Custom Rules
Overview
"The map is not the country." Though a map attempts to depict the countryside, it is by definition only a tool used to navigate said countryside. Such it is with the 5th Edition ruleset contained in the core rulebooks.
Consider the Player's Handbook (PHB) to be the common vocabulary we'll use to discuss the game, and the handle by which you engage the game. The actual play of the game will include a whole mess of custom stuff written by the DM and the players together.
This document contains the custom rules I know in advance we'll be playing with. New ones we come to during play will be added as they are formed.
Rules
Races
Elf, Fire Elves
Fire Elves bear the typical traits found in the main Elf race, as well as the following additional characteristics.
Ability Score Increase
Your Constitution score increases by 1.
Fire Elf Training
You have proficiency with the spear, net, and whip. Fire elves may use 1d6 as the damage die for whips.
Into the Flame
Once per long rest, you may cast the spell meld into flame. The spell functions as meld into stone, replacing the required stone object with an openly burning flame of at least half your body size. You are immune to fire damage for the duration of the spell. While merged with the flame, you instead retain your senses and do not suffer the disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks specified in the spell text. Your presence fuels the flame, keeping it lit for the duration even if it would have run out of fuel. Should the flame be extinguished while you are melded, you suffer the same damage effects as those listed in last paragraph of meld into stone.
Languages
You can speak, read, and write Common - Hälsing, Elven and Primordial, but your geographic separation from the human mainland renders your grasp of Common - Hälsing rudimentary at best in both written and verbal forms.
Customs
You are familiar with the cultural and social practices of the Fire Elves. Bearing an unusual affinity for elemental fire relative to the rest of their kin, the distrustful fire elves of the remote Klanggi desert have built a fearsome and mysterious culture. Located in the southern Klanggi desert, beyond the Meridian coast.
Gnoll, Ash'arr Gnolls
Ability Score Increase
Your Wisdom score increases by 2, and your Charisma score increases by 1.
Age
Ash'arr Gnolls mature at the same rate as humans, but due to their touch by divinity they can live up to 160 years.
Alignment
Before the Age of Morals, all gnolls were subject to the voracious and reviled appetite of their god, Yeenoghu. Since Yeenoghu is merely a demon prince in actuality, the benevolent gods sent an angel to Yrth to aid in curbing Yeenoghu's rampage during the Age of Morals. Upon touching down in the material plane, the creatures in the vicinity of the tremendous angel were touched with celestial power, awakening the Ash'arr Gnolls from their mindless ravening. Abhorring the violence of their kin, the Ash'arr Gnolls became enlightened stargazers, ever looking to the stars above to guide their peaceful tribal lives. The Ash'arr Gnolls embody wisdom and grace, and as such are usually good aligned.
Size and Appearance
Ash'arr gnolls bear the same physical appearance of their monstrous gnoll cousins, notably identified by their doglike faces, clawed hands and furry, hunched posture. Further physical inspection reveals evidence of a peace-loving race of stargazers, garbed in delicate clothes adorned with celestial symbols and carrying powder-filled gourds and horns for performing daily auguries. The Ash'arr enjoy dying their earthy fur colors with the symbol matching the star-sign they were born under, so all may know their cosmic zodiac. With the top of their head barely at level with their shoulder, gnolls stand at around 5 feet in height, making their size Medium.
Speed
Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Darkvision
Your vision can easily cut through darkness. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
Future Sight
Ash'arr Gnolls spend so much time gazing upon the stars to understand the future, they have developed an uncanny ability to anticipate when they are in immediate danger. Ash'arr gnolls get +1 bonus to all saving throws.
Direction Sense[/br] The Ash'arr teach their young to navigate by the stars at a very young age. So long as the open sky is visible, an Ash'arr Gnoll cannot get lost and always knows which direction is north.
Gifted with Magic[/br] Since their contact with divinity, the Ash'arr grasp magic instinctively. You gain proficiency in the Arcana skill. If another feature grants you proficiency in Arcana, your proficiency bonus is doubled for the skill. You can also cast detect magic as a ritual spell.
