Joethelawyer's 2e Houserules

Second Edition Campaign House Rules v. 11.20.22

(As any of you who have played with me before know, this is a work in progress, so expect changes and additions as the campaign goes on…I doubt there will be that many though.)

Setting

Set in the Forgotten Realms, but barely. The past campaign has changed it. Throw out all you know about the Realms. Don’t assume anything.

This is a well-developed setting, but I changed the shit out of it when I began the last campaign. Then over next 4.5 years I broke what was left. As such, setting and campaign always trump game rules. There may be stuff in the game’s rule book that doesn’t exist or is heavily modified because of the setting and campaign. Just because the game allows for it, doesn’t necessarily mean it exists. I’ll let you know ahead of time where this is the case whenever I can. Many of the houserules may seem arbitrary and against the official rules for no good reason, but the reasons for the change all go back to the setting, how the world works, and what happened in the past.

For example, the gods never ever take an active role in this world. They don’t interfere directly. The only thing they do is grant spells and powers in exchange for the energy they get when priests get them more worshippers, who in turn give the gods energy through worship and reverence. Therefore, spells like Augury do not work here. The gods simply do not give a shit about you personally. It’s simply a transaction based on energies. Of course, this isn’t known by the PC’s or the people in the world. People pray and give thanks to the gods. And if they find a gold piece on the ground when they’re broke and hungry, it’s obviously the gods intervening directly, right?

Scope

I envision this being a regional campaign, rather than a massive world spanning one like I'm just wrapping up. You'll be based here and adventure here for most of the low to mid-level game. At higher levels (I wanna play till like 20th level, if possible, which may take about 872 years or so in our time) you'll definitely be interacting with the world at large and going out into it to make shit happen. That being said, it’s a large sandbox to play in.

Also, this doesn't mean you won’t be able to go to Waterdeep or whatever. I expect that at some point you'll be there or in some other bigger cities to sell or buy the type of stuff that you can only sell or buy in the big city. You can make your character from anywhere you want, but it would probably be helpful for immersion if they are from this region. Gives them a reason to be here and give a shit about the place, and to come back again and keep trying to make a difference. This won't be a murder hobo type game. Also, to make them be from somewhere not in this region would entail you knowing a lot about the region you're from. I've broken or changed the Realms so much that you may be making that decision based on false assumptions about what that region is actually like in this campaign.

Books Used

2e PHB Revised. That’s it. However, I’m using a couple things from Players Option: Spells and Magic. You’re still limited to only the spells in the PHB (though I may add some in from other books here and there). However, for Mages I’m using the changes on page 14 regarding the School of Universal Magic and made some changes to Druid spell spheres. I’ve detailed that in the Magic section later in this document.

Character Generation and General Stuff

A melee round is 10 seconds. A turn is 10 minutes. You can move full movement in a melee round, or if you attack you can move half your movement in that melee round.

Character background/backstory can’t be anything that makes other characters do something, like save your lost sister, and can’t something that gives you a grand destiny of any sort.

For first level no max hp. Roll twice and keep the better. Minimum = half max on the roll. All other levels it’s a straight roll, no help. No rerolling on bad hp rolls. Then add your Con bonus.

No ability score requirements for race and class, but you still get XP awards for high ability scores, per the class descriptions.

Alignment doesn’t really matter that much, as long as you play your characters consistently, and if there is an inconsistency, have a good reason for the variation. Evil characters are not allowed. In some cases, your class requires a certain alignment, however.

No dual classing. Only demi-humans can multiclass.

Both Weapon and Non-weapon proficiencies are in use, as well as the rules for related weapon bonuses.

Knowing a language is governed by non-weapon proficiencies and intelligence modifier.

You must expend a slot to know a written language, even common. Most people can’t read.

Read the rules about illusions starting on page 108, as it imposes some duties on the players.

Basic encumbrance per page 102 and table 47 are in use. Keep track of the weight of stuff you’re carrying and any effects on movement speed. You do need to keep track of rations, arrows, and special stuff like magic arrows, bullets, shells, vials of holy water, acid, oil, etc.

There are no magic stores or magical academies. Advertising that you have a magic item for sale, or that you have one in general, is asking to be killed for it.

Infravision is heat vision. Can’t read by it. Light blows it. Blinds you for a minute.

You can only heal while sleeping in the wilderness/dungeon/underdark/etc. if you have a bedroll. Rangers and Druids are exempt from this.

