Karsus’ Forbidden Variants

---

HOMEBREW

A fantastical compilation of homebrew options for Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition.

 

 

Table of Contents

 

 

Using This Book

Karsus’s Forbidden Variants offers a host of new options for DUNGEONS & DRAGONS. Creator of the spell Karsus’s Avatar, Karsus’s life is one of the most storied in the D&D multiverse. Born in Netheril, the destroyer of high level spells, Karsus was gifted with with magic at the age of two, but lacked the discipline that comes with hard work and research. He founded a school of magic on his enclave and encouraged the attendance of radical thinkers and those interested in taboo projects.

Shouldering a responsibility for preserving his civilization, Karsus finished creating a spell, Karsus’s avatar that he had been developing for years. This spell would steal the power of a deity and transfer it to the archwizard that cast it. Karsus cast the spell, and chose Mystryl, the goddess of magic, as his target, feeling that she was the most powerful deity and the most appropriate choice for his purposes. Thus Karsus gained powers over all magic.

Unfortunately, his choice was a terrible mistake, for one of the responsibilities of the deity of magic was to regulate the flow of magic to and from all beings, spells, and magic items in the world. To save the weave, Mystryl sacrificed herself and, in the process, broke contact with Karsus. This caused all magic to briefly cease functioning.

Without the magic, the floating cities of Netheril could not hold their positions in the skies, and most of them crashed to the ground. The archmage Karsus died when the link to Mystryl was cut and his body was petrified. In the last moments of life, his stony eyes, still shimmering with the last glint of godly omniscience, caught a

glimpse of the cities of Netheril smashing to the ground, killing all. His heart broke—greed for the power of the deities themselves had caused the destruction of his home, his family, his friends, and his people.

After Mystryl was slain, the goddess of Magic reincarnated within moments as Mystra, and her first priority was to recreate the Weave of magic. She established new rules for using magic, and no spell of 10th level or above would function. Priests and priestesses of the new goddess of magic were told the story of Karsus in dreams and visions when they prayed for spells. It was Mystra’s attempt to make sure that nothing like this ever happened again.

Written for players and Dungeon Masters alike, this book offers options to enhance characters and campaigns in any D&D world, whether you’re adventuring in Forgotten Realms, another official D&D setting, or a world of your own creation.

It’s All Optional

Everything in this book is optional. Each group, guided by the DM, decides which of these options, if any, to incorporate into a campaign. You can use some, all, or none of them. We encourage you to choose the ones that fit best with your campaign’s story and with your group’s style of play. Whatever options you choose to use, this book relies on the rules in the Player’s Handbook, Monster Manual, and Dungeon Master’s Guide, and it can be paired with the options in Xanathar’s Guide to Everything, Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything, and other D&D books.

 

 

Ten Rules to Remember

1. The DM Adjudicates the Rules

The rules of D&D cover many of the twists and turns that come up in play, but the possibilities are so vast that the rules can’t cover everything. When you encounter something that the rules don’t cover or if you’re unsure how to interpret a rule, the DM decides how to proceed, aiming for a course that brings the most enjoyment to your whole group.

2. Exceptions Supersede General Rules

General rules govern each part of the game. For example, the combat rules tell you that melee weapon attacks use Strength and ranged weapon attacks use Dexterity. That’s a general rule, and a general rule is in effect as long as something in the game doesn’t explicitly say otherwise.

The game also includes elements-class features, spells, magic items, monster abilities, and the like that sometimes contradict a general rule. When an exception and a general rule disagree, the exception wins. For example, if a feature says you can make melee weapon attacks using your Charisma, you can do so, although that statement disagrees with the general rule.

3. Reaction Timing

Certain game features let you take a special action, called a reaction, in response to an event. Making opportunity attacks and casting the shield spell are two typical uses of reactions. If you’re unsure when a reaction occurs in relation to its trigger, here’s the rule: the reaction happens after its trigger, unless the description of the reaction explicitly says otherwise. Once you take a reaction, you can’t take another one until the start of your next turn.

4. Bonus Action Spells

If you want to cast a spell that has a casting time of 1 bonus action, remember that you can’t cast any other spells before or after it on the same turn, except for cantrips with a casting time of 1 action.

5. Concentration

As soon as you start casting a spell or using a special ability that requires concentration, your concentration on another effect ends instantly.

6. Temporary Hit Points

Temporary hit points aren’t cumulative. If you have temporary hit points and receive more of them, you don’t add them together, unless a game feature says you can. Instead, you decide which temporary hit points to keep.

7. Round Down

Whenever you divide or multiply a number in the game, round down if you end up with a fraction, even if the fraction is one-half or greater.

