JoeJ
2016-05-10, 03:27 PM
I've had a request to share these house rules, so I'm posting in case anybody else is interested as well.
My goal with these changes is to be able to run a D&D game inspired by the King Arthur legend, particularly as portrayed by Sir Thomas Malory. It's not literally a King Arthur setting that I'm aiming for, but a world of my own that has that same feel. I actually ran a campaign like this long ago, using 2e AD&D rules after I couldn't find enough people willing to learn Pendragon, and so I was curious to see if I could come up with something similar in 5e. To my great surprise, it turned out to actually be less work that it was in 2e.
Most people reading this will no doubt notice that I have hugely nerfed every kind of spell caster. This is deliberate! Magic in this campaign is supposed to be overshadowed by martial prowess. Players coming to this game should expect Excalibur, not Harry Potter.
Anyway, here are the rules. Oh, and you should probably listen to this music (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3cXcS49D64) while you read them:
Player characters must be human, although there are three different cultures to choose from in the main campaign area. PCs must begin at 1st level with armor proficiency in medium armor and shields, and weapon proficiency in lance and some type of sword. There are no specific background limits, but PCs should come from the upper class and be suitable to be knighted.
The feats and multiclassing optional rules are in use, as are the Honor rules found on pp. 264-265 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide.
The training to gain levels rules on p. 131 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide are in use. Players who want to multiclass must declare what class they intend to enter at least one full level ahead of time, so that opportunities to obtain the necessary skills can be played out.
The monk and sorcerer classes do not exist. Warlocks and wizards exist, but are not available for PCs. The Arcane Trickster, Battle Rager, Eldritch Knight, and Oathbreaker Paladin subclasses are not available.
Every player character gains Mounted Combatant as a bonus feat at 1st level. The Crossbow Expert feat does not exist. The benefits of the Polearm Master feat only apply when wielding the weapon using both hands.
Christianity and two different pagan religions exist, and I strongly recommend that all of the clerics and paladins in the party belong to the same religion (which one is up to the players). Death, Light, Tempest, and Trickery domains are not available, but the Arcana domain is. A cleric of any religion may choose any allowed domain.
Transforming into or out of Wild Shape requires a full minute for druids of any circle. The Elemental Wild Shape trait of Circle of the Moon druids does not function.
The spectral vines created by the Nature’s Wrath option for the Channel Divinity ability of the Oath of the Ancients exist only in the mind of the target and can not be seen by anyone else. The ability otherwise works as described.
Rangers must have actually been in a particular type of terrain before choosing it as a favored terrain. There is no arctic, desert, or Underdark in close proximity to the campaign’s starting location.
Choice of a ranger's favored enemy should take into account that aberrations, oozes, and humanoids other than humans are not likely to be encountered with any frequency.
Inspiration can be accumulated as points. Player characters begin with 1 point of inspiration at the beginning of each game session, and can gain more through roleplay (see Player’s Handbook p. 125 for details). Inspiration must be spent during the same session in which it is earned. Any remaining unused inspiration at the end of the session is lost. No more than 1 point of inspiration may be used on any roll of the dice.
You can gain inspiration by roleplaying your personality traits, ideal, bond, or flaw in a way that causes a story complication, or makes things more difficult. You also gain inspiration if the DM uses your personality traits, ideal, bond, or flaw to create a complication. Medieval stories about knights usually show the characters inspired and driven by their passions, so player characters should be doing this frequently.
Remember also that a player character who has inspiration can give that inspiration to another player character, which is yet another way you can get it.
Magic is a lot more subtle than it is in the most D&D worlds. Flashy spells like Fireball don’t exist, and most of those spells that do exist take longer to cast. Too long to be cast during combat, in most cases.
