In their travels, the PCs often find themselves in a settlement that is unfamiliar to them. While there they want to buy supplies. I have spent countless hours in the past deciding on what shops are in the town. What each shop has for sell. How many of each item, and its cost. Not to mention shop names and the names and stats for the shop owner and others who work there. How about a description of what the shop looks like and what patrons may be there. This is what is expected of the DM. Right? Well … most of the time, the PCs only want to replenish their ammunition, upgrade their armor and maybe buy a couple of healing potions. They just want to know if what they want is available in this settlement, and how many can they buy. So here is what I have come up with. I don’t enjoy role-playing a haggling session, and my players have never been much into that aspect of the game either. So I simply use the prices that are in the Players Handbook. When running a game where buying magic items is allowed, I typically use the prices found in Sane_Magical_Prices.pdf and I often don’t allow the purchase of certain items. Of course you can modify these however you think is appropriate for your campaign, but I have found that that is an unnecessary complication. I thought there could be a simple table to find how many of any particular item (if any) are available in a settlement based on how large a settlement it is. The result of my attempt to create that table is what I am presenting here.
There are two tables. One for mundane (non-magical) items, and another for magical items. There are also Spellcasting Services and Spell Scrolls at the end.
How to use the tables. 1) Find the cost of the item you are seeking to purchase. This should be the cost of a single item unless it is commonly sold in a bundle consisting of several identical items, such as arrows for example.
2) Refer to the Mundane Item Availability table for anything other than a magic item, magic scroll, or potion. For those refer instead to the Magic Item Availability table.
3) Find the row on the table that corresponds to the settlement size.
4) If the cost of the item is higher than the value in the MAX Value column, there are none of these items available for purchase here. Otherwise, continue to step 5.
5) Refer to the value in the # Available column (for magic items refer to the die roll indicated under the items rarity: Common, Uncommon, Rare or Very Rare). This indicates the roll needed to determine how many of this particular type of item is available in this settlement.
A note regarding the Availability Roll. This is expressed in the standard format for making modified die rolls. Treat any negative result as zero. If you are unfamiliar with this: Dice rolls are described with expressions such as “1d4-2,” which means “roll one four-sided dice and subtract 2” (resulting in either -1, 0, 1, or 2). The first number tells you how many dice to roll (adding the results together). The number immediately after the “d” tells you the type of die to use (a 4 sided die in our example). Any number after that indicates a quantity that is added or subtracted from the result.
Mundane Item Availability
Type
Population
Max Value
# Available
Purchase Limit
Thorp
< 20
50 gp
1d4-3
500 gp
Hamlet
21–60
200 gp
1d4-2
1,000 gp
Village
61–200
500 gp
1d4-1
2,500 gp
Small town
201–2,000
1,000 gp
1d4
5,000 gp
Large town
2,001–5,000
2,000 gp
1d6
10,000 gp
Small city
5,001–10,000
4,000 gp
1d8
25,000 gp
Large city
10,001–25,000
8,000 gp
2d8
50,000 gp
Metropolis
25,001 >
*16,000 gp
2d10
100,000 gp
* In a metropolis, single items valued over 16,000 gp may be available for purchase on a case by case basis subject to the DM’s discretion. The item may need to be created/built/fabricated and may require that the PC furnish some needed components. All of this and how long it takes to create the item is also to be determined by the DM.
Max Value: There is no single item for sale with a value higher than this.
# Available: For any specific type of item (other than a magic item), if the value of the item is the Max Value or less, the modified die roll indicated determines how many (if any) are available for purchase.
Purchase Limit: This maximum total that the entire party can spend on items, including magic items.
