New Rules Since Last Campaign

Table of Contents

Must Include in Backstories

To be able to create a backstory that can easily be implemented into the game your backstory must include the age of your character, where they were born or grew up (see Kingdoms & Regions ), three NPCs that are friendly towards your character and three that are hostile to your character.

Character Creation Changes Since Last Time

This is your Life

In Xanathar's Guide to Everything the This is your Life system was introduced. The system is very long and includes many tables, however, the key point is that it helps you fill out your backstory and gives you some bonuses including additional starting items and wealth. See: http://dnd5e.wikidot.com/this-is-your-life for more details.

Monstrous Races Changes

In Volo’s Guide to Monsters a number of monstrous races were included as playable race options, these include kobolds, goblinoids, and orcs. These races were presented as having negative ability score improvements, however, in revisions to these races these negative ability score improvements have been removed.

Racial Ability Score Improvements

The racial bonuses presented in dnd books prior to Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything are the typical for that race, however, adventures are already exceptional individuals, as such when you take any ability score increase you gain from your race or subrace you can apply it to an ability score of your choice instead. 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 you’re a Dwarf, your Constitution increases by 2, however you can choose to apply that to Intelligence.
This is to rectify a problem of races being inherently better or worse rather than cultures, the latter of which may well impact on the intelligence or physical prowess as a result of nurturing not any inherent racial superiority. This allows for greater choice when a player is making a character, allowing for Dwarf bards or barbarian elves to become more viable, and does not leave players feeling like they have made the wrong choice if they choose a race or subrace that is not optimal for their build.
New races and subraces are no longer made or printed with default ability score increases, meaning while this is technically an optional rule, for some newer races there is no option other than this.

Languages

you can customise the Languages you know when you choose your race and subrace, when you do so choose any language given to you in the Language trait and replace it with one of your choice.

Proficiency

Some races and subraces grant proficiencies, you can replaces these with different ones of your choice following the following restrictions:

Proficiency	Proficiency Swap
Skill	Skill
Armour	Simple/martial weapon or tool
Simple weapon	Simple weapon
Martial weapon	Martial weapon
Tool	Tool or simple weapon

Changing a Skill

When you would gain an ability score improvement you may replace one of your skills with one offered by your class at 1st level.

Changing your Subclass

With your DMs approval when you would gain a subclass feature you can change your subclass.

1st level Feat

To give your character more flavour and identity at 1st level you may choose a feat following any normal restrictions. However, you cannot take Great weapon master, sharpshooter, or warcaster.

Additional 1st Level Language

In addition to the Languages that you receive through your race and background you also know the language that is most common within the Kingdom or region you hail from. If you already know that language, you may choose another one which is also found within that region.

Faction Bonus

Starting in Minsc and Boo’s you now gain a mechanical bonus for being a member of a faction. You can be a member of multiple factions but can only gain the mechanical benefits of one at any given time, you can change the faction you are gaining the benefits of at the end of a long rest.
As part of your backstory you can choose to be a part of a faction, but only of the lowest rank.

Optional rules we use

Rapid Quaffing

This house rule lets characters grab and drink a potion as a bonus action, enabling them to heal or buff up in combat without sacrificing their primary attacks or spellcasting to do so. (This applies to enemies and NPCs as well as player characters!)
Using this house rule, you can use a bonus action to drink a potion yourself. It still requires an action to administer a potion to another creature.

Lingering Injuries

Damage normally leaves no lingering effects. This option introduces the potential for long-term injuries. The DM ultimately decides when a creature sustains a lingering injury, but it may occur under the following circumstance: When a creature drops to 0 hit points but isn't killed outright.

Martial Manoeuvres

To provide martial classes more options in and out of combat Barbarian, Fighters, Rogues, and Monks gain the Martial Adept Feat everytime their classes grant them an ability score improvement, this is in addition to the ability score improvement or feat they choose.
You can change the manoeuvres you know whenever you finish a long, medium, or short rest. In addition, whenever a Feature grants you a superiority die (including the Martial Adept Feat) you gain one additional superiority die.
A list of Martial Manoeuvres can be found in the attached article.

