The House of Rules

As a follow-up to my previous post, here are a few more of my home-brewed rules. Some modify existing rules, such as the slightly expanded number of magical items able to be attuned. Some simply provide loose rules to handle situations I often found myself in with no guidelines in the rulebooks, such as the gambling table or the guide to handling animals. 

The House of Rules

Religious Rites: Anyone with proficiency in Religion may attempt to perform religious rites once per long rest as long as they have some holy water and a holy symbol. They spend 1 hour then make a dc 15 religion check. If they succeed, they are blessed by their patron deity and gain inspiration. On a 5 or lower, they displease the deity, and are stricken with a curse, making wisdom saves at disadvantage until they take a long rest. They make their religion check at disadvantage if they have performed the rites the previous day, and advantage if they describe the rites in great detail, or offer something extra like a sacrifice of gold, expensive incense or livestock. Paladins gain +1 radiant damage on attacks made during that day against evil creatures and undead. Clerics gain an additional boon based upon the Domain of their patron deity. These effects last until the next long rest.

• Creation: A shield is created, and may be used even by those not normally proficient. The shield appears to be made of any material of the supplicant’s choice.
• Knowledge: A single question may be posed and will be answered albeit vaguely, through their next dream.
• Life: Gain 5 temporary hp.
• Light: A glowing orb condenses. It may be thrown against a surface to flare brightly once. All within 30ft make a Dex check dc 10 or be blinded if surprised for 1 min.
• Nature: An animal carries a small bundle of herbs and things that may be used as a 5 charge healer’s kit, or a single use item that heals 5 hp. Rots quickly.
• Tempest: A nearby receptacle is filled with1 gallon of water that reduces one point of exhaustion when consumed.
• Trickery: A mask appears, that when donned, casts disguise self on the wearer then vanishes.
• War: The deity’s favored weapon is created. It is magical for resistance purposes.
• Death: A bone is enchanted with deadly magic and, if broken, Does 2d8 necrotic damage to target that you can see and causes them to be stunned for 1 turn. Wisdom save dc 9 prevents stunning and halves damage.

Focus Overcharging: A focus may be used to channel more power than normal at some risk. A character may attempt to cast a spell without using a slot, or cast a spell as if it were a higher level. To determine if the focus maintains integrity, user rolls a check using their spellcasting ability against a dc of 1d10+spell levels used (cumulative). Better quality foci grant -1, -2 or -3 on the dc and some even resist meltdown effects a single time. If the user fails the check, the foci is destroyed and the user must roll on the Magic Meltdown table.

Spell Scrolls: Spell scrolls may contain any divine or arcane spell, as well as powerful magic that cannot easily be replicated and is not possible to copy into a spellbook. Unidentified scrolls can be deciphered with relevant spells, or with a dc (10+spell lvl) arcana check. To copy an appropriate spell into a spellbook, a wizard must succeed on an arcana check dc 10+spell level. The scroll is destroyed in the process.

If the spell is on the user’s spell list, they may cast it without using material components. If it is on their list but of a higher level than they are able to cast, they must succeed on a check using their relevant spellcasting ability, dc 8+ spell level. If it is not on their list, the dc is 12+spell level and requires an arcana check. If you fail to cast from a scroll make an intelligence save dc 10 or roll on the mishap table pg. 140 in the Dungeon Master’s Guide.

Spell scrolls can be created without the formula by wizards who know the relevant spell. It requires one week, preparing the spell and expending its slot each day, can only be done by a lvl 4 or higher wizard, and costs 30gp x spell level + material component costs. Components must only be used in the final casting of the spell on the seventh day. Scrolls require rare inks that sometimes require quests to find.

Attunement: One may attune up to 4 items at any given time, though only one of each “body slot.” Attunement takes 1 hour. It does not reveal any of the items properties. If the item is cursed, this is not revealed, but to remove the object from one’s person, one must succeed on a dc 22 Wisdom save, which may be repeated once per day. Players are not told that equipment is cursed, and are only informed of the save to remove it when they attempt to do so.

Handle Animal: The DC for a check to handle an animal is calculated differently for wild and domesticated animals. Characters may repeat checks every 24 hrs.

Wild base dc = 2xHD

Domesticated dc = HD+owner’s WIS score -5.

Modifiers: The DC gets +1 for each ally to the animal nearby. +2 if they have the Pack Tactics trait. Disadvantage if nearby allies are hostile, or if in combat. Advantage if offered food.

Gambling: Checks made per hour gambled. Composite of many games.

Dice: No ability score tied to it. Chance.

Chess: Opposed intelligence checks.

Cards: Opposed wisdom checks.

Wager: up to how much the opponents are willing to put down.

Cheating: Opposed roll. Slight of hand vs. Perception. Adv. on success.

Winnings options:

            Skill: 10% gain/loss of wager per point won/lost in opposed roll.

            Chance: 1d10 x 10 is % you gain/lose of your wager.