```metadata title: Revised Combat Rules description: >- Included are the new flying rules, which give complexity and danger to the act of flying, and serves to make flying creatures have to think a lot more about their flight path and the dangers along the way. Additionally, mounted combat, underwater combat, and basic combat have all been overhauled as well. tags: [] systems: - 5e renderer: legacy theme: 5ePHB ``` ```css /*=======--- Example CSS styling ---=======*/ /* Any CSS here will apply to your document! */ .phb p { line-height: 115%; !important padding-bottom: 1mm; } .phb table { font-family: ScalySans; width: 105%; margin-bottom: 0.5em; font-size: 10pt; font-kerning:none; line-height: 0.85em } } .phb descriptive p{ display:block; padding-bottom:1px; margin-bottom: -1em; line-height:1em } ```
# Commander's Revised Combat Rules
##### Combat supplemental rules for 5e combat encounters.
Revision 1.0.0
\page
# Table of Contents
- ### [**Revised Combat Rules**](#p2) - #### [3Summary](#p3) - #### [4Special Dice Mechanics](#p4) - #### [6Basic Combat Revisions](#p6) - #### [8Expanded Conditions](#p8) - #### [10Flying Rules](#p10) - #### [13Underwater Combat](#p13) - #### [14Mounted Combat](#p14) - #### [16Lasting Injuries](#p16) - #### [22Feats](#p22) - ### [23Credit and Patreon Link](#p23)
``` ``` >### Join the Discord! > Have questions or comments to give to the development team of Revised Martial Equipment or any other Commander brew? Join our discord! All critique is welcome and we'll be glad to have your feedback. > >If you wish to receive updates on this and future brews, ask for the **Scryer** role when you join. \page # Combat Supplement ___ These revisions are designed to modify and expand the mechanics of combat in 5e. They are intended to be lightweight and easy to learn or remember. The goal of this homebrew is to introduce subtle changes rather than sweeping new mechanics or an excessive amount of complexity. It is recommended to read through the entire supplement to understand how these modifications interact with the base 5e rules, as well as any house rules or homebrews you may be using. ### Different Dice One of the shortcomings of 5e is its over-reliance on a single dice mechanic - advantage and disadvantage. While this mechanic is great, the game can feel repetitive due to the overuse of this mechanic for every bonus and penalty. Revised Combat Rules introduces new dice mechanics, such as exploding dice, changing dice sizes, additional uses for inspiration, varying degrees of success, and group ability checks. These additions aim to add depth and variety to the game. ___ ### Revise the Battlefield Revised Combat Rules also provide enhancements to various aspects of combat. This includes more engaging flying rules, rules for more dangerous fall damage and difficult terrain, alternative ways to handle initiative and surprise rounds, and a fresh take on death saving throws and hit points. The intention is to transform the simplified combat rules of 5e into a more enjoyable, immersive, and rewarding experience, particularly for non-spellcasting characters. ___ ### Combat Injuries In 5th Edition, combat often revolves around hit points, while other factors receive less attention. Players may not feel the urgency to be healed since they can easily bounce back with *Healing Word* when they go down. Critical hits don't carry significant impact, narratively or otherwise, as being at 1 HP is as effective as being at maximum hit points. What if combat were truly dangerous? What if dropping to 0 hit points resulted in serious injuries, such as concussions, broken limbs, or shock? What if the often overlooked Medicine skill was necessary to treat these injuries, even when magical healing options were available? And what if sustaining significant damage had tangible consequences, making characters less effective in combat until their injuries were treated? These modifications aim to bring a greater sense of risk and consequence to combat encounters. By introducing the concept of combat injuries, players must consider the potential long-term effects of taking significant damage or dropping to 0 hit points, fostering a more immersive and strategic gameplay experience. ### Feat Changes and Imrpovements Finally, many feats have either been improved to be more attractive, balanced to be less of a must-have for many builds, or were given a half Ability Score Improvement to make up for their niche or minor power addition. The feats presented here are intended to be modular and aren't required for RCR to work as intended, but should be viewed as a great improvement to the flow of combat and magic in 5e.
SUMMARY
\page # Special Dice Mechanics ___ Advantage and Disadvantage are great dice mechanics, but the over-reliance on just this one mechanic can lead to a lot of stale or redundant bonuses or penalties. Consider these dice mechanics to vary your bonuses. #### Advantage/Disadvantage Stacking In normal 5e rules, any single source of advantage negates any number of disadvantages, and vice versa. Use a more granular approach, and allow only one source of advantage to negate only one source of disadvantage and vice versa. If a character is blinded and prone, suffering two sources of disadvantage, and the enemy is the target of *Guiding Bolt*, giving the next attack advantage, the blind and prone character still suffers disadvantage. #### Super Advantage and Super Disadvantage Also called assurance and disaster, respectively, allow two sources of advantage to become assurance and two sources of disadvantage to become disaster. When a character has assurance, they roll three d20s and take the highest result, while disaster forces them to roll three d20s and take the lowest result. These stacking bonuses or penalties
should make sense or come from different types
of sources. For example, if a character is blinded
and also attacking a creature in complete darkness,
those would not stack to disaster, as they both
are the result of not being able to see the target.
But a character who is prone and blinded would
suffer disaster to their roll, almost assuredly
missing their attack roll. This requires some fiat
on the part of the DM judging bonuses and penalties. #### Inspiration Fudge Many players forget they have inspiration until a
roll is made, and choosing to roll with inspiration,
then rolling a d20 with advantage, can feel like it was
wasted when both dice come up as successes.
Consider allowing a player to roll a check, and if it
fails, allow them to use inspiration to roll a d4 bonus
to their roll. #### Other Inspiration Uses There are other inspiration uses that may make the
resource more powerful. Consider allowing a character
to use it to regain their choice of resource that is recharged on a short rest, or use it to automatically succeed on a death saving throw. #### Delayed Dice Roll Try rolling some skill checks only when their success or failure becomes relevant. A good example is a rope knot. When tying up a prisoner, usually the DM asks for some skill check for tying knots. If the player rolls poorly, sometimes another player asks if they can "look over" the knot for good handiwork, an obvious smoke screen for "let me roll better." Would they have asked to look over the knot if that player rolled well? Instead, let the player just tie up the prisoner without a roll. They go about other business and later when the prisoner is trying to escape, *then* have the player roll a skill check for the knot. This prevents players from acting on their roll instead of playing the narrative. Roleplaying vs. Roll Playing. This works for a lot of different skill checks: Stealth checks only when an enemy comes near, Survival checks only after a day of traveling for a navigation check, Medicine checks to treat disease only after a day of rest, etc. #### Group Checks Finally, consider when the party attempts something as a group, to call for everyone within the group to roll the same skill check. Checking the number of successes against failures, the party can succeed as a group at something that individually, some of them may fail. With the same stealth example, the paladin may consistently fail his stealth roll thanks to his armor and clumsy Dexterity, but by sneaking along with the Rogue, she can coach him on how best to sneak even while in armor, lending her success to cover his failure. In group checks, count a roll of natural 1 as two failures, and a roll of natural 20 as two successes.
