House Rules

This page will be updated to accommodate rulings and changes as necessary. Suggestions are always welcome, but might not always be taken if they don't fit the playstyle of the group or the DMing style of the DM.

Table of Contents

General Rules

Character Creation

Character Advancement

Combat Gameplay

Spellcasting and Spells

Class/Subclass Errata

Items and Item Functions

Downtime

General Rules

• If a character dies and resurrection is not possible, you may create a new character at the same level of the recently deceased. When creating a new character after the death of a previous character, you must choose a new race and class than your most recent character.
• Non-consensual PvP fighting, stealing, etc. is not allowed. If it's consensual, it's ok, but please remember that dnd is a team game and working together is more likely to benefit you than working against each other.

Characer Creation

• Characters on the Evil alignment spectrum are not permitted.
• Edgelord/superdark/apathetic characters are banned. Your character has to have a reason to be in the party - any party - and want to contribute towards party goals.

Character Advancement

• We will be awarding EXP. Keep track of your EXP on dicecloud.
  • You miss a session? Don’t get EXP for it
  • Your party fails an encounter? Don’t get EXP for it
  • Your party succeeds an encounter? Get EXP for it
• Average HP at level up (standard rules).
• Multiclassing is permitted, but multiclass builds must have a story component. No one-level multiclass dips just to pick up a special ability. See the "Multi-Classing" header in the Apotheosis: Character Creation article for more information.
• You may take feats in place of ASIs.

• Apotheosis makes use of a modified version of the Piety System described in Mythic Odyessy of Theros:
  

Combat

If the text of an item, feature, ability, etc. says “forgo the roll” or “before the roll”, you cannot declare it retroactively. This applies to:

• Clockwork amulet (from the item description: When you make an attack roll while wearing the amulet, you can forgo rolling the d20 to get a 10 on the die.)
• Divination wizard portent (from the portent ability description: You can replace any attack roll, saving throw, or ability check made by you or a creature that you can see with one of these foretelling rolls. You must choose to do so before the roll, and you can replace a roll in this way only once per turn.)

A natural 20 on an attack roll is always a hit; a natural 1 on an attack roll is always a miss.

A natural 20 on a saving throw is always a success; a natural 1 on a saving throw is always a failure.

Natural 20s/natural 1s on any other type of roll are not automatic success/failures and confer no additional benefits or penalties.

If you are drinking a potion, you can do so using your action or your bonus action. Feeding a potion to another creature requires an action.

A combat turn consists of movement, an action, and a bonus action. You cannot substitute another part of your turn with a second bonus action (e.g., you can’t use bardic inspiration as a bonus action and then use your action to cast Healing Word)

Spellcasting and Spells

• Homebrew Spells

  You can research and develop custom spells as a “Downtime” activity.

• Overcasting

  If you have used up your spell slots and you want to cast a spell, you can cast the spell anyway and take 2d6 damage per spell level or the same damage roll as normally incurred by the spell, whichever is higher. This damage takes effect as the spell is cast and does not proc a concentration check if the spell duration is Concentration. This damage bypasses all resistances and immunities and cannot be reduced in any way. The spell must be cast at a level for which you have spell slots, even if they are currently expended.

  For example, if you are a level 5 wizard and you have used both of your level 3 spell slots, you can opt to cast fireball anyway. You will take 8d6 untyped damage because that is the higher of the possible damage rolls. However, as a level 5 wizard, you cannot upcast fireball to 4th level because level 5 wizards do not have access to 4 spell slots.

  As another example, suppose the level 5 wizard wishes to cast Intellect Fortress but has used both level 3 spell slots. The wizard would take 6d6 untyped damage, but this damage would not require them to make a concentration check to maintain focus on the spell.

• Expanded Class/Subclass Spell Lists

  There are some spells that we feel should be part of certain classes/subclasses (or that you could make the case should be included), even if the base class’s spell list does not get the spell in RAW. Added spells will be under the relevant class errata. We will not develop expanded spell lists for classes/subclasses that aren’t actively being played.

Class/Subclass Errata

• Artificer

  For the purpose of calculating encumberance, the Arcane Armor of an Artificer Armorer counts as 0 lbs. Otherwise, weapons and armor count towards encumbrance as usual. Expanded Spell Lists
  • Armorer Subclass - Warding Bond replaces Shatter as Armorer spell gained at Artificer level 5. This spell counts as artificer spell, but doesn't count against the number of artificer spells that can be prepared.

• Bard

  Expanded Spell Lists

  • Spirit Bard Subclass - Spirit of Death (Book of Many Things, p 50)

• Fighter

  Fighting Style

  • Mariner (UA) - This fighting style may be taken, but it does not confer a climbing speed.

• Ranger

  Prepared Spellcasting

  Rangers are a prepared casting class with access to the entire spell list appropriate to their ranger level. Rangers may prepare a number of spells each day equivalent to the vanilla “spells known” feature. You prepare your spells, choosing spells from the Ranger spell list that are available for you to cast. When you do so, choose a number of Ranger spells equal to your Wisdom modifier + half your Ranger level, rounded down (minimum of one spell). The spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots.

