Home Rules and Changes

*This section details the changes to the standard D&D 5e rules that players will use in this West Marches style game.*

*The West Marches is supposed to be more focused on survival, exploration, and resource management than your standard D&D campaign. The changes to the standard rules are in line with this focus. Some of these changes will make the game more difficult - that is by design. This style of adventure rewards smart planning, and careful consideration, rather than bash-down-the-door style of play.*

## Improved Cantrips

In the Rules As Written (RAW), aside from a few damage dealing options, most cantrips stay exactly as they are from level 1 to level 20. This seems to make some of them lose their value after a few levels.

To counteract this, we will be using Evolving Cantrips, which can be found here.

## Coinage

All coin denominations are one step lower than printed. Thus, a dagger costs 2 silver pieces, rather than 2 gold, a javelin costs 5 copper, etc. Copper piece prices remain the same.

NOTE: This applies to starting gold as well. Players should be buying their starting equipment with silver, rather than gold.

## Character Creation

Listed here are the home-rules for character creation.

1. New characters will begin at level 1 (or the lowest level within the range - see below).
2. Use the Point Buy method to determine ability scores, as per the Player's Handbook.
3. When equipping your character, ***do not*** take the starting packages, nor the background equipment from your chosen background. Rather, take the average gold-piece amount for that character class, convert to silver, and purchase equipment accordingly.
	* Bards, Clerics, Fighters, Paladins, and Rangers all begin with 125 silver
	* Artificers, Blood Hunters, Rogues, Warlocks, and Wizards begin with 100 silver
	* Sorcerers begin with 75 silver
	* Barbarians and Druids begin with 50 silver
	* Monks begin with 12 silver and 5 copper
4. Roll on the Trinket Table 3 times, and choose one from those results to start with. Tell the DM what it is, what your character knows about it, and anything that you specifically **don't** know about it.
5. Clerics **must** choose a religion to follow, and Warlocks **must** choose a particular patron. Work with DM to determine choices.
6. Check the Race and Class pages for information on restrictions, alterations, and new options.
7. Check with your DM to see if your background and/or backstory nets you any additional items, coin, or perks, or if you begin with more due to the average level of the other characters.

NOTE: As per usual, the only evil alignment allowed is Lawful Evil, and keep in mind that, even though the format of a West Marches is different, you still should try to make a character that fits with the group as a whole. Try not to make a lone-wolf, or someone whose goals are antithetical to the fun of the group.

## Alchemy and Item Creation

The alchemy and item creation rules here will be used.

## Carrying Capacity and Encumbrance

*When you venture out into the wilds, you must be sure to bring the proper equipment with you. However, you also must make sure that you have the ability to carry back with you whatever stores of loot you find in your adventures.*

The following rules determine carrying capacity and encumbrance:

1. You can carry a number of items equal to your Strength Score (minimum 10) without penalty. This total is your capacity.
2. If you carry more than you capacity, you are ***encumbered*** – your speed drops by 1/2 and you have disadvantage on ability checks and saving throws that use Dexterity, as well as all attack rolls.
3. You may not carry more than twice your capacity.
4. Dwarves may ignore the penalties to speed as a result of being encumbered.

Some items do not count against your limit, or can be bundled together:

1. Worn clothing, worn armor, worn jewelry, soft containers (such as backpacks, pouches, etc.), and items you can conceal in your palm do not count towards encumbrance.
2. Two one-handed weapons (alternately, one weapon and one shield, or one two-handed weapon) do not count towards encumbrance.
3. Items (and bundles of similar items) which you can hold in one hand take one slot. (Up to 3 torches, flasks, or rations can usually be bundled together)
4. Every 100 coins take one slot. Round up. Every 10 gems takes up one slot.
5. Items that require two hands take two slots.
6. Heavy items (carried armor, chests, etc.) take one slot for every 5 pounds. Round up.

NOTE: It might be worthwhile to note which containers every item you carry is in - that way you know what you're losing if you need to lighten the load quickly.

## Rations, Time, and Rest

* Rations: In order to use HD during a short rest, a character must use up a ration.
* Standard actions (searching a room, moving from room to room, fighting a battle, etc.) are considered as taking 10 minutes for the purposes of spell duration and light sources.
* For every fifty minutes spent in activity in a dungeon, one ten minute period must be spent in rest. If this isn't done, a level of exhaustion is added.

## Shields Shall be Splintered

   Players can choose to shatter their equipped shield (making it unusable even with a mending spell) in order to turn an enemy melee (non-spell attack) hit into a miss.

## Experience, Gaining Levels, and Bounded Leveling

*The world is a dangerous one, but if you live awhile, you'll learn a thing or two.*

Experience gain, and leveling up, is handled slightly differently in this West Marches than in the Rules as Written:

* Players need 10 Experience Points to level up (after lvl 6 that number becomes 15, and after lvl 10, it become 20).
* When you get to 10 XP, you reset to 0, gain a level, and any excess experience points are added to the next tier.
* You can gain experience for surviving dangerous situations, finding lost secrets and artifacts, and exploring remote locations.
* You will gain experience points in 1-4 point increments. The precise number is based on the severity of the danger you faced, the obscurity and importance of the secret or artifact you recover, and the remoteness of the location you explore.

Once you have the proper experience, you must take a long rest in a Safe Location. Upon waking up, you will have gained the level.

    As some players play more than others, they will level up faster. That's okay - part of the fun of West Marches is the individual nature of each character. However, in order that some players will still have fun playing along with the rest of the group even if they don't play as often, auto level-ups can be given. If the discrepancy between highest and lowest level characters would ever become 4, those lower level characters all gain a level. So, if someone reaches level 7 and another character is at level 3, that 3rd level character automatically gains enough experience to become level 4.

*NOTE: Only characters would would fall outside the boundary gain the level. If one character is level 3, and two are level 6 and one of those two reaches 7, only the 3rd level character gains a level.*

## Injuries

To make the perils of the world more perilous, each time a character makes **at least one Death Save and still recovers**, he gains an injury. The injury table is provided by the DM.

* If left untreated, injuries can leave lingering effects.
* Injuries can be treated during short or long rests.
* Only those proficient with Medicine can attempt to treat injuries.
* Medicine Kits can also be used to great effect in treating injuries.

## Character Death and Retirement

*You're gonna die. Let's just hope it's not too soon.*

If your character dies in this campaign, that's the end of that character. There is no resurrection magic in this world (aside from Revivify, which must be cast within the first minute after death).

If you wish to keep playing, you absolutely can, but you must roll up a new character:

* The character will be one level lower than the character who died (minimum 1, or the lowest level possible - see above).
* The starting coin to purchase new equipment will be modified depending on new character's level.
* At certain tiers of play, a new character may begin with magic items, per discussion with the DM.

If you wish to retire a character, for whatever reason, you may. The character will become an NPC under the DM's control, unless you wish to remove that character from the campaign completely. If the character is not removed completely, and you lose a later character to death, then you can take control of one of your own retired characters, if you wish.

Some characters may choose to leave a Will - if you do, note it down somewhere and let the DM know. If your character dies, and the equipment and money is recovered (perhaps necessitating another expedition), then that Will takes effect. Otherwise the dead character's possessions become like any other loot in the dungeon. Plan ahead!