Trail Rules for D&D

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 score 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 5e or 5.5e sourcebooks or our own homebrew content.

Backstory

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

1. What are you afraid of?

2. What/who are you devoted to?

3. What do you want nobody else to know?

Classes

All standard D&D classes are available. But note the following for these specific classes (to learn more about particular terms, see world encyclopedia).

• The magical music of Bards is directly linked to the magic of angels, called the peyadari (see world encyclopedia), who have since Oesythem's Doom been released from their allegiance to the now-dead gods. While some bards were gifted this power in past centuries, "bardic magic" has until recently been fantastically rare.

• Clerics may choose a deity from the Oesythem (see world encyclopedia)—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 (see world encyclopedia).

• Warlock patrons only became available following Oesythem's Doom (see world encyclopedia).

Languages

Please choose your languages from the list specific to the world in the encyclopedia.

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 using 5.5e rules unless otherwise noted. You can find more about each species in the world encyclopedia.

• Dragonborn. Very rare.

• Dwarf. Rare.

• Elf. Very rare.

• Gnome. Rare.

• Goliath. Rare.

• Half-Elf. Uncommon. If you build a half-elf character, use the 5e (2014) rules but ignore the ability score increases.

• Halfling. Uncommon.

• Human. Common.

• Leonin. Very rare. If you build a leonin character, use the 5e (2014) rules but ignore the ability score increases.

• Orc. Uncommon.

• Tiefling. Very rare.

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.

Critical Attack Roll Fails

When a creature rolls a natural 1 on their attack roll, another creature may use their reaction to make a melee or ranged opportunity attack against them.

Death Saving Throws

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

Flanking

Sticking with the 5.5e rules: flanking does not grant advantage.

Gunpowder

Weapons that require gunpowder (Musket, Pistol) are not available, as this technology has not yet been invented.

Hit Dice Recovery

On a long rest, you recover half your pool of hit dice, not all.

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.

Potions

You may use an action instead of a bonus action to drink a healing potion for yourself. By doing so you gain the maximum number of hit points rather than rolling.

You can only use an action, not a bonus action, to administer a potion to another creature.

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.

Unconsciousness

When magical healing (including healing potions) brings you back from 0 hit points, you gain one level of Exhaustion. If you gain a sixth level of Exhaustion in this way, you do not die as a result; however, 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.