House Rules

This article is Meta, and contains information on rules and mechanics for play.

This is a list of house rules being used in the campaign.
If you have concerns about a house rule, please talk to me about it! I am always happy to adjust and make sure things are working for everyone.

Available Sourcebooks

You can use all classes and subclasses from:

• The Player Handbook

• Xanathar's Guide to Everything

• Eberron: Rising from the Last War

• Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

• Mythic Odysseys of Theros

• Tasha's Guide to Everything

As well as the following unofficial content:

• Matt Mercer's Bloodhunter class

The remastered version of the Way of 4 Elements monk (request link if needed)
If there is another class or subclass you desperately want to play, please speak with me about it. Unearthed Arcana will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Encumbrance, Flanking, and Ammo Tracking

Encumbrance is irrelevant unless you decide to carry something that you clearly would not be able to carry.
Flanking will not be used.
Bullets and special/magical ammunition will be tracked. All other ammunition will not.

Initiative

If you roll a natural 20 for initiative, you are always first in the turn order, regardless of initiative bonuses. If more than one creature in combat rolls a natural 20, a tiebreaker applies, with highest initiative bonus going first.
If you roll a natural 1 for initiative, you are always last in the turn order, regardless of initiative bonuses. If more than one creature in combat rolls a natural 1, a tiebreaker applies, with lowest initiative bonus going last. The alert feat excludes you from this rule, and your initiative is 1+your bonus as normal.
If two creatures in the round have the same initiative, a tiebreaker applies, with highest initiative bonus going first. In the case of the two creatures having the same initiative bonus, they may determine between themselves (if both are players) who is going first, with the other player going next. If one is a player and one is an NPC, they will each roll a d20, and the highest number rolled goes first.

Levelling up: HP

You may choose to roll your HP or take the average when levelling up. If you choose to roll, you may reroll a 1. If you roll a 1 the second time, you must use it.

Nonlethal Damage

Non-lethal damage must be announced before damage is rolled, not after. You may deal nonlethal damage from melee range if the damage type is bludgeoning, or if it is slashing or piercing damage done by a weapon with a pommel or flat edge (e.g. sword: yes, spear: no). You cannot deal nonlethal ranged damage unless the weapon or ammunition has a special property that allows you to do so. You cannot deal nonlethal spell damage.

Potions

We are returning to RAW on this - drinking a potion uses your action, unless you have a special feature that allows you to 'use an object' as a bonus action. Administering a potion to someone else also uses an action. If you wish to take a potion from someone else, you must either use your action to take it from them, or they must use their action to hand it to you.

Resurrection

There is no longer a special mechanical penalty for resurrection outside of RAW. However, resurrection has certain roleplay limitations in place; resurrection is illegal in the Celestial Empire, as it is believed to be heretical. Reincarnation, however, is not illegal, although it is frowned upon. Things to note:
You will not be able to purchase resurrection services at temples, but high-level temples might be able to offer reincarnation, albeit at exorbitant prices. Clerics and Paladins loyal to the state religion should be unwilling to resurrect others.
Any person who is resurrected, and any person who performs a resurrection, are considered Treasonous and are subject to the death penalty.
It is important to acknowledge that, in the heat of battle, most would not be able to tell the difference between someone healing an unconscious person, and someone revivifying a person who died six seconds ago.

Skill Checks

You cannot critically succeed or critically fail skill checks. This is RAW.
Usually, this does not change anything. If your character tries to do something, but it is impossible for them to make the DC, no roll will be required. If it is possible to make the DC, I will tell you to roll an ability check; and so a 20 will always succeed, and a 1 will always fail. Otherwise, there would be no point in me asking you to roll in the first place. However, this rule becomes important to know in the case of contested checks, where one creature might roll a crit, but still lose because of modifiers.

Surprise

Surprise is used as per RAW. Any character or monster that doesn’t notice a threat is surprised at the start of the encounter. (E.G, if the stealth checks for the enemy are ALL higher than your passive perception.)
If you’re surprised, you can’t move or take an action on your first turn of the combat, and you can’t take a Reaction until that turn ends. A member of a group can be surprised even if the other members aren’t.
A character who isn't surprised, and who is higher than other characters in the turn order, can use their action to alert the others and remove the surprised condition from them.

Swapping Weapons

Once per turn, you may draw, stow or swap what weapons you are using as a free action. This does not apply to changing shields or armor. If you have extra attack, you can't swap weapons between the two attacks.
Remember, this rule applies to both enemies and players.

Money

The 5e economy makes no sense. I am getting rid of gp because I hate it. All costs are henceforth in CELESTIAL CROWNS. 1 celestial crown (CC) has the value of £1 in modern money. All costs are based on this.