Armor Class and Dexterity

To add some realism to the game, there will be situations when a PC or NPCs AC will not gain the benefit of dexterity. Situations like this will be:

1. The character is swimming in water since they have no "footing."

2. The character is incapacitated, paralyzed, petrified, stunned, or unconscious.

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Attack (defined)

In my game, an attack is any action against someone that would be unwelcome by them. This includes spells that require saves.

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Attacking Through Allies

You cannot perform a melee attack through an ally's square, even if you have reach. You can attack an enemy through an ally's square using a ranged weapon with only a small chance of hitting the ally. If you shoot through an ally to hit a target and roll a "1", then reroll a d20. The result will be against the ally's AC. If you hit them, roll weapon damage with all modifiers.

The same applies to any spell that travels from the caster aimed directly at the target and requires a "to hit" roll. If you roll a "1", then reroll the d20. If your result hits the target, then roll spell damage with all modifiers. Area of effect spells do not apply as the caster doesn't need to hit the target's body directly.

The above rules only apply when your ally is within 5' of your intended target.

Having the Sharpshooter feat allows the attacker to avoid hitting their ally in the above mentioned manner (even if you roll a "1") unless that ally is invisible. Invisible allies are always subject to the "1" rule. The idea being that the one launching the missile cannot see the ally to use his/her/its sharpshooter skills to avoid hitting their ally.  

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D20 Ones and Crits on ACs Higher Than You can Hit

A rolled 1 on d20 is always a miss. Even if you have abilities that allow you to reroll the dice, all ones are misses.

If your opponent's AC is too high for you to hit with all of your bonuses, you can still hit with a natural 20 (or a 19 if you are a champion or have some other feat/ability/item that allows you a crit on a 19 or 20). At that point, to get DOUBLE damage, you would need to reroll the d20. If you get another natural 20 (or 19 in the special circumstances listed before), then you get the the double damage. If not, then you simply roll regular damage.

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Delay Turn

On your initiative, you may elect to delay your turn and go when you announce your intention to do so. Once you go, you get your action, bonus action, movement, and reaction as normal. Once you are done, then you will wait until your next initiative roll to go.

You can delay your turn as long as you wish, even into succeeding rounds. But when you take your turn, then you must wait until your initiative on the next turn before you either go or delay again on the next round's initiative. You may not perform actions then then delay and then take movement, and so forth. All options must be taken when you declare you're going.

If you cast a spell with a duration longer than instantaneous, then countdown begins once you cast it and continues to do so even if you delay your initiative. The ending of the spell will come in the round at the time your initiative roll even if you delay past it. That is why you still roll an initiative each round even if your intention is to continue delaying.

For those with the Alert feat, you can swap with someone on your rolled initiative and then you may delay your turn starting at the new initiative you have swapped to.

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Disarming Attack (Battlemaster Maneuver)

Included here because this maneuver may be chosen by classes/subclasses other than Battlemaster)

If a battlemaster successfully executes this maneuver, the target is disarmed, meaning they can drop their weapon. This isn't much of a bother for the opponent, who can simply pick up their weapon as a free object interaction on their turn.

Going forward, if an opponent is disarmed, by a battlemaster using the disarm maneuver, the battlemaster may, as a reaction, kick the weapon away (up to 10') or pick it up if they have a free hand available.

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Flanking

Flanking rules are observed in my game.

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Grappling

If someone is grappled by more than one creature, they can only break one grapple per attack option.

Anyone grappled by three or more opponents is restrained.
 

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Hasted and Prone

A creature that is prone and hasted will only use half its unhasted base movement to get up.

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Opportunity Attacks

In the new rules, when a creature you can see leaves your reach, you can use a reaction to make one melee attack with a weapon or unarmed strike against that creature. The attack occurs right before it leaves your reach.

There has been discussion about a friend or ally leaving your reach and you casting a touch spells to help them in some way as part of the war caster feat. This will not be allowed in my world. The description above says it all. And as per my homebrew rules, and attack is always an unwelcome act, which you would not do to a friend or ally.

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Water Combat

If you are swimming in the water, and you don't have any special abilities that allow you to move unhindered by the water, you may attack using any means at your disposal. The order goes like this:

1. On your action, make a DC 10 athletics check (+1 for every 50 lbs. of gear you're carrying).

If you fail, you're done because you're too busy flopping around trying to keep from drowning to do anything else.

If you succeed, attack as normal.

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Feat (Sharpshooter)

Prerequisites: 4th level; Dexterity 13 or higher)

You gain the following benefits.

Ability Score Increase. Increase your Dexterity score by 1, to a maximum of 20.

Bypass Cover. Your ranged attacks with weapons ignore Half Cover and Three-Quarters Cover.

Firing in Melee. Being within 5 feet of an enemy doesn’t impose Disadvantage on your attack rolls with Ranged weapons.

Long Shots. Attacking at long range doesn’t impose Disadvantage on your attack rolls with Ranged weapons.

Precision Shots. When you hit a creature with a ranged weapon that has the Two-handed property as part of the Attack action on your turn, you can cause the weapon to deal extra damage to the target. The extra damage equals your Proficiency Bonus.

