House Rules

System: D&D Fifth Edition (2024)

• No 2014 classes. Subclasses may be permitted on a case basis. Homebrew subclasses can be worked out as well.
• The broken spells are banned (conjure minor elementals? And the one that’s like running the enemies through a blender)
• Bastions) - new 2024 rules for customizable base(s) of operation. I think it would be really sweet if the party got access to Bastions throughout the city. Perhaps everyone in the party could have their own Bastion with things like a workshop and library, an attached tavern, etc.

Frightened

The following condition rules will be used instead of the fifth edition frightened condition.

Frightened.

• A frightened creature has disadvantage on ability checks and attack rolls.

• A frightened creature cannot roll hero dice.

The frightened condition is intricately tied to the fear and sanity rules that will be used in this game. Players should not expect to find ways to avoid fear entirely in this campaign, and any features a character gets that would allow them to never fear will be modified to give that character a different boon that is more fitting for the campaign.

Insanity

Insanity is a new condition that will appear in this game. It can occur to creatures whose minds have broken from their stress, as they have seen and experienced more horror than their mind was built to handle. A creature who is insane suffers the following effects:

Insane.

• The insane creature cannot speak. Their mind broken, they can only communicate nonsensical manners, whether that be bubbles and noises, gestures, sprawling’s or something else.
• Further effects of insanity will be revealed throughout the course of the game.

The insanity condition is intricately tied to the fear and sanity rules that will be used in this game. The vast majority of characters in Alimus do not know how to cure insanity, but thankfully, it is a rare condition. It is known that the Alimus Asylum has cured patients after intensive care, and those cured have been sent back out into society to continue living normal lives.

Character Creation

• Everyone uses the same ability score rules. Options include standard array, point buy, or roll.
• If rolled, everyone will roll once and those numbers will be the standard array for the party.

Awarding Inspiration

At the end of each session, typically two Inspirations will be awarded, to the following players:

• To a player who shone notably in role play, whether in combat or out.
• To the player most nominated by other party members.

If the entire party has inspiration, it must not have been a challenging session. No matter, for if Inspirations would be awarded to a player who is already Inspired, they may add one hero die to their pool.

Inspiration Bennies

Inspired by Bennies from Savage Worlds and the FATE system, these are alternative options to allow players more flexibility in the use of their Inspirations.

1. Add flavor or a detail to a scene

Examples:

• A storm happens
• A candle sets something on fire
• A door is unusually creaky

2. Have a pre-planned answer to a problem.

Examples:

• The party has caltrops prepared for a chase
• A friend secured a boat in case the party needed to escape.
• The party acquired an herbalism kit before venturing to a sacred garden in the undergrowth.

3. I know a guy!

Allows players to improvise an NPC who can show up/be found and help in a situation. An appropriate skill check will inform how helpful/friendly the NPC starts off.

Starting equipment

• Standard rules plus flavor/blursed items
  • One common and one uncommon magic item.
• They serve the purpose of adding flavor and depth to your character, and at least one should come with story implications.
• i.e. a blessed sword that you are trying to return to its original owner as thanks for something. Or a cloak that helps you hide, but in social situations likes to start banter with others and poke fun at you.

Downtime

As cosmological events and the calendar are very important in Alimus, downtime between notable events or exploits will be common. Villainous machinations typically unfold over the course of months and years, if not decades - not just over days and weeks. And our party’s growth from level 1 to 20 in this campaign should feel organic, natural, and earned - not sudden and meteroic. The time between adventures is still very important - while ne’er-do-wells scheme and the stars follow their courses, our party will be training, investigating, researching and more. Downtime should build toward the narrative and portray characters living their lives while minding the pivotal events that have and will occurred in our game sessions.

Examples of downtime in popular culture:

• Gandalf researching the rings in Fellowship
• Frodo healing in Rivendell
• Rambo’s training montages
• Van Wilder planning and preparing a blowout party

Example uses of downtime:

• Training to learn a flavor feat.
• Researching ancient, complex, or repressed lore.
• Building an addition to a Bastion
• Campaigning or preparing to ascend to a political or religious position
• Preparing for the academy entrance exam.

See the Skills section for examples of how each skill could be applied in downtime.

Free flavor feat

• Flavor feats generally don’t have combat utility. Please ask me if you are unsure what constitutes a flavor feat.
• These may be learned by studying a craft during downtime.

Hero Points

Hero Points are a pool of d6 dice that players can roll from to increase the result of any d20 roll - attack, ability check, or saving throw (even death saving throws. Only one d6 may be added per roll). These dice facilitate and represent player characters’ ability to succeed in extraordinary circumstances. Hero dice are available to be rolled at any time, except for whena character is frightened.

The hero dice pool refreshes on level up. The number of hero dice available is equal to 5 plus half the character’s level, rounded down.

Players describe their spells and abilities (flavor is free)

• I will try to remember to call for this whenever players use a spell or ability for the first time, after that players may describe their abilities when they think it’s fitting

Healing Potions

• May be drank as a bonus action (standard rules)
• Drinking as an action will restore the maximum health

Death saves are made in secret

• Builds tension. Also allows for medicine checks to actually be useful for something.

Skills in an Urban Setting:

The following are examples of how skills could be used specifically in Alimus. Some commonly used or generically good and obvious skills may be omitted from the list. Please consult with your fellow party members and refer to a detailed list of skills like that in the Player Handbook or online when deciding which skills to prioritize for your character.