Medical Kits: Cost 30 gp. This is required to use the Healing Proficiency and vice-versa. Uses: 3, then its contents must be replaced. Weighs 5 lbs.

Fighter Battle Healing Kits cost 15 gp and weigh 3 pounds.

Keep in mind that Greek Fire is different than lamp oil. Greek fire is the napalm-like stuff you throw at bad guys for damage. It costs a lot more.

Races

No level limits for demi humans, but they get an xp penalty per level as detailed below. Racial restrictions as to race and multiclass combos are followed. If they multiclass they get an additional xp penalty of 5% per level per every additional class beyond the first.

Elves and Dwarves: 20%

Halflings and Gnomes: 15%

Half Elves: 10%

Subraces: The subraces of the various playable races are entirely cultural. No mechanical differences except as noted below.

Elves:

High elf: Standard.

Gray elf: More intellectual, haughty, and arrogant. Swap out the Dex bonus for Int bonus. Not a playable race

Wood elf: More nature oriented. Hippies mixed with Native American Indian culture.

Wild elf: Not a playable race. Hostile and xenophobic towards all others, except wood elves who they still don’t trust entirely. Beefier than most elves. Basically, barbarian elves.

Dark elf: Not a playable race. Standard, but Lloth is not really worshipped anymore due to stuff in the prior campaign.

Aquatic: Only in the oceans, rare.

Dwarves:

Dwarven base movement is 9, not 6.

Mountain dwarf: Masters of mining and smithing, they live in a settlement inside a mountain, next to their mines and mushroom farms, which they use for food and for brewing ales and beer.

Hill dwarf: Masters of stonework and brewing, most live in settlements comprised of stone houses on paved streets surrounded by stout stone walls which also protect the entrance to the big mine the clans of the settlement work. Most every dwarven made stone structure in the world was made by Hill Dwarves. Some live in the hill or mountain being mined, but most are outside. Some even herd, and many grow crops for both food and for brewing beer and ale.

Gray dwarves: Not a playable race. Basic evil, underdark-dwelling race you’re familiar with. Large machines are their specialty. Steam powered mostly.

Gnomes:

Hill gnomes: Best gem miners, gadget makers.

Forest gnomes: Friends to forest creatures and fae. They don’t usually tinker, but love to carve intricate wooden pieces. Fair gem miners. They also fancy themselves to be the best illusionists. Not a playable race.

Deep gnomes: Not a playable race. Generally neutral or good, have a connection to earth elementals.

Halflings:

Stout: Tend to like adventuring more.

Hairfoot: Best farmers. Mostly homebodies.

Tallfellow: Herders, and they also sometimes raise small pony sized horses for smaller folk.

Classes

For all classes, when you hit high levels, your followers are gained from roleplaying. They don’t just appear.

Bards: don’t exist as a class. Because they’re stupid, that’s why. You may see minstrels or entertainers or whatever in places, and they may call themselves bards, but they aren’t bards as in a class, nor do they have any special abilities other than their entertainment abilities.

Paladins:

All paladins follow either Torm, Lathander, or Tyr. They all get smite, which allows them to add their level to their damage bonus after they score a hit, once per day. At 5th level they can do it twice a day, 10th =3, 15th =4, and 20th =5. This only works against evil beings.

Get a +5 bonus on all saves v. Fear spells or effects.

Press: +2 hit, -4 AC

Defensive fighting: +2 AC -4 hit

Charge: full movement must be taken, x2 dmg, -3 to AC for that round.

Mages

Mages get one weapon proficiency slot at first level, as stated in the PHB, but they also begin at first level with a free proficiency in the staff. Also, in addition to the weapons listed in the PHB, mages can choose to learn how to use a light crossbow or a club.

No upper limit on the number of spells you can learn.

If you fail your check to learn a spell, you can try again either when you level, or when you find a different source for the spell, like a different spellbook or scroll.

Bonus spells for Mages same as clerics but for their Intelligence score.

Mages get 6 first levels spells to start, players choice, but one must be read magic.

Specialists get the same number, but 4 must be in their specialty, as well as one being read magic.

Mages get one spell of their choice for free when they level. Specialists get one as well, but it must be in their specialty. There is no scribing cost or time for this spell. It is assumed they were working on it in their down time.

Mages can detect if something within 50 feet is magical and determine if it is arcane or divine, at will, at 9th level with no spell casting required. At 12th level they can detect the school of magic, and at 15th they can detect its power level/spell level.