SPECIAL DICE MECHANICS
\page #### Threats and Safeties The Rogue sneaks along a low wall outside the orc encampment but fumbles her stealth roll and trips on a rock, causing the entire setup of a greater mission to fail. Thanks to one failure, the party is now forced to deal with the consequences of a failed stealth mission due to a singular roll. Instead of a binary success and failure, consider running a threat or safety system. If a character fails a certain task, they are in Threat. Allow them another roll at the same task, where a success saves them from failure but limits their progress. The Rogue gets another stealth check as she dives to the ground flat behind the wall but can't continue to move to safety and may need to wait for the investigating orcs to leave. If the character fails a second time, or if the first failure is a natural 1, the failure is true. This offers players a way to roleplay out of a failure they should reasonably be expected to succeed at. Likewise, if a player succeeds at a task with a natural 20, consider a sort of "banked" success, called a safety, where the next time they fail at a different point in the same task, they can count that failure as a success using their safety. Perhaps our Rogue actually rolls a natural 20 on her stealth check and deftly sneaks past the orcs. Later, she is attempting to sneak up on an orc guard for a clean kill, and fails the stealth roll. Using her safety, you describe the guard sneezing as the Rogue trips a rock, hiding her failure. You can limit Threats and Safeties to skills with which a character is proficient, preventing a character who would otherwise never succeed from having a chance at doing so. This also leads to more importance of tool kits, since they can be used for a variety of skill checks which may not always have proficiency. Furthermore, banked successes only last for the task at hand. A character can't roll a natural 20 on a stealth roll one day, and a week later expect to use that safety on a failed roll in a different setting. ``` ``` #### Varying Degrees of Success Consider using varying degrees of success to further reward or punish your players, especially with tasks that involve time constraints. For obstacles that present a loss of time, use the following guidelines: - **Success** - If a player succeeds at a check that might take time, it takes 10 minutes and adds a Time Dice to the pile. - **Major Success** - If a player succeeds by 5 or more, they complete the task quickly and do not take any time. - **Triumph** - If a player succeeds by 10 or more, not only do they not take any time, but they also gain some advantage - **Failure** - If a player fails at this same check, they take 10 minutes and fail the check but can try again. - **Major Failure** - If a player fails by 5 or more, they fail the check and perhaps cannot try again - **Disaster** - If a player fails by 10 or more, they may not try again and also cause some disadvantage Let's take the example of picking a lock, which takes more time than simply kicking the door down. If they succeed, you add a Time Dice and explain that the lock was difficult, but after some time, they found the right way to pick it in the end. If they succeed by 5 or more, you explain that the lock felt rather simple, perhaps even worn with age, and they picked it in a matter of seconds. If they succeed by 10 or more, they pick the lock in a matter of seconds and also realize they recognize the style of locks here, making further pick attempts only cost time if they fail. However, if the player attempts the lock and fails, Time Dice are added, and you explain that the lock is proving more difficult than they thought, but with more time, they could eventually get it open. If they fail by 5 or more, you explain that it took several minutes, and the stubborn lock jammed itself against their picking attempts; no further attempts are possible without the key resetting the lock. Finally, if the player fails by 10 or more, they spend several minutes trying to pick the lock, end up jamming the lock, and also break their lockpick off inside!
SPECIAL DICE MECHANICS
\page # Basic Combat Revisions #### Initiative One of the most effective ways to make combat feel natural is to roll initiative every round, with each creature vying for an opening in the chaotic flow of battle. Rolling initiative every round injects variance into combat and prevents metagaming plays, such as a fighter launching themselves at a monster because they know the healer's turn comes before the monster. To streamline this process and avoid initiative calls that slow down combat, as soon as someone's turn is over, they roll initiative secretly. The same is done for each monster. At the start of a new round, instead of creating an initiative list, simply call for result ranges. For example, start with 25-20, and anyone in that range calls out their total and acts accordingly. Move on to 20-15, then 15-10, and so on. You know the monster rolls, so you can call out when they take their turns as well. Mixing up turns each round keeps the players on their toes, acting with the same uncertainty as they do in the first round of combat. They never know when the monsters will act but can make educated guesses about slower monsters tending to act at the bottom of rounds and being cautious of faster monsters who consistently beat their turn order. However, when a character falls to 0 hit points, the next player's turn usually prioritizes healing since they are always uncertain when the enemy's turn will be. This approach presents interesting scenarios where a character may go at the bottom of one round and then at the top of the next. This can serve as both a boon and a bane. Getting a turn at the bottom of a round and then going first at the top of the next round can be a real advantage in some situations, such as casting spells, but it can also be a penalty for spells that last only for a single round. Many spells and effects last for one round or until the start of the creature's turn that used the spell or ability. In these instances, you have a choice. You can either record the initiative "block" when the spell was used and let it run until the end of that block (e.g., 20-15 or 10-5), or you can simplify it and have the spell or ability run until the user's next turn in initiative, whenever that may be. Ultimately, it will balance out, as sometimes the user will have longer "rounds" of the effect, while other times they will have shorter ones. #### Death Saves A good way to handle Death Saving throws is to roll them in secret for your players. This keeps metagaming about the state of a downed player free of the game, as often players choose to ignore death saving throws until a dying player has had a couple of failed attempts. Further, each failed death save gives the player a point of exhaustion, which forces lasting consequences from being knocked unconscious. If a creature is healed while unconscious, have them reroll initiative. If they roll higher than the current turn, they get to act immediately; otherwise, they act on their new initiative. #### Hit Points Disallow players from sharing their hit point total with other players, just like how they shouldn't know the hit point total for enemies. They should only gain hit point information if they use their Medicine skill. As a bonus action, they can roll a DC 10 Medicine check. While anyone can tell if a creature has the Bloodied condition, meaning they are under half hit points, allow this check to determine if anyone has particularly low hit points or has wounds. #### Surprise Round Surprise should confer a bonus to the ambusher, leaving the surprised quarry unable to act in their confusion and lack of vigilance. At the start of combat, creatures who are surprised do not roll initiative unless they have some ability that allows them to ignore being surprised or act while surprised. During this surprise round, each creature who has rolled initiative can use one action. No bonus action, reaction, or movement, simply one action. This is usually an attack action but can include spellcasting, dashing, etc. At the end of this surprise round, surviving creatures roll initiative as normal for the next round. If any creatures join an ongoing battle and surprise all combatants, allow the creature to make one free action before rolling initiative to join the turn order. #### Boosting Intelligence During character creation, the player can select a number of extra proficiencies with skills, tools, or languages equal to their Intelligence modifier, in addition to the proficiencies they gain from class, species, or feat selection. For example, a Fighter character with an Intelligence of 14 gets to pick two more proficiencies in addition to the two proficiencies they choose from the set Fighter list. Don't limit these extra proficiencies; they can be any skill, any tool, or any language the character would reasonably be able to learn during their life before adventuring. This is a reflection of natural intellect which has helped them learn skills more quickly in their background. However, if a creature ever increases their intelligence through Ability Score Increases, Feats, or magic items, don't allow them to pick more proficiencies. This rule only applies at character creation. Furthermore, when initiative is rolled, allow a creature to choose either their Dexterity or Intelligence modifier to add to their roll. A more tactical, keen mind could act faster than a somewhat dull character. In contrast, a creature with a negative Intelligence modifier at creation would receive fewer proficiencies from their background. Don't modify the given class proficiencies, but a character with an Intelligence of 8 would receive one fewer skill, tool, or language from their background than normal. If they don't receive a language from their background, consider limiting their use of Common to simple or childish speech, with poor understanding of sarcasm or metaphor. #### Rolling with the Fall When a character falls at least 10 feet, they can attempt to negate some of the fall damage they will take. When they hit the ground, they can attempt to roll with the momentum, rolling an Acrobatics or Athletics check. Round this total down to the nearest 10, then subtract from the number of feet fallen before rolling damage. A result of 9 or lower is 0, 10-19 is 10, and so on. This same roll is compared to the amount of damage they take, if any, from the fall. If it is higher, the character rolls 5 feet in a direction of their choosing and remains standing. If the roll is lower, the character is prone where they landed.
