A Basic Guide to the Savage Lands

The stench of a horrid funal musk and filth fills your nose, the caverns tunnels are lined with corpses of fallen adventures and webbing. Suddenly the druid stops motioning everyone to be still. You feel liquid drip on to your neck, as you turn around slowly you come face to face with the biggest spider you've ever seen, it's pincers soaked with poison, reeling back ready to attack. What do you do?

This campaign is on the high fantasy world continet of Roxon. You play as a former criminal, your new quest is to discover and document all of the land in the given chartered territory. This is a chance to turn over a new leaf and lead civilization into the frontier. Explore the evolving wilds of the Savage lands, a place where you can find strange ruins, fantastical landscapes and discover cultures of sentient slime. Uncover the world’s secrets as you hunt the exotic beasts of these lands, unearth majestic relics, and blaze the trail for future explorers. The focus of this game is for Exploration and Survival, the map is your canvas and my encounters are your pigments, paint the world how you wish.

Status Attacks

Characters with a Fighting Style can use melee weapons inflict extra effects on powerful hits. When an attack roll with a weapon exceeds the target's AC by 5 or more, it inflicts an additional status effect based upon the type of damage dealt. A critical hit guarantees a status effect.

Slashing weapons inflict gaping wounds and profuse bleeding, inflicting additional slashing damage equal to your proficiency bonus at the start of the creatures next turn. Objects, Constructs, and Elementals may be immune to this damage, as may other creatures that do not bleed at the discretion of your DM.

Bludgeoning weapons hit with staggering blows that daze the target. Inflicting this status causes the target's next attack roll, dexterity saving throw, or ability check to be made with disadvantage.Oozes and Elementals may be immune to this damage status, as may other creatures that do not have a rigid physical form at the discretion of your DM.

Piercing weapons reward precise or focused attacks, punching holes in defenses and leaving a target vulnerable. Inflicting piercing status decreases the targets movement speed by 10 feet until the start of your next turn. If the creature attempts to take the dash or disengage action, the creature must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw on a failure its speed is reduced to 0 by the agonizing pain.

It is important to note wild creatures and enemies can inflict status with their attacks.

The God Curse

The Gods are dead- they have been dead for over 60 years, slain by a madman. Wielding the God-ender he raised a small cult and waged war on the gods for being negligent in people's time of need, for only interfering with the world when it benefited them, and for often making the world a worse place. After the culling of all pantheons divine magic ceased to flow and the era know as the Great Silence began. As the gods were being culled they used the few divine mandates at their disposal to try to turn the tide in their favor. They decreed an end to all civilization. Wherever people banded together monsters would be compelled to attack. Wherever people stood alone the corrosive nature of the god's magic would eat away at the fabric of reality. In the wild most weapons and armors only last a few weeks, but far worse unchecked magic could spark the curse to rapidly engulf a creature and it's belongings. All types of creatures banded together and found that having several powerful warriors combat the corrosive nature of the curse, but would draw out for more vicous monsters.

Changes to Divine Casters

The distinct the lack of divine energy to channel spells and abilities, Clerics, Druids, Rangers and Paladins have some notable changes. Clerics now channel their spells from the elements or an elemental being; Earth, Water, Fire and Air are the four most common elemental types, if you wish to play a cleric please contact me for a more comprehensive list on the changes. Druids no longer draw their power from the primordial forces of Nature,(they do not prepare spells but have a chosen spell list) instead Druids create territories of sanctified land, they gain access to new spells depending on the location and size of their sanctified land along with small bonuses when located on the territory. If you wish to play a druid please contact me for a more comprehensive list on the changes Rangers use a spell-less variant while still holding the identity of a ranger. If you wish to play a ranger please contact me for a more comprehensive list on the changes

Paladins previously drew their strength from the will of a god or the devotion to a cause. Now Paladins draw their strength from the alien Far Realms The UA Psion Take 2 https://media.wizards.com/2016/downloads/Psionics_and_Mystic_V2.pdf is the replacement class for Paladins until i can figure something out.

Weapon Degrading

Under this rule, every weapon has a number of hit points which cannot be restored even through excellent craftsmanship or repairing spells. Every time a weapon is used to hit a creature or object, at the end of combat that weapon loses 1 of its hit points permanently. As a general guideline:

Improvised weapons have 5 hit points, Weapon Degrading Under this rule, every weapon has a number of hit points which cannot be restored even through excellent craftsmanship or repairing spells. Every time a weapon is used to hit a creature or object, at the end of combat that weapon loses 1 of its hit points permanently. As a general guideline:

• Improvised weapons have 5 hit points

• Simple weapons have 10 hit points

• Martial weapons have 20 hit points.

If a weapon has the ammunition property, it has an extra 5 hit points.

