Red Larch

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Session V, Prelude

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Bestiary

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Cataclysm of the Primordial Orders

Home Dungeons and Dragons Cataclysm of the Primordial Orders

Magic Items

Homebrew Magic Items (Jump)

Magic items are gleaned from the hordes of conquered monsters or discovered in long-lost vaults. Such items grant capabilities a character could rarely have otherwise, or they complement their owner’s capabilities in wondrous ways.

Rarity

Each magic item has a rarity: common, uncommon, rare, very rare, or legendary. Common magic items, such as a potion of healing, are the most plentiful. Some legendary items, such as the Apparatus of Kwalish, are unique. The game assumes that the secrets of creating the most powerful items arose centuries ago and were then gradually lost because of wars, cataclysms, and mishaps. Even uncommon items can’t be easily created. Thus, many magic items are well-preserved antiquities.

Rarity provides a rough measure of an item’s power relative to other magic items. Each rarity corresponds to character level, as shown in the Magic Item Rarity table. A character doesn’t typically find a rare magic item, for example, until around 5th level. That said, rarity shouldn’t get in the way of your campaign’s story. If you want a ring of invisibility to fall into the hands of a 1st-level character, so be it. No doubt a great story will arise from that event.

If your campaign allows for trade in magic items, rarity can also help you set prices for them. As the DM, you determine the value of an individual magic item based on its rarity. Suggested values are provided in the Magic Item Rarity table. The value of a consumable item, such as a potion or scroll, is typically half the value of a permanent item of the same rarity.

Magic Item Rarity Table

RarityCharacter LevelValue
Common1st or higher50gp to 100gp
Uncommon1st or higher101gp to 500gp
Rare5th or higher501gp to 5,000gp
Very Rare11th or higher5,001gp to 50,000gp
Legendary17th or higher50,000gp+

These listed prices and approximate availability are dependent on the Campaign itself.  There is also the possibility of growth magical items that change as specific conditions are met.

Attunement

Some magic items require a creature to form a bond with them before their magical properties can be used. This bond is called attunement, and certain items have a prerequisite for it. If the prerequisite is a class, a creature must be a member of that class to attune to the item. (If the class is a spellcasting class, a monster qualifies if that monster has spell slots and uses that class’s spell list.)

Without becoming attuned to an item that requires attunement, a creature gains only its nonmagical benefits, unless its description states otherwise.

For example:

A magic shield that requires attunement provides the benefits of a normal shield to a creature not attuned to it, but none of its magical properties.

Attuning to an item requires a creature to spend a short rest focused on only that item while being in physical contact with it (this can’t be the same short rest used to learn the item’s properties). This focus can take the form of weapon practice (for a weapon), meditation (for a wondrous item), or some other appropriate activity. If the short rest is interrupted, the attunement attempt fails. Otherwise, at the end of the short rest, the creature gains an intuitive understanding of how to activate any magical properties of the item, including any necessary command words.

An item can be attuned to only one creature at a time and a creature can be attuned to no more than three magic items at a time. Any attempt to attune to a fourth item fails; the creature must end its attunement to an item first. Additionally, a creature can’t attune to more than one copy of an item.

For example:

A creature cannot attune to more than one ring of protection at a time.

A creature’s attunement to an item ends if the creature no longer satisfies the prerequisites for attunement, if the item has been more than 100 feet away for at least 24 hours, if the creature dies, or if another creature attunes to the item. A creature can also voluntarily end attunement by spending another short rest focused the item unless the item is cursed.

Cursed Items

Some magic items bear curses that bedevil their users sometimes long after a user has stopped using an item. A magic item’s description specifies whether the item is cursed. Most methods of identifying items, including the identify spell, fail to reveal such a curse, although ore might hint at it. A curse should be a surprise to the item’s user when the curse’s effects are revealed.

Attunement to a cursed item can’t be ended voluntarily unless the curse is broken first, such as with the remove curse spell.

There might also be different special circumstances on how a specific cursed item can be removed.  It might require a quest, bath it in the blood of a beast, or any other story related set of actions to end the connection to that cursed item.

Magic Item Categories

Each magic item belongs to a category: armor, potions, rings, rods, scrolls, staffs, wands, weapons, or wonderous items.

Armor

Unless an armor’s description says otherwise, armor must be worn for its magic to function. Some suits of magic armor specify the type of armor they are, such as chain mail or plate.

Potions

Different kinds of magical liquids are grouped in the category of potions: brews made from enchanted herbs, water from magical fountains or sacred springs, and oils that are applied to a creature or object. Most potions consist of one ounce of liquid.

Potions are consumable magic items. Drinking a potion or administering a potion to another character requires an action. Applying an oil might take longer, as specified in its description. Once used, a potion takes effect immediately, and it is used up.

Mixing Potions

A character might drink one potion while still under the effects of another or pour several potions into a single container. The strange ingredients used in creating potions can result in unpredictable interactions.

When a character mixes two potions together, you can roll on the Potion Miscibility table. If more than two are combined, roll again for each subsequent potion, combining the results. Unless the effects are immediately obvious, reveal them only when they become evident.

Potion Miscibility Table

D100Results
01The mixture creates a magical explosion, dealing 6d10 force damage to the mixer and 1d10 force damage to each creature within 5 feet of the mixer.
02 to 08The mixture becomes an ingested poison of the DM’s choice
09 to 15Both potions lose their effects.
16 to 25One potion loses its effect.
26 to 35Both potions work, but with their numerical effects and durations halved. A potion has no effect if it can’t be halved in this way.
36 to 90Both potions work normally.
91 to 99The numerical effects and duration of one potion are doubled. If neither potion has anything to double in this way, they work normally.
00Only one potion works, but its effect is permanent. Choose the simplest effect to make permanent, or the one that seems the most fun.

For example:A potion of healing might increase the drinker’s hit point maximum by 4, or oil of etherealness might permanently trap the user in the Ethereal Plane. At your discretion, an appropriate spell, such as dispel magic or remove curse, might end this lasting effect.

Rings

Magic rings offer an amazing array of powers to those lucky enough to find them. Unless a ring’s description says otherwise, a ring must be worn on a finger, or a similar digit, for the ring’s magic to function.

Rods

A scepter or just a heavy cylinder, a magic rod is typically made of metal, wood, or bone. It’s about 2 or 3 feet long, 1 inch thick, and 2 to 5 pounds.

Scrolls

Most scrolls are spells stored in written form, while a few bears unique incantations that produce potent wards. Whatever its contents, a scroll is a roll of paper, sometimes attached to wooden rods, and typically kept safe in a tube of ivory, jade, leather, metal, or wood. A scroll is a consumable magic item. Whatever the nature of the magic contained in a scroll, unleashing that magic requires using an action to read the scroll. When its magic has been invoked, the scroll can’t be used again. Its words fade, or it crumbles into dust.

Any creature that can understand a written language can read the arcane script on a scroll and attempt to activate it. Scrolls are the most sought-after item for Wizards to allow them to copy that spell into their spell book and expand out their repertoire.  Note that by copying a spell from a scroll to a spell book, that scroll is destroyed in the process.

Scroll Mishaps

A creature who tries and fails to cast a spell from a spell scroll must make a DC 10 Intelligence saving throw. If the saving throw fails, roll on the Scroll Mishap table.

Scroll Mishaps Table

D6Results
1A surge of magical energy deals the caster 1d6 force damage per level of the spell.
2The spell affects the caster or an ally (determined randomly) instead of the intended target, or it affects a random target nearby if the caster was the intended target.
3The spell affects a random location within the spell’s range.
4The spell’s effect is contrary to its normal one, but neither harmful nor beneficial. For instance, a fireball might produce an area of harmless cold.
5The caster suffers a minor but bizarre effect related to the spell. Such effects last only if the original spell’s duration, or 1d10 minutes for spells that take effect instantaneously. For example:A fireball might cause smoke to billow from the caster’s ears for 1d10 minutes.
6The spell activates after 1d12 hours. If the caster was the intended target, the spell takes effect normally. If the caster was not the intended target, the spell goes off in the general direction of the intended target, up to the spell’s maximum range, if the target has moved away.

Staffs

A magic staff is about 5 or 6 feet long. Staffs vary widely in appearance: some are of nearly equal diameter throughout and smooth, others are gnarled and twisted, some are made of wood, and others are composed of polished metal or crystal. Depending on the material, a staff weighs between 2 and 7 pounds.

Unless a staff’s description says otherwise, a staff can be used as a quarterstaff.

Wands

A magic wand is about 15 inches long and crafted of metal, bone, or wood. It is tipped with metal, crystal, stone, or some other material.

Weapons

Whether crafted for some fell purpose or forged to serve the highest ideals of chivalry, magic weapons are coveted by many adventurers.

Some magic weapons specify the type of weapon they are in their descriptions, such as a longsword or longbow.

Wondrous Items

Wondrous items include worn items such as boots, belts, capes, gloves, and various pieces of jewelry and decoration, such as amulets, brooches, and circlets. Bags, carpets, crystal balls, figurines, horns, musical instruments, and other objects also fall into this catch- all category.

Wearing and Wielding Items

Using a magic item’s properties might mean wearing or wielding it. A magic item meant to be worn must be donned in the intended fashion: boots go on the feet, gloves on the hands, hats and helmets on the head, and rings on the finger. Magic armor must be donned, a shield strapped to the arm, a cloak fastened about the shoulders. A weapon must be held in hand.

In most cases, a magic item that’s meant to be worn can fit a creature regardless of size or build. Many magic garments are made to be easily adjustable, or the: magically adjust themselves to the wearer.

Rare exceptions exist. If the story suggests a good reason for an item to fit only creatures of a certain size or shape, you can rule that it doesn’t adjust.

For example:

Armor made by the drow might fit elves only. Dwarves might make items usable only by dwarf-sized and dwarf-shaped characters.

When a non-humanoid tries to wear an item, use your discretion as to whether the item functions as intended. A ring placed on a tentacle might work, but a yuan-ti with a snakelike tail instead of legs can’t wear boots.

Multiple Items of the Same Kind

Use common sense to determine whether more than one of a given kind of magic item can be worn. A character can’t normally wear more than one pair of footwear, one pair of gloves or gauntlets, one pair of bracers, one suit of armor, one item of headwear, and one cloak. You can make exceptions; a character might be able to wear a circlet under a helmet, for example, or be able to layer two cloaks.

Paired Items

Items that come in pairs – such as boots, bracers, gauntlets, and gloves – impart their benefits only if both items of the pair are worn.

For example:

A character wearing a boot of striding and springing on one foot and a boot of elven kind on the other foot gains no benefit from either item.

Activating An Item

Activating some magic items requires a user to do something special, such as holding the item and uttering a command word. The description of each item category or individual item details how an item is activated. Certain items use one or more of the following rules for their activation.

If an item requires an action to activate, that action isn’t a function of the Use an Item action, so a feature such as the rogue’s Fast Hands can’t be used to activate the item.

Command Word

A command word is a word or phrase that must be spoken for an item to work. A magic item that requires a command word can’t be activated in an area where sound is prevented, as in the silence spell.

Consumables

Some items are used up when they are activated. A potion or an elixir must be swallowed, or an oil applied to the body. The writing vanishes from a scroll when it is read. Once used, a consumable item loses its magic.

Spells

Some magic items allow the user to cast a spell from the item. The spell is cast at the lowest possible spell level, doesn’t expend any of the user’s spell slots, and requires no components, unless the item’s description says otherwise. The spell uses its normal casting time, range, and duration, and the user of the item must concentrate if the spell requires concentration. Many items, such as potions, bypass the casting of a spell and confer the spell’s effects, with their usual duration. Certain items make exceptions to these rules, changing the casting time, duration, or other parts of a spell.

A magic item, such as certain staffs, may require you to use your own spell casting ability when you cast a spell from the item. If you have more than one spell casting ability, you choose which one to use with the item. If you don’t have a spell casting ability-perhaps you’re a rogue with the Use Magic Device feature – your spell casting ability modifier is +0 for the item, and your proficiency bonus does apply.

Charges

Some magic items have charges that must be expended to activate their properties. The number of charges an item has remaining is revealed when an identify spell is cast on it, as well as when a creature attunes to it. Additionally, when an item regains charges, the creature attuned to it learns how many charges it regained.

Magic Item Resilience

Most magic items are objects of extraordinary artisanship. Thanks to a combination of careful crafting and magical reinforcement, a magic item is at least as durable as a nonmagical item of its kind. Most magic items, other than potions and scrolls, have resistance to all damage. Artifacts are practically indestructible, requiring extraordinary measures to destroy.

Homebrew Magic Items

The following magic items are all ones that can be found in the game, many have already been found, but do exist somewhere.  All these items can also be found in D&D Beyond so any of them can be easily added to the character sheets in D&D Beyond if ever needed.

Amulet of the Monotone Voice

Wonderous Item, Common (requires attunement)

There are many instances where a person is unable to speak, from physical damage, lack of proper vocal cords, or any other reasons.  This amulet will allow the wearer to speak what is on their mind.  The sound of the voice will very clearly emanate from the wearer’s mouth even if they never open it up.  The voice will be in a medium normal speaking volume in a generic genderless voice that is only able to deliver their worded content in a strict monotone.  No matter high excited, angry, or any other emotion that the wearer might be feeling or displaying physically, the voice will never vary in loudness, tone, and delivery.

While wearing this amulet the wearer has an advantage on all roll’s verses Insight checks, or any magic that would cause the user to tell the truth.  In fact, even under a Zone of Truth the user has a 50% chance of being able to tell a lie anyway.

This magic item must be attuned to for it to function for the wearer.

Blight Oil

Oil, common

Crafted by: Blight Seed x5 (Alchemist)

This bottle contains enough oil to cover up to 10 square feet of surface area. Once this oil is rubbed into the surface of vegetation, it will soak half a foot into it. Vegetation soaked in this oil becomes as soft and malleable as wet clay and retains any physical manipulation done to it.

The oil dries after 10 minutes, causing the vegetation it was rubbed on to become solid again.

Bracer of Elemental Demise

Wonderous Item, Common (requires attunement)

Created by a loving Djinni mother for her half-breed son.  Knowing that she would not be able to remain in this world and to protect him, she created a magical item to help him survive in the rough world.

When the wearer is reduced to zero hit points their body disintegrates into a warm breeze, leaving behind only equipment they were wearing or carrying.  They reappear a random distance away and in a random direction from where they were reduced to zero hit points.  They are transported a distance equal to 2d6 x 10 in feet.  When they reappear, they are at one hit point and have nothing on them except this bracer.

This function can be used only once per long rest.

