5e – Prestige Class – Luminous Order

There was about fifteen years where I wasn’t running D&D for my fantasy campaign world, instead I was running my own home-brew rules. Now, much of what came out in that time-frame was dreck and did nothing to convince me that I was missing anything, but there were a number of modules that were interesting and had a lot of potential. When I came back to 1E AD&D before I started running 5E D&D, I ran a handful of modules and one that I was setting up was The Shattered Gates of Slaughtergarde. It had something that I had no way to model exactly in AD&D (so I did it as more of an “extra” – that is pretty easy in AD&D), but with 5E they actually released rules for a Prestige Class, so I’ve decided to write-up my version of the “Solar Channeler” because I always thought it was kind of a neat idea and it fits my game world pretty nicely.

The Luminous Order

An ancient and mystical fraternity with roots that are said to predate even the Society of Light, and may be the original form of the current Lightbearers of the Church of the Lords of Light. The Luminous Order consists of individuals who have been chosen by the Angelic Host, to acts as channels for the Light and even to act as a kind of vessel for a member of the Host when needed.

The Luminous Order

• 1st Level – Channel Divinity (+1/Rest), Healing Touch, Divine Spellcasting
• 2nd Level – Summon Sword of Light, Greatsword Mastery
• 3rd Level – Channel the Host
• 4th Level – Channel Divinity (+2/Rest), Wisdom Score Improvement
• 5th Level – Greater Channel the Host

Requirements:

• Be a member of the Society of Light
• Of Good Alignment
• Be at least 5th Level in a Divine Spellcasting Class
• Have both a Wisdom and a Constitution of 16+

Class Features:

• Hit Dice are 1d8 per level
• Proficiency in Greatsword

Channel Divinity

The character gains an additional use of their Channel Divinity ability between rests, at the 4th Level of the Luminous Order this become two additional uses.

Healing Touch

The character may use their Channel Divinity ability to touch any living creature and cure them of 4d8+2 Hit Points of damage, as well as freeing them from any curse, disease, poison, blindness, or deafness.

Divine Spellcasting

The character continues to gain spellcasting levels, as a full spellcaster, for the purposes of multi-classing, as long as they are a Divine Spellcaster. Clerics essentially continue their spellcasting levels as normal while Paladins potentially gain a small boost in available spell levels. Mages, Warlocks, Bards and Sorcerers (with the exception of those with the Celestial Patron) cannot gain this benefit, nor could Eldritch Knights or Arcane Tricksters. Only the rare Druids and somewhat more common Rangers that belong to the Society of Light would gain this benefit.

Summon Sword of Light

The character may, with the use of a Channel Divinity ability, summon a magical greatsword that they may wield with Advantage. It does 2d8 Slashing Damage plus 3d8 Radiant damage with each successful strike and counts as a magical weapon, and has the Finesse quality. The greatsword radiates Bright Light in a 30′ radius, and Dim Light for another 30′ beyond that. The greatsword lasts for one round per level of the character or until it is voluntarily released from the characters grasp.

Greatsword Mastery

When using a Greatsword, the character may re-roll any 1’s or 2’s rolled on damage dice, may immediately make another Attack as a Bonus Action upon making either a Critical Strike or reducing a target to zero Hit Points, and may choose to take a -5 to the roll in exchange for a +10 to the damage roll if it hits.

Channel the Host

Perhaps the signature feature of the Luminous Order, the character may use their Channel Divinity ability to act as a temporary vessel for a member of the Angelic Host. This is a choice fraught with some peril because the character loses access to their equipment and normal class features while doing so, buts access to a potent set of abilities otherwise. They gain the following abilities:

• Aura of Life and Vitality: All non-hostile creatures within 30 feet of the character (including the character) have Resistance to Necrotic energy, and their Hit Point maximum cannot be reduced. Any non-hostile, living creature regains 1 Hit Point when it starts it’s round within the aura, and the character may use their Bonus Action to heal one creature within the aura for 2d6 Hit Points of damage.
• Luminous Resistance: The character has Advantage on all Saving Throws, as well as Resistance to Radiant damage and damage from all non-magical weapons (Slashing, Piercing, and Bludgeoning). The character is Immune to Charm, Exhaustion, Fright, Disease, and Poison.
• Greatsword Mastery as the Luminous Order class feature
• Summon Sword of Light – While similar to the regular class feature for the Luminous Order, when Channeling the Host it has greater potency, and the character may Multiattack for 2 Attacks each round with it. It becomes Versatile, doing the same damage no matter if used one or two-handed.
  • At 3rd Level the Sword is +6 to Strike and Damage, does 2d10 Slashing damage and 4d8 Radiant damage, and does a Critical Strike on a 19-20.
  • At 4th Level the Sword is +8 to Strike and Damage, does 3d10 Slashing damage, 5d8 Radiant damage, and does a Critical Strike on a 18-20
  • At 5th Level the Sword is +10 to Strike and Damage, does 4d10 Slashing damage, and 6d8 Radiant damage, and does a Critical Strike on a 17-20
• Angelic Form – While channeling, the character takes on a angelic aspect, growing in stature, with the wings, robes, and halo of one of the Host – though still discernable (with effort) as themselves through the Light that suffuses them. They are considered Large for the purposes of Grappling.
  • This lasts for 1 Round per point of Wisdom Modifier
  • At 3rd Level the character has an Armor Class of 17, +4 Temporary Hit Points per Hit Die, a Speed of 30, and may Fly 90′ per round.
  • At 4th Level the character has an Armor Class of 19, +6 Temporary Hit Points per Hit Die, a Speed of 40,  and may Fly 120′ per round.
  • At 5th Level the character has an Armor Class of 21, +8 Temporary Hit Points per Hit Die, a Speed of 50,  and may Fly 150′ per round.
• This feature may not be used again until after a Long Rest.

