Land of the Lordly Hundred Houses
It’s been over 200 years since the Great Apocalypse. Power has risen. And fallen. There is the power of the throne, and then there is true power. The Lordly Houses have long held the true power in this part of the world. Each fiefdom is ruled by its official sovereign who proclaims laws, declares war or peace, and establishes taxes. The practical work of enforcing those laws, raising armies for war, collecting taxes, and so on, often falls to the houses themselves—and with that comes most of the practical power of the nation. Houses may span national borders; think of the great European dynasties, such as the Hapsburgs.
Six Great Houses now stand apart, and each aspires to be named the House of the Victorious Sun, which rules all the others. The size and strength of the Great Houses is such that they can annihilate most Minor Houses that cross them, or reward those that bend to their will. They are lions and demons in a flock of goats and lambs. All the lords and ladies, both of the Great and the Minor Houses, owe fealty to the Lord of the Victorious Sun, and are required by oath to be true to his or her commands.
But that is in the future. For now the task at hand awaits. Hidden treasure. Lost artifacts. Slaying that dragon over horizon.
Setting and Style of Play
D&D is no longer a game. It’s a convenience. It’s convenient to refer to this game we play as “D&D.” But RAW is no longer a thing, if it ever was. Additions, deletions, and home brews abound. These are mine. Or rather, ours.
The elevator pitch here is that we’re playing a 5e foundation with a LOT of homebrew leaning towards OSR. Strong elements of 9th to 14th Century Europe with a little 17th Century pirate flavor thrown in for good measure. There is a detailed economic system and it’s run as a garden (as opposed to a railroad or sandbox.) The style of play can best be defined as “hey, what’s that over there? Let’s go find out.” We play to see what happens. The current party (10/24/23) fancy themselves as traveling bounty/creature/artifact hunters. They started at Lvl 1 and so will you but at every fourth level thereafter you may create an additional character. A Henchling!
Character Creation
We’re old school. We use those “races” which sprang forth from nursery rhymes and fairy tales and myths and legends and time-tested literature. Human, Elf, Dwarf, Half Orc, Half Elf, Halfling. That’s it. If you’re the type of person who flinches at the word “Race” you probably aren’t reading this anyway. If you prefer species we’re OK with that. Also not huge fans of the explosion of classes, sub-classes, prestige classes, etc. No monks. No artificers. No multi-classing. Subclasses, other homebrew and variants with discussion.
Backgrounds and back stories? Not a fan. Much of your backstory will be provided FOR you during character creation. You need to provide essentially three things: Where do you come from? Why did you leave? Who or what do you care about?
Either 4d6, drop the lowest, in order or 3d6 then assign. An exceptional total must exist for at least two stats, with one being at least 15 and the other being at least 16. It’s enough if a player has one gifted stat, a minimum of 17, instead. Primary attribute must be over 11 to select a class.
We use Alexis Smolensk’s background generator to determine age, height, weight, wealth, physical description, family relations, additional knowledge and secondary skills (if any.)
Feats? We don’ need no steenkeen’ feats! Sage Abilities! A characters class will provide three or more fields from which to study. The player will select one field on which to focus. Each field has four or more areas of study. The player will pick a primary study as well. Additional fields and studies may be added with advancement and a character may receive instruction in a given study if they can find an instructor, pay the expense to hire that instructor, and spend the time it takes to learn. It might take as little as two weeks to gain passing familiarity with a topic but at least THREE MONTHS to acquire a functional amateur skill.
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Languages: Everybody starts with up to three: Common, a racial language if applicable, Rogues get Cant, Druids get Druidic. Dwarves may add Giant or Goblin. Rangers get the dominant language of their chosen enemy. Otherwise it must be learned as above (can you say “downtime activity?”)
You can't do everything. Read? Write? Ride a horse? Cook a palatable meal? Not unless you have sufficient sage ability.
Weapon Proficiencies Spell casters start with 1, get another every 6 levels and have a -5 penalty. Martials start with 3, get another every 3 levels and have a -2 penalty. All others start with 2, get another every 5 levels and have a -3 penalty.
Weapon Choices: Spell Casters: club, dagger, dart, staff. Martials: any (except Paladin: no ranged weapon.) Cleric: Non-edged, no ranged weapon. All others: club, dagger, dart, javelin, staff, scimitar, hammer, sling, spear, short sword. Special allowance may be made for some backgrounds.
Spells: Assigned by the DM at start. Additional spells determined randomly with specific spells awarded after discussion.
Equipment: I’ll be using another randomizer assign your starting equipment. A weapon or two. Maybe some armor and/or a shield. Footwear, clothes, bedroll, tent (in season,) waterskin, mess kit and a backpack. Tinderbox, rope, soap and torches. The first lot are pretty basic. The last lot are usually party items which are only noticed when needed and not in stock. The middle batch is important.