Casting times of most spells are increased by 1 increment. That is, casting times of 1 Action or 1 Bonus Action become 1 minute, casting times of 1 minute become 10 minutes, casting times of 10 minutes become 1 hour, and casting times of 1 hour become 8 hours. Spells with casting times of 8 hours or more, or those that are cast as reactions remain unaffected. Casting time increases apply only to the actual casting of spells, not the use of spell slots for other purposes (a paladin’s Divine Smite, for example). Spell duration is also increased in the same way, although Instaneous duration spells are not affected, nor (obviously) are spells that last until dispelled.
The following spells from the Player’s Handbook do not exist:
Acid Splash, Antilife Shell, Arcane Gate, Armor of Agathys, Arms of Hadar, Awaken, Banishing Smite, Banishment, Barkskin, Bigby’s Hand, Blade Barrier, Blight, Blinding Smite, Blindness/Deafness, Blink, Blur, Branding Smite, Burning Hands, Call Lightning, Chill Touch, Chromatic Orb, Circle of Death, Clone, Cloud of Daggers, Cloudkill, Color Spray, Cone of Cold, Conjure Barage, Conjure Volley, Control Water, Cordon of Arrows, Create Food and Water, Create or Destroy Water, Crown of Madness, Darkness, Daylight, Delayed Blast Fireball, Demiplane, Destruction Wave, Dimension Door, Disintegrate, Divine Word, Drawmij’s Instant Summons, Earthquake, Eldritch Blast, Ensnaring Strike, Entangle, Etherealness, Evard’s Black Tentacles, Expeditious Retreat, Fabricate, Faerie Fire, Find Steed, Finger of Death, Fireball, Fire Bolt, Fire Shield, Fire Storm, Flame Blade, Flame Strike, Flaming Sphere, Flesh to Stone, Fly, Forcecage, Gaseous Form, Giant Insect, Globe of Invulnerability, Glyph of Warding, Grasping Vine, Grease, Guardian of Faith, Guards and Wards, Guiding Bolt, Gust of Wind, Hail of Thorns, Harm, Haste, Heat Metal, Hellish Rebuke, Holy Aura, Hunger of Hadar, Hypnotic Pattern, Ice Storm, Incendiary Cloud, Inflict Wounds, Insect Plague, Jump, Leomund’s Secret Chest, Leomund’s Tiny Hut, Levitate, Light, Lightning Arrow, Lightning Bolt, Mage Hand, Magic Missile, Magic Mouth, Maze, Meld Into Stone, Melf’s Acid Arrow, Mending, Meteor Swarmm Mirror Image, Misty Step, Moonbeam, Mordenkainen’s Faithful Hound, Mordenkainen’s Magnificent Mansion, Mordenkainen’s Sword, Move Earth, Otiluke’s Freezing Sphere, Otiluke’s Resilient Sphere, Passwall, Plane Shift, Plant Growth, Poison Spray, Power Word Kill, Power Word Stun, Prismatic Spray, Prismatic Wall, Produce Flame, Raise Dead, Rary’s Telepathic Bond, Ray of Enfeeblement, Ray of Frost, Ray of Sickness, Reincarnate, Resurrection, Reverse Gravity, Rope Trick, Sacred Flame, Scorching Ray, Searing Smite, Shatter, Shocking Grasp, Silence, Sleet Storm, Slow, Spider Climb, Spiritual Weapon, Stinking Cloud, Storm of Vengeance, Sunbeam, Sunburst, Swift Quiver, Telekinesis, Teleport, Teleportation Circle, Tenser’s Floating Disk, Thorn Whip, Thunderous Smite, Thunderwave, Time Stop, Transport via Plants, Tree Stride, True Resurrection, Tsunami, Vampiric Touch, Wall of Fire, Wall of Force, Wall of Ice, Wall of Stone, Water Walk, Web, Wind Walk, Wind Wall, Wish, Witch Bolt, Word of Recall.
The effects of the prohibited spells listed above may, in some cases, occur as miracles, or be created by magic items.
Those spells that do exist generally don’t have special effects that are immediately recognizable as unnatural unless they are essential to the working of the spell. So, for example Feather Fall will still make someone fall slowly, but Alarm produces a snapping twig or an animal call instead of the sound of a bell, and Shield simply causes the target to dodge or parry a bit better that round.
Casting a spell as a ritual generally involves remaining in the same place so that components can be positioned, symbols drawn on the ground, etc. It can’t be done while walking or riding a horse (although it could be done while riding in a wagon or on a ship).
Spells from sources other than the Player’s Handbook can not be learned or cast unless they are encountered in play. No character can start off being able to cast them.
I will often use a map to help keep track of locations during combat, but the grid is only there to help in measuring distances. Movement, positioning, and spell effects are not restricted by grid lines or spaces.
I will be using the Action Options, Hitting Cover, Cleaving Through Creatures, Injuries, and Morale rules found on pp. 271-273 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide.
To unhorse a mounted character, whether in a joust or serious battle, make a shoving attack. A creature that is successfully pushed or knocked prone is knocked off their mount. The dismounted rider falls prone and must make a DC 10 Dexterity save to avoid taking 1d6 falling damage.
Some weapons are so simple that nearly anybody can create one in just a few minutes. Any character that has proficiency with club, quarterstaff, or sling can manufacture the weapon for free provided only that they have access to materials and a suitable cutting tool. This requires a few minutes, and can not be done in combat.
There are no gunpowder weapons and no explosives.
The renown rules on pp. 22-23 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide are used as an indication of the degree to which characters have distinguished themselves in service to their leige lord. Only characters who have sworn service to some lord can gain renown.
Mithril and adamantine do not exist. Platinum has not been discovered (in our world it was first brought to Europe from South America in the mid 1500s).
Death saving throws for characters who are at 0 hit points are not made until the character is healed or checked on, at which time all the accumulated saves for the number of rounds since they fell are rolled at once. Characters who survive after failing one or more death saving throws must roll on the Lingering Injury table on p. 272 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide.
Use of a healer’s kit is necessary in order to spend hit dice after a short rest, as described on p. 266 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide.
My goal with these changes is to be able to run a D&D game inspired by the King Arthur legend, particularly as portrayed by Sir Thomas Malory. It's not literally a King Arthur setting that I'm aiming for, but a world of my own that has that same feel. I actually ran a campaign like this long ago, using 2e AD&D rules after I couldn't find enough people willing to learn Pendragon, and so I was curious to see if I could come up with something similar in 5e. To my great surprise, it turned out to actually be less work that it was in 2e.
Most people reading this will no doubt notice that I have hugely nerfed every kind of spell caster. This is deliberate! Magic in this campaign is supposed to be overshadowed by martial prowess. Players coming to this game should expect Excalibur, not Harry Potter.
Anyway, here are the rules. Oh, and you should probably listen to this music (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3cXcS49D64) while you read them:
Player characters must be human, although there are three different cultures to choose from in the main campaign area. PCs must begin at 1st level with armor proficiency in medium armor and shields, and weapon proficiency in lance and some type of sword. There are no specific background limits, but PCs should come from the upper class and be suitable to be knighted.
The feats and multiclassing optional rules are in use, as are the Honor rules found on pp. 264-265 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide.
The training to gain levels rules on p. 131 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide are in use. Players who want to multiclass must declare what class they intend to enter at least one full level ahead of time, so that opportunities to obtain the necessary skills can be played out.
The monk and sorcerer classes do not exist. Warlocks and wizards exist, but are not available for PCs. The Arcane Trickster, Battle Rager, Eldritch Knight, and Oathbreaker Paladin subclasses are not available.
Every player character gains Mounted Combatant as a bonus feat at 1st level. The Crossbow Expert feat does not exist. The benefits of the Polearm Master feat only apply when wielding the weapon using both hands.
Christianity and two different pagan religions exist, and I strongly recommend that all of the clerics and paladins in the party belong to the same religion (which one is up to the players). Death, Light, Tempest, and Trickery domains are not available, but the Arcana domain is. A cleric of any religion may choose any allowed domain.
Transforming into or out of Wild Shape requires a full minute for druids of any circle. The Elemental Wild Shape trait of Circle of the Moon druids does not function.
The spectral vines created by the Nature’s Wrath option for the Channel Divinity ability of the Oath of the Ancients exist only in the mind of the target and can not be seen by anyone else. The ability otherwise works as described.
Rangers must have actually been in a particular type of terrain before choosing it as a favored terrain. There is no arctic, desert, or Underdark in close proximity to the campaign’s starting location.
Choice of a ranger's favored enemy should take into account that aberrations, oozes, and humanoids other than humans are not likely to be encountered with any frequency.
Inspiration can be accumulated as points. Player characters begin with 1 point of inspiration at the beginning of each game session, and can gain more through roleplay (see Player’s Handbook p. 125 for details). Inspiration must be spent during the same session in which it is earned. Any remaining unused inspiration at the end of the session is lost. No more than 1 point of inspiration may be used on any roll of the dice.
You can gain inspiration by roleplaying your personality traits, ideal, bond, or flaw in a way that causes a story complication, or makes things more difficult. You also gain inspiration if the DM uses your personality traits, ideal, bond, or flaw to create a complication. Medieval stories about knights usually show the characters inspired and driven by their passions, so player characters should be doing this frequently.
Remember also that a player character who has inspiration can give that inspiration to another player character, which is yet another way you can get it.
Magic is a lot more subtle than it is in the most D&D worlds. Flashy spells like Fireball don’t exist, and most of those spells that do exist take longer to cast. Too long to be cast during combat, in most cases.
Casting times of most spells are increased by 1 increment. That is, casting times of 1 Action or 1 Bonus Action become 1 minute, casting times of 1 minute become 10 minutes, casting times of 10 minutes become 1 hour, and casting times of 1 hour become 8 hours. Spells with casting times of 8 hours or more, or those that are cast as reactions remain unaffected. Casting time increases apply only to the actual casting of spells, not the use of spell slots for other purposes (a paladin’s Divine Smite, for example). Spell duration is also increased in the same way, although Instaneous duration spells are not affected, nor (obviously) are spells that last until dispelled.
The following spells from the Player’s Handbook do not exist:
Acid Splash, Antilife Shell, Arcane Gate, Armor of Agathys, Arms of Hadar, Awaken, Banishing Smite, Banishment, Barkskin, Bigby’s Hand, Blade Barrier, Blight, Blinding Smite, Blindness/Deafness, Blink, Blur, Branding Smite, Burning Hands, Call Lightning, Chill Touch, Chromatic Orb, Circle of Death, Clone, Cloud of Daggers, Cloudkill, Color Spray, Cone of Cold, Conjure Barage, Conjure Volley, Control Water, Cordon of Arrows, Create Food and Water, Create or Destroy Water, Crown of Madness, Darkness, Daylight, Delayed Blast Fireball, Demiplane, Destruction Wave, Dimension Door, Disintegrate, Divine Word, Drawmij’s Instant Summons, Earthquake, Eldritch Blast, Ensnaring Strike, Entangle, Etherealness, Evard’s Black Tentacles, Expeditious Retreat, Fabricate, Faerie Fire, Find Steed, Finger of Death, Fireball, Fire Bolt, Fire Shield, Fire Storm, Flame Blade, Flame Strike, Flaming Sphere, Flesh to Stone, Fly, Forcecage, Gaseous Form, Giant Insect, Globe of Invulnerability, Glyph of Warding, Grasping Vine, Grease, Guardian of Faith, Guards and Wards, Guiding Bolt, Gust of Wind, Hail of Thorns, Harm, Haste, Heat Metal, Hellish Rebuke, Holy Aura, Hunger of Hadar, Hypnotic Pattern, Ice Storm, Incendiary Cloud, Inflict Wounds, Insect Plague, Jump, Leomund’s Secret Chest, Leomund’s Tiny Hut, Levitate, Light, Lightning Arrow, Lightning Bolt, Mage Hand, Magic Missile, Magic Mouth, Maze, Meld Into Stone, Melf’s Acid Arrow, Mending, Meteor Swarmm Mirror Image, Misty Step, Moonbeam, Mordenkainen’s Faithful Hound, Mordenkainen’s Magnificent Mansion, Mordenkainen’s Sword, Move Earth, Otiluke’s Freezing Sphere, Otiluke’s Resilient Sphere, Passwall, Plane Shift, Plant Growth, Poison Spray, Power Word Kill, Power Word Stun, Prismatic Spray, Prismatic Wall, Produce Flame, Raise Dead, Rary’s Telepathic Bond, Ray of Enfeeblement, Ray of Frost, Ray of Sickness, Reincarnate, Resurrection, Reverse Gravity, Rope Trick, Sacred Flame, Scorching Ray, Searing Smite, Shatter, Shocking Grasp, Silence, Sleet Storm, Slow, Spider Climb, Spiritual Weapon, Stinking Cloud, Storm of Vengeance, Sunbeam, Sunburst, Swift Quiver, Telekinesis, Teleport, Teleportation Circle, Tenser’s Floating Disk, Thorn Whip, Thunderous Smite, Thunderwave, Time Stop, Transport via Plants, Tree Stride, True Resurrection, Tsunami, Vampiric Touch, Wall of Fire, Wall of Force, Wall of Ice, Wall of Stone, Water Walk, Web, Wind Walk, Wind Wall, Wish, Witch Bolt, Word of Recall.
The effects of the prohibited spells listed above may, in some cases, occur as miracles, or be created by magic items.
Those spells that do exist generally don’t have special effects that are immediately recognizable as unnatural unless they are essential to the working of the spell. So, for example Feather Fall will still make someone fall slowly, but Alarm produces a snapping twig or an animal call instead of the sound of a bell, and Shield simply causes the target to dodge or parry a bit better that round.
Casting a spell as a ritual generally involves remaining in the same place so that components can be positioned, symbols drawn on the ground, etc. It can’t be done while walking or riding a horse (although it could be done while riding in a wagon or on a ship).
Spells from sources other than the Player’s Handbook can not be learned or cast unless they are encountered in play. No character can start off being able to cast them.
I will often use a map to help keep track of locations during combat, but the grid is only there to help in measuring distances. Movement, positioning, and spell effects are not restricted by grid lines or spaces.
I will be using the Action Options, Hitting Cover, Cleaving Through Creatures, Injuries, and Morale rules found on pp. 271-273 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide.
To unhorse a mounted character, whether in a joust or serious battle, make a shoving attack. A creature that is successfully pushed or knocked prone is knocked off their mount. The dismounted rider falls prone and must make a DC 10 Dexterity save to avoid taking 1d6 falling damage.
Some weapons are so simple that nearly anybody can create one in just a few minutes. Any character that has proficiency with club, quarterstaff, or sling can manufacture the weapon for free provided only that they have access to materials and a suitable cutting tool. This requires a few minutes, and can not be done in combat.
There are no gunpowder weapons and no explosives.
The renown rules on pp. 22-23 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide are used as an indication of the degree to which characters have distinguished themselves in service to their leige lord. Only characters who have sworn service to some lord can gain renown.
Mithril and adamantine do not exist. Platinum has not been discovered (in our world it was first brought to Europe from South America in the mid 1500s).
Death saving throws for characters who are at 0 hit points are not made until the character is healed or checked on, at which time all the accumulated saves for the number of rounds since they fell are rolled at once. Characters who survive after failing one or more death saving throws must roll on the Lingering Injury table on p. 272 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide.
Use of a healer’s kit is necessary in order to spend hit dice after a short rest, as described on p. 266 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide.