The Rules of Anarchy
The question I’ve been asked the most while preparing this campaign is, “Why not use one of the already prepared replaying games built for the modern setting?”. The answer is simple, I fell in love with Dungeons and Dragons 5E as soon as I started to play it. The mechanics work so well it has been hard to find things that would need changing for a modern setting. But there are a few changes I’d like to make. I’ll try my best to make it brief, but please read it all. It’ll be important for you all to be familiar with the changes.
Ability Scores
The first change you may notice, beside the fancy formatting I worked so hard on, when you look at the Element 133 Character Sheets is the longer list of Skills. With the removal of Arcana (no magic in this campaign, sorry guys) and the addition of the Circuitry, Mechanics, and Navigation skills the list feels a bit more modern. Here’s how to use these new skills.
Circuitry
You’ll Intelligence (Circuitry) check whenever you attempt to use an electronic device that you are unfamiliar with, when you attempt to build, wire, dismantle, or otherwise tamper with an electronic device, or when attempting to perform software development, hacking, or programming of any kind. While it may not require an Intelligence (Circuitry) check to use basic equipment from a flashlight to a laptop, it may be required for more advanced tools.
Mechanics
With the world in utter disarray understanding how to repair and do maintenance for vehicles and other heavy machinery. When attempting to work on a machine make an Intelligence (Mechanics) check. Your mechanical know how is not limited to just cars and small machines, depending on your background and class you may be proficient in mechanics for airplanes, boats, or even military vehicles.
Navigation
It’s one thing to be able to repair cars and elec-tronics but its another thing entirely to be able to pilot them. You will make a Dexterity (Navigation) check pilot, drive, or steer any kind of vehicle. This is not limited to small cars and boats. Maybe your character can drive a Semi-Truck or perhaps fly a jet plane. Your Dexterity (Navigation) skill is separate from having proficiency in certain classes of vehicles. Proficiency in Navigation simply means that you are good at driving things.
Get Away Driver
Having proficiency in the Dexterity (Navigation) skill and proficiency to a specialty class of vehicles allows you to double your proficiency when making Dexterity (Navigation) checks. For example, let’s say Jim has proficiency in Navigation and is also proficient in Heavy Land Vehicles. When making checks to drive a Tank with a Tier One character he would double his proficiency bonus of +2 and use the modifier of +4 when making his Dexterity (Navigation) check. Both proficiencies work separately as well, meaning if you have proficiency in Navigation, you’d add your bonus to every Dexterity (Navigation) check you make. While if you aren’t proficient in Dexterity (Navigation) but you do have proficiency in Medium Water Vehicles you would only add your proficiency bonus when making Dexterity (Navigation) checks using a Medium Water Vehicle.
Hit the Ground!
This new house rule is simple. The first portion of it changes the Hide action during combat making it a bonus action. The second portion changes the way that cover you just found works. Bullets are bad news and as such it is more difficult to find adequate cover. A target hidden only by thin wood, glass, or fabric has quarter cover and has a +1 bonus to AC and Dexterity saving throws. A target with half cover has a +2 bonus to AC and Dexterity saving throws. A target with three-quarters cover has a +3 bonus to AC and Dexterity saving throws. Rules for total cover are the same as stated in the Player’s Handbook.
Feeling Heroic
Rather than using the rarely used Inspiration Point mechanic, we will be using Hero Points, and refillable pool of points awarded by the DM for fantastic gameplay and for following your Personality Archetypes (see Character Creation: Personality and Relationships). You may add these points to any die roll, throughout game excluding death-saving throws and rolls on event, treasure, or result tables. Adding any number of points to the total number on the die. You will begin the game with zero Hero Points and may keep a maximum of 20 Hero Points at any time, unless modified by a feature or Archetype.
Damage and the Injury Table
Instead of the general rule that hit points stand as your general health, in Element 133 they stand as a marker of your endurance and ability to take a hit. When you are reduced to 0 hit points it means that your endurance has run its course and you may sustain a serious injury. When you reach 0 hit points you are not only knocked unconscious and must make death saving throws you also must make a roll on the injury table. An Injury roll consists of two parts the first is to determine how serious your injury.