Before we get into the fun stuff let’s address wear and tear. I keep an equipment spreadsheet (ESS.) Every item a PC possesses is on there, along with its weight (which likely varies from the PHB.) It is regularly checked for wear and tear. Items begin as new, then used, then worn, shabby and useless. Checks are made on the 1st of the month OR after three days in the wilderness OR after one day in the dungeon. Any critical fail when using an item also results in it dropping one level. You might buy used stuff at a discount but it’ll be used. You might scavenge weapons or armor from enemies but they’ll be worn. Mend spells are your friend, but see the Magic section.
Also in the ESS is a total of weight carried per character AND their encumbrance level. Alexis to the rescue again. Formula uses STR and weight. After each session I run the calculation and make note of penalties to fully laden movement speed and lighter combat speed (without your backpack.) Putting stuff in that backpack that gets left at the entrance to the dungeon can be the difference between life and death. If you’re at -1 it’s not a big deal but when you drop to -2 or worse and drags the party down it’ll be discussed.
Before each session I notify players of what items are worn or shabby. I also track torches and arrows on their character sheet and suggest that they review them before the each session. Which brings us to what happens when you don’t have something.
No bedroll? No long rest.
Inappropriate clothing? Hypo or hyperthermia, social dysfunction.
No waterskin? Dehydration.
No mess kit? Possible disease.
No backpack? Encumbrance issues.
No tent? In inclimate weather no long rest, possible hypothermia.
No footwear? Movement reduced.
No soap? Possible disease, social dysfunction.
No tinderbox? Starting a fire or lighting a torch may be problematic.
None of these cost much but their absence can be QUITE costly.
Downtime
We don’t have a LOT of it but it happens on occassion when one character needs to spend some specific time and the others need to kill some time. Here’s what the characters MIGHT do:
Less than one week: Use tools, carouse, quest, gambling (disadvantage)
One week Research, work a profession, quest, gambling, crime, pit fighting, R&R, proslytize
Two weeks Train to improve AS, quest, gambling (advantage)
More than two weeks Learn Language or new weapon
Magic and Madness
Unlimited Spell Slots Instead (except for cantrips and rituals) you make a spellcasting DC that equals 10 + spell level (including upcast.) Roll 1d20 + proficiency + spell casting ability modifier. Success means ….success. Failure means you lose the spell until you get a long rest.
Nat 20 means you may double EITHER damage dice, number of targets, range, area, or duration or recover a lost spell. Nat 1 requires you to either make a sacrifice (Clerics, Druids, Bards, Rangers, Rogues, Paladins) ranging from a 5 gp value at 1st level up to 500 gp at 9th OR suffer an arcane mishap (all other classes.) These result in exhaustion and damage done to all within range.
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A caster who fails a roll MAY supplement their total by sacrificing …. something. Arcane spells cost sanity. See misc. rules. Primal spells cost exhaustion. Divine spells cost HP. AND the spell is then lost until you get a long rest. Cannot be used on any spell that raises creature above 0 HP.
Spell focus replaces material components. Each class must have a focus. Focus will carry “charges” equal to caster’s level squared. No charges are used for a cantrip of spell with no material component. If a non-priced material component is listed the spell will cost 1 charge. If a priced material component is not consumed in casting it will burn 1 charge per 100 “gp,” and 1 charge per 10 “gp” if consumed.
Each casting class shall be required to use a focus, as further described below and the initial focus shall be “bestowed.”
Capacity
A focus can be imbued with a number of charges equal to the owners level squared
Use
NO charges are used in casting a cantrip or a spell with no material component. If a non-priced material component is listed the spell will burn 1 charge. If a priced material component is not consumed in casting it will burn 1 charge per 100 “gp,” and 1 charge per 10 “gp” if consumed.
Recharging
One long rest restores two charges. The second consecutive long rests restores an additional four. Third consecutive long rests restores nine. Then 16, 25, 36, 49, etc., up to the maximum capacity. A 20th level caster could have a 400 charge focus which would take ten days to recharge fully from 0. A short rest recharges one charge.
Special Cases
IF the focus does not have sufficient charges to cast a given spell the Caster MAY opt to successfully cast the spell anyway BUT the focus is consumed in the casting. Caster may then not cast any spell requiring material component until the focus is replaced. Quest anyone?? Additionally a “new” focus may be required on a regular basis. Perhaps when a new tier or level is attained. Perhaps annually. That mistletoe ain’t gonna last forever and can only be harvested on certain occasions.
Bard:
Pen or instrument. Subsequent foci obtained by service to college, patron or mentor. Suggest new one each tier at least.
Cleric:
Holy symbol. Subsequent obtained from religious superior. Suggest new one only upon consumption.
Druid:
Druidic focus per rules. Subsequent obtained from religious superior, same circle. Or ceremonial harvesting. Annual replacement or upon leveling up via ceremony.
Paladin:
Holy symbol or shield (or symbol painted ON shield!) Upgrade when oath taken. Replaced only when consumed.
Ranger:
Common animal part as talisman. Subsequent obtained via ceremonial hunt, ritual slaughter. Replaced when new spell level gained.
