Driftriver Guidebook

Core Lore

Driftriver is set within the Dungeons and Dragons setting of Faerûn in the year 1496 DR, following the calendar as it progresses. The Driftriver setting differs from this setting in the following ways:

• During the Time of Troubles in 1358 DR a statue of Mystryl containing a portion of her divine magical essence was safeguarded in the Pool of Yeven, a lake in the Dalelands. This statue was guarded by the god Azuth.
• After Mystra reincarnated and ascended to godhood once more this statue continued to contain a lingering fragment of her power.
• In 1485 DR the statue, a long hidden and forgotten thing, began to fracture in the lake. The crumbling statue infused the water of the rivers with a wild magical energy. This unstable conduit drew from all of reality, pulling power from far flung realms and even times.
• As the energy saturated the river it would overflow with power starting a Mistrise, a time when thick heavy mists shroud the river and nearby lands. Powerful individuals, whether friendly adventurer or horrible monsters would find themselves transported to the riverbanks during Mistrises.
• Clifford Blythe would see profit where others saw a curse. Buying the land from desperate local farmers at a discount in 1486 DR he establishes the city of Driftriver.
• Clifford Blythe opens the Bureau of Adventuring Services and Employment, or B.A.S.E. in 1486 DR.

Extended Lore

Just as many rivers form the mighty Ashaba, many adventurers form a mighty party, and many threads form the tapestry of a great story so to do many settings form the most interesting background.
The official source list recognized by Driftiver is displayed below.

Other Settings

Driftriver supports other Dungeons and Dragons settings, including those from previous editions. All characters must follow server rules for character creation, but can use the lore of previous settings. A list can be found here: Dungeons and Dragons Campaign Settings. Driftriver does not permit the following settings:

• Rick and Morty
• Warcraft

The Codex of Content

Driftriver maintains an easily cross-referenced document for the purposes of determining legality. The Codex of Content lists play-legal content along with any variants and rules modifications for use on Driftriver. This document is very important and should be consulted for any character design decisions. The Codex of Content lists source material, which are further clarified below.

Primary Approved Sources

Non-Permitted Sources

The DnD Multiverse

The list above is representative of primary material and the canon established within Dungeons and Dragons 5th edition. Sources published under previous editions are also permitted, but where possible it is highly encouraged that players investigate the lore for any changes that may have occured within 5th edition. This can be especially important in the case of the worship of gods, as only a living god can grant spellcasting and divine powers.

Not All Content In Sources Is Legal

Driftriver has chosen specifically to not adopt content, whether that be playable races, subclasses, other player options, monsters, items or more. The Codex of Content is the arbiter of play legality, and the Codex of Content provides a source code which can then be checked here.

Unearthed Arcana

Wizards of the Coast frequently playtests and supplements play material with web published documents called Unearthed Arcana. Driftriver often adopts this material soon after release, and will continue to adjust it as Wizards of the Coast republishes new iterations. This content is playtest and highly subject to change and is more likely to receive rules modifications for play on Driftriver.

Permitted Unearthed Arcana Sources

Disallowed Unearthed Arcana Sources

Not All Content In Listed UA Is Legal Not all options presented in the Permitted Unearthed Arcana Sources is permitted. Please take note of which source is listed beside the content for judging legality.

Lore of Driftriver

The story of Driftriver is written by the community through their various sessions. All sessions played within the community are considered canon. This patchwork quilt approach to storytelling requires some special considerations.

Persistence

Driftriver is similar to a Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (MMORPG.) The server, community and the world continue to advance even without player involvement. The setting of Driftriver is not a video game however; no computers are tracking every change to the setting. This places the burden on the community to maintain and evolve the record of the setting. In order to alleviate this Driftriver will release updated lore with every season.

Permanence and Impernanence

Permanence. Your character's in session history with regards to actions and results are generally considered permanent additions to the storyline. This extends to many out of session systems such as character housing and text role-play as well. If you build a home then that home is a permanent addition to the city of Driftriver, and becomes part of the setting.
Impermanence. Because the setting is shared there will be situations in which not all members of the community are aware of all changes. If you visit the Driftriver sewers in a session and cast a fireball spell which collapses part of the sewers within the session then this damage will persist through to the end of the session but is very unlikely to be reflected by other DMs.
Spell Permanence. Many spells are capable of creating semi-permanent or permanent effects. Consult the Codex of Content for the rules modifications of these spells.

Did I or Didn't I?

These concepts can be tricky to reconcile. If your character did something in an adventure then it is part of your history. That the apparent repercussions are impermanent can be considered as the consequences of others restoring the world.

Reruns and Replays

Many DMs may run the same or similar module multiple times. This may be a published module or a homebrewed force of entrenched goblins within a dastardly dungeon. That multiple characters were involved in the same adventure, met the same individuals, or defeated the same legendary dragons can be considered the magic of the river twisting time. The Glaemril river is particularly known for time magic.

Server Rules

Rules Hierarchy

Driftriver follows the rules of play in Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition. In addition to the rules provided within the official source books there are a few supplementary rulebooks. When these sources conflict the following hierarchy determines which rules apply:

• Driftriver Community Rules
• A Dungeon Master's ruling in a game.
• A Dungeon Master's publicized House Rules.
• Driftriver Rules Modifications as detailed within this document and the Codex of Content.
• Official Errata, in order of release with most recent taking precedence over other interpretations.
• Sage Advice as written by Jeremy Crawford.
• Rules as Written in official sourcebooks.
• Rules as Intended, where comparative examples exist.

Driftriver Community Rules

Outside of officially published rules the community of Driftriver has a number of additional ironclad laws. Violating these guidelines will result in a warning or potential ban from the community. You can review the rules here: Driftriver Community Rules
Codex of Content
You can elect to take a -2 penalty to one ability score if you wish to represent a character weakness. You do not receive any compensation or other bonuses.The Codex of Content is a separately maintained document within Google sheets found here: Codex of Content.
This document contains the current play status of all server recognized source material. This includes the availability of races, classes, spells, backgrounds, magic items and more. Anything not contained within the codex does not exist within the Driftriver setting. This document will see version updates as new content becomes available for Driftriver community members to play.