BASIC COMBAT REVISIONS
\page #### Skill Check Action Economy Requiring an Action for any use of a skill can sometimes lead players to rely solely on damage as a means of ending an encounter, making other options feel like a waste of time. It can be challenging to understand why it takes a whole turn to remember traits about a monster with a Nature check, while climbing up a rock face requires an Athletics check with no action cost. Similarly, spending an entire action just to look for a hidden creature can feel excessive. Instead, consider allowing all skill checks to be performed as a bonus action. The exceptions to this rule would be skill checks related to movement, which are free, and skill checks for acquiring knowledge, which also don't require an action. Searching for a hidden creature, assessing the nature of its injuries, or attempting to investigate a trap for its activation mechanism can typically be done quickly enough to warrant a bonus action. However, it's important to note that some skill checks may still require an action, particularly those involving physical exertion or complex tasks. For example, Athletics to kick down a door, Intimidation checks to force an enemy to surrender or retreat, or Stealth checks to attempt to hide necessitate using an action to make the attempt. ##### Free - Acrobatics/Athletics related to movement - Arcana/History/Nature/Religion checks to recall knowledge ##### Bonus - Animal Handling/Deception/Persuasion/Intimidation to influence another creature - Medicine checks to determine number of wounds or exact hit point totals - Perception/Investigation checks to search for hidden creatures or objects - Insight checks to assess a creature (attitude, willingness to fight, relationship to other creatures, etc) ##### Action - Performance checks to appear as something else - Sleight of Hand to steal something off an enemy creature - Stealth checks made to hide - Survival checks made to track a creature's path. #### Revised Opportunity Attacks A creature can now make an Opportunity Attack when an enemy does any of the following in its reach. - Stowing a weapon, unless stowing an off hand weapon. - Using an Object Interaction. - Using your action to activate magic items, such as using a wand or drinking a potion, unless the magic item is only activated with a command word. - Crawling or standing up from prone. - Reloading a weapon with the Reload property, except when Reload is free. - Moving into an creature's controlled space or passing through a creature's space that is two size categories bigger or smaller. The exception is with a successful tumble or overrun action. - Moving into a creature's reach and leaving it on the same turn. - Casting a spell which takes at least an action to cast, and is not a melee spell attack, unless the creature has the feat **War Caster**. Creatures no longer make an Opportunity Attack if their enemy starts its turn in their reach and leaves it on that turn if it doesn't have the prone or blinded conditions. Because there are a lot more opportunity attacks, it can be hard to remember them. An easy way to think of revised opportunity attacks is to imagine any time you are doing something with your hands that isn't attacking someone, enemies around you take that opportunity to attack you while you are preoccupied. #### Dangerous Terrain Wading through pools of acid, walking through razor-sharp crystals, or trudging through aggressively hostile plant life may be more limiting than simply slower travel. While difficult terrain limits your movement, dangerous terrain can cause injury. There's no way to avoid the damage from dangerous terrain, even if you're careful. While a pool of lava may spell doom for a creature falling into it, running through razorbush may only result in a few cuts and scrapes. Dangerous terrain counts as difficult terrain. Each time the creature spends more than half their movement through dangerous terrain, they suffer damage according to the Dangerous Terrain Table, appropriate for their character level, assessed at the end of the movement. |Level|Damage| |:--:|:--: |1-4|1d6 |5-8|2d6 |9-12|3d6 |13-16|4d6 |17-20|5d6| #### Falling Damage To make falling more dangerous and unforgiving, consider compounding fall damage. This fall damage adds all the previous falling damage dice to the current total every 10 ft. 10 ft is 1d6 damage, while falling 20 ft adds 2d6 to this total, for 3d6 damage. Falling 30 ft adds 3d6 to this total, for 6d6 damage, and so on. Fall damage is considered bludgeoning damage for resistances or immunities. At this rate, falling 100 ft would cause 55d6 of damage, or around 193 on average; much more lethal to even the hardiest free-diving barbarian. This table is an easy reference for falling distances. | Distance | Damage Dice |Average Damage |:--:|:--:|:--: | 10 | 1d6 |3 | 20 | 3d6 |10 | 30 | 6d6 |21 | 40 | 10d6 |35 | 50 | 15d6 |52 | 60|21d6|73 |70|28d6|98 |80|36d6|126 |90|45d6|157 |100|55d6|193
BASIC COMBAT REVISIONS
\page # Expanded conditions ___ These conditions can create more dynamic and active combat strategies and can serve as a greater danger to your players. Many conditions have been modified from existing rules, so be sure to read these carefully. ##### Blinded Blinded describes not only creatures who have been blinded, but also creatures that are in heavy obscurity or are otherwise unable to see normally. - A blinded creature cannot see and automatically fails any ability check that requires sight. Blinded creatures can still use Blindsight and Tremorsense to perceive. - Attack rolls against blinded creatures gain advantage and blinded creatures' attack rolls suffer disadvantage. - While blinded, a creature must move carefully to avoid tripping. They expend 2 feet for every 1 foot of movement, or they can choose to succeed a DC 15 Acrobatics check on their turn to avoid this penalty. If they fail, they fall prone. ##### Bloodied A bloodied creature has fewer than half hit points. While this has no mechanical effect, other creatures can tell without a skill check that the creature has visible wounds and appears winded from battle. This might have an effect on roleplay, as a wounded creature seeks medical attention or a retreat, or a pack of wolves chooses to focus on a bloodied player character. It may also have an effect on gameplay, as you can choose some abilities that may not work as well for a bloodied creature compared to normal. ##### Deafened A deafened creature cannot hear, but this may not necessarily be the result of damage to their ears. - The creature suffers disadvantage on any check made to maintain concentration. - The creature suffers disadvantage on Initiative rolls. - To cast any spell with a verbal component, a creature must succeed on an Arcana check vs a DC equal to 10 + the spell's level. - The creature suffers disadvantage on Wisdom ability checks and saving throws, and automatically fails a Perception roll that relies on hearing. ##### Grappled - While grappled, a creature's speed becomes 0 for the duration of the grapple. - A grappled creature's attacks suffer disadvantage if they target any creature other than the one grappling them. - When a creature uses the Cast a Spell action to cast a spell with a somatic component, a grappled creature must succeed on an Intelligence (Arcana) check against the grappling creature's escape DC or its passive Athletics score, whichever is higher. Failing this check means the spell was not cast, nor was the spell slot used. ``` ``` ##### Helpless A helpless creature is either bound and completely defenseless, or is otherwise unable to resist or defend themselves, such as being asleep. Reserve the Helpless condition for when a creature is truly defenseless, not simply tied up or weakened. - A helpless creature is incapacitated, its speed becomes 0, and it can't benefit from any bonus to its speed. - Attack rolls against the creature automatically hit and count as critical hits. - The creature automatically fails Dexterity and Strength saving throws. ##### Paralyzed Paralyzed now has two different types: Stricken Paralysis and Disabled Paralysis. Both conditions include all the penalties from Paralyzed as it is written: incapacitated, automatically failing Strength and Dexterity saving throws, attacks made against a paralyzed creature are made with advantage and count as critical hits if they succeed. - **Stricken Paralysis** - The creature is frozen in place by some spell or effect which causes them to seize up. They remain standing and can still breathe and look with their eyes, but cannot move or speak. - **Disabled Paralysis** - The creature loses all motor function and falls prone in a limp state. They cannot breathe and begin suffocating. Disabled paralysis is not usually caused by a spell or spell-like effect, but is often caused by creature venom or by taking a massive amount of lightning or force damage. ##### Prone - A prone creature can crawl, expending 2 feet of movement for every 1 foot traveled. - Prone creatures suffer disadvantage on attack rolls, and disadvantage on Strength and Dexterity ability checks and saving throws. - Melee attack rolls against a prone creature gain advantage, while ranged attack rolls suffer disadvantage. - A prone creature can stand up or become crouching, and in both cases this costs half the creature's maximum speed. ##### Restrained - A restrained creature's speed becomes 0 and it cannot benefit from any bonus to speed. - Attack rolls against the creature have advantage and the restrained creature's attack rolls suffer disadvantage. - The creature suffers disadvantage on Dexterity ability checks and saving throws. - A restrained creature cannot cast a spell which requires a somatic component.
EXPANDED CONDITIONS
\page ##### Crouching A crouching creature is attempting to lower its profile or kneel behind cover too small to stand fully behind. Crouching is not simply bending low, but is where at least one knee is on the ground when not moving. - A crouching creature's speed is halved, and standing up from crouching only costs 5 feet of movement - Ranged attacks against a crouching creature suffer disadvantage if there are any obstacles or other creatures between the attacker and the targeted creature. - A crouching creature's attacks suffer disadvantage and melee attacks against a crouching creature gain advantage. - A creature with a shield that is crouching gains the effects of half cover. If you are using RME shields, this does not apply to bucklers and arm guards. - A crouching creature suffers disadvantage on any athletics or acrobatics checks, and suffers disadvantage on saving throws made to resist the prone condition. ##### Terrified A terrified creature is more than frightened by something; it is completely consumed by fear and is in full retreat. The only action a terrified creature can use on its turn is the Dash action, moving as far away from the source of their fear as safely possible. If they cannot escape, the creature may use a Dodge action. ##### Shackled A shackled creature is bound by the hands, either in manacles, rope, or other means of disabling mobility. - Shackled creatures cannot cast spells with a somatic component, and can only equip weapons with the One-Handed and Versatile properties. Any attack rolls they make suffer disadvantage. - Attacks against a shackled creature gain advantage. - A creature suffers disadvantage to ability checks which use the hands, such as sleight of hand or using Thieves Tools. Shackled creatures cannot reload ranged weapons unless they spend an action to do so. ## Revised Exhaustion The exhaustion condition becomes a scale, instead of a table. Each time you gain exhaustion, it adds to your current level of exhaustion, up to 10. If you ever have more than 10 exhaustion levels, you die. - When you have exhaustion, each time you roll a
d20, you subtract your total exhaustion level
from the roll before any modifiers. - Each level of exhaustion lowers your Spell DC
and Weapon DC by 1. - Every two levels of exhaustion lowers your
speed by 5, to a minimum of 0.
