Armor Class and Dexterity

To add some realism to the game, there will be situations when a PC or NPCs AC will not gain the benefit of dexterity. Situations like this will be:

1. The character is swimming in water since they have no "footing."

2. The character is incapacitated, paralyzed, petrified, stunned, or unconscious.

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Attack (defined)

In my game, an attack is any action against someone that would be unwelcome by them. This includes spells that require saves.

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Attacking Through Allies

Melee

You cannot perform a melee attack through an ally's square unless you have reach and the enemy is at least one size larger than the creature impeding you.

Ranged (weapon & spell attack rolls)

When using a ranged weapon or spell attack through an occupied square, the target on the other side will have 1/2 cover, which gives the target +2 to AC. For a target that is two category sizes larger or more than the impeding creature, there is no cover.

The above rules only apply when your ally is within 5' of your intended target.

Those who have the Sharpshooter feat can ignore the cover penalties as per the feat description.  

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D20 Critical Hits and Misses

If you roll a 1 on an attack roll, you miss, regardless of pluses. If you roll a 20 on an attack roll, you hit no matter how high the enemy's AC is.

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Delay Turn

On your initiative, you may elect to delay your turn and go when you announce your intention to do so. Once you go, you get your action, bonus action, movement, and reaction as normal. Once you are done, then you will wait until your next initiative roll to go.

You can delay your turn as long as you wish, even into succeeding rounds. But when you take your turn, then you must wait until your initiative on the next turn before you either go or delay again on the next round's initiative. You may not perform actions then then delay and then take movement, and so forth. All options must be taken when you declare you're going.

If you cast a spell with a duration longer than instantaneous, then countdown begins once you cast it and continues to do so even if you delay your initiative. The ending of the spell will come in the round at the time your initiative roll even if you delay past it. That is why you still roll an initiative each round even if your intention is to continue delaying.

For those with the Alert feat, you can swap with someone on your rolled initiative and then you may delay your turn starting at the new initiative you have swapped to.

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Dropping an Item

If you drop an item in the same square in which you occupy while there is an enemy or enemies adjacent to you, then you may use an action to pick up the item without fear of penalties. This represents you being mindful of attacks and dodging to avoid being hit.

If you proclaim that you are picking up the item as an object interaction, which is free, then any enemy adjacent to you would have advantage on their next attack as long as said attack is made against you first. So, they cannot attack another enemy and then turn to hit you and get advantage. They could, if they have multiple attacks, attack you first with advantage, then use their second attack against whomever while only applying advantage if they have an ability, flanking, spell effect, etc.

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Flanking and Harrying

Harrying an opponent on a grid requires that you meet two basic conditions: you must outnumber the foe, and you must be combating the foe from more squares than it occupies. Therefore, it requires two small or medium creatures to harry a medium foe, five small or medium creatures to harry a large foe, and ten small or medium creatures to harry a huge foe.

Once the numbers threshold is met, all attacking creatures receive a +1 to hit, and an additional +1 when there are more attacking creatures (size small or larger) than the required number. For example, if three medium creatures surround a single medium foe, all three attackers would receive +2 to hit. The maximum harrying bonus is +2. When attempting to harry a creature that is adjacent to its ally, all adjacent foes must be harried for any foe to be harried. It pays to fight side by side or back to back!

Physical cover can prevent harrying from a diagonal. Imagine your party is in a room and opens a single door, revealing a tunnel behind that can barely be seen around the frame of a bugbear that was sneaking up on you. If combat commences in the three-foot-wide doorway, only the bugbear and one party member can melee one another unhindered. Someone adjacent to the one party member may be able to melee the bugbear with some difficulty (cover from the doorframe), but would not achieve harrying from that diagonal.

While advantage for flanking probably does a decent job of approximating reality, it undercuts many character abilities that create advantage, and it is not an option in the 2024 rules. There may be very rare circumstances in which I indicate that your character can gain advantage by flanking. However, any creature (this means your character as well) may use its reaction to negate such an advantage. An attacker cannot benefit from both flanking advantage and harrying. If a reaction has negated the flanking advantage, the harrying bonus will occur if applicable.

