House Rules

There are a number of rules that we've modified for play from the standard 5th Edition ruleset.

## **Milestone Experience**

* All of our games use Milestone Experience.

## **Criticals and Botches**

* A roll of a 20 on a d20 (called a natural 20, nat 20, crit, etc) has the following benefits:
	+ If rolled on an attack, it always hits and the character doubles their damage dice
	+ If rolled on an ability, the roll is not guaranteed, but more likely to be favorable.
	+ If rolled on a Saving Throw, nothing extra happens.

* A roll of a 1 on a d20 (called a natural 1, nat 1, botch, etc) has the following quality:
	+ If rolled on an attack, the attack misses and does one of the following:
		- Provokes an immediate Opportunity Attack by an enemy.
		- Damages the character or a nearby ally instead of the original target.
		- Creates an ongoing problem for the combat, such as a dropped or broken weapon, or a chain reaction that adds drama to the scene.
	+ If rolled on an ability, the roll is not guaranteed to fail, but is more likely to create consequences or introduce additional drama.
	+ If rolled on a Saving Throw, the character suffers double damage or extended consequences.

## **Inspiration**

* Every player starts each session with a point of Inspiration.
* Inspiration can be spent after the roll.
* It cannot be spent to reroll a 1.
* Inspiration can be spent on any player or allied NPC.
* As of October 2020, Twitch viewers can replenish this Inspiration with Channel Points.
	+ Players with Channel Points can do this too, but not for their own characters.
	+ There is a cap of 8 Inspiration purchases per session, or 2 per character.
* As of 2020/2021, Twitch viewers can no longer replenish Inspiration with Channel Points. They may, however, redeem Channel Points for other options such as Determination.

## Determination

* Adds proficiency bonus to a roll, even if the player would already add their proficiency bonus anyway
* Can be redeemed by Twitch viewers using Channel Points
* Introduced during Rime of the Frostmaiden as redeeming Twitch Channel Points for Inspiration was considered overpowered

## Desperation

* Adds a die to a roll, the die type varying by player character level
* Can be redeemed by Twitch viewers using Channel Points
* Introduced during Dirge for Exelar

## Resting

### **Short Rest**

* A short rest is a minimum 10 minutes.
* A short rest cannot be combined with ritual casting.
* Hit Dice spent during a short rest regenerate at variable rates:
	+ When in the field, Hit Dice regenerate at the standard rate.
	+ When able to Long Rest away from danger and in comfort, such as an inn, all Hit Dice replenish.

### **Bonus Actions**

* **Drink a Potion:** potions may be quaffed as a Bonus Action.
	+ There's technically a more complicated version of this that we came up with, but for brevity, this is preferred. Potions are expensive and not super powerful, so it works out.
* **Monster Lore**: players may spend their Bonus Action to roll knowledge of monsters (DC usually 10 or 15 + CR, depending on rarity).

## **Buying and Selling Items**

* You can buy and sell magic items in any city that has a specialist.

* On average, items can be sold for 25-50% of value.
	+ It's assumed that the prices in the PHB include a 100% markup, as per real world retail.
	+ If you've never worked retail, this may come as a shock.

## **Narrative Vulnerability**

* The party doesn't have plot armor, but villains are usually more likely to capture or enslave than kill.
* The party's survival rate improves along narrative line. Examples:
	+ They stand a chance against 500 gnolls while defending a settlement.
	+ They are very likely to die if they decide to commit genocide on that same settlement.
		- There are two main reasons for this:
			* First, it breaks the theme of all of the current games.
			* And two, once you become a villain, you're the backstory of another party of heroes.