Weapon Skills

Each weapon has Weapon Skills, as shown in the weapon table. Weapon Skills are only usable by creatures (including NPCs) who have proficiency with the weapon they are using. A creature can only use one Weapon skill each turn, and can only use each of their weapon’s skills once per encounter.
See the linked Weapon Skills page for the Weapons Skills Table and Weapon Skills descriptions.

Interesting Curses

To make curses difficult to overcome, and to allow for narrative solutions to them the remove curse spell receives a nerf. Instead of instantly resolving the problem it instead provides a clue to curing the curse.

Flanking

When a creature and at least one of its allies are adjacent to an enemy and on opposite sides or corners of the enemy's space, they flank that enemy, and each of them has +2 on melee attack rolls against that enemy.
When in doubt about whether two creatures flank an enemy on a grid, trace an imaginary line between the centres of the creatures' spaces. If the line passes through opposite sides or corners of the enemy's space, the enemy is flanked.

New Resting Rules

This rule seeks to fix a balance problem with 5e, as it is intended that each adventuring day have 6-8 encounters; this creates a balance problem when outside of a dungeon. The Dungeon Master’s Guide emphasises this as a good option for campaigns that emphasise intrigue, politics, and Social interactions.
With this rule there are 3 different kinds of rests, short, medium, and long rests.

Short Rest

A Short Rest is a period of Downtime, at least 30 minutes long, during which a character does nothing more strenuous than eating, drinking, reading, and tending to wounds.
A character can spend one or more Hit Dice at the end of a Short Rest, up to the character’s maximum number of Hit Dice, which is equal to the character’s level. For each Hit Die spent in this way, the player rolls the die and adds the character’s Constitution modifier to it. The character regains Hit Points equal to the total. The player can decide to spend an additional Hit Die after each roll. A character regains some spent Hit Dice upon finishing a Medium and Long Rest, as explained below.

Medium Rest

A Medium Rest is a period of extended Downtime, at least 8 hours long, during which a character sleeps or performs light activity: reading, talking, eating, or standing watch for no more than 2 hours.
A character can spend one or more Hit Dice at the end of a Short Rest, up to the character’s maximum number of Hit Dice, which is equal to the character’s level. For each Hit Die spent in this way, the player rolls the die and adds the character’s Constitution modifier to it. The character regains Hit Points equal to the total. The player can decide to spend an additional Hit Die after each roll.
At the end of a Medium Rest the character also regains spent Hit Dice, up to a number of dice equal to half of the character’s total number of them (minimum of one die). For example, if a character has eight Hit Dice, he or she can regain four spent Hit Dice upon finishing a Medium Rest.
At the end of a Medium Rest, the character also regains half (rounded down, minimum 1) of the use of any features that are normally regained through a Long Rest. For example, a level 3 Wizard regains 2 level 1 spell slots and 1 level 2 spell slot. Another example, a level 5 Bard with a +5 Charisma Modifier would regain 2 level 2 spell slots, 1 level 2 spell slot, 1 level 3 spell slot, and 2 uses of Bardic Inspiration.
A character can’t benefit from more than one Medium Rest in a 24-hour period, and a character must have at least 1 hit point at the start of the rest to gain its benefits.

Long Rest

A Long Rest is a period of extended Downtime, at least 24 hours long, during which a character sleeps or performs light activity: reading, talking, eating, or performing downtime activities.
At the end of a Long Rest, a character regains all lost Hit Points. The character also regains all spent Hit Dice, upon finishing a Long Rest.
A character can’t benefit from more than one Long Rest in a 48 hour period, and a character must have at least 1 hit point at the start of the rest to gain its benefits.

