House Rules

Music & Ambiance

NON COMBAT RULES

PASSIVE PERCEPTION: In the rules as written, passive perception scores are always as high as the average score of a person or creature actively seeking to perceive something. Instead, add 5 to the individual's perception modifier (Wisdom modifier + Proficiency bonus if skilled with perception) to determine their passive perception score.

MONEY CHANGES: To make gold more exciting, silver and copper are the currency of everyday life instead of gold and the following changes have been instituted:

• Platinum Sovereign = 1,000 Silver pieces
• Gold Mark = 50 Silver pieces
• Gold Penny = 10 silver pieces
• Silver Piece = 10 copper pieces
• Copper Piece = Half day pay for unskilled labor

COMBAT RULES

JOUSTING/USING LANCE IN COMBAT: Prerequisites include training in Horsemanship & Jousting (as ruled by the DM). When a mounted player is armed with a lance and charges at least 50 feet in a straight line towards an enemy, the player may then use his/her action to make a special attack with the lance. To determine if this attack hits, use the following calculation: (1d20 + DEX Modifier + Proficiency Bonus to hit). To determine damage, use the following calculation: (War Lance: 2d12 + 5 (horse’s velocity) + DEX Modifer to the damage rolls). Additionally, a dismounted medium/small sized enemy and any dismounted small to medium size creatures immediately behind the enemy must make a DEX savings throw DC (13 + the rider’s proficiency bonus). On a failure, the enemy is knocked prone and receives trample damage equal to 2d6+5. At the conclusion of a successful war lance attack, the lance is considered to have either impaled the target or been damaged upon impact. Either way, the lance has been dropped and is not usable for the rest of the combat. In the event that the player has more than one attack per action, the player may then unsheathe a secondary weapon and continue their attacks.

PRONE: Recovering after being knocked prone in combat allows enemies within reach an opportunity attack unless the player or creature uses the “disengage” action for his/her turn to stand up.

CROSSBOWS & THE LOADING PROPERTY: Because of their ease of use and ability to pierce armor, crossbows generally hit their intended target. For these reasons, when using a crossbow to fire, characters may generally do so with advantage. Different crossbows take more or less time to load and they do more or less damage as shown here:

Heavy Crossbow: +5 to damage rolls (+ Dex modifier), Loading time = Bonus Action + Reaction + Movement

Light Crossbow: +3 to damage rolls (+ Dex modifier), Loading time = Bonus Action + Reaction OR Movement

Hand Crossbow: +0 to damage rolls (+ Dex modifier), Loading time = Bonus Action

INITIATIVE:

• At the beginning of the game players sit clockwise in the order they want to act during combat rounds
• Players have six seconds to think about what they want to do during the next round of combat
• In clockwise order, players and monsters then declare their planned actions, movements, and bonus actions
• One of the players and the DM then each roll a D6 simultaneously to determine which side goes first
• The turns are adjudicated in order as previously declared.
• Initiative is re-rolled every round & both parties act at the same time on a tie
• At the end of each round, the DM describes the battle during that round

CRITICAL HITS: Even a peasant can kill a highly skilled warrior with a little bit of luck. Whenever a character rolls a critical hit, the damage dice are doubled and max damage is inflicted.

HIT POINTS: At Level 1, characters begin with hit points equal to their raw Strength score. This can be viewed as the character’s “meat points” and they increase/decrease with the character’s actual raw strength score. In addition, as characters level up, they become harder to kill. This is captured using regular Hit Point increases as follows:
a) Wizards and Sorcerers gain +1 Hit Point per level.

b) Bards, Clerics, Druids, Monks, Rogues, and Warlocks gain +2 Hit Points per level.

c) Barbarians, Fighters, Paladins, and Rangers gain +3 Hit Points per level.

Additional Hit Points: In addition to base Hit Point (HP) increases, characters may also gain hit points from the Tough Feat (only +1 HP per level). Characters may also gain additional HP for constitution bonuses as outlined here: (+1 for each 3 points of increased CON or raw score over 10 - i.e. 13(+1), 16(+2), and 19(+3).

(a) Saving Throws and Skill Points from Constitution follow the typical pattern - i.e. 12(+1), 14(+2), 16(+3) etc.

*Note: Lower Hit Point maximums are intended to promote a sense of realism and to make high-level gameplay more viable.In addition, as characters level up, they become harder to kill.