Magic Item Availability
Type
Population
Max Value
# Available
Common
Uncommon
Rare
Very Rare
Thorp
< 20
50 gp
1d4-3
—
—
—
Hamlet
21–60
200 gp
1d4-2
1d4-3
—
—
Village
61–200
500 gp
1d4-1
1d4-2
1d4-3
—
Small town
201–2,000
1,000 gp
1d4
1d4-1
1d4-2
1d4-3
Large town
2,001–5,000
2,000 gp
1d6
1d4
1d4-1
1d4-2
Small city
5,001–10,000
4,000 gp
1d8
1d6
1d4
1d4-1
Large city
10,001–25,000
8,000 gp
2d8
1d8
1d6
1d4
Metropolis
25,001 >
16,000 gp
2d10
2d8
1d8
1d6
Legendary magic items are not commonly for sale.
Max Value: There is no single magic item for sale with a value higher than this.
# Available: For any specific magic item, if the value of the item is the Max Value or less, the modified die roll indicated in the column for the items rarity determines how many (if any) are available for purchase.
Spellcasting Services The following is a rough pricing guide to have someone cast a spell for you and the smallest settlement in which you might find a spellcaster to cast a spell of that level. It also requires you to find someone that is capable and willing casting it for you. To these prices you must add the cost of material components (if any). Cantrip (Thorp) – 15 gp; 1st Level (Hamlet) – 25 gp; 2nd Level (Village)- 100 gp; 3rd Level (Small town) – 150 gp; 4th Level (Large town) – 1,000 gp; 5th Level (Small city) – 1,500 gp. It is not typically possible to hire someone to cast a spell that is higher than 5th Level, but they may be persuaded to cast it in exchange for some item or service that the PCs could provide.
Spell Scrolls The cost of a spell scroll is double the cost of having the spell cast for you.
This is an optional rule for Bold Against Monsters (BAM). Also, heroic actions can replace Weapon Masteries in D&D 5.5 or Weapon Actions in ToV. There are also Tips for the GM that might be useful when running any RPG.
In a combat round your character can move and take an action (or move twice if you don’t take an action). The core rules say, “Your action can be anything that your character can do, or attempt to do, that would normally take no more than 6 seconds.” And goes on to describe the “Attack Action” and the “Magic Action” – the two most common actions.
The “your character can do anything” rule may be intimidating to players, and GMs as well. So here a few examples of things the PCs can attempt and rules for succeeding. I’m calling these “Heroic Actions.”
Any player character can attempt a heroic action. Heroic actions do not do damage per se but may cause damage to be done as a result – dependent on environment or impact – so pushing someone off a cliff doesn’t do damage … it’s the fall that does it! If a heroic action forces a target creature into damaging terrain, such as lava or off a cliff, it can make a STR or DEX (target’s choice) save to avoid the move.
Performing a heroic action. To perform a heroic action requires making an ability check. First name what you intend to do and the effect you want to achieve. Like all other ability checks, the GM chooses the relevant ability and the target number, called a difficulty class (DC). To make an ability check, roll 1d20 and add the relevant ability modifier. If this is something you are proficient at you also add your proficiency bonus (PB). If the total is equal to or greater than the DC, you succeed; otherwise, you fail.
When characters succeed in performing a heroic action with a weapon, rather than doing damage they use the weapon to perform some other function as described.
The guide-lines that follow are only a few examples of how heroic actions are to be resolved. Creative players will certainly come up with new heroic actions.
DISARM (Unarmed) You must have at least one hand free. You specify which weapon, shield, or object you are attempting to make the target creature drop. Make a STR or DEX check (you decide which), adding your PB to the roll. The DC of the ability check is the AC of the target creature. You make the check with disadvantage. (With a light melee weapon) Select a weapon, shield, or object the target is holding. Make an attack roll against the target with a light melee weapon that you are proficient with. You make the attack roll with disadvantage. (On a success) The target drops the item. The item lands in an unoccupied space, chosen by you, within 5 feet of the target. If no unoccupied space is within range, it lands at the target’s feet.
