Character Creation

#### Stats

Stats are rolled using the "roll 4d6, drop the lowest" option; if the player's stats are less than 70 they can choose to re-roll.

#### Starting Feat

Everyone gets a free feat at level 1. The following feats cannot be taken at level 1:

* Crusher
* Great Weapon Master
* Lucky
* Piercer
* Sharpshooter
* Slasher
* War Caster

#### Racial ASIs

Racial ASIs can be applied anywhere, so long as they are not both applied to the same stat. For example, a High Elf could increase their Strength by 2 and their Intelligence by 1, or vice-versa.

#### Unearthed Arcana

Unearthed Arcana that has not been made official is approved on an individual basis. Currently, the only Unearthed Arcana that is outright banned is the *Brute* Fighter subclass.

#### Homebrew Class Options

While there are a *lot* of Homebrew options - in terms of Class, Subclasses, and others - that I allow, I full list is linked **here**. Some are created by myself, some aren't.

#### Modified and Homebrew Race Options

Some race and subclass options have small but significant changes made to them for the sake of balance. See **here** for the full details regarding racial changes. Most of it is of my own making or modification.

#### Banned Options

The following character options are currently banned outright, either due to being far too strong or having incredibly powerful exploits built into their features:

##### Spells

* **Silvery Barbs.** The *only* spell that currently exists that is outright banned. Applying disadvantage would be powerful if it was just on attacks, but allowing it to apply to saving throws and ability checks, *and* granting advantage to another creature pushes this spell into being far too powerful, especially for a 1st-level spell.

##### Subclasses

* **College of Eloquence Bard**: *Silver Tongue* is not only incredibly powerful - especially for a low-level ability - that will break most social encounters, but the ability is incredibly uninteresting aside from how powerful it is.
* **Chronurgy Wizard**: *Arcane Abeyance* is an insanely powerful feature not just due to it allowing you to cast any spell as an action, but allowing someone else to cast it in your stead, potentially allowing multiple concentration spells from the Wizard spell list to stack. This feature alone makes the Chronurgy Wizard too exploitable.
* **Twilight Domain Cleric:** Their Channel Divinity is incredibly powerful, as giving a refreshing pool of 1d6 + level in temporary HP.

### Flanking

During combat, creatures can surround enemies in order to give themselves and others an edge in a fight. 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 are considered to be flanking that enemy, and each of them has a +2 bonus to melee attack rolls against that enemy.

The amount of creatures required to initiate a flank changes depending on the size of the creature: Large or smaller creatures require 2 characters in order to flank, Huge creatures require 3, and Gargantuan or larger require 4.

### Sprint

To sprint, you use up your entire turn - Action, Bonus Action, and main movement - to move five times your walking movement speed.

This movement has to be on the ground (creatures with a flying, burrowing, or swimming speed cannot benefit from a sprint that uses those speeds) and it has to be in a straight line.

The movement does provoke opportunity attacks, and those attacks are made at advantage.

You can sprint a number of times equal to your proficiency modifier; afterwards, you must not sprint at all until you have taken a short or long rest in order to regain your stamina. Any attempts to Sprint during this time will result in a point of exhaustion.

### Lingering Injuries

When you take a critical hit in combat, you run the risk of suffering a severe injury that can last long after the battle is done. When you take a critical hit, roll a DC 10 Constitution Saving Throw. On a failure, you roll a d6 and suffer a lingering injury corresponding to the damage type; if the attack has multiple damage types, the player may choose which damage type they would be affected by.

HOUSE RULES

### Counterspells

If Counterspell is cast in an attempt to counter a different caster’s Counterspell, roll on the Wild Magic Surge table. The target/source of the Surge is randomly determined from the casters. If more Counterspells are cast to counter the pre-existing Counterspell, an additional surge is triggered.

Additionally, Counterspell can only be used to attempt the prevention of a spell being cast once; if one player casts it and fails, another player cannot then attempt to counterspell afterwards.

### Healing Potions

Taking a healing potion for yourself is either an action or a bonus action; if you choose to make it an action to take a potion for yourself, you regain the maximum amount of hit points possible from that potion instead of rolling. Feeding it to someone else is always an action, and they roll the dice as normal.

### Class-Based Rebalancing

Two specific classes - the Sorcerer and the Ranger - are altered within games set in Itaxia.

#### Rangers

* Rangers may choose to use either the Revised Ranger class or use the features laid out in *Tasha's Cauldron of Everything.*
* Rangers also may prepare their spells from the entire spell list in the same vein as Druids, instead of choosing them as they level up.

#### Sorcerers

Sorcerers all gain subclass specific spells, which are detailed below.

Sorcerers also gain more Metamagic options as they level up, and have additional options.

### Alternate Casting Abilities

The following casting classes gain the option to choose from a set list of abilities for their casting:

* Bard: Can choose between Wisdom, Charisma, or Intelligence
* Cleric: Can choose between Wisdom, Charisma, or Intelligence
* Paladin: Can choose between Charisma or Wisdom
* Sorcerer: Can choose between Charisma or Constitution
* Warlock: Can choose between Charisma or Intelligence

### Character Rebuilding and Replacing

Characters may be rebuilt at DM discretion, usually on a level up; rebuilt in this case refers to class, subclass, feat, fighting style, and/or spells, if applicable. A given player may only rebuild a character in such a way twice before having to settle on what they currently have.

Sometimes, a character just doesn't quite fit in right. In this event, so long as it occurs prior to level 5, replacement of an entire character can take place, with the new character joining the entire party at the same level as any previous character and the game progressing as if the new character had been there from the beginning. **This may only happen once for a player per campaign, and only if agreed by both player and DM**.

Post-level 5, however, the only way(s) a character can be replaced without repercussions are listed below. In this case, the replacement character is brought in with standard starting equipment and gold, as well as 1 uncommon magic item mutually agreed upon by both player and DM:

* If the character dies
* If the narrative ends up causing said character(s) to be separated from the rest of the party for multiple sessions.
* Both player and DM mutually agree that the character has reached a satisfying narrative conclusion.

If a player does still wish to replace a character post-level 5 without meeting any of the above points, they may. However, penalties are incurred, detailed below:

* Any currency, equipment, and items that the character had will be relinquished to the rest of the party
* The replacement character will start one level lower than the rest of the party.

An option for the original character to return is left open.

*The above is assuming that a campaign starts between levels 1-3. For campaigns that start at higher levels, this will be adjusted accordingly.*