An uncommon magic weapon has an extra 10 hit points.

A rare and very rare magic weapon has an extra 20 hit points. Legendary weapons have an extra 20 hit points as well, but unlike all other weapons, these hit points can be regained. Such a weapon fully regains its hit points daily at dawn, but only if it has any remaining hit points since the last dawn. While this weapon has 0 hit points, it appears as nothing but a small, dimly-glowing blue shard that vaguely resembles its former shape.

When a weapon loses its last hit point, it shatters apart violently, breaking apart into shards of a mysterious blue substance that wisps away into nothingness. If a melee or thrown weapon hits when it shatters in this way, the attack is treated as a critical hit regardless of the attack roll, and the weapon's damage overcomes damage resistance as if it was a magic weapon.

Armor Degrading

Due to the God curse, every piece of equipment has a number of hit points which cannot be restored even through excellent craftsmanship or repairing spells. Whenever a player wearing armor suffers a critical hit the armors hit points are reduced by 1 hit point permanently. As a general guideline:

• Light armors have 3 hit points

• Medium Armors have 5 hit points

• Heavy Armors have 10 hit points

When an armor loses its last hit point, it slowly drifts out of form, breaking apart into shards of a mysterious blue substance that wisps away into nothingness. If the armor fades away due to a critical hit, the hit is treated as a normal attack regardless of the attack roll, and the creature wearing the armor is resistant to all incoming damage until their turn.

Weapons and Armor can lose hit points in other methods than described above and it is very important to keep track.

Common Playable Civiliations of Roxon

In Roxon there are ten well known races; in the east lie the River Kingdoms filled with Lizardlfolk. Halflings, Teiflings, and Genasi fill most nothern cities. The vast plains in the south are home to nomaidc Elven tribes. Deep below the surface are settlements filled with Gnomish technology. High in the mountiansides are full of Dwarfs, and Goliaths.

Travel

Using Hexes

This campaign will accompany travel by using a hex map. 1 Hex = 30 miles (center to center/side to side) = 12 mile sides = 128 square miles. An unencumbered party can travel 24 miles per day(1 hour per mile) in normal, temperate travel conditions. Temperate travel requires 3 rations of food and 1 galon of water per person. Any veichles or mounts also require rations during travel. There are 3 speeds of travel, a walk which is at normal half speed, a march which is at normal speed, and a forced march which is at twice the normal speed.

Taking a Walk grants advantage on Location checks and disadvantge on Navigation checks, a walk consumes twice the normal amount of rations.

Nomally a group of explorers will March to their location. All Location and Navigational Checks are made as normal. The typical food consumpion of 3 rations and 1 gallon of water per day. Any container carrying water weighs 8pounds per gallon.

A Forced March grants disadvantage on Location checks and advantage on Nagiation checks. For each two hours of marching beyond 8 hours, a character must make a Constitution check (DC 14, DC16, DC 18 ect). On a failed save, each failed characters takes 1d6 points of damage. A character who takes any non lethal damage from a forced march gains 1 point of exhastion. Any creature that walks more then 18 hours a day begins the two hour long Constitution checks of a forced march.

A Watch is the basic unit for tracking time. A watch is equal to 12 hours. During each 12 hours the party decides the speed they are walking, then an encounter check will be rolled. Once a speed is picked the speed must be manitained for the remainder of the Watch regardless of the events that occur in an encounter. Players may take time after a Watch to decide on taking a short rest or making camp (a long rest).

Location Checks

Determining a Location: If the party has heard rumors of a certain location or just wandering to a location they believe to be real. A location check can be made using either a characters History (Intelligence) or Perception (Wisdom) modifier. This check is rolled against the Locations Hidden DC and any bonuses from visible landmarks or well-constucted maps. ' />

Familiar locations: Familiar locations are those which a character has visited multiple times. Characters within the same hex as a familiar location can be assumed to automatically find the location. (Within the abstraction of the hexmapping system, they’ve demonstrated sufficiently accurate navigation.) Under certain circumstances, characters may also be considered “familiar” with a location even if they’ve never been there. Such as accurate topographic maps, or using certain types of divinatory magic.

Navigation Checks

How to determine your Navigation Check modifier. Navigation can be used with either a characters Inteligence or Wisdom modifier. Objects such as a compass grant a +2 bonus to navigation checks and a set of navigators tools allow you to ad your proficeny modifier ifyou are proficent in the tool already.

Becoming Lost: Characters who fail the navigation check become lost and veer away from their intended direction of travel. It may take several hours for a party to recognize that they are no longer certain of their direction of travel. After the first failed Navigation check the Navigation DC increase by 5 and lowers by 1 for each additional failed navigational check.