GRAPPLE (Unarmed) You must have at least one hand free. Against a large or smaller creature, make a STR check, adding your PB to the roll. The DC of the ability check is the AC of the target creature. (On a success) The target must succeed on a STR or DEX save (it chooses which), or it has the Grappled condition. The DC for the saving throw and any escape attempts equals 8 plus your STR modifier + your PB. (Ending a Grapple) A Grappled creature can use its action to make a STR or DEX check against the grapple’s escape DC. It also ends if you are incapacitated. You can release the target at any time (no action required). PUSHBACK (Unarmed or with a shield) You must have at least one hand free or be wielding a shield. Make a STR check, adding your PB to the roll. You make the check with disadvantage unless you first move 20 feet in a straight line up to the creature. The DC of the ability check is the AC of the target creature. (With aheavy melee weapon) Make an attack roll with a heavy melee weapon that you are proficient with, against a large or smaller creature. You make the attack roll with disadvantage. (On a success) You push the creature up to 10 feet straight away from you.
TRIP OR THROW (Unarmed) You must have at least one hand free. Against a large or smaller creature, male a STR or DEX check (you decide which), adding your PB to the roll. The DC of the ability check is the AC of the target creature. (With along melee weapon) Make an attack roll with a long melee weaponthat you are proficient with, against a large or smaller creature. You make the attack roll with disadvantage. (On a success) The target falls prone. If the target is mounted, it can make a STR or DEX (target’s choice) save to avoid falling prone.
Tips for the GM:
How to handle it when a player wants to do something not covered in the rules. What if a player wants his character to swinging on a chandelier, jump onto the back of a monster or throw sand in an opponent’s eyes? Game Masters (GMs) have to quickly respond to these and many other unique situations that crop up all of the time in any RPG. This is a skill that GMs develop with experience. For new GMs, or anyone who would appreciate a few pointers, this will walk you through my thought process when faced with unexpected player requests.
Have the player describe the action and what they expect it to accomplish.
This does two things. First, it makes the player visualize the current situation and its environment. Would the action even be possible for the character to do? If not, it is part of your job to occasionally say no to a player. You should explain to the player why the action is impossible. Example: If they want to jump over a pit of lava that is 200 feet wide. Without flight or any kind of magical assistance, this will be impossible. Might it be possible if the rules were loosened? If they could “almost” do it, but the rules don’t allow it, you may want to make an exception in this specific case. It should require an ability check. Example: If they can jump over a 10 foot wide pit and the lava pit is 15 feet wide, I might allow a DC 15 STR check to succeed, but with a dire warning of the consequences of failing the attempt (you fall into the lava pit and take appropriate damage). How exactly will they do it? You may need to have the player explain how the character intends to accomplish what he is wanting to do. I find that the player is often thinking that all their character needs to do to accomplish something is to roll a high enough number on the die. By describing exactly how their character will do it, they often realize that they don’t have any way to accomplish their goal. Example: The player says, “While the others are fighting the monster, I run over to the coffin and remove its lid.” Depending on the specifics of the adventure, you might just describe what happens when he opens the coffin. If they haven’t examined the coffin or you haven’t described it, it might be made of stone and the lid is too heavy for a single PC to remove it. The lid may have been sealed by lead or gold. The coffin may be made of wood and the lid may be nailed shut. Another Example: The action may require a tool that the PC doesn’t possess. Maybe they could remove the lid if they had a crowbar. Does the character have what is needed and maybe the proficiency needed to accomplish the intended action?
Second, it gives you, the GM, a little time to decide how to handle the request.
Setting the difficulty. Always remember, you set the DC and can also require the check to be made with advantage or disadvantage. If they must succeed: If it is important to the story that they succeed, don’t ask for a check. Regardless of how easy you make it, they might fail (it has happened to me!) If they must fail: If it would ruin the story if they do succeed, you must resist the temptation to make it too hard for them. Regardless of the difficulty, they may succeed! It will be much better if you don’t allow a check and just say that they can’t do it. If you make it impossible for them to succeed on a natural 20, then why are you letting them roll at all?