Arcane casters:
Per rules. Subsequent obtained from source/patron/quest. Only replaced when consumed.
Spell Alterations:
Goodberry: Can restore 1 hp OR provide nourishment of up to 1 pound of food in a fully healed character.
Mending: As written but may only be cast once per long rest plus once per level.
Leomond’s Tiny Hut: Nope. Not a thing.
More to come as discovered. I HATE plot armor!
Madness. Insanity. Stolen heavily from Luke at DM’s Lair.
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Fighting and Dying
Roll For Initiative …but not until I ask you to! Roll 3d6, add your DEX modifier. If you have advantage roll 4d6 and drop the lowest. Disadvantage? 4D6 drop the highest. I’ll go around the table and ask for your result
We use a modified version of UA Greyhawk initiative.The action economy is obeyed but when things happen is a bit more “cinematic.” When you are up you declare what you are doing (action, move, bonus action, etc.) I’ll adjudicate that and enter the action points you expend. The next actor may or may be up next depending on the result. We continue to cycle through turns until no one has any remaining AP items they wish to use. End turn.
PROPOSED FOR PLAYTESTING: A few from Nimble
- Instead of move, action, bonus action and reaction PC’s get 3 Action Points to expend as they like. 1 AP to do pretty much everything: Attack, Move, Potion or Poison, Cast most Spells. Leveled spells cost 2 AP. Fireball and Lvl 6 spells and up cost 3. Any feature or ability which could be made as a bonus action may be done once per round for 0 AP.
- Dodge/Block action allows player to reduce incoming damage by AC-10.
- Attack of Opportunity cost 1 AP, are made with disadvantage and mooks can’t use them.
**Nobody Likes Fumble Tables When you get a critical failure (normally, rolling a natural 1 on an attack) you are at risk of fumbling. To confirm or overcome the fumble, you 1) roll 1d6 to determine which ability is affected, and 2) make a DC 20 saving throw in that ability. If you fail, incur a penalty based on that ability.
Perfect Fumble Houserule
| Saving Throw | Penalty |
|---|---|
| 1 STR ST | Overpowered. Disarmed, weapon 10ft away |
| 2 DEX ST | Knocked off balance. Fall Prone |
| 3 CON ST | Strained muscles. -1d4 HP |
| 4 INT ST | Leave yourself wide open. -2 AC for 1 turn |
| 5 WIS ST | Lose coordination. -1d4 on next roll |
| 6 CHA ST | Botched feint. Provoke free attack |
Resolve: Every Character has Resolve which represents their ability to deal with excessive damage and grievous wounds received in the course of their adventuring. Your Resolve is your CON modifier + LVL.
Dropping Below Zero: When a character takes sufficient damage to drop them below zero they receive Injury Levels. To determine the level of an injury the remaining damage after 0 is divided by the characters Resolve rounded down.
Bleeding Out: It will take as many rounds as your Resolve to bleed out completely. You’re allowed 1 action per round and it SHOULD be self medicating (MED check greater than excess damage taken so if it was a hell of a blow then band-aides won’t help). First success changes rate of bleeding from rounds to turns. Failure costs a round of bleeding.
Dead Man Walking: Final Round of Bleeding Out. CON ST vs 10. Fail=die. Success? If by <5 still dying, roll again next turn but CR is 10+1 for each successive try. If by 5-10 required DC goes down one instead of up. If +10 0hp but stable. Others may stabilize you with a MED DC 15.
All of the above was liberaly adapted from Cavegirl’s Game Stuff
Other Stuff
Weather. It’s a thing. Travel in the summer and winter can be problematic. And the spring can be wet in some climes. Plan accordingly.
Sleep. Long and short rests. Short rests are periods of at least one hour with quite limited activity. Long rests are 8-12 hours of mostly rest and relaxation. Long rests may ONLY be taken in safe secure sheltered settings. A bedroll on the side of the road will NOT cut it. A stall in a local farmers barn might. Or it might not. As a general rule the party should TAKE a long rest when the opportunity presents itself because they do NOT know when the next opportunity will present itself. There ARE opportunities along the road like shrines, sacred groves, etc.. You will ONLY get a SR unless I specifically SAY they may take a LR.
Failure to get a LR in a 24 hour period results in a CON check vs DC 10 or take a level of exhaustion. DC increases 5 every 24 hours. Sleeping in light armor has no adverse effect but if you sleep in medium armor a LR only gets the benefit of a SR, and if in heavy armor it gets HALF a SR and in neither case does it remove exhaustion.
Food. You need it. Buying, hunting and foraging. Plan ahead for long trips. No handwaiving here! And monthly expenses will be charged based on time in town/on the road and level.
Meta stuff
Currently play Tuesday nights. We target a 6:30 start and look to wrap up between 9:30 and 10. We are friends. And adults. And we play accordingly. We also have homebrew mechanics for drinking, downtime and a few other things.
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