See Magic section for spell changes. As you get the ability to cast spells of a new level, I’ll review them to make sure they fit the setting stuff.

Long Life: after they hit 10th level, each year of life ages a Mage 6 months.

Magic Resistance: Mages get a +1 to all saves v. magic of any type.

Mages can cast 4 cantrips per day. They do not have to be memorized and are chosen from the list below:

ARCANE MARK

Inscribes a personal rune (visible or invisible). All mages recognize this as the magical inscription of mage’s personal rune. No mage can ever duplicate another mage’s personal rune with this spell.

DANCING LIGHTS

Same as the first level spell.

GHOST SOUND

Illusionary sounds up to 50 feet away. Must be something you’ve heard before.

MAGE HAND

Five-pound telekinesis, ten-foot range, line of sight.

MENDING

Same as the first level spell.

OPEN/CLOSE

Opens or closes small or light things.

PRESTIDIGITATION

Performs minor tricks or tasks. Ask the DM in advance if it’s something you can do.

Priest

There is no base cleric class. All clerics are specialty priests as per the FR Adventures hardcover book. For demi-humans let me know. All the following applies to all Priests except for Druids.

If you’re a priest of a demigod you can only cast up to 5th level spells. If a lesser god you can only cast up to 6th level spells.

Priests can convert on the fly any spell they have memorized into a healing spell of the same level without having to memorize that spell, like cure light wounds, neutralize poison, cure blindness, etc. Sometimes a Priest gains insight into the higher mysteries of his faith and learns a new spell. Thereafter he can use that spell, but not teach it to others.

Coincidentally, this often coincides with the DM finding a new cool spell he wants to introduce into his game. Go figure.

See Magic section below for spell changes. As you get the ability to cast spells of a new level, I’ll review them to make sure they fit the setting stuff.

Priests can cast 4 cantrips a day. They don’t have to be memorized and are chosen from the list below:

DETECT POISON

Detects poison in one creature or small object within 5 feet. Can’t tell type like the first level spell.

LIGHT

Same as the first level spell.

STABILIZE

Stops a person below 0 HP from losing more HP’s. Requires a touch.

Thieves

Starting Scores---replaces the PHB starting scores

Pick Pockets 25

Open Locks 20

Find/Remove Traps 15

Move Silently 20

Hide in Shadows 20

Hear Noise 20

Climb Walls 65

Thieves distribute points as they level per the PHB, but they have 45 points to distribute per level, not 30. They also get a onetime bonus of 75 points to distribute however they want at first level. No more than 20 can be put into any one skill. This represents a specialized focus.

In addition to what they may get above, Gnomes get 2% increases in hear noise, open locks and find/remove traps per level starting at 1st.

In addition to what they may get above, Halflings get 2% increases in move silently and hide in shadows per level starting at 1st.

Note that Move Silently and Hide in Shadows are two different things. You can’t do both at the same time, since hiding in shadows requires you to be still.

However, you can do them both at the same time starting at 5th level, but you move at a quarter of your normal rate. At 10th level you can do both at half your movement rate and can move silently only at full movement rate.

The DM rolls for Move Silently, Hide in Shadows, Detect Noise, and Find Traps. The player rolls for Remove Traps, Climb Walls, Read Languages, and Open Locks.

Thieves get bonuses to surprise checks. If they are in an urban setting—village, town, city, etc.. The bonus is +1, and they get an additional +1 at both 7th and 14th levels.

Thieves normally can only do a sneak attack with a melee weapon. However, at 5th level, they may do so with a missile or thrown weapon. The same circumstances apply to be able to do it as for melee weapons.

Note that Climb Walls doesn’t let you climb around like a spider. You can’t crawl across ceilings, or fight while you’re climbing a wall. Also you may be penalized if you’re carrying a lot of weight and/or bulky stuff.

Skills can go higher than 95%, but 96-00 is always a failure. Scores higher than 95 are helpful in case the DM gives you as penalty to your check based on difficulty. 140%-25% penalty is still 95% chance of success.

Rangers

Rangers are the specialty priests of Mother. (Mother Nature)

Starting Scores---replaces the PHB starting scores

Move Silently 20

Hide in Shadows 20

Hear Noise 25

Climb Walls 40

Rangers get to distribute 20 percentage points per level, no more than 10% can go to any one score. They also get a onetime bonus of 25 points to distribute however they want at first level. No more than 10 can go into any one skill. This represents a specialized focus.

