Erenel House Rules
Welcome to Wizards Burnt the Toast, a collection of house rules for 5E. The following house rules are used in all campaigns I run! I highly recommend using the Wizards Burnt the Toast system for added depth and combat excitement without moving too far away from the 5E playstyle.
Approved 5E Books
The following are books currently approved for use in Erenel character creation.
Please note that ONLY Erenel races may be used when playing in Brews campaigns to fit into the Erenel Fictional Universe.
When choosing Erenel 5E Feats, check with the Game Master first as most PHB feats have been remade!
- Official Wizard of the Coast releases unless noted below
- All Gamingbrew player options
- Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn
- Other options available upon review when discussed with the Dungeon Master
Wizards Burnt the Toast
Erenel House Rules
Ability Scores
Player ability scores can be standard array (15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8) or 27 point buy.Alignment (Element)
Element Alignment is a character development tool meant to help build your character's identity and replaces the standard Alignment system. Build your Element Alignment by choosing one of each opposing element.Attunement
Attuning to an item requires a creature to spend 10 minutes focused on only that item while being in physical contact with it. If the 10 minutes is interrupted, the attunement attempt fails. Otherwise, at the end of the 10 minutes, the creature gains an intuitive understanding of how to activate any magical properties of the item, including any necessary command words. A creature can also voluntarily end attunement by spending another 10 minutes focused on the item, unless the item is cursed.Combat Reworks
Delay Initiative
After rolling initiative and before the first round of combat begins, a player can choose to lower their initiative until immediately after a non-hostile creature. After lowering initiative in this way, the new initiative is locked in until the end of combat. A player cannot lower their initiative to follow a player who also used delay initiative.Do or Dodge
During combat, a player has 1 minute to decide what to do on their turn. If the player hasn't decided, they take the dodge action and their turn ends.Tactical Combat
Bloody Critical
When a creature scores a critical hit with a melee weapon attack that deals bludgeoning, piercing or slashing damage, the target gains 1 stack of the bleed condition, up to the bleed maximum.Flanking
When you and an ally are flanking a target, you gain +2 on melee attack rolls against it. To flank a foe, you and your ally must be on opposite sides of the creature. A line drawn between the center of your space and the center of your ally's space must pass through opposite sides or opposite corners of the foe's space. Additionally, both you and the ally must be able to act, you must be wielding melee weapons or be able to make an unarmed attack, you can't be under any effects that prevent you from attacking, and you must both have the enemy within reach. If you are wielding a reach weapon, you use your reach with that weapon for this purpose. A huge sized creature requires 3 allies before it is considered flanked. A gargantuan sized creature cannot be flanked.Glancing Blow
When a melee attack is equal to a target’s armor class, the damage dealt by the attack is halved.Standing From Prone
Standing up from the prone position costs 15 feet of movement, regardless of your total movement speed. (All Erenel races have a base movement speed of 30 feet)Two-Weapon Fighting
When you take the Attack Action on your turn and attack with a Light weapon in one hand, you can make one extra attack as part of the same Action. That extra attack must be made with a different Light weapon in the other hand, and you don’t add your Ability Modifier to the extra attack’s damage. You can make this extra attack only once on each of your turns. A shield with the Light property can be used in Two-Weapon Fighting and deals 1d4 bludgeoning damage on hit.New Actions and Bonus Actions
Only new or updated actions and bonus actions are listed.Back-to-Back
Bonus ActionWhen you are adjacent to a willing creature, you can use a bonus action to stand back-to-back. While back-to-back with an ally you both cannot be flanked in any direction. You remain back-to-back until one of you moves or is knocked prone.
Bypass
ActionTaking the Bypass Action allows you to try and move through a hostile creature’s space by tumbling past or forcing your way through. Make a Strength (Athletics) Check or a Dexterity (Acrobatics) Check contested by the hostile creature’s Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check (the target chooses the ability to use). If the bypasser wins the contest, it can move through the hostile creature’s space once this turn. The hostile creature can choose to just let you pass instead of rolling. You still provoke opportunity attacks if you move beyond a creature’s reach.
Help
ActionYou can lend your aid to another creature in the completion of a task, provided that you have Proficiency in the skill or with the tools called for in the check. If you do not have proficiency in the skill or tools called for, the DM may allow you to Help if you can describe the specific helpful actions you take in aiding the other creature.
Protect
ActionYou focus on protecting a willing target within 5 feet of you. Until the start of your next turn, all attack rolls made against the target are instead redirected to you at advantage. Protect ends if you are ever more than 5 feet away from the target. A target can only be protected by one creature at a time.
Sidestep
Bonus ActionYou move 5 feet. Moving with sidestep does not provoke opportunity attacks and does not count against your total movement.
Conditions
Only new or modified additions are listed below.Bleeding
While you are subjected to the Bleeding condition, you experience the following effects.- Levels of Bleeding. This condition is cumulative. Each time you receive it, you gain 1 level of bleeding up to the Bleed maximum. The bleed condition can stack up to a total number of stacks equal to the highest Proficiency Bonus of a player character in combat.
- At the beginning of your turn, take slashing damage equal to your bleeding level.
- Ending the condition. All stacks of bleeding are removed if you receive any healing or after a successful Medicine skill check. The Medicine skill check DC is equal to 8 + total bleed stacks.
Exhaustion
While you are subjected to the Exhaustion condition, you experience the following effects.- Levels of Exhaustion. This condition is cumulative. Each time you receive it, you gain 1 level of exhaustion. You die if your exhaustion level exceeds 10.
- When you make an attack roll, ability check or saving throw you subtract your exhaustion level from the roll.
- Subtract your exhaustion level from the Spell save DC of any spell you cast.
