Variant Rules

Unless otherwise noted here, this campaign is run rules as written. Below are variants of existing rules for this campaign.

Gritty Realism Resting
A short rest takes 8 hours and a long rest takes 5 days. You may only benefit from one short rest in a 24 hours period. This is in order to match the pace of the story to the balance of game mechanics, specifically resource management.

To accommodate these rules the duration and frequency of some game mechanics must be adjusted. Exceptions might be made for specific mechanics over the course of play, but note that the goal of both the DM and players is a good faith effort to keep everything in line with the DMG’s expected 6-8 encounters per long rest.

Once a day/at dawn
Any class features, racial traits, magic items, etc. that recharge “once a day” or “at dawn” now recharge after completing a long rest. Examples:


 * Wizard’s Arcane Recovery
 * Bag of Tricks

Elf’s Trance
An elf that uses their trance ability for four hours can benefit from a short rest. They can use their trance ability for 48 uninterrupted hours to benefit from a long rest.

Spells
The casting time of each spell remains the same. The duration of some spells have been adjusted.


 * Spells with a duration shorter than 1 hour do not have their duration changed.
 * Spells with a duration of 1 hour now last 24 hours.
 * Spells with a duration of 8 hours now last 5 days.
 * Spells with a duration between 1-8 hours now have their duration multiplied by 20.
 * Spells with a duration of 24 hours now last 10 days.
 * Spell with a duration of 7 days now lasts 30 days.
 * Spells with a duration of 10 days now last 30 days.
 * Spells with a duration of 30 days now last 90 days.

Note on Spell Duration
“Duration” refers specifically to the Duration line in the spell’s descriptor block of text, not anything in the following paragraph that explains the spell’s effect. Examples:


 * Mage Armor: The duration line states that the spell lasts “8 hours” therefore the target gains the benefit of the mage armor spell for 5 days.
 * Goodberry: The duration line states that the spell is “instantaneous” but the spell explanation states that the berries last for 24 hours. The berries retain their magical effects for 24 hours.
 * Divination: The duration line states that the spell is “instantaneous” but the spell explanation states that you may “ask a single question concerning a specific goal, even, or activity to occur within 7 days.” You may only ask a question about the next 7 days, not anything outside of that timeframe.

Dungeon Turns
Dungeons, in this campaign, are defined as self contained areas with a high density of encounters. Players will be notified by the DM that they are entering a dungeon.

While in a dungeon, standard resting rules, not gritty realism resting, will be applied. All spell durations, class features, or anything else that was affected by the gritty realism resting rules revert back to how they are written in the rules.

In the case that a creature entering the dungeon is currently under the effect of a spell whose duration would change by entering the dungeon, the DM will calculate the percentage of time that has passed during the duration of the spell and subtract that from the remainder of the spell’s normal duration.


 * Example: While outside of the dungeon, a wizard cast mage armor. One day passed before entering the dungeon. Upon entering the dungeon, 20% of that spell’s duration had passed, so the wizard now has 6 hours left on mage armor. They spend 4 hours in the dungeon, so 80% of the spell’s duration has now been used. After leaving the dungeon, the wizard now has 1 day (20%) left on the duration of mage armor.

Additionally, in order to keep track of time passing in the dungeon, this campaign will be using dungeon turns, as explained below:

Establish marching order
Determine the default formation that your party will use to travel in the dungeon with. If a situation comes up where the formation needs to be changed, let the DM know.

Turns
Adventuring in dungeons is done in turns. These turns are 10 minutes each. During the turn, the party decides what action they wish to take. That action is then resolved over that five minutes and the next turn begins.

Examples of common actions

 * Moving: Movement uses twice the base movement speed of the slowest party member. This extremely slow pace takes account for the fact that exploration is difficult. You are watching footing, mapping, trying to be quiet, and avoiding obvious obstacles.
 * In familiar areas that have already been traversed, you can move at up to six times your based movement speed.


 * Searching: Players can search any area within 30 feet of them. This allows you to look for secret passages, traps, or other hidden features.
 * Listening: Players can listen for activity at the other side of doors or down hallways.
 * Picking locks or forcing doors

Resting
Players must spend one turn resting for every hour spent exploring. This represents the amount of mental and physical energy it takes to explore a perilous environment. This rest can be extended into a short rest if requested (3 turns/30 minutes). If you are unable to rest during this hour for some reason, you incur a level of exhaustion.

Random Encounters
The random encounter roll is made once the party has declared their action for the turn, before the action takes effect. This is so that the DM is able to properly incorporate the encounter into the narrative of the action. The chance for a random encounter depends on how populated and dangerous the area is.

Monsters are encountered 2d6x10 feet away, moving in the direction of the party. Environmental encounters occur in the next unexplored area that the players travel to.

Remember that not every creature in a dungeon will always be hostile to the players. But some will be, so stay on guard.

Quick Quaffing
Drinking a potion in your hand is a bonus action. Feeding a potion to someone else is an action.

Small People, Big Weapons
Halflings, gnomes, and other small races can use heavy weapons without penalty.

Long Rest Level Up
Once you gain enough experience points to reach the next level, you must complete a long rest before leveling up.

Initiative
At the start of every round of combat, all creatures reroll initiative. For ease of playing on Roll20, please remember to select your token before rolling initiative.

Defense Roll
Instead of having a static AC, all creatures now roll for their armor class when targeted with an attack. To determine your defense modifier, take your AC and subtract 10. This is your defense modifier. When attacked, roll 1d20+defense. This is your AC for that one attack. Resolve that attack normally; if the attacker rolls a number equal to your more than the defender’s AC, the attack hits.