Wisdom Score Improvement

This increases the characters Wisdom Score by +2, up to a maximum of 22.

Greater Channel the Host

The duration of the Channeling increases to 1 minute per point of Wisdom modifier.

Sanity Loss in a Pulp Game

One of the biggest threats, existential or otherwise, when playing Call of Cthulhu is the ever-present and slow draining away of Sanity. The lower it gets, the faster it goes. While the 7e rules have introduced some methods for alleviating this (Getting Used to the Awfulness and Mythos Hardening) I had always had a couple of tweaked methods for dropping Sanity loss a bit further but keeping “big things bad” while allowing those players who wanted to become sorcerers some additional buffer against the inevitable.

Keeping with the simplified skills listing of 7e, I’ve actually simplified this a great deal and I like it even more. It is based on three skills, one of which I use in conjunction with the Mystical Talents. So as follows:

• Cthulhu Mythos or Unnatural: Divide the skill level by ten, round down, and apply this as a modifier to all Sanity loss. E.g. Cthulhu Mythos skill level of 34 becomes 3.4, rounded to 3, the character has a -3 to all Sanity losses.
• Occult: Divide the skill level by twenty, round down, and apply this as a modifier to all Sanity loss. E.g. Occult skill level of 82 becomes 4.1, rounded to 4, the character has a -4 to all Sanity losses.
• Meditation: Divide the skill level by thirty, round down, and apply this as a modifier to all Sanity loss. E.g. Meditation skill level of 69 becomes 2.3, rounded to 2, the character has a -2 to all Sanity losses.

A character with all of those skills would have a -9 to all Sanity losses, meaning that they could interact with most minor Mythos creatures and toss off a great many of the spells with no effect. That said, they still have the potential lose Sanity from the greater threats, and in an interesting statistical twist are (when they do lose Sanity from those threats) are actually a little bit more likely to go temporarily insane as a result.

The Meditation skill is basically combination of “mental fortitude” skill as well as what I tend to use as a “psychic powers” skill use skill. In the Old Delta Green supplement Countdown the psychic powers were all individual skills for the most part, I actually like the Pulp Cthulhu version of them as abilities instead. It is less mess in the skill section of the character sheet and allows me as the Keeper to play more fast and lose with how much any use will cost or how it works.

Clearly this sort of rule doesn’t for everyone or for all sorts of campaigns, but I’ve found that it really isn’t that unbalancing and does a good job of allowing people to play the sorts of characters that they are trying to.

TTFN!

D.

Revised Pulp Cthulhu Talents and Traits

So, I had mentioned that I was not entirely sure about how Pulp Cthulhu handled Talents and Traits. While some of them were ok, some of them weren’t – most often because they seemed very dedicated to limiting the power of the PC’s (which, honestly, seems pointless in Call of Cthuhu for obvious reasons). In any case I took the list, reorganized it some, and reworked it, adding a selection of things from my previous Pulp homebrew. I also ncluded the effects of both Wartime Service and Medical Career (Detached), Criminal History (Callous), and Mythos Hardened (Hardened) as Mental Traits.

I’m sure I’ll think of others over time and add them, but here’s the start, and it’s what I’ve used with the current characters in the game.