Interrupting Rest

Is a Short, Medium, or Long Rest is interrupted by combat, casting spells, 1 hour of walking, or similar activity, the confers no benefit and must be restarted; however if the rest was at least 30 minutes long before the interruption the creature gains the benefits of a Short Rest; similarly if the rest was at least 8 hours long the creature gains the benefits of a Medium Rest.

The Costs of Rest

To take a Medium or Long Rest a character must consume food and water, bandage any wounds, and burn firewood. These resources are represented in Medium Camping Supplies (20gp) and Large Camping Supplies (50gp).
A character may craft Medium Camping Supplies or Large Camping Supplies during a Medium or Long Rest by expending 30 minutes and 20gps worth of rations, water, firewood, medical supplies, or similar goods for Medium Camping Supplies or 50 gps worth of rations, water, firewood, medical supplies, or similar goods for Large Camping Supplies.
A character may forgo using Camping Supplies if they rest within a home, tavern, Inn, or similar building.
If a character does not have Camping Supplies they may take a Medium or Long Rest but do not gain the benefits of a Medium or Long Rest.

Resilient Inspiration

When you have Resilient Inspiration, you can expend it to give yourself Advantage on an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw. You can decide to do so immediately after rolling the d20.

Gaining Resilient Inspiration

A player character gains Resilient Inspiration if the character rolls a 1 for a d20 Test. That 1 must be on the d20 used for the test’s total, not on a d20 that was rerolled or discarded. This Resilient Inspiration represents a character’s resolve to do better after fumbling an attempt.

Only One at a Time

You can never have more than one instance of Resilient Inspiration. If something gives you Resilient Inspiration and you already have it, you can give Resilient Inspiration to a player character in your group who lacks it.

Alternative Resurrection Rules

Character death often becomes no more than a minor inconvenience in some campaigns. Once an adventuring party reaches a certain level, the spells available to return fallen comrades from the afterlife—including revivify, raise dead, and resurrection—make death no more than a temporary setback, potentially undermining one of the most significant elements of danger and threat in the campaign story. For players and GMs who wish to elevate the gravity of character death, the optional rules in this section offer three different approaches.

Fading Spirits

This house rule is used to increase the emotional stakes of bringing a beloved friend back from the dead. It also adds the ever-increasing threat of losing a friend permanently to the game, even with the aid of miraculous magic.
If magic is used to bring a character back from the dead (except for the revivify spell; see below), everyone present becomes part of a resurrection ritual. Up to three characters present for the ritual—typically members of the deceased’s adventuring party—can contribute to the ritual by attempting to call their ally’s spirit back. This could involve delivering a stirring speech, playing a song from their shared childhood, goading a rival back with a display of sword skills, confessing undying love for them, or anything else that the players or the GM consider emotionally stirring.
Participating in the Ritual. Each of the participating characters makes an ability check. A player can tell the GM what kind of check they want to make, but ultimately the GM decides what check is appropriate based on the character’s contribution to the ritual. The baseline DC of this check is 15, but the GM can raise or lower the DC (typically anywhere between 10 and 20) if the contribution seems particularly appropriate or particularly insincere.
For example, praying to a fallen paladin’s god for mercy might require a participant to make a DC 10 Intelligence (Religion) check, whereas shouting at a dead friend’s corpse to get back up and stop lazing around might require a DC 20 Charisma (Intimidation) check. If the contribution is roleplayed in a particularly touching way, the GM can grant advantage on the check—even if the check’s DC remains high.
Resurrection Check. After all the characters’ contributions are completed, the GM rolls a single, final resurrection check with no modifier. The base DC of this check is 10, but it is modified in three ways:

• The DC is increased by 1 for every time the character has returned to life before, as the soul’s connection to this world is slowly eroded by repeatedly dying and returning.

• The DC is reduced by 3 for each successful contribution from the other participants in this ritual.

• The DC is increased by 1 for each failed contribution to the ritual.