If you feel that you must allow them a chance to succeed, be prepared for them to roll a natural 20. You must allow a natural 20 to succeed. If you allowed them to roll for it, they must have a chance to succeed or what is the point in rolling?
The following rules apply to “unique” actions.
1. A unique action will be your action for a combat round but it can also include some or all of your move for the round. 2. You must describe the action before you roll. 3. The action must be within the reasonable ability of your character to perform, as decided by your GM, given the character’s level and the difficulty of the action. 4. If the action is approved by the GM, they will determine the DC and the result of success or failure. 5. If you roll a natural 1 your attempt fails regardless of any bonuses. 6. A natural 20 is always a success.
Here are a couple of example unique actions.
Action: “I want to swing on the chandelier and land on the ogre’s back.” If the proposed action can’t be done, explain why not. But for this example let’s say that it is possible. You could always say something like, “Make a DC15 DEX check, if you fail you land prone at the ogre’s feet, if you succeed you are on his back.” Or you could make it more interesting. First, you need to visualize the physical layout of the room in 3 dimensions and the location of all the actors. To keep it simple, let’s say this is a large room with a chandelier hanging in the center of the room. It is hanging 10 feet above the floor from a chain attached to the ceiling high above. There is an open staircase on the side of the room with a landing 15 feet above the floor. Let’s also say that the chandelier would reach just above the handrail on the landing, if it were pulled over there. You might say that the character can’t just jump over and grab the chandelier where it is hanging, or if they did they wouldn’t make it swing very far, not far enough to reach the ogre on the other side of the room. For now, we will assume the chandelier is well made and could support the character’s weight. Remember we have already made the assumption that this action is possible. So, assuming the character is standing on the landing, you might ask, “How are you going to move the chandelier over to where you can grab it?” There may be several different options here. He, or another character may have some magic spell they could cast to move the chandelier. He might say he will use his whip, or make a lasso out of his rope and pull it over that way. Most options for retrieving the chandelier will use his action this round, and may also require an ability check. Let’s say at the start of his next round he has retrieved the chandelier and is ready to swing across the room and land on the ogre’s back. When he describes exactly how he will do this, he realizes (perhaps with some prompting from you) that he must have both hands free to hold the chandelier. If you are feeling generous, you may allow him to stow his shield and sheath his sword as part of this action. Where the chandelier is now, the center of the room and the ogre should form a straight line. You, as the GM, could dismiss with this requirement, especially if you are playing a more theater of the mind kind of game. That leaves, how does the character land on the ogre’s back and what happens if he fails? I wouldn’t make it too hard, perhaps a DC 10 DEX check to land on the ogre’s back without falling off. If he fails the check he falls prone within 5 feet of the ogre and takes 1d6 points of damage. At the end of his turn he will either be prone at the ogre’s feet, or hanging on to the ogres back. Either way he is holding no weapon and no shield. But if he succeeds, I would reward him for his creativity by giving him one luck point. And, if he is now on the ogre’s back I would give him advantage on melee attacks he makes against the ogre, and give the ogre disadvantage on attacks against the character. I might add that at the start of each of the characters turns, he must make a STR check to remain on the ogre’s back (The GM sets the DC, maybe 15). I might allow the ogre to use his action to attempt to remove the character from his back. This would be a good place to use a contest comparing a STR check from the ogre to a STR or DEX (player’s choice) check from the character.
You might make different decisions, but the point is that you and the player really need to take a minute to visualize, and analyze the situation. What would it look like if you were actually there? Base your decisions on that and you will do fine. Everyone will have fun.