8. Have Fun

You don’t need to know every rule to enjoy D&D, and each group has its own style different ways it likes to tell stories and to use the rules. Embrace what your group enjoys most. In short, follow your bliss!

 

 

Chapter 1: Races

A visit to one of the great cities in the worlds of DUNGEONS & DRAGONS — Waterdeep, the Free City of Greyhawk, or even uncanny Sigil, the City of Doors — overwhelms the senses. Voices chatter in countless different languages. The smells of cooking in dozens of different cuisines mingle with the odors of crowded streets and poor sanitation. Buildings in myriad architectural styles display the diverse origins of their inhabitants.

And the people themselves — people of varying size, shape, and color, dressed in a dazzling spectrum of styles and hues — represent many different races, from diminutive pixies and somber shades to majestically beautiful dryads, mingling among a variety of ethnicities.

Scattered among the members of these more common races are the true exotics: a hulking centaur here, pushing his way through the crowd, and a sly tabaxi there, lurking in the shadows with mischief in her eyes. A group of satyrs laugh as one of them engages in a bit of revelry. Half-elves and half-orcs live and work alongside humans, without fully belonging to the races of either of their parents. And there, well out of the sunlight, is a lone Svirfneblin — a fugitive from the subterranean expanse of the Underdark, trying to make his way in a world that fears his kind.

Optional Racial Traits

You gain racial traits based on the description of the race you choose. This section offers additional racial traits that you can gain as a member of that race.

---

Click here to view to the list of optional racial changes

 

 

Chapter 2: Additional Races

You gain racial traits based on whatever race you pick. There are many options you can take from many different books, and this section offers additional playable races that you can take, as well as their racial traits. These races are completely optional, so include them in your campaigns or not, it’s up to you.

Click here to view additional racial options

 

 

Chapter 3: Class Options

WHEN YOU MAKE YOUR D&D CHARACTER, you have an array of options in the Player’s Handbook to create the sort of adventurer you want. This chapter adds to those options, making it possible to realize even more character concepts. If you combine these options with those in Xanathar’s and Tasha’s, the possibilities for your characters become vast. Here are the options featured in this chapter:

• The psion class, a master of psionic abilities
• The swordmage class, a versatile arcane half-caster
• Optional class features for classes and subclasses

Click here to view the class options

 

 

Chapter 4: Feats

A feat represents a talent or an area of expertise that gives a character special capabilities. It embodies training, experience, and abilities beyond what a class provides. New feats are presented here in alphabetical order for groups that use them.

Acute Fighting

You have an acute ability to spot openings in an enemy’s defenses, gaining the following benefits:

• Increase your Strength or Dexterity score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
• Choose to gain a bonus on damage rolls equal to 1d6 with either melee weapons or ranged weapons (choose when you take this feat).

Elemental Resistance

You gain resistance to one damage type of your choice.

The damage types are: acid, bludgeoning, cold, fire, force, lightning, necrotic, piercing, poison, psychic, radiant, slashing, and thunder

Finesse Weapon Master

You have learned how to use precision, instead of relying on brute force. You gain the following benefits:

• When you take the Attack action and hit with a finesse melee weapon, as a part of the Attack action, you can make an Acrobatics check to roll behind the target of your attack at the cost of no movement.
• Before you make a melee attack with a finesse melee weapon that you are proficient with, you can choose to take a -5 penalty to the attack roll. If the attack hits, you add +10 to the attack’s damage.

Improved Critical

Weapon attacks score critical hits on rolls of 19 or 20.

If you already have the Improved Critical feat or feature, then this feat functions as Superior Critical: weapon attacks score a critical hit on a roll of 18-20.

If you already have the benefits of the Superior Critical feature, then this feat gives you the following benefit: weapon attacks score a critical hit on a roll of 17-20. (Increase your critical range by 1, can stack)

Insightful Reflexes

Whenever your Dexterity modifier is referenced to calculate your Armor Class, you can use your Intelligence modifier to calculate your Armor Class instead.

Jack of All Trades

You can add half your proficiency bonus, rounded down, to any ability checks you make that don’t already include your proficiency bonus.

Regeneration

You have a supernaturally fast healing rate, gaining the following benefits:

• During combat, the start of your turn, you regain 1 hit point; otherwise, you regain 1 hit point every hour. If you reach 0 hit points, this benefit no longer applies. If you already have this feat, increase the number of hit points regained by 1.
• As an action, you can regain a number of hit points equal to your proficiency bonus. If you already have this feat, increase the number of hit points regained with this action by your proficiency bonus.

Spell Focus

When setting the saving throw DC for spells you cast your spell save DC equals 10 + your proficiency bonus + your spellcasting ability modifier.

Unarmored Defense

While not wearing any armor, your Armor Class equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier + either your Constitution modifier or your Wisdom modifier (choose when you take this feat) .