The defense roll is not an attack, ability check, or saving throw so it is unaffected by effects such as guidance or bless.

Action Options
The following are additional actions a creature can take in combat.

Disarm
A creature can use a weapon attack to knock a weapon or another item from a target’s grasp. The attacker makes an attack roll contested by the target’s Strength (Athletics) check or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check. If the attacker wins the contest, the attack causes no damage or other ill effect, but the defender drops the item.

The attacker has disadvantage on its attack roll if the target is holding the item with two or more hands. The target has advantage on its ability check if it is larger than the attacking creature, or disadvantage if it is smaller.

Overrun
When a creature tries to move through a hostile creature’s space, the mover can try to force its way through by overrunning the hostile creature. As an action or a bonus action, the mover makes a Strength (Athletics) check contested by the hostile creature’s Strength (Athletics) check. The creature attempting the overrun has advantage on this check if it is larger than the hostile creature, or disadvantage if it is smaller. If the mover wins the contest, it can move through the hostile creature’s space once this turn.

Tumble
A creature can try to tumble through a hostile creature’s space, ducking and weaving past the opponent. As an action or a bonus action, the tumbler makes a Dexterity (Acrobatics) check contested by the hostile creature’s Dexterity (Acrobatics) check. If the tumbler wins the contest, it can move through the hostile creature’s space once this turn.

Shove Aside
With this option, a creature uses the special shove attack from the Player’s Handbook to force a target to the side, rather than away. The attacker has disadvantage on its Strength (Athletics) check when it does so. If that check is successful, the attacker moves the target 5 feet to a different space within its reach.

Colossal Monsters
If Creature A is at least two size categories larger than Creature B, Creature B treats Creature A as colossal.

Damaging a Colossal Monster
Colossal monsters have resistance to your damage unless hitting the creature’s weak points. These points could include the neck, eyes, or other vulnerable spots on a colossal monster. Weak spots have half cover.

Melee weapons without reach cannot strike weak spots unless the attacker climbs onto the colossal monster. Melee weapons with reach can hit a creature’s weak spot only if the attacker is adjacent to the monster.

When making an attack while climbing a colossal monster, if the climber does not have a hand free to hold onto the monster, they must first succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or fall onto an adjacent space next to the monster. Remember, falling from a suitably tall height might result in damage when hitting the ground.

Climbing onto a Colossal Monster
In place of a melee weapon attack against a colossal monster, make a Strength or Dexterity (Athletics) or (Acrobatics) check contested by the monster’s Dexterity (Acrobatics) check. On a success, you climb onto the monster. This can be done from the ground (if the monster is not flying) or from above (e.g. if you jump, teleport or fly). If you climb to a point where it can’t see you (e.g. its back) it is considered blinded with respect to you. Climbing around the monster counts as difficult terrain unless you have a climb speed.

At the end of each of your turn, if you are climbing on a colossal monster, you must repeat the Strength or Dexterity (Athletics) or (Acrobatics) check contested by the monster’s Dexterity (Acrobatics) check. On a failure, you lose your grip and fall. You can let go of the monster as a reaction, otherwise you move with it.

The monster can attempt to knock you off (even if it can’t see you) by making a Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check in place of one of its attacks, contested by your Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check. On a success, it dislodges you. Letting go or falling off a colossal monster may result in falling damage depending on how high up you are.

The monster can still make melee attacks against you if you have climbed onto it, and if there is suitable terrain (e.g. walls, trees, a ceiling if it can reach, etc.), it can slam into it to try and crush you. Being in a position where the monster can’t see you does not give this attack disadvantage. This attack uses the to hit bonus and damage of its lowest damage melee attack, but deals bludgeoning damage.

Throwing Creatures
If a colossal monster grapples a creature, it can throw a creature in place of one of its attacks. If the thrown creature hits a surface hard enough to take damage, it must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw, DC = 8 + Monster’s Strength Modifier + Its Proficiency Bonus. On a failure, it takes damage equal to the colossal monster’s lowest damage ranged attack (or melee attack if it has no ranged attack). On a success, it takes half as much damage.

Massive Damage
If a colossal creature takes damage from a single source equal to or greater than its hit point maximum, the creature’s wound is large enough that it becomes a very large weak point that does not have cover.

Facing
Each creature has a front arc (the direction it faces), left and right side arcs, and a rear arc. A creature can also change its facing by 90 degrees as a reaction when any other creature moves.

Creatures always face the direction they move. Whenever a creature ends its movement for the turn, it can change its facing. If that creature is large or larger, it can only turn 90 degrees

A creature can normally target only creatures in its front or side arcs. It can’t see into its rear arc. This means an attacker in the creature’s rear arc makes attack rolls against it with advantage.

Most attacks can only target opponents in a creature’s front or side arcs. Some attacks, like those made with tails, can only target creatures in the rear or side arcs.

Shields apply their bonus to AC only against attacks from the front arc or the same side arc as the shield. For example, a fighter with a shield on the left arm can use it only against attacks from the front and left arcs.

Not all creatures have every type of arc. A gelatinous cube has all front arcs while a hydra has three front arcs and one rear one.

On Roll20, a creature’s front face is the top of its token. Draw a diagonal line outward from each corner of this side to determine the squares in its front arc. The opposite side of the space determines its rear arc in the same way. The remaining spaces to either side of the creature form its side arcs. If more than half of a square or hex lies in one arc, it is in that arc. If it is split exactly down the middle, use this rule: if half of it lies in the front arc, it’s in that arc. If half of it is in a side arc and the rear arc, it’s in the side arc.