Disagreements

Dungeons and Dragons 5th edition is a complicated game. In cases where a rules dispute occurs, the DM's decision is final in the moment. If the ruling requires an appeal please reach out to staff for assistance in investigating the situation. It is often more important to keep the game moving than identify the correct solution, please remember a core value of Driftriver is cooperation!

Content Philosophy

Driftriver has been designed, first and foremost, around the idea that members approached and joined the community in order to play Dungeons and Dragons 5th edition. Keeping this in mind Driftriver has been designed to minimize the presence of homebrew content, limiting it primarily to Enchanted Items and our Meta Systems such as Character Progression and Estates.

Content Requests

Driftriver is not currently accepting special requests to add mechanically distinct races, classes, subclasses, feats, spells or other player options. Additionally Driftriver does not grant any special permissions for unique access to any content or variant content; if a player is granted access to new content it will be made universally available to all players.

Race Lore Variants

Lore Variants: Republished/Repeats

Some races concepts may be published multiple times with small variations in their lore or mechanics. In these cases Driftriver will often select the 'best' representative of this race and allow the other sources to serve as lore sources.

• The Goblin race has been republished in many ways, with a number of minor alterations. The Goblin of Volo's Guide to Monsters is the Driftriver official source for features, but Driftriver permits the lore of the other sources.

Lore Variants: Best Fits

In some cases there may be established concepts within the DnD multiverse which currently have no published 5th edition sources enabling them as playable options. Driftriver may permit these options to be represented using existing mechanical blocks. For example:

• Driftriver permits players to play the Giff race as represented in Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes using the racial features of the Minotaur from Guildmaster's Guide to Ravnica.

Lore Variants: Other

In some cases Driftriver allows minor cosmetic changes to races such as the addition or removal of tails from Dragonborn.

Customizing a Race

Driftriver permits players to submit customized race concepts beyond the published Lore Variants with the following general rules:

• The race, morphology, or concept is rooted in the DND multiverse.
• The race is reasonably represented by the race selected to portray it mechanically.
• The player seeks no mechanical advantages granted by the lore of the race being represented.

Character Creation and Progression

Creating a Character

Driftriver characters may select from a wide range of races, classes, backgrounds and other features when designing their character. It is recommended that players start with a character identity, role-play concepts and character flavor and then work out mechanics.

Character Lore

Driftriver is very permissive with settings and lore; you may work with any material listed in the official sources list. You may not base your character off of existing intellectual properties or sources outside of the Dungeons and Dragons multiverse. You may pay homage or tribute to characters and ideas from other sources but direct copies are not permitted.

Reflavoring & Fluffing

Changing your character's fighting style, equipment style, spellcasting style or otherwise re-imagining existing mechanics to be something different are highly encouraged! Your technology should stay within the general limits of primary sources, with the height of technology defined by the Eberron and Ravnica settings.
Good Examples

• Describing your monk as being a practitioner of acupressure techniques, and describing stunning strike as an attempt to strike pressure points.
• Re-imagining Melf's Acid Arrow into a jet of Acid fired from a steampunk-esque contraption.
• Re-framing a bard's song based effects as being hymns, prayers, eloquent speeches or even limericks.
• Re-imagining a hand crossbow as a primitive firearm with no mechanical differences.

Bad Examples

• Describing your monk as being a practitioner of Matrix-Fu, capable of dodging bullets.
• Re-imagining *Sunbeam* as a laser cannon.
• Reframing a bard's song based effects as being a boombox playing your mixtape.
• Re-imagining a hand crossbow as a 9mm pistol.

Choosing a Class

The Codex of Content lists the classes available for play in Driftriver. No class or subclass is limited to nor excludes any race from playing it. You may not roll for gold and must take a starting equipment package.

Choosing a Subclass

At certain levels you may be able to adopt a subclass for your class. The Codex of Content lists these subclasses.

Multiclassing

Driftriver permits multiclassing; requirements must be met for all classes, including any starting levels.

Choosing a Race

The Codex of Content lists the races available for play in Driftriver as well as their source. While your character does not need to conform to the original setting for which it was published it is recommended that you consider the race's lore and information when designing your character.

Choosing a Subrace

Some races have subraces available, and some require a subrace be selected. The Codex of Content lists all legal combinations for races and subraces.

Race/Subrace Biological Limits

Published races typically have upper and lower bounds on height and weight representing the spectrum of the race's biological limits. Unless you have features which alter these limits you must stay within 10-15% of published guidelines.

Age Requirements

Characters must have matured and present to be an adult age for their race. For some races, like goblins, this may be as young as 8 years old. Refer to the race's lore to determine the appropriate age. Minors are not permitted on Driftriver; this can not be sidestepped through spells like *sequester*, *clone*, or any other time manipulation.

Choosing a Background

The Codex of Content lists all available backgrounds available. Due to variance in backgrounds in number of skill, tool and language proficiencies all backgrounds have been normalized to be two skill proficiencies of: Acrobatics, Animal Handling, Arcana, Athletics, Deception, History, Insight, Intimidation, Investigation, Medicine, Nature, Perception, Performance, Persuasion, Religion, Sleight of Hand, Stealth, Survival.
And two of any of the following:

• Any one Artisan's Tools
• Any one Gaming Set
• Any one of Land Vehicles or Water Vehicles
• Any one of Disguise Kit, Forgery Kit, Herbalism Kit, Navigator's Tools, Poisoner's Kit, Thieves' Tools
• Any one Language on the Languages Tab

Background Features

You may select any of the legal backgrounds in the Codex of Content to determine your background features. You additionally receive any mundane items associated with your background but you do not receive any gold or currency associated with it. You gain no other background benefits such as additional spells, module specific story benefits or anything other than the Feature in the Codex of Content.