*Rangers get move silently and hide in shadows, but all rolls are 1/3 less if not outside in a wilderness or natural type of area. If they are in an area with lots of natural cover, they may get a bonus if they have time to set up a place to hide in.

**Rangers can only climb walls if it something natural like a cavern wall or cliff face or tree. Otherwise their rolls are 1/3 less for the types of walls thieves normally climb, like man-made building walls.

Note that Climb Walls doesn’t let you climb around like a spider. You can’t fight while you’re climbing a wall, and may be penalized if you’re carrying a lot of weight.

Unlike Thieves, Rangers are not penalized in the above skills for wearing leather, studded leather, or padded armor. However, they also do not get any bonuses for wearing no armor.

At first level Rangers get one extra hp to start with, even if they already have max hp. This is a one-time thing. Rangers also get +1 to hit and damage with the longbow.

Note that Move Silently and Hide in Shadows are two different things. You can’t do both at the same time, since hiding in shadows requires you to be still.

However, you can do them both at the same time starting at 5th level, but you move at a quarter of your normal rate. At 10th level you can do both at half your movement rate and can move silently only at full movement rate.

The DM rolls for Move Silently, Hide in Shadows, and Hear Noise. The player rolls for Climb Walls.

Skills can go higher than 95%, but 96-00 is always a failure. Scores higher than 95 are helpful in case the DM gives you as penalty to your check based on difficulty. 140%-25% penalty is still 95% chance of success.

Rangers get Tracking for free as per the PHB, but I’m also giving you a bonus of one to the proficiency as if you put another one of your proficiencies into it.

Rangers get bonuses to surprise checks if in the wilderness. The bonus is +1, and they get an additional +1 at both 7th and 14th levels.

Rangers have a chance to delay or neutralize poison if it is naturally occurring like from a normal animal bite or naturally occurring plant. Roll a d20 and apply your Wisdom modifier and you will roll against a table the DM has depending on each type of creature. Most often this must be done the round after the person was poisoned.

Fighters

Fighters get a plus 2 to all saves versus Fear spells or effects

Shield An Ally: If your ally is next to you, then you can use your shield to cover them. You both move at half speed, and you lose your shield protection for yourself.

Chuck and Attack: On the first round of combat, if you win initiative, and you have a spear, throwing axe, throwing club, dagger, javelin, or some other medium or small sized throwing weapon in hand, you can throw that weapon and still get an attack on your normal turn in combat. However, your movement during that combat round is cut in half.

Set Spear: Does double damage on a hit to an enemy who charges you. Can be declared after you see them start to charge.

Slaughtering Time: When fighting monsters of less than weak-ass monsters (ask dm) you double your attacks per round.

Battlefield Healing: After each battle, you’re able to use a combination of bandaging and battlefield first aid techniques to heal you and your companions. A PC can only benefit from one dose of Battlefield Healing per battle. Multiple fighters cannot do it to one person for stacking purposes. You can heal one PC or yourself for 1 hp of damage. This healing takes one minute and must be started within 15 seconds of the fight being over. That person cannot be doing anything else while you are doing this. Note that this can be used to stabilize a person who is at or below 0 hp, but that person does not gain any hp back from the Battlefield Healing. He is just stabilized. You need to have a Battlefield Healing Kit to do this, and it weighs 3 pounds. The kit must be replenished at cost between adventures.

Press: +2 hit, -4 AC

Defensive fighting: +2 AC -4 hit

Charge: full movement must be taken, x2 dmg, -3 to AC for that round.

Druids

Poison Resistance: +1 to all saving throws versus natural poisons.

Natural Resistances: You are resistant to extremes of weather. You’re generally cooler in hot weather than others, and warmer in cool weather. You’ll still sweat and get frostbite, but after the others in the group do. Additionally, any damage you take from cold, fire/heat, or electricity is reduced by 1 per die, to a minimum of 1 per die.

Fae Resistance: You have +2 to all saves versus Fae magics and enchantments.

Nature Healing: You have a supply of herbs, ointments, poultices, teas, etc. which you can use to increase the party’s heading overnight by 1-3 hp each. Roll a separate d3 for each person. At 5th level this goes up to 2-6 hp, and 10th it goes up to 3-9 hp. You need to have an herbal kit to do this, and it weighs 3 pounds. Every Mystic starts with one. Replenishing it is at no cost, you pick up the stuff as you go in nature. The kit must be replenished between adventures. This doesn’t stack if you have multiple people in the group applying it. This will not work if a PC is at negative HP, only if they are at zero or better.