Flanking and harrying are reliable tactics for gaining an edge on foes with humanoid body types. Creatures with other body types, senses, and abilities may be resistant or immune to these tactics. Consider whether a creature relies on sight, whether its vision is forward-facing, whether its defenses vary depending on its facing, whether it is corporeal, whether it is flying, whether it even has a "front" and a "back."

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Grappling

If someone is grappled by more than one creature, they can only break one grapple per attack option.

Anyone grappled by three or more opponents is restrained.

Also, size differential affects how easily a target is grappled and how they break a grapple.

(moving a grappled creature) As per the rules, the grappler can drag or carry you when it moves, but every foot of moment costs it 1 extra foot unless you are tiny or two more size. Aside from the size consideration, a grappler with a fly speed (if grappling in flight) or a swim speed (if grappling while swimmingg) can move its full movement with a creature if it is flying/swimming and the grappled creature does not have the ability to fly/swim.
 

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Jumping/Falling Down

You may jump down up to 10' and would only need to make a DC 10 athletics check if you are landing on difficult terrain. If you fail the DC, you take 1d6 bludgeoning and are prone. At 20' and above, the DC is mandatory. At 20', the DC is 15, a miss is 2d6 bludgeoning, and you are prone; at 30', the DC is 20, you take 3d6 bludgeoning, and you are prone.  From 31' and above, you automatically 3d6 bludgeoning damage, and you are prone. Max falling damage is 20d6, and falling from 201' or more means your PC has died.

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Long Rest and Sleep

There are builds, invocation, spells, species, etc. that indicate a PC doesn't have to sleep at all. I'm fine with this. But a PC still needs to spend at least 8 hours during every 24-hour period doing non-productive activities such as resting, talking, reading, daydreaming, etc. Crafting, working on armor, building something, any physical activity, is not allowed if you want to gain the benefits of an 8-hour long rest.

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Mounts

When a character is on a mount, that character is positioned in the exact center of the space that the mount occupies, even if it means that character is not positioned inside a square proper. A mount that is caught in an area of effect sees its rider caught in the same area of effect. If an attacker is within 5' of the edge of the mount's occupied space, then the attacker can hit the rider of the mount with a 5' reach (or further) unless that mount has special properties or the DM/character has a special property or circumstance that takes the rider out of that 5' reach (or further).

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Movement

Creatures

When moving through a square that is occupied, be it by a dead body, similar or another creature, then that square becomes difficult terrain and costs double movement to move through unless the occupying creature is two sizes smaller than the one moving through.

Keep in mind the following:

a: moving through an ally's square imposes the movement penalty for difficult terrain UNLESS the ally whose square you're moving through used THEIR reaction to allow you to pass. The ally using their reaction must have at least a 6 intelligence or be too dumb to think of such actions.

b: moving trough the square of someone who does not wish for you to pass, such as an enemy, is not possible.

c: moving through a square with one body (dead, incapacitated, paralyzed, etc.), where the occupying creature cannot oppose you, is possible, but will be difficult terrain. If there are two bodies in a square, unless they are tiny, you cannot move through the square unless you jump over it or move the body(s) so there is only one in your way.

Mounting/Dismounting/Standing From Prone

This only takes 1/2 of a creature's unmodified base movement. So, for example, a 5th level monk who has +15' of movement for a total of 45', would only use 15' (1/2 of their base 30' of movement). The same formula applies to a creature that is hasted and so forth.

Flying Magic Item Movement

Since magic items have no actions, they do not get to dash. Therefore, they cannot move more than their described movement total. Magic items, spells, and potions that are designed to enhance the movement of a creature, such as a potion of flying, or ring of haste, do are not constrained by the above definition.

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Movement Through Occupied Squares

In the new rules, you may move unhindered through the square of an ally, a creature that is incapacitated, a tiny creature, or a creature that is two sizes smaller than you.

In my world, any space occupied by a creature that is small or larger will be considered difficult terrain, which costs double movement to move through. If the creature occupying the square is an ally, you may move though the square at double the movement cost. If the ally is tiny or two sizes smaller than you, then you may move through the square normally. If the creature is an enemy, you many not move through the square unless the creature is tiny or two sizes smaller than you.