Customizing Your Origin

Driftriver permits characters to use the Origin system as presented in Tasha's Cauldron of Everything (and Adventurer's League Player Guide v10.0) to customize their characters further during creation. The rules for this system are reproduced below. This system is completely optional; you can use the original bonuses printed or customize them according to the below parameters at will.
At 1st level, you choose various aspects of your character, including ability scores, race, class, and background. Together these elements help paint a picture of your character’s origin and give you the ability to create many different types of characters. Despite that versatility, a typical character race in D&D includes little or no choice—a lack that can make it difficult to realize certain character concepts. The following subsections address that lack by adding choice to your character’s race, allowing you to customize your ability scores, languages, and certain proficiencies to fit the origin you have in mind for your character. Character race in the game represents your character’s fantasy species, combined with certain cultural assumptions. The following options step outside those assumptions to pave the way for truly unique characters.

Ability Score Increases

Whatever D&D race you choose for your character, you get a trait called Ability Score Increase. This increase reflects an archetypal bit of excellence in the adventurers of this kind in D&D’s past. For example, if you’re a dwarf, your Constitution increases by 2, because dwarf heroes in D&D are often exceptionally tough. This increase doesn’t apply to every dwarf, just to dwarf adventurers, and it exists to reinforce an archetype. That reinforcement is appropriate if you want to lean into the archetype, but it’s unhelpful if your character doesn’t conform to the archetype.
If you’d like your character to follow their own path, you may ignore your Ability Score Increase trait and assign ability score increases tailored to your character. Here’s how to do it: take any ability score increase you gain in your race or subrace and apply it to an ability score of your choice. If you gain more than one increase, you can’t apply those increases to the same ability score, and you can’t increase a score above 20.
For example, if the Ability Score Increase trait of your race or subrace increases your Constitution by 2 and your Wisdom by 1, you could instead increase your Intelligence by 2 and your Charisma by 1.
In addition to this Driftriver permits players to modify their arrays slightly in the following ways, dependent on the race's starting ability bonuses.

• If your race has 6 ability score bonuses in the form +1/+1/+1/+1/+1/+1, such as Human, you can not modify the bonus array and must use +1/+1/+1/+1/+1/+1.
• If your race has 4 ability score bonuses in the form +2/+2, such as Mountain Dwarf, you can choose from: +2/+2, +2/+1/+1, or +1/+1/+1/+1.
• If your race has 4 ability score bonuses in the form +2/+1/+1 such as Half-Elf, you can choose from +2/+1/+1 or +1/+1/+1/+1.
• If your race has 3 ability score bonuses in the form +2/+1, such as Halflings, you can choose from +2/+1/ or +1/+1/+1.
• If your race has 3 ability score bonuses in the form +1/+1/+1 such as Tritons, you can choose from +2/+1/ or +1/+1/+1.
• If your race has 2 ability score bonuses in the form +2 such as Sirens, you can choose from +2 or +1/+1.

Role-Playing Your Origin

Origin characters choose to play an unusual or extraordinary representation of your character's race. You should include an in depth explanation in your backstory of why your character is so different, such as being raised in a different culture, having unusual biology, or some other reason. Be prepared for others to react to your choices; even to be treated as alien by members of race.

Languages

Your character’s race includes languages that your character is assumed to know, usually Common and the language of your ancestors. For example, a halfling adventurer is assumed to know Common and Halfling. Here’s the thing: D&D adventurers are extraordinary, and your character might have grown up speaking languages different from the ones in your Languages trait. To customize the languages you know, you may replace each language in your Languages trait with a language from the Languages table of the Codex of Content. The language selected must be capable of being a starting language.

Proficiencies

Some races and subraces grant skill, weapon, or tool proficiencies. These proficiencies are usually cultural, but your character might not have any connection to the culture in question or might have pursued different training. You can replace each of those proficiencies with a different one, as shown on the Proficiency Swaps table.


For example, high elf adventurers have proficiency with longswords, which are martial weapons. Consulting the Proficiency Swaps table, we see that your high elf can swap that proficiency for proficiency with another weapon or a tool. Your elf might be a musician, who chooses proficiency with a musical instrument—a type of tool—instead of with longswords. Similarly, elves start with proficiency in the Perception skill. Your elf might not have the keen senses associated with your kin and could take proficiency in a different skill, such as Performance. The “Equipment” chapter of the PHB includes weapons and tools suitable for these swaps.

Personality

The description of a race might suggest various things about the behavior and personality of that people’s archetypal adventurers. You may ignore those suggestions, whether they’re about alignment, moods, interests, or any other personality trait. Your character’s personality and behavior are entirely yours to determine.

Determining Ability Scores

You may not roll for ability scores on Driftriver. Characters use the standard 27 point buy system. You may spend these points to purchase ability scores according to the following chart.

Ability Score Point Buy Costs

You can elect to take a -2 penalty to one ability score if you wish to represent a character weakness. You do not receive any compensation or other bonuses.
After buying your ability scores you then add any racial bonuses from your race or subrace.

Determining Hit Points

Driftriver player characters may not roll for health. Instead when you gain a hit die you gain the average result per the following table.

• You gain the maximum roll on the hit die for your first level.

You add your constitution modifier times your level to this result as well as any modifications from your race, class, feats or equipment.
A level 3 Ranger with 14 Constitution would determine their Hit Points as follows:

• First Level: d10 maximized = +10 HP
• Second and Third Level +6 HP per level
• Constitution Modifier (+2) * Level (3) = +6 HP
• Total HP: 28 HP

Learning Spells

The Codex of Content lists all available spells for learning and any rules modifications. The class features and spell tables will indicate which spells are available to each class. Driftriver has Variant Class Features enabled which expands the list of spells available to each class.