Long Life: after they hit 10th level, each year of life ages the druid 6 months.

Druids can cast 4 cantrips a day. They do not have to be memorized, and are chosen from the list below:

ENDURE ELEMENTS

Same as first level spell

KNOW DIRECTION

The caster discerns north.

HEALING BERRY

A minor form of the Goodberry spell. One berry, if picked by the druid himself within the past 24 hours, can be enchanted to heal one point of damage if eaten. A person cannot benefit by eating more than one berry in a 24-hour period. Also, it must be eaten by a person. It doesn’t work if shoved into an unconscious person’s mouth. If the PC wishes, he can assume that unless a Druid is in an area somewhat barren of berries, it is assumed that the Druid always has one berry on him at all times. He is also down one cantrip slot at all times though.

Combat

General

A melee round is 10 seconds. A turn is 10 minutes. You can move full movement in a melee round, or if you attack you can move half your movement in that melee round.

Surprise on a 1-3 on a d10, and it’s rolled for the group, but individual modifiers apply.

Death at -3 plus level, down to a max of -10 plus your Con modifier, if any. If the mod is a negative, it is no longer -10. You bleed out at a rate of 1 hp per melee round.

If you get to below -3 HP, you will have a battle scar that cannot be healed away. The scar will he appropriate for the type of encounter that brought you down.

Group initiative on a d6.

No weapon speeds.

Changing Weapons in the same round: Must drop weapon, can’t stow it away, and you are -2 to hit in that round.

Moving out of melee range: Gives every enemy engaged with you a free attack against you.

Fist-fighting: There is a base damage done for a punch by a creature, depending on its size. This is in addition to any strength modifiers. A tiny creature does zero damage as a base. Small=1, medium=1-2, large=3, huge=4, gargantuan=5, etc.

Grapple/Wrestle/Overbear/Shove: all determined by opposed strength checks. You can only grapple one target at a time, and to attempt it, or to hold someone in a grapple, takes up all that person’s attacks and movement for that round.

A Blinded creature can’t hit a damn thing. They lose their Dex bonus to AC.

Expanding fireballs and ricocheting LB’s

Compound bows give a strength bonus to damage, but only up to an 18 strength. You don’t get it for exceptional strength scores. They are specially made for each strength score. The higher the score the rarer they are.

Light Crossbows reduce a target’s AC due to hard armor or a monster’s shell or carapace by 1, and heavy crossbows reduce it by 2.

Firing missile weapons into melee is dangerous for your allies engaged in melee. Roll to-hit at -3. If you roll a 1, 2, or 3 you hit one of your allies engaged in melee.

Full plate, brigandine, banded mail, bronze plate, ring mail and field plate armor do not exist.

Combat Moves For All Classes:

Prepared First Strike: Only in the first round of combat---Combatants who have missile weapons prepared go first. The side that won initiative goes, then the other side goes. In other words, you must have told the DM that you have an arrow cocked in your bow or loaded in your crossbow, and ready to go. No movement is allowed until after the shot is taken. (Note: this is only for missile weapons. But fighters have a special ability like this described under their class description in these houserules).

Aim: The player takes one full melee round to aim his missile weapon and gets +7 to the attack roll. It is usable with a missile weapon only, not thrown. you cannot move or attack that round, you get no dex or shield bonus to AC, and that round enemies get an additional +2 to hit you.

Attack from Behind: An enemy who is unaware of you gets no dex or shield mods.

Set Arrows: Place arrows in the ground before you to add one more arrow attack

per round. You cannot move during the rounds you’re getting the bonus attacks.

Invisible Enemies: An Invisible creature cannot be seen by mundane normal non-magical means, or hit, unless it is moving and heard. If they are moving, you attack them at -6 to hit, their attacks on you are as if from behind, and invisible enemies cannot be hit w/ missile weapons in any case, only melee.

Shields Shall Break: You can declare that instead of taking damage from any melee or

missile attack, your shield actually took the all the damage. You have to decide if you want to do this prior to the damage being rolled. Note: this is not possible to do if the attacker rolled a critical against you.

The Obi-Wan Rule: If you are attacking from higher ground you are +1 to hit the enemy, and they are -1 to hit you.

Prone: If someone is on their ass you are +4 to attack them with a melee and they are -4 to attack you with all weapons.