Action: I want to throw sand in the assassin’s eyes. You could always say something like, “Make a DEX check, adding your PB to the roll. The DC of the check is 8 + the DEX modifier of the target creature. On a success the target is blinded until the end of your next turn.” This would be good if their response to your request to “Describe the action and what you want to accomplish.” Was something like, “The assassin just knocked me prone and you said that the ground there was sandy. I try to keep the assassin from noticing that I close my fist around a handful of sand. As I stand up I fling the sand into his face, trying to blind him.” Or, if the player didn’t make it so easy for you, you could still just make it a DEX check, or there are several things you may want to consider.
You can’t throw a handful of sand very far, so I think the target would need to be within 5 feet of the character.
Also, you would have to be unaware that someone is about to throw sand in your face, or you would instinctively block against it. So the player needs to indicate that he is attempting to be stealthy. Even if they do, you may want them to make a stealth check opposed by the targets perception check for the target to not notice the handful of sand about to be flung in their face.
Preventing sand from going into your eyes is relatively easy. You could turn away; block it with your hand, arm or shield; close your eyes; or all three. So I would either make the DC relatively high, have the PC make the check with disadvantage, or give the target a DEX save to avoid bring blinded.
As you see, there is always a balance between a fast, easy to play game and one that takes longer but is more “realistic.” The decision is up to you as the GM. The trick is to be consistent. Don’t make it easy for one player but more complicated for another player. And don’t get bogged down in all the numbers and the physics of reality. It’s a game, not a physics class. In the end, most of the decisions you make will, in the end, only add or subtract a few numbers from the die roll, and there are a lot of numbers on a 20 sided die. The big secret is that, no matter what ruling the GM makes, it won’t really make much difference! So, if there isn’t a rule for something, make one up! If you feel it is an important rule, make a note of it and, before the next gaming session, do some research and see if you feel a need to change the rule you just made. White that down and tell the group at the beginning of the next gaming session.
Let me know what you think in the comments below .
There are a lot of things that I like about the new 2024 rules for Dungeons and Dragons (D&D 5.5) but there are several things that I don’t care for. Before I run a D&D 5.5 game, here are the house rules I will be using to address some of these issues. I am sure that I will be updating this list from time to time as I run across other problems. These are in addition to, and in some cases may replace, my existing 5E house rules that I posted here: D&D 5E – My House Rules.
House rules I will use when running a D&D 5.5 campaign
1) I will be using the new (2024) rules exclusively. Players may not use spells, races, classes, subclasses, etc. from any earlier publications. 2) I will be using the house rules I posted here: The Old DM’s House Rules on Hiding and; 3) You cannot attack an ally. This includes opportunity attacks. 4) You can swap weapons (sheath one weapon and draw another one) once, and only once, on your turn. 5) I will have to nerf many spells, Conjure Minor Elementals for example. (I may provide details in a future post.) 6) Most on-going spells end when their caster dies and you can end any spell you have cast (no action required) if you aren’t incapacitated. 7) No crafting of magic items. 8) Background. Create your own. Just make up any background you want. Then, based on that background;
Ability Scores. Increase three ability scores by 1, or one by 2 and one by 1, to a maximum score of 20.
Skill Proficiencies. Select any two skills to be proficient in.
Tool Proficiency. Select one tool to be proficient in.
Equipment. Select any equipment pack, or 50 GP.
9) House rules to prevent weapon mastery abuse.
You can’t use the weapon mastery feature of a weapon if you use it as an improvised weapon. An example would be throwing a melee weapon that doesn’t have the thrown property or making a melee attack with a ranged weapon.
Save: For mastery features that allow a save to avoid the effect, it will be either a DEX or STR saving throw and the DC is 8 plus the ability modifier used to make the attack roll and your Proficiency Bonus. You should always have that number calculated and ready to give to the DM when needed.
Cleave: A single attack roll is used against both targets. The two targets must be within 5 feet of each other, within your weapons reach, and positioned so that they could be hit with a single swing of your weapon.
Graze: A poison weapon does no poison damage on a miss. A roll of a natural 1 does not graze.
Nick: Reword this to “When you make an attack action with this weapon you can make a second attack with it. You can make this extra attack only once per turn.”