REVISED EXHAUSTION
\page # Flying Rules ___ Flying is a combination of complexity and planning. After all, being off the ground offers great advantages against grounded foes but is inherently dangerous. This simple set of rules provides a basic framework for flying and falling. ### Basic Rules - While flying, you must move at half your normal flying speed each turn to maintain flight. If you don't, you must pass a hover check or begin falling. - To hover, you must spend half your maximum flying speed and pass a DC 15 Athletics check. - When you gain altitude or fly against Moderate winds (+10 mph), you expend 2 feet of movement for every 1 foot traveled. If you lose altitude or fly with Moderate winds, you travel 2 feet for every 1 foot expended. - While using your fly speed, you occupy the space of a creature one size category larger than normal and cannot squeeze into tighter spaces. This size is not space controlled, so other creatures can move through this space. - When your controlled space intersects with another creature or obstacle, even not on your turn, you must succeed on a DC 15 Strength saving throw or you suffer a Minor Setback and begin falling. You automatically succeed on this save if the creature is two size categories smaller than you. #### Inclement Weather and Encumberance Any time you are flying while lightly encumbered, or while there is precipitation of any kind or in at least Moderate winds (+10 mph), the DC for all ability checks and saving throws related to flight are increased by +2. When heavily encumbered or flying in heavy precipitation such as thunderstorms or blizzards, or any Strong winds (+20 mph), these DCs are increased by +4. You cannot fly or perform any flight related checks while over encumbered, and only Huge or larger creatures can fly in Storm winds (+50 mph) #### Ascending and Descending Normally, you cannot fly straight up; you can only ascend at an angle, expending 2 feet for each 1 foot you travel. While ascending, every foot you travel is a foot gained in altitude. For example, with a fly speed of 30 ft, you can ascend 15 ft while gaining 15 ft of altitude. This is a 45-degree angle, but that's not important to remember. You cannot climb at a sharper angle than this, meaning, in most cases, you'll need to ascend at least 5 feet to fly over medium creatures. To descend safely, you expend 1 foot for every 2 feet you travel. While descending, every foot you travel is a foot lost in altitude, but you get to benefit from increased speed. For example, with a 30 ft speed, you can travel up to 60 ft if you descend the whole way, but you lose 60 ft of altitude as well. If you need to get somewhere, but the descending angle is not steep enough, you will need to pitch into a dive. This may feel complicated with many ascents and descents in a single movement, but just remember that gaining altitude is like difficult terrain, and losing altitude is the reverse. Just measure how much altitude you want to gain, double that, and subtract the total from your movement speed, or how much altitude you want to lose, half that, and subtract the total. #### Diving Diving is an entirely different maneuver and involves everything from a sharp descent at a steep angle to a controlled free fall. You can enter a dive at any time to reduce your height by up to 580 feet on your turn, but pulling out of a dive requires skill. To pull out of a dive, you must succeed on a DC 10 Athletics check, or you will lose control of your flight and begin an uncontrolled fall. When you begin a dive, take note of what your elevation is, as that altitude is where you will begin fall damage if you lose control of your dive. #### Falling If you become prone, have your speed reduced to 0, or fail a hover or dive check, you will begin falling. If you are falling from any such effect, whether it's a failed recovery from a dive or simply being knocked out of the air, you can try to regain a stable flying position by arresting your fall. #### Arresting a Fall Creatures that are falling can try to arrest a fall by spreading their wings to act as a parachute until they are able to control their flight again or land safely on the ground. - As a Reaction, you can spread your wings to arrest your fall. Your rate of descent immediately slows to 60 feet per round and negates any falling damage if you arrest your fall before hitting the ground. Flying creatures serving as controlled mounts can always use this reaction, even when being controlled. - If on your turn you are still in the air, you can use your action to attempt to succeed on your choice of a DC 15 Athletics or Acrobatics check. If successful, you begin flying and can move on your turn as normal. If you fail, you continue arresting your fall until you land or succeed at another attempt to regain control of your flight. - While arresting your fall, you are considered hovering, explained below. ## Hovering Hovering is extremely difficult and physically exhausting for creatures that flap their wings to stay aloft. The DC 15 Athletics check made to stay in place reflects this difficulty and also prevents hovering everywhere, which would eliminate much of the challenge of flight. ### Hover Rules - To turn in place while hovering, you must expend 5 feet of movement for every 45 degrees you rotate, and you can only begin traveling in the direction you are facing. - Each time you take damage while hovering, you must succeed on a Constitution saving throw with a DC equal to 10 or half the damage taken, whichever is higher, or you begin falling. - Remember that you cannot hover or even fly if you are encumbered beyond your carrying capacity. If your mount can carry you normally, but another creature jumps onto your mount, it may become over-encumbered and unable to fly with the added weight of the passenger.
FLYING RULES
\page ## Advanced Flying Mechanics These rules are not necessary for flight to work properly, but the added advantages and strategies from them can add fun nuance to your games with flying creatures. Advanced flying rules are a bit more time consuming, so take note the added time they will add to your combat rounds while players carefully plan minimum banking radius or the best ways to ### Advanced Flight Rules - If you have descended at least 20 feet on your turn, your weapon attacks on your turn gain advantage. - If you dive at least 20 feet before making a melee attack against a target directly beneath you, your melee weapon deals twice its normal damage dice on the first attack you make during your turn. - While banking during flight, your turn radius is the same as the space you occupy. For example, if you are a Medium creature, you occupy a Large space while flying, so when you want to turn, you must use a 10 ft radius circle and navigate along it. - If your target is at least 20 feet higher elevation than you, your ranged attacks against it suffer disadvantage. ``` ``` #### Flying Radius Requiring a minimum turn radius while flying is crucial to a flight system that provides challenge and danger for flying itself. This system aims to introduce a means of measuring minimum turn radius that is easy to use and remember. Remember that while flying, you occupy a space one size category larger than your base size, representing the area needed for your flapping or soaring outstretched wings. When turning, your turn radius is the space you are required to take up. For example, if you are a Medium creature, you occupy a Large creature's space, so you would use a 10-foot radius circle. Overlay this circle on the battle map and move your character along the rim of it, maneuvering along it using grid or distance measuring. #### Diving and Risk Doubling your damage for an attack can be extremely effective, but remember that if you dive onto a creature on the ground and make your attack, you might hit the ground or the creature you dove onto. While you can arrest your fall on your turn, you can't end your turn inside a creature's controlled space. The creature would get an Opportunity Attack against you for entering their space before you landed and left it.
>### Feat: Aerial Ace - You do not provoke Opportunity Attacks from movement or entering a creature's controlled space when you are flying. - You can reverse your direction by performing an aerial maneuver. While flying, you can spend half your flight speed to immediately reverse your direction without needing to use the turn radius or begin hovering. Once you use this ability, you cannot do so again until you spend all your available fly speed on one of your turns. - You ignore disadvantage to ranged attacks from your target being 20 feet higher in elevation while you are flying. - You have advantage on any Acrobatics checks and Dexterity saving throws you make while flying. > >### Feat: Mighty Wings - If you are not flying, as an Action, you can flap your wings and cause a blast of wind around you. All creatures your size category or smaller in a 10 ft radius from you must succeed on a Strength saving throw vs a DC equal to 8 + your Strength modifier + your proficiency or be pushed prone. You may immediately then fly up to half your flight speed in a direction of your choosing, including straight up without expending movement. - You can ascend at a normal speed instead of needing to spend 2 ft of speed for every 1 ft of movement, and you can fly straight up vertically by expending 2 ft for every 1 ft of movement. - You have advantage on any Athletics checks and Strength saving throws you make while flying.
FLYING RULES
\page ## Magic Flight With the introduction of a more demanding flying system, the question of how that interacts with magic items becomes important. #### Worn Items Items which confer a flying speed to a creature that wears or activates them, such as the Wings of Flying cloak or Winged Boots, give you the same flying requirements. However, these items allow you to automatically succeed any hover check and do not require you to occupy a space one size category larger than you. Additionally, you can fly straight up but are still required to expend 2 feet of movement for every 1 foot traveled. You can still fail to hover. If the item requires your activation to gain a flying speed, it becomes deactivated when you are given the prone condition or any effect reduces your speed to zero. You can begin hovering again once you activate the item, using whatever action is required by the item itself. #### Held Equipment Items which can be activated to fly and on which you stand or sit, such as a Broom of Flying or Magic Carpets, also operate similarly to worn items. These items also automatically succeed hover checks and do not occupy a space one size category larger than you, and you are able to fly straight up with the required movement cost. However, if you take damage while using one of these items to fly, you must succeed on the required damage hover check or risk falling off the item. If your item takes damage, it too must pass a damage hover check to remain aloft. #### Spells Spells work similarly to worn magic items in that you automatically succeed hover checks and do not need to occupy the space of a creature one size category larger than you, and can fly straight up with the required movement cost. The risk of falling from a prone condition or reducing your speed to 0 is the same, in addition to needing to maintain concentration if the spell requires it. #### Mounts Mounts, either summoned via spell, magic item, or just inherently living in the world, are bound by all the same rules for flight if it makes sense for the mount to do so, such as griffons, wyverns, or rocs. Here, though, a saddle will help you. While you can ride a creature as a mount and benefit from its flying speed, it is very dangerous to do so. Any damage you take will force you to succeed on a damage hover check to remain on your mount, or you begin falling. Similarly, any effect which moves your mount against its will or causes your mount to begin falling will also cause you to tumble away from your mount uncontrollably. If your mount is wearing a saddle, you can remain seated while taking damage, even if your mount begins to fall. If your mount is moved against its will, you must succeed on a DC 10 Athletics check to remain seated on your mount. If your mount is wearing a military saddle, you gain advantage on this check. See the Revised Mounted Combat section for further rules regarding mounted combat. Your mount can maneuver to you and catch you from falling to your death. You must succeed on a DC 10 Athletics check to grab hold of the saddle, but if you succeed, you are safely seated aboard your mount and can resume flying as normal. If you are both falling, you can attempt to grab hold of your mount before it tries to arrest its fall, allowing the both of you to travel together again.