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Crafting Magic Items and Potions of Healing

Magic Items Crafting Time and Cost

The table below represents the rarity, time, and cost associated with creating magic items and non-healing potions (there is a separate section below for that). For the purchase price of a completed item, which is based upon their rarity, simply double the listed cost. Other factors that can affect purchase prices include, but are not limited to, region, political atmosphere, rarity of magic items overall, private seller vs. business, etc.

NOTE: The crafting and purchase prices apply to potions that are NOT healing, which have their own rules regarding creation, prices for crafting, and purchasing outright. See the "Healing Potions" section below. The table below represents the Rarity, Time, and Cost for crafting magic items. For purchasing them outright, just double the listed cost.

*Halve the value for a consumable item other than a Spell Scroll. The value of a Spell Scroll is double what it costs to scribe the scroll (as specified in the Player's Handbook).

**The level you must be to create an item of this rarity.

The table below shows what tools are needed to craft magic items.

Spells. If a magic item allows its user to cast any spells from it, you must have all those spells prepared every day you spend crafting the item.

Work per Day. For each day of crafting, you must work for 8 hours and must be worked on in a stationary location, not a moving wagon or other vehicle.

Assistants. Characters can combine their efforts to shorten the crafting time. Divide the time needed to create an item by the number of characters working on it. For Irith, no more than two can work on crafting an item.

Raw Materials. The cost in the table represents the raw materials needed to make a magic item. The DM determines whether raw materials are available. In a city, there is a 75 percent chance that the materials are available, and in any other settlement, that chance is 25 percent. If materials aren't available, you must wait at least 7 days before checking in the same city/settlement again.

If a magic item incorporates an item that has a purchase cost (such as a weapon or a suit of armor), you must also pay that entire cost or craft that item using the rules in the Player's Handbook. For example, to make +1 Armor (plate armor), you must pay 3,500 gp or pay 2,000 gp and craft the armor.

Potion (healing only) Crafting Cost, Time, and Purchase Prices

Brewing Potions of Healing. Potions of healing fall into a special category for item crafting, separate from other magic items. A character who has proficiency with the herbalism kit can create these potions. The times and costs for doing so are summarized on the table below.

The time for brewing these potions is not halved like non-healing potions listed in the crafting table for magic items above. This is due to them not being magical items despite their magical effects.

*The level you must be to create this rarity of potion.

Spell Scrolls Time and Cost

A spell scroll is a scroll that can be read to trigger the spell inscribed upon it. A scroll that simply has the instructions on how to cast a spell, which can then be copied into a spellbook, is different. Look for the section below called "Copied Spells in Scrolls."

Scribing a spell scroll takes an amount of time and money based on the level of the spell, as shown in the Spell Scroll Costs table below. For each day of inscription, you must work for 8 hours. If a scroll requires multiple days, those days needn't be consecutive. The scroll can only be worked on in a stationary location, not a moving vehicle.

Prerequisites for the Scribe

To scribe a scroll, you must have proficiency in the Arcana skill or with Calligrapher's Supplies and have the spell prepared on each day of the inscription. You must also have at hand any material components required by the spell; if the spell consumes its Material components, they are consumed only when you complete the scroll. The scroll's spell uses your save DC and spell attack bonus.

If the scribed spell is a cantrip, the version on the scroll works as if the caster were your level.

The table below lists the crafting prices, meaning that the purchase price will be double what is listed. The table below has the Save DC and Attack Bonus of scrolls that you find for sale.

Copied Spells in Scrolls

Scrolls that have spells copied into them as a record or to be copied into another spellbook cannot be cast and activated from the scroll like a Spell Scroll. To make one, the person must have a spell to copy it from, proficiency in the Arcana Skill, and Calligrapher's Tools. For each level of the spell (with a cantrip equaling a 1st level spell) he transcription cost is 50 gp and takes 2 hours.

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Flying Magic Item Movement

Since magic items have no actions, they do not get to dash. Therefore, they cannot move more than their described movement total. Magic items, spells, and potions that are designed to enhance the movement of a creature, such as a potion of flying, or ring of haste, do are not constrained by the above definition.

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Forbidden Spells

Silvery Barbs and Vortex Warp.

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Identifying

Magic Items

In my world, there are only 3 ways you can know the abilities of a magic item and how to use it: someone who already knows how to use the item instructs you, identifying the item with a spell such as identify, or you use trial and error.

Potions

Creation

Potion creation is contingent upon the creator having proficiency with the herbalism and/or alchemist's kits.

The herbalism kit is used to create spells that affect health, such as vitality and healing potions. Costs and creation times for creating these potions are found on on the Potion Rules page on this site.

The alchemist's kit is used to create all other potions. Costs and creation times are listed on page 129 of the 2014 Dungeon Master's Guide.

Identification

Only the following methods can be used to identify a potion.

1. Pay an Alchemist to identify it for you.

2. Use an Identify spell.

3. If your character has an alchemist background or has the ability to cast arcane spells, then I will allow you to use make a DC check to identify the potion.