STRENGTH V. DEXTERITY RULES

It can be argued that In D&D 5E, Dexterity is overvalued and Strength is undervalued. Further, there appears to be a misconception that a character only needs to have a high Strength score or a high Dexterity score in order to fight efficiently. In reality, Strength and Dexterity should complement each other in combat. As a result, I have created the following homebrew rules to combine Strength and Dexterity:
MIXING STRENGTH WITH DEXTERITY: Players may add their Strength and Dexterity modifiers together during combat. Using this rule, however, characters may not gain more than a +5 to hit while they may gain more than a +5 to damage rolls. For example, a fighter with 20(+5) Strength and 20(+5) Dexterity would gain an overall +5 to hit rolls and +10 to damage rolls by combining their Strength and Dexterity scores.

• Strength-Based Weapons: Strength-based weapons primarily rely on strength but may receive a supporting bonus from a character’s Dexterity modifier. The supporting bonus may not exceed the primary bonus. Therefore, a player with a strength of 16 (+3) and a Dexterity of 14 (+2) may receive a +5 to both Attack and Damage Rolls using strength-based weapons. A character with a Strength score of 12(+2) and a Dexterity of 16(+3) may only receive a +4 to Attack and Damage Rolls when using strength-based weapons.
• 
  Dexterity-based Weapons: Finesse and Ranged weapons primarily rely on Dexterity but may receive up to a supporting bonus from a player's Strength modifier (for melee weapons and custom-made bows – due to the heavier draw weight). Therefore, a player with a Dexterity of 16 (+3) and a Strength of 14 (+2) may receive a +5 on both Attack and Damage Rolls. As with Strength-based weapons, Dexterity-based weapons may not exceed +5 to Attack Rolls but may exceed +5 to Damage Rolls.
• 
  Weapons exempted from this rule include crossbows, slings, blowguns, whips, and lances while they are being used from horseback. The above-listed weapons are exempted from receiving Strength bonuses as each weapon relies solely on Dexterity. Additionally, a DM must determine, on a case-by-case basis, if a bow was constructed for a strong character and so has a heavier draw weight. If a bow has a relatively light draw weight, the character may not receive a bonus to Attack Rolls from a Character’s Strength modifier.

STRENGTH AND DEXTERITY BY SIZE: Characters with larger body sizes should generally have higher strength scores while characters with smaller body sizes should generally have higher dexterity scores. To represent this, upper limit strength and Dexterity scores are capped by creature/body size as follows:

• Small: STR 16, DEX 24
• Medium: STR 20, DEX 20
• Medium to Large: STR 22, DEX 18 (i.e. Goliath, Firbolg, Half Ogre, Bugbear)

HALFLING STRENGTH: Due to their small stature, halflings and other small characters have disadvantage on strength checks and strength savings throws in relation to others or outside forces (physical contests etc.). To offset this, small characters also receive advantage to strength checks in relation to their own weight (activities such as climbing etc.)

HITTING CREATURES OF TINY SIZE: Large, Huge, and Gargantuan creatures have disadvantage to hit tiny creatures.

ARMOR RULES:

To make generic +1 and +2 armor more exciting, the following changes have been instituted.
PROFICIENCY BONUS ADDED TO ARMOR CLASS: Characters gain additional Armor Class (AC) as they level up. Characters add their proficiency bonus (minus one) to their overall armor class. This rule has been added for two reasons 1) To offset the effects of lowering character’s overall Hit Points and unarmored AC 2) Because highly trained characters are simply harder to kill.

MITHRIL ARMOR: Mithril Armor is functionally the same as steel but weighs half as much. When it can be found, Mithril ore generally costs at least x10 times as much as steel. Mithril Armor is usually Expertly Crafted or Master Crafted (creating extra cost). As a result, the following modifications are made to Mithril Armor sets:

• a) Mithril Plate Armor weighs 32 ½ lbs. If you wear Mithril Plate Armor, add your Dexterity modifier, to a maximum of +1, to the base number from your armor type.
• b) Mithril Chain Mail weighs 27 ½ lbs and is considered to be medium armor for Dexterity modifier purposes.
• c) Mithril Half Plate weighs 20 lbs. If you wear Mithril Half Plate Armor, add your Dexterity modifier, to a maximum of +3, to the base number from your armor type.
• d) A Mithril Breastplate weighs 10 lbs and is considered light armor for Dexterity modifier purposes. e) A Mithril Chain Shirt weighs 10 lbs and is considered light armor for Dexterity modifier purposes.