Hold Action: must declare a specific thing, and it happens simultaneously in the round with the action you are holding for. If the thing doesn’t happen in that round of combat, you lose the ability to act in that round.

Criticals

A Critical hit is when you roll a natural 20 on a d20 to hit in combat. A critical miss, or fumble as it is also known, is when you roll a natural 1 on a d20 to hit in combat.

Natural 20 = Double max damage on the roll. All bonuses are added after and not doubled.

Natural 1 = Lose your next attack.

For crit fails or successes from magical attacks, the DM gets creative. 😊

Magic

As detailed in the Tome of Magic on page 14, the Mage’s school of divination has been replaced by the school of Universal Magic, which contains spells available to all schools of magic.

Those spells are: Cantrip (1st), Comprehend Languages/Confuse Languages (1st), Detect Magic (1st), Hold Portal (1st), Identify (1st), Read Magic (1st), Wizard Mark (1st), Knock/Lock (2nd), Protection from Cantrips (2nd), Wizard Lock (2nd), Dispel Magic (3rd), Remove Curse/Bestow Curse (4th), Enchant an Item (6th), Permanency (8th) (I deleted a couple because I will add in my own versions of those spells to better fit the campaign).

Also, as per the same book, previously, Druids had major access to all, animal, elemental, healing, plant, weather, and minor access to divination. However, now they gain major access to the sphere of sun.

Level dependent caps on spells no longer exist. For example: If a spell description states that a spell does damage ox XdX per level, and caps at X level, like fireball or lightning bolt, that spell no longer has a cap. Likewise, in the case of spells like magic missile where the number of missiles you can shoot are capped by level, that cap no longer exists. However, if a spell states a fixed damage like blade barrier, or any other fixed number, then that remains unchanged. This applies to damage, range, duration, and area of effect. Note that this does not apply to healing or harming spells.

All Mages, Druids and Clerics have signature spells. They each choose one spell per spell level as their signature spell of that level. They can choose that spell at any time in their lives, but once they do its chosen forever. This is a permanent choice. They are always assumed to have this spell memorized. If they have a different spell of the same level memorized, they can swap it out and use their signature spell in its place. This does not increase the number of spells they can cast per day. This allows them to have a utility spell memorized, and still be able to cast their go-to spell when needed.

Cantrips for Mages, Clerics and Druids: These classes can cast 4 cantrips a day. They know all the cantrips on the class list provided to them. There is no need to memorize any of them. See each class description.

Magic items are rare in this setting, there are no magic stores.

Material spell component rules are in use. Must have them to cast the spell. Keep track of them, and buy them when needed.

Fast travel restrictions in place. No spells that allow for it exist.

No resurrection or reincarnation type stuff.

My magic item creation rules are in effect from the 5e game Ask me when you get high enough level.

No spells or abilities that detect alignment or lies. Detect evil will detect evil things like demons or undead, or magic items or stuff like that. Nothing for lies though

Illusions are better, in that they are harder to disbelieve, if the illusionist has actually seen the thing they are making an illusion of. That’s why so many illusionists are adventurers…they want to see the world in order to make their illusions better. Illusionists can always tell if an illusion a caster is showing is based on something real or not. It gives them bragging rights within their small community.

Spell Special Effects—Stolen from Philotomy!

Mages enjoy the capability to produce minor magical effects related to the spells they have currently memorized. For example, a Mage who has fireball memorized might be able to light his pipe with a small flame from his thumb, or make smoke come from his ears when annoyed, or if they have gust of wind memorized she might have her hair constantly blowing in an otherwise non-existent breeze.

Using a special effect does not cast or use up the spell it is related to; they're not so much "spells" as they are tangible evidence that the Mage has a spell memorized. I do not codify these effects, but rather rely on the players to suggest or request an effect, which I then approve or deny. While I do not have a hard-and-fast rule against special effects that have a mechanical game effect, special effects are always minor, cantrip-like effects.

I like this house-rule for several reasons. First, it adds to the weird otherworldliness of magic users, and I love weird and fantastic elements in my D&D game. Second, it gives low-level magic users something arcane and archetype-supporting to do without using up their memorized spells or abandoning the concept of Vancian magic. Third, it's just cool to play a Mage that can make his eyes glow, or make his smoke rings come out different colors, or whatever. I know that players enjoy the special effects, and also enjoy trying to figure out what spells an NPC caster has based upon what his special effects reveal. The only real danger is allowing effects which are too potent, which could erode the feel of the Vancian magic system. It's up to the referee to make that call on a case-by-case basis.