Physical Talents and Traits:

• Herculean – The character has a Bonus die for Strength tests.
• Agile – The character has a Bonus die for Dex tests.
• Eagle-Eyed – The character has a Bonus die for Spot Hidden tests.
• Quick Healer – The characters Natural Healing in increased to +3 Hit Points per day.
• Sneaky – Character gains a Bonus die for Stealth tests. They are also able to make two attacks when Hidden rather than one.
• Night Vision – The character has reduces the difficulty level of Spot Hidden rolls in darkness and ignore penalty die for shooting in the dark.
• Huge – The Character’s build is considered 1 greater for purposes of combat.
• Hollow Leg – It takes triple the normal amount of alcohol or drugs to affect the character. They also gain a Bonus die to resist any effects.
• Ambidextrous – Character has no penalties for two weapons.
• Resilient – The character has a Bonus die for all Constitution tests
• Survivor – The character Stabilizes on their own with no need for First Aid or Medicine.
• Nimble – The character does not lose next action when “diving for cover” versus firearms and ignores differences in Build during Hand-to-Hand and Melee combat. They are never suffer from penalties when Outnumbered.
• Greased Lightning – The character has a +50 Initiative and +1 Move bonus
• Resilient – The character has a Bonus die for all Constitution tests

Mental Talents and Traits:

• Genius – Character has a Bonus die for Science tests.
• Linguist – The character has is always able to determine what human language is being spoken (or what is written); gains a Bonus die to Language tests.
• Alert – The character has a bonus die on all Surprise tests.
• Detached – No San loss from dead bodies or gross injury.
• Callous – No San loss from killing or combat.
• Hardened – Half San loss from exposure to the Unnatural
• Photographic Memory – can remember many details; gains a bonus die when making Know rolls.
• Speed Reader – Halve the time needed for both Initial and Full Reading of Mythos tomes and other books.
• Handy – The character has a Bonus die for Mechanical Repair, Electrical Repair, and Operate Heavy Machinery tests

Combat Talents and Traits:

• Dead-eye – Character has a Bonus die for Firearms & Throwing combat.
• Gladiator – Character has a Bonus die for Fighting (Other) combat.
• Brawler – Character has a Bonus die for Fighting (Brawl) combat.
• Berserker – The character gains the Berserker skill which is checked simultaneously with other Combat skills. If successful, the character has double the normal effect as adjudicated by the Keeper.
• Martial Arts – The character gains the Martial Arts skill which is checked simultaneously with other Combat skills. If successful, the character has double the normal effect as adjudicated by the Keeper.
• Gunfighter – Does not need to have Firearm readied to gain the +50 DEX to Initiative, ignores penalty die for loading and firing in the same turn, and ignores penalty die for multiple shots per turn.
• Sharpshooter – Does not suffer penalty die when for Small Targets or Cover/Concealment and may fire into combat without a penalty die.

Social Talents and Traits:

• Caesar – Character has a Bonus die for tests involving leadership, morale, and similar situations.
• Grifter – The character has a Bonus die with Charm, Fast-Talk, & Persuade rolls
• Intimidating – The character has a Bonus die for Intimidation tests.
• Empathic – The character has a Bonus die for Psychology, Psychoanalysis, and Anthropology tests.
• Thespian – The character has a Bonus die for Acting and Disguise tests.

Mystical Talents and Traits:

• Old Soul – The character has a Bonus die for all Pow tests, as well as History and Archeology tests.
• Immortal – The character does not die as normal, will suffer an Injury/Scar and possibly other characteristic or skill loss depending upon circumstances.
• Promethean – The character takes minimum damage from physical attacks, and is either immune or highly resistant to most poisons and diseases.
• Iron-Willed – Character gains a Bonus die on all tests related to Insanity.
• Resourceful – The character has always seems to have what they need at hand. They may spend 10 Luck points for any item within their daily spending limit.
• Lucky – The character regains an additional +1D10 Luck points when Luck Recovery rolls are made.
• True Faith – The character gains the True Faith skill which can be checked to allow immunity or resistance to Sanity loss, as well as be used o perform miracles in the same way that the Cthuhu Mythos skill can be used to perform magical acts.
• Gnosis – The character gains the Gnosis skill which is checked simultaneously with other mental and social (non-magical) skills. If successful, the character has double the normal effect as adjudicated by the Keeper.
• Prana – The character gains the Prana skill which is checked simultaneously with other physical (non-combat) skills. If successful, the character has double the normal effect as adjudicated by the Keeper.
• True Will – The character gains the True Will skill which can be checked to allow minor manipulations of reality – bending bullets, landing in haystacks, etc. at a cost in Magic Points as adjudicated by the Keeper.
• Medium – The character may spend Magic Points to see, summon, and otherwise interact with the spirits of the dead as adjudicated by the Keeper.
• Telekinetic – The character may spend Magic Points to move objects through space by sheer force of will alone as adjudicated by the Keeper.
• Telepathic – The character may spend Magic Points to communicate by thought or emotion alone, as well as read the thoughts or emotions of others as adjudicated by the Keeper.
• Oracle – The character may spend Magic Points to predict the future, see into the past, or otherwise understand the connection between events as adjudicated by the Keeper.
• Seer – The character may spend Magic Points to extend their physical senses beyond their body as adjudicated by the Keeper.
• Second Sight – The character may spend Magic Points to see spirits, magical auras, and the like as adjudicated by the Keeper.
• Dreamer – The Character has the Dreaming skill, and access to the Dreamlands.