Push: Must be horizontally (not up into the air). The target can save to resist being pushed. If the creature is hit more than once by weapons that have this property, the distance they are pushed doesn’t exceed 10 feet.
Sap: The target can save to resist the Sap.
Slow: If the creature is hit more than once by weapons that have this property, or they are (or have been) affected by the use of the Slasher Feat, their total Speed reduction never exceeds 10 feet.
Topple: If the creature is hit more than once by weapons that have this property, they automatically save.
Vex: Reword this to “If you hit a creature with this weapon and deal damage to the creature, you have Advantage with the same weapon on your next attack roll against that creature before the end of your next turn.”
Additional house rules I may implement, depending on the adventure
1) No flying characters. 2) Player characters may not have an evil alignment. 3) No Multiclassing. (Multiclassing is no longer listed as an optional rule as it was in 5E.) 4) No Firearms. 5) No bastions. 6) I LIKE opposed checks. 7) My “rule of cool”: If I think it is cool I MAY allow it ONCE.
Call to action.
I’m always looking to improve my resources for the D&D community! I would love to hear your feedback on these house rules. Let me know what you think in the comments below.
D&D 5E’s rules for hiding are a mess. I previously posted my thoughts on this in my post D&D 5E – Stealth and Hiding. In a similar vein I posted D&D 5E – House Rule – Pop-up Archer. I was hoping that the 2014 update would improve on the hiding rules, but I was disappointed. Also, I am a fan of Tales of the Valiant, but they left the hiding rules pretty much unchanged. So I decided to replace the rules on hiding in 5E with my own house rules and here they are.
This replaces everything I said on those previous posts.
In the house rules below, every rule applies equally to PCs and other creatures.
The first thing I did was create a new condition called “Hidden.”
The Hidden Condition
Hidden: The creature or creatures that you are hiding from are unaware of your location.
Clarification:
The terms “you are hiding” and “you are hidden” or “you have the Hidden condition” are synonymous.
Being “stealthy” is trying to remain undetected which is the same as trying to hide.
You are hidden if the creature you are hiding from is unable to determine your location by sight, hearing, smell or any other sense it possesses.
This is the most common situation. The Creature is trying to determine where you are.
It may be wanting to attack you, but it can’t see or hear you.
An example could be when you are invisible (it can’t see you) and you are being very quiet (it can’t hear you).
Another example would be when you move to a position behind total cover, such as behind a tree or a barrel and try to remain unseen and unheard.
You are hidden if the creature you are hiding from doesn’t notice you.
This is typically when a creature you are trying to sneak up on is currently unaware of your presence. They may be distracted or simply looking the other way. You attempt to both quickly and silently sneak up from behind.
Another example might be if you are attending a royal party and attempt to pick the pocket of a noble. You try to avoid attracting his attention while you get close enough to pick his pocket without being noticed.
A third example would be if you transformed into a small spider and are simply there to gather information while observing from the ceiling in the corner of the room.
You are hidden if the creature you are hiding from can’t distinguish you from others.
In this case they can see you and they may know that you are near and a possible threat, but you are among others and it doesn’t know which one you are.
You may be trying to blend in with the crowd, or you might be attempting to hide while disguised as (or transformed into) a sheep in a flock of sheep.
Benefits to Being Hidden
If you are hidden from all your opponents before the first round of combat you will surprise them and get a free round to attack them before they can react. (You are no longer hidden after you attack.)
On all targeted attacks against you, the attacker must first identify where he thinks you are located. The attack will automatically miss if you are not in that 5 foot area. The attack is made with disadvantage, even if you are not in the targeted area, and the DM simply tells the attacker if his attack missed.
If you are hidden you make attacks with advantage if you can see the target. However, you will no longer be hidden if the attack hits or misses.
When can you hide?
During combat, hiding is an action.
In combat or not, you can’t hide from a creature that can perceive your location.