## **Milestone Abilities**

* At Level 10, all heroes receive a Milestone Ability that is specifically suited to their character and personal plot. These abilities are roughly equivalent to a feat and are crafted by the DM, though other players may be consulted for play balance. Many of the original powers were drawn from infernal pacts found in Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes and modified to fit the characters, because it's it ain't broke, don't fix it.
* Known Milestone Abilities are:
	+ **Shadow Step (Blessing of the Carrion Queen):** Zeno Rightwing gained the ability to magically transport himself between two shadows in his line of sight up to 60 feet apart. This takes a Bonus action and may be done a number of times each day equal to his Wisdom modifier.
	+ **The Hand's Ambition (Nyrn's Grasping Claws):** Mars gained the ability to steal from unwilling targets using her connection to the dark goddess Nyrn. As a Bonus action, she may make a (Dexterity) Sleight of Hand roll against a creature within 15 feet's (Wisdom) Insight. If she is successful, an item of her choice on the creature's person weighing up to 10lbs transports to one of her hands. Mars must be aware of the item for this power to function. She may do this a number of times per day equal to her Charisma modifier.
	+ **Rise Like the Sun (Vaella's Heroes Never Die):** Malia Sunsworn gained an even greater ability to channel her goddess' might into fallen foes. When an allied character within 30 feet falls below 0 HP, Malia may expend her Reaction to instead stabilize them at 1 HP. She can use this ability a number of times per day equal to her Wisdom modifier, with each ally stabilized thus taking one use, and may spend multiple uses per Reaction.
		- This power does not function on powers, abilities, or events that cause instant death.
	+ **The Speech of All Things (The Word of Sof):** Teah Armstrong's encounter with Sof, the god/goddess of nature, endowed her with the ability to communicate with all natural life. As an action, she may choose one type of creature within sight, such as Beasts, Dragons, Humanoids, and so on. For the next hour, she gains the ability to communicate with these creatures in their native language, however that may appear to onlookers. She may use this ability a number of times per day equal to her Wisdom modifier.
		- This ability does not function on constructs or aberrations, as they are beyond Sof's reach.
		- This ability does not allow Teah to read or write languages, only to speak and understand them.
		- The creature does not have to a mouth or make audible noise for this power to function. It can be used, for example, on plants.
	+ **Power of the Elder Dragons (Geyser of Magic):** Feramina Hazal gained the ability to tap into her elder dragon heritage. With this ability, Fera gains the ability to draw raw magical energy from her own body. She may spend Hit Dice to increase the damage dice of her breath weapon or the casting level of a spell. She may do this a number of times equal to her Charisma modifier.
		- Due to her elder gold dragon heritage, Fera also gained the ability to channel either Fire or Radiant damage in her breath weapon.
		- Fera also gained resistance to Radiant damage.
		- If you're wondering why she gets more stuff than a standard Milestone Ability, it's because she's a freaking dragon.
	+ **Along for the Ride:** Kadamus Warforge has no special ability yet, but we love him anyway.
	+ **Starsight**:

## The Offer

* Introduced during The Reign of Emrys
* When The Offer is 'on the table,' any player may use it to gain an advantage or benefit that they would not normally be allowed to do (e.g. gain extra movement, cast a spell that takes an action as a bonus action, etc).
* Once The Offer has been taken, it is 'off the table' and only available to the DM, who can use it to gain an advantage or benefit that they would not normally be allowed to do.
* Once the DM has made use of The Offer, it is 'back on the table' and available for the players to use once more.

## Unique Racial Bonuses

To reflect the background of Ylos, all major races gain a bonus

**(Dwarf) We Lift Together.** Your dwarven heritage allows you to aid your comrades when they would fail. When an ally within your sight fails a Saving Throw you may use your Reaction to allow them to reroll. Once you use this ability you cannot use it again until you have had a Long Rest.

**(Human) Never Tell Me the Odds.** You excel at pulling off the impossible. Whenever you have Disadvantage, you can choose to use this ability to roll normally. Once you use this ability you cannot use it again until you have had a Long Rest.

(**Elf)** **Long Lives, Long Memories.** You have a the knowledge of several lifetimes and have forgotten skills that would take a younger race a lifetime to learn. When rolling a Skill that you are not proficient in you may roll a d6 and add the result to your roll. Once you use this ability you cannot use it again until you have had a Long Rest.

**(Halfling) Comfortable Rest.** You're comforted by good food and drink. If you eat or drink during a Short Rest, you roll one additional die for each Hit Die you expend. Once you use this ability you cannot use it again until you have had a Long Rest.

**(Half-Orc) Shrug It Off.** You are used to pain, either among your orcish brethren or from those who fear your heritage. When struck with bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage, you may choose to gain resistance to that damage type until the start of your next turn. Once you use this ability you cannot use it again until you have had a Long Rest.

**(Half-Elf) Trained Diplomat.** Your place between the world of humans and elves has given you unique insight into how other cultures operate. When you make a Charisma (Deception) or Charisma (Persuasion) you may gain Advantage on the roll. Once you use this ability you cannot use it again until you have had a Long Rest.

**(Gnome) Zest for Life.** Your connect to the life granted to you by the God of Death is particularly strong. Whenever you make a Death Saving Throw you treat a dice roll of 15 or higher as if you had rolled a natural 20. Once you use this ability you cannot use it again until you have had a Long Rest.

**(Dragonborn)**

**(Tiefling)**

**(Aasimar) Immortal Duty.** You are tasked with a mission from your diety. Until you achieve this goal, you cannot find rest even in death. Any attempts to resurrect you require no material component. If you are above level 10, raise dead and resurrection no longer have a time requirement.