5e – Warlock Patron – The Shadow King

The Shadow King

You have made your pact with one of the Lords of Shadow, powerful, liminal beings who dwell in the Shadowlands and beyond. Wise and ancient, selfish and patient, the Shadow Kings work behind the scenes, neither of the Light or the Darkness, to survive against threats from across creation. None can say what their true motives are, but their subtle hand is feared by those that know of it.

Expanded Spell List

The Shadow King allows you to choose from an expanded spell list when you learn Warlock spells. The following spells are added to the Warlock spell list for you.

• 1st Level: Shroud the Shadow, Debilitate
• 2nd Level: Shadow Sight, Shadow Embrace
• 3rd Level: Shadow Bolt, Blackout
• 4th Level: Shadowform, Shadowbind
• 5th Level: Devouring Darkness, Mantle of Dread

Embraced by Shadow

At 1st level your patron grants you a cloak of shadows when it is desired – enveloping the character Dim Light. This makes Charisma skill checks more difficult but lessens the difficult if Stealth and similar checks. The character is also now treated as a native of the Shadowlands when considering it’s negative effects.

Shadowstep

Starting at 6th level the character may teleport, as a Reaction, up to 120′ away as long as they end up in an area of shadow. This feature may not be used again until after a Short or Long rest.

Shadowstuff

At 10th Level the character has become infused with Shadow to such a degree that they are Resistant to Non-Magical weapons.

Spiritual Malaise

Upon reaching 14th Level the character can touch a target and inflict a number of levels of Exhaustion equal to their Proficiency Bonus. The target is allowed a Con save against the effect at the Spell Save DC of the character for half effects – creatures of the Shadowlands are Resistant to this effect. This feature cannot be used again until the character finishes a long rest.

 

Note: The Spells of the Expanded Spell List are from Necromancer Games Book of Lost Spells

As a bit of a place-marker…

When I’m floating a new campaign, especially a new system, I like to be able to reference movies or TV shows for the players so that can get at least some sense of what I’m thinking about. That being the case for my current gaming group, here’s what the primary visual media that I’d watch to get a flavor of the game…

For a Traveller game:

Jupiter Ascending, Battlestar Galactica (SyFy TV Show), Firefly (TV Show) and Serenity, The Expanse (TV Show), Sharpe’s Rifles (TV Show), Avatar, The Fifth Element, the Chronicles of Riddick, Babylon 5 and associated media (TV Show), Dune and Children of Dune (SyFy Series), and the original Star Wars trilogy some elements of Star Trek.

For a Cyberpunk 2020 game it would be:

Bladerunner, the Alien movies, the Predator movies, Escape From New York/LA, Soldier, Stargate, the Andromeda Strain, Outland, 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Handmaid’s Tale, Equilibrium, the Matrix series, Max Payne, Dredd, Children of Men, the Terminator series (Film and TV), the Resident Evil series, Ultraviolet, Lucy, La Femme Nikita (Film and TV Show), Sleeping Beauty, Tron and Tron:Legacy, Minority Report, A Clockwork Orange,

For a Call of Cthulhu game:

John Carpenter’s The Thing, The Dunwich Horror, From Beyond, The Unnamable, the Reanimator series, The Mummy and The Mummy Returns, The Wolfman (2010), Penny Dreadful (Showtime series), Brotherhood of the Wolf, Salem’s Lot, The Keep, The Island of Dr. Moreau, Martyrs, We Are What We Are, the Indiana Jones films, The Witch, Crimson Peak, Angelheart, Dagon, Starry Eyes, The Exorcist, The Howling, American Werewolf In London, Angelheart, The Fog, The Changeling, Rosemary’s Baby, The Shining,

A more modern Delta Green game would also include:

Crimson Rivers and Crimson Rivers: Angels of the Apocalypse, Threshhold (TV Show), the Blade series, Altered States, X-Files (TV Show), Hannibal (TV Show), Jekyll (TV Show), the Bourne series, True Detective (1st Season HBO), The Wicker Man, The Omen, the Hellraiser series, Blair Witch Project, The Ring, the Hostel series, 8mm, The Objective, Apocalypse Now, It Follows, [Rec],

And finally, the “Modern Occult” game (used to be Mage, now probably Witchcraft) would include the above but also be slanted towards:

Dresden Files (TV Show), Person of Interest (TV Show), The Magicians (TV Show), The Last Witch Hunter, the Hellboy movies, Pan’s Labyrinth, Byzantium, 30 Days of Night, Let The Right One In, Supernatural (TV Series), Ginger Snaps, Cat People,

I am certain that I have missed a whole series of films or TV shows, but this was a quick and dirty “off the top of my head” listing of things. I suppose I’ll update things as I remember or come across them.D.