Star-Signs
The Ash'arr map the alignment of the stars throughout the year based on which celestial entity is in phase at the time. Gnolls born under each sign are gifted with the ability to cast certain magic innately. Choose which sign you were born under. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for your selected spell.
Languages
You can speak, read, and write Common - Hälsing, Gnoll, and one other language of your choice. Since the enlightenment of the Ash'arr occurred long ago during the Age of Morals, the Ash'arr gnolls find themselves well integrated into human society where they've applied their wisdom and even-tempers towards the disciplines of diplomacy and advisement.
Customs
You are familiar with the cultural and social practices of the Ash’arr Gnolls. If you are from Ash’arr tribe, you are familiar with how they operate and possess identification papers establishing your Ash’arr origination. Abhorring the violence of their kin, the Ash'arr Gnolls became enlightened stargazers, ever looking to the stars above to guide their peaceful tribal lives. Split across several distinct tribal settlements, the Ash’arr are equally at home on the open plains as in human cities, so long as the night sky is visible to them. Since the Age of Morals, the Ash’arr have found a home in large human settlements where they establish observatories and contribute to the study of magic both modern and ancient. On more than one occasion the kind and compassionate spirit of the Ash’arr has reached diplomatic compromise where other races have not.
Human, Damascan
Ability Score Increase
An ability score of your choice increases by +2 and one other ability score of your choice increases by 1.
Age
Damascan humans reach adulthood in their late teens and live less than a century.
Alignment
Damascan humans believe in the power of civilization and have built impressive long-lasting institutions in education, industry, the development and study of magic, and religious worship. Damascans set ambitious personal goals and pride themselves on achievement, believing civil competition to be the driving force of greatness. Damascan humans tend toward no particular alignment.
Size and Appearance
Damascan humans have a striking appearance compared to their other human cousins, bearing ebon-colored skin commonly patterned with slate-colored marbling or delicate crawling veins of silver or gold and complimented by gemstone-colored eyes. Standing at an average height ranging from 5 feet to over 6 feet, your size is Medium.
Speed
Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Damascan Intitution
When making an ability check for a skill that you were granted proficiency by your background, you can roll one Intuition die, a d4, and add the number rolled to the ability check.
Breadth of Training
You gain proficiency in one skill of your choice.
Ironclad Conviction
When making a Constitution saving throw to maintain concentration, you can roll one Intuition die, a d4, and add the number rolled to the ability check.
Languages
You can speak, read, and write Common - Hälsing and one extra language of your choice. Humans typically learn the languages of other peoples they deal with, including obscure dialects. They are fond of sprinkling their speech with words borrowed from other tongues: Orc curses, Elvish musical expressions, Dwarvish military phrases, and so on.
Customs
You are familiar with the cultural and social practices of Damascus. If you are from Damascus, you are familiar with their legal system and possess identification papers establishing your Damascan citizenship. The people of Damascus leveraged their innate resourcefulness to establish long-standing institutions of learning, diplomacy, and industry. Combined with housing the modern seat of power for the church of Cavall, Damascus has become one of the most powerful nations in Wildland. Located in the temperate eastern coast of the midland. National Symbol: Steel bar.
Human, Grezecian
Ability Score Increase
Your Strength and Wisdom scores both increase by 1. In addition, one ability score of your choice increases by 1.
Age
Grezecian humans reach adulthood in their late teens and live less than a century.
Alignment
Grezecian humans believe in independence, self-reliance, and pride. Like all humans, they are capable of all alignments but typically embody sociable tenets.
Size and Appearance
Grezecian humans have impressive physicality. Grezecian women are robust and unusually tall and Grezecian men are enormous with acutely muscled frames, standing between 6 and 8 feet tall. Regardless of your position in that range, your size is largest end of Medium. Grezecians have fair-colored skin and are commonly topped with jet black or bright blond hair.
Speed
Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Tremendous Physique
When you make an ability check involving Strength, you can roll one d4 and add it to the ability check. Additionally, you count as one size larger for the purposes of checks made to grapple or be grappled as well as for determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.
Grezecian Pride
You gain proficiency in one skill of your choice.
A Direct Solution
Whenever you hit with a weapon that has damage die 1d8 or larger, and that you’re proficient with and deal damage, you may roll an Intuition die, a d4, and add it to the weapon’s damage.