If the resurrection check is successful, the character’s soul is returned to their body (if the soul is willing, as usual). If the check fails, the soul does not return—and the character is permanently unable to be raised from the dead.
True Miracles. If a character is brought back from the dead by the true resurrection or the wish spell, or by a god, they instantly return to life without the need for a resurrection ritual. Additionally, if a character has been permanently lost due to a failed resurrection ritual, the GM can allow a casting of true resurrection or wish to begin a last-chance resurrection ritual—one that can’t be repeated if failed.
Revivify. If a spell with a casting time of 1 action is used to restore life to a creature (including the revivify spell), no one but the caster can participate in the resurrection ritual. The caster makes a quick resurrection check by rolling a d20 and adding their spellcasting ability modifier, against a DC equal to 10 + 1 for every time the character has returned to life before. On a failure, the character’s soul is not lost, but the resurrection fails and increases the DC of any future resurrection checks by 1. Further attempts to bring the character back to life must involve a spell with a casting time longer than 1 action (including raise dead or resurrection)

Taxing Return

In a campaign that uses this house rule, whenever a character is restored to life, the process corrodes a fraction of their vitality, slowly consuming the body until it can no longer sustain life. Each time a character is brought back to life by a spell other than true resurrection, that character’s Constitution score is permanently reduced by 1. This loss can’t be restored except by use of a wish spell. A character whose Constitution score is reduced to 0 in this way dies permanently and can’t be returned to life by any means

Harrowing Return

In games that use this house rule, the process of a character dying and being pulled back into their body becomes a traumatic experience. The magic that pulls the spirit from beyond the dark veil of death takes a toll on that spirit each time, changing a person in unexpected and profound way
When a character is brought back to life by any spell other than true resurrection, that character must make a Wisdom saving throw with a DC equal to 22 − the level of the spell used to return the character to life. On a failure, the character’s experience of death and the afterlife exacts a heavy toll, the character gains an indefinite madness either rolled for on the madness table found within the DMG or decided upon by the Player and DM.

Fuck Goodberry

The spell goodberry consumes its material components. This is more for world building purposes, and if we ever want the game to have survival elements.

Melee weapon attack with a weapon verses a melee weapon attack without a weapon

So… Divine Smite RAW states that you can smite “when you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack,” and since an unarmed strike counts as a melee weapon attack, this should work. But in an early 2019 Sage Advice, Jeremy Crawford states that you can’t Divine Smite without a weapon. He clarified that a melee weapon attack is not always an attack with a melee weapon, thus you cannot use things like Divine Smite with unarmed strikes or improvised weapon attacks.
This is a stupid decision so I have decided to ignore it, so you can Divine Smite with a punch or brick if you wanted.

Changing Prepared Spells

You can only change your prepared spells when you take a Short, Medium, or Long Rest.

New Actions

Search

When you take the Search Action, you make a Wisdom Check to discern something that isn’t obvious. The Search table suggests which Skills are applicable when you take this Action, depending on what you’re trying to detect. SEARCH

Skill	Thing to Detect
Insight	Creature’s state of mind
Medicine	Creature’s ailment
Perception	Concealed creature or object
Survival	Tracks or food

Study

When you take the Study Action, you make an Intelligence Check to study your memory, a book, a creature, a clue, an object, or another source of knowledge and call to mind an important piece of information about it. The Areas of Knowledge table suggests which Skills are applicable when you take this Action, depending on the area of knowledge the Intelligence Check is about. AREAS OF KNOWLEDGE

Skill	Areas
Arcana	Spells, magic items, eldritch symbols, magical traditions, planes of existence, and certain creatures (Aberrations, Constructs, Elementals, Fey, and Monstrosities)
History	Historic events and people, ancient civilizations, wars, and certain creatures (Giants and Humanoids)
Investigation	Traps, ciphers, riddles, and gadgetry
Nature	Terrain, flora, weather, and certain creatures (Beasts, Dragons, Oozes, and Plants)
Religion	Deities, religious hierarchies and rites, holy symbols, cults, and certain creatures (Celestials, Fiends, and Undead)