Broken Sword of Weal and Woe

Weapon (dagger), Common (requires attunement)

Originally the dagger of a soldier named Benny.  After a disastrous battle with Benny bravely defending all is friends and fellow soldiers, Benny was the last survivor to face the enemy.  He swore that no more of his friends would die, and he dove into the opposing group.  He was able to kill all the enemies but himself had endured numerous wounds, most of which were fatal.  The next day Benny and the rest of the military unit was found by those that had managed to flee the ambush.  There was Benny on top of all the dead bodies, slumped over with nothing but this broken dagger in his hands.

Once per long rest, the owner can freely cast Augury to see what fortunes await them in their endeavors.  This dagger, while broken is still able to function as a normal dagger in combat and gives the user the capability to have advantage in the first strike in a combat if the user has been surprised.

Proficiency with a dagger allows you to add your proficiency bonus to the attack roll for any attack you make with it.

Enchanted Vial

Wonderous Item, Common

Some creature parts have powerful, yet fleeting, magical energies within them. The motes from elementals for example hold traces of their former essences in them but disperse rapidly upon the destruction of their original form.

An enchanted vial is inlaid with several runes designed to keep any magical resource within from dissipating while the lid is closed and is often the only way of transporting certain parts back to a workshop for crafting.

Items that require an enchanted vial to be harvested are fragile by nature and must be stored inside an enchanted vial quickly to prevent degradation. Any attempt to harvest a material that has an enchanted vial as a requirement must be initiated within one minute of the death of its creature.

This tool can be used a maximum of five times afterwards it disintegrates into powder.  At each attempted use, roll a d20 and if a 1 is rolled, the vial is immediately destroyed.

Healing Pill

Wonderous Item, Common

You regain 1d4 hit points when you swallow this pill.  If more than one is swallowed, then all after the first do 1d4 damage instead.

Eye of Elemental Protection

Wondrous Item, unknown rarity (requires attunement by an Item auto attunes to the nearest person once acquired during the first long rest.)

A small golden statue made of what appears to be gold with four different arcane symbols with a vertical oval above them all.  This small magical item comes with five charges that renew up to 1d6 charges every day at dawn.  It has two different functions.  It can allow the user to cast an Absorb Elements for one charge or a Protection from Energy for three charges.

Note that the Absorb Elements can be up cast for the cost of additional charges.  One charge for each level it is being up cast.

Long Sword +0 (Ember)

Weapon (long sword), Rare (requires attunement)

While this is only a +0 weapon, it still counts as a magical weapon for overcoming damage resistance.  It has the following powers:

  • Sheds light in a 20-foot radius upon command
  • On a critical hit, it deals an additional 1d6 fire damage
  • Once per long rest, as a bonus action the owner can cast Fire Bolt as the spell for 2d10 fire damage and +6 to hit.

Ember was created over 600 years ago when the time of nobles and barons’ rules over the area.  Little is known of its origin.  A flame symbol is etched along the blade neat the hilt.

Proficiency with a long sword allows you to add your proficiency bonus to the attack roll for any attack you make with it.

Mask of Painful Faces

Wonderous Item, Common (requires attunement)

This mask has the bearing of a face in pain when in its normal state.  The magic item allows the wearer to create the illusion of them being someone else but only their face changes.  This illusion can be changed only once per short rest.  All the faces that are created will appear to be in some sort of pain or mental struggle.  None of the faces will appear at peace.  It is not able to change the user’s gender, nor will the wearer’s clothing be altered in any way.  The wearer’s voice can be altered, but all the voices will be gravely and sound like the person’s throat has been damaged.

Unlike most illusion spells, if the user is touch in any way, the effect will not be disabled or change at all.  In fact, there is a distinct chance the person touching the user might still be fooled by the illusion.  With a DC 20 to make the determination that there is in fact an illusion on the user.  However, if the wearer is attack and takes any form of physical or magical damage, the image will flicker, but still not revealing the exact features.  Once the user has taken five or more hits, the mask will cease functioning until a short rest is taken.

This item must be attuned to function.  Once attuned the mask will not fall off, or can it be removed until the attunement has been ended by the wearer.  The mask itself has 10 hit points and no armor class, so it is easily destroyed even when worn.

Monocle of Verisimilitude

Wonderous Item, Common (requires attunement)

Originally owned by an old hanging judge from hundreds of years ago, this monocle helps the wearer to discern the difference between lies and the truth.  It allows the user to have advantage on all Insight checks when trying to see if the target is telling the truth or not.  This function can be used as many times as the wearer’s proficiency bonus.  This is reset after a short rest.

A side effect of attuning to this object causes the user to grow a long and thin mustache that end in sharp tapered tips, no matter the gender of the wearer.  When using the special function, a single eyebrow is caused to be raised as if pondering some great fact, as well as causing the user to immediately reach to one of their mustaches ends and twirl it.

Potion of Cure Lycanthropy

Wonderous Item, Uncommon

The encroaching madness, the changes to personality, extra body hair, all of these are possible symptoms of an infection of Lycanthropy.  This potion will cure any lycanthropic infections if it is consumed within a month of the infection being inflicted.

Ring of Biting Retort

Ring, Common (requires attunement)

A ring made by someone who has an overabundance of mocking humor.  Resembling a mouth with a set of sharp teeth this ring does not look pleasant in any way.  Made of some sort of silverish metal, it never seems to be tarnished or able to get dirty in any way.

By wearing and attuning to this ring, the wearer can heal an individual 1d4, but takes 1 point of damage every time it is used.  To active the healing action, the wearer must first insult the recipient of the healing as meanly as possible.  Once the insult has been hurled the ring takes a bite of the wearer’s finger doing the damage and then spitting blood onto the healing target.

The ring may heal as many times as the proficiency bonus of the wearer per short rest. The ring cannot be used to heal the wearer of the ring.

Spirit Paper

Wonderous Item, Common

Spirit paper is a versatile tool that resembles a square of bleached papyrus. The secrets of its production were only recently discovered, and reverse engineered from secrets brought back from distant necromantic cults. By performing a small ritual with the spirit paper shortly after slaying certain creatures, a copy of that creature’s soul is bound to the spirit paper for later use. These copies are not a true soul and are more akin to an echo. These echoes do retain all the memories from its original body, and a few crafting techniques utilize these echoes to grant an item a low level of sentience or to mimic the abilities of their incorporeal reflections.

Using spirit paper is often the only way to harvest anything useful from creatures with incorporeal forms. Any harvesting attempt made for a creature part that has spirit paper as a requirement is done using a Wisdom (Religion) check rather than the usual check and is rolled separately for each item. Once a sheet of spirit paper has been used successfully to harvest an item, it cannot be reused, even if the item it contained is released.

Unlike most harvestable materials, materials that require spirit paper to be harvested dissipate very quickly after the death of its creature. Any attempt to harvest a material that has spirit paper as a requirement must be initiated within 1 minute of the death of the creature and takes 10 minutes to successfully complete.

Each Spirit paper can only be used once.

Stick of Fancy Nature Lights

Weapon (club), Common (requires attunement only and only usable by Druids)

Within some deep forest hundreds of years ago, a Great Druid carved out different wooden sticks and clubs to help those newly ordained with their concentration and spell casting.  Some of these objects have spread out as hereditary objects used by Druids ever since that time.  When a Druid uses this object as a focus for any spell casting, the craved head on the object will lean back and belch forth a bright green flame that will remain lit above the object until the spell duration ends.

While wielding this object, a Druid will gain advantage on all concentration checks when taking damage.  When this object is used as the component for the Shillelagh spell, the caster will have advantage on their first attack using this object.  This is available every time that spell has been cast using this object as a component. 

Proficiency with a club allows you to add your proficiency bonus to the attack roll for any attack you make with it.

Spells

Magic permeates the worlds of Dungeons and Dragons and most often appears in the form of a spell. This chapter provides the rules for casting spells. Different character classes have distinctive ways of learning and preparing their spells, and monsters use spells in unique ways. Regardless of its source, a spell follows the rules in the Player’s Handbook.

What is a Spell?

A spell is a discrete magical effect, a single shaping of the magical energies that suffuse the multiverse into a specific, limited expression. In casting a spell, a character carefully plucks at the invisible strands of raw magic suffusing the world, pins them in place in a particular pattern, sets them vibrating in a specific way, and then releases them to unleash the desired effect-in most cases, all in the span of seconds.

Spells can be versatile tools, weapons, or protective wards. They can deal damage or undo it, impose, or remove conditions, drain life energy away, and restore life to the dead.

Uncounted thousands of spells have been created over the course of the multiverse’s history, and many of them are long forgotten. Some might yet lie recorded in crumbling spell books hidden in ancient ruins or trapped in the minds of dead gods. Or they might someday be reinvented by a character who has amassed enough power and wisdom to do so.

Components

A spell’s components are the physical requirements you must meet to cast it. Each spell’s description indicates whether it requires verbal (V), somatic (S), or material (M) components. If you can’t provide one or more of a spell’s components, you are unable to cast the spell.

Verbal (V)

Most spells require the chanting of mystic words. The words themselves aren’t the source of the spell’s power; rather, the combination of sounds, with specific pitch and resonance, sets the threads of magic in motion. Thus, a character who is gagged or in an area of silence, such as one created by the silence spell, can’t cast a spell with a verbal component.  These chants and words are all done in a loud forceful voice, and not conducive to a stealthy mission.

Somatic (S)

Spellcasting gestures might include a forceful gesticulation or an intricate set of gestures. If a spell requires a somatic component, the caster must have free use of at least one hand to perform these gestures.

Material (M)

Casting some spells requires objects, specified in parentheses in the component entry. A character can use a component pouch or a spellcasting focus (found in chapter 5 of the Player’s Handbook) in place of the components specified for a spell. But if a cost is indicated for a component, a character must have that specific component before he or she can cast the spell.

If a spell states that a material component is consumed by the spell, the caster must provide this component for each casting of the spell.

A spellcaster must have a hand free to access these components, but it can be the same hand that he or she uses to perform somatic components.

Concentration

Some spells require you to maintain concentration to keep their magic active. If you lose concentration, such a spell ends.

If a spell must be maintained with concentration, that fact appears in its Duration entry, and the spell specific show long you can concentrate on it. You can end concentration at any time (no action required).

Normal activity, such as moving and attacking, doesn’t interfere with concentration. The following factors can break concentration:

Casting another spell that requires concentration. You lose concentration on a spell if you cast another spell that requires concentration. You can’t concentrate on two spells at once.

Taking damage. Whenever you take damage while you are concentrating on a spell, you must make a constitution saving throw to maintain your concentration. The DC equals 10 or half the damage you take, whichever number is higher. If you take damage from multiple sources, such as an arrow and a dragon’s breath, you make a separate saving throw for each source of damage.

Being incapacitated or killed. You lose concentration on a spell if you are incapacitated or if you die.

The DM might also decide that certain environmental phenomena, such as a wave crashing over you while you’re on a storm – tossed ship, require you to succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw to maintain concentration on a spell.

The Schools of Magic

Academies of magic group spells into eight categories called schools of magic. Scholars, particularly wizards, apply these categories to all spells, believing that all magic functions in essentially the same way, whether it derives from rigorous study or is bestowed by a deity.

The schools of magic help describe spells; they have no rules of their own, although some rules refer to the schools.

Abjuration (blue): spells are protective in nature, though some of them have aggressive uses. They create magical barriers, negate harmful effects, harm trespassers, or banish creatures to other planes of existence.

Conjuration (yellow): spells involve the transportation of objects and creatures from one location to another. Some spells summon creatures or objects to the caster’s side, whereas others allow the caster to teleport to another location. Some conjurations create objects or effects out of nothing.

Divine (white):  spells that involve healing or specific types of protections.

Divination (grey): spells reveal information, whether in the form of secrets long forgotten, glimpses of the future, the locations of hidden things, the truth behind illusions, or visions of distant people or places.

Enchantment (pink): spells affect the minds of others, influencing or controlling their behavior. Such spells can make enemies see the caster as a friend, force creatures to lake a course of action, or even control another creature like a puppet.

Evocation (red): spells manipulate magical energy lo produce a desired effect. Some call up blasts of fire or lightning. Others channel positive energy to heal wounds.

Illusion (purple): spells deceive the senses or minds of others. They cause people to see things that are not there, to miss things that are there, to hear phantom noises, or to remember things that never happened. Some illusions create phantom images that any creature can see, but the most insidious illusions plant an image directly in the mind of a creature.

Necromancy (green): spells manipulate the energies of life and death. Such spells can grant an extra reserve of life force, drain the life energy from another creature, create the undead, or even bring the dead back to life.

Creating the undead using necromancy spells such as animate dead is not a good act, and only evil casters use such spells frequently.

Transmutation (orange): spells change the properties of a creature, object, or environment. They might turn an enemy into a harmless creature. bolster the strength of an ally, make an object move at the caster’s command, or enhance a creature’s innate healing abilities lo rapidly recover from injury.

Combining Magical Effects

The effects of different spells add together while the duration of those spells overlap. The effects of the same spell cast multi pie times don’t combine, however. instead, the most potent effect-such as the highest bonus-from those castings applies while their duration overlap.

For example:

If two clerics cast bless on the same target, that character gains the spell’s benefit only once; he or she doesn’t get to roll two bonus dice.

Homebrew Spells

There are not any available currently but give the Campaign some time.

Combat

The clatter of a sword striking against a shield. The terrible rending sound as monstrous claws tear through armor. A brilliant flash of light as a ball of f1ame blossoms from a wizard’s spell. The sharp tang of blood in the air, cutting through the stench of vile monsters. Roars of fury, shouts of triumph, cries of pain. Combat in Dungeons and Dragons can be chaotic, deadly, and thrilling.

This chapter provides the rules you need for your characters and monsters to engage in combat, whether it is a brief skirmish or an extended conflict in a dungeon or on a field of battle. Throughout this chapter, the rules address you, the player, or Dungeon Master. The Dungeon Master controls all the monsters and nonplayer characters involved in combat, and each other player controls an adventurer. “You” can also mean the character or monster that you control.

The Order of Combat

A typical combat encounter is a clash between two sides, a flurry of weapon swings, feints, parries, footwork, and spellcasting. The game organizes the chaos of combat into a cycle of rounds and turns. A round represents about six seconds in the game world. During a round, each participant in a battle takes a turn. The order of turns is determined at the beginning of a combat encounter when everyone rolls initiative. Once everyone has taken a turn, the fight continues to the next round if neither side has defeated the other.

Combat Step by Step

  • Determine surprise. The DM determines whether anyone involved in the combat encounter is surprised.
  • Establish positions. The DM decides where all the characters and monsters are located. Given the adventurers’ marching order or their stated positions in the roam or other locations, The DM figures out where the adversaries are – how far away and in what direction.
  • Roll initiative. Everyone involved in the combat encounter rolls initiative, determining the order of combatants turns.
  • Take turns. Each participant in the battle takes a turn in initiative order.
  • Begin the next round. When everyone involved in the combat has had a turn, the round ends. Repeat step 4 until the fighting stops.