Languages
You can speak, read, and write Common - Hälsing and one extra language of your choice. Humans typically learn the languages of other peoples they deal with, including obscure dialects. They are fond of sprinkling their speech with words borrowed from other tongues: Orc curses, Elvish musical expressions, Dwarvish military phrases, and so on.
Customs
You are familiar with the cultural and social practices of the Grezecian sovereignty. If you are from Grezecia, you are familiar with their legal system and possess identification papers establishing your Grezecian citizenship. Originally a warrior culture of bear-wrestlers, Grezecians prefer to resolve problems by swinging an axe or with the business end of a firearm in lieu of more subtle solutions. Led by a proud and independent Czarina and located in the northern highlands. National Symbol: Kodirak Bear
Human, Gyuredo
Ability Score Increase
Your Constitution score increases by +2 and one other ability score of your choice increases by 1.
Age
Gyuredo humans reach adulthood in their late teens and live less than a century.
Alignment
The Gyuredo possess a shamanic culture that seems primitive at first glance, living in constant remembrance of their ancestors. Ever seeking to honor their blood lineage and please their predecessors' spirits, the Gyuredo place defense of the tribe above most else. Commonly believing their ancestors are present but unseen at all times, the Gyuredo have a habit of talking to themselves throughout the day. Gyuredo humans tend toward no particular alignment.
Size and Appearance
Average size men and women, the Gyuredo have ashen grey skin, deep red hair, and eye colors that range from bright orange to dark red. Their frames are lean and muscular from generations living within the oppressive heat of the desert. Standing at a typical human height ranging from 5 feet to over 6 feet, your size is Medium.
Speed
Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Ancestral Guidance
You can cast divination as an hour-long ritual where you beseech your ancestors for advice in a traditional tribal seance. You ask your ancestors a single question like the spell indicates. In place of the last paragraph concerning random readings, you can only cast this spell again once 7 days have passed since your last successful casting.
Desert Survivors
When making an Intelligence or Wisdom check related to foraging, tracking, or surviving in the wild, you can roll one Intuition die, a d4, and add the number rolled to the ability check. The rolled number is doubled when the check relates to Desert terrains.
By My Ancestors Bones
At birth you were given an important heirloom in the form of a carved bone from one of your predecessors. It may take any shape, such as a small bag of carved knucklebones, or a knife with the bone embedded in the handle. While you carry this heirloom on your person, your ancestor watches over you granting +1 to your proficiency bonus. This bonus only applies to Gyuredo people, and does not benefit anyone else should they hold the bone heirloom.
Languages
You can speak, read, and write Gyuredo and Common - Hälsing, but your geographic separation from the mainland human nations makes your grasp of Common - Hälsing rudimentary at best. The Gyuredo language is fiercely maintained among the tribes, as it is believed to be the only language the Gyuredo ancestors can understand in death. The Gyuredo language shares more cultural roots with Elvish than Common - Hälsing due to proximity with the Fire Elves.
Customs
You are familiar with the cultural and social practices of Gyuredo. Built to endure a life of heat and scarcity, the Gyuredo are at home in the oppressive Klanggi Desert south of Meridia. Those few Gyuredo that venture out of the desert are commonly met with apprehension and distrust for their practices of toting human bones and muttering seemingly bizarre words to themselves. National Symbol: Human Skull
Human, Meridian
Variant Human from PHBAbility Score Increase
Two different ability scores of your choice increase by 1.
Age
Meridian humans reach adulthood in their late teens and live less than a century.
Alignment
Meridian humans love personal freedom and self expression, so they lean toward the gentler aspects of chaos. Like all humans, they are capable of all alignments but typically embody sociable tenets.
Size and Appearance
Meridian humans vary widely in height and build, from barely 5 feet to well over 6 feet tall, with skin, hair, and eye colors that vary within the typical human spectrum. Regardless of your position in that range, your size is Medium.
Speed
Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Skills
You gain proficiency in one skill of your choice.
Feats
You gain one feat of your choice.