Weapon Focus

Choose one weapon. Attack and damage rolls with the weapon of your choice gain a bonus equal to 1d4.

Whirlwind Attack

When you take the Attack action, you can forgo one of your attacks to make a melee attack at disadvantage against all enemies within your reach. You make a single attack roll, if that attack hits any enemy within your reach, make a single damage roll to apply to all the enemies hit.

 

 

Chapter 5: Dungeon Master’s Tools

THE DUNGEON MASTER EMPLOYS MANY tools when preparing and running a D&D campaign. As a DM, your tools include your imagination, your ability to discern what entertains your players, your storytelling acumen, your sense of humor, your ability to listen well, your facility with the game’s rules, and more. This chapter adds to your toolbox with guidance and optional rules for a variety of situations.

The tools herein build on the material in the Dungeon Master’s Guide and the Monster Manual. You may use some, all, or none of these tools, and feel free to customize how they work. Your group’s enjoyment is paramount, so make these rules your own, aiming to match your group’s tastes.

Section 1: Weapon Perks

Weapons are more than just objects that adventurers carry to stab, slice, or break enemies with. In the proper hands of a master, they can be powerful tools to gain the upper-hand against an enemy. A weapon perk is a special skill or technique that can be used with a specific weapon. This allows each weapon to feel unique among all of the options the players have, and hopefully give them their own identity. All the weapon perks are part of the weapons, but requires that the creature be proficient with the weapon in order to execute the weapons perk. The number of weapon abilities can make the game more crunchy, so consider implementing weapon perks for certain NPCs, as a boon for martial classes, or only available to weapons with lower damage die.

If a perk requires a creature to make a saving throw, the DC equals 8 + proficiency bonus + Strength or Dexterity modifier (your choice).

Link to Weapon Perks:

https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/print/ooImRcxdsHw4

Section 2: Variant Mechanics

AS THE DUNGEON MASTER, YOU OVERSEE the game and weave together the story experienced by your players. This chapter gives you new rules options, as well as some refined tools for creating and running adventures and campaigns. It is a supplement to the tools and advice offered in the Dungeon Master’s Guide.

The material in this chapter is meant to make your life easier. Ignore anything you find here that doesn’t help you, and don’t hesitate to customize the things that you do use. The game’s rules exist to serve you and the games you run. As always, make them your own.

DMG References

Blessings, Charms - 228 | Epic Boons - 232

Hero Points, Honor/Sanity - 264 | Healing - 266

Resting - 267 | Actions - 271 | Cleaving, Injuires - 272

Ability Scores

After determining your ability scores (using standard array or the point-buy methods) and applying your racial benefits at character creation, you can roll 1d4. Increase 1 or more ability scores by an amount that totals the result of your roll, to a maximum of 20 (Ex: the result of your d4 roll is a 3, so you increase your Dexterity score from 16 to 18 and your Strength score from 13 to 14) .

You have the option to roll an additional d4, but if you do so, you have to decrease some of your ability scores by the same amount (Ex: the result of your d4 roll is a 2, so you decrease your Intelligence score from 12 to 10 and increase your Strength score from 16 to 18) .

Advanced Grappling

When you start your turn and you have grappled a creature, you can use your action to attempt another grapple check against the grappled target. If you succeed on the grapple check, the target suffer the restrained condition and you suffer the grappled condition.

Advantage Stacking

When you have advantage on a d20 test twice you gain a +5 bonus to the roll. If you have advantage more than twice then you only gain a +5 bonus.

Challenge [Action]

One creature that you can see within 30 feet must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the creature is drawn to you, provoked by your challenge. Until the start of your next turn, it can’t move further away you.

Exhuasted [Condition]

While you are subjected to the Exhausted Condition (known in older books as Exhaustion), you experience the following effects:

Levels of Exhaustion. This Condition is cumulative. Each time you receive it, you gain 1 level of exhaustion. You die if your exhaustion level exceeds 10.

d20 Rolls Affected. When you make a d20 Test, you subtract your exhaustion level from the d20 roll.

Spell Save DCs Affected. Subtract your exhaustion level from the Spell save DC of any Spell you cast.

Ending the Condition. Finishing a Long Rest removes 1 of your levels of exhaustion. When your exhaustion level reaches 0, you are no longer Exhausted.

 

 

Flanking

• Instead of flanking granting advantage on attacks, it only grants a +2 bonus to attack rolls.
• If you succeed on an Acrobatics check against your target’s Armor Class, you gain advantage on attack rolls while you are flanking the target.

First Level Feat

All player characters gain one additional feat at creation.

