Expanded Camaraderie

The fires of adversity forge a group of adventurers into a fellowship, a team, a party that support each other deep in the darkest dungeons and against the fiercest dragons. This optional rule is a remix and expansion of M.T. Black's camaraderie rules and replaces inspiration.

Camaraderie

The strength of the party to support each other is represented by a pool of Camaraderie points, equal in number to the number of characters in the party. The Camaraderie pool fully replenishes at the end of every long rest.

Using Camaraderie

Trusting the strength of your team helps you focus and push yourself as you work with them.

Any member of the party may spend a point of Camaraderie to gain advantage on any ability check, attack roll, or saving throw.

New Condition: Isolated

When internal divisions cause mistrust among the group, or catastrophe strikes that overwhelms the support of the group, sometimes it is enough to deprive party members of the benefits of their team.

This is represented by the isolated condition:

  • An isolated creature cannot use Camaraderie.
  • If a party member is isolated at the end of a long rest, they do not contribute to the Camaraderie pool (i.e. the pool is one point smaller).

Breaking a Fellowship

The strength of any team is limited by the members' trust in each other. If that trust is undermined, the team will falter. Cunning adversaries will attempt to sow seeds of discord whenever possible, but just as frequently, characters' motivations and morals naturally diverge, at times enough to cause a rift. Either way, the effect is the same: a team diminished.

If any party member takes an action that contradicts the ideal, bond, or other trait of any party member aware of the action, or would otherwise adversely affect any party member aware of the action, the affected party member must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or become isolated.

To end their isolated condition, they must act on their affected trait to a degree that is roughly proportionate to the triggering action.

Alternatively, they can reconcile with the party by confronting the offending party member(s) and receiving an apology.


Inspiring bond

Some bonds between adventurers transcend that of teammates and become something deeper; whether by blood or by choice, you have an inspiring bond that sustains and motivates you.

Any member of the party may choose another member as their inspiring bond. No party member can have more than one inspiring bond, and inspiring bonds do not change easily, normally only upon the current inspiring bond's death or permanent exit from the party.

Inspiring Bond Benefits

Your relationship with your inspiring bond grants you certain benefits.

  • You can sense when they are in grave danger, even if you are separated.
  • When you spend Camaraderie to gain advantage on an ability check, attack roll, or saving throw while directly helping your inspiring bond, and you succeed, the Camaraderie you spent is immediately restored to the pool.

New Condition: Anguished

Forming deep bonds is not without some risk; when that bond is severed, the pain is as deep as the bond, which erupts in anger at whoever did the severing, but distracts from all else. This is represented by the anguished condition:

  • An anguished character has advantage on attack rolls and saving throws against the ones responsible for the loss of their inspiring bond.
  • They have disadvantage on all other attack rolls, saving throws, and all ability checks.

Death of the Inspiring Bond

Even the most world-weary of adventurers suffer a grievous blow when their closest confidants are taken from them. The enormity of the loss simply shuts down lesser social bonds, and the pain may warp your focus to exclude all else.

When your inspiring bond is killed or otherwise permanently lost (e.g. being plane-shifted with no means of return, or their mind apparently permanently under the control of another, etc.), you become isolated and must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or become anguished (you may choose to fail this saving throw). Both end when you complete a long rest.

Credits

Expanded Camaraderie by Stubbazubba

Inspired by:

  • Camaraderie by M.T. Black
  • Quest by The Adventure Guild
  • The One Ring by Cubicle 7