- Ending the condition. Finishing a long rest removes 1 of your levels of exhaustion. When your exhaustion level reaches 0, you are no longer Exhausted.
Grappled
While you are subjected to the Grappled condition, you experience the following effects.- Your speed becomes 0 and can’t be changed.
- You have disadvantage on attack rolls against any target other than the grappler.
- The grappler can drag or carry you when it moves but suffers the Slowed condition while moving unless you are Tiny or two or more sizes smaller than the grappler.
Husk
While you are subjected to the Husk condition, you take damage from magical healing sources instead of restoring hit points.On Fire
While you are subjected to the On Fire condition, you experience the following effects.- At the beginning of your turn, take the indicated fire damage associated with the condition’s triggering effect. If no fire damage is listed, a creature takes 1d4 fire damage.
- Additional On Fire effects do not stack with the highest indicated fire damage used.
- Ending the condition. The On Fire condition can be removed at the Game Masters discretion (jumping into water) or by going prone and using an action to stop, drop and roll.
Slowed
While you are subjected to the Slowed condition, you experience the following effects.- You must spend 1 extra foot of movement for every foot you move.
- Attack rolls against you have Advantage.
- You have disadvantage on Dexterity saving throws.
Umbra Malady
While you are subjected to the Umbra Malady condition, you suffer reduced healing effects. When you recover hit points from healing spells or consumables that require a roll, you must roll the dice twice and take the lower result.Wounded
While you are subjected to the wounded condition, you suffer disadvantage on Strength and Dexterity saving throws and ability checks.Dropping to 0 Hit Points
Falling Unconscious
If damage reduces you to 0 hit points and fails to kill you, you fall unconscious and must immediately make a death saving throw. This unconsciousness ends if you regain any hit points.I Didn't Hear No Bell
While at 0 hit points, you slowly begin to recover with each successful death saving throw.One Successful Death Save
No change.Two Successful Death Saves
While at 2 successful Death Saves, you are no longer unconscious. Instead, you are both Prone and Incapacitated. While prone in this way, you cannot stand or take actions, bonus actions or reactions. You can use movement to crawl and speak.Three Successful Death Saves
When you reach 3 successful Death Saves, you retain all the benefits from 2 Successful Death Saves. You are stable and no longer need to make death saving throws. In addition, you can take 1 action immediately after stabilizing. After performing this action, you cannot perform another action until you regain at least 1 hit point. A stable creature that isn’t healed regains 1 hit point after 1d10 minutes.Damage at 0 Hit Points
When you take damage while you have 0 hit points, you gain levels of Exhaustion dependent on the damage taken. You do not collect a failed death saving throw when you take damage while at 0 hit points.Feats
When selecting a background, you’ll also choose one of the available level 1 feats. Level 1 feats replace any previous background feature. When your class reaches an Ability Score Improvement feature, you increase one ability score of your choice by 1 and choose a Erenel 5E Feats. You can’t increase an Ability Score above 20. When not choosing Erenel 5E Feats, check with the Game Master first as most PHB feats have been remade.Hit Points at Higher Levels
When rolling for health on a level up, you may roll or take the average. If you roll a one you can reroll once.Quick Rest
A quick rest is a 1 minute period of downtime during which a character quickly catches their breath and tends to their wounds. During a quick rest, a character can spend one or more available Hit Dice at the end of the quick rest, up to their proficiency bonus. For each Hit Dice 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. A character can't benefit from more than one quick rest in a 24-hour period. Short and long rest durations remain unchanged (1 hour & 8 hours).Satchel
Satchel is an Erenel 5E item allowing for quick access to a limited number of consumables. All Player Characters are given a 1-slot satchel upon character creation and have the option to purchase larger satchels.Speaking in Combat
You can speak during combat and creatures can respond on their turn but the full conversation has to happen in 6 seconds.Spell Changes
General Spell Damage Rule
When casting a spell that deals damage and requires concentration to maintain, the player rerolls the damage die each time the spell deals damage. These spells include but are not limited too; Moonbeam, Spirit Guardians, Wall of Fire, etc.Magic Missile
When rolling damage for the Magic Missile spell, roll dice for each missile separately.Sending
Instead of the normal 25 word limit, the spellcaster can send a short six second message.Silvery Barbs
Banned.
Game Play Etiquette
- D&D is a team sport. If your character doesn't want to be part of a team, roll one who does.
- Cheating, lying to a Dungeon Master, arguing with a ruling, or promoting an unhealthy atmosphere will result in disciplinary action. Brews reserves the right to remove any user, at any time, for any reason.
- You will not have plot armor. Do stupid things and you may die! Retreat is always an option.
- Know your character and let others play theirs.
Prohibited Roleplay Conduct
The roleplaying actions below are prohibited. While the subject matter exists outside of the game, we're here to have a great time.- Sexual Harassment. You will not sexually harass or assault another character, regardless of the other character's consent. Romance, marriage, and less egregious actions are permitted, but being overly erotic is not allowed.
- Suicide. You cannot commit or threaten suicide. Self-sacrifice in-game to save the party does not qualify as suicide.
- Torture. You cannot graphically torture another npc or player character physically or mentally.
Building Character Backstories
When creating a character for my campaigns, it's useful to have a somewhat fleshed out backstory. Listed below are optional questions to consider. Above all else remember the following golden rules and that the DM has to approve for the health of the game!Golden Rule 1
Keep your backstory flexible. It's good to have strong hooks and a compelling history, but it's also important to leave open space for the other players and DM to connect the overarching story to your character. Don't write a novel for your backstory but consider important bullet points that make you who you are!
Golden Rule 2
Connect your character to the world. Your character probably didn't grow up secluded. Your family, place of birth and connections formed happened before the campaign begins. You don't need a resume but consider connections you may have to Erenel.
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