FLYING RULES
\page ## Underwater Combat Fighting underwater can be tedious and dangerous without the right tools. Consider these rules to make water hazards more interactive and provide tools for your party to require in order to be effective under the surface. Remember that unless a creature uses an underwater weapon, they suffer disadvantage on attack rolls, and all ranged attack rolls automatically miss targets beyond their normal range. #### Water Clarity The murkiness and depth of water have a huge impact on a creature's ability to see. Water is categorized into three clarities: - **Clear** - This water is crystal clear and has no effect on a creature's ability to see. Most springs and coastal waters are Clear. - **Murky** - This is most fresh water on the surface. Murky water limits a creature's vision to 30ft - **Turbid** - Flood waters, sewers, and especially muddy rivers are turbid. Turbid water reduces a creature's vision to 0 ft and is heavily obscuring. #### Depth Water depth has a significant impact on how far the sun's light travels. - **0 - 300ft** - The sun's light is unaffected and illuminates your surroundings. - **300 - 600ft** - The sun's light is dimmed and colors begin to lose value. All sunlight is considered dim light. - **600ft+** - While the sun's light may reach this depth, it has little effect on the surroundings. Water at this depth is in darkness without any source of light, no matter the time of day. #### Diving A creature that would take fall damage from a fall to the water's surface can instead attempt an Athletics check with a DC equal to 15 + 1 for each 10 feet fallen. On success, the creature dives and avoids the fall damage, but on failure, the creature takes half the damage they would have taken from falling this distance. #### Sight Surface creatures cannot see clearly underwater without goggles or some other way to keep their eyes dry. While you could perceive large shapes, you cannot see fine details, even close up. Without aid, surface creatures suffer disadvantage on all Wisdom (Perception) checks and cannot see anything beyond 60 feet. This penalty is before taking the water's clarity or the creature's depth into account. #### Holding Breath Under normal circumstances, you can hold your breath for a number of minutes equal to your Constitution modifier + 1. Once you reach this limit, or you lose your breath for any reason, you begin suffocating. At the start of your turn while suffocating, you make a DC 5 Constitution saving throw. If you succeed, you stay awake and continue suffocating. Each time you repeat this saving throw, the DC increases by 5. If you fail, you fall unconscious, start rolling Death saving throws at the start of your next turn, and cannot be stabilized until you are no longer suffocating. ``` ``` #### Verbal Components Casting a spell that has a verbal component is possible, but doing so expels the breath the creature has. To cast the spell successfully, the creature must pass an Intelligence (Arcana) check with a DC equal to 10 + the spell's level. Once the spell is attempted, the creature no longer has breath and begins suffocating at the start of their next turn. #### Elemental Damage Creatures underwater are resistant to fire damage. Attacks that deal fire damage suffer disadvantage, and targeted creatures gain advantage on their saving throws against fire damage. However, attacks that deal lightning or thunder damage gain advantage, and creatures targeted by these attacks suffer disadvantage on their saving throws. #### Exhaustion Swimming is extremely fatiguing. If a creature does not have a swim speed, every 10 minutes spent swimming without resting for at least 1 minute incurs a DC 10 Constitution saving throw. A creature does not need to exit the water to rest, such as clinging to a raft or drifting to the floor of the body of water. If a creature fails this saving throw, they gain a point of exhaustion. #### Death and Drowning Bleeding while underwater is notoriously hard to control, and an unconscious creature cannot hold their breath. Creatures without the amphibious trait automatically fail death saving throws while underwater, and any use of a Healer's Kit suffers disadvantage.
UNDERWATER COMBAT
\page # Mounted Combat #### Rider vs Passenger A rider is defined as the mounted creature in control of the mount, be it the creature holding the reins, clutching onto fins and scales, or simply with a telepathic connection to their mount. A passenger is any creature riding on the mount that has no control over that mount's direction or action. A rider can become a passenger if they choose to let their mount act independently, or if the mount refuses to be controlled and acts on its own. #### What is a Mount? Any willing creature at least one size category larger than you can serve as a mount if it has been trained to do so. If you attempt to ride a mount that has not been trained, you are considered a passenger on an independent mount. #### Mount Traits Creatures have some combination of these traits which define behavior in combat and an extra action option while being controlled. The Mounts section lists the following. - **Brave.** This mount will obey its rider's commands to move towards perceived danger. While you are mounted, it can take the Overrun action. Without this trait, a mount will not willingly approach danger unless you use a bonus action to succeed on a DC 15 Animal Handling check. - **Fierce.** This mount will actively attack creatures it views as the enemy, even when you dismount. While you are mounted, it can take the Attack action. Without this trait, when you dismount, the creature will seek safety unless you use a bonus action to succeed on a DC 15 Animal Handling check. - **Stalwart.** This mount will remain steady and not buck its rider when it receives damage or suffers the frightened condition. While you are mounted, it can take the Help action. Without this trait, when your mount receives damage, it will use its reaction to buck you off. You must succeed on a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw or be thrown from the saddle, using your reaction to land directly behind the mount on your feet, otherwise landing prone. The mount then flees on its turn unless you use a bonus action to succeed on a DC 15 Animal Handling check. #### Custom Mounts If you would like to train or use a mount not covered by this system, the following reasoning is used for each trait. - **No traits**: Solitary or small family unit herbivores, or creatures unused to people: deer, ponies, donkeys, etc. These creatures will always run when faced with danger. - **Brave**: Creatures domesticated to be beasts of burden and trained to be mounts: horses, goats, camels, etc. These creatures are trained to ignore danger or are already somewhat territorial about their herd. - **Fierce**: Predator hunters and particularly dangerous herbivores are usually fierce. Additionally, creatures trained to fight in war will be fierce: big cats, dire wolves, war dogs, giant boars, etc. Fierce creatures aren't necessarily brave, as even predators fear creatures they don't understand or know they can't kill. - **Stalwart**: Creatures that naturally shrug off damage, or have otherwise been trained as mounts for war: war horses, elephants, bears, moose, etc. Stalwart creatures would naturally fight back against predators or are unusually difficult to kill. #### Center of Mass and Reach While riding a mount, your character is located where it makes sense for them to be. You occupy the centermost square or a grid intersection if no center square exists. In the case of a Large creature, you occupy the four squares the Large mount takes up, because you're in the center intersection of the grid. On a Huge creature, you're the centermost square. On a Gargantuan creature, you occupy the center four squares within the 4x4 grid of the creature, unless the saddle is more of a platform to walk around on. While a creature is acting as a controlled mount, it can move so its controlled space overlaps with another creature's controlled space to allow its rider to attack the creature. It cannot end its turn with another creature in its controlled space, encouraging cavalry to perform ride-by attacks, as was usual for cavalry charges. This means on a horse, you can attack and be attacked by creatures next to your horse, but on an elephant or a flying Large creature you'll need a reach weapon to reach enemies next to your mount and vice versa. On the back of a Gargantuan dragon, you will need a ranged weapon, but you have the benefit of not being reachable by most Medium creatures with a melee weapon. Passengers occupy the same space as you do if there isn't room. On the back of a horse, you and your passenger occupy the same grid intersection, meaning you are considered squeezing for the purposes of attacks and being attacked, or Dexterity saving throws. On a bigger mount, there may be enough room for you and your passenger to occupy different spaces if the saddle is big enough. #### Controlling a Mount Controlling a mount makes you the rider, remembering that a creature must have been trained to be a mount. Wild beasts and monsters aren't usually trained, so if you climb atop these creatures, you will simply be a passenger atop an independent mount. Sometimes you may have a magical or mystical connection to a creature that might not be formally trained, or the creature may have intelligence enough to know how to behave as a mount. Ultimately, it is up to your DM if a willing creature can serve as a mount or not. As the rider, your mount shares your initiative and acts at any point you choose during your turn. Your mount moves as you direct it, as long as you have a hand free to control the mount, usually in the form of reins, though you could direct your mount with your hand in other ways, such as pulling a mane or frill to direct your intent. If you have a telepathic bond with your mount, or your mount shares a language with you, you do not need a free hand to control your mount. Additionally, if you have a shield strapped, you can forgo the shield's AC to hold the reins with your shield hand until the start of your next turn.