• Sorcerer

  Sorcery Point Casting

  Sorcerers may cast spells using sorcery points instead of slots, provided they expend the number of sorcery points needed to create a spell of the appropriate level and the spell slot created through sorcery points is of a level the sorcerer normally has.



Expanded Spell Lists

• Wild Magic Subclass
  
  Chaotic Magic
  You learn additional spells when you reach certain levels in this class, as shown on the Wild Magic Spells table. Each spell counts as a sorcerer spell for you, but it doesn’t count against the number of sorcerer spells you know. These spells can’t be replaced when you gain a level in this class.
  
  Whenever you gain a sorcerer level, you can replace one spell you gained from this feature with another spell of the same level. The new spell must be an abjuration or a transmutation spell from the sorcerer, warlock, or wizard spell list.
  
  Sorcerer Level | Spells
  ---------------------------
  1st | Chaos Bolt, Color Spray
  3rd | Magic Mouth, Nathair's Mischief
  5th | Blink, Hypnotic Pattern
  7th | Hallucinatory Terrain, Summon Elemental
  9th | Control Winds, Transmute Stone
  

• Warlock

  Pact of the Blade

  In addition to the RAW benefits of Pact of the Blade, this boon also grants an additional benefit. When you attack with your pact weapon, you can use your Charisma modifier, instead of Strength or Dexterity, for the attack and damage rolls. This benefit lasts until you finish a long rest.

Items and Item Functions

• Item Prerequisites

  Some magic items have requirements that would not apply to the Evara setting. For example, Acquisitions Incorporated items require an AI rank; Eberron: Rising from the Last War items may require a dragonmark. The magic item catalogue contains notes indicating what setting-specific prerequisites have been replaced, and what they have been replaced with.
  

• Enchanting Weapons & Armor

  Adventurers are people, and people can develop fondness for inanimate objects. They may prefer to keep and enhance their existing gear rather than replace it. The following rules apply to enchanting magic weapons & armor:
  • You must already own the item you wish to enchant or purchase it along with the enchantment. The weapon and armor enchantment prices listed in the Magic Item Catalogue do not include the cost of the base weapon/armor.
  • Armor can only be forged from or reinforced by one material (i.e., adamantine, mithril, mizzium). It is not possible to have adamantine mithril mizzium splint mail.
  • The weapon or armor may only have one property requiring attunement. So you can have +2 adamantine cast-off gleaming smouldering Antimagic half-plate (one attunement property), but you cannot have a Vorpal Flametongue (two attunement properties).

• Item Functions

  Alchemist's Supplies

  Achemist's Supplies have 10 charges. Once per session, you may expend a charge from the Alchemist's Supplies to craft one dose of acid, alchemist's fire, antitoxin, oil, perfume, or soap.
  
  If the item is not used by the end of the session, then it 'expires' and is no longer useable. The Alchemist's Supplies charge is still expended whether you used the item or not.
  
  Once your Alchemist's Supplies are out of charges, you must purchase a new set.
  

  Herbalism Kit

  Herbalism Kits have 10 charges. Once per session, you may expend a charge of the herbalism kit in order to craft a potion of healing. The strength of the healing potion depends on your character's proficiency bonus:
  > +2 = potion of healing (2d4+2 variant)
  > +4 = greater potion of healing (4d4+4 variant)
  > +5 = superior potion of healing (8d8+8 variant)
  
  If the healing potion is not used by the end of the session, then it 'expires' and is no longer useable. The charge expended to create the potion is used regardless of whether the potion was used.
  
  Once your herbalism kit is out of charges, you must purchase a new one.

Downtime

Downtime between adventures can be used to carry out a variety of activities. Where appropriate, a modified version of the Downtime Revisited rules laid out in Xanathar's Guide to Everything (pp. 123-134) will be used.

• Researching A Spell

  Guidelines for the Researched Spell

  • Must follow the DMG's guidance (pp 283-284)
  • Must not replicate an existing WOTC spell, regardless of whether that spell is permitted in APO or not. For example, Fireball with the damage type changed to Acid would not be allowable.
  • All spells added to APO through the Research a Spell activity are subject to the "UA" rule. That means they must go through mod review before they can be implemented, and also means they can be revisited, revised, or revoked if they prove to be unbalanced.
  • The spell must be one that could go on the researcher's class spell list (for example, wizards and sorcerers don't generally have access to healing spells).

  The Research Process (IC and OOC)

  The research process looks different depending on your class. A sorcerer's research might be extensive trial and error; a bard might write and rewrite sheet music to get the arcane harmonics just right; a warlock might commune with their patron.
  • The researcher must have the Spellcasting or Pact Magic class feature
  • The researcher must be a 4th level or higher character
  • The spell must be a level that the researcher could learn or prepare. For example, a level 5 wizard could create a level 1, 2, or 3 spell. A bard 2/warlock 3 could research a level 1 or a level 2 spell.
  • Researcher must pay double spell level x 100 gp. It costs 200 gp to research a new cantrip. This represents the cost of material components, access to a sage, caffeinated beverages to fuel late night study sessions, etc.
  Finally, let it be known that the nerd journals of Evara believe in peer review and dissemination of scientific findings. Once you have researched the spell, it is automatically published in Spellcasters Quarterly and becomes accessible to everyone in the group.