ADAMANTINE ARMOR: Adamantine Armor weighs the same as steel but is functionally stronger and more durable. When it can be found, Adamantine ingots generally cost at least x 20 times as much as steel ingots. Adamantine Armor is extremely rare and is usually crafted by Master Craftsmen; creating extra cost. As a result of this, Medium Armor sets (Plate, Breastplate, or Chain Shirt) receive a +1 to Armor Class while Adamantine Heavy Armor sets receive a +2 to Armor Class. Adamantine shields receive a +1 to AC bonus and are always Master Crafted.

WEAPON RULES:

To make generic +1 and +2 weapons more exciting, the following changes have been instituted:

MITHRIL WEAPONS: Mithril weapons weigh half that of steel weapons. For this reason, some Mithril weapons of fine make may be given the finesse characteristic at the DM’s discretion. Mithril weapons are nearly always expertly crafted or master crafted. Mithril weapons are not considered magical unless enchanted.

ADAMANTINE WEAPONS: are considered “of greater make” than heavy armor made of steel or Mithril. Adamantine weapons are always expertly or master crafted. Adamantine weapons are not considered magical unless enchanted.

EXPERTLY CRAFTED: Expertly crafted weapons and armor are considered to be functional and of the utmost quality. They can be purchased from expert smiths and they cost approximately 10 times their usual price (plus the cost of mithril or adamantine if used). Most major towns have at least one expert smith.
a) When using an Expertly crafted weapon, the player adds a +1 to their damage rolls. Expertly crafted weapons are almost always made of very fine steel or mithril.
b) When using an Expertly crafted armor, the player reduces the damage they take by 1 point. Also, expertly crafted armor sets that are customized for the wearer may be slept in every other day without the wearer’s exhaustion level increasing.

MASTER CRAFTED: Master-crafted weapons and armor are considered works of art. They are either crafted for an individual or must be customized to the individual later by a master craftsman. They can only be purchased from wealthy collectors or the rare master craftsman. Weapons typically cost approximately 100 times their usual price while armor typically costs 5 times its usual price. They are almost always crafted of Mithril, Adamantine, or a similar material. Master smiths are very rare and typically specialize in either crafting weapons or armor.
a) When using a Master crafted weapon, add a +1 to the weapon’s attack and damage rolls.
b) When using a Master crafted armor, the player receives a +1 to their armor class. Also, a Master crafted armor set customized for the wearer may be slept in every other day without increasing the wearer’s exhaustion level. Master-crafted weapons and armor NOT made of adamantine are NOT considered to be magical.
c) Master-crafted shields DO NOT provide a +1 to armor class. Instead, they provide resistance to one damage type.

DIETY-FORGED WEAPONS: It is estimated that there were only a few hundred Diety forged weapons ever made and there are only a couple dozen known to still exist. The art of forging such powerful weapons requires ancient magic which is lost to man and the art of re-forging them is all but lost. Most Deity Forged weapons are cherished family heirlooms of powerful families. They are priceless and are always considered to be “of greater make” than standard magical weapons.

• In addition to individualized magical weapon bonuses and characteristics as determined by the DM, the wielder of a diety forged weapon also gains a +3 to hit and a +3 to the weapon’s damage score.
• Additionally, Deity Forged weapons make a critical hit on a 19 or 20 and deal maximum damage on a critical hit.
• Deity Forged weapons are considered to be artifacts.

PLAYER CLASS RULE CHANGES

BARBARIAN: Due to the greater focus on Strength and Vitality Points, the following changes have been made to the Barbarian Class:

• BARBARIAN RAGE: Barbarian Rages do not last one minute. Instead, they last one round or one ability score attempt. The maximum number of times a Barbarian may rage is equal to 3 x times his or her Proficiency Bonus. On short rest, a Barbarian Recovers a number of rages equal to his or her proficiency bonus. Once you have raged the maximum number of times for your Barbarian Level, you must complete a long rest to recover all of your remaining rage slots.

• PERSISTENT RAGE: At 15th Level, a Barbarian may instead select a separate Feat as the Persistent Rage ability is not relevant.

FIGHTER-BATTLE MASTER: The following changes have been made to the Fighter – Battlemaster Class in order to improve its general utility and to add more flavor to combat:

• You have twice as many superiority dice as your proficiency bonus.
• You begin with one Battlemaster maneuver at level one and you gain an additional maneuver every level thereafter.