If there are two or more creatures in a square (meaning they're usually dead or prone), you may jump over the square using the horizontal jump rules, or you can crawl through the square at double the movement cost. When you get through the square to an unoccupied space, you will be prone and must spend at least half your base movement to stand up.

Also, the rules say that if two creatures somehow end up in the same space unwillingly, they will both be prone. What I will not allow is for a creature to purposefully shove a creature into the space of another with the intent of knocking them prone. This is a way of gaming the system. If a creature is shoved into the the space of another creature and ends their turn there, then the two creatures in the square will roll opposing grapple checks (athletics or acrobatics). The loser will be pushed five feet away into the nearest random open square.

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Opportunity Attacks

1. In the new rules, when a creature you can see leaves your reach, you can use one reaction per round to make one melee attack with a weapon or unarmed strike against that creature. The attack occurs right before it leaves your reach.

2. In some instances, a creature can avoid an opportunity attack from an enemy within melee range. This can be done via spells, class features, feats, magic item functionality, or something similar that allows them to do so. Examples include, but are not limited to: cunning action, misty step, teleport, and a creature that has a specified ability that allows them to avoid opportunity attacks.

3. In the case where a creature is moved by someone else, such as by telekinesis or simply being grabbed, pushed, dragged, or otherwise, they are still subject to being attacked unless rule 2 applies.

4. Someone with the incapacitated, paralyzed, unconscious, or dead condition would still be subject to an attack of opportunity if they are moved out of an enemy's melee threat range. Keep in mind that an enemy choosing to take the opportunity attack would usually only do so under certain rare instances, such as wanting to finish off a hated foe, wishing to make sure the dangerous foe isn't healed to be a problem later, or for some other tactically sound reason.

5. You may physically pick up a creature with the incapacitated, paralyzed, unconscious, or dead condition and move them from an adjacent enemy without an attack of opportunity if you are using the disengage action, a magical effect that instantly takes you and the person you are carrying away instantly (such as misty step or teleport), or a class feature or other that allows you to avoid an attack of opportunity.

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Water Combat

If you are swimming in the water, and you don't have any special abilities that allow you to move unhindered by the water, you may attack using any means at your disposal. The order goes like this:

1. On your action, make a DC 10 athletics check (+1 for every 50 lbs. of gear you're carrying).

If you fail, you're done because you're too busy flopping around trying to keep from drowning to do anything else (unless you have some method of breathing underwater, such as a potion of water breathing and/or possess some other means of propulsion giving you swim speed). In that case, you'd be able to breathe but would still be fighting to tread water or sink.

If you succeed, attack as normal.

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Feat (Sharpshooter)

Prerequisites: 4th level; Dexterity 13 or higher)

You gain the following benefits.

Ability Score Increase. Increase your Dexterity score by 1, to a maximum of 20.

Bypass Cover. Your ranged attacks with weapons ignore Half Cover and Three-Quarters Cover.

Firing in Melee. Being within 5 feet of an enemy doesn’t impose Disadvantage on your attack rolls with Ranged weapons.

Long Shots. Attacking at long range doesn’t impose Disadvantage on your attack rolls with Ranged weapons.

Precision Shots. When you hit a creature with a ranged weapon that has the Two-handed property as part of the Attack action on your turn, you can cause the weapon to deal extra damage to the target. The extra damage equals your Proficiency Bonus.

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Purchasing/Commissioning Magic Items/Potions

Availability of Common and Uncommon Items for Sale

This is based on factors such as the item's rarity, the overall rarity of magic in the area, political doctrine, and other considerations. See explanations below.

A city's population size is essential to calculating item availability. Common and uncommon magic items are usually available in magic shops, with the number limited by population size. Rare and Very Rare items are never in shops waiting to be sold, as they are too expensive to make just to put on a shelf and wait to be bought. Such valuable items are found through individual sellers or by commissioning crafters (see the "Rare and Very Rare Crafting" section below).

Note: The numbers under the "Items Per Shop" and "Potions Per Shop" columns represent random products to be rolled for each available shop.