Interacting with Objects Around You

Here are a few examples of the sorts of thing you can do in tandem with your movement and or action.  Only one of these can be accomplished per round:

  • Draw or sheathe a sword.
  • Open or close a door.
  • Pick up a dropped axe.
  • Take a bauble from a table.
  • Remove a ring from your finger.
  • Stuff some food into your mouth
  • Plant a banner in the ground.
  • Fish a few coins from your belt pouch
  • Drink all the ale in a flagon.
  • Throw a lever or a switch.
  • Pull a torch from a sconce.
  • Take a book from a shelf you can reach.
  • Extinguish a small flame.
  • Don a mask
  • Pull the hood of your cloak up and over your head.
  • Put your ear to a door.
  • Kick a small stone.
  • Turn a key in a lock.
  • Tap the floor with a 10-foot pole.
  • Hand an item to another character.

Bonus Action Options

Besides the stated rules for Bonus Actions that are available to characters the following are also allowed:

  • Drink a potion that was in your hand, pouch or on a belt.

Full Action Options

  • Feed an unconscious person a potion.
  • Withdraw a potion from your backpack.

Size Diagram

Creature Size

Each creature takes up a different amount of space. The Size Categories table shows how much space a creature of a particular size controls in combat. Objects sometimes use the same size categories.

Size Categories Table

SizeSpace
Tiny2½ feet by 2½ feet
Small5 feet by 5 feet
Medium5 feet by 5 feet
Large10 feet by 10 feet
Huge15 feet by 15 feet
Gargantuan20 feet by 20 feet or larger

Space

A creature’s space is the area in feet that it effectively controls in combat, not an expression of its physical dimensions. A typical medium creature isn’t 5 feet wide, for example, but it does control a space that wide. If a Medium hobgoblin stands in a 5-foot-wide doorway, other creatures can’t get through unless the hobgoblin lets them.

A creature’s space also reflects the area it needs to tight effectively. For that reason, there’s a limit to the number of creatures that can surround another creature in combat. Assuming Medium combatants, eight creatures can fit in a 5-foot radius around another one.

Because larger creatures take up more space, fewer of them can surround a creature. If five large creatures crowd around a Medium or smaller one, there’s little room for anyone else. In contrast, as many as twenty medium creatures can surround a Gargantuan one.

Size Diagram (Squares vs Hexes)

Squeezing Into a Smaller Space

A creature can squeeze through a space that is large enough for a creature one size smaller than it. Thus, a large creature can squeeze through a passage that’s only 5 feet wide. While squeezing through a space, a creature must spend 1 extra foot for every foot it moves there, and it has disadvantage on attack rolls and dexterity saving throws. Attack rolls against the creature have advantage while it’s in the smaller space.

Playing on a Grid

Squares. Each square on the grid represents 5 feet.

Speed. Rather than moving foot by foot, move square by square on the grid. This means you use your speed in 5-foot segments. This is particularly easy if you translate your speed into squares by dividing the speed by 5.

For example:

A speed of 30 feel translates into a speed of 6 squares.

Entering a Square. To enter a square, you must have ai least 1 square of movement left, even if the square is diagonally adjacent to the square, you’re in. (The rule for diagonal movement sacrifices realism for the sake of smooth play.

If a square costs extra movement, as a square of difficult terrain does, you must have enough movement left lo pay for entering it.

For example:

You must have at least 2 squares of movement left to enter a square of difficult terrain.

Corners. Diagonal movement cannot cross the comer of a wall, large tree, or other terrain feature that fills its space.

Ranges. To determine the range on a grid between two things – whether creatures or objects – start counting squares from a square adjacent to one of them and stop counting in the space of the other one. Count by the shortest route.

Cover

To determine whether a target has cover against an attack or other effect on a grid, choose a corner of the attacker’s space or the point of origin of an area of effect. Then trace imaginary lines from that corner to every corner of any one square the target occupies. If one or two of those lines are blocked by an obstacle (including another creature), the target has half cover. If three or four of those lines are blocked but the attack can still reach the target (such as when the target is behind an arrow slit), the target has three-quarters cover.

On hexes, use the same procedure as a grid, drawing lines between the corners of the hexagons. The target has half cover it up to three lines are blocked by an obstacle, and three-quarters cover if four or more lines are blocked but the attack can still reach the target.

Flanking

A creature can’t flank an enemy that it can’t see. A creature also can’t flank while it is incapacitated. A Large or larger creature is flanking if at least one square or hex of its space qualifies for flanking.

You cannot flank a creature more than two sizes larger than yourself.  Some creatures are immune from flanking as well as some abilities might allow for that.  Large creatures only need two opponents to be flanked, while Huge require at least three and Gargantuan four.  These numbers are assuming those doing the flanking are smaller than the target creature.  If all the creatures are the same size, then flanking always only requires two attackers to flank properly.

Flanking and Cover Diagram (Squares)

Flanking on Squares. When a creature and at least one of its allies are adjacent to an enemy and on opposite sides or corners of the enemy’s space, they flank that enemy, and each of them has advantage on melee attack rolls against that enemy.

When in doubt about whether two creatures flank an enemy on a grid, trace an imaginary line between the centers of the creatures’ spaces. If the line passes through opposite sides or corners of the enemy’s space, the enemy is flanked.

Flanking on Hexes. When a creature and at least one of its allies are adjacent to an enemy and on opposite sides of the enemy’s space, they flank that enemy, and each of them has advantage on attack rolls against that enemy. On hexes, count around the enemy from one creature to its ally. Against a Medium or smaller creature, the allies flank if there are two hexes between them. Against a Large creature, the allies flank if there are four hexes between them. Against a Huge creature, they must have five hexes between them. Against a Gargantuan creature, they must have at least 6 hexes between them.

Flanking and Cover Diagram (Hexes)

Opportunity Attacks

In a fight, everyone is constantly watching for a chance to strike an enemy who is fleeing or passing by. Such a strike is called an opportunity attack.

You can make an opportunity attack when a hostile creature that you can see moves out of your reach. To make the opportunity attack, you use your reaction to make one melee attack against the provoking creature. The attack occurs right before the creature leaves your reach.

You can avoid provoking an opportunity attack by taking the Disengage action. You also don’t provoke an opportunity attack when you teleport or when someone or something moves you without using your movement, action, or reaction.

For example:

You don’t provoke an opportunity attack if an explosion hurls you out of a foe’s reach or if gravity causes you to fall past an enemy.

Facing

Combat is a dynamic set of actions.  It is assumed that all creatures unless otherwise specified are moving around within their entire space as well as looking around attempting to be alert for danger.  This means that there is not any specific facing for characters or creatures.  Everyone is assumed to have full vision around them and able to see anything that would normally be visible.

Readied Action

Sometimes you want to get the jump on a foe or wait for a particular circumstance before you act. To do so, you can take the Ready action on your turn so that you can act later in the round using your reaction.

First, you decide what perceivable circumstance will trigger your reaction. Then, you choose the action you will take in response to that trigger, or you choose to move up to your speed in response to it.

Examples include:

“If the cultist steps on the trapdoor, I’ll pull the lever that opens it,” and “If the goblin steps next to me, I move away.”

When the trigger occurs, you can either take your reaction right after the trigger finishes or ignore the trigger. Remember that you can take only one reaction per round.

When you ready a spell, you cast it as normal but hold its energy, which you release with your reaction when the trigger occurs. To be readied, a spell must’ have a casting time of one action and holding onto the spell’s magic requires concentration (explained in chapter 10 of the Player’s Handbook). If your concentration is broken, the spell dissipates without taking effect.

For example:

If you are concentrating on the web spell and ready magic missile, your web spell ends, and if you take damage before you release magic missile with your reaction, your concentration might be broken.

Cover

Walls, trees, creatures, and other obstacles can provide cover during combat, making a target more difficult to harm. A target can benefit from cover only when an attack or other effect originates on the opposite side of the cover.

There are three degrees of cover. If a target is behind multiple sources of cover, only the most protective degree of cover applies; the degrees aren’t added together.

For example:

If a target is behind a creature that gives half cover and a tree trunk that gives three-quarters cover, the target has three-quarters cover.

Half Cover

A target with half cover has a +2 bonus to AC and Dexterity saving throws. A target has half cover if an obstacle blocks at least half of its body. The obstacle might be a low wall, a large piece of furniture, a narrow tree trunk, or a creature, whether that creature is an enemy or a friend.

Three-Quarters Cover

A target with three-quarters cover has a +5 bonus to AC and Dexterity saving throws. A target has three-quarters cover if about three-quarters of it is covered by an obstacle. The obstacle might be a portcullis, an arrow slit, or a thick tree trunk.

Total Cover

A target with total cover can’t be targeted directly by an attack or a spell, although some spells can reach such a target by including it in an area of effect. A target has total cover if it is completely concealed by an obstacle.

Critical Hits and Misses

All critical hits and misses still follow the original 5e rules of rolling another set of the attacks damage dice. This includes rolling extra dice for abilities that are a part of the attack such as damage from sneak attack, hex, or the initial strike of green flame blade.

These tables simply contain a list of additional effects that take place on top of the existing critical roll rules. There are individual tables below for both weapon attacks and spell attacks because let’s be honest, there is a difference between missing with a bow and missing with a scorching ray.

Use the Critical Hit Tables below for all natural 20 rolls and the Critical Fumble Tables for any natural 1 roll.

Weapon Attacks: Critical Hits Table

Roll %DescriptionEffect
1You feel accomplished, but nothing remarkable happens.Regular critical hit.
2-5You feel it is imperative to press the advantage no matter the cost.You can choose to gain advantage on all attacks against your target until the end of your next turn, but if you do, all enemies have advantage on their attack rolls against you until the end of your next turn.
6-9You feel it is imperative to press the advantage but remain aware.You can choose to gain advantage on all attacks against your target next turn, but your target will have the same against you until the end of your next turn.
10-14You know how to gain advantage.You gain advantage on all attacks on your target until the end of your next turn.
15-19As you are fighting, you notice an effective route to escape danger.You can use the disengage action after your attack.
20-24You feel the flow of the battle and know where to make your next move.After your turn you move to the top of the initiative order.
25-29You begin to recognize patterns in your opponent’s fighting technique.You gain +2 to your AC against your target, and advantage on all savings throws from effects originating from your target until your next turn.
30-39You can move towards your target while attacking and can attempt to harass them.After your attack you can choose to attempt to grapple your opponent if you have a free hand or attempt to shove your opponent if both hands are in use.
40-49You can move towards your target while attacking to harass them.After your attack you can choose to automatically succeed in grappling your opponent if you have a free hand or shove your target if both hands are in use.
50-59You attempt to disarm your target.You can take the disarm action after your attack.
60-69You kick your target’s weapon out of their hands.You can take the disarm action after your attack and steal your target’s weapon if you have a free hand. Otherwise, it’s knocked away 20 feet.
70-74Your senses heighten and you become aware of threats around you.You can use the dodge action after your attack.
75-79Your attack knocks your target over.Your target is knocked prone.
80-84Your strike surprises your opponent.Your target is surprised until the end of their next turn.
85-89You strike with great force.Roll an additional set of damage dice above and beyond your normal critical roll.
90-94You strike with extreme force.Roll an additional set of damage dice above and beyond your normal critical roll, and the target suffers one unit of exhaustion.
95-99You strike with debilitating force.Roll an additional set of damage dice above and beyond your normal critical roll. The target suffers a permanent injury (chosen by DM). It can be healed with extended rest of a length determined by the DM but leaves a scar.
100You strike with devastating force.Roll an additional set of damage dice above and beyond your normal critical roll; the target suffers 1 unit of exhaustion and gets a permanent injury (chosen by DM). The permanent injury can be healed same as above (95-99).

Weapon Attacks: Critical Fumbles Table

Roll %DescriptionEffect
1You are embarrassed, but nothing remarkable happens.You miss your attack.
2-5You lose your combat footing, exposing yourself to your target.Your target has advantage on their first attack roll against you next round.
6-9You lose your combat footing, exposing yourself to your enemies.Your enemies have advantage on their first attack roll against you next round.
10-14You lose your combat footing and have difficulty recovering.Your enemies have advantage on their attack rolls against you until the end of your next turn.
15-19Melee: You get tangled with your enemy and fall over. Ranged: You spill your quiver.Melee: You are knocked prone, and your movement is reduced to 0. Your target must succeed a DC 10 dexterity check, or they are also knocked prone. Ranged: You must pick up arrows individually from the ground using your “environmental interaction”, or the “Use an Object” action to nock your bow.
20-29You lose your balance.You fall prone and your movement is reduced to 0.
30-39As you attack your opponent you begin to fear that they are the superior combatant.Disadvantage on your next attack roll against your target.
40-49You miss an attack and gaze upon the chaos of the battle, causing your confidence to falter.Disadvantage on your next attack roll against any target.
50-59You lose your grip as you attack.Roll a DC 10 Dexterity Check, on failure you drop your weapon at your feet.
60-69Melee: The weapon slips from your hand as you attack. Ranged: Your ammo gets lodged in its container.Melee: Roll a DC 10 DEX Check; on failure you throw your weapon into your enemy’s space. (DM’s choice on large+) Ranged: You must use an action to organize the ammunition in its case before you can make another ranged attack.
70-79Melee: You lunge past your target, exposing yourself. Ranged: Your attack startles your allies near your target.Melee: Enemy you were attacking can use their reaction to perform and attack of opportunity. Ranged: the target can perform an opportunity attack on any ally within melee range.
80-84Missing what you thought was a critical blow causes you to panic.End your current turn and you are surprised until the end of your next turn.
85-89You attack wildly and lose track of the fight around you.End your turn and move to the bottom of the initiative order at the start of the next round.
90-94You lose your footing while attacking and fall to the ground bumping your head.You fall prone. Roll a DC 10 constitution save, on failure you take 1d6 damage and are stunned for 1d4 rounds or until you receive damage from any source. On success take half damage and you remain conscious.
95-99You lose your footing while attacking and fall headfirst.You fall prone. Roll a DC 15 constitution save, on failure you take 2d6 damage and are stunned for 1d6 rounds or until you receive damage from any source. On success take half damage and you remain conscious.
100You lose your footing while attacking and slam your head into the ground.You fall prone, take 3d6 damage, and become stunned for 1d8 rounds or until you receive damage from any source.