LOCKPICKING AND TRAP DISARMING MINIGAME:

The following changes and minigames have been added in order to highlight the roguish archetype’s masterful use of Thieves Tools:
“Arcane Locks” MAY be picked using specialty “Arcane Thieves Tools” (x100 the cost of normal Thieves Tools). Instead of players making a simple D20 roll to determine success or failure when picking locks or disarming traps, roguish players enter the following minigame using 5D6:

• Once the player identifies a lock or trap, they may make an investigation check (DC 10-15) to determine the complexity of disarming the lock or trap.
• Once the player has decided to unlock the lock or disarm the trap, they roll 5D6 in a sort of timed Yahtzee minigame. The player may re-roll any one of the five dice after the initial roll and continue doing so until the lock is unlocked.
• The number of re-rolls a player may make is equal to the player’s "skill modifier" (DEX bonus + Proficiency Bonus).
• The entire game is timed at the D&D table. The time the player takes to complete the minigame is the same amount of time their character requires to pick the lock or to disarm the trap.
• The Roguish Class Feature “Reliable Talent” allows the player to re-roll the entire 5D6 one time after their initial roll if they do not like their starting point. This re-roll may be made without using skill modifier re-roll dice.

Locks/Traps have the following difficulty levels and requirements:

• Simple = ((“Three of a Kind”) (Average of 4-5 die re-rolls))
• Standard = ((“Full House”) (Average of 5-6 die re-rolls))
• Quality = ((“Large Straight”) (Average of 6-7 die re-rolls))
• Complex = ((“Four of a Kind”) (Average of 8-9 die re-rolls))
• Gordian = ((“Yahtzee”) (Average of 16-17 die re-rolls))

The "knock" spell allows a caster to attempt to open a lock using the above-listed minigame rules. The "knock" spell may be cast at higher levels. When casting "knock", the caster gains "skill modifier" points equal to their proficiency bonus plus the spell level used. If the lock is successfully picked through magic, it opens instantaneously, but there is a loud knock audible from as far away as 300 feet. The sound emanates from the target object.

WIZARDING RULES:

RESURECTION MAGIC: Resurrection magic is possible, but it is considered a dark art because it usually requires a blood sacrifice and is very unpredictable. When a resurrection spell is cast or a resurrection potion is taken, roll a D6 to determine the outcome of the resurrection magic:

• 1-2: The target returns to life as a Strahd Zombie
• 3-4: The target returns to life, but their soul does not return to their body.
• 5-6: The target is resurrected as outlined in the associated spell or potion.

WITCH/WIZARD CLASS CHANGES:
BACKGROUNDS AND CLASS FEATURES: Characters begin at level zero without background traits or abilities and they do not gain proficiencies or skills as listed in the Player’s Handbook. Instead, characters begin with one first-level spell they know, 1 cantrip they have mastered, and 5 cantrips they know OR five cantrips they know, and one animal form into which they can shapeshift (CR 0 – 1/8).
WIZARD RODEO & TAMING CREATURE COMPANIONS: Characters who participate in the Wizard Rodeo club learn to train creature companions as outlined in the “Benefits of Study” document. Training an animal is a significant time commitment which also frequently requires a large amount of specialized or specific equipment and food for the creature. Because each creature is so different, those specific requirements are not outlined in the general rules. Instead, only the time commitment and cost associated with the creature’s training, as well as the DCs required to succeed in that training have been listed below:

• CR 0-1/2 - (20 Days, 50 SP)

i. From Birth – DC 8 ii. Adolescent - DC 11 iii. Adult – DC 15

• CR 1 – (30 Days, 150 SP)

i. From Birth – DC 9 ii. Adolescent – DC 12 iii. Adult – DC 16

• CR 2 – (40 Days, 300 SP)

i. From Birth – DC 10 ii. Adolescent – DC 13 iii. Adult – DC 17

• CR 3 – (50 Days, 500 SP)

i. From Birth – DC 11 ii. Adolescent – DC 14 iii. Adult – DC 18

• CR 4 – (60 Days 800 SP)

i. From Birth – DC 12 ii. Adolescent – DC 15 iii. Adult – DC 19

• CR 5 – (60 Days 1,200 SP)

i. From Birth – DC 13 ii. Adolescent – DC 16 iii. Adult – DC 20
*Successfully trained animals can master simple commands such as “come”, “sit”, “stand”, “watch me”, or “fetch” . They can also master a number of specific but complicated commands equal to their raw intelligence point value. These specific commands must be pre-approved by the DM. Other commands may be given on a case-by-case basis with a successful animal handling check.

*Unsuccessfully trained creatures behave in a manner determined by the DM, and may be re-trained given additional time and money.