Languages
You can speak, read, and write Common - Hälsing and one extra language of your choice. Humans typically learn the languages of other peoples they deal with, including obscure dialects. They are fond of sprinkling their speech with words borrowed from other tongues: Orc curses, Elvish musical expressions, Dwarvish military phrases, and so on.
Customs
You are familiar with the cultural and social practices of Meridia. If you are from a Meridian city-state, you are familiar with their legal system and possess identification papers establishing your Meridian citizenship. With individual skills and talents as varied as their appearance, men and women from the Meridian City-States have made some of history's most noted warriors, mages, diplomats and artists. The coastal City-States of Meridia lie to the south, and act as the geographic gateway to the Klanggi desert. National Symbol: Multi-color checkered flag
Human, Rokin
Ability Score Increase
Your Dexterity and Wisdom scores both increase by 1. In addition, one ability score of your choice increases by 1.
Age
Rokin humans reach adulthood in their late teens and live less than a century.
Alignment
Rokin humans believe in loyalty, have a strong attendance to individual duty, and seek to bring honor to their family and house of fealty. The empire of Rokinon is divided into regional governing houses, with all citizens contributing their daily productivity to the benefit of their house. With a hard belief that everyone contributes to the benefit of all, Rokin typically embody lawful tenets.
Size and Appearance
Rokin humans are a little smaller than typical humans, averaging 5 feet tall with only a few inches of variability. Culturally known for their fair colored hair, fair colored skin, and unmistakable metallic-colored eyes. Though you are smaller in frame than the rest of your human cousins, your size is on the smaller end of Medium.
Speed
Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Wild Intuition
When you make a Wisdom (Animal Handling) or Intelligence (Nature) check, you can roll one Intuition die, a d4, and add the number rolled to the ability check.
Expert Handling
You can use the help action to aid an ally animal companion or mount within 30 feet of you, rather than 5 feet of you.
Fae Connection
You can cast beast bond once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a short or long rest. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for this spell.
Observance of Propriety
You can cast heritage rites, a new 2nd-level spell that is passed down in Rokin tradition to exemplify your commitment to house and family and to act in support of the many. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for this spell. As a 10-minute ritual, choose one of the following traditional Rokin rites to perform:
- Rite of Community. Every month in Rokinon, the regional fealty houses host feasts of appreciation where all subjects regardless of professional specialization gather to bond over mutual contribution to the house's well-being. By standing before a meal-time gathering of at least 4 participants, including yourself, that cost at least 25gp to produce or purchase, you speak a few words of togetherness, thankfulness, and mutual respect. A creature that partakes of the meal gains several benefits. The creature immediately gains the benefit of a long rest, returning class abilities that recharge on long or short rests. The creature also immediately gains the benefit of being well-rested, returning hit points to full, recovering up to one level of exhaustion, and regaining up to half of their max hit die. This rite cannot be performed again for a full week after casting, but other heritage rites may be.
- Rite of the Healed. All subjects, regardless of profession or social status, are regarded as precious and irreplaceable to the regional fealty houses in Rokinon. For serious health issues, each house is equipped with resident medical professionals who tend to the wounds and health of the house's labor force without the need for subjects to pay for the services. These healers also visit every home in their house-lands teaching the ancient Rite of the Healed, so that families can better tend themselves. Using a healer's kit, antitoxin, salve or poultice, plus gold dust worth 25gp which is consumed by the spell, you bolster the innate Constitution of a target creature. For the next 24 hours, any time the creature makes a Constitution check or saving throw to combat the effects of poison or disease, they have advantage on the roll. This rite cannot be performed again for 24-hours after casting, but other heritage rites may be.
- Rite of Armament. The safety of all is often established by the courage of the few. The history of Rokinon as a nation is wrought from the courage and boldness of its people who are called upon to defend their country from threats. Rokin tradition teaches readiness, and a willingness to put yourself at risk for the betterment of those around you. Choose up to 4 pieces of unequipped weapons or armor. By speaking a few words of steadfast resolve and sprinkling gold dust worth 25gp over the target equipment in the traditional gestures of the rite, you imbue the gear with heightened purpose. The gold dust is consumed by the equipment, granting affected weapons advantage on the next attack roll made within 24 hours and affected armor +2 to AC on the first attack received within 24 hours. This rite cannot be performed again for 24-hours after casting, but other heritage rites may be.
Languages
You can speak, read, and write Common - Hälsing and one extra language of your choice. Humans typically learn the languages of other peoples they deal with, including obscure dialects. They are fond of sprinkling their speech with words borrowed from other tongues: Orc curses, Elvish musical expressions, Dwarvish military phrases, and so on.
Customs
You are familiar with the cultural and social practices of the empire of Rokinon. If you are from Rokinon, you are familiar with their legal system and possess identification papers establishing your Rokin citizenship. The Rokin people possess innate ceremonial magic that allows them to commune with the herds of animals in their care, resulting in superior horse bloodlines and specialized livestock. Originally a culture of master horsemen, the modern Empire of Rokinon was built on the tenets of duty and family honor. The Rokinon Empire resides in the western grasslands of the midland. National Symbol: Unicorn
Kalliaro Beastpeople
Ability Score Increase
The different beastpeople of the Kalliaro have different strengths. One ability score of your choice increases by 2. In addition, a different one ability score of your choice increases by 1. Choose ability scores that relate to the animal likeness your Kalliaro personifies.
Age
For the most part, the Kalliaro mature and age at about the same rate as their human cousins. Some longer lived subspecies, like the Loxodon, live considerably longer.
Alignment
Kalliaro beastpeople embody beliefs of all types, like most humans do. As such, their civilization is analogous to typical human settlement, with industry and education, religion and diplomacy, magic and weapon training. The physical shape of Kalliaro homes and businesses vary from human settlements to conform with the different sizes and physical characteristics of the Kalliaro subspecies. Like humans, they are capable of all alignments but typically embody sociable tenets.
Size and Appearance
The Kalliaro draw fascinated stares from those unfamiliar with their foreign race, awed by their animal heads and body characteristics but walking upright in armor or clothing and wielding steel weaponry. Each Kalliaro subspecies possesses bodily characteristics resembling specific beasts. For example, the lionfolk of Kalliaro are furred with clawed hands and feet and possess a lion's tail and head, with male members exhibiting a magnificent mane draped outside their outer clothes. The owlfolk of Kalliaro have great owl heads, with feathers neatly tucked into robe vestments and broad wings that drape from beneath their arms to down their sides. Generally speaking, the Kalliaro are similar in size to humans, averaging from 5 feet to over 6 feet depending on animal subspecies. Regardless of your position in that range, your size is Medium.
Speed
Your base walking speed is 30 feet, but is modified by your Wild Movement trait.
Wild Movement
Based on your selected Kalliaro subspecies, you have one of the following:
-An increased walking speed of 40 feet.
-A swim speed of 30 feet, as well as the ability to amphibiously breath both air and water.
-A flying speed of 45 feet. To use this speed, you can’t be wearing medium or heavy armor. Your walking speed is also reduced to 25 feet.
Ferocity
Your animal essence grants you unmatched ferocity in combat, pairing your wielded weaponry and armor with your natural attacks and capabilities. Mix-and-match three traits from the other humanoid animal races in the game, such as Aarakocra, Centaur, Lizardfolk, Loxodon, Minotaur, Tabaxi, Tortle. Choose three that make sense for the animal subspecies you personify.
Languages
You can speak, read, and write Kalliaro and Common - Hälsing, though the geographic distance of your home continent of Kilimanjaro renders your grasp of Common - Hälsing rudimentary at best. Kalliaro language is built to accomodate the varied animal mouths, muzzles, tongues, and teeth formations of the Kalliaro subspecies, and so has developed to be complex and difficult for non Kalliaro to learn.
Customs
You are familiar with the cultural and social practices of the Kalliaro. If you are from the Kalliaro homeland on the far continent of Kilimanjaro, you are familiar with their legal system and possess identification papers establishing your Kalliaro citizenship (though your obvious physical form leaves little to question about your origin). The fierce appearance of the Kalliaro beastpeople from the far continent of Kilimanjaro belies their true nature -- one of nobility, culture and diplomacy.
Classes
- Gunslinger, from DMsGuild.com or D&D Beyond
New Items:
- Firearms
Firearms are a new and volatile technology, and as such bring their own unique set of weapon properties. Some properties are followed by a number, and this number signifies an element of that property (outlined below). These properties replace the optional ones presented in the Dungeon Master’s Guide. Firearms are ranged weapons.- Reload. The weapon can be fired a number of times equal to its Reload score before you must spend 1 attack or 1 action to reload. You must have one free hand to reload a firearm.
- Misfire. Whenever you make an attack roll with a firearm, and the dice roll is equal to or lower than the weapon’s Misfire score, the weapon misfires. The attack misses, and the weapon cannot be used again until you spend an action to try and repair it. To repair your firearm, you must make a successful Tinker’s Tools check (DC equal to 8 + misfire score). If your check fails, the weapon is broken and must be mended out of combat at a quarter of the cost of the firearm. Creatures who use a firearm without being proficient increase the weapon’s misfire score by 1.
- Burst. A weapon that has the burst fire property can make a normal single-target attack, or it can spray a cube sized area within normal range determined by its Burst score. Each creature in the area must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or take the weapon’s normal damage.
- Explosive. Upon a hit, everything within 5 ft of the target must make a Dexterity saving throw (DC equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Dexterity modifier) or suffer 1d8 fire damage. If the weapon misses, the ammunition fails to detonate, or bounces away harmlessly before doing so.
- Ammunition
All firearms require ammunition to make an attack, and due to their rare nature, ammunition may be near impossible to find or purchase. However, if materials are gathered, you can craft ammunition yourself using your Tinker’s Tools at half the cost. Each firearm uses its own unique ammunition and is generally sold or crafted in batches listed below next to the price.
Adventuring
Privileged Skill-Checks
Some skill-checks require specific training or uncanny ability to even attempt. Such checks will be called Privileged Skill-Checks at the table and may only be performed by player characters with proficiency in the skill or a minimum modifier of +2 in the related ability score.
Rest rules
Resting and Taking Watch. Keeping one eye open while you sleep is hard work and detracts from the quality of your rest. If you take a watch during your long rest, you do not gain the normal benefits of a long rest. You still recover any ability that returns after a long rest, but you do not regain any hit points, you do not recover any levels of exhaustion, and only regain 1/4 of your maximum Hit Dice (minimum of 1).
Well-Rested. If you complete a long rest without taking a watch, you wake up feeling well-rested, which grants you all of the normal benefits of a long rest. You recover all lost hit points like normal, you recover a level of exhaustion like normal, and you recover half of your maximum Hit Dice like normal.
Taking Watch as a Group. A long rest consists of 8 hours of sleep for most races, up to 2 hours of which can be spent engaged in light activities like reading, talking, and taking watch. This means in order for a group to keep watch throughout the night, a minimum of 4 people need to take watch shifts, or risk sleeping without a watch for part of the night.
If fewer than 4 people take watch shifts, the group can still elect to keep watch all night, it will just extend how long the group stays camped while the individuals sleep in longer shifts. This will result in a slower daily traveling pace, since more of the day is spent encamped. For each person fewer than 4 taking a watch, your daily travel pace reduces by 25%.
Combat
Armorless Targets
Any time the target of an attack is not wearing armor and has no natural armor or magical equivalent, the target has vulnerability to the damage dealt by the attack.
Injuries
Sustaining Injuries. Any time a critical hit is scored the victim also sustains a lasting injury in addition to the normal effects of a critical hit. The type and severity of the injury is determined by the attacker rolling on the Injury Table. The attacker rolls a d20 to determine which body part is injured, and 2d6 to determine the severity and effect of the lasting injury.
Any time a player or character is dropped to zero hit points and is unconscious but not killed outright, they also sustain an injury from the Injury Table. The player rolls a d20 to determine which body part is injured, and 3d6 to determine the severity and effect of the lasting injury. While many injuries are life-threatening or permanent, some injuries are minor and do not result in creatures making death saves.
Recovering from Injuries. Each entry in the Injury Table lists what it takes to recover from the injury sustained. Some injuries can be recovered simply by taking a long rest, while other injuries can only be recovered with the use of healing magic.
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