Hunting and Camping

Hunting takes time, at least 8 hours and the distance traveled during a day where successful hunting occurs is lessened by 1d4 × 25%. Unsuccessful hunting takes all day. Success means that 1d4 days’ worth of meals for a single person has been acquired for the party.

1d10 units of ammunition are expended in the attempt. If a character does not have a proper ammunition weapon, the chance to find food is lowered by 1. If a character has no ammunition weapons at all, reduce the chance by one more. If it is winter, reduce the chances by another point unless in the desert, where this does not matter. All food gained from foraging and hunting is considered to be "rations.” Finding enough water to drink is easy in most environments, simply beating the Forage DC of the terrain, but in the desert water can very, very rare. Instead of hunting the party may attempt to forage for berries and plants. On a successful Survival(Wisdom) check your party finds enough food for 1 day of travel.

When making camp a party, the party may engage in meaningful roleplay for inspiration points. Inspiration does not carry over the session. Unless there is a sizeable space or object to cover the party, the characters are consdiered unsheltered. A sheltered camp, such as a yurt, gives protection from weather conditions, contracting diseases, and other pesky enviormental effects.

Life and Death

Consuming Food

Each day without food is tracked a character can go their Constitution modifier (minimum of 2 Days) without food before they are begin to starve, each day after that they take 1 level of exhaustion. In places like deserts or tundra's the amount of food needed to be consumed may increase or decrease. If a player has only dry rations for over 7 days they may suffer from low morale; Wisdom and Charisma skill checks saving throws are made at disadvantage and the character takes an extra 1 point of damage from all sources. At the end of a day where a character did not consume water, they take 1 level of exhaustion or two levels if the character has 1 level of exhaustion already. A character who drinks only half the amount of recommended water makes a DC 15 con save to avoid exhaustion. In places

Removing Exhaustion

A long rest can remove exhaustion but only if the character has the normal amount of rations and water.

Lingering Injuries

A creature might sustain a lingering injury under the following circumstances: When it takes a critical hit When it drops to 0 hit points and is almost killed outright When it fails a saving throw by 5 or more

The Last Breath

Character exploration is very important to the game however death can happen and is a very real. Whenever you take damage that brings you below 0 hit points or go Unconscious you begin the delicate process of dying, there is no god to keep death at bay and his cold hand clutches you leading you to Black Gates of Death’s Kingdom. Once a character has two failed death saves, roll a d20 saving throw. On a 10+ you’ve cheated death; you’re in a bad spot but you’re still alive. On a 9–6 Death will offer you a bargain. Take it and stabilize or refuse and pass beyond the Black Gates into whatever fate awaits you. On 5 or lower, your fate is sealed. You’re marked by Death and you’ll cross the threshold soon. Th Gm will tell you when. A character that dies can be resurrected but Death will demand payment for relasing a soul back to the land of the living. Death saves do not reset until the character has comnpleted a long rest.

House Rules

Experience Points

Experience points or XP is the, experience can be given for killing monsters, excellent in-character roleplay or advancing questlines, however the main way to earn experience points is by acquiring gold. 1 Gold is equal to 1 XP. Gold can be found in a variety of ways but the only way to level up with gold is at an altar. These altars transform gold into XP, the benefits of altars are known in game and even employed by NPCs. The number of experience points awarded for defeating monsters in some cases will vary even for the same monster type; for instance, Dragons of different age categories will have different XP values. Defeating monsters can have unique rewards. Certain monster parts can be used to empower weapons and spells for a limited amount of time or even aid in the crafting of new spells and magic items.

Hit Point Limit

Characters stop gaing HP at 6th level. The world should always feel dangerous, also I would prefer to have combat encounters that dont take longer than 1 hour to resolve.

Hireling and Henchmen

As player characters advance in wealth and power, they are increasingly likely to require the services of various sorts of non-player character. A character is expected to acquire and retain hirelings and henchmen. You can choose to expend gold to levelup hirelings or hencmen instead of yourself. Hireling's are non-player characters imported or acquired through exploration to help aid the character with any necessary organization or tasks. Hirelings are typically not combat oriented and require a level 1 upkeep if unleveled. Henchmen are non-player characters who advance due to the generous patronage of your character, should your characters untimely demise be met henchmen can be the next character for you to explore and adventure with. Henchmen retain all of the gear provided to them by their benefactor and may be forced to take over any necessary duties that may have been left in the benefactors absence. A Henchmen's upkeep is depenedent on their level. It is typically assumed that hirelings and henchmen are of the current characters race; if different raced hirelings are sought, then the appropriate costs, terms of service, and availability must be decided in accordance with the dictates of a given milieu.