Group Casting

When a character casts a leveled spell, another character can use their reaction to ready an action on their turn to expend a spell slot of equal level. The spell is delayed until the readied action occurs in the turn order. Spell attacks have advantage, saving throws against spells cast this way have disadvantage, and if the spell deals damage, double the result of the damage roll.

Healer’s Kit Dependency

A character can’t spend any Hit Dice after finishing a short rest until someone expends one use of a healer’s kit to bandage and treat the character’s wounds.

Healing Potions

• You can use a bonus action to drink a healing potion.
• When you use your action to drink a healing potion, you can regain the maximum number of hit points for that potion, instead of rolling.

Help [Action]

When you use the Help action to aid a creature with an ability check, you must have proficiency in the skill required to perform the task you are helping with.

Immobilized [Condition]

An immobilized creature’s speed becomes 0, and it can’t benefit from any bonus to its speed.

Improved Armor Class

You add 1/5th of your level, rounded down, when calculating your Armor Class.

Another way to phrase it: every character gains a +1 bonus to their AC every 5 levels (+1 at 5th level, +2 at 10th level, +3 at 15th level, and +4 at 20th level).

Intelligence Usefulness

Prerequisite: Intelligence of 18 or higher

Pick 1 tool, skill, or language. You gain proficiency in the option of your choice.

If you have an Intelligence score of 20, pick an additional tool, skill, or language to gain proficiency with.

“On Your Heels” [Condition]

If a creature is disarmed or they stand up after being knocked prone, they suffer the on your heels condition, which means until the start of your next turn: you can’t take reactions and you suffer disadvantage on attack rolls.

Long Rest Variant

With this variant a long rest can only be done at designated safe locations. This makes exploration more dangerous, but allows the DM to more closely manage the party’s resources.

Movement Outside of Combat

While not participating in combat, you can take the Sprint action to increase your movement speed by x5.

Multiclassing

A player can only multiclass once and they must take at least 5 levels in their secondary class.

Progress Clocks for Stealth

If you want to have a more interesting/engaging stealth mission, progress clocks can be a useful resource:

https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/print/ryaTf9NnsVCq

Social Combat

If you want to have a formal debate or perhaps you’re being held on trial; social combat can be a useful resource:

https://www.tribality.com/2019/09/16/social-combat/

Taunt [Action]

One creature that you can see within 30 feet must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the creature is drawn to you, instigated by your insults/gestures. Until the start of your next turn, it has disadvantage on attack rolls against creatures other than you.

Two-Weapon Fighting

When you are wielding Light weapons in both hands and you take the Attack Action on your turn, you can make one extra attack as part of the same Action. That extra attack must be made with the Light weapon in the other hand, and you don’t add your Ability Modifier to the extra attack’s damage. You can make this extra attack only once on each of your turns.

 

 

Section 4: Games and Tools in DnD

There are many game and tool proficiencies in the Player’s Handbook, but unfortunately, there isn’t much description beyond a simple d20 check with proficiency. In this section, we’ll explore expanded tool proficiencies beyond the examples in Xanather’s Guide to Everything and ways to utilize skills when playing games.

Games in DnD

Some games can be played with only a few gamblers, while others require a house, host, or dealer:

https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/print/s6UUMY6T9Bbz

Kibble’s Guide to Crafting

An extensive crafting guide that outlines uses for every tool proficiency and introduces some new resources for gathering, harvesting, or purchase:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1nKjnXZ-gkPjM2O7mxKDaTsuiYjMMtHnS/view?usp=sharing

Crafting Additions

For some small additions to the crafting system presented in Kibble’s, if you want to include bone harvesting or crafting:

https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/print/qgi5sdoA8OdZ

Section 5: Futuristic Settings

DnD is designed to generally be set in a medieval era, but there are some rules in the Dungeon Master’s Guide on firearms, explosives, seige weaponry, and there is information on vechiles in Spelljammer resources.

https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/print/ww7MH66-EKPZ

Variant Mechanic: Drinking

When someone consumes alcohol, there is a chance they will become intoxicated. For each drink that person drinks, they must succeed on a Constituion saving throw with a DC equal to the number of drinks consumed x 4. After 1 hour passes, reduced the number of drinks consumed by 1. If a Constitution save is failed, you suffer the intoxicated condition:

Levels of Intoxication. This Condition is cumulative. Each time you receive it, you gain 1 level of intoxication. You fall unconscious if your intoxication level exceeds 3.

d20 Rolls Affected. When you make a d20 Test, you subtract your intoxication level from the d20 roll.

Spell Save DCs Affected. Subtract your intoxication level. After 1d4+1 hours, remove 1 level of intoxication. Finishing a Long Rest removes all of your levels of intoxication. When your intoxication level reaches 0, you are no longer Intoxicated.

 

 

Thank You!

Credits to Preston Ramsay.