4. Take a taste and the DM will give you a little inkling about how you feel. At that point, the character can make an Arcana check to determine the potion's properties (i.e. if it's a fly spell, the successful check means the character knows that the potion will allow them to fly but not duration and speed and so forth). Detailed information (by tasting only) can only be determined by a successful Arcana check by a spell caster who can cast the spell that potion effect emulates.

*NOTE* If you've consumed a potion before and know what the effects are, then going forward, you will be able to take a little taste and identify the spell right away.

Using a Potion

In my world, consuming any potion takes a bonus action. Only potions that can heal or counter adverse affects may be poured into an unconscious or incapacitated ally's throat.

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Find Familiar Change

As per the definition of the spell, a familiar cannot attack. A work around has been for the caster to channel a spell through their familiar that doesn't require an attack roll. This is no longer possible in my game. See "Attack (defined)" under the Combat Section above.

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Sanctuary (the spell)

The 2024 Sanctuary was a little nerfy so I changed made the following change:

Old 2024 sanctuary spell excerpt: "The spell ends if the warded creature makes an attack roll, casts a spell, or deals damage."

Irith Homebrew sanctuary change (the rest of the spell stays the same): "The spell ends if the warded creature makes an attack roll, casts a spell, or deals damage ON SOMEONE OTHER THAN THEMSELVES. ALSO, IF AN ENEMY IS DAMAGED BY SOMETHING ON THE WARDED TARGET'S PERSON, SUCH AS EMANATIONS FROM A SPELL OR MAGIC ITEM OR CLASS FEATURE, ETC. THE WARD ENDS FOR THE WARDED TARGET."

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Scrolls

Scrolls are consumable, meaning when they are used, they crumble to dust.

Scrolls can be used by a creature who can read the language that the scroll was written in and can speak aloud what they are reading, which activates the spell. The following additional criteria must be met for someone to successfully employ a scroll.

A. If the creature reading a spell from a scroll that is not on his/her/its class spell list, then they must roll an Arcana check of DC 12 + 1 for every level of the spell. If the roll is successful, the magic is released and the scroll is consumed. If the DC roll is missed, then the magic of the scroll is not activated but the scroll remains intact. If the DC roll is missed by 4 or more, then the scroll fails and is destroyed.

B. If the spell on the scroll is on the reader's class spell list, and the reader is the appropriate level to be able to cast the spell, then it works normally with no need for a DC roll.

C. If the spell on the scroll is on the reader's class spell list but at a level ABOVE what the reader can cast, then must roll and Arcana check of DC 12 + 1 for every level ABOVE what they can cast.

D. A Rogue (thief) of 13th level or above has a class feature that allows them to use magic items, meaning they can use the scroll successfully without an Arcana check and at any spell level that happens to be on the scroll.

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Jumping/Falling Down

You may jump down up to 10' and would only need to make a DC 10 athletics check if you are landing on difficult terrain. If you fail the DC, you take 1d6 bludgeoning and are prone. At 20' and above, the DC is mandatory. At 20', the DC is 15, a miss is 2d6 bludgeoning, and you are prone; at 30', the DC is 20, you take 3d6 bludgeoning, and you are prone.  From 31' and above, you automatically 3d6 bludgeoning damage, and you are prone. Max falling damage is 20d6, and falling from 201' or more means your PC has died.

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Mounts

When a character is on a mount, that character is positioned in the exact center of the space that the mount occupies, even if it means that character is not positioned inside a square proper. A mount that is caught in an area of effect sees its rider caught in the same area of effect. If an attacker is within 5' of the edge of the mount's occupied space, then the attacker can hit the rider of the mount with a 5' reach (or further) unless that mount has special properties or the DM/character has a special property or circumstance that takes the rider out of that 5' reach (or further).

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Movement Through Occupied Squares

In the new rules, you may move unhindered through the square of an ally, a creature that is incapacitated, a tiny creature, or a creature that is two sizes smaller than you.

In my world, any space occupied by a creature that is small or larger will be considered difficult terrain, which costs double movement to move through. If the creature occupying the square is an ally, you may move though the square at double the movement cost. If the ally is tiny or two sizes smaller than you, then you may move through the square normally. If the creature is an enemy, you many not move through the square unless the creature is tiny or two sizes smaller than you.

Also, the rules say that if two creatures somehow end up in the same space unwillingly, they will both be prone. What I will not allow is for a creature to purposefully shove a creature into the space of another with the intent of knocking them prone. This is a way of gaming the system. If a creature is shoved into the the space of another creature and ends their turn there, then the two creatures in the square will roll opposing grapple checks (athletics or acrobatics). The loser will be pushed five feet away into the nearest random open square.

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Sleep

There are builds, invocation, spells, species, etc. that indicate a PC doesn't have to sleep at all. I'm fine with this. But a PC still needs to spend at least 8 hours during every 24-hour period doing non-productive activities such as resting, talking, reading, daydreaming, etc. Crafting, working on armor, building something, any physical activity, is not allowed if you want to gain the benefits of an 8-hour long rest..