Variant Rules - Magic

This campaign uses the following changes for spellcasting and summoning

Spellcasting

• The spell "Goodberry” now produces Good Berries that expire on a long rest, rather than in 24 hours.
• The spell “Goodberry” cannot be combined with the Disciple of Life ability of the Life Cleric.
• Consuming a Goodberry provides nourishment equal to the consumption of a single food ration. Good Berry's do not bypass the requirement for daily water consumption.
• Any spells that previously provided permanent environmental effects (Move Earth, Stone Wall, etc.) now only provide environmental effects that last until the character’s next long rest.
• The Guidance spell cannot be used to help a character on an ability check that takes place over a period of more than one minute. For example, daily Survival and Perception rolls cannot benefit from Guidance.
• The spell “Teleport” can only be used to teleport within the Altesien Coast.
• The spell “Plane Shift” cannot be used by any character to shift to another plane of existence. You may still use the spell to banish hostile creatures or to teleport to another location in the Altesien Coast.
• The spell "Animate Objects" now only animates one object, regardless of what level spell slot is used to cast it.
• The spell "Lesser Restoration" now also removes one level of Exhaustion from a character.
• The spell "Greater Restoration" now also removes all levels of Exhaustion from a character.

Summoning

• Any summoning spells (such as Conjure Animals) can now only summon one creature. The summoned creature can be up to the highest CR that is available to the spell. When casting a summoning spell at a higher spell level, the CR of the highest summon-able creature increases by 1 for each spell slot above the spell level. In order to utilize this spell, players must have a coded character sheet for the creature they are summoning.
  • For Example: Casting Conjure Animals using a 3rd Level Spell Slot will result in one CR 2 creature being summoned. Upcasting Conjure Animals using a 4th Level Spell Slot will result in one CR 3 creature being summoned.
• Magic items that summon creatures, such as the Bag of Tricks, may only have one summoned creature out at a time.
• Characters may only use one summoning item at a time. For example, if a character has both a Bag of Tricks and a Figurine of Wonderous Power, they may only use one of these items to summon one creature. If they use the other item, their previously summoned creature vanishes.

Ressurection

Certain powerful spells along the lines of Revivify and Resurrection are treated as a challenge. This means that players can undo death, but its success is determined by the player's capabilities as a spell caster and their character's attachment to their companions. Whenever a character does die, a resurrection can be attempted but it is a challenge. This means there is a possibility of failing in which case the resurrection fails, the soul is lost and the character is deemed permanently dead.

Death DC

When a creature is resurrected, a roll is made against a DC, which begins at 10. For each time the creature dies, their death DC is increased by 1.

Rapid Resurrection

When a creature is targeted by the spell Revivify, the caster makes a spellcasting ability check against the target's death DC. On a success, the spell takes hold and the creature is resurrected. On a failure, the creature's death DC is increased by 1, and they can't be resurrected until they are resurrected by a spell with a casting time longer than one action.

Resurrection Ritual

When a creature is targeted by a resurrection spell with a casting time longer than one action, such as Raise Dead or Resurrection, a ritual is initiated in which up to three creatures can contribute in order to call the creature's soul back to their body. The creature makes an ability check with a skill the DM deems appropriate for the action, against a DC that the DM also determines.
For each successful check, the creature's death DC is lowered by 3 for this ritual. For each failure, it increases by 1 for this ritual. The DM makes the final roll against this DC. On a success, the creature is returned to life if its soul is willing. On a failure, the creature's soul is lost, and further resurrection rituals fail automatically.
Only the strongest of magic can bypass this ritual, in the form the True Resurrection or Wish spells. These spells can also return to life a creature whose soul was lost from a failed ritual.

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