May 23, 2018 4:06 pm
You will find here the house rules that will apply to our game. I'm open to discuss them, but usually have good reasons to add them to the game.
KO
Whenever you reach 0 HP, you take one level of exhaustion.
Experience
Whenever you deal with an obstacle that should give you any amount of experience points, you get the adjusted XP (DMG p.82) instead of the normal amount. That’s more XP for you if you’re wondering.
Dealing with an obstacle means that you take care of it in a durable way. Negotiating or bribing can sometimes work as well, if not better, than fighting. Clever solutions will be rewarded!
Getting around an obstacle will grant you less XP if it means that this obstacle will remain in place and that you could face it again. Sneaking past the guards will only grant you some minor XP, but bribing them would grant you the whole XP (and killing them afterward would give you none, as they were not an obstacle anymore).
Leveling up
Whenever you have gained enough XP to reach a new level, that level will be available at the end of the next long rest.
Armors and resting
Resting in full plate is uncomfortable, even for a well trained soldier. Whenever you finish a long rest wearing an armor that gives disadvantage to stealth, you don’t reduces your exhaustion level by 1 as you would normally have.
Passive proficiencies as knowledge
All Proficiencies (skills, tools, weapons, and armor) are assumed to represent both active uses of those things and relevant background knowledge, lore, information, and awareness. When a character with a Proficiency encounters something in the game, the GM should simply give them any relevant information based on their expertise.
A character’s Passive Skill is equal to 8 + Ability Modifier + Proficiency Bonus. If the character has Advantage on such skill checks, the Passive Skill gains an additional +5. If the character has Disadvantage, the character suffers an additional -5.
Inspiration
Inspiration as described in the PHB sucks. That’s why we never remember that it even exists. So we will use that variant from the Angry GM.
Every character begins [each narrative arc] with Inspiration, which is a thing you either have or you don’t.
If you have Inspiration, you can spend it at any time to take an Inspired Action provided that action somehow ties into one of your character’s personal characteristics. If your Ideal is "I will do anything to save a person in danger," and you want to swing across a ravine on a vine to rescue someone who is about fall into the ravine and hanging by one hand, that fits. You can claim an Inspired Action.
When you take an Inspired Action, you can either gain advantage on an ability check, attack roll, or saving throw OR you can give advantage to someone else’s ability check, attack roll, or saving throw provided you are in a position to assist them directly in some way OR impose disadvantage on someone else’s ability check, attack roll, or saving throw provided you are in a position to hinder their action directly in some way. Whatever it is, the Inspired Action MUST somehow connect to one of your Personal Characteristics.
So, let’s take that "I will take any risk to save a person in danger." You could do the aforementioned "swinging across the ravine to catch them from falling" thing. Or if they have to attempt a saving throw to avoid a collapsing ceiling, you could throw yourself at them to save them, giving them advantage on the saving throw. Or if a monster is about to attack someone standing near you, you can interpose yourself and give the monster disadvantage on the attack roll. See? Easy.
When you don’t have Inspiration, you can Claim a Setback to gain Inspiration. To Claim a Setback you must either impose disadvantage on one of your own ability checks, saving throws, or attack rolls based on one of your Personal Characteristics OR make a decision that creates a significant story setback, obstacle, or hindrance. When you want to Claim a Setback, simply ask the GM. For example: "I’m easily distracted by shiny objects, so I’m distracted by the giant pile of treasure. Can I Claim a Setback and take disadvantage on my saving throw against the dragon’s fire breath?" Or: "This guy wants to help us, but I distrust all strangers. I’m going to be rude and accusatory of him. Can I Claim a Setback for that?" And then the GM might have the stranger refuse to help or get offended or start a fight. Whatever.
After you Claim a Setback, you get Inspiration. You can use the Inspiration to take an Inspired Action. And on and on it goes.
Bosses, Swarms of lesser enemies and other special foes
Special enemies such as bosses or swarmes of lesser enemies will sometimes be ruled in non standard ways to ease their management or create tension. Either way, I’ll do my best to give in-game hints on any unusual thing going on.