Crafter Availability Per Community

Those within a community who are skilled and of the level to craft items is important, as it dictates the max item rarity. Also, the number of crafters is important in calculating item crafting time. For example, a +1 shield, which is uncommon, would have a base line of 10 days to craft. But if you go into a small community with only 3 crafters available, there is a good chance they all have things on their plate and might not be able begin crafting for days or even weeks.

The table below will give display populations and how many crafters live there. The DM will determine how many, if any, are available and how much time it would take to get to the crafting and the crafting itself, as well as cost based upon rarity, demand, and other. Crafters will be wizards and clerics, and their max level for the listed population will be on the table below.

There may be individual crafters living in a community that are of a level that is above that listed in the table. They can be found by doing things like: posting on a community bulletin board, asking around town, greasing the palms of people who are adept at finding people, such a those working in a thieves guild. The risks of doing this are inherent.

NOTE: There may be situations where there are more or less clerics/wizards in a community than are listed on the table below. The DM will advise at the time.

Rare and Very Rare Crafting

Leaders are wary of anyone commissioning powerful magic items (rare and very rare) in their communities, which have strict laws regarding the reporting of such activities. Resident crafters who fail to do so risk heavy fines and imprisonment. Anyone wishing to commission a local craftsman to craft rare or very rare items must go to the local wizard’s guild (or related governmental body) to be identified, their reasons for requesting the item known, and taxed (typically 10% of the item's creation cost).
 

Legendary Item Crafting

Due to the extreme power of these magic items, permission of a Duke or Higher must be gained, which is very rare unless the circumstances are extreme. The tax rate for such an item will be no less than 25% of its cost of creation.

Rare and Very Rare Items for Sale

It is possible someone in a city privately owns an item for sale, or perhaps some items are available through underground channels. To find them, you must contact the “right” people, such as wizards and thieves. Wizards in a guild usually follow strict rules and will not circumvent laws by purchasing underground merchandise unless there are well-induced. Thieves in a guild are typically willing to put feelers out for a hefty fee, with no promise of finding the item you are looking for, not to mention there is always the question of their trustworthiness.

The higher the item’s rarity, the less likely it is to be available, and the higher the cost.

Legendary Items for Sale

Any that exist are jealously owned/guarded and not for sale under any circumstances.

A Note on Payment for Services

Not all crafters are keen on accepting hard currency for their time. Many will require the person(s) requesting services to acquire something of value the crafter needs. This may involve a quest or something similar, so be prepared.

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PC Crafting Information

Crafting Boundaries

In my game, the story is the focus, not pumping out magic items and diluting the wonder and coolness that comes with finding a magic item in a loot pile. With that said, adventurers who are spending their time questing (for the most part) can only craft potions and magic items of uncommon or lower. Anything higher than uncommon must be crafted in a brick and mortar environment.

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Crafting Magic Items and Potions of Healing

Magic Items   Potions   Poisons   Spell Scrolls

Magic Items Crafting Time and Cost

The table below represents the rarity, time, and cost associated with creating magic items and non-healing potions (there is a separate section below for that). For the purchase price of a completed item, which is based upon their rarity, simply double the listed cost. Other factors that can affect purchase prices include, but are not limited to, region, political atmosphere, rarity of magic items overall, private seller vs. business, etc.

NOTE: The crafting and purchase prices apply to potions that are NOT healing, which have their own rules regarding creation, prices for crafting, and purchasing outright. See the "Healing Potions" section below. The table below represents the Rarity, Time, and Cost for crafting magic items. For purchasing them outright, just double the listed cost.

Also, listed prices for crafting and the implied sales price (double that of crafting) are NOT static. In other words, the prices can fluctuate based upon current environments/situations such as demand, available crafters, and others. The DM will give prices at the time and place of the commission.

*Halve the value for a consumable item other than a Spell Scroll. The value of a Spell Scroll is double what it costs to scribe the scroll (as specified in the Player's Handbook).

**The level you must be to create an item of this rarity.

The table below shows what tools are needed to craft magic items.

Spells. If a magic item allows its user to cast any spells from it, you must have all those spells prepared every day you spend crafting the item.

Work per Day. For each day of crafting, you must work for 8 hours and must be worked on in a stationary location, not a moving wagon or other vehicle.