Spell Attacks: Critical Hits Table

Roll %DescriptionEffect
1You feel accomplished, but nothing remarkable happens.Regular spell critical hit.
2-5You feel it is imperative to press the advantage no matter the cost.You can choose to gain advantage on your next attack roll against your target, but all enemies have advantage on their attack rolls against you until the end of your next turn.
6-9You feel it is imperative to press the advantage but maintain awareness of your surroundings.You can choose to gain advantage on your next attack roll against your target, your target has advantage on their attack rolls against you until the end of your next turn.
10-14As you are fighting, you notice an effective route to escape danger.You can use the disengage action after your attack.
15-19You feel flow of the battle and know where to make your next move.After your turn you move to the top of the initiative order.
20-29Your spell cripples your opponent.Your target’s movement speed is cut in half for their next 2 turns.
30-39Your spell knocks your target over.Your target is knocked prone.
40-49The light from your spell flashes near your target’s eyesYour target is blinded until the end of their next turn.
50-59You blast the target’s weapon out of their hands.Your target’s weapon is flung 1d6*5 feet away in a random direction.
60-69The sight of your magic fills the target’s heart with fear.Your target is frightened by you until you stop casting magic. You can discern the source of your target’s fear.
70-74The force from your spell stuns your opponent.Your target is incapacitated until the end of their next turn.
75-79Your spell is incidentally infused with fey energy.Roll 10d8. If your targets current health is lower than the number rolled, they fall asleep for 1 minute.
80-84Your spells strike surprises your opponent.Your target is surprised until the end of their next turn.
85-89Your spell strikes with great force.Roll an additional set of spell damage dice above and beyond your normal critical roll.
90-94Your spell strikes with extreme force.Roll an additional set of spell damage dice above and beyond your normal critical roll, and the target suffers one unit of exhaustion.
96-99Your spell strikes with debilitating force.Roll an additional set of spell damage dice above and beyond your normal critical roll and the target suffers a permanent injury (chosen by DM). It can be healed with extended rest of a length determined by the DM but leaves a scar.
100Your spell strikes with devastating force.Roll an additional set of spell damage dice above and beyond your normal critical roll. The target suffers 1 unit of exhaustion and gets a permanent injury (chosen by DM). The permanent injury can be healed same as above (96-99).

Spell Attacks: Critical Fumbles Table

Roll %DescriptionEffect
1You are embarrassed, but nothing remarkable happens.You miss your attack.
2-5You get wrapped up in your casting and forget to watch your target.Your target has advantage on their first attack roll against you next round.
6-9You get wrapped up in your casting and forget to watch around you.All enemies have advantage on their first attack roll against you next round.
10-14You are so wrapped up in your casting that you forget you are fighting a battle.All enemies have advantage on their attack rolls against you until the end of your next turn.
15-19Your spell creates a large plume of smoke obscuring your location.The area in a 5-foot radius around your location becomes heavily obscured for 1 minute. A strong breeze can blow away the smoke in 1 round.
20-29You misfire and get knocked over.You are knocked prone.
30-39The spell fires in an unexpected manner, causing your confidence in your abilities to falter.You have disadvantage on any spell attacks, and enemies have advantage against your spell savings throws until the end of your next turn.
40-49The placement of your spell startles your allies near your target, causing them to drop their guard.Your target can use their reaction to take an attack of opportunity on one of your allies in melee range.
50-59You scramble the contents of your component pouch, or your focus becomes overloaded with energy.You are unable to perform material components to cast spells until the end of your next turn.
60-69Your arm cramps as you cast.You are unable to perform somatic components to cast spells until the end of your next turn.
70-79You bite your tongue as you cast.You are unable to use verbal components to cast spells until the end of your next turn.
80-84Your spell misfires and dazes you, causing you to lose track of the fight.End your turn and move to the bottom of the initiative order at the start of the next round.
85-89You misfire and panic.End your current turn and you are surprised until the end of your next turn.
90-94Your spell backfires and causes you to fall and bump your head.You fall prone. Roll a DC 10 Con save; on failure you take 1d6 bludgeoning damage and are stunned for 1d4 rounds or until you receive damage from any source. On success take half damage and you remain conscious.
95-99Your spell backfires, creating an explosion and causing you to fall and bump your head.You fall prone. Roll a DC 15 Con save; on failure you take 1d6 bludgeoning damage, 1d6 thunder damage, and are stunned for 1d6 rounds or until you receive damage from any source. On success take half damage and you remain conscious.
100Your spell totally backfires, creating a large explosion and causing you to fall and bump your head.You hit yourself with your spell. If the spell effect is instant, you take the full effect and if the spell requires concentration the effect persists until the end of your next turn. You also take damage same as above (95-99).

Damage and Death

Dropping to 0 Hit Points

When you drop to 0 hit points, you either die outright or fall unconscious, as explained in the following sections.

Instant Death

Massive damage can kill you instantly. When damage reduces you to 0 hit points and there is damage remaining, you die if the remaining damage equals or exceeds your hit point maximum.

For example:

A cleric with a maximum of 12 hit points currently has 6 hit points. If she takes 18 damage from an attack, she is reduced to 0 hit points, but 12 damage remains. Because the remaining damage equals her hit point maximum, the cleric dies.

Falling Unconscious

If damage reduces you to 0 hit points and fails to kill you, you fall unconscious (see appendix A in the Player’s Handbook). This unconsciousness ends if you regain any hit points.

Death Saving Throws

Whenever you start your tum with 0 hit points, you must make a special saving throw, called a death saving throw, to determine whether you creep closer to death or hang onto life. Unlike other saving throws, this one isn’t tied to any ability score. You are in the hands of fate now, aided only by spells and features that improve your chances of succeeding on a saving throw.

Roll a d20. If the roll is 10 or higher, you succeed. Otherwise, you fail. A success or failure has no effect by itself. On your third success. you become stable (see below). On your third failure, you die. The successes and failures don’t need to be consecutive; keep track of both until you collect three of a kind. The number of both is reset to zero when you regain any hit points or become stable.

Rolling 1 or 20. When you make a death saving throw and roll a 1 on the d20, it counts as two failures. If you roll a 20 on the d20, you regain 1 hit point.

Damage at 0 Hit Points. If you take any damage while you have 0 hit points, you suffer a death saving throw failure. If the damage is from a critical hit, you suffer two failures instead. If the damage equals or exceeds your hit point maximum, you suffer instant death.

Stabilizing a Creature

The best way to save a creature with 0 hit points is to heal it. If healing is unavailable, the creature can at least be stabilized so that it isn’t killed by a failed death saving throw.

You can use your action to administer first aid to an unconscious creature and attempt to stabilize it, which requires a successful DC 10 Wisdom (Medicine) check.

A stable creature doesn’t make death saving throws, even though it has 0 hit points, but it does remain unconscious. The creature stops being stable, and must start making death saving throws again, if it takes any damage. A stable creature that isn’t healed regains I hit point after Id4 hours.

Monsters and Death

Most DMs have a monster die the instant it drops to 0 hit points, rather than having it fall unconscious and make death saving throws.

Mighty villains and special nonplayer characters are common exceptions; the DM might have them fall unconscious and follow the same rules as player characters.

Knocking a Creature Out

Sometimes an attacker wants to incapacitate a foe, rather than deal a killing blow. When an attacker reduces a creature to 0 hit points with a melee attack, the attacker can knock the creature out. The attacker can make this choice the instant the damage is dealt. The creature falls unconscious and is stable.

Adventuring

Delving into the ancient tomb of horrors. slipping through the back alleys of Waterdeep, hacking a fresh trail through the thick jungles on the Isle of Dread-these are the things that Dungeons and Dragons adventures are made of. Your character in the game might explore forgotten ruins and uncharted lands, uncover dark secrets and sinister plots, and slay foul monsters. And if all goes well, your character will survive to claim rich rewards before embarking on a new adventure.

This chapter covers the basics of the adventuring life, from the mechanics of movement to the complexities of social interaction. The rules for resting are also in this chapter, along with a discussion of the activities your character might pursue between adventures.

Whether adventurers are exploring a dusty dungeon or the complex relationships of a royal court, the game follows a natural rhythm, as outlined in the book’s introduction:

  • The DM describes the environment.
  • The players describe what they want to do.
  • The DM narrates the results of their actions.

Typically, the DM uses a map as an outline of the adventure, tracking the characters’ progress as they explore dungeon corridors or wilderness regions.

The DM’s notes, including a key to the map, describe what the adventurers find as they enter each new area. Sometimes, the passage of time and the adventurers’ actions determine what happens, so the DM might use a timeline or a flowchart to track their progress instead of a map.

Details on Time, speed, and movement can all be found in Chapter 8 of the Player’s Handbook as well as different activities that are important for the players and characters.

Movement

Swimming across a rushing river, sneaking down a dungeon corridor, scaling a treacherous mountain slope — all sorts of movement play a key role in fantasy gaming adventures.

The DM can summarize the adventurers’ movement without calculating exact distances or travel times:

For example:

“You travel through the forest and find the dungeon entrance late in the evening of the third day.” Even in a dungeon, particularly a large dungeon or a cave network, the DM can summarize movement between encounters: “After killing the guardian at the entrance to the ancient dwarven stronghold, you consult your map, which leads you through miles of echoing corridors to a chasm bridged by a narrow stone arch.”

Sometimes it’s important, though, to know how long it takes to get from one spot to another, whether the answer is in days, hours, or minutes. The rules for determining travel time depend on two factors: the speed and travel pace of the creatures moving and the terrain they’re moving over.

Speed

Every character and monster have a speed, which is the distance in feet that the character or monster can walk in 1 round. This number assumes short bursts of energetic movement during a life-threatening situation.

The following rules determine how far a character or monster can move in a minute, an hour, or a day.

Travel Pace

While traveling, a group of adventurers can move at a normal, fast, or slow pace, as shown on the Travel Pace table. The table states how far the party can move in a period and whether the pace has any effect. A fast pace makes characters less perceptive, while a slow pace makes it possible to sneak around and to search an area more carefully (see the “Activity While Traveling” section later in the Player’s Handbook for more information).

Forced March. The Travel Pace table assumes that character’s travel for eight hours in day. They can push on beyond that limit, at the risk of exhaustion.

For each additional hour of travel beyond eight hours, the characters cover the distance shown in the Hour column for their pace, and each character must make a constitution saving throw at the end of the hour. The DC is 10 + 1 for each hour past the first eight hours of travel. On a failed saving throw, a character suffers one level of exhaustion (see Appendix A).

Mounts and Vehicles. For short spans of time (up to an hour), many animals move much faster than humanoids. A mounted character can ride at a gallop for about an hour, covering twice the usual distance for a fast pace. If fresh mounts are available every 8 to 10 miles, characters can cover larger distances at this pace, but this is very rare except in densely populated areas.

Characters in wagons, carriages, or other land vehicles choose a pace as normal. Characters in a waterborne vessel are limited to the speed of the vessel (see chapter 5, “Equipment” in the Player’s Handbook), and they don’t suffer penalties for a fast pace or gain benefits from a slow pace. Depending on the vessel and the size of the crew, ships might be able to travel for up to 24 hours per day.

Certain special mounts, such as a pegasus or griffon, or special vehicles, such as a carpet of flying, allow you to travel more swiftly. The Dungeon Master’s Guide contains more information on special methods of travel.

Overland Movement Table (One Hour of Travel)

 Character SpeedNotes
One Hour (Overland)15 feet20 feet30 feet40 feet
Slow½ mile1 mile2 miles3 miles 
Walk1½ miles2 miles3 miles4 miles 
Fast2 miles3 miles4 miles6 miles-5 penalty to Wisdom (Perception) scores

Overland Movement Table (Eight Hours of Travel)

 Character SpeedNotes
One Day (Overland)15 feet20 feet30 feet40 feet
Slow4 miles8 miles16 miles24 miles 
Walk12 miles16 miles24 miles32 miles 
Fast16 miles20 miles30 miles40 miles-5 penalty to Wisdom (Perception) scores

Difficult Terrain

The travel speeds given in the Travel Pace table assume relatively simple terrain: roads, open plains, or clear dungeon corridors. But adventurers often face dense forests, deep swamps, rubble-filled ruins, steep mountains, and ice-covered ground — all considered difficult terrain. You move at half speed or slower in difficult terrain.

As an example:

Moving 1 foot in difficult terrain costs 2 feet of speed — so you can cover only half the normal distance in a minute, an hour, or a day.

Hampered Movement Table

ConditionAdditional Movement Cost
Difficult terrain×2
Obstacle×2
Poor visibility×2
Impassable

Different terrains will cause different movement speeds.  This is true for Combat movement or Overland travel.

Terrain and Overland Movement Table

TerrainHighwayRoad or TrailTrackless
Desert, sandy×1×½×½
Forest×1×1×½
Hills×1×¾×½
Jungle×1×¾×¼
Moor×1×1×¾
Mountains×¾×¾×½
Plains×1×1×¾
Swamp×1×¾×½
Tundra, frozen×1×¾×¾

Quadrupeds, such as horses, can carry heavier loads than characters can.

Mounts Movement Table

Mounts (carrying load)Per HourPer Day
Light horse or light warhorse6 miles48 miles
Light horse (151-450 lb.)4 miles32 miles
Light warhorse (231-690 lb.)4 miles32 miles
Heavy horse or heavy warhorse5 miles40 miles
Heavy horse (201-600 lb.)3½ miles28 miles
Heavy warhorse (301-900 lb.)3½ miles28 miles
Pony or war pony4 miles32 miles
Pony (76-225 lb.)3 miles24 miles
War pony (101-300 lb.)3 miles24 miles
Donkey or mule3 miles24 miles
Donkey (51-150 lb.)2 miles16 miles
Mule (231-690 lb.)2 miles16 miles
Dog, riding4 miles32 miles
Dog, riding (101-300 lb.)3 miles24 miles

Rafts, barges, keelboats, and rowboats are used on lakes and rivers.

If going downstream, add the speed of the current (typically 3 miles per hour) to the speed of the vehicle. In addition to 10 hours of being rowed, the vehicle can also float an additional 14 hours, if someone can guide it, so add an additional 42 miles to the daily distance traveled. These vehicles can’t be rowed against any significant current, but they can be pulled upstream by draft animals on the shores.

Vehicle Movement Table

VehiclesPer HourPer Day
Cart or wagon2 miles16 miles
Raft or barge (poled or towed)½ mile5 miles
Keelboat (rowed)1 mile10 miles
Rowboat (rowed)1½ miles15 miles
Sailing ship (sailed)2 miles48 miles
Warship (sailed and rowed)2½ miles60 miles
Longship (sailed and rowed)3 miles72 miles
Galley (rowed and sailed)4 miles96 miles

Special Types of Movement

Movement through dangerous dungeons or wilderness areas often involves more than simply walking. Adventurers might have to climb, crawl, swim, or jump to get where they need to go.