Clarification:
The DM determines when conditions are right for making a hide check, including in the following examples.
You can attempt to hide from one or more creatures if they do not currently see you clearly or perceive your location by any special senses they might have such as darkvision, blindsight, tremorsense, or truesight.
Another situation where you can attempt to hide is when the creature you are trying to hide from is distracted or looking away from your location.
How do you hide?
You make a Hide check [a Dexterity (Stealth) check].
Make a note of the results of that check to be used later.
Unless you indicate one or more specific creatures that you are attempting to hide from, it will be assumed that you are attempting to hide from your foes and not from your allies.
When are you no longer hidden?
Until you are discovered or you stop hiding, the hide check you made is contested by the Wisdom (Perception) check of any creature that might notice you or that actively searches for signs of your presence. You are discovered and no longer hidden from creatures that win the contest. The DM may choose to use the creature’s Passive Perception score rather than making a Perception check.
You are no longer hidden from a creature that can hear you if you make noise.
You are no longer hidden from a creature that can hear you if you speak louder than a whisper or cast a spell with a verbal component.
You are no longer hidden if you make an attack of any kind if it hits or misses.
Difference between hidden and invisible
Invisible: Being invisible means you can’t be seen by normal sight or darkvision but creatures might still locate you by sounds you make, tracks you leave, your smell, the way the air or plants move around you, or some other way. Hidden: If a creature can’t perceive your location by seeing you, or by any special senses, you can attempt to hide from it. So if a creature is dependent on sight alone to perceive your location, you can attempt to hide from it if you are invisible.
Clarification:
If you are invisible and hidden, when a creature locates you, you will no longer be hidden from it but you will still be invisible.
If a creature can’t be detected by using any of your senses then you can only guess at its location.
If you can notice some clue as to its location you must succeed in a Perception check to locate it.
You can make this check with advantage if you use the Search action.
If it has attempted to hide, your Perception check will be against its hide check.
Advantage and Disadvantage
Here is a summary of situations where your character might have advantage or disadvantage based on hidden or invisible conditions.
Attacks you make against a creature you can’t see are made with disadvantage.
If you are hidden or invisible, attacks you make against a creature you can see are made with advantage.
If you attack a creature that is hidden from you, you must guess at its location (identify the square you think it is in) before you make the attack and the attack is made with disadvantage. The DM will tell you if the attack hit or missed. If it missed you will not know if the creature was in that square or not.
If you attack a creature that is invisible but not hidden, you may first make a perception check to see if you can notice some indication of where it is located. If you determine the creature’s location, your attack is made with disadvantage. Failing the perception check, proceed as you would if it were hidden.
Handling Total Cover
Have you ever had a player that wanted to stay behind total cover during combat and just step out and fire his arrow on his turn and then step back? I don’t like this. It doesn’t make for cinematic, or heroic combat. Here are a couple of house rules I have implemented to address this and other similar situations.
If you are behind total cover and hidden, if you move out from behind that cover, you are no longer hidden to creatures who can see you. However, the first attack you make the round you come out from cover is made with advantage.
This is to reward you for being stealthy.
If you are behind total cover but are not hidden and cannot see your target, if you move out from behind total cover and attack, the first attack you make that round is made with disadvantage.
This is because you will have to locate your target visually and do not have time to take careful aim.
If, during your turn, you move from an exposed location to a location behind total cover, one creature that can see you can take a reaction to make an attack with disadvantage against you with a ranged weapon it is holding.
This assumes of course that the attacker hasn’t used its reaction this round and meets any other requirements for making the attack. For example, if it has a longbow in hand, it must have the other hand free and access to an arrow it can draw and fire.
The attack will necessarily be rushed. That is why it is made with disadvantage.
The attack is made when you are in the last exposed 5 foot space that the creature can see before you enter total cover.
The limit of one creature taking the reaction is imposed to prevent a deluge of arrow attacks against a character seeking refuge.