XP

You get xp for:

Killing stuff, per the monster’s XP.

The GP value of non-magical items brought back to a safe location like a town, as opposed to a camp near the dungeon.

Periodic mission completion or milestone type awards.

You need 2 + d3 days in town to level. No trainer needed. Just rest, practice, and reflection.

Bonus!! Try to stay in character as much as you can during the game. Everything you say. Whoever stays in character the most and roleplays the best gets an XP bonus at the end of each session.

MORE Bonus!!! At 5th, 10th, 15th, and 20th levels you roll a d6, in order, for each of your ability scores. If you roll a 6, that ability score goes up by 1.

EVEN MORE FUCKING BONUS!!!! At 10th level EITHER one ability score OF YOUR CHOICE goes up by one point, OR two ability scores each go up by one point, randomly. Note that this means one ability score can go up by two. 😊

Fine and Masterwork Weapons and Armor

A weapon classified as Fine means it has either a +1 or hit or damage, determined by the DM. They typically cost at least 10 times more than a normal weapon of that type. Masterwork weapons are +1 to both hit and damage, and typically cost at least 25 times more than a normal weapon of that type. Many adventures believe these weapons are of such a fine quality that they have names. These weapons and the stories of their wielders then pass into legend.

Fine Armor costs at least 10 times more than normal armor of its type. It makes the armor 1 point of AC better. Masterwork Armor costs at least 25 times more than normal armor of its type. It has the same AC bonus as Fine armor, but can absorb 1 point of damage per blow, up to a maximum as determined by the DM. This max is based on armor type and current condition of the armor.

Adamantine Weapons, Shields and Armor

Armor is one class lighter but provides the same protection. Armor, shields, or weapons made of it never break, so a shield cannot be sacrificed. All adamantine items weigh half as much as a steel item. Adamantine chain shirts (rare af) are treated as leather armor for thief skill purposes and gives the same protection as ring mail.

Due to skill needed and the difficulty in creating stuff made from it, it costs ten times more for the final result. None of it ever rusts and its not magnetic. Each bar costs 10x more than steel for the same amount. 1 lb iron = 1 sp. 1 lb steel = 1 gp. 1 lb adamantine = 10 gp. 1 lb adamantine makes as much stuff as 2 lbs of steel since it weighs half as much. That means 1 lb of adamantine is the size in cubic inches as 2 lbs of steel. To determine how much adamantine is needed for an item, if that item is made of steel, divide its weight in lbs in half. Then the armor costs 10x more to make. Very few armor and weapon smiths have the skill to make adamantine stuff.

Adamantine items are normally used for lesser powered enchanted items like +1 swords and armor, etc. The more heavily enchanted items like +2 or higher require Mithril unless they are Masterwork and made from Adamantine, as described elsewhere. Adamantine stuff cannot be magically enchanted by Rune magic, Dragon Song magic, Demonic magic, Infernal magic, or Cthulhu magic. It is unknown if the magic of beings of the outer or inner planes can enchant it. It can be enchanted by Psionic magic, however, as is seen with the Gith races. Only the finest craftsmen can make Fine or Masterwork adamantine weapons and armor. They are extremely rare.

Silvered Weapons: These weapons are not made of silver. They are regular metal weapons that have melted silver poured over them. When cooled, the silver acts like a shell. These weapons can be used to hit certain creatures that are only hit by silvered weapons. If used against such creatures, the silver coating does not come off. However, if used against any other creature, there is a chance the silver coating will crack and come off. It’s costly to have it re-applied. Weapons are not made entirely of silver because the metal is too soft.

Weird Shit I Never Knew That I Learned When Re-Reading the 2e Books Again:

Casting cure light wounds or any other healing spell that requires touch requires that the subject be still and waiting for it. He can’t be engaged in combat. If he is you must make a touch attack on him, with his dex mods affecting it since he is moving.

Flaming oil requires two steps to use. One to splash the vial on a target, the other to throw a torch or something on fire onto it. It often requires two attack rolls to do it.

Death by massive damage: take 50 or more in one attack (as opposed to multiple attacks adding to 50 in one round) and you must save or die.

Magic armor might give a saving throw bonus in some situations

Plus 1,2,3,4,5 etc. weapons are only to attack, not damage. Note that I’m ignoring this rule.