 

Lol, missing Game Logs…

So, well, yes, clearly I haven’t written up a Game Log in forever…

I keep meaning to, but I keep failing miserably and then keep falling behind. We just finished the 29th session of the current campaign I think I need to grant a very broad overview of what has happened.

The party managed to survive the Shadowlands mostly unscarred – though the gnomes were hit hard. Fonkin was brought to the brink of death by the strange magics and creatures of the Shadowlands and transformed into a Shade while his henchman and cousin  Wren died. From the cold lands of Shadow the party followed another gate to the sweltering heat of the Jungles of Ith, where they found gates home but were also able to return quickly enough to thwart the Vanguard and prevent the Reborn King from fully manifesting. In the process Ilda was almost lost (but managed to invoke her Ancestors successfully) and Rhys went missing though divinations suggest that he is not dead.

After all of this the party took a much needed break, resting up after their travails and travels – and capitalizing on the tales of their adventures, strange dress, and potent magic. This included Dorje Jarvic travelling off to train as a Warrior Monk and Lord Devon and his wife finally starting to rebuild the Tresendar hunting lodge in Phandalin. In turn, Ilda was given a series of visions as to the location of Wave Echo Cave by her Ancestors and the party decided to investigate – especially given their early failures with the Rockseeker brothers as well as their concern over the “Forge of Spells” falling into the wrong hands. There they found another group of adventurers, with legal documents asserting their right to explore the cave, and they were shocked when Dhagri was seemingly convinced to join the other group by a powerful Khazan after they had retreated to Diamond Lake

Doing their best to readjust after the loss the party added a couple of new members (despite some misgivings on some folks parts). And under the prompting of the strange tome of Misset al’Namat, they party sought out the Whispering Cairn that they had heard about during their earlier visit to Diamond Lake. Currently deep inside, they think they may have found the entrance to the true tomb of one of long lost Wind Dukes.

So, all in all, the group completed the modules Barrow of the Forgotten King (2nd level characters), The Sinister Spire (5th level characters), and Fortress of the Yuan-Ti (7th level characters). They have mostly completed the starter module Lost Mine of Phandelver (1st-5th characters), and have made excellent inroads into the first installment of the Age of Worms adventure path, The Whispering Cairn (1st-3rd level characters).

This has the brought the core of the group into solidly 7th to 8th level, though there are also a smattering of lower level characters. We’re still liking 5e (clearly) though we switched to non-XP advancement awhile back and transitioned to achievement/story based leveling. It actually seems like a better fit for the system. I’m still underwhelmed with the 5e sensibilities when it comes to magic item placement – so I’m happily ignoring it. The party is also clearly coming into their own, power-wise – preventing the Reborn King showed just how powerful they were. They also, in this latest scrape with the other group of adventurers in Wave Echo Cave, learned what it was like to be on the receiving end of a couple of powerful spell-casters backed by a powerful warrior.

TTFN!

D.

Rogue Archtype – The Bravo – 5e

The Bravo

Some Rogues have a decidedly more martial bent – working as enforcers, debt collectors, or just generally being categorized as bully boys and street thugs. Not quite as physically fully trained warrior, the Bravo is nonetheless a dangerous opponent – especially against those whose who would generally be disinclined to fight in the first place.

Menacing Demeanor

When this archtype is chosen at 3rd level, the Bravo gains Advantage when trying to Intimidate targets.

Fighting Style

Beginning at 3rd level the Bravo is allowed to choose a Fighting Style from the same list as a Fighter.

Eye for Weakness

At 9th level the Bravo scores a critical hit on a 19 or 20 with weapon attacks. They may also use their Bonus Action from Cunning Hands to make both Intimidation and Insight checks.

Dirty Fighter

Upon reaching 13th level, the Bravo may use their Cunning Hands ability to either Push or Trip an opponent after a successful melee attack.

Limb-breaker

At 17th level while using a melee weapon that does not have the Light or Flexible qualities the Bravo can choose to break or otherwise render a single limb useless during a Sneak Attack. Magical healing or four weeks of rest will heal the limb.

Combat Notes in Brief

So in the process of trying to figure out item saving throws and looking at mundane healing I also spent a fair amount time reviewing the combat rules. I have to say that they hold together pretty well, but having run the game for a while now, with a significant number of combats under my belt as a DM, the review also revealed some interesting bits and bobs that hadn’t really gelled for me yet.

Dexterity Modifiers for Armor

Ok, so while I think that these limitations make little or no sense based on real-world armor, nor do I think they significantly impact combat, I do think that these limitations are an excellent way to model the bonuses that magical or high-quality, bespoke armor can grant those who are lucky enough to own some.