Selecting Class Options

Your class may allow you to select from a number of class options such as Fighting Styles, Invocations, Metamagic or other options. Please refer to the Class Options section of the Codex of Content for a list of permitted class options. Driftriver has Variant Class Features enabled, which expands these options available to each class.

Selecting Your Starting Feat or ASI

Characters on Driftriver are awarded a bonus feat or Ability Score Increase at first level. This bonus feat does not count against any feat limits.

A Starting Feat?

Driftriver gives all characters a starting feat because it does not permit the published Variant Human race. The Variant Human race which normally awards a feat sees a very high selection rate from players who see the feat as a critical component of a character theme or playstyle. By starting all characters with a feat we believe that this encourages more freedom and creativity within character design.

Levels and Progression

Characters begin their adventures with Driftriver at level 3 and receive an amount of gold and Drops according to being level 3. You may elect to begin at level 1 or 2, if you wish however it is not recommended.

Adventuring Milestone Points

Characters do not earn experience points as they would in a typical game of Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition. Instead characters gain progression through the form of Adventuring Milestone Points or AMPs. Characters earn one AMP for every hour played in a Driftriver session. Characters level up to the next level after gaining 12 AMPs.

Why Not Experience Points?

Experience points tend to reward combat, the defeat of enemies and incentivize players to be aggressive and welcoming of conflict. By normalizing experience to be focused on time played players and dungeon masters can instead focus on game aspects which maximize their personal enjoyment, whether that be a majority combat or a majority intrigue session.

Leveling Up

A character levels up when acquiring the necessary AMPs. This does not occur within session, instead occuring at the end of a session which grants the character the necessary AMPs to level up. The character's player is responsible for updating their character sheet and executing the level up.

Gold and Mundane Items

Agents of B.A.S.E. are paid a salary for their services rendered to the Bureau. This salary is awarded at the end of every session and is paid based on the agent's level and the time spent playing in a session.

Gold Earnings

Uses for Gold

Gold can be used to purchase mundane items according the Codex of Content. Gold can also be used to interact with a number of systems.

• Reworks: Respecializing or reselecting character options as detailed later in this book.
• Housing and Hirelings, explained later in this book.
• Casting spells out of sessions.
• Learning Languages and Tool or Kit proficiencies. Gaining proficiency in a skill or language costs 1,000 gold. You may gain expertise in a proficient skill for a further 2,000 gold. This does not include: Acrobatics, Animal Handling, Arcana, Athletics, Deception, History, Inight, Intimidation, Investigation, Medicine, Nature, Perception, Performance, Persuasion, Religion, Sleight of Hand, Stealth, or Survival.

Out of Session Spellcasting Costs

Characters may wish to cast spells outside of a session to create lasting effects such as through the spell Temple of the Gods. Spells which consume material components cost the components required for each cast, for example Teleportation Circle requires 50g in components and 365 casts. This spell would cost 18,250g to create a permanent circle. If the spell does not consume material components please refer to the below chart; spells that require multiple casts require this cost for each cast.

Carrying Benefits Into a Session

Characters may wish to bring the benefits of their out of session spellcasting into a session such as through spell examples like *Contingency, Planar Binding, Find Greater Steed* or others. In order to maintain these spells you must have the spell known and be capable of casting, or replicating the spell under the configuration in which your character applies to enter the game. You may not for example cast *Planar Binding* as a Sorcerer and then replace the spell in your known spells and maintain the benefits of casting the spell. If a spell is replicated via *Wish* then *Wish* must remain a known spell.
A DM may choose not to permit summons or companions as a point of balance.

Costs of Roleplaying?

Spells cast specifically outside of sessions for the purpose of supporting roleplay, such as depicting your spellcasting character as flying through Downtown, or teleporting to a location to make a stylish entrance do not incur any type of costs. Spells which do have a permanent or semi permanent effect which impacts a session must be paid for according to the chart above.

Contribution

Characters who have accrued 15 cumulative total hours of play and DM reward time become capable of performing special transactions called contributions. A contribution is an irrevocable spending of gold into an investment into the Estate system or to fuel an immediate and possibly shared expense, most often related to spellcasting. Contributions must never result in a transfer of liquid wealth which can be recouped or extracted for use by another player. Contributions can never be contested or refunded once made under any circumstances.

Estate Contributions

A contribution legal character can make a transaction contributing gold to the estate's value. This gold is irrevocably added to the value of the estate. Even if the character eventually leaves the estate, is removed from the estate or not permitted access to the estate by the owner, the gold can never be removed from the estate. Despite any personal differences these contributions are never able to be contested. Learn more about estates with the article Lifestyle: Driftriver Estates & Hirelings.

Spell Contributions

A contribution legal character may pay all or part of a spell costing expense to the benefit of another character. This spell must paid for at the out-of-session spellcasting rate explained above. The effects of the spell must be immediately consumed and any benefits granted by the spellcaster's features are removed. For example:

• If a character dies through a Beholder's disintegration they will require a True Resurrection spell is necessary to return this character to life. Any number of contribution capable characters may combined their funds to reach the cost of 25,000 gold to cast the spell. The gold is instantly consumed by the spellcasting and is irrevocably lost by all contributors.
• A character can cast a summoning or conjuring spell in order to bring a creature onto the prime material plane for a friendly character to cast *Planar Binding* on as the target. The character who is benefiting from this spell, the one casting Planar Binding can contribute the gold to cover the spellcasting costs of the other character, as long as they are contribution capable. The summoning character can also simply cover the costs associated with casting the spell, as although they gain no long term benefits by temporarily summoning the creature they can cast this spell at will out of session as long as they pay the appropriate spellcasting costs.
• A party can choose to pool together funds to have a character cast a Heroes' Feast spell before a difficult adventure.
• A character can use spells to the benefit of another character or characters, such as teleportation spells. Either the casting character or the benefitting characters can cover the cost of this spell in such a case.

