Below are a few various rules changes or new systems that will be prevalent throughout the campaign. These are unrelated to the general rules related to a West Marches Style Campaign.
Critical Hits
In order to make critical hits feel more important they will always deal Max Dice Damage + Modifiers + Bonus Dice. Normally if a normal attack did 1d6+3 damage the normal 5e rule would make it 2d6+3 damage. This altercation to the rule would mean you deal 6+3+1d6 damage.
Healing Potions
Healing potions will always do max healing, there is not rolling needed. For example a Potion of Healing normally does 2d4+2 healing, where with the altered rule it always does 10 healing.
Harvesting & Herbing
Characters can harvest enchanted parts from fallen foes or search an area for plants with special properties. In order to do either the character must be procifient with and in possession of the corresponding tool kit, Harvesting Kit and Herbalists Kit. Checks for both of these kits just add the proficiency modifier, unless you have expertise. Harvesting must take place within an hour of the death of the creature of the materials spoil. Each attempt to harvest takes 10 minutes, and the harvester has three attempts to do so. After the first success you may try again to harvest more difficult materials, however after your first failure all subsequent attempts for to harvest the creature will be at disadvantage. For herbing can only be done in an active session (forests near the town have been stripped of any rare plants). Herbing takes at least 2 hour, but you can add an additional +1 to your roll for each additional 2 hours you spend, maxing out at a +5 for 12 hours of foraging. Only characters who are proficient with Harvesting Kits and Herbalist Kits can use the Help action to aid in collecting these materials.
Bloodied
When creatures reach 50% health the players will be notified that they have become Bloodied. For the most part this is just to help players have a better understanding on their enemies health pools, but there may on occasion be effects relevant to this.
Skill Challenges
Sometimes the party will be faced with a skill challenge. Skill challenges work similar to Death Saving throws in that the players will need to pass a series of skill checks before they fail 3 of those checks. Different tasks will have different types of skills, and sometimes you will need to be proficient in that skill in order to make an attempt. An easy skill challenge will require the players as a group have 3 passes before getting three fails, and harder challenges will require more, while the failure threshold stays at 3. Generally the DM will give the players a specific set of skills they can use for these challenges, however if a player can rationalize a different skill, they may be allowed to use that instead. For example, if tracking an enemy carrying a powerful artifact through the woods a Survival check would be allowed by default. However a player proficient in Arcana may ask if they can attempt to track the mana of the powerful artifact in lieu of tracking their footprints, allowing them to attempt an Arcana check instead of a Survival check.
Spell Components
Only spell components with high gold costs will be applied (ie Revifify).
Encumbrance
We will be using modified encumbrance rules:
You may carry wieght up to 10x your Strength score without penalty. Anything between 10x and 15x you become encumbered, meaning you get disadvantage on DEX checks and have your speed reduced by 10 feet. You cannot carry anything about 15x your Strength Score.
Skill Checks, Tools, and the Help Action
When using the Help Action on a Skill or Tool check, you must also be proficient in that Skill or Tool to give the Help Action, or have a rationale for why a skill you are proficient in could be used to help.
Downtime Activities
Players may perform downtime activities between sessions. During this downtime, characters with spell casting or other prepared abilities will have access to whatever they have prepared for the last session they were on. A full list of options is available here:
Downtime Activities
Spellstones
Spellstones are made from precious gems and are carved with dwarven or elvish runes. Once carved the stone the corresponding spell is imbued to the stone until it is disenchanted or destroyed. It allows the bearer to cast the spell once per day, with the normal casting requirements. Spellstones collectively count as 1 attuement item, but you can only use 1 spellstone per long rest. You can use multiple if you sacrifice attunements. Ie. You can have a stone of Fireball, Cone of Cold, and Witch Bolt, but if they only take up 1 attunement then you must long rest before using more. If you have 2 attunement to the stones you may cast two of those spells, but never one twice.
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