The one tweak is that I see it as a -3 for Medium Armor and a -5 for Heavy Armor, but that it cannot create a negative penalty unless the creature wearing  already has a negative Dexterity modifier. l this means is that higher Dexterity creatures are rewarded rather than penalized for having that higher Dexterity.

Being Encumbered means that no Dexterity modifier is available.

Stacking Advantage and Disadvantage

I think everyone is aware of this, but in case they are not, I allow Advantage and Disadvantage to stack. Only if Advantage and Disadvantage are equal do they cancel out, otherwise if a creature has more of one or the other then they benefit or suffer as normal.

Surprise and Complete Surprise

In 5e being Surprised means that you can’t Move and can’t take an Action in the first round of combat, you may take a single Reaction at the end of the round. But you still get your Dexterity bonus to AC and you still have the essentially normal chances for Perception as you would when unsurprised. This seems somewhat unrealistic in that nobody is ever caught “flat-footed” or is otherwise completely gobsmacked when “things go down.”

So I’m adding in a “Complete Surprise” – which happens if you Fumble your Perception check or fail it by 5+ points. This simply means that you get no Dexterity bonus to your AC for that round and have Disadvantage on any further Perception that are made in that initial round.

Just to be clear, after being either Surprised or Completely Surprised for one round, everyone goes to Normal Mode for the rest of the combat – though they might be Surprised or Completely Surprised by specific opponents later in combat due to circumstances.

Combat Actions

First off, in Combat, you get one of ten actions – that’s it. These are:

1. Attack a creature, object, or location.
2. Cast a Spell
3. Dash (Double Movement)
4. Disengage (Leave combat and use movement without provoking an Opportunity Attack).
5. Dodge (All attacks against you until your next turn have Disadvantage, plus you have Advantage on Dexterity Saves.
6. Help (An Ally gains Advantage on their next Action as long as it occurs before your next turn)
7. Hide
8. Ready (Prepare a specific Action in the event of a specific triggering event)
9. Search (Trying to discern something rather than simply noticing the relatively obvious)
10. Use an Object

There are a selection of optional ones from the DMG (pp 271-2), I’m including five of them because they makes sense:

1. Climb On (a larger creature)
   1. Str or Dex Chack (Attacker) vs. Dex check (Defender)
2. Disarm (Attack roll vs Str(Athletic)/Dex(Acrobatics) check to knock weapon from hand)
   1. Disadvantage for attacker if Defender is using a Two-Handed Weapon
   2. Advantage or Disadvantage for Defender if they are Larger or Smaller than attacker
3. Overrun (Str vs. Str check to move through opponent’s space Movement)
   1. Attacker has Advantage if larger than the defender, Disadvantage if smaller.
4. Shove (Str vs. Str check to push opponent one side during Movement, attacker has Disadvantage)
5. Tumble (Dex vs. Dex check to move through opponent’s space during Movement)

These have a selection of Advantage/Disadvantage conditions depending upon circumstances.

There is some limited free interaction with objects that occurs, but that’s really prefatory to either Attack, Cast a Spell, or Use and Object. So you can draw a weapon for free, in order to attack (and that’s specifically only one weapon), or you can pull a potion out in order to drink it (for the Use an Object action), or even hand an object to another character (who would use same free action to take it).

So, noticing that there is Black Goblin with a bunch of Goblins? Probably not even a Perception check, but trying to figure out which Goblin is the leader? That’s a Search Action. Trying to discern which of the fully armored opponents is a khazan rather than a human? Search Action.

Equipment and Damage

Don’t want the bad guy top drink the potion he’s holding? You could Attack the potion bottle instead of him and hope to destroy it. This is an interesting point because Objects have pretty crummy Hit Points and usually a relatively low Armor Class – if you are trying to destroy stuff in 5e it is relatively easy. Magical items are harder to destroy because they are Resistant to all damage at the very least.

Also, Objects are automatically Immune to Psychic and Poison damage and may have any combination of Resistance, Immunity, or Vulnerability depending upon the Damage Type and the Object in question.

And, before anyone asks, weapon or armor counts as an Object and can be targeted. The nominal rule is that Armor has HP equal to its AC (plus any Dexterity bonus the character might have), while weapons have HP equal to their maximum damage. Armor and weapons are also Resistant to weapon damage (natural or otherwise). This means that they effectively have double HP against weapons and are very hard to damage or destroy in the middle of combat. It might make more sense to try and Disarm them (q.v.).

Also, there is a small list of spells that, if a character fails their save against, also force all equipment carried to save or be destroyed. Magical items always have Advantage, and if they have a bonus this is also added to their save. They may also simply be Immune to some forms of damage depending upon their specific enchantments.