Assistants. Characters can combine their efforts to shorten the crafting time. Divide the time needed to create an item by the number of characters working on it. For Irith, no more than two can work on crafting an item.

Raw Materials. The cost in the table represents the raw materials needed to make a magic item. The DM determines whether raw materials are available. In a city, there is a 75 percent chance that the materials are available, and in any other settlement, that chance is 25 percent. If materials aren't available, you must wait at least 7 days before checking in the same city/settlement again.

If a magic item incorporates an item that has a purchase cost (such as a weapon or a suit of armor), you must also pay that entire cost or craft that item using the rules in the Player's Handbook. For example, to make +1 Armor (plate armor), you must pay 3,500 gp or pay 2,000 gp and craft the armor.

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Potion (healing only) Crafting Cost, Time, and Purchase Prices

Brewing Potions of Healing. Potions of healing fall into a special category for item crafting, separate from other magic items. A character who has proficiency with the herbalism kit can create these potions. The times and costs for doing so are summarized on the table below.

The time for brewing these potions is not halved like non-healing potions listed in the crafting table for magic items above. This is due to them not being magical items despite their magical effects.

*The level you must be to create this rarity of potion.

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Poison Crafting Cost, Time, and Purchase Prices

Anyone wishing to craft poisons must be proficient in the poisoner's kit. The amount of time to craft a potion is 1 hour per 100 gp sale value of the poison. The cost is half the listed sale price. This is based upon the prices of the available potions listed on page 90 of the 2024 DMG. See the table listed below for easy reference.

The minimum level of the crafter is listed on the table below and represents the experience necessary to craft a potion based upon it's sale price.

Harvested poison from creatures will be on a case-by-case basis. If information on the process/damage/saves/whatever isn't listed in the harvesting guide. I will work with you on what the poison does and so forth.

Keep in mind that coating one weapon or up to three pieces of ammunition is a bonus action. Once applied, the poison remains active for 1 minute or until its damage is dealt, whichever comes first.

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Spell Scrolls Time and Cost

A spell scroll is a scroll that can be read to trigger the spell inscribed upon it. A scroll that simply has the instructions on how to cast a spell, which can then be copied into a spellbook, is different. Look for the section below called "Copied Spells in Scrolls."

Scribing a spell scroll takes an amount of time and money based on the level of the spell, as shown in the Spell Scroll Costs table below. For each day of inscription, you must work for 8 hours. If a scroll requires multiple days, those days needn't be consecutive. The scroll can only be worked on in a stationary location, not a moving vehicle.

Prerequisites for the Scribe

To scribe a scroll, you must have proficiency in the Arcana skill or with Calligrapher's Supplies and have the spell prepared on each day of the inscription. You must also have at hand any material components required by the spell; if the spell consumes its Material components, they are consumed only when you complete the scroll. The scroll's spell uses your save DC and spell attack bonus.

If the scribed spell is a cantrip, the version on the scroll works as if the caster were your level.

The table below lists the crafting prices, meaning that the purchase price will be double what is listed. The table below has the Save DC and Attack Bonus of scrolls that you find for sale.

Copied Spells in Scrolls

Scrolls that have spells copied into them as a record or to be copied into another spellbook cannot be cast and activated from the scroll like a Spell Scroll. To make one, the person must have a spell to copy it from, proficiency in the Arcana Skill, and Calligrapher's Tools. For each level of the spell (with a cantrip equaling a 1st level spell) he transcription cost is 50 gp and takes 2 hours.

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Identifying

Magic Items

In my world, there are only 3 ways you can know the abilities of a magic item and how to use it: someone who already knows how to use the item instructs you, identifying the item with a spell such as identify, or you use trial and error. I want there to be a little effort in finding out what cool item you have rather than just "playing with it" and knowing all its secrets.

Potions

Only the following methods can be used to identify a potion:

1. Pay an Alchemist to identify it for you.

2. Use an Identify spell.

3. If your character has an alchemist background or has the ability to cast arcane spells, then I will allow you to use make a DC check to identify the potion.