MOUNTED COMBAT
\page While controlling a mount, it has only three action options: Dodge, Disengage, and Dash, as well as the fourth action option given by its traits. If you ever take your hands off the reins, for example, to arm a shield and lance during a charge, your mount will continue to take the previous action you directed it to, moving in the same direction as far as it can or staying still if you didn't direct it to move, until you take up the reins and give it new orders. #### Independent Mounts An independent mount is any mount which is acting on its own and refuses to be or can't be controlled. Additionally, a creature with an intelligence of at least 6 is smart enough to understand how to behave as a mount without training, but must choose to be controlled or it will be counted as an independent mount. An intelligent mount chooses to be controlled on its turn or before it rolls initiative at the start of a combat encounter, where it then shares your next turn. On your turn, if an intelligent mount is being controlled, it can choose to no longer be controlled, whereupon it then rolls initiative, taking its turn immediately if it rolls higher than your initiative, or waiting until its turn if it rolls lower. In any case, an independent mount chooses its own actions with no limit. #### Mounting, Dismounting and Initiative To mount or dismount, you spend half your maximum movement to climb onto a mount within 5 feet. When you choose to dismount, your mount immediately rolls initiative if it hasn't used any actions or movement on your turn. If it rolls higher than your initiative, it acts immediately, or waits for its turn if it rolls lower. If it did use any movement or actions on your turn, when it rolls initiative, it does nothing until the next round, where it acts on its initiative order as usual. #### Taking Damage When your mount takes damage or suffers the frightened condition, it will immediately attempt to throw you off if it does not have the Stalwart trait. When it does so, you must succeed on a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw or be placed within 5 feet of your mount and prone, though you get to choose which direction you are thrown and where you end up next to your mount. While mounted, you do not provoke opportunity attacks, but if your mount does, the enemy can choose to target you or your mount. Additionally, if an effect moves your mount against its will or if it has taken the Dash action and its speed is reduced by any amount before its next turn, you must succeed on a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw or you also fall off your mount, landing prone in a space of your choosing within 5 feet of it. If you are knocked prone, you must succeed the same saving throw or suffer the same consequences. If your mount is knocked prone, you can use your reaction to dismount as it falls and land on your feet. Otherwise, you are dismounted and fall prone within a space of 5 feet of your choosing. #### Tack and Saddles Saddles are very important for comfort and control; riding bareback is very difficult for both you and your mount. While riding with a saddle, you make the required saving throws to stay atop your mount normally, but without one, you make these saving throws with disadvantage. However, if you are riding with a military saddle, you make these saving throws with advantage. Additionally, if you are using a military saddle, you do not need a free hand to control your mount's direction, as you steer your mount with your legs. Any mount can use a normal saddle, but a mount with a swimming or flying speed must use an exotic saddle in order to use those movement types. Additionally, any mount that is Huge or larger must use an exotic saddle. #### Barding Any mount can be given armor, known as barding. Barding uses the statistics of armor listed in Revised Martial Equipment but always takes 10 minutes to don and doff, or 5 minutes with help. Armor for Large creatures weighs and costs twice as much as the armor it is based upon. Remember that most creatures do not have training with armor. This can be addressed with training, but a typical creature will suffer disadvantage on ability checks, saving throws, and attack rolls that use Strength or Dexterity if it is wearing barding for which it is not trained.
##### Light Barding | Type | Base AC | Stealth | Weight | Gold Cost | |:---|--:|:--:|--:|--:| | Padded | 11 | Disadvantage | 8 | 10 | Leather | 11 | None | 10 | 20 | | Studded | 12 | None | 12 | 90 | Lacquered | 13 | Disadvantage | 12 | 600 ##### Medium Barding | Type | Base AC | Stealth | Weight | Gold Cost | |:---|--:|:--:|--:|--:| | Chain Shirt | 13 | Disadvantage | 20 | 100 | Ring Mail | 14 | None | 24 | 200 | | Breastplate | 15 | None | 20 | 600 | Banded Mail | 16 | Disadvantage | 40 | 1000 ##### Heavy Barding | Type | Base AC | Stealth | Weight | Gold Cost | |:---|--:|:--:|--:|--:| | Hauberk | 15 | Disadvantage | 50 | 300 | Scale Mail | 16 | Disadvantage | 60 | 600 | | Splint | 17 | Disadvantage | 66 | 1500 | Plate | 18 | Disadvantage | 80 | 3000
#### Training a Mount Any creature can be trained to act as a mount with at least one hour of training per day. The creature's Intelligence score is taken into account, and each day it adds its Intelligence score to a total. The trainer additionally rolls an Animal Handling check at the end of each day spent training the creature, against a DC of 10 plus the creature's proficiency bonus. On a success, the trainer can add their Wisdom modifier to the creature's total as well. When the creature reaches a total of 100, the mount has completed the training required to act as a mount. Using this method, a horse will be trained to be a mount in around 30-40 days, assuming the trainer has a Wisdom score of at least 12. Smarter creatures will learn faster, but more powerful creatures will be harder to train as the DC for adding the trainer's Wisdom modifier will be higher. A mount can be trained for barding in the same way. For light barding, a mount's total will need to reach 120; for medium barding, it will need to reach 150; and for heavy barding, the mount will need to reach a total of 200. If the mount has an Intelligence of at least 6 or comes already trained to be a mount, treat it as having a training total of 100.
MOUNTED COMBAT
\page # Lasting Injuries ___ While hit points can be seen as an abstract measurement of flesh wounds or bruises that can be ignored with enough grit or resolve, Lasting Injuries represent debilitating wounds that punish heroes for taking massive damage. Furthermore, falling to 0 hit points becomes the direct result of receiving a mortal blow that puts someone out of a fight, instead of being simply knocked unconscious and waiting for +1 hit point from some source. If revived and brought back to consciousness, the player now needs to fight through the pain or crippling nature of a serious injury and will be severely handicapped until it is healed. This creates a critical role for a party healer who does more than store spell slots for Healing Word and gives importance to the Medicine skill and healer's kits to treat these wounds during an encounter, much like a combat medic. Players will need to consider their playstyle and present danger before taking risks. Falling to 0 hit points or absorbing an extremely damaging attack has the potential to take them out of the fight until they can be treated by a skilled medic. #### The Trappings of Adventure When a character receives an injury, describe the wound and penalties to your player, referring to the Lasting Injuries Table for the nature of their injury. Since the wounds are an abstract narrative, feel free to flavor the injury with how they received it; e.g., horrid burns from dragonbreath or a severe weakening from a vampiric bite. #### Healing an Injury with Magic There are three ways to heal an injury: magic, healer's kits, and time. Any spell or magical effect which gives hit points, such as *Cure Wounds*, **Lay on Hands**, the **Second Wind** ability, or even a character with the **Healer** feat using a Healer's Kit is able to remove wounds. As long as a creature receives at least 5 hit points from any source, they can potentially recover a wound. When one of these spells or effects is used, the player using the ability rolls a DC 10 Medicine check. If a magic item is used, such as a potion or scroll of cure wounds, the magic item rolls a DC 10 Medicine check. On a success, the player receiving the hit points removes a number of wounds equal to the spell's level if it is a spell, proficiency bonus if it is an ability, or a number of wounds equal to the rarity of the magic item if it is a potion or some other healing item. Other spells may remove wounds as well. For example, *lesser restoration* removes three wounds, while *greater restoration* removes all wounds. #### Healing an Injury with Medicine After combat, wounds can be removed with a Healer's Kit, with each expended use of the kit potentially removing one wound from the character. Each time a character uses a Healer's Kit, they roll a DC 10 Medicine check. If successful, the use of the Healer's Kit removes a wound. On a failure, the Healer's Kit expends a use but with no effect. If using **Varying Degrees of Success** from the Revised Exploration System, an additional wound is removed for each 5 over the DC of 10. If no Healer's Kit is available, when the player completes a short rest, they remove a wound for each hit die they expend, receiving both the hit points and removing a wound. Additionally, when they complete a long rest, all wounds are removed. ##### Magic Item Rarity | Rarity |Medicine Check| Wounds Removed | |:----|:---:|:---: | Common |+1| 1 | | Uncommon |+3| 2 | | Rare |+5| 3 | | Very Rare |+7| 4 | | Legendary |+9| 5 |
##### Other Wound Removing Spells |Spell Level|Wounds Removed| |:--|:--: |*greater restoration*|All wounds |*heal* and *mass heal*|All wounds and removes scars |*lesser restoration*|3 |*raise dead* or any other revival spell|1 |*regenerate*|All wounds, and regenerates missing limbs |*spare the dying*|If the creature has 0 hit points, this spell removes 1 wound.