Acrobatics (Dex)

• Roll under a moving wagon and cling to its underside.
• Tucking and rolling to avoid taking damage from a short fall.
• Quickly navigate typical city obstacles in a parkour manner.
• Downtime: Train to perform an acrobatic stunt in the city coliseum or academy arena.

Animal Handling (Wis)

• Calm a rampaging elemental (or other creature with INT of 6 or lower).
• Gaining insight about an animal’s behavior.
• Perceiving strange animal occurences.
• Hush a guard dog that may begin barking.
• (Can typically be used to replace any Wisdom or Charisma skill when interacting with an animal/beast).
• Downtime: befriend or train a pet.

Arcana (Int)

• Identify what spell a magic user is attempting to cast.
• Determine if a spell available to you could produce the desired effect.
• Downtime: craft a common magic item

Athletics (Str)

• Jump over the gap between two buildings with awkwardly slanted roofs.
• Scaling a suitable wall.
• Pushing, pulling, lifting or carrying something that requires considerable exertion
• Downtime: Put in manual labor to build an addition to a Bastion.

Deception (Cha)

• Act as a waiter at a luxury club to gain access to some high profile targets.
• Disappear into a crowd to evade pursuit.
• Convince strangers to hide or help you without revealing the specifics of your situation.
• Downtime: Build a disguise persona through research and practice.

History (Int)

• Recall the previous use of the district government building, and that it probably had a large cellar that is now used for other purposes.
• Remember the gossip and stories have heard about an NPC.
• Remember which faction was pushing for a particular policy.
• Downtime: Researching ancient, complex, or repressed lore.

Insight (Wis)

• See which patron of a crowded tavern might know the information you’re looking for.
• Notice when someone is withholding truth or presenting only lies.
• Infer someone’s mood based on their recent behavior.
• Downtime: Build a character profile of a suspect you are researching, empathizing with the things you know of them to deduce their motives.

Intimidation (Cha)

• Rile up a crowd to encourage them to vote for your performance.
• Firmly convince a seller to charge you no more than a fair price for their wares.
• Present yourself in a threatening manner to convince hostiles to stand down.
• Downtime: Bend a target to submit to your demands, or work to gain the respect of someone in authority

Investigation (Int)

• Notice that a ransom note was written on premier parchment that can only be acquired at three shops in the city.
• Compare different stories and notice any discrepancies presented.
• Discover a hidden message left in a pattern of sprawled items.
• Downtime: Examine evidence from many sources - the suspect’s home, crime scene(s), and captured evidence held by authorities, etc.

Medicine (Wis)

• Determine what caused a terrible sickness to overtake someone.
• Examine a person’s state of mind to determine if they’re suffering fear, stress, or insanity.
• Temporarily stabilize the condition of someone who is dying or suffering a condition like poison or disease.
• Downtime: Work to create a tonic that will prevent the symptoms of a new disease.

Nature (Int)

• Find a medicinal herb that creeps along walls in the undergrowth.
• Know how rare a desired ingredient is, and where it may be found.
• Remember the cultural significance of the black rose that was left with an ominous note.
• Downtime: Cultivate a garden of medicinal flowers on the roof of a Bastion.

Perception (Wis)

• Find a quarry in a crowded street.
• Read the lips of a target sitting on the opposite side of a theater.
• Spot wear marks on a statue’s finger where it appears to get pressed or pulled often.
• Downtime: Notice and record the movement patterns of the port authority during their second shift.

Performance (Cha)

• Give a moving rendition of a ballad such that the tale will stick in the minds of the audience for some time.
• Play a friendly game of cards with a date, hoping to charm and impress them.
• Acting a role convincingly - this could be used in place of deception in subterfuge situations.
• Downtime: Spend nights performing in a local watering hole.

Persuasion (Cha)

• Present facts and details in a careful manner to convince others of your interpretation.
• Convince a stranger or acquaintance that your cause is worth their help or attention.
• Downtime: Building a case or presentation to ask for something - i.e. funding, or membership to a group.

Religion (Int)

• Recall which temple offers the services you require.
• Remember that a perished worshipper of Tyr should have been buried under the half-withered white birch in the city cemetery.
• Downtime: Fulfill the duties of a temple acolyte for a week.

Sleight of Hand (Dex)

• Lift a key from the guard you just bumped into.
• Catch a puppy falling from a high window.
• Snip the fuse of an explosive that could collapse a tunnel, trapping miners in a mineshaft.
• Downtime: Practice breaking into an ironclad safe at home using improvised or example locks and mechanisms that are similar.

Survival (Wis)

• Find a safe path through the port market to avoid the watchful eyes of the port authority.
• Sense if the bustling crowd is just rowdy and excited or is sinister and could turn into a riot.
• Identify what type of alcoholic drink could have left a white stain on a treated wood floor.
• Downtime: Travel the streets and alleys of a district to identify likely routes for smugglers to come through.

Short Rests are shorter

• Idk how much shorter (30 or 15 minutes? Or even instantaneous, like BG3?). D&D is designed for parties to take more short Rests than ever really happens, so I want to shorten them.

Things to expect to see in this game:

• A very diverse, whimsical cast of NPCs
• The Fey Realm
• The Shadowfell
• The Underdark
• Wildspace/cosmic travellers
• Worship of Forgotten Realms Deities

Things to not expect to see in this game:

• Wish
• Deck of Many Things
• The elemental planes/elemental chaos
• The outer planes
• The Seelie and Unseelie fey courts

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