—HOUSE RULES—

[PLAYER CHARACTER MANAGEMENT]

Generating Stats (Player’s Handbook, p. 13)

To generate stats during character creation, roll 4d6. Remove the lowest number and add the three remaining numbers together. Do this five more times. If the sum total of the six rolls is a result of less than 72, the player can opt to use the Improved Standard Array for their stats (17, 15, 13, 12, 10, 8). Or roll 5d6 and take the 4 lowest

Hit Points on Level Up

Upon reaching a new level, players roll their hit dice to gain new maximum hit points. they may take the average or make the roll (d10 is 6, d8 is 5, etc). Afterwards they then add their Constitution modifier.

[EXPLORING THE WORLD]

Resting & Traveling

Player characters do not automatically gain the benefits of a Long Rest while traveling or resting in non-safe areas (hazardous environment, hostiles nearby). Safe areas are towns, cities, and Inns, as well as certain areas designated by the DM.

Examining a Creature

As a Free Action, a player may choose to examine a creature to determine their relevant level of knowledge on the target. The DM will determine what appropriate skill is required for the creature (denoted by the below list) and ask the player to roll an ability check.

Aberration – Arcana/Nature
Beast – Nature
Celestial – Religion
Construct – Arcana
Dragon – History/Nature
Elemental – Arcana
Fey – History/Nature
Fiend – Religion
Giant – History/Nature
Humanoid – History/Nature
Monstrosity – Nature
Ooze – Nature
Plant – Nature
Undead – Religion/Arcana

Skill check result:

<10: No information is known about the creature.
10-14: A small amount of background information, such as the creatures general strength vs party, etc.
15-19: The above information plus any unique attacks and/or traits the creature may possess.
≥20: The above information plus any resistances and/or weaknesses the creature may possess.

Moving Through an Ally

You may move through (but not land on) the same space an ally occupies at the cost of double the movement for that space (shoving them aside without injuring them). Assuming a small/medium ally, it would take 10ft of movement to cross that ally’s 5ft square.

Identifying a Spell (Xanathar’s Guide to Everything, p. 85)

Sometimes a character wants to identify a spell that someone else is casting or that was already cast. To do so, a character can use a free action to identify a spell as it’s being cast or by its effect after it is cast. If the character perceived the casting, the spell’s effect, or both, the character can make an Intelligence (Arcana) check with the free action. The DC equals 15 + the spell’s level. If the spell is cast as a class spell and the character is a member of that class, the check is made with advantage. Some spells aren’t associated with any class when they’re cast, such as when a monster uses its Innate Spellcasting trait.

This Intelligence (Arcana) check represents the fact that identifying a spell requires a quick mind and familiarity with the theory and practice of casting. This is true even for a character whose spellcasting ability is Wisdom or Charisma. Being able to cast spells doesn’t by itself make you adept at deducing exactly what others are doing when they cast their spells.

Lingering Injuries (Dungeon Master’s Guide, p. 272)

Beginning at Level 2 a PC can sustain a lingering injury when their health drops to 0 whilst taking half total hp damage from 1 attack. they must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw. Failure results in a lingering injury, which should be denoted on the character sheet until healed. If the PC falls to 0 hit points in the same battle (or ongoing environmental hazard or trap), and previously succeeded, they automatically fail the save.

To determine which Lingering Injury, roll a d20:

1: Lose an Eye - You have disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight and on ranged attack rolls. If you have no eyes left after sustaining this injury, you’re blinded.
2: Lose an Arm or a Hand - You can no longer hold anything with two hands, and you can hold only a single object at a time.
3: Lose a Foot or Leg - Your speed on foot is halved, and you must use a cane or crutch to move unless you have a peg leg or other prosthesis. You fall prone after using the Dash action. You have disadvantage on Dexterity checks made to balance.
4: Limp - Your speed on foot is reduced by 5 feet. You must make a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw after using the Dash action. If you fail the save, you fall prone.
5–7: Internal Injury - Whenever you attempt an action in combat, you must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, you lose your action and can’t use reactions until the start of your next turn.
8–10: Broken Ribs - This has the same effect as Internal Injury above, except that the save DC is 10.
11–13: Horrible Scar - You are disfigured to the extent that the wound can’t be easily concealed. You have disadvantage on Charisma (Persuasion) checks and advantage on Charisma (Intimidation) checks.
14–16: Festering Wound - Your hit point maximum is reduced by 1 every 24 hours the wound persists. If your hit point maximum drops to 0, you die.
17–20: Minor Scar - The scar doesn’t have any adverse effect.

A PC can have more than one lingering injury at a time, though some do not stack or have obvious limits according to the injury. Magical healing of 6th level or higher, such as Heal, Regenerate and Greater Restoration can heal all injuries. If proficient in the skill, another PC can attempt a DC 20 Wisdom (Medicine) check once per day to heal a lingering injury of 4-20 as described in the above listing. A lost limb cannot be healed in this manner. A healer’s kit is required and will consume 1 use regardless of success.

Variant Encumberance

The rules for lifting and carrying are intentionally simple. Here is a variant if you are looking for more detailed rules for determining how a character is hindered by the weight of equipment. When you use this variant, ignore the Strength column of the Armor table.

If you carry weight in excess of 5 times your Strength score, you are encumbered, which means your speed drops by 10 feet.

If you carry weight in excess of 10 times your Strength score, up to your maximum carrying capacity, you are instead heavily encumbered, which means your speed drops by 20 feet and you have disadvantage on ability checks, attack rolls, and saving throws that use Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution.

Maximum Capacity is 15x Strength score. Over this speed is reduced to 5 feet and take 1 force damage per round until under this weight

Drinking

Intoxication Threshold

You have an intoxication threshold that is equal to your Constitution score +1. Once a player reaches this threshold they are granted “Liquid Courage”.

Drinks have 6 levels of strength:

Watered = It’s watered down, requires 2 to gain 1 level of intoxication.

Weak = 1 level of intoxication.

Moderate = 2 levels of intoxication.

Strong = 3 levels of intoxication.

Very strong = 4 levels of intoxication.

Deadly = 5 levels of intoxication and a Constitution save DC 10 vs automatically falling unconscious for 1d6 x 10 minutes.

Liquid Courage

Liquid courage grants you one of the following effects for 1 hour: roll a d4

1. 5 temporary hit points

2. Advantage on Charisma skill checks.

3. Advantage on saving throws made against fear.

4. Advantage on Charisma ability checks.

as well as:

Disadvantage on Wisdom and Dexterity saving throws.

Disadvantage on Intelligence and Wisdom ability checks.

After the Threshold

Furthermore, you must make a Constitution saving throw save after each drink consumed past their threshold. The DC is equal 8 + the strength of the drink + your level of intoxication. If you fail, you gain one level of exhaustion. If you fail the save by 5 or more, you fall unconscious for 1d4 hours.

**Detoxing and Hangovers **

Your levels of intoxication are decreased by 2 at the end of a short rest and reset at the end of a long rest. If you have 1 level of exhaustion gained from intoxication and no levels of intoxication, you have a hangover.

While you’re hungover, you are vulnerable to thunder damage and have disadvantage against being blinded. You lose 4 levels of intoxication from a use of lesser restoration.

You lose your hangover at the end of a long rest or from a use of greater restoration (must be used after exhaustion is cured).