KO
Whenever you reach 0 HP, you take one level of exhaustion.
Experience
Whenever you deal with an obstacle that should give you any amount of experience points, you get the adjusted XP (DMG p.82) instead of the normal amount. That’s more XP for you if you’re wondering.
Dealing with an obstacle means that you take care of it in a durable way. Negotiating or bribing can sometimes work as well, if not better, than fighting. Clever solutions will be rewarded!
Getting around an obstacle will grant you less XP if it means that this obstacle will remain in place and that you could face it again. Sneaking past the guards will only grant you some minor XP, but bribing them would grant you the whole XP (and killing them afterward would give you none, as they were not an obstacle anymore).
Leveling up
Whenever you have gained enough XP to reach a new level, that level will be available at the end of the next long rest.
Armors and resting
Resting in full plate is uncomfortable, even for a well trained soldier. Whenever you finish a long rest wearing an armor that gives disadvantage to stealth, you don’t reduces your exhaustion level by 1 as you would normally have.
Passive proficiencies as knowledge
All Proficiencies (skills, tools, weapons, and armor) are assumed to represent both active uses of those things and relevant background knowledge, lore, information, and awareness. When a character with a Proficiency encounters something in the game, the GM should simply give them any relevant information based on their expertise.
A character’s Passive Skill is equal to 8 + Ability Modifier + Proficiency Bonus. If the character has Advantage on such skill checks, the Passive Skill gains an additional +5. If the character has Disadvantage, the character suffers an additional -5.
Inspiration
Inspiration as described in the PHB sucks. That’s why we never remember that it even exists. So we will use that variant from the Angry GM.
Every character begins [each narrative arc] with Inspiration, which is a thing you either have or you don’t.
If you have Inspiration, you can spend it at any time to take an Inspired Action provided that action somehow ties into one of your character’s personal characteristics. If your Ideal is "I will do anything to save a person in danger," and you want to swing across a ravine on a vine to rescue someone who is about fall into the ravine and hanging by one hand, that fits. You can claim an Inspired Action.
When you take an Inspired Action, you can either gain advantage on an ability check, attack roll, or saving throw OR you can give advantage to someone else’s ability check, attack roll, or saving throw provided you are in a position to assist them directly in some way OR impose disadvantage on someone else’s ability check, attack roll, or saving throw provided you are in a position to hinder their action directly in some way. Whatever it is, the Inspired Action MUST somehow connect to one of your Personal Characteristics.
So, let’s take that "I will take any risk to save a person in danger." You could do the aforementioned "swinging across the ravine to catch them from falling" thing. Or if they have to attempt a saving throw to avoid a collapsing ceiling, you could throw yourself at them to save them, giving them advantage on the saving throw. Or if a monster is about to attack someone standing near you, you can interpose yourself and give the monster disadvantage on the attack roll. See? Easy.
When you don’t have Inspiration, you can Claim a Setback to gain Inspiration. To Claim a Setback you must either impose disadvantage on one of your own ability checks, saving throws, or attack rolls based on one of your Personal Characteristics OR make a decision that creates a significant story setback, obstacle, or hindrance. When you want to Claim a Setback, simply ask the GM. For example: "I’m easily distracted by shiny objects, so I’m distracted by the giant pile of treasure. Can I Claim a Setback and take disadvantage on my saving throw against the dragon’s fire breath?" Or: "This guy wants to help us, but I distrust all strangers. I’m going to be rude and accusatory of him. Can I Claim a Setback for that?" And then the GM might have the stranger refuse to help or get offended or start a fight. Whatever.
After you Claim a Setback, you get Inspiration. You can use the Inspiration to take an Inspired Action. And on and on it goes.
Bosses, Swarms of lesser enemies and other special foes
Special enemies such as bosses or swarmes of lesser enemies will sometimes be ruled in non standard ways to ease their management or create tension. Either way, I’ll do my best to give in-game hints on any unusual thing going on.
