Homebrew Rules

The following are a list of rules that are specific to all realms on Grendoth.

## Action Surge Economy

Since this has come up recently, I wanted to put this in writing so that it covers future adventures and campaigns. This is a ruling that I made and I want it here so that it can be referenced by all. ***Those characters with multiple attacks in a round, that use Action Surge or a feat that would grant them another attack action, they are only allowed those attack actions and 1 bonus action. There can only be 1 bonus action in a combat round.***

## Allowed Sourcebooks

After reviewing several outside sourcebooks, such as the TPK Games Feats book and the Necromancer Games Book of Lost Spells, I have decided to keep things simple and only allow WotC sourcebooks for feats, classes, races and spells. I know others are ok with those other sourcebooks, but I would rather not use them.

## **Attack Action**

One attack action means you attack with one weapon. Through
some Feats in the *Player’s Handbook* and the *Fifth Edition Feats* book, you can
gain the ability to attack with a shield or offhand weapon during your attack
action. However, unless you have gained these Feats, you can only make one
attack during an attack action. I will allow you to use your bonus action to make an offhand attack.

## **Called Shot Rule**

After some thought on the matter, I have decided to add some flavor back into the game world by re-instating the Called Shot Rule.  There will be some rules to use it, however.  First of all, the application.  A player character makes an normal attack roll against their opponent’s AC, then subtract 4, 6 or 8 from the roll (the DM will tell you which as it depends on the difficulty of the called shot).  If that roll hits, then their called shot is a success with the appropriate result.  If their roll doesn’t hit after subtracting 4, 6, or 8 from the roll but it would hit normally, then it is just a hit on the creature with normal weapon or spell damage rolled.  This way, it isn’t an “all or nothing” roll and there is a chance you can hit without it being a death dealing blow.

In addition to this, there are some limitations to the use of the Called Shot.  I don’t want it used every single strike, because this becomes mundane and takes away from party tactics to make it about one character, so a Called Shot that will result in death to the opponent can only be used once per combat round.  Even if you have multiple attacks in a round, only one of those can be a Called Shot. Also, I am sticking to my “no boss mob Called Shots allowed” rule, ***unless it is a non-lethal attack (This means that it doesn't kill them or incapacitate them, it does something else that wouldn't alter the event)***.  As the DM, I will let everyone know if they are dealing with a boss mob or not.

***One thing of note here. If the called shot in question is for a killing blow, it will be done at a -8 penalty, regardless of skill or difficulty.***

## **Critical Hit Rule**

When you roll a critical hit on a melee attack, be it a 20 on a d20, or if you have an improved critical hit range, you will roll an additional damage dice, add that and all modifiers up and then double this to come to the amount of damage you deal.  Example: Long sword damage is 1d8, so you would roll 2d8, add your damage modifiers, then double that for your damage.  This only applies to weapon damage and resulting modifiers, not special abilities, such as Sneak Attack or spell damage.  If this seems confusing, talk to your DM about it.

## **Healer's Kit and Medicine Skill**

If you have ever read up on Healer’s Kits and the Medicine skill,
you probably noticed they serve no great purpose in the game.  You can use either one to bind the wounds of
a character who is at 0 hit points and stabilize them.  If you have a healer of any kind in the
party, Spare The Dying does the same thing, and if they have a healing spell,
why bother?  In the past, binding wounds
would heal the character a little, keeping you from being at 0 hit points,
which is the point.  These are my changes
to these two items.

If someone proficient in the Medicine skill (does not have to be a
Cleric) has a Healer’s Kit and uses it on a character, they can roll their
Medicine skill to see how much they actually heal a character.  The higher the roll, the more hit points
restored.  Anyone with a Healer’s Kit, if
they don’t have proficiency Medicine in skill, can use it on a character (even
themselves) as an action, healing 1d4 hit points.  Those with proficiency in the Medicine skill
can use an action to apply a Healer’s Kit to a character and roll their skill
check.  DC 10 means they add 1 addition
hit point; DC 15 means they add 2 additional hit points; DC 20 means they add 3
additional hit points and DC 25 means they add 4 additional hit points to the
d4 roll (maximum healing with a Healer’s Kit is 8 hit points).

## Nature and Arcana Rules

Although the Player’s Handbook explains how these checks work and what they tell the character, I feel that some of it has been overdone. It says that the check measures the ability to recall lore about creatures and wildlife and plants, and this is fine, but the amount of information recalled seems to be in question. For a character to have never seen a Balor to know they are immune to fire and poison and exactly what it is resistant to is just way more information that someone might read in a book. What they should know is what kind of attacks the Balor might use in combat, but not all of them, and that it is probably immune to fire because of where it comes from.

As the DM, I will be limiting the amount of information these checks might give a character based on this belief. I will be giving that player the information I feel they might have learned from reading about the monster, not everything the Monster Manual tells you about them. The only deviation from this is, if the characters have dealt with one of these monsters face-to-face before. If anyone in the party has dealt with a Balor before, then yes, I’ll give them all the information they would’ve noted during that encounter.

## Proficiency With Weapons

I think there has been a misconception about proficiency with weapons in 5E and I would like to give my take on it. When you choose a class, it has the weapons that you are proficient with or can be proficient with in that class. This does not mean you ***can’t*** use a different weapon. What it means is, those are the weapons you’re proficient with and therefore can use your proficiency bonus to your “to hit” roll.

Under Druid, these are the weapons they are proficient with: Clubs, daggers, darts, javelins, maces, quarterstaffs, scimitars, sickles, slings, spears. Does this mean you can’t use a Long Sword? No, it doesn’t mean that. What it means is, if you choose to use a Long Sword, you will not get to add your proficiency bonus to your “to hit” roll, because you’re not proficient with a Long Sword. Do you want to become proficient in the Long Sword as a Druid? Then take one and use it. Yeah, you lose your proficiency bonus, but over time and use of the weapon, you’ll gain proficiency with that weapon and will get to use the proficiency bonus again.

The reason I’m pointing this out is, I feel that sometimes people look at the Player’s Handbook and take it as gospel when it’s really just a guideline. It doesn’t mean you can’t just because it doesn’t say that you can use a long sword in the PHB. So expand your imagination and talk to me if you want to do something outside of the norm.

## Reaching 0 Hit Points Rule

When a character is dropped to 0 hit points, they will begin to make death saving throws. Three successful saves will stabilize the character at 0 hit points and three failed saving throws will mean that the character has died. A stabilized character can be healed through magical healing (i.e. a cleric spell of healing or a potion of healing, but not bandaging) and they return to the living, but this doesn’t mean they are able to just get up and fight. Upon being revived by another player (or by rolling a 20 on a death save to return to 1 hit point), they suffer 1 level of Exhaustion. If the character goes to 0 hit points again in the same fight, if they are revived, they suffer another level of Exhaustion. It requires one long rest to remove 1 level of Exhaustion. If they have 2 levels, they must complete 2 long rests and so on. (Levels of Exhaustion are explained on Page 296 of the Player’s Handbook).

## **Spell DC**

According to the *Player’s Handbook*, there is no way to
increase spell DC other than improving your ability score modifier or your
Proficiency Bonus, but there is a cap to those. Since the ability to take your ability
score improvement and put it toward spell DC was removed, there is now another
option. At level 10, 12, 14, 16, 18 and 20, every spell caster gains a +1 to spell DC.

## Spells Known

### **Wizard**

Wizardswill now similar to the *Player’s Handbook* as for spells granted
to wizards per level.  At first level,
Wizards have a spellbook that contains six 1st level wizard spells
of their choice.  As they level, they add
four wizard spells of your choice to your spellbook, instead of two which is what the Player's Handbook grants you. Each of these spells must
be of a level for which you have spell slots, as shown on the Wizard table.

Wizard do not have to prepare spells, they can
cast any spell they know.  Wizards can
also scribe spells that they find into their spellbook.

## **Spells Slots**

All casters get additional spell slots.

1st +1 to all Spell Slots

5th +1 to all Spell Slots

12th +1 to all Spell Slots

A player should gain +3 to all spell slots
by the time they reach 12th level. This does not change Spells Known, Cantrips
or anything else, just the allotted spell slots for each class.

If they are running only one casting class and one non-casting
class, they get the casting class spell slots, plus the bonus spell slots I grant as a homebrew.

## **Stealth Rules**

Lighting
is a major factor in the use of Stealth and I have been remiss in enforcing the
lighting rules about Stealth.  When a
rogue says they are going to Stealth, lighting and cover will now be enforced.  If there is nothing to hide behind or it is
brightly lit when this occurs, my ruling will be that the enemy sees them.  If a rogue says they are going to Stealth,
regardless of lighting and cover, they can only move up to 1/2 of their
movement base or they will be noticed by the enemy.  If the enemy is engaged fully with another
enemy and the Stealthed character flanks them (not behind them, beside them),
the character makes a normal 'to hit' roll, not at Advantage.  Only an unnoticed rogue behind the target
gets Advantage on the roll.  If the rogue
has 2 attacks by this point, and has Advantage on the roll from behind, they
have Advantage on both rolls to hit in that round.

## Clarifications

All character creation ideas must have Dungeon Master approval.

Party combat is discouraged unless it is approved by the Dungeon Master for roleplay purposes.

If you didn’t say it, it didn’t happen. So be careful and keep track of what you do or don’t say.

Talking during combat is encouraged. Direct traffic, warn your allies or insult the enemy. It’s ok.

​​​​​​​ Speeding up combat. Have your action ready to go when it’s your turn or at least have an idea. If not, we’ll move on and you can catch up next round.