LordoftheMilk
2016-09-29, 09:03 PM
Hello,
I don't post much but I follow these forums extensively. I am currently DMing Princes of the Apocalypse with a new players groups as well as Out of the Abyss with a group of vétérans.
People at my table like storytelling much, but enjoy a simulationist experience with as much control over their character and its interactions with the world. We also all enjoy to limit on the fly rulings to a minimum. I have therefore compounded all the rules interprétations and house rules that I use at my table.
I also used the opportunity to introduce a balancing act of the rules, so as to make all character options viable and powerful, give system mastery an edge, but without making the discrepancy between system masters and newer players unmanageable. Also, I don't have the time to rewrite the whole Monster Manual to accomodate for PCs who use system mastery to achieve unintended RAI power levels.
The rules are tweaked for a medium level magic item distribution, something like +1 across the board from lvls 6 to 10, +2 from 11 to 16, and +3 from 17 to 20.
I have used many sources of inspiration, including many from this very forum.
I would very much enjoy feedback, especially constructive critical feedback of some of the nerfs/buffs/tweaks, whether they seem badly worded or conceived, or could simply be made better. Most modifications are self explanatory, and most of the rationale can be found within the usual debates on 5e forums. Thank you for reading.
D&D 5th Edition House Rules
We play in the Forgotten Realms setting.
The Following books are freely available to players:
- Player's Handbook (PHB);
- Sword Coast Adventure Guide (SCAG);
- Elemental Evil Player's Companion (EE);
- The Dungeon Master's Guide (DMG).
Refrain from checking the Monster Manual, for everyone's enjoyment.
In this document, Black is a clarification or a neutral rebalancing, Blue is a boost, Red is a nerf.
General:
Ability Rolls: Use Custom Method 27 points (PHB p. 13).
If your character benefitted from a different ruleset before this house rule: good for you .
Experience: We use the Milestone variant (aka. You level when you reach a story milestone).
Hit Points: When you level up, you roll your hit point increase twice and choose the roll you keep.
Deaths: This game is deadly. There is no penalty to dying when creating a new character. The show must go on!
Character Roles: D&D is a combat intensive game. Therefore 2 sets of roles typically exist: Combat (Tank, Offtank, Ranged DPR, Support, Control) and Non-Combat (Wild Exploration, Urban Exploration, Athlete, Social and Knowledge). A well designed character combines at least a Combat and Non-Combat Role. A well-balanced party has all bases covered. Classes are very versatile and can fulfil many roles depending on how they are built.
Races:
Variant Humans are allowed.
Races from Elemental Evil allowed, except Goliath.
Half-Elves must use the specific Forgotten Realms table.
Tiefling variants from SCAG are allowed.
Aasimar from DMG are allowed.
Classes:
Multiclass characters are not allowed. If you wish to play a character concept that you cannot find in the rules, ask your DM for tailoring options.
Barbarian:
Path of the Berserker: Frenzy may be activated as a bonus action or when you enter a Rage. Intimidating Presence DC uses Strength instead of Charisma on any Large or smaller Creature.
Bard:
Superior Inspiration: Replace with: If you have less than 2 uses of Inspiration left when you roll initiative, gain a use of Inspiration.
Cleric:
Divine Spells are prepared during a 10 minute ritual at a time specific to each deity. Spell slots are regained at the end of a long rest as normal.
New Domains can be worked out with your DM, if you have a specific deity and no appropriate Domain is applicable.
Death Domain (DMG) is available.
Trickery Domain: Lvl 1: Replace with: Gain proficiency in 1 Tool of your choice among: Thieves' Tools, Poisoner's Kit, Disguise Kit. Gain 1 skill from: Sleight of Hand, Deception and Stealth. You add double your proficiency bonus to checks you make with that skill or that tool. 8th lvl.: Divine Strike: Use the War Domain's version.
Nature Domain: 2nd lvl.: Lasts 8 hours, until it is harmed by you or your allies or until you use your channel divinity ability again.
Druid:
Divine Spells are prepared during a 10 minute ritual at a time specific to each deity. Spell slots are regained at the end of a long rest as normal.
Wild Shape: Replace the rules for Wild Shape on page 67 (only) of the PHB with the following:
a) A Druid in Wild Shape retains its mental Ability Scores (Int, Wis and Cha), Proficiencies, Hit Dice and hit points of his natural form. You retain the benefit of any features from your Class, Race, or other source and can use them if the new form is physically capable of doing so. However, you cannot use any of your special senses unless your new form also has that sense.
The Druid gains the physical ability scores (Str, Con, Dex), Size, AC, Skill, Attack and Save Proficiencies, Attacks, Move Speeds, Senses and Special abilities of the Wild Shaped form.
b) A Druid uses his own proficiency bonus instead of the Creature's proficiency bonus, wherever applicable. Calculate any bonuses to any rolls as well as any DC with the Druid's proficiency bonus.
c) Druids gain an amount of temporary Hit points equal to twice their level whenever they assume a Wild Shape from their natural form. They lose any remaining temporary Hit points when they resume natural form.
d) A Druid in Wild Shape may use the following formula for his AC: 10+ Natural Armor + Dexterity of the shape + Proficiency bonus.
e) You choose whether your equipment falls to the ground in your space, merges into your new form or is worn by it. Your equipment does not change in size and form to match the new form, and any equipment that the new form can't wear must either fall to the ground or merge with it. When merged, only equipment with passive effects can still apply any benefit (for example, a Luck Stone will continue to apply, whereas a Shield won't).
Land Druid:
Land's Stride: Works on difficult magical terrain as well, no help against obstacles.
Nature’s Ward: Add Monstrosities to the list of affected Creatures.
Nature’s Sanctuary: Add Monstrosities to the list of affected Creatures.
Moon Druid:
Combat Wild Shape: A Druid in Wild Shape may use the following formula for his AC: 10+ Natural Armor + Dexterity of the shape + Proficiency bonus.
Fighter:
Protection Fighting Style: Replace with: When a creature you can see hits a target other than you that is within 5 feet of you, you can use your reaction to force a reroll of the attack. If you are wielding a shield, that reroll is done with disadvantage.
Banneret (SCAG): Rallying Cry: Targets gain 1D10 + your Fighter level. Inspiring Surge: Affect 2 Targets, then 3 Targets at lvl. 17. Bulwark: Applies to all Saving Throws.
Monk:
Perfect Self: Replace with: If you have less than 4 Ki when you roll initiative, gain 4 Ki.
Way of the Open Hand: Tranquility: Add: You may Cast Sanctuary on yourself as an action that costs 2 Ki.
Way of the Four Elements: All the basic Ki costs for your Monastic Tradition abilities are reduced by 1.
Way of the Sun Soul: Searing Arc Strike: Casting Burning Hands costs 1 Ki.
Paladin:
Divine Spells are prepared during a 10 minute ritual at a time specific to each deity. Spell slots are regained at the end of a long rest as normal.
Protection Fighting Style: Replace with: When a creature you can see hits a target other than you that is within 5 feet of you, you can use your reaction to force a reroll of the attack. If you are wielding a shield, that reroll is done with disadvantage.
Oathbreakers (DMG) are available.
Divine Smite: You may only use Spell Slots from your Paladin levels to use Divine Smite.
Oath of Devotion: Sacred Weapon: Is channeled as a bonus Action. Holy Nimbus: Can be activated as a bonus action.
Ranger:
Divine Spells are prepared during a 10 minute ritual at a time specific to each deity. Spell slots are regained at the end of a long rest as normal.
Primeval Awareness: Replace with: Beginning at 3rd level, your mastery of ranger lore allows you to establish a powerful link to beasts and to the land around you. You have an innate ability to communicate with beasts, and they recognize you as a kindred spirit. Through sounds and gestures, you can communicate simple ideas to a beast as an action, and can read its basic mood and intent. You learn its emotional state, whether it is affected by magic of any sort, its short-term needs (such as food or safety), and actions you can take (if any) to persuade it to not attack. You cannot use this ability against a creature that you have attacked within the past 10 minutes. Additionally, you can attune your senses to determine if any of your favoured enemies lurk nearby. By spending 1 uninterrupted minute in concentration (as if you were concentrating on a spell), you can sense whether any of your favoured enemies are present within 5 miles of you. This feature reveals which of your favored enemies are present, their numbers, and the creatures’ general direction and distance (in miles) from you.
If there are multiple groups of your favoured enemies within range, you learn this information for each group.
Spells Known: Each Ranger Archetype benefits from a list of spells (one per level) that they always have prepared and that does not count towards their number of spells known. Ask your DM what the list is for your chosen Archetype.
Extra Attack: Removed
Land's Stride: Works on difficult magical terrain as well, no help against obstacles.
Hide in Plain sight: Replace with: Gain ability to Hide in any cover of your favored terrains, if you are wearing camouflage.
Foe Slayer: Applies on any target.
Hunter: Add:
Extra Attack: At 5th level, when you take the Attack action, you may perform a second weapon attack.
Beast Master: Replace all abilities with the following:
Animal Companion: At 3rd level, you learn to use your magic to create a powerful bond with a creature of the natural world. With 8 hours of work and the expenditure of 50gp worth of rare herbs and fine food, you call forth an animal from the wilderness to serve as your faithful companion. You normally select you companion from among the following animals: an ape, a black bear, a boar, a giant badger, a giant weasel, a mule, a panther, or a wolf. However, your DM might pick one of these animals for you, based on the surrounding terrain and on what types of creatures would logically be present in the area. At the end of the 8 hours, your animal companion appears and gains all the benefits of your Companion’s Bond ability. You can have only one animal companion at a time.
Your Companion Animal gains a variety of benefits while it is linked to you. The animal companion loses its Multiattack action, if it has one. The companion obeys your commands as best it can. It rolls for initiative like any other creature, but you determine its actions, decisions, attitudes, and so on. If you are incapacitated or absent, your companion acts on its own. When using your Favored Terrain feature, you and your animal companion can both move stealthily at a normal pace. Your companion’s game statistics are determined in part by your level. Your companion uses your proficiency bonus rather than its own. In addition to the areas where it normally uses its proficiency bonus, an animal companion also adds its proficiency bonus to its AC and to its damage rolls. Your animal companion gains proficiency in two skills of your choice. It also becomes proficient with all saving throws you are proficient in. For each level you gain after 3rd, your animal companion gains an additional hit die and increases its hit points accordingly. Whenever you gain the Ability Score Improvement class feature, your companion’s abilities also improve. Your companion can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or it can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, your companion can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature unless its description specifies otherwise. Your companion shares your alignment, and has a personality trait and a flaw that you can roll for or select from the tables below. Your companion shares your ideal, and its bond is always, “The ranger that travels with me is a beloved companion for whom I would gladly give my life.”
d6 Trait 1 I’m dauntless in the face of adversity. 2 Threaten my friends, threaten me. 3 I stay on alert so others can rest. 4 People see an animal and underestimate me. I use that to my advantage. 5 I have a knack for showing up in the nick of time. 6 I put my friends’ needs before my own in all things.
d6 Flaw 1 If there’s food left unattended, I’ll eat it. 2 I growl at strangers, and all people except my ranger are strangers to me. 3 Any time is a good time for a belly rub. 4 I’m deathly afraid of water. 5 My idea of hello is a flurry of licks to the face. 6 I jump on creatures to tell them how much I love them.
Coordinated Attack: Beginning at 5th level, you and your animal companion form a more potent fighting team. When you use the Attack action on your turn, if your companion can see you, it can use its reaction to make a melee attack.
Beast’s Defense: At 7th level, while your companion can see you, it has advantage on all saving throws.
Storm of Claws and Fangs: At 11th level, your companion can use its action to make a melee attack against each creature of its choice within 5 feet of it, with a separate attack roll for each target.
Share Spells: Beginning at 15th level, when you cast a spell targeting yourself, you can also affect your beast companion with the spell if the beast is within 30 ft. of you.
If your Companion isn’t a ¼ Challenge level beast for some reason or another, work with your DM to adapt either its abilities, or adapt the abilities your Beast Mastery would give it.
Rogue:
Mastermind is not available.
Stroke of Luck: Gain the Lucky Feat as written (PHB p.167). Replaces current text.
Thief: Second Story work: Replace with: You may use your Dexterity for Climb checks. You may add your Dexterity modifier in feet (minimum 5 feet) to your running jump distances. Use Magic Item: You may use half your proficiency bonus instead of any relevant Spellcasting ability when you emulate the Spellcasting Ability of any class.
Assassin: Replace Infiltration Expertise and Impostor with: 9th lvl.: Soul of Deceit: you cannot be the target of divination magic or perceived through magical sensors unless you choose to. Additionally, you can present false thoughts by making a Deception (Cha) check contested by the mind reader’s Insight (Wis) check. 13th lvl.: Sinister Strikes: Choose either: a) When attacking with a Hand Crossbow, you gain a +2 bonus to-hit. b) When attacking with a Dagger, you score a critical on a roll of 19-20 and you can add your Ability Damage modifier on your off-hand attacks.
Swashbuckler: 9th. Panache: Panache stops working if you are hidden from your opponent. Replace Elegant Maneuver with 13th lvl.: Elegant Maneuver: When you use the Dodge action, you may perform 1 attack as a bonus action.
Sorcerer:
Check with your DM for additional sorcerer spells to support your concept.
Metamagic: Metamagic options can only affect Sorcerer-known spells.
Twin Spell: A twinned spell counts for 1 spell for all intents and purposes, including later round actions.
Wild Mage: Wild Surges: Every time you cast a spell of level 1 or higher, roll a D20. On a roll of 3 or less, a Wild Surge occurs.
Warlock:
Wizard:
Transmuter: Shapechanger: The spell cast is Shapechange, not Polymorph. You still learn Polymorph.
Bladesinger: Bladesong: The Intelligence AC bonus from the Bladesong only applies against opportunity attacks.
Equipment:
Scimitar: Scimitar loses its light quality, and deals 1D8 damage on a hit.
Trident: uses 1d6 dmg, (1d10 versatile). It also weighs 5 lbs.
Urgosh: Martial melee weapon, 150 gp, 1D10 slashing, Heavy, Two-Handed, 7 lbs., Note: The other end of the Urgosh is tipped like a Spear. Whenever you make an attack with that end, the damage die is 1D6 piercing.
Healer’s Kit: You need to perform a Medicine (Wis) DC 10 check to use it.
Feats: This section completely replaces the Feat section in the PHB.
Alchemist: You have studied the secrets of alchemy and are an expert in its practice, gaining the following benefits:
• Increase your Intelligence or Wisdom score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
• You gain proficiency with Alchemist’s supplies or the Herbalism Kit. If you are already proficient with the tool you choose, you add double your proficiency bonus to checks you make with it.
• As an action, you can identify one potion within 5 feet of you, as if you had tasted it. You must see the liquid for this benefit to work.
• Over the course of any short rest, you can temporarily improve the potency of up to 12 potions of healing of any rarity, and/or any Alchemy concoction (like Acid Flask or Alchemist's Fire). To use this benefit, you must have alchemist’s supplies with you, and the potion/concoction must be within reach. If the potion is drunk no more than 1 hour after the short rest ends, the creature drinking the potion can forgo the potion’s die roll and regains the maximum number of hit points that the potion can restore. If you succeed an Alchemist's supplies (Int) check with a DC of 20, the effect lasts 8 hours.
Alert: Always on the lookout for danger, you gain the following benefits:
• You gain a +5 bonus to Initiative.
• You may use reactions even while surprised.
• Other creatures don't gain advantage on attack rolls against you as a result of being hidden or unseen from you.
Athlete: You have undergone extensive physical training to gain the following benefits:
• Increase your Strength or Dexterity score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
• When you are prone, standing up uses only 5 feet of your movement.
• Climbing doesn't cost you extra movement.
• You can make a running long jump or a running high jump after moving only 5 feet on foot, rather than 10 feet.
• You have advantage on swimming checks.
Actor: Skilled at mimicry and dramatics, you gain the following benefits:
• Increase your Charisma score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
• You have advantage on Charisma (Deception) an Charisma (Performance) checks when trying to pass yourself as a different person.
• You can mimic the speech of another person or the sounds made by other creatures. You must have heard the person speaking, or heard the creature make the sound, for a t least 1 minute. A successful Insight (Wis) contested by your Charisma (Deception) check allows a listener to determine the effect is faked.
Axeman: Your axes cut through flesh and steel like it was nothing. You gain the following benefits:
• Increase your Strength score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
Additionally, when wielding any Handaxe, Battleaxe, War Pick or Greataxe, you gain the following benefits:
• Whenever you have advantage on a melee attack roll you make with the weapon and hit, you may add 2 to your damage roll, if the lower of the two D20 rolls would also hit the target.
• Whenever you have disadvantage on a melee attack roll you make with the weapon and miss, you may deal your ability modifier in damage to your target, if the higher of the two D20 rolls would hit the target.
Burglar: You pride yourself on your quickness and your close study of certain clandestine activities. You gain the following benefits:
• Increase your Dexterity score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
• You gain proficiency with Thieves’ tools. If you are already proficient with them, you add double your proficiency bonus to checks you make with them.
Charger: When you use the Attack action, you may Dash as a bonus action.
Crossbow Expert: Thanks to extensive practice with crossbows, you gain the following benefits:
• You ignore the loading property of crossbows with which you are proficient.
• Being within 5 feet of a hostile creature doesn't impose disadvantage on your ranged attack rolls with a crossbow.
• When you use the Attack action and attack with a one-handed weapon, you can use a bonus action to attack with a hand crossbow you are holding. You do not add your ability modifier to damage on this attack.
Dead-eye: You are a master of the bow. You gain the following benefits:
• You may act as though you had a free hand when wielding a Shortbow or Longbow that you are proficient with. Attacking with those weapons still requires your two hands.
• Before you make a ranged weapon attack with a Shortbow or Longbow that you are proficient with, you can choose to take a -5 penalty to the attack roll. If the attack hits, you add +5 to the attack's damage.
Defensive Duelist: Prerequisite: Dexterity 13 or higher.
When you are wielding a Dagger, a Rapier, a Scimitar, a Shortsword, a Greatsword or a Longsword with which you are proficient and another creature hits you with a melee attack, you can use your reaction to add your proficiency bonus to your AC for that attack, potentially causing the attack to miss you.
Dual Wielder: You master fighting with two weapons, gaining the following benefits:
• You can use two-weapon fighting even when the one-handed melee weapons you are wielding are not light.
• You can draw or stow two one handed weapons when you would normally be able to draw or stow only one.
• Once on each of your turns when wielding a separate melee weapon in each hand and you miss with an attack, you can make another attack.
Dungeon Delver: Alert to the hidden traps and secret doors found in many dungeons, you gain the following benefits:
• You have advantage on Perception (Wis) and Investigation (Int) checks made to detect the presence of secret doors.
• You have advantage on saving throws made to avoid or resist traps.
• You have resistance to damage made by traps.
• You do not suffer disadvantage by moving at full speed on your checks to find traps.
Durable: Hardy and resilient, you gain the following benefits:
• Increase your Constitution score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
• When you roll a Hit Die to regain hit points, the minimum number of hit points you regain from the roll equals twice your Constitution modifier (minimum of 2).
• You regain all lost levels of Exhaustion at the end of a long rest.
Elemental Adept: Prerequisite: Ability to cast at least one spell.
When you gain this feat, choose one of the following damage types: Acid, Cold, Fire, Lightning or Thunder. Spells you cast ignore resistance to damage of the chosen type. In addition, when you roll for damage for a spell you cast that deals damage of that type, you can treat any 1 on a damage die as a 2. You may choose this feat multiple times, each time for a different damage type.
Expert: You are an expert at a certain skill.
Choose a skill. If you are proficient with it, you add double your proficiency bonus to your skill checks for that skill.
Fell-Handed: Prerequisite: Strength 13 or higher.
Your blows shake your enemies like thunder. You gain the following benefits:
• Increase your Strength score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
Additionally, when wielding any Light Hammer, Mace, Flail, Maul, Morningstar or Warhammer, you gain the following benefits:
• Whenever you have advantage on a melee attack roll you make with the weapon and hit, your target suffers disadvantage on his next ability check or attack roll, if the lower of the two D20 rolls would also hit the target. This effect does not stack.
• Whenever you have disadvantage on a melee attack roll you make with the weapon and miss, you may deal your ability modifier in damage to your target, if the higher of the two D20 rolls would hit the target.
Gourmand: You have mastered a variety of special recipes, allowing you to prepare exotic dishes with useful effects. You gain the following benefits:
• Increase your Charisma or Constitution score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
• You gain proficiency with Cook’s utensils. If you are already proficient with them, you add double your proficiency bonus to checks you make with them.
• As an action, you can inspect a drink or plate of food within 5 feet of you and determine whether it is poisoned, provided that you can see and smell it.
• During a long rest, you can prepare and serve a meal that helps you and your allies recover from
the rigors of adventuring, provided you have suitable food, cook’s utensils, and other supplies on hand. The meal serves up to six people, and each person who eats it regains all their Hit Dice at the end of the long rest. In addition, if you succeed in a Cook's supplies (Cha) check with a DC of 15, those who partake of the meal have advantage on Constitution saving throws against disease and poison effects for the next 24 hours.
Grappler: Prerequisite: Strength 13 or higher
You've developed the skills necessary to hold your own on close quarters grappling. You gain the following benefits:
• You have advantage on attack rolls against a creature you are grappling.
• You may Shove creatures up to 2 sizes larger than you.
• You can use an attack action to try and pin a creature grappled by you. If you benefit from the Extra attack feature, you may replace one of the attacks you do during the attack action to perform this manoeuvre. To do so, make another grapple check. If you succeed, you and the creature are both Restrained until the grapple ends.
Great Weapon Master: You've learned to put the weight of a weapon to your advantage, letting its momentum empower your strikes. You gain the following benefits:
• On your turn, when you score a critical hit or reduce a creature to 0 hit points with a melee weapon, you can make one melee weapon attack as a bonus action.
• Once per turn, before you make a melee weapon attack with a heavy weapon that you are proficient with, you can choose to take a -5 penalty to the attack roll. If the attack hits, you add +10 to the attack's damage.
Healer: ou are an able physician, allowing you to mend wounds quickly and get your allies back in the fight. You gain the following benefits:
• Your Medicine (Wis) checks are rolled with advantage.
• When you use a healer's kit to stabilize a dying creature, that creature also regains 1 hit point.
• As an action, you can spend one use of a healer's kit and make a DC 15 Medicine (Wis) check to tend to a creature and restore 1D6 + 4 hit points to it, plus additional hit points equal to the creature's maximum number of Hit Dice. The creature can't regain hit points this way again until it finishes a short or long rest.
Heavily Armored: Prerequisite: Proficiency with Medium Armor
You have trained to master the use of heavy armor, gaining the following benefits:
• Increase your Strength score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
• You gain proficiency with Heavy Armor.
Heavy Armor Master: Prerequisite: proficiency with Heavy Armor.
You can use your armor to deflect strikes that would kill others. You gain the following benefits:
• Increase your Strength score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
• While you are wearing heavy armor, bludgeoning, piercing and slashing non-magical damage that you take is reduced by 3.
Inspiring Leader: Prerequisite Charisma 13 or higher
You can spend 10 minutes inspiring your companions, shoring up their resolve to fight. When you do so, choose up to 6 friendly creatures (which can include yourself) within 30 feet of you who can see or hear you and who can understand you. Each creature can gain temporary hit points equal to your level + your Charisma modifier. A creature can't gain temporary hit points from this feat again until it has finished a short or long rest.
Keen Mind: You have a mind that easily notices when something is amiss and can track detail with uncanny precision. You gain the following benefits:
• Increase your Intelligence score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
• You can accurately recall anything you have seen or heard within the past month.
• You gain advantage on active Investigation checks to see through illusions.
• If you can see a creature's mouth while it's speaking a language you can understand, you can interpret what it's saying by reading it's lips.
Lightly Armored: You have trained to master the use of light armor, gaining the following benefits:
• Increase your Strength or Dexterity score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
• You gain proficiency with Light Armor.
Linguist: You have studied languages and codes, gaining the following benefits:
• Increase your Intelligence score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
• You learn three languages of your choice.
• You can ably create written ciphers. Others can't decipher a code you create unless you teach them, they succeed on an Intelligence check (DC equal Intelligence score + your prof. bonus), or they use magic to decipher it.
Lucky: You gain a bonus of +1 to all your saving throw checks.
Mage Slayer: You have practiced techniques useful in melee combat against spellcasters, gaining the following benefit:
• When a creature within 5 feet of you casts a spell, you can use your reaction to make a melee weapon attack against that creature.
• When you damage a creature that is concentrating on a spell, that creature has disadvantage on the saving throw it makes to maintain its concentration.
• You have advantage on saving throws against spells cast by creatures with 5 feet of you.
Magic Initiate:
Choose a class: Bard, Cleric, Druid, Sorcerer, Warlock or Wizard. You learn two cantrips of your choice from that class's spell list. In addition, choose one 1st level spell to learn from that same list. Using this feat, you can cast this spell once at its lowest level, and you must finish a long rest before you can cast it in this way again. You may cast it normally with your other spell slots if you can cast spells of that class. Your spellcasting ability depends on the class you chose.
Martial Adept: You have martial training that allows you to perform special combat maneuvers. You may take this feat multiple times. You gain the following benefits:
• You gain two maneuvers from the Battle Master Fighter Archetype. Save DCs (if relevant) are 8 + Str/Dex mod + your Proficiency bonus.
• You gain two Superiority Dice, which are always D6s, which are added to any other Superiority Dice you have from another source. Follow the rules on Superiority Dice in the Battle Master Fighter Archetype.
Master of Disguise: You have honed your ability to shape your personality and to read the personalities of others. You gain the following benefits:
• Increase your Intelligence or Charisma score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
• You gain proficiency with the Disguise kit. If you are already proficient with it, you add double your proficiency bonus to checks you make with it.
• If you spend 1 hour observing a creature, you can then spend 8 hours crafting a disguise you can quickly don to mimic that creature. Making the disguise requires a disguise kit. You must make checks as normal to disguise yourself, but you can assume the disguise as an action.
Master of Poisons: You have spent countless hours studying poisons and training in their most effect use, as well as against their adverse effects. You gain the following benefits:
• Increase your Intelligence or Dexterity score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
• You gain proficiency with the Poison kit. If you are already proficient with it, you add double your proficiency bonus to checks you make with it.
• You may apply poison on a weapon as a bonus action.
• You gain advantage on Constitution saving throws against poison.
• You gain resistance to poison damage.
Medium Armor Master: Prerequisite: Proficiency with medium armor
You have practiced moving in medium armor to gain the following benefits:
• Wearing medium armor doesn't impose disadvantage on your Stealth (Dex) checks.
• When you wear medium armor, you can add 3, rather than 2, to your AC if you have a dexterity of 16 or higher.
Mobile: You are exceptionally speedy and agile. You gain the following benefits.
• Your speed increases by 10ft.
• When you use the Dash action, difficult terrain doesn't cost you extra movement on that turn.
• When you make a melee attack against a creature, you don't provoke opportunity attacks from that creature for the rest of the turn, whether you hit or not.
Moderately Armored: Prerequisitie: Proficiency with light armor
You have trained to master the use of medium armor an shields, gaining the following benefits:
• Increase your Strength or Dexterity score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
• You gain proficiency with medium armor and shields.
Mounted Combatant: You are a dangerous foe to face while mounted. While you are mounted and aren't incapacitated, you gain the following benefits:
• You have advantage on melee attack rolls against any unmounted creature that is smaller than your mount.
• You can force an attack targeted at your mount to target you instead.
• If your mount s subjected to an effect that allows it to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, it instead takes no damage if it succeeds on the saving throw, and only half damage if it fails.
Observant: Quick to notice details of your environment, you gain the following benefits:
• Increase your Intelligence or Wisdom score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
• You have a +5 bonus to your passive Perception and passive Investigation checks.
Polearm Master: You gain the following benefits:
When wielding with your 2 hands a Halberd, a Glaive, a Pike, an Urgosh, a Quarterstaff, or a Trident, you gain the following abilities:
• You can set your weapon to receive a charge. As a bonus action, name a creature you can see that is at least 20 feet away from you. If that creatures moves in your weapon’s reach by your next turn, you can make a melee attack against it with your weapon as a reaction. You can’t use this ability if the creature used the Disengage action before moving.
• When you use the Attack action and attack only with your weapon, you can use a bonus action to attack with the opposite end of the weapon. You don't add your ability modifier to the damage of the bonus attack. The weapon's damage die for this attack is a D4, and it deals bludgeoning damage. This attack is considered done by a melee weapon with only the two-handed property.
• You may use a bonus action to increase the reach of your weapon by 5 feet until the start of your next turn.
Resilient: Choose one ability score. You gain the following benefits:
• Increase your chosen ability score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
• You gain proficiency in saving throws using the chosen ability.
Ritual Caster: Prerequisite: Ability score of 13 or higher in the spellcasting ability of your chosen class.
Refer to PHB p. 169.
Savage Attacker: You gain the following benefits:
• Increase your Strength score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
• Once per turn when you roll damage for a melee weapon attack, you can reroll the weapon's damage dice and use either total.
Sentinel: You have mastered techniques to take advantage of every drop in any enemy's guard, gaining the following benefits: Refer to PHB p. 169.
Sharpshooter: You have mastered ranged weapons and can make shots that others find impossible. You gain the following benefits:
• Your ranged weapon attacks ignore half cover, and treat three-quarters cover as half cover.
• Your ranged weapon attacks see their short range doubled.
• Your ranged weapon attacks can never hit an unintended target.
Shield Master: Refer to PHB p. 170
Skilled: You gain proficiency in any combination of three skills or tools of your choice. Alternatively, you gain proficiency in one skill/tool and increase the relevant ability score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
Skulker: Refer to PHB p. 170
Spell Sniper: Prerequisite: The ability to cast at least one spell
You have learned techniques to enhance your attacks with certain kinds of spells, gaining the following benefits:
• When you cast a spell that requires you to make an attack roll, the spell's range is doubled.
• Your ranged spell attacks ignore half cover, and treat three-quarters cover as half cover.
• Your ranged weapon attacks can never hit an unintended target.
Spell Savant: Prerequisite: Ability to cast spells
Choose two spells of 5th level or lower from your Class's spell list. You always have these spells prepared or known, in addition to the number of spells you usually are allowed to prepare or know from your class's spell list.
Survivalist: You have trained yourself in outdoor survival skills extensively. You gain the following benefits:
• Increase your Constitution, Intelligence or Wisdom score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
• Choose a terrain type among the different terrain types available to Rangers. You gain all the benefits of the Natural Explorer Ranger Class Feature in your chosen terrain type.
Tavern Brawler: refer to PHB p. 170.
Tough: Your hit point maximum increases by an amount equal to twice your level. Whenever you gain a level thereafter, your hit point maximum increases by an additional 2 hit points.
War Caster: Refer to PHB p. 170
Weapon Master: Refer to PHB p. 170
Skills:
Acrobatics: You may use this skill to move through another person's space. DC depends on particulars like Size, but generally is 5 if the person is friendly, and 15 if the person is hostile.
Athletics: Swimming in armor requires a DC 10 check for light armor, DC 15 for Medium armor and DC20 for Heavy Armor. Medium Armor that gives disadvantage to Stealth give disadvantage to Swimming. Failing the check stops your movement and you sink. The check must be done every turn when moving in water.
Stealth and Hiding: It's the universal theme that many people have a hard time wrapping their heads around: Making a Stealth check to Hide has nothing to do with visuals. The check has nothing to do with how well you can or cannot be seen. Instead, it's how well you mask yourself to all the other senses of any creature that might notice you.
The Hiding rules take been unseen as a given. You need that first even before checking to see how well other creatures can notice you. You either have to be invisible, behind a solid object that breaks line of sight, or behind Heavily Obscuring terrain (which is considered to be breaking line of sight). And if you are a Halfling, Wood Elf, or Skulker, various types of Lightly Obscuring terrain are considering blocking line of sight of you as well (large creatures, natural foliage and weather effects, and Dim Light respectively.)
Once you have accomplished this and have moved into a position that effectively has broken line of sight between the creature and yourself (which is the advantage of invisibility, in that you can stand anywhere, even right next to the creature, and accomplish this part)... you then make the Dex (Stealth) check to see how well you then mask everything else... your scent, your tracks, your movement affecting air currents, and especially your noise and volume. Those are all the things that the check is determining how well you are doing-- not how "good" your hiding place was.
And the thing about this check you made is that technically, the way the numbers works out, you aren't checking it against a DC to know if you have successfully Hidden. but rather, your roll is actually SETTING the DC for everybody else to find you. Your DM allowing you to make a DEX (Stealth) check (regardless of what you rolled on the d20) means you *are* Hidden. You just might not be Hidden very well.
And this distinction is important... because it's up to every other creature out there to find you. Each one has to individually surpass your Stealth check DC with their WIS (Perception) check to know where you are. If you rolled really badly on your Stealth check... all their Passive Perceptions might very well be all the successful checks they need. But if not... each creature's Perception check will determine individually whether a creature notices you or not.
What that means is that if you choose to attack while Hidden... you get to roll with Advantage against any creature out there whose Perception was too low to notice you, but not against anyone whose Perception was. The battlefield will probably be made up with both types of enemies.
It's at this point where the 'DM Adjudication' comes in, once you start layering in all the other things that can be done on top of this baseline state. Adding a Silence spell over the area where a person is Hiding? Perhaps the DM gives you Advantage on your DEX (Stealth) check because you are eliminating one of the possible indicators for how you could be found. Trying to Hide from a beast that your INT (Nature) check tells you has a Keen Sense of smell? Perhaps you tell the DM you intend to Hide downwind of the beast, and the DM has you make a WIS (Survival) check to do so... and if successful, he removes the Advantage on the Perception check the beast gets to notice you. If you are currently Hidden from a guard on duty and you are behind him, perhaps you tell the DM you wish to slowly move up to the guard and then knock him out silently? He or she then rules whether circumstances are good for you to make an advance on that guard from behind while maintaining the DEX (Stealth) check DC you had rolled or if they require you to make a new roll since you are no longer behind line-of-sight blocking terrain (even though if the guard doesn't turn around, you still are "out of line of sight" since they're not looking in your direction.)
Disguise and Impersonation: Disguise serves to have the appearance of a category of people (race, class, profession, social class, etc.) or of a specific person. To perfectly identify what you want to disguise yourself into requires you to have seen and better even, interacted with your target. If you have not, your DM might ask you to perform an Investigation (Int) check, with a varying difficulty. In order to adopt the appropriate appearance, you need to perform a Disguise (Int) check, to which you may add your proficiency bonus if you are proficient in the disguise kit. Note you will always need adequate props. The time necessary is variable, though note it will rarely take less than 1 hour to pull together a disguise. No one will question your disguise without interaction with you as long as your check exceeds DC 10. With interaction, people will notice a flaw in your disguise if their passive Investigation is above your disguise check. If someone has a reason to suspect a disguise, he can use an action to make an Investigation (Int) check against your original Disguise check to see that you are disguised.
Whether you are disguised or not, you may attempt to impersonate a category of people (race or other obvious cases require a disguise). Without a disguise you will have disadvantage on your impersonation checks. With a great disguise you might have advantage. To impersonate a specific person, you need a disguise. If you are impersonating speech, you will additionally need the actor feat or some magical means to mimic speech. Obviously if your target does not know the person, a disguise or a mimic might not be necessary at all. Impersonation requires a contested Performance (Cha) check for a show, or Deception (Cha) check for a bluff, contested by the target(s) Insight (Wis). If you succeed, your target(s) believes your impersonation. If not, he notices that your impersonating.
Once you have established your identity, you may interact freely with your target(s) as if you were the impersonated category or person.
Perception: Passive perception works without an action. Some things (like finding hidden opponents with a Stealth check higher than you passive perception check) require the Search action to find. If you use an action to inspect 5 square feet of space, you get advantage on your check. If you move faster than half speed you get disadvantage on your Perception checks. Most traps are detected through the use of Perception.
Investigation: Searching for clues in your surroundings requires an action and allows an Investigation check. If you use an action to inspect 5 square feet of space, you get advantage on your check. If you move faster than half speed you get disadvantage on your Investigation checks. Investigation also serves to detect illusions. Active Investigation is often used to disbelieve an illusion. Some traps are detected through the use of Investigation (most magical traps).
Deception: Deception checks are made against Insight (Wis) of the target. If it fails, the target does not believe your deception.
Sleight of Hand: Many uses for this skill. To perform a pickpocket, two parameters: success and detection. They are both determined by the same roll.
To be detected, a sleight of hand attempt requires an opposed roll against passive Perception. If the target is distracted, he has disadvantage on his Perception.
The usual difficulty for a pickpocket is 20 if the item to be sleighed is unattached to the target (inside of a pocket, in a scabbard), 25 if it is attached (necklace, chained). If the target is aware, the roll has disadvantage. An aware target may use his reaction to have the check automatically fail.
Medicine: You need a healer's kit to stabilize a creature (DC 10 check). This skill is used to for First Aid (Wis) and Knowledge (Int) purposes.
Adventuring:
Rests: Generally, a character cannot gain the mechanical benefits of more than three rests within a 24-hour period of time, one of which can be a long rest.
Rests are interrupted by any fight you are involved in, any spell you cast, any active skill you use, etc. They are also interrupted by travelling. Interrupted rests generally reset the minimum timer necessary to perform the rest successfully.
Resting in armor stops you from recovering Exhaustion levels.
Fatigue: Activity in a day is limited to 8 hours a day without penalty. For every hour of extra activity, the Forced March rules (PHB p. 181) are used. 8 hours of sleep (or 4 hours of Trance for an Elf) resets the timer for fatigue saving throws.
Blindsight: Blindsight is a hard counter to any form of Hiding or Stealth. You know the location of everything within range and do not suffer disadvantage for lack of visual sight. However, you rely on specific alternate senses, which can be shut down, making you lose the benefits of blindsight.
Heat and cold: Temperatures above 20 degrees or under 5 degrees celsius will lead to Constitution saving throws to prevent exhaustion.
Combat:
Critical failures: Natural rolls of 1 on attack rolls imply a critical failure. The DM will describe what happens.
Drop an item: Dropping anything from one or both your hands is free. Picking an item up is an interaction.
Interaction with your equipment: We will apply strict verisimilitude rules for this. One free interaction allows to draw a weapon or an item from a specially prepared equipment part, not from your backpack. Interaction with a firmly held part of your equipment will require 2 interactions or a full action. To rummage in your backpack for an item will require a full action. Scroll cases, potion belts, scabbards are all useful items.
Shooting into Close Combat: Shooting into close combat gives a Minor Cover (+2 AC) to the target, if you are shooting from an angle (45 degrees at least) or your target is one size larger than the covering creature. If the covering creature is the same size as the target and you are not shooting from angle of at least 45 degrees, the cover is heavy (+5 AC). Some abilities allow you to ignore cover bonuses. Also, if you shoot from behind a creature (90 degrees arc), it gets no cover bonuses.
Ready action: Abilities that are used on your own turn (like the Extra Attack Ability) cannot be used when you act within a ready action.
Lingering Injuries: If you reach 0 hit points for any reason and do not die, your DM can roll for a lingering injury.
Contested rolls and conditions: Generally, any condition that makes you automatically fail Strength and Dexterity Saving Throws also make you automatically fail contested rolls requiring these Abilities.
Stabilize the Dying: Cannot be done without using a Healer's Kit or a Spell.
Grappling/Shoving: These are performed as part of an Attack action, and replace an Attack. They are considered performed as an unarmed strike and require a free hand. You may Shove aside (DMG p.272) a creature you are grappling, without disadvantage.
Moving within the reach of an opponent: all movement within the reach of an opponent is considered done in difficult terrain.
New Maneuvers: Mark, Tumble and Overrun (DMG p. 271-272) are available.
I don't post much but I follow these forums extensively. I am currently DMing Princes of the Apocalypse with a new players groups as well as Out of the Abyss with a group of vétérans.
People at my table like storytelling much, but enjoy a simulationist experience with as much control over their character and its interactions with the world. We also all enjoy to limit on the fly rulings to a minimum. I have therefore compounded all the rules interprétations and house rules that I use at my table.
I also used the opportunity to introduce a balancing act of the rules, so as to make all character options viable and powerful, give system mastery an edge, but without making the discrepancy between system masters and newer players unmanageable. Also, I don't have the time to rewrite the whole Monster Manual to accomodate for PCs who use system mastery to achieve unintended RAI power levels.
The rules are tweaked for a medium level magic item distribution, something like +1 across the board from lvls 6 to 10, +2 from 11 to 16, and +3 from 17 to 20.
I have used many sources of inspiration, including many from this very forum.
I would very much enjoy feedback, especially constructive critical feedback of some of the nerfs/buffs/tweaks, whether they seem badly worded or conceived, or could simply be made better. Most modifications are self explanatory, and most of the rationale can be found within the usual debates on 5e forums. Thank you for reading.
D&D 5th Edition House Rules
We play in the Forgotten Realms setting.
The Following books are freely available to players:
- Player's Handbook (PHB);
- Sword Coast Adventure Guide (SCAG);
- Elemental Evil Player's Companion (EE);
- The Dungeon Master's Guide (DMG).
Refrain from checking the Monster Manual, for everyone's enjoyment.
In this document, Black is a clarification or a neutral rebalancing, Blue is a boost, Red is a nerf.
General:
Ability Rolls: Use Custom Method 27 points (PHB p. 13).
If your character benefitted from a different ruleset before this house rule: good for you .
Experience: We use the Milestone variant (aka. You level when you reach a story milestone).
Hit Points: When you level up, you roll your hit point increase twice and choose the roll you keep.
Deaths: This game is deadly. There is no penalty to dying when creating a new character. The show must go on!
Character Roles: D&D is a combat intensive game. Therefore 2 sets of roles typically exist: Combat (Tank, Offtank, Ranged DPR, Support, Control) and Non-Combat (Wild Exploration, Urban Exploration, Athlete, Social and Knowledge). A well designed character combines at least a Combat and Non-Combat Role. A well-balanced party has all bases covered. Classes are very versatile and can fulfil many roles depending on how they are built.
Races:
Variant Humans are allowed.
Races from Elemental Evil allowed, except Goliath.
Half-Elves must use the specific Forgotten Realms table.
Tiefling variants from SCAG are allowed.
Aasimar from DMG are allowed.
Classes:
Multiclass characters are not allowed. If you wish to play a character concept that you cannot find in the rules, ask your DM for tailoring options.
Barbarian:
Path of the Berserker: Frenzy may be activated as a bonus action or when you enter a Rage. Intimidating Presence DC uses Strength instead of Charisma on any Large or smaller Creature.
Bard:
Superior Inspiration: Replace with: If you have less than 2 uses of Inspiration left when you roll initiative, gain a use of Inspiration.
Cleric:
Divine Spells are prepared during a 10 minute ritual at a time specific to each deity. Spell slots are regained at the end of a long rest as normal.
New Domains can be worked out with your DM, if you have a specific deity and no appropriate Domain is applicable.
Death Domain (DMG) is available.
Trickery Domain: Lvl 1: Replace with: Gain proficiency in 1 Tool of your choice among: Thieves' Tools, Poisoner's Kit, Disguise Kit. Gain 1 skill from: Sleight of Hand, Deception and Stealth. You add double your proficiency bonus to checks you make with that skill or that tool. 8th lvl.: Divine Strike: Use the War Domain's version.
Nature Domain: 2nd lvl.: Lasts 8 hours, until it is harmed by you or your allies or until you use your channel divinity ability again.
Druid:
Divine Spells are prepared during a 10 minute ritual at a time specific to each deity. Spell slots are regained at the end of a long rest as normal.
Wild Shape: Replace the rules for Wild Shape on page 67 (only) of the PHB with the following:
a) A Druid in Wild Shape retains its mental Ability Scores (Int, Wis and Cha), Proficiencies, Hit Dice and hit points of his natural form. You retain the benefit of any features from your Class, Race, or other source and can use them if the new form is physically capable of doing so. However, you cannot use any of your special senses unless your new form also has that sense.
The Druid gains the physical ability scores (Str, Con, Dex), Size, AC, Skill, Attack and Save Proficiencies, Attacks, Move Speeds, Senses and Special abilities of the Wild Shaped form.
b) A Druid uses his own proficiency bonus instead of the Creature's proficiency bonus, wherever applicable. Calculate any bonuses to any rolls as well as any DC with the Druid's proficiency bonus.
c) Druids gain an amount of temporary Hit points equal to twice their level whenever they assume a Wild Shape from their natural form. They lose any remaining temporary Hit points when they resume natural form.
d) A Druid in Wild Shape may use the following formula for his AC: 10+ Natural Armor + Dexterity of the shape + Proficiency bonus.
e) You choose whether your equipment falls to the ground in your space, merges into your new form or is worn by it. Your equipment does not change in size and form to match the new form, and any equipment that the new form can't wear must either fall to the ground or merge with it. When merged, only equipment with passive effects can still apply any benefit (for example, a Luck Stone will continue to apply, whereas a Shield won't).
Land Druid:
Land's Stride: Works on difficult magical terrain as well, no help against obstacles.
Nature’s Ward: Add Monstrosities to the list of affected Creatures.
Nature’s Sanctuary: Add Monstrosities to the list of affected Creatures.
Moon Druid:
Combat Wild Shape: A Druid in Wild Shape may use the following formula for his AC: 10+ Natural Armor + Dexterity of the shape + Proficiency bonus.
Fighter:
Protection Fighting Style: Replace with: When a creature you can see hits a target other than you that is within 5 feet of you, you can use your reaction to force a reroll of the attack. If you are wielding a shield, that reroll is done with disadvantage.
Banneret (SCAG): Rallying Cry: Targets gain 1D10 + your Fighter level. Inspiring Surge: Affect 2 Targets, then 3 Targets at lvl. 17. Bulwark: Applies to all Saving Throws.
Monk:
Perfect Self: Replace with: If you have less than 4 Ki when you roll initiative, gain 4 Ki.
Way of the Open Hand: Tranquility: Add: You may Cast Sanctuary on yourself as an action that costs 2 Ki.
Way of the Four Elements: All the basic Ki costs for your Monastic Tradition abilities are reduced by 1.
Way of the Sun Soul: Searing Arc Strike: Casting Burning Hands costs 1 Ki.
Paladin:
Divine Spells are prepared during a 10 minute ritual at a time specific to each deity. Spell slots are regained at the end of a long rest as normal.
Protection Fighting Style: Replace with: When a creature you can see hits a target other than you that is within 5 feet of you, you can use your reaction to force a reroll of the attack. If you are wielding a shield, that reroll is done with disadvantage.
Oathbreakers (DMG) are available.
Divine Smite: You may only use Spell Slots from your Paladin levels to use Divine Smite.
Oath of Devotion: Sacred Weapon: Is channeled as a bonus Action. Holy Nimbus: Can be activated as a bonus action.
Ranger:
Divine Spells are prepared during a 10 minute ritual at a time specific to each deity. Spell slots are regained at the end of a long rest as normal.
Primeval Awareness: Replace with: Beginning at 3rd level, your mastery of ranger lore allows you to establish a powerful link to beasts and to the land around you. You have an innate ability to communicate with beasts, and they recognize you as a kindred spirit. Through sounds and gestures, you can communicate simple ideas to a beast as an action, and can read its basic mood and intent. You learn its emotional state, whether it is affected by magic of any sort, its short-term needs (such as food or safety), and actions you can take (if any) to persuade it to not attack. You cannot use this ability against a creature that you have attacked within the past 10 minutes. Additionally, you can attune your senses to determine if any of your favoured enemies lurk nearby. By spending 1 uninterrupted minute in concentration (as if you were concentrating on a spell), you can sense whether any of your favoured enemies are present within 5 miles of you. This feature reveals which of your favored enemies are present, their numbers, and the creatures’ general direction and distance (in miles) from you.
If there are multiple groups of your favoured enemies within range, you learn this information for each group.
Spells Known: Each Ranger Archetype benefits from a list of spells (one per level) that they always have prepared and that does not count towards their number of spells known. Ask your DM what the list is for your chosen Archetype.
Extra Attack: Removed
Land's Stride: Works on difficult magical terrain as well, no help against obstacles.
Hide in Plain sight: Replace with: Gain ability to Hide in any cover of your favored terrains, if you are wearing camouflage.
Foe Slayer: Applies on any target.
Hunter: Add:
Extra Attack: At 5th level, when you take the Attack action, you may perform a second weapon attack.
Beast Master: Replace all abilities with the following:
Animal Companion: At 3rd level, you learn to use your magic to create a powerful bond with a creature of the natural world. With 8 hours of work and the expenditure of 50gp worth of rare herbs and fine food, you call forth an animal from the wilderness to serve as your faithful companion. You normally select you companion from among the following animals: an ape, a black bear, a boar, a giant badger, a giant weasel, a mule, a panther, or a wolf. However, your DM might pick one of these animals for you, based on the surrounding terrain and on what types of creatures would logically be present in the area. At the end of the 8 hours, your animal companion appears and gains all the benefits of your Companion’s Bond ability. You can have only one animal companion at a time.
Your Companion Animal gains a variety of benefits while it is linked to you. The animal companion loses its Multiattack action, if it has one. The companion obeys your commands as best it can. It rolls for initiative like any other creature, but you determine its actions, decisions, attitudes, and so on. If you are incapacitated or absent, your companion acts on its own. When using your Favored Terrain feature, you and your animal companion can both move stealthily at a normal pace. Your companion’s game statistics are determined in part by your level. Your companion uses your proficiency bonus rather than its own. In addition to the areas where it normally uses its proficiency bonus, an animal companion also adds its proficiency bonus to its AC and to its damage rolls. Your animal companion gains proficiency in two skills of your choice. It also becomes proficient with all saving throws you are proficient in. For each level you gain after 3rd, your animal companion gains an additional hit die and increases its hit points accordingly. Whenever you gain the Ability Score Improvement class feature, your companion’s abilities also improve. Your companion can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or it can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, your companion can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature unless its description specifies otherwise. Your companion shares your alignment, and has a personality trait and a flaw that you can roll for or select from the tables below. Your companion shares your ideal, and its bond is always, “The ranger that travels with me is a beloved companion for whom I would gladly give my life.”
d6 Trait 1 I’m dauntless in the face of adversity. 2 Threaten my friends, threaten me. 3 I stay on alert so others can rest. 4 People see an animal and underestimate me. I use that to my advantage. 5 I have a knack for showing up in the nick of time. 6 I put my friends’ needs before my own in all things.
d6 Flaw 1 If there’s food left unattended, I’ll eat it. 2 I growl at strangers, and all people except my ranger are strangers to me. 3 Any time is a good time for a belly rub. 4 I’m deathly afraid of water. 5 My idea of hello is a flurry of licks to the face. 6 I jump on creatures to tell them how much I love them.
Coordinated Attack: Beginning at 5th level, you and your animal companion form a more potent fighting team. When you use the Attack action on your turn, if your companion can see you, it can use its reaction to make a melee attack.
Beast’s Defense: At 7th level, while your companion can see you, it has advantage on all saving throws.
Storm of Claws and Fangs: At 11th level, your companion can use its action to make a melee attack against each creature of its choice within 5 feet of it, with a separate attack roll for each target.
Share Spells: Beginning at 15th level, when you cast a spell targeting yourself, you can also affect your beast companion with the spell if the beast is within 30 ft. of you.
If your Companion isn’t a ¼ Challenge level beast for some reason or another, work with your DM to adapt either its abilities, or adapt the abilities your Beast Mastery would give it.
Rogue:
Mastermind is not available.
Stroke of Luck: Gain the Lucky Feat as written (PHB p.167). Replaces current text.
Thief: Second Story work: Replace with: You may use your Dexterity for Climb checks. You may add your Dexterity modifier in feet (minimum 5 feet) to your running jump distances. Use Magic Item: You may use half your proficiency bonus instead of any relevant Spellcasting ability when you emulate the Spellcasting Ability of any class.
Assassin: Replace Infiltration Expertise and Impostor with: 9th lvl.: Soul of Deceit: you cannot be the target of divination magic or perceived through magical sensors unless you choose to. Additionally, you can present false thoughts by making a Deception (Cha) check contested by the mind reader’s Insight (Wis) check. 13th lvl.: Sinister Strikes: Choose either: a) When attacking with a Hand Crossbow, you gain a +2 bonus to-hit. b) When attacking with a Dagger, you score a critical on a roll of 19-20 and you can add your Ability Damage modifier on your off-hand attacks.
Swashbuckler: 9th. Panache: Panache stops working if you are hidden from your opponent. Replace Elegant Maneuver with 13th lvl.: Elegant Maneuver: When you use the Dodge action, you may perform 1 attack as a bonus action.
Sorcerer:
Check with your DM for additional sorcerer spells to support your concept.
Metamagic: Metamagic options can only affect Sorcerer-known spells.
Twin Spell: A twinned spell counts for 1 spell for all intents and purposes, including later round actions.
Wild Mage: Wild Surges: Every time you cast a spell of level 1 or higher, roll a D20. On a roll of 3 or less, a Wild Surge occurs.
Warlock:
Wizard:
Transmuter: Shapechanger: The spell cast is Shapechange, not Polymorph. You still learn Polymorph.
Bladesinger: Bladesong: The Intelligence AC bonus from the Bladesong only applies against opportunity attacks.
Equipment:
Scimitar: Scimitar loses its light quality, and deals 1D8 damage on a hit.
Trident: uses 1d6 dmg, (1d10 versatile). It also weighs 5 lbs.
Urgosh: Martial melee weapon, 150 gp, 1D10 slashing, Heavy, Two-Handed, 7 lbs., Note: The other end of the Urgosh is tipped like a Spear. Whenever you make an attack with that end, the damage die is 1D6 piercing.
Healer’s Kit: You need to perform a Medicine (Wis) DC 10 check to use it.
Feats: This section completely replaces the Feat section in the PHB.
Alchemist: You have studied the secrets of alchemy and are an expert in its practice, gaining the following benefits:
• Increase your Intelligence or Wisdom score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
• You gain proficiency with Alchemist’s supplies or the Herbalism Kit. If you are already proficient with the tool you choose, you add double your proficiency bonus to checks you make with it.
• As an action, you can identify one potion within 5 feet of you, as if you had tasted it. You must see the liquid for this benefit to work.
• Over the course of any short rest, you can temporarily improve the potency of up to 12 potions of healing of any rarity, and/or any Alchemy concoction (like Acid Flask or Alchemist's Fire). To use this benefit, you must have alchemist’s supplies with you, and the potion/concoction must be within reach. If the potion is drunk no more than 1 hour after the short rest ends, the creature drinking the potion can forgo the potion’s die roll and regains the maximum number of hit points that the potion can restore. If you succeed an Alchemist's supplies (Int) check with a DC of 20, the effect lasts 8 hours.
Alert: Always on the lookout for danger, you gain the following benefits:
• You gain a +5 bonus to Initiative.
• You may use reactions even while surprised.
• Other creatures don't gain advantage on attack rolls against you as a result of being hidden or unseen from you.
Athlete: You have undergone extensive physical training to gain the following benefits:
• Increase your Strength or Dexterity score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
• When you are prone, standing up uses only 5 feet of your movement.
• Climbing doesn't cost you extra movement.
• You can make a running long jump or a running high jump after moving only 5 feet on foot, rather than 10 feet.
• You have advantage on swimming checks.
Actor: Skilled at mimicry and dramatics, you gain the following benefits:
• Increase your Charisma score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
• You have advantage on Charisma (Deception) an Charisma (Performance) checks when trying to pass yourself as a different person.
• You can mimic the speech of another person or the sounds made by other creatures. You must have heard the person speaking, or heard the creature make the sound, for a t least 1 minute. A successful Insight (Wis) contested by your Charisma (Deception) check allows a listener to determine the effect is faked.
Axeman: Your axes cut through flesh and steel like it was nothing. You gain the following benefits:
• Increase your Strength score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
Additionally, when wielding any Handaxe, Battleaxe, War Pick or Greataxe, you gain the following benefits:
• Whenever you have advantage on a melee attack roll you make with the weapon and hit, you may add 2 to your damage roll, if the lower of the two D20 rolls would also hit the target.
• Whenever you have disadvantage on a melee attack roll you make with the weapon and miss, you may deal your ability modifier in damage to your target, if the higher of the two D20 rolls would hit the target.
Burglar: You pride yourself on your quickness and your close study of certain clandestine activities. You gain the following benefits:
• Increase your Dexterity score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
• You gain proficiency with Thieves’ tools. If you are already proficient with them, you add double your proficiency bonus to checks you make with them.
Charger: When you use the Attack action, you may Dash as a bonus action.
Crossbow Expert: Thanks to extensive practice with crossbows, you gain the following benefits:
• You ignore the loading property of crossbows with which you are proficient.
• Being within 5 feet of a hostile creature doesn't impose disadvantage on your ranged attack rolls with a crossbow.
• When you use the Attack action and attack with a one-handed weapon, you can use a bonus action to attack with a hand crossbow you are holding. You do not add your ability modifier to damage on this attack.
Dead-eye: You are a master of the bow. You gain the following benefits:
• You may act as though you had a free hand when wielding a Shortbow or Longbow that you are proficient with. Attacking with those weapons still requires your two hands.
• Before you make a ranged weapon attack with a Shortbow or Longbow that you are proficient with, you can choose to take a -5 penalty to the attack roll. If the attack hits, you add +5 to the attack's damage.
Defensive Duelist: Prerequisite: Dexterity 13 or higher.
When you are wielding a Dagger, a Rapier, a Scimitar, a Shortsword, a Greatsword or a Longsword with which you are proficient and another creature hits you with a melee attack, you can use your reaction to add your proficiency bonus to your AC for that attack, potentially causing the attack to miss you.
Dual Wielder: You master fighting with two weapons, gaining the following benefits:
• You can use two-weapon fighting even when the one-handed melee weapons you are wielding are not light.
• You can draw or stow two one handed weapons when you would normally be able to draw or stow only one.
• Once on each of your turns when wielding a separate melee weapon in each hand and you miss with an attack, you can make another attack.
Dungeon Delver: Alert to the hidden traps and secret doors found in many dungeons, you gain the following benefits:
• You have advantage on Perception (Wis) and Investigation (Int) checks made to detect the presence of secret doors.
• You have advantage on saving throws made to avoid or resist traps.
• You have resistance to damage made by traps.
• You do not suffer disadvantage by moving at full speed on your checks to find traps.
Durable: Hardy and resilient, you gain the following benefits:
• Increase your Constitution score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
• When you roll a Hit Die to regain hit points, the minimum number of hit points you regain from the roll equals twice your Constitution modifier (minimum of 2).
• You regain all lost levels of Exhaustion at the end of a long rest.
Elemental Adept: Prerequisite: Ability to cast at least one spell.
When you gain this feat, choose one of the following damage types: Acid, Cold, Fire, Lightning or Thunder. Spells you cast ignore resistance to damage of the chosen type. In addition, when you roll for damage for a spell you cast that deals damage of that type, you can treat any 1 on a damage die as a 2. You may choose this feat multiple times, each time for a different damage type.
Expert: You are an expert at a certain skill.
Choose a skill. If you are proficient with it, you add double your proficiency bonus to your skill checks for that skill.
Fell-Handed: Prerequisite: Strength 13 or higher.
Your blows shake your enemies like thunder. You gain the following benefits:
• Increase your Strength score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
Additionally, when wielding any Light Hammer, Mace, Flail, Maul, Morningstar or Warhammer, you gain the following benefits:
• Whenever you have advantage on a melee attack roll you make with the weapon and hit, your target suffers disadvantage on his next ability check or attack roll, if the lower of the two D20 rolls would also hit the target. This effect does not stack.
• Whenever you have disadvantage on a melee attack roll you make with the weapon and miss, you may deal your ability modifier in damage to your target, if the higher of the two D20 rolls would hit the target.
Gourmand: You have mastered a variety of special recipes, allowing you to prepare exotic dishes with useful effects. You gain the following benefits:
• Increase your Charisma or Constitution score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
• You gain proficiency with Cook’s utensils. If you are already proficient with them, you add double your proficiency bonus to checks you make with them.
• As an action, you can inspect a drink or plate of food within 5 feet of you and determine whether it is poisoned, provided that you can see and smell it.
• During a long rest, you can prepare and serve a meal that helps you and your allies recover from
the rigors of adventuring, provided you have suitable food, cook’s utensils, and other supplies on hand. The meal serves up to six people, and each person who eats it regains all their Hit Dice at the end of the long rest. In addition, if you succeed in a Cook's supplies (Cha) check with a DC of 15, those who partake of the meal have advantage on Constitution saving throws against disease and poison effects for the next 24 hours.
Grappler: Prerequisite: Strength 13 or higher
You've developed the skills necessary to hold your own on close quarters grappling. You gain the following benefits:
• You have advantage on attack rolls against a creature you are grappling.
• You may Shove creatures up to 2 sizes larger than you.
• You can use an attack action to try and pin a creature grappled by you. If you benefit from the Extra attack feature, you may replace one of the attacks you do during the attack action to perform this manoeuvre. To do so, make another grapple check. If you succeed, you and the creature are both Restrained until the grapple ends.
Great Weapon Master: You've learned to put the weight of a weapon to your advantage, letting its momentum empower your strikes. You gain the following benefits:
• On your turn, when you score a critical hit or reduce a creature to 0 hit points with a melee weapon, you can make one melee weapon attack as a bonus action.
• Once per turn, before you make a melee weapon attack with a heavy weapon that you are proficient with, you can choose to take a -5 penalty to the attack roll. If the attack hits, you add +10 to the attack's damage.
Healer: ou are an able physician, allowing you to mend wounds quickly and get your allies back in the fight. You gain the following benefits:
• Your Medicine (Wis) checks are rolled with advantage.
• When you use a healer's kit to stabilize a dying creature, that creature also regains 1 hit point.
• As an action, you can spend one use of a healer's kit and make a DC 15 Medicine (Wis) check to tend to a creature and restore 1D6 + 4 hit points to it, plus additional hit points equal to the creature's maximum number of Hit Dice. The creature can't regain hit points this way again until it finishes a short or long rest.
Heavily Armored: Prerequisite: Proficiency with Medium Armor
You have trained to master the use of heavy armor, gaining the following benefits:
• Increase your Strength score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
• You gain proficiency with Heavy Armor.
Heavy Armor Master: Prerequisite: proficiency with Heavy Armor.
You can use your armor to deflect strikes that would kill others. You gain the following benefits:
• Increase your Strength score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
• While you are wearing heavy armor, bludgeoning, piercing and slashing non-magical damage that you take is reduced by 3.
Inspiring Leader: Prerequisite Charisma 13 or higher
You can spend 10 minutes inspiring your companions, shoring up their resolve to fight. When you do so, choose up to 6 friendly creatures (which can include yourself) within 30 feet of you who can see or hear you and who can understand you. Each creature can gain temporary hit points equal to your level + your Charisma modifier. A creature can't gain temporary hit points from this feat again until it has finished a short or long rest.
Keen Mind: You have a mind that easily notices when something is amiss and can track detail with uncanny precision. You gain the following benefits:
• Increase your Intelligence score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
• You can accurately recall anything you have seen or heard within the past month.
• You gain advantage on active Investigation checks to see through illusions.
• If you can see a creature's mouth while it's speaking a language you can understand, you can interpret what it's saying by reading it's lips.
Lightly Armored: You have trained to master the use of light armor, gaining the following benefits:
• Increase your Strength or Dexterity score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
• You gain proficiency with Light Armor.
Linguist: You have studied languages and codes, gaining the following benefits:
• Increase your Intelligence score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
• You learn three languages of your choice.
• You can ably create written ciphers. Others can't decipher a code you create unless you teach them, they succeed on an Intelligence check (DC equal Intelligence score + your prof. bonus), or they use magic to decipher it.
Lucky: You gain a bonus of +1 to all your saving throw checks.
Mage Slayer: You have practiced techniques useful in melee combat against spellcasters, gaining the following benefit:
• When a creature within 5 feet of you casts a spell, you can use your reaction to make a melee weapon attack against that creature.
• When you damage a creature that is concentrating on a spell, that creature has disadvantage on the saving throw it makes to maintain its concentration.
• You have advantage on saving throws against spells cast by creatures with 5 feet of you.
Magic Initiate:
Choose a class: Bard, Cleric, Druid, Sorcerer, Warlock or Wizard. You learn two cantrips of your choice from that class's spell list. In addition, choose one 1st level spell to learn from that same list. Using this feat, you can cast this spell once at its lowest level, and you must finish a long rest before you can cast it in this way again. You may cast it normally with your other spell slots if you can cast spells of that class. Your spellcasting ability depends on the class you chose.
Martial Adept: You have martial training that allows you to perform special combat maneuvers. You may take this feat multiple times. You gain the following benefits:
• You gain two maneuvers from the Battle Master Fighter Archetype. Save DCs (if relevant) are 8 + Str/Dex mod + your Proficiency bonus.
• You gain two Superiority Dice, which are always D6s, which are added to any other Superiority Dice you have from another source. Follow the rules on Superiority Dice in the Battle Master Fighter Archetype.
Master of Disguise: You have honed your ability to shape your personality and to read the personalities of others. You gain the following benefits:
• Increase your Intelligence or Charisma score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
• You gain proficiency with the Disguise kit. If you are already proficient with it, you add double your proficiency bonus to checks you make with it.
• If you spend 1 hour observing a creature, you can then spend 8 hours crafting a disguise you can quickly don to mimic that creature. Making the disguise requires a disguise kit. You must make checks as normal to disguise yourself, but you can assume the disguise as an action.
Master of Poisons: You have spent countless hours studying poisons and training in their most effect use, as well as against their adverse effects. You gain the following benefits:
• Increase your Intelligence or Dexterity score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
• You gain proficiency with the Poison kit. If you are already proficient with it, you add double your proficiency bonus to checks you make with it.
• You may apply poison on a weapon as a bonus action.
• You gain advantage on Constitution saving throws against poison.
• You gain resistance to poison damage.
Medium Armor Master: Prerequisite: Proficiency with medium armor
You have practiced moving in medium armor to gain the following benefits:
• Wearing medium armor doesn't impose disadvantage on your Stealth (Dex) checks.
• When you wear medium armor, you can add 3, rather than 2, to your AC if you have a dexterity of 16 or higher.
Mobile: You are exceptionally speedy and agile. You gain the following benefits.
• Your speed increases by 10ft.
• When you use the Dash action, difficult terrain doesn't cost you extra movement on that turn.
• When you make a melee attack against a creature, you don't provoke opportunity attacks from that creature for the rest of the turn, whether you hit or not.
Moderately Armored: Prerequisitie: Proficiency with light armor
You have trained to master the use of medium armor an shields, gaining the following benefits:
• Increase your Strength or Dexterity score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
• You gain proficiency with medium armor and shields.
Mounted Combatant: You are a dangerous foe to face while mounted. While you are mounted and aren't incapacitated, you gain the following benefits:
• You have advantage on melee attack rolls against any unmounted creature that is smaller than your mount.
• You can force an attack targeted at your mount to target you instead.
• If your mount s subjected to an effect that allows it to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, it instead takes no damage if it succeeds on the saving throw, and only half damage if it fails.
Observant: Quick to notice details of your environment, you gain the following benefits:
• Increase your Intelligence or Wisdom score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
• You have a +5 bonus to your passive Perception and passive Investigation checks.
Polearm Master: You gain the following benefits:
When wielding with your 2 hands a Halberd, a Glaive, a Pike, an Urgosh, a Quarterstaff, or a Trident, you gain the following abilities:
• You can set your weapon to receive a charge. As a bonus action, name a creature you can see that is at least 20 feet away from you. If that creatures moves in your weapon’s reach by your next turn, you can make a melee attack against it with your weapon as a reaction. You can’t use this ability if the creature used the Disengage action before moving.
• When you use the Attack action and attack only with your weapon, you can use a bonus action to attack with the opposite end of the weapon. You don't add your ability modifier to the damage of the bonus attack. The weapon's damage die for this attack is a D4, and it deals bludgeoning damage. This attack is considered done by a melee weapon with only the two-handed property.
• You may use a bonus action to increase the reach of your weapon by 5 feet until the start of your next turn.
Resilient: Choose one ability score. You gain the following benefits:
• Increase your chosen ability score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
• You gain proficiency in saving throws using the chosen ability.
Ritual Caster: Prerequisite: Ability score of 13 or higher in the spellcasting ability of your chosen class.
Refer to PHB p. 169.
Savage Attacker: You gain the following benefits:
• Increase your Strength score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
• Once per turn when you roll damage for a melee weapon attack, you can reroll the weapon's damage dice and use either total.
Sentinel: You have mastered techniques to take advantage of every drop in any enemy's guard, gaining the following benefits: Refer to PHB p. 169.
Sharpshooter: You have mastered ranged weapons and can make shots that others find impossible. You gain the following benefits:
• Your ranged weapon attacks ignore half cover, and treat three-quarters cover as half cover.
• Your ranged weapon attacks see their short range doubled.
• Your ranged weapon attacks can never hit an unintended target.
Shield Master: Refer to PHB p. 170
Skilled: You gain proficiency in any combination of three skills or tools of your choice. Alternatively, you gain proficiency in one skill/tool and increase the relevant ability score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
Skulker: Refer to PHB p. 170
Spell Sniper: Prerequisite: The ability to cast at least one spell
You have learned techniques to enhance your attacks with certain kinds of spells, gaining the following benefits:
• When you cast a spell that requires you to make an attack roll, the spell's range is doubled.
• Your ranged spell attacks ignore half cover, and treat three-quarters cover as half cover.
• Your ranged weapon attacks can never hit an unintended target.
Spell Savant: Prerequisite: Ability to cast spells
Choose two spells of 5th level or lower from your Class's spell list. You always have these spells prepared or known, in addition to the number of spells you usually are allowed to prepare or know from your class's spell list.
Survivalist: You have trained yourself in outdoor survival skills extensively. You gain the following benefits:
• Increase your Constitution, Intelligence or Wisdom score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
• Choose a terrain type among the different terrain types available to Rangers. You gain all the benefits of the Natural Explorer Ranger Class Feature in your chosen terrain type.
Tavern Brawler: refer to PHB p. 170.
Tough: Your hit point maximum increases by an amount equal to twice your level. Whenever you gain a level thereafter, your hit point maximum increases by an additional 2 hit points.
War Caster: Refer to PHB p. 170
Weapon Master: Refer to PHB p. 170
Skills:
Acrobatics: You may use this skill to move through another person's space. DC depends on particulars like Size, but generally is 5 if the person is friendly, and 15 if the person is hostile.
Athletics: Swimming in armor requires a DC 10 check for light armor, DC 15 for Medium armor and DC20 for Heavy Armor. Medium Armor that gives disadvantage to Stealth give disadvantage to Swimming. Failing the check stops your movement and you sink. The check must be done every turn when moving in water.
Stealth and Hiding: It's the universal theme that many people have a hard time wrapping their heads around: Making a Stealth check to Hide has nothing to do with visuals. The check has nothing to do with how well you can or cannot be seen. Instead, it's how well you mask yourself to all the other senses of any creature that might notice you.
The Hiding rules take been unseen as a given. You need that first even before checking to see how well other creatures can notice you. You either have to be invisible, behind a solid object that breaks line of sight, or behind Heavily Obscuring terrain (which is considered to be breaking line of sight). And if you are a Halfling, Wood Elf, or Skulker, various types of Lightly Obscuring terrain are considering blocking line of sight of you as well (large creatures, natural foliage and weather effects, and Dim Light respectively.)
Once you have accomplished this and have moved into a position that effectively has broken line of sight between the creature and yourself (which is the advantage of invisibility, in that you can stand anywhere, even right next to the creature, and accomplish this part)... you then make the Dex (Stealth) check to see how well you then mask everything else... your scent, your tracks, your movement affecting air currents, and especially your noise and volume. Those are all the things that the check is determining how well you are doing-- not how "good" your hiding place was.
And the thing about this check you made is that technically, the way the numbers works out, you aren't checking it against a DC to know if you have successfully Hidden. but rather, your roll is actually SETTING the DC for everybody else to find you. Your DM allowing you to make a DEX (Stealth) check (regardless of what you rolled on the d20) means you *are* Hidden. You just might not be Hidden very well.
And this distinction is important... because it's up to every other creature out there to find you. Each one has to individually surpass your Stealth check DC with their WIS (Perception) check to know where you are. If you rolled really badly on your Stealth check... all their Passive Perceptions might very well be all the successful checks they need. But if not... each creature's Perception check will determine individually whether a creature notices you or not.
What that means is that if you choose to attack while Hidden... you get to roll with Advantage against any creature out there whose Perception was too low to notice you, but not against anyone whose Perception was. The battlefield will probably be made up with both types of enemies.
It's at this point where the 'DM Adjudication' comes in, once you start layering in all the other things that can be done on top of this baseline state. Adding a Silence spell over the area where a person is Hiding? Perhaps the DM gives you Advantage on your DEX (Stealth) check because you are eliminating one of the possible indicators for how you could be found. Trying to Hide from a beast that your INT (Nature) check tells you has a Keen Sense of smell? Perhaps you tell the DM you intend to Hide downwind of the beast, and the DM has you make a WIS (Survival) check to do so... and if successful, he removes the Advantage on the Perception check the beast gets to notice you. If you are currently Hidden from a guard on duty and you are behind him, perhaps you tell the DM you wish to slowly move up to the guard and then knock him out silently? He or she then rules whether circumstances are good for you to make an advance on that guard from behind while maintaining the DEX (Stealth) check DC you had rolled or if they require you to make a new roll since you are no longer behind line-of-sight blocking terrain (even though if the guard doesn't turn around, you still are "out of line of sight" since they're not looking in your direction.)
Disguise and Impersonation: Disguise serves to have the appearance of a category of people (race, class, profession, social class, etc.) or of a specific person. To perfectly identify what you want to disguise yourself into requires you to have seen and better even, interacted with your target. If you have not, your DM might ask you to perform an Investigation (Int) check, with a varying difficulty. In order to adopt the appropriate appearance, you need to perform a Disguise (Int) check, to which you may add your proficiency bonus if you are proficient in the disguise kit. Note you will always need adequate props. The time necessary is variable, though note it will rarely take less than 1 hour to pull together a disguise. No one will question your disguise without interaction with you as long as your check exceeds DC 10. With interaction, people will notice a flaw in your disguise if their passive Investigation is above your disguise check. If someone has a reason to suspect a disguise, he can use an action to make an Investigation (Int) check against your original Disguise check to see that you are disguised.
Whether you are disguised or not, you may attempt to impersonate a category of people (race or other obvious cases require a disguise). Without a disguise you will have disadvantage on your impersonation checks. With a great disguise you might have advantage. To impersonate a specific person, you need a disguise. If you are impersonating speech, you will additionally need the actor feat or some magical means to mimic speech. Obviously if your target does not know the person, a disguise or a mimic might not be necessary at all. Impersonation requires a contested Performance (Cha) check for a show, or Deception (Cha) check for a bluff, contested by the target(s) Insight (Wis). If you succeed, your target(s) believes your impersonation. If not, he notices that your impersonating.
Once you have established your identity, you may interact freely with your target(s) as if you were the impersonated category or person.
Perception: Passive perception works without an action. Some things (like finding hidden opponents with a Stealth check higher than you passive perception check) require the Search action to find. If you use an action to inspect 5 square feet of space, you get advantage on your check. If you move faster than half speed you get disadvantage on your Perception checks. Most traps are detected through the use of Perception.
Investigation: Searching for clues in your surroundings requires an action and allows an Investigation check. If you use an action to inspect 5 square feet of space, you get advantage on your check. If you move faster than half speed you get disadvantage on your Investigation checks. Investigation also serves to detect illusions. Active Investigation is often used to disbelieve an illusion. Some traps are detected through the use of Investigation (most magical traps).
Deception: Deception checks are made against Insight (Wis) of the target. If it fails, the target does not believe your deception.
Sleight of Hand: Many uses for this skill. To perform a pickpocket, two parameters: success and detection. They are both determined by the same roll.
To be detected, a sleight of hand attempt requires an opposed roll against passive Perception. If the target is distracted, he has disadvantage on his Perception.
The usual difficulty for a pickpocket is 20 if the item to be sleighed is unattached to the target (inside of a pocket, in a scabbard), 25 if it is attached (necklace, chained). If the target is aware, the roll has disadvantage. An aware target may use his reaction to have the check automatically fail.
Medicine: You need a healer's kit to stabilize a creature (DC 10 check). This skill is used to for First Aid (Wis) and Knowledge (Int) purposes.
Adventuring:
Rests: Generally, a character cannot gain the mechanical benefits of more than three rests within a 24-hour period of time, one of which can be a long rest.
Rests are interrupted by any fight you are involved in, any spell you cast, any active skill you use, etc. They are also interrupted by travelling. Interrupted rests generally reset the minimum timer necessary to perform the rest successfully.
Resting in armor stops you from recovering Exhaustion levels.
Fatigue: Activity in a day is limited to 8 hours a day without penalty. For every hour of extra activity, the Forced March rules (PHB p. 181) are used. 8 hours of sleep (or 4 hours of Trance for an Elf) resets the timer for fatigue saving throws.
Blindsight: Blindsight is a hard counter to any form of Hiding or Stealth. You know the location of everything within range and do not suffer disadvantage for lack of visual sight. However, you rely on specific alternate senses, which can be shut down, making you lose the benefits of blindsight.
Heat and cold: Temperatures above 20 degrees or under 5 degrees celsius will lead to Constitution saving throws to prevent exhaustion.
Combat:
Critical failures: Natural rolls of 1 on attack rolls imply a critical failure. The DM will describe what happens.
Drop an item: Dropping anything from one or both your hands is free. Picking an item up is an interaction.
Interaction with your equipment: We will apply strict verisimilitude rules for this. One free interaction allows to draw a weapon or an item from a specially prepared equipment part, not from your backpack. Interaction with a firmly held part of your equipment will require 2 interactions or a full action. To rummage in your backpack for an item will require a full action. Scroll cases, potion belts, scabbards are all useful items.
Shooting into Close Combat: Shooting into close combat gives a Minor Cover (+2 AC) to the target, if you are shooting from an angle (45 degrees at least) or your target is one size larger than the covering creature. If the covering creature is the same size as the target and you are not shooting from angle of at least 45 degrees, the cover is heavy (+5 AC). Some abilities allow you to ignore cover bonuses. Also, if you shoot from behind a creature (90 degrees arc), it gets no cover bonuses.
Ready action: Abilities that are used on your own turn (like the Extra Attack Ability) cannot be used when you act within a ready action.
Lingering Injuries: If you reach 0 hit points for any reason and do not die, your DM can roll for a lingering injury.
Contested rolls and conditions: Generally, any condition that makes you automatically fail Strength and Dexterity Saving Throws also make you automatically fail contested rolls requiring these Abilities.
Stabilize the Dying: Cannot be done without using a Healer's Kit or a Spell.
Grappling/Shoving: These are performed as part of an Attack action, and replace an Attack. They are considered performed as an unarmed strike and require a free hand. You may Shove aside (DMG p.272) a creature you are grappling, without disadvantage.
Moving within the reach of an opponent: all movement within the reach of an opponent is considered done in difficult terrain.
New Maneuvers: Mark, Tumble and Overrun (DMG p. 271-272) are available.