INJURIES
\page ## Lasting Wounds Table #### Wound Chance Any time each of the following occurs, the creature gains the subsequent number of wounds: - 1 Wound - Receives a Critical Hit - 2 Wounds - Drops to 0 hit points - 3 Wounds - Receive damage equal to more than half its hit point maximum from a single attack or effect in one turn. (Only implement this rule when your party is level 3 or higher) If prompted by more than one effect, only assign the highest wound value. You can receive a number of wounds equal to your Constitution modifier without penalty. However, the first wound beyond this limit starts the Wounds Table, and each subsequent wound's penalty is cumulative. The Constitution limit also applies if the creature has a negative modifier. With a -1 Constitution modifier, their first wound would start them immediately at crippled! #### Lasting Wounds Table | Wounds | Penalty |Description |:----:|:--:|:-------------:| | 1 | Shock | Disadvantage on Ability Checks and Saving Throws | | 2 | Crippled | Speed reduced by half, Disadvantage on Attack Rolls, and creatures gain Advantage on Saving Throws which originate from you | | 3 | Bleeding | At the start of your turn, you take a minor setback | | 4 | Permanent Scar| Roll a hit die and subtract your Constitution modifier. This total is subtracted from your max hit points permanently | | 5 | Severed Limb | Roll a d4, losing according to the roll; 1 - Arm, 2 - Hand, 3 - Leg, 4 - Eye. Your bleeding is updated to Major Setback | 6 | Death | You have suffered so much punishment, you die outright #### Suffering a setback
| Character Level | Minor Setback | Major Setback |:---:|:--|:-- | 1-4 |1d10| 2d10 | | 5-10 |2d10| 4d10| | 11-16|4d10| 10d10| | 17-20 |10d10| 18d10 |
#### Wounds In Practice This system emphasizes the importance of Constitution and careful play, as receiving wounds can significantly impact a character's effectiveness in combat and survival. **Jeera the Barbarian** has a Constitution score of 16. She can receive 3 wounds with no penalty. On her 4th wound, she receives Shock. On her 5th wound, she is Crippled, and so on. Because of her high Constitution, she can receive 8 wounds in total, only dying on her 9th wound. **Page the Wizard** has a Constitution score of 8. When he receives his first wound, he skips Shock and suffers Crippled. If he takes enough damage to bring him from full hit points to 0 hit points and takes more than half his health maximum from a single source, he now has 4 wounds, resulting in a permanent scar.
INJURIES
\page ### Rest Modification The rests of 5e are very forgiving. If you wish, it may be more interesting to modify the rest system to more accurately represent natural recovery outside of combat. Instead of a long rest recovering all lost hit points, you could play that the only way to naturally recover hit points is by expending hit dice, either during a short or long rest. At the end of a long rest, players regain hit dice equal to half their level, representing the body's decreased reserves as they recover, but are well enough to travel or fight again if needed. However, continuing this pattern of fighting, getting hurt, and sleeping it off, each day the players would have only half their level in hit dice to spend on natural recovery, representing the continued decline in health from constantly recovering from injuries. This modification makes natural healing more time-consuming and gives your players a chance to roleplay healing, as well as giving more weight to the value of Healer's Kits and those proficient enough to use them. This also ensures Healer's Kits remain relevant if your party has a magic healer as well.
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``` ``` ### Practical and Arcane Medicine A Healer's Kit contains pain-relieving extracts or salves, bandages, curved needles and thread, stiff clear alcohol, and often various non-magical potions which may settle the stomach, promote clotting, or even encourage blood production. Any Medicine check made with a Healer's Kit, or any use of the Healer's Kit to treat a Lasting Wound, expends a use of that Healer's Kit, regardless of success or failure. While magical healing is always better than practical medicine, in this system, magical healing is treated as simply speeding up the body's own natural healing processes. If a wound is infected, simply speeding up the healing process won't remove the infection. Further, if the body won't heal naturally from a wound, for example, severe concussions, missing limbs, widespread burns, etc., then magical healing won't heal it either. These injuries are represented as needing different spells or treatments other than recovering hit points from magic or bed rest. >#### Injuring the Enemy If you choose to apply these injuries to monsters as well, it can be a bit difficult to explain how a zombie is bleeding out, or how a skeleton goes into shock. It's probably best to keep these injuries to humanoid creatures, and perhaps only "realistic" monsters outside of that like beasts, monstrosities, or dragons. But with some creative thinking, as an example, you could reason a serious critical hit has interfered with a fire elemental's core magic, leading it to suffer the effects of shock.
INJURIES
\page ## Feat Revisions Additions are in **bold**. ### Athlete - Increase your Strength or Dexterity score by 1, to a maximum of 20. - When you are prone, standing up uses only 5 feet of your movement **and does not provoke opportunity attacks.** - You gain a climbing **and swimming** speed equal to your walk speed. - You can make a running long jump or a running high jump after moving only 5 feet on foot, rather than 10 feet. **Additionally, you gain advantage on any checks or saving throws made as a result of fall damage.** ### Charger - When you use **the dash action**, you can make one melee weapon attack or shove a creature at the end of your movement. - If you move at least 10 feet in a straight line immediately before taking this attack, you either gain a +5 bonus to the attack’s damage roll (if you chose to make a melee attack and hit) or push the target up to 10 feet away from you (if you chose to shove and you succeed). - **When you use the dash action, you can move through allies without expending extra movement and can move through enemies as if they were difficult terrain.** ### Crusher - Increase your Strength or Constitution by 1, to a maximum of 20. - Once per turn, when you hit a creature with an attack that deals bludgeoning damage, you can move it **10 feet** to an unoccupied space, provided the target is no more than one size larger than you. - When you score a critical hit that deals bludgeoning damage to a creature, attack rolls against that creature are made with advantage until the start of your next turn. ### Defensive Duelist *Prerequisite: Dexterity 13 or higher* - When you are wielding a finesse weapon **with which you have basic training** and another creature hits you with a melee attack, you can use your reaction to add your proficiency bonus to your AC for that attack, potentially causing the attack to miss you. - **If you gain the extra attack feature or are wielding two weapons, you can use this feature twice during the same reaction, but both attacks must come from the same creature.** ``` ``` ### Dual Wielder - You gain a +1 bonus to AC while you are wielding a separate weapon in each hand. - When you are dual wielding, neither weapon is required to have the Light property, **but neither weapon can have the Versatile property**. - **You can stow two One-Handed weapons with a single Object Interaction.** ### Dungeon Delver - You have advantage on Perception and Investigation checks made to **detect** secret doors **or traps.** - If a trap subjects you to a saving throw, you gain advantage on the save and you have resistance to the damage dealt by traps. - **You do not suffer disadvantage to Perception checks due to obscurity or dim light.** - **You have advantage on checks made to navigate or forage supplies.** ### Durable - Increase your Constitution score by 1, to a maximum of 20. - When you roll a Hit Die to regain hit points, **you regain +2 extra hit points**. - **You have advantage on Death saving throws**. ### Elemental Adept **Magical effects which originate from you ignore resistance to acid, cold, fire, lightning, and thunder damage. In addition, when you roll damage for a spell you cast that deals these damages, you treat any 1 on a damage die as a 2.** ### Grappler - You have advantage on attack rolls against a creature you are grappling. - You can use your action to try to pin a creature grappled by you. To do so, make another grapple check. If you succeed, the creature is **your choice of restrained or suffocating** until the grapple ends. - **Your training in Unarmed Strike is increased by one step, and your Unarmed Strike gains the Disarm, Entangle, and Trip properties.** ### Healer - When you use a healer's kit to stabilize a dying creature, that creature also regains 1 hit point. - **Over the course of 1 minute**, you can spend one use of a healer's kit to tend to a creature and restore 1d6 + your Wisdom modifier hit points to it, plus additional hit points equal to the creature's maximum number of Hit Dice. The creature can't regain hit points from this feat again until it finishes a long rest.