That’s a lot of Damage!
Additionally, the DM may call for a injury table roll when you take a massive amount of damage such as a critical hit or falling from a great height. When you suffer damage greater than half your maximum hit points you must immediately make a roll on the injury table. If you suffer damage equal to your hit point maxi-mum you immediately take a major injury.
Injury Severity
| CON Saving Throw | Severity |
|---|---|
| 1-6 | Make a roll on the Major injury Table |
| 7-12 | Make a roll on the Minor Injury Table |
| 13 & above | No Injury |
Minor Injury Table
| 1 | Minor Scar. The scar doesn’t have any adverse effect. |
| 2 | Limp. Your speed on foot is reduced by 5 feet. You must make a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw after using the Dash action. If you fail the save, you fall prone. Someone can tend to your wound with a DC 13 Wisdom (Medicine) check. On a success, the effect ends after 24 hours. |
| 3 | Minor Wound. Your hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to your tier. Someone can tend to your wound with a DC 13 Wisdom (Medicine) check. On a success, the effect ends after 24 hours. |
| 4 | Bruised Ribs. When you gain this injury you must make a DC 12 Constitution saving throw to avoid being knocked unconscious. When you attempt a reaction in combat, you must make a DC 12 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, you lose your reaction and cannot attempt to take another reaction until the start of your next turn. This injury heals after 24 hours passes without being knocked unconscious. |
| 5 | Dislocated Shoulder. You have disadvantage using any skill or weapon that requires two hands or making attack rolls with the dislocated arm (determined by the DM). If you wield a shield with the injured arm, reduce your AC by 1. Someone can use an action to set your shoulder with a successful DC 10 Wisdom (Medicine) check, ending the effect on a success. |
| 6 | Mild Concussion. You cannot concentrate on an action for more than one minute at a time. Additionally, you have disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks. This injury heals after 24 hours passes without being knocked unconscious again. |
Major Injury Table
| 1 | Horrible Scar. You are disfigured to the extent that the wound can't be easily concealed. You have disadvantage on Charisma (Persuasion) checks and advantage on Charisma (Intimidation) checks. |
| 2 | Torn Ligament. Your speed on foot is reduced by 10 feet. You must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw after using the Dash action. If you fail the save, you fall prone. Someone can tend to your wound with a DC 15 Wisdom (Medicine) check. On a success, the effect ends after 36 hours. |
| 3 | Lasting Wound. Your hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal totwice your tier. Someone can tend to your wound with a DC 15 Wisdom (Medicine) check. On a success, the effect ends after 24 hours. On a 1-3 your wound becomes a Festering wound after 24 hours. |
| 4 | Festering Wound. Your hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to twice your tier. Someone can tend to your wound with a DC 15 Wisdom (Medicine) check once per day. After three successful checks, the effect ends after 24 hours. After 2 failures your wound becomes Rotting Flesh. |
| 5 | Broken Ribs. At the start of your turn in combat, make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, you may only take either an action or a bonus action on this turn, but not both. This injury heals after 24 hours passes without being knocked unconscious again. |
| 6 | Broken Arm. You can no longer hold any-thing with two hands, and you can hold only a single object at a time. Someone can use an action to set and splint the broken bone with a successful DC 15 Wisdom (Medicine) check. On a success, apply the effects of the Dislocated Shoulder on the Minor Injury Table. The injury heals naturally after 14 days. |
| 7 | Severe Concussion. You suffer the same effects as the Mild Concussion injury. Additionally, if you suffer bludgeoning, thunder, or necrotic damage, you must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, you are immediately stunned until the start of your next turn. This injury heals after three days pass without being knocked unconscious again. |
| 8 | Emotional Trauma. You suffer mental strain. The DM rolls on the short-term madness table in the Dungeon Masters Guide, applying that effect. This mad-ness effect is removed as per the normal madness rules |
| 9 | Broken Leg. Your speed on foot is re-duced by half. You must make a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw after moving. If you fail the save, you fall prone. Some-one can use an action to set and splint the broken bone with a successful DC 15 Wisdom (Medicine) check. On a success, apply the effects of the Torn Ligament injury. The injury heals naturally after 14 days. |