POTION MAKING RULES: : Characters may learn to make potions with magical effects. Potions generally approximate abilities cast by spells, but they are either more powerful or last longer than spells. To this end, players may generally learn to make potions of one level higher than the spells which they can master. As with spells, players may master potions, but they may attempt to make potions of a higher level than they can master. So, for example, a 5th-level player who can master 3rd-level spells may also master 4th-level potions and may attempt to make 5th-level potions. Most potion ingredients are not tracked but potions often require at least one ingredient which is either expensive to purchase or dangerous to obtain. Unless stated otherwise, by the DM, potions take one hour to brew.

ENCHANTING RULES:

• Common enchantment requirements: Arcane Tools, a Mundane Item, a Mastered Spell, 100 SP in crushed gems, and 4 days, DC 12
• Uncommon enchantment: Arcane Tools, Mastered Spell, expertly crafted item, 250 SP in crushed gems, and 7 days; DC 15
• Rare enchantment: Arcane Tools, Mastered Spell, Mastercrafted Item, 2,500 SP in crushed gems, and 15 days; DC 20
• Very Rare enchantment: Arcane Tools, Mastered Spell, Mastercrafted Item, 25,000 SP in crushed gems, and 30 days; DC 25
• Legendary enchantment: Arcane Tools, Mastered Spell, Mastercrafted Item, 100,000 SP in crushed gems, access to a divine, fiendish, or elemental place of power, and 60 days; DC 30
• Artifact enchantment: Arcane Tools, Mastered Spell, Mastercrafted Item, 200,000 SP in crushed gems, access to a divine, fiendish, or elemental place of power, and 120 days, DC 40

*Note: Arcane Tools cost approximately 1,000 SP. Failure of a DC check does not necessarily cause a player to fail completely in the creation of a magical item. Instead, the player may successfully produce a more common magical item at the DM's discretion and according to the DC they rolled.

MASTERED VS.KNOWN SPELLS AND POTIONS: In this game, when a character learns about a new spell or potion in school they make a learning check d20 roll to see if they learned the spell or potion.
*1-10, the player does not learn the spell. *11-15, the player learns the spell or potion. *16-20, the player masters the spell or potion.
Once a player “knows” the spell or potion they can attempt to cast it or brew it without aid.

CASTING “KNOWN” SPELLS: When a player wishes to cast a spell that they know but have not yet mastered, they must roll a d20 and add the appropriate ability modifier and their proficiency bonus to the roll. On a DC of 12 + the spell level, they succeed in their attempt and the spell is successfully cast as intended. On a failure, roll on the spell Magical Mishap - d100 Chart. Once a character successfully casts a known spell or makes a known potion three times, the spell or potion has been mastered and can be cast/made without further difficulty. Players may know spells that are one level higher than is outlined in the Player’s Handbook. Such spells may not be mastered, however, until the appropriate level.

ATTEMPTING HIGHER LEVEL SPELLS: If a player has enough mana points, he or she may attempt to cast a known spell that is one level higher than they can master. To do so, the character must d20 roll and add the appropriate ability modifier and their proficiency bonus to the roll. On a DC of 15 + the spell level, they succeed in their attempt and the spell is successfully cast as intended. On a failure, roll on the spell Magical Mishap - d100 Chart.

LEARNING SPELLS OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL: If a player wishes to learn spells outside of the classes offered at Akadamie der Zaubereye or a similar institution, they must first meet the following requirements:

1. The player must obtain a spell scroll with the new spell.
2. The player must use up 10 silver worth of Arcane paper and ink per level of spell learned.
3. The player must spend four days per spell level studying the spell.
4. The player must also have access to a wizard who has mastered the spell OR they must have access to an arcane library with appropriate books for the duration of their study.

MANA POINTS: Spells cost their level in mana points to cast. Characters gain 3 x mana points per level.

HIGH-LEVEL MAGIC:

• 9TH LEVEL SPELLS: 9th level Spells are so powerful and difficult to cast, that they may risk the health of the caster. Each time the caster casts a 9th Level Spell, he or she must make a CON SVG THROW; DC 15 or gain one level of exhaustion.


• 10TH LEVEL SPELLS: Wish and other world-ending spells (as determined by the DM) are considered 10th Level Spells and can only be cast by 19th and 20th-level witches and wizards. When a caster attempts to cast the Wish spell, he or she must first roll a d100. On a roll of 10 or less, the caster dies outright. On a roll of 11-20, the caster loses the ability to wield any magic ever again, unless reversed by divine power. On a roll of 21-100, the caster succeeds in casting the spell (as determined by the DM) and gains two levels of exhaustion. This level of power was once wielded by the ancient Archmages who doomed Vallantis through their hubris. While it might be possible for the most powerful witches and wizards to cast 10th-level spells, the possibility is fraught with extreme danger.