FEAT REVISIONS
\page ### Improved Dual Wielder (Added) *Prerequisite: Dual Wielder or Two-Weapon Fighting Style* - When you are dual wielding, neither weapon in either hand is required to have the Light property, and only one of them is required to not have the Versatile property. - You can add your ability modifier to the damage of your off hand attack - If you have Extra Attack feature, you can make one additional off-hand attack. While your first off-hand attack is part of your Attack action, this extra off-hand attack counts as your Bonus action. - You gain +1 bonus to AC while you are wielding a separate weapon in each hand. - You can stow two One-Handed weapons with a single Object Interaction. ### Inspiring Leader *Prerequisite: Charisma 13 or higher* - **Increase your Charisma score by 1, to a maximum of 20.** - You can spend **1 minute** inspiring your companions, shoring up their resolve to fight. When you do so, **all creatures including yourself within 30 feet who can hear and understand you** gain temporary hit points equal to your level + your Charisma modifier. ### Keen Mind - Increase your Intelligence score by 1, to a maximum of 20. - You always know which way is north, **and gain advantage on Survival checks made to navigate.** - **You gain advantage on Intelligence saving throws, and gain advantage on any check made to discern an illusion or the presence of magic.** - **You gain proficiency in one of the following; Arcana, History, Nature, Religion. If you already have proficiency with this skill, you instead gain expertise.** ### Legerdemain (Added) Quick with your hands, you are an expert in disarming traps, locks, or even hostile creatures: - Increase your Dexterity or Constitution score by 1, to a maximum of 20. - You gain proficiency in thieves' tools and Sleight of Hand. If you already have these proficiencies, they become expertise. - You can use thieves' tools as a bonus action and you only spend 10 minutes when you fail by at least 5. - As a bonus action, you can attempt to steal a held object from a hostile creature even if they can see you. You roll Sleight of Hand contested by your target's Perception check. If you succeed, you can take a weapon or object they are holding in one hand. ``` ``` ### Mage Slayer - When a creature within **your reach** casts any spell, you can use your reaction to make a melee weapon attack against that creature. **If your attack hits, the creature must succeed on a Concentration check DC equal to half the damage it takes, or 10, whichever is higher, or they fail to cast the spell, though the spell slot is not wasted.** - When you damage a creature that is already concentrating on a spell, that creature has disadvantage on the saving throw it makes to maintain its concentration. - You have advantage on saving throws against spells cast by creatures within **your reach**. ### Martial Adept - You learn two maneuvers of your choice from among those available to the fighter class. If a maneuver you use requires your target to make a saving throw to resist the maneuver's effects, **use your Weapon DC**. - You gain **two** superiority die, which is a d6 (this die is added to any superiority dice you have from another source). This die is used to fuel your maneuvers. A superiority die is expended when you use it. You regain your expended superiority dice when you finish a short or long rest. ### Metamagic Adept *Prerequisite: Spellcasting or Pact Magic feature* - You learn two Metamagic options of your choice from the sorcerer class. You can use only one Metamagic option on a spell when you cast it, unless the option says otherwise. Whenever you **gain a level**, you can replace one of these Metamagic options with another one from the sorcerer class. - You gain 2 sorcery points to spend on Metamagic (these points are added to any sorcery points you have from another source but can be used only on Metamagic). You regain all spent sorcery points when you finish a long rest. ### Mobile - Your speed increases by 10 feet. - When you use the Dash action, difficult terrain doesn't cost you extra movement on that turn. - **You do not provoke opportunity attacks as a result of your movement or entering a creature's controlled space**.
FEAT REVISIONS
\page ### Savage Attacker - **Increase your Strength or Dexterity score by 1, to a maximum of 20.** - **The critical hit range of your melee weapon attacks increases by 1.** - **When you roll a an attack roll and roll a 1, you can choose to reroll the attack. You can use this feature only once, and must complete a short rest in order to do so again.** ### Sentinel - When you hit a creature with an opportunity attack, the creature's speed becomes 0 for the rest of the turn **if they are no more than 1 size category larger than you.** - Creatures provoke opportunity attacks from you **even if they take the Disengage action**. - When a creature **within your reach** makes an attack against a target other than you, you can use your reaction to make a melee weapon attack against the attacking creature. ### Skill Expert - Increase one ability score of your choice by 1, to a maximum of 20. - You gain proficiency in one skill **or tool** of your choice. - Choose one skill **or tool** in which you have proficiency. **You gain expertise with that skill or tool**. ### Skilled You gain proficiency in any combination of three skills, tools, **or equipment of your choice**. **If you choose equipment, you increase that equipment training by one step.** ### Skulker *Prerequisite: Dexterity 13 or higher* - **Increase your Dexterity score by 1, to a maximum of 20.** - You can try to hide when you are lightly obscured from the creature from which you are hiding, **and if you are lightly or heavily obscured, you can hide as a bonus action.** - When you are hidden from a creature and miss it with a ranged weapon attack, making the attack doesn't reveal your position. - You gain **Lowlight vision**, which means dim light doesn't impose disadvantage on your Perception checks relying on sight. ``` ``` ### Spell Sniper *Prerequisite: The ability to cast at least one spell* - *Increase an ability score you use for spellcasting by 1, to a maximum of 20.* - When you cast a spell that requires you to make an attack roll, the spell's range is doubled. - Your ranged spell attacks ignore half cover and three-quarters cover. - You learn one cantrip that requires an attack roll. Choose the cantrip from the bard, cleric, druid, sorcerer, warlock, or wizard spell list. Your spellcasting ability for this cantrip depends on the spell list you chose from: Charisma for bard, sorcerer, and warlock; Wisdom for cleric or druid; or Intelligence for wizard. ### Tavern Brawler - Increase your Strength or Constitution score by 1, to a maximum of 20. - You are proficient with improvised weapons. **When you improvise a weapon, it may have one of the following weapon properties; Brace, Disarm, Double Ended, Entangle, Heavy, Light, Knockback, Nimble, Reach, Stagger, Sunder, Trip, or Wound** - **Your training in Unarmed Strike is increased by one step, and your Unarmed Strike gains the Disarm, Entangle, and Trip properties.** - When you hit a creature with an Unarmed Strike or an improvised weapon, you can use a bonus action to attempt to grapple the target. ### Tough - **Increase your Constitution score by 1, to a maximum of 20.** - Your hit point maximum increases by an amount equal to twice your level when you gain this feat. - Whenever you gain a level thereafter, your hit point maximum increases by an additional 2 hit points. ### War Caster - You have advantage on Constitution saving throws that you make to maintain your concentration on a spell when you take damage. - You can perform the somatic components of spells even when you have weapons or a shield in one or both hands. - When a hostile creature's movement provokes an opportunity attack from you, you can use your reaction to cast a spell at the creature, rather than making an opportunity attack. The spell must have a casting time of 1 action and must target only that creature. - **You do not provoke opportunity attacks when you cast a spell.** ### Weapon Master - Increase your Strength or Dexterity score by 1, to a maximum of 20. - **You increase the training level of any 4 weapons of your choice to master training.** ``` ```
FEAT REVISIONS
\page ### Credits Homebrew by Commander Fayne. All rights reserved except which are copyright of their respective holders. All art credited is used with permission. This material can not be sold, resold or profited from in any way, in accordance with Creative Commons. ##### Page Art Credit - Cover "Gates of Barovia" - Jedd Chevrier. https://www.artstation.com/jeddchevrier - 2 "Fugal Huts" Jedd Chevrier https://www.artstation.com/jeddchevrier - 3 Art by DALL-E AI generator - 4 Art by DALL-E AI generator - 5 Art by DALL-E AI generator - 9 Art by DALL-E AI generator - 11 "S'Virr" by Third Cookie https://third_cookie.artstation.com/ - 12 Art by DALL-E AI generator - 13 Art by DALL-E AI generator - 16 "Visenna" by RinRInDaishi https://www.artstation.com/rinrindaishi - 17 "Wounded" by Gui Guimaraes https://www.artstation.com/gui - 18 "Bad Wound" by Stepan Alekseev https://www.artstation.com/chosac - 22 "Viking Weapon Arrangement" Russell Dongjun Lu. https://www.artstation.com/ludongjun
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CREDITS
\page ##### Support us on Patreon! Like what we're doing and to support us? Support gets you access to exclusive content, previews of upcoming brews or changes to current brews, and of course a greater appreciation from the development team on Commander's Brews. Thank you! ##### Thank you to my wonderful Patrons! - Elyah Martin - Ev Greyson - John Siegmund - Lucin0x - Michael Zedeh - raydencaye - shutmc1 - Zoey Nightlight
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