Climbing, Swimming, and Crawling

Each foot of movement costs 1 extra foot (2 extra feet in difficult terrain) when you’re climbing, swimming, or crawling. You ignore this extra cost if you have a climbing speed and use it to climb, or a swimming speed and use it to swim. At the DM’s option, climbing a slippery vertical surface or one with few handholds requires a successful Strength (Athletics) check. Similarly, gaining any distance in rough water might require a successful Strength (Athletics) check.

Jumping

Your Strength determines how far you can jump.

Long Jump. When you make a long jump, you cover several feet up to your Strength score if you move at least 10 feet on foot immediately before the jump. When you make a standing long jump, you can leap only half that distance. Either way, each foot you clear on the jump costs a foot of movement.

This rule assumes that the height of your jump doesn’t matter, such as a jump across a stream or chasm. At your DM’s option, you must succeed on a DC 10 Strength (Athletics) check to clear a low obstacle (no taller than a quarter of the jump’s distance), such as a hedge or low wall. Otherwise, you hit it.

When you land in difficult terrain, you must succeed on a DC 10 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check to land on your feet. Otherwise, you land prone.

High Jump. When you make a high jump, you leap into the air several feet equal to 3 + your Strength modifier (minimum of 0 feet) if you move at least 10 feet on foot immediately before the jump. When you make a standing high jump, you can jump only half that distance. Either way, each foot you clear on the jump costs a foot of movement. In some circumstances, your DM might allow you to make a Strength (Athletics) check to jump higher than you normally can.

You can extend your arms half your height above yourself during the jump. Thus, you can reach above you a distance equal to the height of the jump plus 1 1/2 times your height.

The Environment

By its nature, adventuring involves delving into places that are dark, dangerous, and full of mysteries to be explored. The rules in this section cover some of the most important ways in which adventurers interact with the environment in such places. The Dungeon Master’s Guide has rules covering more unusual situations.  There are also a lot more details in Chapter 8 of the Player’s Handbook.

Vison and Light

The most fundamental tasks of adventuring-noticing danger, finding hidden objects, hitting an enemy in combat, and targeting a spell, to name just a few- rely heavily on a character’s ability to see. Darkness and other effects that obscure vision can prove a significant hinderance.

A given area might be lightly or heavily obscured. In a lightly obscured area, such as dim light, patchy fog, or moderate foliage, creatures have disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight.

A heavily obscured area – such as darkness, opaque fog, or dense foliage – blocks vision entirely. A creature in a heavily obscured area effectively suffers from the blinded condition.

The presence or absence of light in an environment creates three categories of illumination: bright light, dim light, and darkness.

Bright light lets most creatures see normally. Even gloomy days provide bright light, as do torches, lanterns, fires, and other sources of illumination within a specific radius.

Dim light, also called shadows, creates a lightly obscured area. An area of dim light is usually a boundary between a source of bright light such as a torch, and surrounding darkness. The soft light of twilight and dawn also counts as dim light. A particularly brilliant full moon might bathe the land in dim light.

Darkness creates a heavily obscured area. Characters face darkness outdoors at night (even most moonlit nights). within the confines of an unlit dungeon or a subterranean vault, or in an area of magical darkness.

Blindsight

A creature with blindsight can perceive its surroundings without relying on sight, within a specific radius. Creatures without eyes, sue h as oozes, and creatures with echolocation or heightened senses, such as bats and true dragons, have this sense.

Darkvision

Many creatures in the worlds of Dungeons and Dragons, especially those that dwell underground. have darkvision. Within a specified range, a creature with darkvision can see in darkness as if the darkness were dim light, so areas of darkness are only lightly obscured as far as that creature is concerned. However, the creature can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Truesight

A creature with truesight can, out to a specific range, see in normal and magical darkness, see invisible creatures and objects, automatically detect visual illusions, and succeed on saving throws against them, and perceives the original form of a shape changer or a creature that is transformed by magic. Furthermore, the creature can see into the Ethereal Plane.

Social Interaction

Exploring dungeons, overcoming obstacles, and slaying monsters are key parts of D&D adventures. No less important, though, are the social interactions that adventurers have with other inhabitants of the world.

Interaction takes on many forms. You might need to convince an unscrupulous thief to confess to some malfeasance, or you might try to flatter a dragon so that it will spare your life. The DM assumes the roles of any characters who are participating in the interaction that don’t belong to another player at the table. Any such character is called a nonplayer character (NPC).

In general terms, an NPC’s altitude toward you is described as friendly, indifferent, or hostile. Friendly NPCs are predisposed to help you, and hostile ones are inclined to get in your way. It’s easier to get what you want from a friendly NPC, of course.

Social interactions have two primary aspects: roleplaying and ability checks.

Roleplaying

Roleplaying is literally the act of playing out a role. In this case, it’s you as a player determining how your character thinks, acts, and talks.

Roleplaying is a part of every aspect of the game, and it comes to the fore during social interactions. Your character’s quirks, mannerisms, and personality influence how interactions resolve.

There are two styles you can use when roleplaying your character: the descriptive approach and the active approach. Most players use a combination of the two styles. Use whichever mix of the two works best for you.

Descriptive Approach to Roleplaying

With this approach, you describe your character’s words and actions to the DM and the other players. Drawing on your mental image of your character, you tell everyone what your character does and how he or she does it.

For instance:

 Chris plays Tordek the dwarf. Tordek has a quick temper and blames the elves of the Cloakwood for his family’s misfortune. At a tavern. an obnoxious elf minstrel sits at Tordek’s table and tries to strike up a conversation with the dwarf.

Chris says, “Tordek spits on the floor, growls an insult at the bard, and stomps over to the bar. He sits on a stool and glares at the minstrel before ordering another drink.”

In this example, Chris has conveyed Tordek’s mood and given the DM a clear idea of his character’s altitude and actions.

When using descriptive roleplaying, keep the following things in mind:

  • Describe your character’s emotions and altitude. Focus on your character’s intent and how others might perceive it.
  • Provide as much embellishment as you feel comfortable with.
  • Don’t worry about getting things exactly right. Just focus on thinking about what your character would do and describing what you see in your mind.

Active Approach to Roleplaying

If descriptive roleplaying tells your DM and your fellow players what your character thinks and does, active roleplaying shows them.

When you use active roleplaying, you speak with your character’s voice, like an actor taking on a role. You might even echo your character’s movements and body language. This approach is more immersive than descriptive roleplaying, though you still need to describe things that can’t be reasonably acted out.

Going back to the example of Chris roleplaying Tordek above, here’s how the scene might play out if Chris used active roleplaying:

For example:

Speaking as Tordek, Chris says in a gruff, deep voice, “I was wondering why it suddenly smelled awful in here. If I wanted to hear anything out of you, I’d snap your arm and enjoy your screams.” In his normal voice, Chris then adds, “I get up, glare at the elf, and head to the bar.”

Results of Roleplaying

The DM uses your character’s actions and attitudes to determine how an NPC reacts. A cowardly NPC buckles under threats of violence. A stubborn dwarf refuses to let anyone badger her. A vain dragon laps up flattery.

When interacting with an NPC, pay close attention to the DM’s portrayal of the NPC’s mood, dialogue, and personality. Vou might be able to determine an NPC’s personality traits, ideals, flaws, and bonds, then play on them to influence the NPC’s attitude.

Interactions in Dungeons and Dragons are much like interactions in real life. If you can offer NPCs something they want, threaten them with something they fear, or play on their sympathies and goals, you can use words to get almost anything you want. On the other hand, if you insult a proud warrior or speak ill of a noble’s allies, your efforts to convince or deceive will fall short.

Monster Harvesting

The act of removing useful body parts from a creature is referred to as harvesting.

Anything that can be harvested from a creature is referred to as a harvesting material or simply material. In general, only creatures that have died may be harvested, but there may be some exceptions based on context.

Appraising

Before a player begins hacking and butchering their hunt, they may instead choose to take a moment first and appraise the creature to be harvested. To do this, they must spend 1 minute examining the creature to be harvested and then roll an Intelligence check, adding their proficiency bonus if they are proficient in the skill corresponding to that creature (see table below).

For example:

Appraising a Beholder (which is an aberrant), the check would be an Intelligence (Arcana) check, while appraising an Ogre (which is a giant) would require an Intelligence (Medicine) check.

The DC of the check is equal to 8 + the Harvested Creature’s CR (treating any CR less than 1 as 0). Success on this check grants the player full knowledge of any useful harvesting materials on the creature, the DC requirement to harvest those materials, any special requirements to harvest them, and any potential risks in doing so. In addition, any harvesting check made on that creature by that player is rolled at advantage. A character may only attempt one appraisal check per creature.

Monster Type / Skill Check Table

Creature TypeSkill Check
AberrationArcana
BeastNature or Survival
CelestialArcana
ConstructInvestigation
DragonArcana or Nature
ElementalArcana
FeyArcana
FiendArcana or Religion
GiantMedicine
HumanoidMedicine
MonstrosityNature
OozeInvestigation
PlantNature
UndeadArcana or Religion

Splitting Up the Responsibilities

Some party members may prefer to let one character handle the appraisal of materials, while another more dexterous character handles the actual harvesting. In this scenario, all benefits of appraising a creature are conferred to the player doing the harvesting, so long as the player that performed the appraising assists the harvesting player through the whole duration of the harvest.

This section details the steps associated with performing a harvest, and any factors that may influence it.

Harvesting

To harvest a creature, a character must make a Dexterity ability check using the same skill proficiency as listed in the above appraising table.

For example:

A character attempting a harvest check on an Aberrant would receive a bonus equal to their Dexterity modifier and their proficiency in Arcana (if they have any).

This check reflects a character’s ability to not only properly remove the intended item without damaging it, but it also involves any ancillary requirements of the harvest such as proper preservation and storage techniques.

Using other proficiencies:

If a player is harvesting a certain creature or harvesting a creature of a certain type of material, the DM may allow them to use a relevant tool proficiency rather than a skill proficiency.

For example, the DM may allow a player to add their proficiency with Tinker’s Tools to their attempt to harvest a mechanical golem or use their proficiency with leatherworking tools when attempting to harvest a creature for its hide. Alternatively, all creature type proficiencies may be replaced by proficiency with the harvesting kit.

Each individual item in a creature’s harvesting table is listed with a DC next to it. Any roll that a player makes that equals or exceeds this DC grants that player that item. Rewards are cumulative, and a player receives every item with a DC equal to or below their ability check result.

For example:

Rolling a total of 15 on a check to harvest an azer will reward the player with both “azer ash’, and “azer bronze skin”, but not a “spark of creation”. If they so wish, players may opt to not harvest a material even if they have met the DC threshold to harvest it.

Only one harvesting attempt may be made on a creature. Failure to meet a certain item’s DC threshold assumes that the item was made unsalvageable due to the harvester’s incompetence.

For most creatures, the time it takes to harvest a material is counted in minutes and is equal to the DC of that material divided by 5. For huge creatures however, it is equal in DC of that material, while for gargantuan creatures, it is equal to the DC of that material multiplied by 2.

Violent Deaths

This guide assumes that most creatures you attempt to harvest died in direct combat and thus already accounts for the idea that you are harvesting creatures that are not in pristine condition. However, some deaths are more violent than others and can make harvesting useful materials either extremely difficult or downright impossible. Such examples include burning by fire, dissolving from acid, or being completely crushed under a pillar of stone. In these cases, raise the DC for harvesting any of that creature’s materials by 5. Alternatively, the DM may decide that well- orchestrated hunts result in a carcass that is prime for harvesting, such as creatures killed mostly through psychic damage, or those killed in one clean attack. In these cases, the DM should lower the DC for harvesting any of that creature’s materials by 5.

Furthermore, the DM may adjudicate whether some of a creature’s individual materials have been made useless due to effects imposed by them during their death. Examples may include blood being tainted from poisoning, or their pelt being worthless due to excessive slashing/piercing damage.

Expiration

Many harvested goods will start to rot and decay. Below is a quick overview of how we determined expiration dates.

Item TypeDaysExplanation
Body Part2Flesh rots and decays quickly.
Body Part, Undead7Undead body parts are already rotting, so their usefulness can last a little longer than regular flesh (which becomes useless when it rots).
BonesBones take a very long time to decay.
FeathersFeathers take a very long time to decay.
Ears14Ears are predominantly tough cartilage (soft bone). The skin around the ear’s rots quickly, but the ear remains intact for some time after.
HairHair takes a very long time to decay.
Head3Like other flesh, it rots and decays quickly, but lasts slightly longer
Hides/Pelts10Hides/Pelts must be treated and soaks to retain its usefulness.
Liquid, Vial (i.e., Blood)7If contained in a stoppered vial, most fluids have a longer shelf life. However, if exposed to air, it gets ruined VERY quickly.
Liquid, Vial (i.e., Slime)14Slimes and gels tend to have a longer shelf-life than other fluids. However, if exposed to air, it gets ruined VERY quickly.
Poisons14Most poisons are viable for about 2 weeks. However, each poison is different. In additions, proficiency with a poisoner’s kit may allow assassins the ability to extend the shelf-life every few weeks (adding other ingredients to extend the poison’s usefulness)
Tattoos/Marks5Usually a strip of skin, which can be preserved with some oil to last a little longer than other flesh.
Wings7While wings contain flesh, which rots quickly, the bones and leather/feather last much longer, making the wings usefulness last longer.

Meat

It is possible to harvest the meat of many creatures, although uncooked meat spoils quickly and often attract other predators. Some creature types have meat that is inedible (i.e., undead), while others carry some sort of stigma (cannibalism, distasteful, unholy). For example, eating a celestial may be considered a vile, unholy act; while eating a monstrosity may be considered disgusting and distasteful; and giants are too like most medium-sized humanoids and is often considered in line with cannibalism. Of course, while buying stigma associated meats is forbidden and possibly illegal in most places, there are always people willing to buy illegal goods (although they may be hard to find).

Creature TypeEdiblePossible StigmaSellable
AberrationN Inedible
BeastYNY
CelestialYCannibalism, Holy CreatureN
ConstructN Inedible
DragonYNY
ElementalN Inedible
FeyYCannibalism, WorshipedSome are inedible
FiendN Inedible
GiantYCannibalism, Disgusting CreatureN
HumanoidYCannibalismN
Monstrosity*Disgusting CreatureN
OozeN Inedible
PlantN No meat
UndeadN Inedible

      * Some monstrosities have meat that is edible (DM Discretion)

The amount of meat is dependent on the beast’s size. The weight of a raw piece of meat is one pound heavier than a ration (one slab of meat, 3 lb. is needed to produce 1 dried ration, 2 lb.).

Beast SizeDCMeatWeightExpire
Tiny512 lb.1 day
Small51d43-12 lb.1 day
Medium51d63-18 lb.1 day
Large52d66-36 lb.1 day
Huge54d612-72 lb.1 day

Eating Meat: Cooked meat can be eaten safely. Cooking meat requires a campfire or oven. Eating raw meat requires a DC 10 Constitution Check. A successful check results in a filling meal. A failure results in debilitating stomach cramps, causing 1 level of exhaustion (disadvantage on ability checks).

Drying Meat: The meat can be dried using salt, spices, heat, and time.

Drying MethodTimeDCNotes
Oven6 hours5 
Smoke Hut2 days7Smoking must be maintained (can’t be left alone for days)
Sun16 hours15Must be in direct sunlight, in over 85°F. Set on a hot stone or hanging from a rack. Higher chance of spoiling.

Drunkenness

A pint of ale is never very far away in the world of Faerun. A drink to accompany a fine meal a bit of liquid courage to head into battle, or a celebration after long and arduous journey. A great way for anyone to enjoy themselves, but alcohol itself is a double-edged sword It can make you feel invincible, but it can also make you think you’re seeing double, be careful when consuming for dangerous effects are never tar behind.

Intoxication

For many, alcohol can affect you differently that is where intoxication levels come into effect. Your characters intoxication level is equal to your constitution modifier plus your proficiency bonus and there are different stages to being drunk.

Tipsy

when the alcohol is flowing, and good times are being had by all you start to feel a tingle in your fingers. You gain the sense that you could do just about anything, you are tipsy.

“Tipsy” is when you are 1/4 of the way to being intoxicated rounded down. Therefore, at this stage you have advantage on a charisma-based skill checks and wisdom saves for being frightened At this stage you also gain disadvantage on ranged attacks

Drunk

As the night continues so does your drinking. You’re having a fun night, why stop? Once you’ve reached 1/2 of your intoxication level you reached the point where you are drunk.

At this stage your speech is slurred, you’re seeing double, and your limbs are a little numb. If you are drunk, you gain five temporary hit points and maintain your advantage against fright. You lose your charisma-based advantage and gain disadvantage on ALL attack rolls and intelligence checks.

Wasted

At this point in the night. you are one of the last people in the bar. You’ve ignored that voice in the back of your head saying you should stop and now you’re wasted.

When you are 3/4 of the way to full intoxication you are wasted. You gain another five temporary hit points and cannot be rightened or charmed, but you have disadvantage on all attack rolls and ability checks.

Blackout

Now you have drank too much. You have past the point of no return. You may not be able to form coherent thoughts or even be able to say your own name. You have reached the Blackout stage.

This is the point where you have reached your intoxication level You are at disadvantage for any attack rolls, ability checks and saves aside from Constitution. At this point you must make a constitution save (D.C. equals 10 + 1/2 the number of drinks consumed) every hour or be rendered unconscious.

A Simple Drink

There are many types of drinks that one could imbibe, and those drinks have different levels of intoxication.

Drink Strength Table

StrengthDrink
½Watered Down
1Average
2Strong
3Inhuman

Racial Bonus

Dwarves, Half-Ores, and Goliaths have stronger constitutions than most. Therefore, their intoxication level is twice their Constitution modifier plus their proficiency bonus.

Lockpicking

Insert cool intro here. I mean. it’s just a homebrew on lockpicking, what kind of intro does it need? It anything, I’ll just say I think it’s cooler than your usual Dexterity (thieves’ tools) single roll. but that’s just my opinion.

Study the Lock

When faced with some kind of mechanical lock, you can use your Action to Study the Lock. You handle, analyze, and test the lock looking for weak spots and trying to figure out the best plan of attack. Make an Intelligence (thieves’ tools) check against the DC of the lock. If you succeed, you find the mechanism’s weak spots and how to exploit them giving your future attempts at picking the lock advantage.

Additionally, if you take a subtle approach when unlocking the lock, the jam the lock result becomes minor setback and the break the lock result becomes jam the lock. It you fail, you don’t gain any additional information on the lock. Future attempts at studying the lock can only be made after a short rest.

Pick the Lock

You use your Action to try to, you know, pick the lock. You must choose a subtle or a non-subtle approach and then make a Dexterity (thieves’ tools) against the lock’s DC. Creatures without proficiency in thieves’ tools can’t opt for a subtle attempt and creatures using improvised tools make the check with disadvantage.

If you succeed on the check, the lock is picked and opens. If you fail by less than 5, the lock isn’t picked but nothing else happens. If you fail 5 or more, but less than 10, you jam the lock. If you fail by 10 or more, you break the lock on the spot. Hard to visualize? Here’s a handy-dandy table.

DC15 Lock Example Table

CheckResults
5 or lessBreak the lock
6 to 10Jam the lock
11-14Nothing happens
15 or moreLock opens

Break the Lock

The lock is broken and can’t be picked or used. Sorry, dude.

Jam the Lock

Your attempt at picking the lock caused something to break, catch, jam, or otherwise damage the mechanism momentarily. Future attempts at picking the lock have the DC cumulatively increased by five until the lock is successful picked or properly opened by its designed opening method of the lock’s DC is increased by 15, you break the lock.

Minor Setback

Same as jamming the lock except the DC is only increased by two.

Subtle Approach

You focus on decreasing your chances of leaving visible marks of you forced entry by using subtler, gentler, and less aggressive methods. Your attempts at picking the lock are hard to see to most people. If someone tries to analyze the lock looking for marks, they must make an Intelligence (Investigation) check against a DC equal to 10 plus your Dexterity (thieves’ tools) bonus. seeing nothing out of the ordinary on a failure and signs of your picking on a success.

Non-Subtle Approach

You just want to get the job done, no fuss, no subtlety. You use more aggressive methods and whatever tools your nave in your arsenal to open the lock, like using a piece of metal for leverage. creating dents on specific places to weaken the mechanism, etc., which leaves clearly perceivable marks on the lock or on the area it was placed. Any creature that looks at the lock can see that it was the target of a breaking and entering attempt.

Changing the DC

Some locks can be more susceptible to a specific type of approach. A rusty lock is considerably harder to pick using delicate tools and trying not to leave marks than it is to simply grab a hammer or plyers and try to make the mechanism unlock by force. At the same time, some locks might be too heavy or reinforced to be reasonably made to open without the use of small tools and delicate technique. For that reason, the DM might assign different DCs for the same lock based on what approach is taken. A successful study the lock check tells the character whether one of the approaches is easier than the other or it both have the

Magical Locks

If the lock has a magical component to it. the DM might allow the study the lock check to be an Intelligence (Arcana) check instead of the usual Intelligence (Thieves Tools) check.

Using Ability Scores

Six abilities provide a quick description of every creature’s physical and mental characteristics:

  • Strength, measuring physical power.
  • Dexterity, measuring agility.
  • Constitution, measuring endurance.
  • Intelligence, measuring reasoning and memory.
  • Wisdom, measuring perception and insight.
  • Charisma, measuring force of personality.

Is a character muscle-bound and insightful? Brilliant and charming? Nimble and hardy? Ability scores define these qualities-a creature’s assets as well as weaknesses.

The three main rolls of the game-the ability check, the saving throw, and the attack roll-rely on the six ability scores. The book’s introduction describes the basic rule behind these rolls: roll a d20, add an ability modifier derived from one of the six ability scores, and compare the total to a target number.

D&D Ability Score Descriptions

Strength

Strength Description Table

Attribute ScoreAttribute Description
1 (–5) Morbidly weak, has significant trouble lifting own limbs
2-3 (–4) Needs help to stand, can be knocked over by strong breezes
4-5 (–3) Visibly weak. Might be knocked off balance by swinging something dense
6-7 (–2) Difficulty pushing an object of their weight
8-9 (–1) Has trouble lifting heavy objects for a longer time
10-11 (0) Lifts heavy objects for a short time. Can perform simple physical labor for a few hours without break
12-13 (1) Carries heavy objects and throws small objects for medium distances. Can perform physical labor for half a day without break
14-15 (2) Visibly toned. Carries heavy objects with one arm for longer distances. Doesn’t get too exhausted by physical labor
16-17 (3) Muscular. Can break objects like wood with bare hands and raw strength. Can perform heavy physical labor for several hours without break
18-19 (4) Heavily muscular. Able to out-wrestle a work animal or catch a falling person. Performs the work of multiple people in physical labor
20 (5) Pinnacle of brawn, able to out-lift several people in combined effort.

Dexterity

Dexterity Description Table

Attribute ScoreAttribute Description
1 (–5) Barely mobile, probably significantly paralyzed
2-3 (–4) Incapable of moving without noticeable effort or pain
4-5 (–3) Visible paralysis or physical difficulty
6-7 (–2) Significant klutz or very slow to react
8-9 (–1) Somewhat slow, occasionally trips over own feet
10-11 (0) Capable of usually catching a small, tossed object
12-13 (1) Able to often hit large targets.
14-15 (2) Able to often hit small targets. Can catch or dodge a medium-speed surprise projectile
16-17 (3) Light on feet, able to often hit small moving targets
18-19 (4) Graceful, able to flow from one action into another easily. Capable of dodging a small number of thrown objects
20 (5) Moves like water, reacting to all situations with almost no effort. Capable of dodging many thrown objects

Constitution

Constitution Description Table

Attribute ScoreAttribute Description
1 (–5) Minimal immune system, body reacts violently to anything foreign
2-3 (–4) Frail, suffers frequent broken bones
4-5 (–3) Bruises very easily, knocked out by a light punch
6-7 (–2) Unusually prone to disease and infection
8-9 (–1) Easily winded, incapable of a full day’s hard labor
10-11 (0) Occasionally contracts mild sicknesses
12-13 (1) Can take a few hits before being knocked unconscious
14-15 (2) Easily shrugs off most illnesses. Able to labor for twelve hours most days
16-17 (3) Able to stay awake for days on end
18-19 (4) Very difficult to wear down, almost never feels fatigue
20 (5) Tireless paragon of physical endurance. Almost never gets sick, even to the most virulent diseases

Intelligence

Intelligence Description Table

Attribute ScoreAttribute Description
1 (–5) Animalistic, no longer capable of logic or reason. Behavior is reduced to simple reactions to immediate stimuli
2-3 (–4) Rather animalistic. Acts on instinct but can still resort to simple planning and tactics
4-5 (–3) Very limited speech and knowledge. Often resorts to charades to express thoughts
6-7 (–2) Has trouble following trains of thought, forgets most unimportant things
8-9 (–1) Misuses and mispronounces words. May be forgetful
10-11 (0) Knows what they need to know to get by
12-13 (1) Knows a bit more than is necessary, logical
14-15 (2) Fairly intelligent, able to understand new tasks quickly. Able to do math or solve logic puzzles mentally with reasonable accuracy
16-17 (3) Very intelligent, may invent new processes or uses for knowledge
18-19 (4) Highly knowledgeable, probably the smartest person many people know
20 (5) Famous as a sage and genius. Able to make Holmesian leaps of logic

Wisdom

Wisdom Description Table

Attribute ScoreAttribute Description
1 (–5) Seemingly incapable of thought, barely aware
2-3 (–4) Rarely notices important or prominent items, people, or occurrences
4-5 (–3) Seemingly incapable of forethought
6-7 (–2) Often fails to exert common sense
8-9 (–1) Forgets or opts not to consider options before acting
10-11 (0) Makes reasoned decisions most of the time
12-13 (1) Able to tell when a person is upset
14-15 (2) Reads people and situations well. Can get hunches about a situation that doesn’t feel right
16-17 (3) Often used as a source of wisdom or decider of actions
18-19 (4) Reads people and situations very well, almost unconsciously
20 (5) Nearly prescient, able to reason far beyond logic

Charisma

Charisma Description Table

Attribute ScoreAttribute Description
1 (–5) Barely conscious, probably acts very alien. May have a presence which repels other people.
2-3 (–4) Minimal independent thought, relies heavily on others to think instead
4-5 (–3) Has trouble thinking of others as people and how to interact with them
6-7 (–2) Terribly reticent, uninteresting, or rude
8-9 (–1) Something of a bore, makes people mildly uncomfortable or simply clumsy in conversation
10-11 (0) Capable of polite conversation
12-13 (1) Mildly interesting. Knows what to say to the right people
14-15 (2) Often popular or infamous. Knows what to say to most people and is very confident in debate
16-17 (3) Quickly likeable, respected or feared by many people. May be very eloquent. Good at getting their will when talking to people
18-19 (4) Quickly likeable, respected or feared by almost everybody. Can entertain people easily or knows how to effectively convince them of their own beliefs and arguments
20 (5) Renowned for wit, personality, and/or looks. May be a natural born leader

This chapter focuses on how to use ability checks and saving throws, covering the fundamental activities that creatures attempt in the game. Rules for attack rolls appear in chapter 9 of the Player’s Handbook.

Advantage and Disadvantage

Sometimes a special ability or spell tells you that you have advantage or disadvantage on an ability check, a saving throw, or an attack roll. When that happens, you roll a second d20 when you make the roll. Use the higher of the two rolls if you have advantage and use the lower roll if you have disadvantage.

For example:

If you have disadvantage and roll a 17 and a 5, you use the 5. If you instead have advantage and roll those numbers, you use the 17.

If multiple situations affect a roll and each one grants advantage or imposes disadvantage on it, you don’t roll more than one additional d20. If two favorable situations grant advantage, for example, you still roll only one additional d20.

If circumstances cause a roll to have both advantage and disadvantage, you are considered to have neither of them, nor you roll one d20. This is true even if multi pie circumstances impose disadvantage and only one grants advantage or vice versa. In such a situation, you have neither advantage nor disadvantage.

When you have advantage or disadvantage and something in the game, such as the halfling’s Lucky trait, lets you reroll the d20, you can reroll only one of the dice. Vou choose which one.

For example:

If a halfling has advantage on an ability check and rolls a 1 and a 13, the halfling could use the Lucky trait to reroll the 1.

You usually gain advantage or disadvantage using special abilities, actions, or spells. Inspiration (see chapter 4 of the Player’s Handbook) can also give a character advantage on checks related to the character’s personality, ideals, or bonds. The DM can also decide that circumstances influence a roll in one direction or the other and grant advantage or impose disadvantage as a result.

Proficiency Bonus

Characters have a proficiency bonus determined by level, as detailed in chapter 1 of the Player’s Handbook. Monsters also have this bonus, which is incorporated in their stat blocks. The bonus is used in the rules on ability checks, saving throws, and attack rolls.

Your proficiency bonus can’t be added to a single die roll or other number more than once.

For example:

If two different rules say you can add your proficiency bonus to a Wisdom saving throw, you nevertheless add the bonus only once when you make the save.

Occasionally, your proficiency bonus might be multiplied or divided (doubled or halved, for example) before you apply it. For example, the rogue’s Expertise feature doubles the proficiency bonus for certain ability checks. If a circumstance suggests that your proficiency bonus applies more than once to the same roll, you still add it only once and multiply or divide it only once.

By the same token, if a feature or effect allows you to multiply your proficiency bonus when making an ability check that wouldn’t normally benefit from your proficiency bonus, you still don’t add the bonus to the check. For that check your proficiency bonus is 0, given the fact that multiplying 0 by any number is still 0. For instance, if you lack proficiency in the History skill, you gain no benefit from a feature that lets you double your proficiency bonus when you make Intelligence (History) checks.

In general, you don’t multiply your proficiency bonus for attack rolls or saving throws. If a feature or effect allows you to do so, these same rules apply.

Ability Checks

An ability check tests a character’s or monster’s innate talent and training to overcome a challenge. The DM calls for an ability check when a character or monster attempts an action (other than an attack) that has a chance of failure. When the outcome is uncertain, the dice determine the results.

For every ability check, the DM decides which of the six abilities is relevant to the task at hand and the difficulty of the task, represented by a Difficulty Class. The more difficult a task, the higher its DC. The Typical Difficulty Classes table shows the most common DCs.

Typical Difficulty Class Table

Task DifficultyDC
Very Easy5
Easy10
Medium15
Hard20
Very Hard25
Nearly Impossible30

To make an ability check, roll a d20 and add the relevant ability modifier. As with other d20 rolls, apply bonuses and penalties, and compare the total to the De. If the total equals or exceeds the DC, the ability check is a success – the creature overcomes the challenge at hand. Otherwise, it’s a failure, which means the character or monster makes no progress toward the objective or makes progress combined with a setback determined by the DM.

Contests

Sometimes one character’s or monster’s efforts are directly opposed to another’s. This can occur when both are trying to do the same thing and only one can succeed, such as attempting to snatch up a magic ring that has fallen on the floor. This situation also applies when one of them is trying to prevent the other one from accomplishing a goal-for example, when a monster tries to force open a door that an adventurer is holding dosed. In situations like these, the outcome is determined by a special form of ability check, called a contest.

Both participants in a contest make ability checks appropriate to their efforts. They apply all appropriate bonuses and penalties, but instead of comparing the total to a DC, they compare the totals of their two checks. The participant with the higher check total wins the contest. That character or monster either succeeds at the action or prevents the other one from succeeding.

If the contest results in a tie, the situation remains the same as it was before the contest. Thus, one contestant might win the contest by default. If two characters tie in a contest to snatch a ring off the floor, neither character grabs it. In a contest between a monster trying to open a door and an adventurer trying to keep the door dosed, a tie means that the door remains shut.

Skills

Each ability covers a broad range of capabilities, including skills that a character or a monster can be proficient in. A skill represents a specific aspect of an ability score, and an individual’s proficiency in a skill demonstrates a focus on that aspect. (A character’s starting skill proficiencies are determined at character creation, and a monster’s skill proficiencies appear in the monster’s stat block.)

For example:

A Dexterity check might reflect a character’s attempt to pull off an acrobatic stunt, to palm an object, or to stay hidden. Each of these aspects of Dexterity has an associated skill: Acrobatics, Sleight of Hand, and Stealth, respectively. So, a character who has proficiency in the Stealth skill is particularly good at Dexterity checks related to sneaking and hiding.

Skills and Attributes

The skills related to each ability score are shown in the following list. (No skills are related to Constitution.) See an ability’s description in the later sections of this chapter for examples of how to use a skill associated with an ability.

  • Strength: Athletics
  • Dexterity: Acrobatics, Sleight of Hand, Stealth
  • Intelligence: Arcana, History, Investigation, Nature, Religion
  • Wisdom: Animal Handling, Insight, Medicine, Perception, Survival
  • Charisma: Deception, Intimidation, Performance, Persuasion

Tools, Kits, and Attributes

There are also many different tools and kits that also use different attributes for their proficiency.  In some cases, there is a choice for which attribute might be used for a tool or kit.

  • Strength: Mason’s Tools, Smith’s Tools
  • Dexterity: Calligrapher’s Tools, Carpenter’s Tools, Cobbler’s Tools, Cook’s Utensils, Disguise Kit, Forgery Kit, Harvester’s Kit, Jeweler’s Tools, Leatherworker’s Tools, Luck Gaming Sets, Potter’s Tools, Thieves’ Tools, Tinker’s Tools, Weaver’s Tools, Woodcarver’s Tools
  • Constitution: Poisoner’s Kit
  • Intelligence: Alchemy Kit, Brewer’s Tools, Cartographer’s Tools, Cook’s Utensils, Herbalism Kit, Navigator’s Tools, Poisoner’s Kit, Strategic Gaming Sets
  • Wisdom: Glassblower’s Tools, Navigator’s Tools, Vehicle (Land), Vehicle (Water)
  • Charisma: Musical Instruments, Painter’s Tools

Sometimes, the DM might ask for an ability check using a specific skill – for example, “Make a Wisdom (Perception) check.” At other times, a player might ask the DM if proficiency in a particular skill applies to a check. In either case, proficiency in a skill means an individual can add his or her proficiency bonus to ability checks that involve that skill. Without proficiency in the skill, the individual makes a normal ability check.

For example:

If a character attempts to climb up a dangerous cliff, the Dungeon Master might ask for a Strength (Athletics) check. If the character is proficient in Athletics; the character’s proficiency bonus is added to the Strength check. If the character lacks that proficiency, he, or she just makes a Strength check.

Passive Checks

A passive check is a special kind of ability check that doesn’t involve any die rolls. Such a check can represent the average result for a task done repeatedly, such as searching for secret doors repeatedly. or can be used when the DM wants lo secretly determine whether the characters succeed at something without rolling dice, such as noticing a hidden monster.

Here’s how to determine a character’s total for a passive check:

  • 10 + all modifiers that normally apply to the check.

If the character has advantage on the check, add 5. For disadvantage, subtract 5. The game refers to a passive check total as a score.

For example:

If a 1st-levei character has a Wisdom of 15 and proficiency in Perception. he or she has a passive Wisdom (Perception) score of 14.

The rules on hiding in the “Dexterity” section below rely on passive checks, as do the exploration rules in chapter 8 in the Player’s Handbook.

Working Together

Sometimes two or more characters team up to attempt a task. The character who’s leading the effort – or the one with the highest ability modifier-can make an ability check with advantage, reflecting the help provided by the other characters. In combat, this requires the Help action (see chapter 9 in the Player’s Handbook).

A character can only provide help if the task is one that he or she could attempt alone. For example,, trying to open a lock requires proficiency with Thieves’ Tools, so a character who lacks that proficiency can’t help another character in that task. Moreover, a character can help only when two or more individuals working together would be productive. Some tasks, such as threading a needle. are no easier with help.

Group Checks

When several individuals are trying to accomplish something as a group, the DM might ask for a group ability check. In such a situation, the characters who are skilled in a particular task help cover those who aren’t.

To make a group ability check. everyone in the group makes the ability check. If at least half the group succeeds, the whole group succeeds. Otherwise, the group fails. Group checks don’t come up very often. and they’re most useful when all the characters succeed or fail as a group.

For example:

When adventurers are navigating a swamp, the DM might call for a group Wisdom (Survival) check to see if the characters can avoid the quicksand, sinkholes, and other natural hazards of the environment. If at least half the group succeeds, the successful characters can guide their companions out of danger. Otherwise, the group stumbles into one of these hazards.

Hiding

When you try to hide, make a Dexterity (Stealth) check. Until you are discovered, or you stop hiding, that check’s total is contested by the Wisdom (Perception) check of any creature that actively searches for signs of your presence.

You can’t hide from a creature that can see you. and if you make noise (such as shouting a warning or knocking over a vase), you give away your position. An invisible creature can’t be seen, 50 it can always try to hide. Signs of its passage might still be noticed, however, and it still must stay quiet.

In combat, most creatures stay alert for signs of danger, so if you come out of hiding and approach a creature, it usually sees you. However, under certain circumstances, the Dungeon Master might allow you to stay hidden as you approach a creature that is distracted, allowing you to gain advantage on an attack before you are seen.

Passive Perception. When you hide, there’s a chance someone will notice you even if they aren’t searching. To determine whether such a creature notices you, the DM compares your Dexterity (Stealth) check with that creature’s passive Wisdom (Perception) score, which equals 10 + the creature’s Wisdom modifier, as well as any other bonuses or penalties. If the creature has advantage, add 5. For disadvantage, subtract 5.

For example:

If a 1st level character (with a proficiency bonus of +2) has a Wisdom of 15 (a +2 modifier) and proficiency in Perception, he or she has a passive Wisdom (Perception) of 14.

What Can You See? One of the main factors in determining whether you can find a hidden creature or object is how well you can see in an area, which might be lightly or heavily obscured, as explained in chapter 8 in the Player’s Handbook.

Customization Options

The combination of ability scores, race, class, and background define your character’s capabilities in the game, and the personal details you create set your character apart from every other character. Even within your class and race, you have options to fine-tune what your character can do. But this chapter is for players who-with the DM’s permission – want to go a step further.

This chapter defines two sets of rules for customizing your character: multiclassing and feats. Multiclassing lets you combine classes together, and feats are special options you can choose instead of increasing your ability scores as you gain levels.

Multiclassing

Multiclassing allows you to gain levels in multi pie classes. Doing so lets you mix the abilities of those classes to realize a character concept that might not be reflected in one of the standard class options.

With this role, you have the option of gaining a level in a new class whenever you advance in level, instead of gaining a level in your current class. Your levels in all your classes are added together to determine your character level.

For example:

If you have three levels in wizard and two in fighter, you’re a 5th-levei character.

As you advance in levels, you might primarily remain a member of your original class with just a few levels in another class, or you might change course entirely, never looking back at the class you left behind. Vou might even start progressing in a third or fourth class. Compared to a single-class character of the same level, you’ll sacrifice some focus on exchange for versatility.

Multiclassing Example:

Gary is playing a 4th-level fighter. When his character earns enough experience points to reach 5th level, Gary decides that his character will multiclass instead of continuing to progress as a fighter. Gary’s fighter has been spending a lot of time with Dave’s rogue and has even been doing some jobs on the side for the local thieves’ guild as a bruiser. Gary decides that his character will multiclass into the rogue class, and thus his character becomes a 4th level fighter and 1st – level rogue (written as fighter 4/rogue 1).

When Gary’s character earns enough experience to reach 6th level, he can decide whether to add another fighter level (becoming a fighter S/rogue 1), another rogue level (becoming a fighter 4/rogue 2), or a level in a third class, perhaps dabbling in wizardry thanks to the tome of mysterious lore he acquired (becoming a fighter 4/rogue 1/ wizard 1).

Further details are in Chapter 6 of the Player’s Handbook.

Feats

A feat represents a talent or an area of expertise that gives a character special capability. It embodies training, experience, and abilities beyond what a class provides.

At certain levels, your class gives you the Ability Score Improvement feature. Using the optional feats rule, you can forgo taking that feature to take a feat of your choice instead. Vou can take each feat only once unless the feat’s description says otherwise.

You must meet any prerequisite specified in a feat to take that feat. If you ever lose a feat’s prerequisite, you can’t use that feat until you regain the prerequisite.

For example:

The Grappler feat requires you to have a Strength of 13 or higher. If your Strength is reduced below 13 somehow-perhaps by a withering curse- you can’t benefit from the Grappler feat until your Strength is restored.

All the possible Feats are available for Players to choose for their characters except the Lucky Feat.

Homebrew Feats

As the Campaign progresses more Homebrew feats will be discovered and made available to the characters.

Blindfighting

Extensive and continuous training in complete darkness or in some cases with the aid of blindfolds, have allowed you to hone your remaining senses to a razor’s edge. This specialized combat training has granted you the ability to perceive your surroundings in ways others couldn’t begin imagining. Must have proficiency in Perception.

  • You develop blindsight up to a range of 20 feet.
  • Your blindsight can only work in a setting where your character can use his other senses, like hearing and smell.
  • You gain advantage on Perception checks relying on hearing and scent.

End Him Rightly

You have mastered a little-known sword technique. As an action, you can unscrew the pommel from your sword and throw it at a creature within 20 feet of you. When you do so, you make a ranged weapon attack against it using your Strength modifier (you are proficient in this attack). On a hit, the target takes bludgeoning damage equal to 1d4 + your Strength modifier and must make an Intelligence saving throw with a DC of 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier or be stunned by the impracticality of your tactics until the end of your next turn. The pommel lands within 5 feet of the target, and you have disadvantage on all attack rolls made with the sword whose pommel you unscrewed (due to it being imbalanced) until you pick it up and use an action to screw it back on.

Requires proficiency in at least one kind of sword.

Resourceful

You’ve always hated leaving anything to waste and have always made sure you get the most out of any situation.

  • You gain proficiency in the harvesting kit and the herbalism kit.
  • You ignore any penalties for harvesting a creature that died a particularly violent death.
  • Both appraising and harvesting a creature take half the time than it normally would.

Town Drunk

You have been drinking for years and have gotten used to the effect of alcohol.

Once you have this feat you gain the following benefits:

  • Tipsy and Drunk are now the same level (1/2 your intoxication level)
  • You no longer have disadvantages until you reach Wasted.
  • You gain a +2 to reach the “Blackout” stage.
  • You won’t get hungover if you don’t pass Drunk.

Equipment

The Marketplace of a large city teems with buyers and sellers of many sorts: dwarf smiths and elf woodcarvers, halfling farmers and gnome jewelers, not to mention humans of every shape, size, and color drawn from a spectrum of nations and cultures. In the largest cities, almost anything imaginable is offered for sale, from exotic spices and luxurious clothing to wicker baskets and practical swords.

For an adventurer, the availability of armor, weapons, backpacks, rape, and similar goods is of paramount importance since proper equipment can mean the difference between life and death in a dungeon or the unclaimed wilds. This chapter details the mundane and exotic merchandise that adventurers commonly find useful in the face of the threats that the world of Dungeons and Dragons present.

Starting Equipment

When you create your character, you receive equipment based on a combination of your class and background. In this campaign your character will always start with the given set of equipment that your background and class might give you.

You decide how your character came by this starting equipment. It might have been an inheritance, or goods that the character purchased during his or her upbringing. You might have been equipped with a weapon, armor, and a backpack as part of military service. You might even have stolen your gear. A weapon could be a family heirloom, passed down from generation to generation until your character finally look up the mantle and followed in an ancestor’s adventurous footsteps.

In the Campaign we will be using the Equipment option instead of gold.  If there is something additional you believe that your character would have then bring that to the DM.  Swapping some of the packs or kits is also an option if it makes sense for your character.