Acid Splash, Blade Barrier, Call Lightning, Chain Lightning, Cone of Cold, Delayed Blast Fireball, Destructive Wave, Earthquake, Erupting Earth, Fireball, Fire Storm, Flaming Sphere, Flame Strike, Glyph of Warding, Ice Storm, Immolation, Incendiary Cloud, Lightning Arrow, Lightning Bolt, Meteor Swarm, Otiluke’s Freezing Sphere, Prismatic Spray, Prismatic Sphere, Shatter, Storm of Vengeance, Vitriolic Sphere, Wall of Fire, Wall of Ice, Whirlwind

This is the list of spells from the Player’s Handbook, plus the Elemental Evil Player’s Companion. Spells from other supplements may also have this effect.

Initiative

I’ve tried to use the 5e standard to roll one Initiative at the beginning of combat and I have to conclude that I’m not a fan. So henceforth we’ll be doing Initiative every round. Also, while I said all along that I was going to use Speed Factors for Initiative I certainly have not been enforcing them (because it doesn’t work with the single Initiative system). The system is very simple – Initiative is modified depending on what weapon you are using in combat and essentially how encumbered you are with armor or gear.

Weapons and Armor list their penalty or bonus (primary weapon only), and if the character is Lightly Encumbered, they have a -5 to their Initiative Roll, and if they are greatly Encumbered their Initiative roll has Disadvantage (plus a -5 to the final roll). A character wearing no armor at all has a bonus of +2 on Initiative.

Otherwise, the only other normal modifier is that spell-casters subtract the level of the spell they are casting from their Initiative.

The lowest you can go is in “1”

It is worth mentioning that, rather like in 1e, there does seem to be a timing issue that we can call “Pre-Rounds” and “Post-Rounds” for lack of anything better. These are basically the result of magic when “the user/recipient acts first in the round” or “goes last” – this hasn’t been an issue so far and I don’t expect it to be much of one in the future. Weapons with the “Slow” quality attack in Post-Rounds

In effect this is what a Surprise attack that kicks off a Combat Round is – a PreRound Attack. To be clear, Pre-Round and Post-Round Actions are part of the same Action economy (Movement plus 1 Action, 1 potential Bonus Action, and 1 potential Reaction), they simply occupy a special place in the Combat Round turn sequence.

Facing and Flanking

It has also been pointed out to me that while the “Theatre of the Mind” may be speeding up combat in some ways, it is also making it difficult for some players to have the same sense of locations that I have, as well as gauge area-of-effect, range, etc.

So, first off, I’m going to go back to using a Battlemat for the larger combats. It lets everyone track where they are and while it will slow things down in some ways the message I’m getting is that it speed things up in others – as well as prevent some frustration.

This will also make it easier to implement the Flanking and Facing rules.

Flanking is simply that when two allied creatures engage an opponent on both side arcs, they both gain Advantage on Attacks.

Facing addresses the fact that attackers in the rear arc gain Advantage on Attacks against that opponent because they are nominally unseen. This would also make the Hide action easier, if that were a desired Action rather than an Attack.

Also, Shields (or similar Objects or Effects) are only effective against opponents in the Defenders front arc, and the side arc that matches the shields location.

A Brief Summary of Mundane Healing

I’ve commented on my simultaneous pleasure and displeasure with healing in 5E – on the one hand it is too easy, and other the other hand the RAW on Healing Kits & Herbalism Kits are confusing at best. Now, when the DMG came out the optional rules for healing (notably the “Healer Kit Dependency” and the “Slow Natural Healing” on pp266-7) this was somewhat correct, but not entirely. My complaints were compounded by my use of a very robust set of rules for non-clerical healing in my old 1E game that are now (sadly) probably lost with the hard drive. So these rules are an effort to codify what we’ve come up with, as well as adapt some of my “old rules” into the 5E system.

First, a Short Rest is an hour, a Long Rest is 8 hours – you can only take one Long Rest in a any 24 hour period.

Next, a Healer Kit, Herbalism Kit, Chirurgeon’s Tools, and a Meridian Set are all defined as Tools. Herbs (for use with the Herbalism Kit) come in four different varieties (Common, Rare, Exotic, and Mystical) and Surgical Supplies (for use with the Chirurgeon’s Tools) are purchased separately.

The Medicine skill can be used to diagnose illness (variable DC) and Stabilize an Unconscious (and Dying) character (DC10 Wisdom).

During a Short Rest, a character may use a Healing Kit on themselves or another character to allow the use of any number of Hit Dice for healing. These dice are rolled at the end of the Short Rest. A character may similarly use an Herbalism Kit with Herbs to alleviate the treatable symptoms of any malady (Disease, Madness, various Conditions, etc) the DC for this varies.

During a Long Rest, a Healer’s Kit may be used in the same manner as a Short Rest. If no Hit Dice are expended for healing and no other mundane healing (for other maladies) is attempted, then the character recovers half their spent Hit Dice. A character may similarly use an Herbalism Kit with Herbs to attempt to cure a treatable malady (Disease, Madness, various Conditions, etc), the DC for this varies.

