2d6.


Way of Shadow

  • Shadow Arts: You can cast Darkvision, Silence, Darkness, or Pass without Trace once without expending ki. In addition, you also see through any magical darkness produced by the effects of any spell you cast.

Sorcerer

  • Spells Known: All Sorcerer subclasses will have access to a "Origin Spell List", similar to those provided to the Tasha's Aberrant Mind and Clockwork Soul.

  • Metamagic Improvement: Sorcerers learn an additional Metamagic when they reach level 7.

  • Sorcerous Restoration: On a short rest, Sorcerers can recover a number of Sorcery points equal to half their Sorcerer level (rounded up). They cannot use this feature again until they complete a long rest.

  • Sorcery Points: Sorcerers have an additional number of sorcery points equal to their proficiency modifier.


Storm Sorcery

  • Tempestuous Magic: No longer requires a bonus action. The movement is free, and can occur before or after the spell that triggers it is cast.

  • Heart of the Storm: Now triggers whenever you cast a spell with a spell slot, regardless of whether it deals lightning or thunder damage.


Wild Magic

  • Wild Magic Surge: You roll a d20 after casting any spell of 1st level or higher. On a 1, you trigger a wild magic surge. You can choose to recharge your Tides of Chaos ability when you roll the d20, increasing the number needed to trigger a surge by 1. This increase persists until a surge is triggered, resetting to 1.

  • Bend Luck: Has a number of free uses equal to your Charisma modifier.


Shadow Magic

  • Strength of the Grave: Has a number of uses equal to your proficiency bonus.

  • Hound of Ill Omen: Has one free use per long rest.


Rogue

  • Extra ASI: Rogues gain an extra ASI at 6th level.

  • Sneak Attack: Sneak attack gains an additional d6 dice at level 5 (4d6), level 11 (8d6), and level 17 (12d6)


Assassin

  • Poison Expert (Replaces Assassinate): You gain all the benefits of the Poisoner feat. In addition, at the end of a long rest, you can prepare a number of poison doses equal to your proficiency modifier for free.

  • Targeted Venom (Replaces Infiltration Expertise): When preparing poison at the end of a long rest, you can choose one creature type. Creatures with that type have disadvantage on saving throws against your poison and does not benefit from any poison resistance or immunity when determining damage. In addition, you can substitute the save DC of any poison you use with 8 + PB + DEX, if it is higher.


Inquisitive

  • Insightful Fighting: On success, you can choose to gain piercing insight into your opponent. Add your Wisdom modifier to the attack roll and damage rolls against the affected target. You can use piercing insight a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, regaining all uses on a long rest.

Soulknife

  • Psychic Blades: You can choose to deal piercing or psychic damage. In addition, you can manifest the blades as part of any action which provokes a melee attack (Opportunity attacks, etc.)

Mastermind

  • Tandem Tactician: At 9th level, your help action has a range of 60 ft. In addition, when you use your bonus action to perform the Help action, you can target two allies within range.

Artificer

  • Spell Storing Item: Artificers gain access to Spell-Storing item at level 5, holding up to 1st level spells. This increases to 2nd level spells at 11th level, and 3rd level spells at 17th level. The number of uses is now 2 x Proficiency Bonus.

Alchemist

  • Alchemist Spell List:
    • Inflict Wounds replaces Ray of Sickness.
    • Wither and Bloom replaces Melf's Acid Arrow
    • Aura of Vitality replaces Gaseous Form
  • Experimental Elixir:
    • At the end of a long rest, you produce a number of Experimental Elixirs equal to your proficiency modifier.
    • When you expend a spell slot to create elixirs, you produce a number equal to 1 + the level of the spell.
    • All experimental elixirs take a bonus action to consume, and an action to administer to another creature

Armorer

  • Guardian Armor Model: Defensive Field has no limited uses.

  • Infiltrator Armor Model: Lightning Launcher now always deals 2d6 lightning damage. In addition, you can disengage as a bonus action.


Artillerist

  • Eldritch Cannon: You no longer need to select a type when summoning an Eldritch cannon, and can freely use all 3 actions.

  • Arcane Firearm: In addition to its existing effects, your cantrips that inflict saving throws now deal half-damage on a success.


Barbarian

  • Extra ASI: Barbarians get an extra ASI at level 10.

  • Brutal Critical: Your critical hit range increases at 9th level (19-20), 13th level (18-20), and 17th level (17-20).

  • Rage:

    • Rage can no longer end early. Any conditions that "end" a rage only suppress it until the Barbarian reactivates it with a bonus action.
    • Starting at 6th level, Rage grants advantage on saving throws against charmed and frightened
    • Rage's bonus damage increases at 5th level (+3), 9th level (+4), 13th level (+5), and 17th level (+6)

Fighter

  • Indominatable: Now automatically succeeds the saving throw

Champion

Replaced with the UA Brute with the following changes:

  • Brutish Durability: Requires your reaction to perform, and has a number of uses equal to your proficiency modifier.

Eldritch Knight

  • War Magic: When you take the Attack action on your turn, you may cast a cantrip in place of one of your attacks.

  • Improved War Magic: When you take the Attack action on your turn, you may cast a Spell in place of one of your attacks.


Arcane Archer

  • Infused Shot: Starting at level 3, you can use Intelligence when making attack or damage rolls with a ranged weapon.

  • Arcane Shot: Now has a number of uses per short rest equal to your Intelligence modifier.


Paladin

Oath of the Crown

  • Channel Divinity: Champion Challenge: As a bonus action, each creature of your choice that you can see within 30 feet of you must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, a creature can't willingly move more than 30 feet away from you, and has disadvantage on attack rolls that do not target you. They may repeat the saving throw at the end of each of their turns. This effect ends on the creature after 1 minute, if you are incapacitated or die, or if you end your turn more than 30 feet away from the target.

  • Channel Divinity: Turn the Tide: Now heals all targets, healing an extra 1d6 for those at half health or lower.

  • Spell List: Spiritual Weapon replaces Zone of Truth.

  • Divine Allegiance: Now has a range of 10 feet.


Oath of the Ancients

  • Channel Divinity: Nature's Wrath: Now affects all creatures within a 20 ft square. The paladin chooses whether it is a Dexterity or Strength saving throw.

Bard

  • Bardic Inspiration: Bardic Inspiration can now be expended as a reaction to give an ally within 30 feet who can see or hear you a bonus to an attack, saving throw, or ability check roll equal to your Bardic Inspiration die.

  • Countercharm: Is now a reaction, triggered by an ally within 30 feet rolling a saving throw against an effect that causes the frightened or charmed condition. Expends a usage of bardic inspiration.


College of Spirits

  • Tales from Beyond: You roll two dice and choose between the results. If both dice are the same, you ignore the number and pick any result you want from the table.

  • Mystical Connection: At 14th level, you can now target two creatures with the same action when using your Tales from Beyond.


College of Whispers

  • Psychic Blades: When a creatures suffers the damage of your Psychic Blades, they must make a Wisdom save against your spell save DC or be frightened of you until the end of your next turn.

  • Mantle of Whispers: Now can be used on any type of creature. You can also use a captured shadow to render yourself immune to a single source of damage as a reaction, expending the shadow.


College of Valor

  • Fighting Style: At 3rd level, choose a Fighting style available to the Fighter.

  • Bonus Proficiencies: If you're proficient with a simple or martial melee weapon, you can use it as a spellcasting focus for your bard spells.

  • Extra Attack: Starting at 6th level, you can attack twice instead of once when you take the Attack action on your turn. Moreover, you can cast one of your cantrips in place of one of those attacks.

Cleric

Grave Domain

  • Circle of Mortality: Now applies benefits to any creature below half hit points, not just at 0 hp.
  • Channel Divinity: Path to the Grave: Now a bonus action.

Death Domain

  • Reaper: Range increased to 10 feet.
  • Spell List: Vampiric Touch replaced with Summon Undead.
  • Potent Spellcasting: Replaces Divine Strike
  • Channel Divinity: Touch of Death: Works on all attacks, not just melee ones.

War Domain

  • Extra Attack: At 6th level you can attack twice when you take the Attack action.

Trickery Domain

  • Blessing of the Trickster: At level 1, you learn the Minor Illusion Cantrip and gain proficiency in one of Stealth, Persuasion, Deception, Sleight of Hand
  • Spell List: Blink is replaced with Major Image
  • Channel Divinity: Invoke Duplicity: Invoke Duplicity does not require concentration, lasts 5 minutes. Moving the illusion is a free action.
  • Cloak of Shadows: At level 6, you can use a bonus action to make a creature within 30 feet invisible until the end of their next turn. The invisibility ends early if they attack or cast a harmful spell. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier, and regain all uses on a long rest.