Drops and Magic Items

Driftriver does not utilize a standard system of treasure acquisition. While in most DnD environments a DM will allow players to encounter, seek or battle for magical items and treasures this system has shortcomings in an online community like Driftriver. With multiple DMs operating without much coordination there can be cases where individual players accrue more treasure than others, gaining unintended advantages. Some communities solve this with randomization, treasure points systems or other limitations. Driftriver uses a system similar to Treasure Points.

Drops

The Ashaba river is strongly influenced by the Pool of Yeven’s magical influence. The waters are flush with raw magic which can be captured using specialized techniques. B.A.S.E. has monopolized this process and extracts the magic into hyper concentrated droplets called Drops. These Drops are awarded to B.A.S.E. adventurers as part of their pay at a rate of 1 per hour of play. In sufficient concentration these Drops can be used to empower and enchant objects, granting them new magical abilities.
Items produced with Drops are only equippable by the owning character, or their controlled companions or pets.

Enchanted Items

Driftriver uses a system where players may spend their Drops to enchant items with a number of powerful effects. This allows characters to customize their equipment to their needs. Characters have a maximum of three enchanted items equipped at a time, similar to the concept of attunement slots. Enchanted items have two categorical rules to determine their stacking behavior.
Options with the Prefix limit can not stack with other similarly prefixed enchantments. Options with the Item limit can only be attached to an item once but may be applied to multiple items. Options with the Creature limit may not have benefit the same creature more than once. Unlimited options may be applied multiple times to the same item and apply to the same creature multiple times.

Prefix & Binding Table

Enchantment Limits

Enchanted items have limits on how much magical power they can hold which increase as your character levels, allowing your items to grow with you.

Other Magic Items

There are magical items outside of Enchanted Items. These items are listed on the Magic Items table of the Codex of Content These items are not customizable, but do have the same limitations as Enchanted Items. Characters may not equip or carry any single items with a Drops value which exceed their Enchantment Limit. Magic items list their minimum required level in the Codex of Content.

Potions, Poisons, Ammunition & Trinkets

Characters may use Drops to purchase magical items which are typically used up or destroyed when activated. These items can be used up within a session but recharge to capacity when the session ends. These recharging consumables cost Drops to purchase and similar to any other permanent enchantment are a permanent expansion to your character's potential.

Refilling Health Potions?

This is a design decision which simultaneously limits the quantity of consumables an adventurer may bring to bear on an adventure while also making them attractive choices for the use of Drops as their purchase directly competes with a character’s primary equipment. This creates situations in which some characters may choose to invest in strong primary equipment but have few tools or consumables, while other more utility oriented characters may choose to bring a large volume of tools and consumables. By being constrained to the same Pool limitations this allows for player specialization.

Mementos

At first level you can select a minor magic item from the Codex of Content Magic Items Table under Mementos. This item is intended to be an item from your past life, before Driftriver. This item costs no loadout to equip despite being magical. Additional mementos can be purchased for 500g each. This item should be considered part of your history.

Rank Rewards

As you progress through the ranks of B.A.S.E. the agency will take note. Your Badge will be re-issued with a new material to match your capability.
Agents will also award special items called Rank Rewards at levels 3, 6, 9, 12, 15 and 18. These rewards have a Drop value but are not capable of being liquified. These items can be exchanged at B.A.S.E. Headquarters in downtime for any other item in the same rank reward pool. These items can be equipped or unequipped as chosen, but will provide options for rising adventurers to round out their loadout.

Ranks of B.A.S.E.

• Mizzium Rank requires a character reach level 20 while having a very high (480+) concentration of drops, representing the peak of power. There is no reward for reaching Mizzium Rank but the prestige associated.

Pool

The hyperconcentrated magical energy of Drops require care in handling. A character is only capable of wielding a maximum amount of Drops dependent on their level. This limit is called the character's Pool. Your Pool is a hard limit on the magical items you are capable of wielding, carrying, and using at any given time. All items equipped are considered attuned for any attunement requirements. You must still meet any class or race requirements an item lists for attunement to equip or use an item.

Why Add Limits?

By having a maximum on the magical equipment that a character can wield we create a system in which players must make choices on what they bring to an adventure. By being unable to be prepared for every situation players are encouraged to work together. We also improve balance and simplify the DM experience by keeping player magic item load reasonable.

Liquefying Items

Magic items can be distilled back into Drops by visiting B.A.S.E. Headquarters in Driftriver. There is no cost associated with this, but characters must be in the city of Driftriver to do this, and may not make changes during a session without explicit DM permission.

Minor Properties

As items become more enchanted they begin to exhibit minor properties as the magic begins to overflow. Minor properties are bonus magical effects which enhance your item in a number of ways, typically cosmetic. At 5, 25, 50 and 75 Drops worth of total enchantment on an enchanted item you will be able to select a new minor property. The Codex of Content contains all legal minor properties for each item category, and the Driftriver Character Sheet can assist in selection.

Drops Table

Progressors

One of Driftriver's core values is inclusivisity and the idea of adventurers lost to mystery finding their way to to the Ashaba river to carry on their adventuring career.

Progressors

Players may progress a chracter's level, **Drops** and wealth through the completion of Progressors. Each Progressor awards a chracter with 6 hours of progression, equal to half a level. Your character does not have to play in any games before completing progressors and gaining benefits.

Progressor 1: Character Tracking Sheet

This progressor is unlocked by actively using your Driftriver Character sheet. To get credit for this Progressor fill in your character sheet. Your character sheet should have the following information:

• Ability Scores: All six ability scores.
• Proficiencies: Skills and languages.
• Speeds: All four speeds.
• Languages: All known languages.
• Enchanted & Magic Items: Any spent Drops on enchanted or magical items in the appropriate sections.
• Mundane Items: Any mundane items owned are entered.

Progressor 2: Biographics

This progressor is unlocked by completing the Biographics section of your Driftriver character sheet. Think carefully about how your character's physical traits, faith and alignment may inform their roleplay!

Progressor 3: Characteristics

This progressor is unlocked by completing the Characteristics section of your Driftriver character sheet. You must fill out at least six of the twelve slots available, but you may select which type of characteristic occupies each slot. You may take these from any inspiration, such as a book, rolling for them, or writing your own.

Progressor 4: Character Backstory

This progressor is unlocked by writing backstory information on your character's history. Consider such themes such as your character's family, birth and childhood. Consider how they came of age and any formative events in their life. Your backstory may also touch on why you became an adventurer and how you developed the skills to succeed in that lifestyle.

Not an Essay

You're not going to be graded or judged on the content. You can choose to put this information into bullet points, a chart, or even a short story. Staff who will review backstories will be checking for players putting effort into characterization, nothing more.

Drifters

Not all adventurers arrive to Driftriver at the beginning of their legend. Some have entire legends behind them. Players receive the ability to register two Drifters after signing up, and gain one per season their account is active. Drifters are normal characters but they may begin at any level from 6 to 20. To create a Drifter character a player must complete the four Progressors for the character to be a legal Drifter. Characters created this way have the number of Drops that a character of that level would normally have but only have the amount of gold that a level 5 would have earned.

Drifters Should Have Backstory

Drifters should be characters who are continuing or accelerating their stories rather than starting from scratch. While it may be exciting to access high level play you may find yourself struggling to role-play a character you have no relationship with. Choose your Drifters carefully!

Applying to be a Drifter

Becoming a Drifter requires staff review. Information on how to submit a character to be a Drifter is contained in the #character-archives channel of Discord.

Skipping the Treadmill

Dungeons and Dragons is a cooperative role-playing game best experienced with friends. Level gaps, differences in join dates, differences in time available to play and even simply being in an inactive level range can result in players being unable to participate to participate in games. Drifters are a way for players to create characters to fill gaps or simply to bring their characters from other stories to Driftriver. Similar in function to a DM letting a player roll a new character at a table with a campaign in progress, the arrival of Drifters is intended to promote inclusivity and encourage social opportunities for players to interact and play without needing to level a character to 'catch up.'

Seasons

Driftriver Seasons will occur once every 4-6 months with the second season beginning in mid 2020 and the third season beginning at the start of 2021. Each season will tend to have the following events associated with it:

• A season ending event lasting a couple of weeks involving world shaping storylines. Players and DMs will receive additional rewards for participating during this time.
• An update to the population of Driftriver, the teritory of Driftriver, or the NPCs of the city.
• A new Drifter for all registered players before the beginning of that season.
• A new balance cycle, and updates to the Driftriver guidebook, setting book, and other systems.

Running and Archiving Sessions

Becoming a Dungeon Master (DM)

To become a registered Dungeon Master in Driftriver a registered member must simply request the role from a member of Driftriver Staff. This role is given to users freely, with Driftriver's value system believing in giving members a chance to prove themselves. Dungeon Masters who abuse these privileges, or their players, will have the role removed. Additionally Dungeon Masters who do not run a game for a period of 90 days will have this tag removed. It can be regained through speaking to staff and scheduling a game.

Session Preparation

Sessions, games run, play by post periods, workshops and other registered events on the Driftriver server must meet certain criteria in order for rewards to be granted.

• Dungeon Master (DM) Presence: The game must have a registered Dungeon Master as noted by the role being assigned to the user within the Driftriver Community Discord. The DM must have a registered Driftriver character with a valid BadgeID to receive rewards for running the session. This member is responsible for completing the Session Archive.
• A minimum of two (2) participating registered players. These users must have registered Driftriver characters which have a valid BadgeID. A game may be run for one (1) player with staff approval, so long as there is due cause to do so. (IE: Catching them up to members of their campaign for a missed session.)
• The session must not be planned to exceed 14 hours maximum in a single session.
• The session must be advertised in #game-advertisement in advance so that the community is aware, and may participate even if only as an audience member. If you are not accepting applications state so in your advertisement.

Session Advertisement

The #game-advertisement channel is where Dungeon Masters advertise upcoming sessions and notify the community of opportunities to play. Only Driftriver members with the Dungeon Master role are able message this channel.
To open a game-advertisement please use the template available in the pins of the #game-advertisement channel.

Getting a Response

When openly recruiting please feel free to use the here notification a single time in the #game-advertisement channel to make players aware of your posting. It should be done immediately after posting your advertisement.

Post Session

When a session is complete the Dungeon Master is responsible for collecting two pieces of information from each player, their participating character's BadgeID and their selected method of rewards. The participating players are expected to provide this information to the DM, in writing, in the table channel associated with the session.

Reward Selection

For every hour of play each character will receive 1 AMP, 1 Drop and 1 allotment of gold pertaining to their level. See Character Creation and Progression located previously in this guidebook for more information. These rewards may be exchanged to a limited extent.

• AMPs to Drops: You may convert AMPs to Drops at a 1 to 1 rate.
• Drops to Gold : You may convert Drops to Gold at a 1 to 1 rate against your Gold/Hour rate.

Rewards can only be exchanged down the chain, you may not trade Gold to Drops or Drops to AMPs.

Examples

At the end of a 3 hour game a group of level 17, 20, and 20 players has completed their adventurers. The level 17 characters chooses to take normal rewards, one of the level 20 chooses to convert their AMPs to Drops as they can not gain any levels, and the final level 20 chooses to convert everything to gold.

Reward Exchange Example Table

These reward schemes are typically shorthanded by players as Normal (no exchange), Drops (all AMPs to Drops) and Gold (all rewards to Gold.) You can exchange in finer increments, on a per unit basis, or even tenth of a unit basis.

Choose Wisely

A character will eventually come upon limits in many cases, whether that be reaching a level cap making AMPs unusable, or reaching their maximum Pool and being unable to equip any further Drops into their loadout. If you choose to exchange rewards be mindful of your limits so as not to waste any progression opportunities. Additionally, while gold can always be accrued and used it is best to build gold reserves at higher level to improve the efficiency of your time due to the higher gold/hour rate.

Reward Multipliers

Driftriver offers reward multipliers in a number of cases. These multipliers act as incentives for participating in Driftriver Events, outreach programs and for putting additional work into making the community a better place.

Dungeon Master Rewards

Dungeon Masters also list a BadgeID to receive rewards. This reward is to help account for the preparation time before a game and any post-game wrap-up that a DM is responsible for writing and logging. Dungeon Masters receive a 25% (1.25x) increase in rewards.

Co-DM (Co Dungeon Master) Rewards

To help encourage the teaching of new Dungeon Masters, as well as to encourage coordination between multiple DMs Driftriver recognizes the importance of rewarding multiple DMs at a table when appropriate. Co-DMs receive the same increased rewards as Dungeon Masters, gaining a 25% (1.25x) increase in rewards. Co-DMing does not require the Dungeon Master role in Discord and does not qualify for retaining a DM tag over time.

Event Rewards

During a Driftriver sanctioned event all DMs and Players gain a 10% increase in rewards. For Players they receive a 10% increase (1.1x) in rewards while DMs receive a 35% (1.35x) increase in rewards.

Recruitment Rewards

If a game has two members who have recently joined Driftriver, having a join date within the previous 30 days then the DM(s) will receive the same rewards as if the game were hosted during a Driftriver event, receiving a 35% (1.35x) increase in rewards.

Session Archiving

The #sessions-archive channel is where Dungeon Masters record session information for staff to record into the official Driftriver Database.
To record a session please use the following template and guide available in the **#session-archive** channel. Sessions should be archived within 72 hours of the game being run. If your game was run more than 72 hours prior to the posting of the session archive please indicate the date of the session so that logging can be performed correctly and rewards can be properly qualified for any multipliers. Dungeon Masters who are frequently or excessively late in recording may forfeit personal rewards.

Delayed Archiving

If you are multiple days late in posting a session archive please include the original date of play with your archive request.

Tracking Resource & Gold Expenditure in Sessions

DMs and players must work together to track resource expenditures within a session. Some resources must be purchased in advance of entering the field to be useful, such as diamonds fit for the *revivify* spell, while other resources are purchased and consumed in the field such as staying at an inn during a journey, gold paid as a bribe for information, or any other plot circumstance.
Players are encouraged to record their expenditures in the table text channel as they play, and then provide a full list to the DM upon the end of the session alongside their selected rewards. The DM will note these expenditures, which will be tracked by staff in the database.

Tracking Gold Purchaseable Items

Driftriver operates on an honor code to some extent when it comes to the tracking and expenditure of items purchased with mundane gold. Players are expected to track their use of supplies such as rations, arrows, torches, and the like of their own accord and make restock their goods using the **#transaction-archives** channel.
It is recommended that these items be tracked on the Driftriver Character Sheet provided to each character.

Dishonesty & Dishonor

If you are found to be fabricating items or lying about gold purchased items such as spell components, supplies, or any other mundane items you will be charged a penalty equal to twice the cost of the item and issued a warning. Multiple warnings may result in removal from the Driftriver Community.

The Convenience of The Modern Adventuring Life

The Estate system offers many resources to help alleviate the hustle and bustle of adventuring. Need arrows? Hire a fletcher. Need rations, healer's kits, or new clothes? There are hirelings for that too. While Estates have high down-payment costs they often provide a great return on investment by reducing the stress of managing your inventory.

Companions & Commands

If you have a feature which grants you a companion, pet, summon, construction, spirit or other form of a creature or object which shares your initiative, acts immediately after you, and requires you use a bonus action command to use actions other than dodge then that creature or object may use both an action and a bonus action when you issue your command.

Character Changes, Respeccing & Spells

Driftriver Philosophy

Driftriver staff recognizes that characters develop and change over time. This can result in many changes to the mechanical aspects of a character. On Driftriver we believe that characters should have the freedom to experiment and explore with character change and growth. In order to encourage this we have tried to identify a core grouping of choices which we believe represent the backbone of a character's design. These qualities are ones which players must commit to, and can only change at a gold cost after reaching level 11. Until level 11 all respecs are free.

Core Qualities

• Identity. The character's name and identity.
• Race and Subrace. The character's race(s.)
• Classes & Subclasses. The character's class(es.)

Changing Core Qualities

Once a character is played their Core Qualities are locked in; a player may freely change these up until the character is played by speaking with staff. Reworking these qualities is free until level 11, after which, players may spend 2,000 gold to rework any or all Core Qualities. To perform this rework please list it in the transaction archive stating all changes and update your entry in the #character-archives channel.

Multiclassing on Level Up

When you level up and are level 11 or higher, you can add a desired multiclass without needing to pay the rework cost. When you submit your entry into the #character-archives channel, include that you are making the addition because you leveled up and it will be processed appropriately. With this entry, however, you cannot change any other Core Qualities and cannot swap or remove any other classes from that character.

Versatility

In compliance with the [Unearthed Arcana: Class Feature Variants](https://media.wizards.com/2019/dnd/downloads/UA-ClassFeatures.pdf) Driftriver permits characters to use the various Versatility features to make changes to their characters under the following conditions:

• In Session. To exercise a Versatility feature in session you must have access to a Versatility feature in session and meet the requirements, such as taking a long rest. A Bard with Versatility may be able to change a spell during a long rest in session, but a Ranger would never be able to change their Favored Enemy in session.
• Compliance With Feature Limits. You must still obey the requirements of the feature, and obey any limits. This means for example that a Sorcerer player may not use Versatility to acquire a list of all high level spells, as they are limited to exchanging to spells within the levels available when the spell was acquired.

Other Versatilities

Driftriver characters may change all class feature choices or selections per their class's original text when not participating a session. To execute these changes the character must satisfy the following conditions:

• Out of Session. You must be outside of a session to exercise Versatility features. These changes effectively occur in a character's downtime.
• Compliance With Feature Limits. You must still obey the requirements of the feature, and obey any limits. This means for example that a Sorcerer player may not use Versatility to acquire a list of all high level spells, as they are limited to exchanging to spells within the levels available when the spell was acquired.

Implications

Character changes can be made freely to any characteristic or choice not included in the Core Qualities list above. This could mean an Arcane Archer's shots, a Blood Hunter's Mutagens, a Hunter Ranger's Multiattack or Favored Enemy, a Sorcerer's metamagic, or a Warlock's Eldritch Invocation. This covers all choices not specifically excused by the list of Core Qualities.

Spell Scribing & Wizards

Due to the enhanced freedom available to multiple spellcasters given their enhanced spellcasting features and Spell Versatility features, the Wizard becomes an unusual balance case.

• Wizards previously had to pay to scribe spells, granting them similar flexibility as bards or sorcerers now gain in downtime, or that clerics and druids enjoyed previously. They have lost a key identifier in no longer having unique flexibility.
• Wizards previously used downtime and gold resources to achieve this benefit, whereas this flexibility now achieved in downtime, without gold cost, by others.

When considering the options of either extending the costs of scribing to other spellcasters who have gained these features, or removing the cost of scribing from Wizards utilizing the same flexibility the Driftriver staff has decided that removing the spell scribing costs associated with Wizards is the more interesting and permissive choice. Due to this the following now apply to Wizard Spellcasting.

• You are able to add any spell available to you due to your Wizard spellcasting feature to your spellbook at no cost in gold or time.
• If you convert a spell into a Wizard spell through a subclass feature, such as being a Theurgy Wizard, you are still constrained by the limits of this feature.

In addition, for other scribing spellcasters:

• If you use a spellcasting ritual book, or have a similar book such as being a Warlock with Pact of the Tome and Book of Ancient secrets you may add any spell available to you with this feature at no cost in gold or time.

NOTE: In all cases you must follow all preparation rules for your spells, and still must provide components.

Defeat: Death, Retirement & Loss

Death

The consequences of death in a session are between the DM and the player. DMs must advertise their sessions as deadly and/or listing the consequences of the session to include permanent character consequences up to and including loss.
Death is a difficult, and personal, thing to process both in and out of character. Driftriver leaves the power of choice up to the players on if they choose to return a character to life.

Resurrection

Driftriver allows resurrection of characters using the spells Revivify, Raise Dead, Resurrection and True Resurrection. The spell Reincarnation is not permitted, and the rules modifications for this spell can be read in the Codex of Content. Characters can recover from resurrection sickness at no cost outside of a session.

Retirement

Characters can be retired by simply not playing them. There is no formal method by which to mark a character's adventure has ended. Characters can be reactivated at any time.

Reworking

Characters can be 'retired' and have new adventurers assume their mantle, seemingly inheriting their belongings and currencies, as well as their level. If the character exceeds is level 11 or higher this will incur a fee. **Dead characters must be resurrected to be playable, even if they are reworked.**

Item Loss

B.A.S.E. does everything it can to ensure that items constructed in their liquefactories from Drops never fall into the hands of a competitor. In the course of adventuring some characters may lose possession of their enchanted or magical items. B.A.S.E. will dispatch special operations teams to recover the items through magical means.
B.A.S.E. levies a 5g fine for each Drop of value which is lost during a session. Payment of this fine allows B.A.S.E. to disburse new Drops to replace the previously lost amount to the character.

Death Can Be Expensive

A well equipped adventurer who is lost in combat including the destruction of the body and equipment could face a steep cost to return to adventuring. A true resurrection costs 25,000 gold and restoring 300 Drops of equipment would cost an additional 1,500 gold. Be careful of the risks!

Session Failure

Under certain circumstances players may fail to complete the mission granted to them. It is up to the DM if any penalties may be judged on the party, limited to financial penalties at the maximum of what the characters would have earned in gold. Characters always earn AMPs and Drops for participating in a session, and the penalty may not include any converted rewards if additional gold is selected.

Character Capture and Lock-In

In some cases characters may be captured or surrender to enemy forces in a session. If this occurs the characters will be locked and unplayable until this captured state is resolved. This might be resolved through a ransom payment, a follow-up rescue session resolving the plot-thread, or some other conditions decided by the DM. The captured state can be held for a maximum of one week involuntarily, after which a ransom payment amount will be determined. Voluntarily captured characters may remain locked indefinitely.

Other Permanent Effects

Madness

If a DM advertises permanent consequences such as madness effects in their game advertisement then participating characters may be subject to debilitating madness effects. These effects may result in a radical departure from the personality of a character or an uncontrollable tic, marking, or mental disability. These effects may have significant negative effects and have costly or difficult treatments. By applying to a game advertising these effects you agree to be subject to and honor these effects.

Story Consequences

Your participation in sessions may result in your character facing difficult decisions which may irrevocably align your character with or against other forces within the world.

Alignment Shifts

If your character performs in a way that is irreconcilable with their alignment a DM may choose to recognize and treat your character as if they were of a different alignment than you have selected.

Faith, Oath or Pact Breaking

If your character breaks with key tenets of their faith as a cleric, an oath they have taken as a paladin, or the pact formed as a Warlock the DM may choose to introduce new challenges to the session. While you can not be stripped of your class features for violating key tenets there may be consequences for choosing not to obey them.

Estate Damage

DMs who run sessions involving Estates may, with the permission of the owner, judge damage to an Estate. This damage must be paid for via transaction to restore function.