A character may use their Chirurgeon’s Tools with Surgical Supplies on themselves or another character to heal 1HD (DC10 Dexterity) outside of a Rest. The Chirurgeon’s Tools may also be used to treat some maladies – dependent on the ruling of the DM.

A character may use their Meridian Set to alleviate a variety of maladies (Conditions, Madness, Exhaustion, and some Diseases most notably) during a Short Rest.

When a character with the Healer Feat (PH p167) uses a Healer’s Kit, the recipient regains 1HP (meaning that they immediately regain consciousness). They are also so skilled that they can use a Healer’s Kit or a Surgical Kit & Surgical Supplies to tend to a creature and heal 1d6+4HP, plus the number equal to the recipients total Hit Dice. No character can receive this benefit more than once between both Long Rests and injuries.

Descriptions

Healer’s Kit – A  large leather pouch containing a selection of bandages, minor salves, and splints. As an standard action, any character may use a Healer’s Kit to Stabilize a creature at 0HP without making a Medicine check, and allows those with the skill to use their Proficiency bonus when doing so. 10 uses. Cost: 5 Silver — Weight: 3lbs — Availability: Village

Herbalism Kit – A leather satchel containing a variety of tools such a clippers, mortar & pestle, as well small pouches an vials to store solutions and poultices. This Kit allows the character to use their proficiency bonus when attempting to identity, apply, and preserve herbs, and various maladies may require different or multiple herbs to treat successfully. Properly preserved herbs work perfectly well, but require a double dose for full effectiveness as they have lost some of their potency.  Cost: 25 Silver — Weight: 3lbs — Availability: Village

Chirurgeon’s Tools – A large satchel containing scalpels, drills, needles, & clamps for use during surgical procedures. These tools allow for “quick and dirty” wound care on the battlefield as well as more complex care for internal ailments.  Cost: 75 Silver — Weight: 2lbs — Availability: City

Meridian Set – A small pouch containing a combination of needles and other tools used to manipulate to energy flows of the body. The training involved means that attempts can be made without the kit or with improvised tools, but at Disadvantage. Cost: 5 Silver — Weight: 1lb — Availability: Exotic

Common Herbs – Best when fresh, though many can be preserved through various means, Herbs can be found in the wild, cultivated, and purchased from the appropriate shop.  1 Use. Cost: 1 Bronze — Weight: Negligible — Availability: Village

Rare Herbs – Best when fresh, though many can be preserved through various means, Herbs can be found in the wild, cultivated, and purchased from the appropriate shop.  1 Use. Cost: 1 Silver — Weight: Negligible — Availability: City

Exotic Herbs – Best when fresh, though many can be preserved through various means, Herbs can be found in the wild, cultivated, and purchased from the appropriate shop.  1 Use. Cost: 1 Gold — Weight: Negligible — Availability: Great City

Mystical Herbs – Best when fresh, though many can be preserved through various means, Herbs can be found in the wild, cultivated, and purchased from the appropriate shop.  1 Use. Cost: 1 Platinum — Weight: Negligible — Availability: Great City

Herb Pouch or Case – Carefully constructed with an eye to keeping Herbs protected and in the best of shape, it holds 20 Herbs. A poorly kept herbs imposes Disadvantage on Herbalism checks. Cost: 1 Silver — Weight: 1lb — Availability: Village

Surgical Supplies – Comprised of additional needles, sutures, compresses and sponges. These supplies are needed for any surgical operation a lack or these materials forces the use of ad hoc materials and imposes Disadvantage at best. 10 Uses. Cost: 1 Silver — Weight: 1lb — Availability: Town

 

 

5E- Barbarian Path – Path of the Demon Hunter

Path of the Demon Hunter

While most barbarians are from uncivilized tribes, some subjects can inspire even the most civilized of people to the same levels of rage. Demons and the Dearth are one of these. So beyond those Barbarians who hail from waste and wilderness and fight against the Dearth there are also such groups as the ancient, disciplined and almost extinct Order of Dion from Atlan to the fiercely passionate Sla’tersha E’lin of the High Elves.

 

Corruption’s Scent

Starting at 3rd level, Demon Hunter’s are able to Detect Demons as a Reaction.

Hunter’s Heart

Upon choosing this Path at 3rd Level, the Demon Hunter has Advantage on all saves vs Fear and Mind-Control vs. effects from Demons while Raging.

Indomitable Spirit

At 6th Level the Demon Hunter has Resistance to Necrotic and Psychic Damage.

Radiant Hatred

When Demon Hunter reaches 10th level they burn with such hatred of Demons and their ilk that when those creatures strike them with a melee attack they take 2d8 Radiant Damage from the blazing aura that has suffused them.

Eye for Vengeance

At 14th level, a Demon Hunter does a Critical on 19 or 20 against Demons.