Selling Treasure

Opportunities abound to find treasure, equipment, weapons, armor, and more in the dungeons you explore. Normally, you can sell your treasures and trinkets when you return to a town or other settlement if you can find buyers and merchants interested in your loot.

Arms, Armor, and Other Equipment. As a rule, undamaged weapons, armor, and other equipment fetch half their cost when sold in a market. Weapons and armor used by monsters are rarely in good enough condition to sell.

Magic Items. Selling magic items is problematic. Finding someone to buy a potion or a scroll isn’t too hard, but other items are out of the realm of most but the wealthiest nobles. Likewise, aside from a few common magic items, you won’t normally come across magic items or spells to purchase. The value of magic is far beyond simple gold and should always be treated as such.

Gems, jewelry, and Art Objects. These items retain their full value in the marketplace, and you can trade them in for coin or use them as currency for other transactions. For exceptionally valuable treasures, the DM might require you to find a buyer in a large town or larger community first.

Trade Goods. On the borderlands, many people conduct transactions through barter. Like gems and art objects, trade goods – bars of iron, bags of salt, livestock, and so on – retain their full value in the market and can be used as currency.

Monster Part Harvesting. Harvesting is the act of salvaging useful parts of a dead creature for personal use and profit.  It can be time consuming, dirty, messy, and weigh a lot depending on the creature.  But it can also be as lucrative as pillaging a small ruin.  See the section under Adventuring for more details.

Armor and Shields

In most campaigns, you can use or wear any equipment that you find on your adventures, within the bounds of common sense.

For example:

A burly half-orc won’t fit in a halfling’s leather armor, and a gnome would be swallowed up in a cloud giant’s elegant robe.

Using this variant, when adventurers find armor, clothing. and similar items that are made to be worn, they might need to visit an armor smith, tailor, leatherworker, or similar expert to make the item wearable. The cost for such work varies from 10 to 40 percent of the market price of the item. The DM can either roll d4 x 10 or determine the increase in cost based on the extent of the alterations required.

Common Material Components Costs

Casting some spells requires objects, specified in parentheses in the component entry. A character can use a component pouch or a spellcasting focus (found in “Equipment” in the Player’s Handbook) in place of the components specified for a spell. But if a cost is indicated for a component, a character must have that specific component before he or she can cast the spell.

If a spell states that a material component is consumed by the spell, the caster must provide this component for each casting of the spell. A spellcaster must have a hand free to access a spell’s material components — or to hold a spellcasting focus — but it can be the same hand that he or she uses to perform somatic components.

The Campaign rule is that the component pouch or arcane focus will only replace components up to a 10gp value.  Any exotic material will have to always be purchased or manually collected.

An example of an exotic material would be Dragon Scales, or Umber Hulk blood.

When the spell gives the specific cost, then that is the cost that will be used, otherwise the characters will need to collect the proper components.

Component Cost Table

ComponentCost
Adamantine, small piece500 gp
Adder’s stomach8 gp
Agate10 gp to 1,000 gp
Alum soaked in vinegar5 cp
Amber, Glass, or Crystal Rod20 gp
Artistic Representation of Caster5 gp
Artistic Representation of Target100 gp per hit die
Ash5 cp
Ashes of Mistletoe and Spruce5 sp
Bell (tiny)1 gp
Bitumen (a drop)5 cp
Black Onyx Stone150 gp
Black Pearl (as crushed powder)500 gp
Black Silk Square2 gp
Brimstone1 sp per arrow or bolt
Bull Hairs5 sp
Butter2 sp
Caterpillar Cocoon5 gp
Chalks and Inks infused with precious gems50 gp
Charcoal, Incense, and Herb mixture10 gp
Chrysolite powder50 gp
Clay1 sp
Clay Model of a Ziggurat5 gp
Clay Pot of Brackish Water1 gp
Clay Pot of Grave Dirt4 gp
Cloak, miniature1 gp
Cloth wad2 cp
Cloth, Tiny white strip2 cp
Club5 sp
Coal1 gp
Colored Sand (red, yellow, and blue)10 gp
Copper Wire1 sp per foot
Cork2 cp
Corn, powdered5 cp
Cricket5 cp
Crystal Bead5 sp
Crystal Hemisphere120 gp
Crystal or Glass Cone25 gp
Crystal Sphere, small20 gp
Crystal Vial of phosphorescent material20 gp
Cured Leather1 sp
Distilled Spirits5 cp
Divinatory Tools100 gp
Dried Carrot5 cp
Engraving of Symbol of the Outer Planes500 gp
Exquisite Chest, 3′ x 2′ x 2′, made of rare materials5,000 gp
Exquisite Chest, tiny replica50 gp
Eyelash in gum Arabic5 gp
Fan, tiny5 sp
Feather1 sp
Feather of hummingbird2 gp
Feather of owl5 sp
Feather, exotic3 gp
Feather, white1 sp
Feldspar1 sp
Firefly1 sp
Fish Tail5 cp
Fleece5 cp
Focus1,000 gp
Food morsel1 cp
Forked Metal Rod250 gp
Forked Twig1 sp
Fur3 sp
Fur of Bat2 gp
Fur of Bloodhound1 gp
Fur, Wrapped in Cloth5 sp
Gauze1 sp
Gem or another ornamental container500 gp
Gem-Encrusted Bowl1,000 gp
Giant Slug Bile250 gp
Gilded Acorn200 gp
Gilded Flower300 gp
Gilded Skull300 gp
Glass Eye100 gp
Glass or Crystal Bead1 sp
Glowworm1 gp
Gold-Inlaid Vial400 gp
Golden Reliquary500 gp
Golden Wire2 gp per foot
Granite5 sp
Grasshopper’s Hind Leg1 sp
Graveyard Dirt (just a pinch)3 gp
Guano1 sp per ounce
Gum Arabic5 sp
Gum Arabic Hemisphere1 gp
Hand Mirror15 gp
Hen’s Heart1 gp
Herbs, Oils, and Incense mixture1,000 gp
Holly Berry1 sp
Honey drop1 sp per ounce
Honeycomb1 gp
Hot Pepper1 sp
Ink5 gp
Ink, Lead-based10 gp
Iron2 cp
Iron Blade2 gp
Iron filings or powder2 cp
Ivory Portal (miniature)5 gp
Ivory Strips50 gp
Jacinth1,000 gp
Jade Circlet1,500 gp
Jewel-Encrusted Dagger1,000 gp
Jeweled Horn100 gp
Kernels of Grain2 cp
Lead, a thin sheet6 cp
Leather Loop5 sp
Leather strap, bound around arm or similar appendage5 sp
Legume Seed1 sp
Licorice Root Shaving1 sp
Lime1 sp per pound
Lockbox of Ornate Stone and Metal400 gp
Lodestone10 gp
Magnifying Glass100 gp
Makeup1 gp
Mandrake Root1 gp
Marked Sticks or Bones25 gp
Mercury5 gp per ounce
Mistletoe1 sp
Mistletoe sprig1 sp
Molasses (a drop)1 sp
Moonseeds20 gp
Oil1 sp per ounce
Oils and Unguents1,000 gp
Ointment for the Eyes25 gp
Opaque Glass5 sp
Pearl100 gp
Petrified Eye of Newt15 gp
Phosphorescent Moss1 gp
Phosphorus1 gp
Pickled Octopus Tentacle8 gp
Pitch, a drop5 cp
Platinum Rings, two50 gp each
Platinum Sword, miniature, with grip and pommel of copper and zinc250 gp
Platinum-Inlaid Vial400 gp
Polished Marble Stone5 gp
Pork Rind or other fat2 cp
Prayer Wheel10 gp
Quartz1 sp
Quill plucked from a sleeping bird50 gp
Quiver, with at least one piece of ammunition1 gp
Red Dragon’s Scale200 gp
Reliquary containing a Sacred Relic1,000 gp
Rhubarb Leaf, powdered1 gp
Rock Chip, white1 sp
Rose petals1 sp per ounce
Ruby Vial600 gp
Sacrificial Offering appropriate to deity25 gp
Salt1 sp per ounce
Sand5 cp per pound
Sapphire1,000 gp
Sesame Seeds1 gp per ounce
Silk Square2 gp
Silver Bar, ornately carved100 gp
Silver Cage, Tiny100 gp
Silver Mirror, small5 gp
Silver Rod10 gp
Silver Spoon, tiny5 gp
Silver Whistle5 gp
Skunk Cabbage Leaves1 sp
Snakeskin glove5 gp
Soil mixture in a small bag5 cp
Spheres of glass, crystal, or mineral2 gp
Sponge2 sp
Statue of the caster, carved from ivory and decorated with gems1,500 gp
Stem of a Thorny Plant5 gp
Sugar3 sp per ounce
Sulfur1 sp
Sumac Leaf1 gp
Sunburst Pendant100 gp
Sunstone20 gp
Sweet Oil, a drop1 gp per ounce
Talcum powder5 sp per pound
Tallow3 sp per pound
Tarts15 cp
Thorns1 sp per dozen
Thread1 sp per spool
Tuft of Fur1 sp
Twig5cp
Twig from a tree that has been struck by lightning25 gp
Umber Hulk Blood80 gp
Undead Eyeball, Encased in Gem150 gp
Vessel to contain a Medium-sized creature2,000 gp
Wire of fine silver1 gp per foot
Wychwood5 gp
Yew Leaf1 gp

Homebrew Equipment

While the Player’s Handbook is complete in what it makes available, there is always the need for a few other things that would be good to have.

Enchanted Vial

Some creature parts have powerful, yet fleeting, magical energies within them. The motes from elementals for example hold traces of their former essences in them but disperse rapidly upon the destruction of their original form.

An enchanted vial is inlaid with several runes designed to keep any magical resource within from dissipating while the lid is closed and is often the only way of transporting certain parts back to a workshop for crafting.

Items that require an enchanted vial to be harvested are fragile by nature and must be stored inside an enchanted vial quickly to prevent degradation. Any attempt to harvest a material that has an enchanted vial as a requirement must be initiated within one minute of the death of its creature.

This tool can be used a maximum of five times afterwards it disintegrates into powder.  At each attempted use, roll a d20 and if a 1 is rolled, the vial is immediately destroyed.

Harvesting Kit

This kit contains everything the average harvester needs to prepare and harvest a carcass for usable parts including a skinning knife, a bone saw, two glass vials, punches of salt, and tweezers.  Proficiency with this kit allows you to add your proficiency bonus to nay check made to harvest a creature.

Healing Pill

You regain 1d4 hit points when you swallow this pill.  If more than one is swallowed, then all after the first do 1d4 damage instead.

Spirit Paper

Spirit paper is a versatile tool that resembles a square of bleached papyrus. The secrets of its production were only recently discovered, and reverse engineered from secrets brought back from distant necromantic cults. By performing a small ritual with the spirit paper shortly after slaying certain creatures, a copy of that creature’s soul is bound to the spirit paper for later use. These copies are not a true soul and are more akin to an echo. These echoes do retain all the memories from its original body, and a few crafting techniques utilize these echoes to grant an item a low level of sentience or to mimic the abilities of their incorporeal reflections.

Using spirit paper is often the only way to harvest anything useful from creatures with incorporeal forms. Any harvesting attempt made for a creature part that has spirit paper as a requirement is done

using a Wisdom (Religion) check rather than the usual check and is rolled separately for each item. Once a sheet of spirit paper has been used successfully to harvest an item, it cannot be reused, even if the item it contained is released.

Unlike most harvestable materials, materials that require spirit paper to be harvested dissipate very quickly after the death of its creature. Any attempt to harvest a material that has spirit paper as a requirement must be initiated within 1 minute of the death of the creature and takes 10 minutes to successfully complete.

Each Spirit paper can only be used once.

Special Tools Price Table

ItemCostWeight
Enchanted Vial3gp
Harvesting Kit30gp7lbs
Healing Pill10gp
Spirit Paper10gp

Locations

Unless the characters are stuck in some sort of massive dungeon by a mad wiazard buried under a tavern, they will travel. The question will be what is there when they do get to a destination? Do they have good ale? Bad food? Can we get something besides George’s cooking?

It is not practical to list every possible location that exists in the Sword Coast, well, at least not yet. The character’s themselves are not that widely traveled, and therefore this list will focus on the places they have visited and learned about. A basic lore of locations as they move forward.

Player’s Book

When all this started, I had created a PDF for the players to walk them through a couple of basic rules that needed to be clarified, and what, if any limitations this campaign might have on the very large amount of D&D material that is out there and available. Races, Classes, Homebrew, and anything else I thought was important. After a bunch of modification as the campaign progressed, I decided it might just be batter to put it all here. After all, we are already putting all the session content here. Here you go, rule updates, and any other material I thought was important for the players:

Sessions

“Be copy now to men of grosser blood,
And teach them how to war. And you, good yeoman,
Whose limbs were made in England, show us here
The mettle of your pasture; let us swear
That you are worth your breeding; which I doubt not;
For there is none of you so mean and base,
That hath not noble lustre in your eyes.
I see you stand like greyhounds in the slips,
Straining upon the start. The game’s afoot:
Follow your spirit, and upon this charge
Cry ‘God for Harry, England, and Saint George!”

Henry V by William Shakespeare

The campaign has started, people are playing, players are meeting, cats and dogs are sleeping together, it is a joyous occasion. As stated previously we are running a heavily modified version of a “standard” campaign. We record it, track our progress, and post those results here.

The accounting of each session is done by the DM (which is me). The accuracy of the report is mostly correct. Some things might be left out, and some clarification to others. There is also a DM’s version of each session with more details and specific notes for the campaign. These will be posted when the information contained within them no longer have any importance or relevance.

So, here they are in all their glory and poor English and Grammar.

The first set of session are titled “The Prelude” This is because everyone started at level one while the normal module suggests a level three start. Silly module, why should we follow those instructions? There are some side adventures to get the characters to about third level before the real campaign gets started. Some I took, some I tossed, and that were left were modified fairly heavily. I also wrapped the game with extra information and details to tie in the different character’s back stories.

My expectation is that the characters will probably be at least level three if not level four at the end of the prelude. It just means future encounters would need to be re-balanced, but pretty much everything needed some tender loving care, because none of it was perfect the way it was.

The Prelude

  • Session I (Departure from Waterdeep)
  • Session II (Arrival at Amphail and the Rat Warrens)
  • Session III (Finishing the Rat Warrens and onward)
  • Session IV (Huge ambush and arriving at Red Larch)
  • Session V (A Day in Red Larch)
  • Session VI (Starting the bandit hunting)
  • Session VII
  • Session VIII
  • Session IX
  • Session X

Chapter One

  • Session Future

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