Upkeep Cost

Characters Level	Gold per week
1	5gp
2	10gp
3	25gp
4	50gp
5	100gp

A limit on the amount of hirelings and hencmen may be placed in the future.

Morale

Character and monsters have morale. For player characters it is the ability for a character to confidently fight in a battle or move forward in travel. Base morale is rolled on a d4, creatures and travel can lower morale. Hitting 0 morale going below 0 morale may lead to depression and requires an equal number of morale boosts to get the player above 0. On 0 Morale a player character's Wisdom and Charisma skill checks and saving throws are made at disadvantage; the character takes an extra point of damage from all sources equal to their proficiency modifier.

Certain monsters, such as trolls or undead creatures, are fearless and never need to check morale. The majority, however, will not continue to fight a hopeless battle, seeking to retreat, surrender, or flee. The GM determines when morale checks should be made. Generally, morale should be checked when it becomes clear that the monsters are losing the fight, or taking unacceptable losses. No more than two morale checks should be made per battle, however; if the monsters pass a second morale check, they are assumed to be fanatical and will fight to the death.

Mapping

Maps are an intergral part of the Savage Lands experince. Mapping a plot of land, a structure, or underground complex requires one character in the party to have paper and ink and two free hands. Mapping while traveling and noting the encounters and locations found in each Hex will be helpful for furutre exploration. An added bonus to mapping is for each new Hex mapped and documented the player will gain 50 gold for each hex fully explored the player will be given 450 bonus gold. While mapping a structure or underground complex the GM is only obligated to give verbal descriptions of the area, and if asked by a player how his map compares to the real map, the GM is only obligated to point out very obvious errors. Extremely irregular areas, such as natural caves, can best be left to rough descriptions, since accurate mapping without a full survey team is simply impossible.

Level Drain

Certain monsters, magic items and spells have the power to perform a “level drain”, or an “energy drain” (these phrases are used interchangeably). If a player character is drained of a level, he or she loses one complete level of experience and is placed at the beginning point of the new level. If the character is multi-classed or dual-classed, then the highest level of experience attained by that character is lost. If the character has two equal levels, then the level lost should be determined randomly. A player character drained below level 1 is slain (and may rise as some kind of undead creature). Non-player characters lose a level or hit die, as applicable.

Disease and Insanity

While adventuring through the wilderness interacting with certain objects, enemies or even just the environment mya cause a character to succumb to a variety of different diseases. The rules help describe the Effects of the disease and how it can be cured, but the specifics of how a disease works aren’t bound by a Common set of rules. Diseases can affect any creature, and a given illness might or might not pass from one race or kind of creature to another. A plague might affect only constructs or Undead, or sweep through a Halfling neighborhood but leave other races untouched.

Curses and Insanity is possible as a result of certain spells, monster attacks, or offending some dark power. A character who becomes insane will need special treatment to overcome this condition. The kind of insanity may be decided by the GM or rolled randomly on the Insanity table.

Misc. Rule Changes

Stealth and the Hide mechanic:

This is how I envision stealth. In most D&D campaigns today simply rolling a high stealth number makes you hidden from all enemies even if they are in your line of sight. This is not the case in my games. If a player wishes to actively hide from an enemy they must find some sort of terrain or object to hide behind. They then can make a Stealth roll and if it is higher then the enemies perception check or passive perception they are considered hidden. Otherwise they are not. The object must also be large enough to hide a creature, a character cannot hide behind a lamp post. Once a character does any attack, casts a spell, or hostile action behind the object they must hide behind a different object for the enemies are now alert to their position. This can change depending on the circumstances such as a hidden sorcerer uses a subtle spell.

Skill Trials

When attempting a check or skill for example lockpicking you get 1 try. If a player wishes to aid you that player must be proficient in the skill to grant advantage.

Weight:

Instead of pound the in game unit of weight is a stone.

4lb = 1 Stone, 1 Gallon of Water = 1 Stone, 2 Rations = 1 Stone

Advanced Amror

The best kind of non magical armor that can be acquired is Silk. Silk is much more expensive then its metal equivalent but is flexible, easy to wash, allows for swift ways to bandage posion and injuries, and on the spot arrow recovery.

No Outlander Background

30-50% Arrow Recovery (Perception check for more then 30% arrows)

Additional Concentration from True Magic Familiars (not ones granted by classes) must be within 5 feet of the familiar

Can hold Breath for 1 minute. Can stay conscious without air for 1+Con mod rounds.

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Spell casting. All Spellcasters must have a Focus in hand to cast any spells. You cannot have a focus on your sheild. You are allowed 1 free action per trun to stow and draw a one handed weapons, small object, or other minor interactions.

Banned Spells. Identify, Goodberry, Create or destroy Water, Tiny Hut, Create Food and Drink.