UNARMED STRIKE

An Unarmed Strike is a melee attack that involves you using your body to damage, grapple, or shove a target within your Reach. Your bonus to hit with an Unarmed Strike equals your Strength modifier plus your Proficiency Bonus. On a hit, your Unarmed Strike causes one of the following effects of your choice:
Damage. The target takes Bludgeoning Damage equal to 1 + your Strength modifier.
Grapple. The target is Grappled, and the grapple’s escape DC equals 8 + your Strength modifier + your Proficiency Bonus. This grapple is possible only if the target is no more than one Size larger than you and if you have a hand free to grab the target.
Shove. You either push the target 5 feet away or knock the target Prone. This shove is possible only if the target is no more than one Size larger than you.

Removed optional Rule

Healer’s Kit Dependency

A character can only spend two Hit Dice during a Short Rest, unless someone uses a healer's kit to bandage and treat the character's wounds.
While this rule was intended for roleplay and logical consistency, it reduces the benefits of short rests and makes it less likely for someone to take one - which is already a problem

Rules Clarifications

No sneaky spells

You cannot effectively hide Verbal components From PHB 203 "Most spells require the chanting of mystic words. The words themselves aren't the source of the spell's power; rather, the particular combination of sounds, with specific pitch and resonance, sets the threads of magic into motion. . . ." Trying to whisper or murmur the spell is not allowed and should cause it to not work.
Even a place that's crowded and noisy would not hide a spell, because whoever is in your immediate vicinity will 100% notice you verbally citing a spell unless they're literally deaf. You would need a crowded and noisy places, AND the caster would have to be far out of the way of people, such as on a high balcony or surface overlooking an event.
For Somatic components the PHB 203 reads "spellcasting gestures might include a forceful gesticulation or an intricate set of gestures. . . ." Given the gestures would need to be specific movements not even a Sleight of Hand check could hide them.

Spellcasting while holding items

You can cast a spell whilst holding an item in one hand, e.g. a wizard with a staff in one hand. However, you cannot cast a spell with items in both of your hands, e.g. a paladin with a shield and sword. The paladin could drop their shield as their free action, cast a spell, and then on the following turn use a free action to pick up the shield.
With the War Caster Feat you can cast with items in both of your hands.

Attunement

"A creature's attunement to an item ends if the creature no longer satisfies the prerequisites for attunement, if the item has been more than 100 feet away for at least 24 hours, **if the creature dies**, or if another creature attunes to the item."
We've all probably seen a good share of deaths. But when *revivify* is handy to pick our fallen comrades back up, I've never seen mention of a player needed to reattune to each of their magic items after the combat is resolved. As a DM, I'm also guilty of casting it to the side.

1 Spell Per Turn

When you cast a bonus action spell on your turn you cannot cast another one, except for a cantrip.
You could, use an effect from action surge or haste to cast two action spells on the same turn and then use a bonus action spell.
A reaction spell is not counted in this as the reaction occurs outside your turn.

Natural 1s and 20s

Worth noting that in 5e natural 1 and 20 don't affect skill checks or saving throws. Only attack rolls and death saving throws are affected by natural 1 and 20. Additionally, natural 1s are only a failure, so they do not cause a negative effect.

Magic in Ruletalras

For more information see Magic in Ruletalras Generally speaking the views on magic of the inhabitants of Runetalras are based upon the nation or region that said person is from. However, as a general rule the view of magic is far from positive; this is the result of the Age of Blood and more recently the Crystalline Convergence and Arcane Tempests all of which have left deep physiological scars upon the peoples of the world, resulting in massacres, pogroms, distrust, and violence towards spellcasters. There are however Kingdoms and regions that view magic more positively but they are the minority.