Nature Domain

  • Spell List: Conjure Animals replaces Wind Wall, Entangle replaces Animal Friendship
  • Ward of Nature: Starting at 1st level, you may ward your companions to help them better endure the rigors of the wilderness. As an action, you choose a number of willing creatures within 30 feet of you (this can include yourself) equal to your proficiency bonus. You place a ward upon them for 10 minutes or until you use this feature again. While a creature is warded, they gain a +1 bonus to their AC and their movement speed increases by 10 feet. You have number of uses equal to your proficiency modifier, and regain all uses on a long rest.

Arcana Domain

  • Spell List: Counterspell replaces Dispel Magic
  • Spell Breaker: Now affects any magical effect, not just Spells.

Druid

Circle of Dreams

  • Spell List:

    • 2nd Level: Sleep, Dissonant Whispers
    • 3rd Level: Misty Step, Nalthair's Mischief
    • 5th Level: Fly, Major Image
    • 7th Level: Dimension Door, Hallucinatory Terrain
    • 9th Level: Mislead, Dream

  • Hidden Paths: Now acquired at 6th level, has a range of 60 feet.

  • Blessing of Summer: At 10th level, when a target regains hit points from your Balm of the Summer Court, they gain a blessing. For the next minute, the creature can choose to use the blessing to gain advantage on an attack roll, saving throw, or ability check before making a roll. The blessing is expended once used, and a creature can only have one blessing at a time.


Circle of Spores

  • Symbiotic Entity: Now takes a bonus action to activate.

  • Extra Attack (optionally replaces Fungal Infestation): At 6th level, you may make two attacks when you take the Attack action.


Circle of the Land

  • Cantrip Mastery: At 6th level, You add your Wisdom modifier to the damage of any druid cantrip you cast. In addition, when you use cast a druid cantrip, you can use a bonus action on the same turn to cast that cantrip a second time.

Circle of Stars

  • Star Map: The number of free castings of Guiding Bolt you have is equal to your Wisdom modifier.

  • Cosmic Omen: Now has a number of uses equal to your Wisdom modifier.


Wizard

  • Savant: Any Savant feature also allows you swap out prepared spells of the associated school on a short rest.

School of Graviturgy

  • Violent Attraction: Is now acquired at 2nd level.

  • Improved Velocity: At 10th level, the damage of your Violent Attraction increases by 1d10.


School of Necromancy

  • Grim Harvest: The hit points you regain is equal to your Wizard level, or twice that if it was a Necromancy spell. If this healing would bring you to your maximum health, any leftover instead becomes temporary hit points. Any undead under your control receive the same benefit if they reduce a target to 0 hit points.

  • Undead Thralls: You also add Summon Undead to your spellbook and do not require material components to cast it.


School of Illusion

  • Malleable Illusions: Now acquired at 2nd level.

  • Expert Illusions: Beginning at 6th level, casting Illusion spells comes so easily to you that it expends only a fraction of your spellcasting efforts. When you cast a Illusion spell of 2nd level or higher using a spell slot, you regain one expended spell slot. The slot you regain must be of a level lower than the spell you cast and can't be higher than 5th level.

  • Illusory Self: Has a number of uses equal to your proficiency modifer.


School of Transmutation

  • Minor Alchemy: Starting at 2nd level when you select this school, you may use your action to perform a special alchemical procedure on one object composed entirely of wood, stone (but not a gemstone), iron, copper, or silver, transforming it into a different one of those materials. This transformation lasts for one hour unless you use your action to end it. You can use this ability a number of times equal to your Intelligence bonus, and you regain your expended uses when you complete a long rest.

  • Alchemical Proficiencies: You learn the Cure Wounds spell and always have it prepared. It is a Wizard spell for you and you add it to your spellbook, but it is not compatible with Spell Mastery and other Wizards cannot scribe it into their spellbooks.

  • Transmuter's Stone: You can now select a number of benefits equal to half your proficiency bonus (rounded up)


School of Evocation

  • Potent Cantrip: In addition to its existing effects, You add your Intelligence modifier to one damage roll of a wizrad cantrip.

  • Applied Casting: Starting at 10th level, you can cast a cantrip as a bonus action. You can use this a number of times equal to your proficiency modifier, and regain all uses on a long rest.

  • Empowered Evocation: Now only applies to leveled spells.

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