| 10 | Severed Finger. You have disadvantage on Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) checks and Dexterity checks to use fine tools (such as thieves’ tools) using the hand with which you lost the finger. If you lose all the fingers from one hand, then it functions as if you had lost a hand. |
| 11 | Severed Foot or Leg. Your speed on foot is halved, and you must use a cane or crutch to move. You fall prone after us-ing the Dash action. You have disad-vantage on Dexterity checks made to balance, climb, or jump. Your standing and running long-jumps are reduced by 5 feet. This effect is permanent, but if a prothesis is acquired your speed is only reduced by 5ft and you do not fall prone after using the dash action. If both legs or feet are lost use the Sliced in Half inju-ry rules. |
| 12 | Rotting Flesh. Your point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to twice your level. Someone can tend to your wound with a DC 18 Wisdom (Medicine) check once per day. After three success-ful checks, the effect ends after 24 hours. After 3 failures your wound be-comes too rotten to save and must be amputated. If the wound is in a non-operable location, you are dying and have 1d8 + Con days to live. |
| 13 | Internal Hemorrhaging. You lose the ability to take reactions during combat. Additionally, you gain vulnerability to bludgeoning and thunder damage. This effect lasts for 2d8 + 4 days. |
| 14 | Severed Hand or Arm. You can no longer hold anything with two hands, and you can hold only a single object at a time. This effect is permanent, but if a prothe-sis is acquired, use the penalties de-scribed in the Severed Finger injury. If both hands or arms are lost use the Sliced in Half injury rules. |
| 15 | Brain Trauma. You can no longer concen-trate on actions for longer than until the start of your next turn. Additionally, you still suffer the effects of the Severe Con-cussion injury. This injury heals after 7 days pass without being knocked uncon-scious again. |
| 16 | Psychological Damage. You suffer men-tal strain. The DM rolls on the long-term madness table in the Dungeon Masters Guide, applying that effect. This mad-ness effect is removed as per the normal madness rules. |
| 17 | Severed Ear. You gain disadvantage on all Wisdom (Perception) checks to hear. In addition, your Passive Wisdom (Percep-tion) is reduced by 5. This effect is per-manent. If both ears are lost, you are deafened. |
| 18 | Damaged Eye. You gain disadvantage on all Wisdom (Perception) checks to see. In addition, your Passive Wisdom (Percep-tion) is reduced by 5. This effect is per-manent. If both eyes are lost, you are blinded. |
| 19 | Broken Jaw. You lose the ability to speak, and someone must help you to eat and drink. Additionally, if you suffer bludg-eoning, thunder, or necrotic damage, you must make a DC 15 Constitution sav-ing throw. On a failure, you are immedi-ately stunned until the start of your next turn. Someone can use an action to set and splint the broken bone with a suc-cessful DC 15 Wisdom (Medicine) check. On a success the injury heals naturally after 14 days. |
| 20 | Sliced in Half. You lose half of your limbs. Either both your legs or both arms. Roll a d6 on Evens you lose your arms, on Odds you lose your legs. If you lose both arms you cannot hold objects or make actions that require the use of your hands. If you lose your legs your speed is reduced to 5ft and must be carried over rough terrain. This effect is permanent, but if a prothesis is acquired you may regain some functionality at your DM’s discretion. |
Critical Hits
In order to make critical hits, obtained by rolling a natural 20 or lower in some cases, more interesting and scarry I’m introducing a new way of calculating the damage dealt by critical hits. The new formula is as follows.
Max Dice Roll + Dice Roll + Modifiers and Bonus
So for example, If Joe makes and attack with a submachine gun that deals 2d6 damage and Joe’s Dexterity modifier is +3. Joe would add the max dice roll (12) plus a normal roll of 2d6 (7) plus his modifier (3) for a total of 22 piercing damage.
Now remember this new rule allows you to deal more damage to your opponents but it also allows them to do more damage to you. So be cautious!
Big Beasties
In Element 133 you will be facing off against large, huge, and giant creatures often. Instead of pooling all the hundreds of hit points into one column that must be whittled away in order to defeat the creature, as 5E commonly does. The creatures may have several pools of hit points.