4. Take a taste and the DM will give you a little inkling about how you feel. At that point, the character can make an Arcana check to determine the potion's properties (i.e. if it's a fly spell, the successful check means the character knows that the potion will allow them to fly but not duration and speed and so forth). Detailed information (by tasting only) can only be determined by a successful Arcana check by a spell caster who can cast the spell that potion effect emulates.

*NOTE* If you've consumed a potion before and know what the effects are, then going forward, you will be able to take a little taste and identify the spell right away.

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Polymorph (the spell)

The beast that the target is polymorphed into shall have full HP up to but not exceeding the HP total of the target creature. This means that if, for example, Bob the fighter has 70 hp after a long rest, and Mary turns him into a great ape, the great ape, which usually has over 160 hp, would only have 70 temp hp. On the other hand, if Bob is changed into a rat, he would have the max temp hp that a rat has because it is under Bob's max of 70.

This avoids turning someone into a creature with much more HP than they would normally have.

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Sanctuary (the spell)

The 2024 Sanctuary was a little nerfy so I changed made the following change:

Old 2024 sanctuary spell excerpt: "The spell ends if the warded creature makes an attack roll, casts a spell, or deals damage."

Irith Homebrew sanctuary change (the rest of the spell stays the same): "The spell ends if the warded creature makes an attack roll, casts a spell, or deals damage ON SOMEONE OTHER THAN THEMSELVES. ALSO, IF AN ENEMY IS DAMAGED BY SOMETHING ON THE WARDED TARGET'S PERSON, SUCH AS EMANATIONS FROM A SPELL OR MAGIC ITEM OR CLASS FEATURE, ETC. THE WARD ENDS FOR THE WARDED TARGET."

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Spell Casting Cost Per Level (Hirelings)

The amount of money you pay for a spell to be cast by a hireling, such as a cleric or wizard, will be based upon the following formula (Level)² x 10 + (Consumed Materials x 2) + (Non-consumed Materials x 0.1). This formula is based upon DnD Adventure rules and seems quite fair to me. The table below will show all spells levels and BASE cost before factoring in the consumed/non-consumed materials modifiers.

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Spells

This section is for information regarding what I allow, tweaks of current spells, and perhaps a homebrew spell or two.

Forbidden Spells

Silvery Barbs and Vortex Warp.

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Here are changes/additions to existing spells.

Reincarnate

I have updated the list of possible reincarnated humanoids to include more races, including homebrews. See the list below:

1.   Aasimar
2.   Centaur
3.   Draconian (roll d8 to determine what Draconian type)

        Black

        Blue

        Brass

        Bronze

        Copper

        Gold

        Green

        Red

        Silver

        White
3.   Dracothel (Kobold)
4.   Dwarf (roll d2 to determine Dwarf type)

        Normal

        Barethkor (Duergar)
5.   Elf (roll d4 to determine Elf type)

        High

        Shenuri (Dark Elf)

        Thriiche (Ice Elf)

        Wood
6.   Gnome (roll d3 to determine Gnome type)

        Forest

        Rock

        Torozen (Svirfneblin or Deep Gnome)
7.   Goliath (roll d6 to determine what Goliath type)

        Cloud

        Fire

        Frost

        Hill

        Stone

        Storm
8.   Halfling
9.   Human
10. Kryth
11. Ratkin
12. Sethraak
13. Tabaxi
14. Tiefling
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This section is for new spells.

Wither
4th-level necromancy

Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 150 feet
Components: V, S
Duration Instantaneous

This spell harms plant life, including plant creatures. You can choose one of two options below in how the spell is applied. Also, there are no long-term effects on the land itself in the spell radius.

Normal Plants. You choose a point within range. All normal plants in a 100-foot-radius sphere centered on that point wither, die, and become blackened ash. This effectively eliminates plant growth that causes difficult terrain. Note, this spell does not work against the Spike Growth or Wall of Thorns spells.

Plant Creatures. A plant creature you can see within range makes a Constitution saving throw, taking 4d8 Necrotic damage on a failed saving throw or half as much damage on a successful one.

Using a Higher-Level Spell Slot. The damage against a plant creature increases 1d8 for each spell slot level above 4.

Classes: Druid, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard