Trail Rules for D&D 5.5e

Sometimes a player attempts something so audacious, so cinematic, so undeniably cool that the rules ought to step aside and let it happen. When that moment arrives, the Guidemaster may bend or break the rules to make it real. Awesome trumps accurate — within reason. The Guidemaster is the final arbiter, and uses this power sparingly: when everything is cool, nothing is.

The Rule of Cool applies to character creation too: if you have a good idea for a character feature or item, let the Guidemaster know. Warning: there are always tradeoffs.

Ability Scores

You may use any of the options for determining Ability Scores: standard array, point buy, or rolling. If rolling, this must be done with the DM. When rolling ability scores: if the scores total is 66 or less, the player may discard the rolls and instead choose standard array or point buy.

Alignment

Choosing an alignment is optional. If you do choose an alignment, it should be treated as a guide for your character and how he or she will behave in the world, not as a strict moral parameter. Your character's alignment may also change. It is more important that you stay true to your character and his or her desires, fears, bonds, flaws, etc.

Background and Class

You may choose any background and class from the official sourcebooks or my own homebrew content.

Backstory

When writing your backstory, try to think of what your character, and only your character, would know.

Classes

All standard D&D classes are available. But note for these specific classes:

• Clerics may choose a deity from the Oesythem—but not necessarily. Since the Doom, the "shell" of divine power (prayers, spells, and all divine magic) works exactly the same in the world, but without a connection to any particular divinity.

• The natural magic of Druids and Rangers is indigenous to Nereolm, and did not exist in Oereolm. While many worshipped nature, there was no direct magical connection until the Exodus and Arrival. For example, in the Empire, wild shape / shapeshifting magic is often deeply feared and regarded as "orc magic".

• Monks are usually trained members of the Faenri. It's hard (but not impossible) to imagine a monk in the world who has come to their abilities without direct or indirect influence of the Faenri and its monasteries.

• Paladins are usually members of the Order of Shards or the Order of Anydar.

Languages

Choose your languages from the list specific to the world.

Literacy

If your character has an Intelligence score of 8 or less, they cannot functionally read or write.

Species

For species, choose one of the following:

• Dragonborn

• Dwarf (including Duergar)

• Elf

• Gnome (including Deep Gnome)

• Goliath

• Half-Elf

• Halfling

• Human

• Orc

• Tiefling

Gods and Domains

All deities belong to the Oesythem, the pantheon of gods from Oereolm before the Arrival. Regardless of your belief or worship, these gods existed and had an impact on the world. However, for campaigns set in the current time in Nereolm, the gods have all been killed. Their power (and the powers granted through prayer) remains.

Bargained Critical

You may choose to turn a hit into a critical hit by suffering two levels of exhaustion.

Breathers

You may take a five-minute rest if a short rest is not possible or desired. During a breather, you may roll one hit die (plus Constitution modifier) to recover hit points.

Death Saving Throws

Players make their death saving rolls in secret, and may not reveal the outcomes to the other players.

HP Advancement

The choice of fixed or manual is up to each player, each time they level up. You can either a) take the average of your hit dice roll, rounded up; or, b) you can throw the dice.

Inspiration

This is a tweak of the standard Inspiration rule. The group may have a total number of inspirations equal to the number of players, and each may be used by any player. Also, you may use an inspiration to reroll a roll already made, rather than declaring advantage prior to the roll.

Potions

You may use a bonus action to drink a potion. Administering a potion to a different creature requires an action.

Spellcasting

Inventing Spells. Wizards may attempt to invent a spell from scratch. Choose a spell for which you have spell slots (not cantrips) from any of the published sourcebooks. For each level of the spell chosen, you must spend 750gp and 24 hours of research. Thus, a 4th-level spell requires 96 hours of research (about 12 working days) and 3000gp. You may need to be in a suitable location, such as a library (DM's discretion). Once you have spent the time and gold, do an Arcana check with a DC of 18 + Spell Level. If you succeed, you copy the spell into your spellbook. For each failed attempt, the DC for inventing that specific spell in the future is reduced by 1.

Material Components. So long as you use a spellcasting focus, these are not needed for any spell, unless a spell requires components with a monetary value that are to be consumed by the spell. In that case, you must have either the item or the equivalent amount of gold, which you spend to cast the spell.

Multiple Spells Per Turn. Spellcasters may cast two spells per turn, as long as one of the spells is 2nd level or lower.

Switching Weapons

If you wish to stow a weapon in combat, you must use an action to do so. Alternatively, you may simply drop the weapon on the ground, which does not require a bonus action or action. Pulling out a weapon does not require a bonus action or action.

Unconsciousness

When you are knocked unconscious, you gain one level of Exhaustion. If you have five levels of exhaustion and are knocked unconscious, you gain a sixth level of Exhaustion and are therefore killed. If you are brought back to life with six levels of Exhaustion, you cannot become conscious again until eight uninterrupted hours have passed in that state, at which point one level of Exhaustion is removed.

Vicious Mockery

If you use the Vicious Mockery spell and the insult makes the DM laugh out loud, the target automatically fails the saving throw.