Pools of Hit Points
| Challenge Rating | Pools of HP |
|---|---|
| 0-1/2 | 1 |
| 1-4 | 2 |
| 5-8 | 3 |
| 9-12 | 4 |
| 13-16 | 5 |
| 17-22 | 6 |
| 23 & above | 7+ |
Depleting one of these pools by attacking specific areas on the creature in example the wings or a tentacle, causes the creature to make a roll on the injury table and may take injuries before its even close to being defeated. Removing a creature’s wings for example may nullify actions it can take, such as Fly. It may also cause the creature to fall unconscious or flee with most of its hit points remaining.
Damage Types
All the types of damage that exist within 5E are still in play despite magic not existing. Here are some clarifications on what causes certain types of damage.
- Acid. The corrosive nature chemicals may cause acid damage, as well as weapon sprays such as pepper spray and mace deal acid damage.
- Bludgeoning. Blunt force attacks hammers. falling, constriction, and the like deal bludgeoning damage.
- Cold. Exposure to freezing elements, as well as some chemicals like C02 from a fire extinguisher deal cold damage.
- Fire. Fire deals fire damage. Lol, but also explosions, hot stoves and sunburns deal fire damage,
- Force. Force is pure kinetic energy, things that cause force damage would be shockwaves from bomb and concussion grenades.
- Lightning. Any damage dealt by electricity is considered lightning damage.
- Necrotic. Anything that seeps your life away from you, radiation poisoning, most diseases and poisons deal Necrotic damage.
- Piercing. Puncturing and impaling attacks, including guns and monsters' bites, deal piercing damage.
- Poison. Similar to Necrotic damage, Poison damage refers to the physical damage while Necrotic refers to internal damage. Venomous stings and the toxic gas of a chemical spill deal poison damage.
- Psychic. Mental ailments such as headaches, and concussions deal psychic damage. You may also take psychic damage from resisting hypnotism or mind-altering drugs and effects.
- Radiant. Radiant damage is dealt by extremely bright explosions or effects.
- Slashing. Swords, axes, and monsters' claws deal slashing damage.
- Thunder. A concussive burst of sound. such as the effect of a hand grenade deals thunder damage.
I need a Healer!
Since magic doesn’t exist in the real world it is more difficult to repair wounds and to heal people. For the sake of ease hit points can be restored using a med kit, a new simple equipment option. A minor med kit takes an action to use and restores 3d4+4 hit points, a major med kit restores 6d4+6 hit points and a surgeon’s kit restores 9d4+9 hit points. The cost and weight for these items can be found in the Equipment article. Additionally, drugs can be used to stimulate the body or dull the mind, and some may restore hit points or grant temporary hit points. These can also be found in that article.
The Phases
This campaign will be split into smaller section called phases that will last until an objective is met or until the party feels that they are ready to move on to the next phase. Phase One takes place 2 years A.T.E. (After the End) and will detail the struggle of humanity to reclaim the world from the mutated creatures that laid claim to most of the surface. Phase Two takes place 30 years A.T.E. and details the fight against the unknown contagion that is causing the millions of dead to rise from their graves. Phase Three takes place 120 years A.T.E. and details the problems the newly built civilizations of the world face as more and more people begin to turn up with Inhuman powers. Each phase has certain restrictions for character creation and equipment, detailed in later chapters.
The Alignment Meter
A new world is being formed by your actions, as such your alignment maters. When building your characters keep in mind the kind of world you want to create. During Phases One and Two your characters will work to build the civilizations that will exist in Phase Three. Whether those peoples believe in strong morals, or if they are evil and corrupt remains to be seen. I will use this Alignment Meter to determine that.
After each session during Phase One and Two I will add or subtract a point from the meter based on your actions that session if they were good, I’ll add a point if they were evil, I’ll subtract a point. At the end of Phase Two wherever the meter lies will determine whether the future civilization your characters helped pave the way for is good or evil. If it is good, you will be playing Super Villains aiming to take it down in Phase Three. If it is evil, you will be playing Superheroes aiming to restore civility to the world
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