Remember that you can now only attempt to hide this round by taking the hide action. If you have already taken an action (to attack for example) you might not have another action available.
If, during combat, you move from an exposed location to a location behind total cover it is assumed that your opponents are taking note of where you are hiding. Therefore, if you then take the hide action, unless you move at least 15 feet while remaining behind total cover before moving out into the open, the Wisdom (Perception) check of any creature that might notice you is made with advantage.
Note that this will typically mean that they will have advantage on noticing when you re-appear if you have stepped behind a tree or barrel for example and can’t move 15 feet or more before leaving an area of total cover.
If they succeed in their perception check, you are not hidden from them so your first attack after revealing yourself is made with disadvantage instead of with advantage (refer to the Advantage Disadvantage section above).
These new house rules are more streamlined and easier to implement into your game. One problem with the older version is that it contained very little for players who characters weren’t spellcasters, and spellcasters didn’t get very many useful time related spells. So this version includes Time Points, Time Checks, and 71 Chronology spells.
Time Points: A character’s Time Points represent his ability to detect and interact with the timeline. All PCs get Time Points as they advance in level. They can spend them for things like rewinding time to re-roll a d20 (even a death save), or take a different action. Or have some other creature re-roll his attack. You get a chance to regain a lost or spent Time Point after a long rest. Also, as you accumulate more Time Points you gain bonuses to certain ability checks.
Time Checks: These are tied to your Time Points. When the DM has you make a Time Check you roll a d20 and add your Wisdom ability modifier and Time Points to the D20 roll. Several spells require you to succeed on a Time Check or the spell fails.
Chronology Spells: There is no Chronomancy class. If your character is attuned to the flow of time (as represented by your Time Points) and has one or more levels in a class that can cast magic spells, you can add all of the chronology spells to the spell list for that class. Otherwise, none of the spell casting rules for your class are changed. Player characters can add these to their list of spells available to their spellcasting class.
Another problem with any time travelling campaign is that the most useful time travel spells are necessarily high level spells that lower level PCs won’t have access to. This would appear to limit you to high level adventures. To address this I have included many low level spells and I am also working on a series of Time Travelling adventures (an adventure arc) that will take your group from level 1 up through level 20. I am calling it “It’s About Time“. I will be posting these here as they become available. As always, these will be free for you to download and use in your campaigns.
You are running a FRPG (Fantasy Role Playing Game) and the player’s characters have come to the big city. They want to check out the local gambling house. Perhaps try their luck at the tables. But you don’t want to run a whole complicated sub-game. This is for you.
Here is a simple way to determine who wins and who looses and how many gold pieces are won or lost.
The simple method:
The player tells you how much his character is going to bet. Have him flip a coin. [You could have him do this once for the entire day of gambling, or for each bet he makes while there.]
Heads – PC looses all he bet. Tails – PC wins – Roll 1d4 and check this list: 1) PC wins 1.25 X what he bet 2) PC wins 1.5 X what he bet 3) PC wins 1.75 X what he bet 4) PC wins 2 X what he bet
A more complex method:
Player rolls 1d20 and adds his character’s ability bonus. [STR for games like arm wrestling. DEX for games like darts. CON for drinking games. INT for games like dragon chess. WIS for games like poker. CHA for games where the patrons vote to determine the winner.] The house (opponent) also makes a check [add an appropriate bonus determined by the DM. +5 is a good place to start]. Ties go to the house.
Maximum Bets:
Each house will has their own max bet and max payout. An example: Maximum bet 10 gp. Maximum payout on a single bet: 20 gp. Maximum total daily payout: 200 gp.
This question comes up quite often. There is no official clarification in either the Player’s Handbook or the Dungeon Master’s Guide. Jeremy Crawford said “A non-undead corpse isn’t considered a creature. It’s effectively an object.” But, dead creatures are not simply objects. If they were not still creatures they would not be valid targets for Revivify. Time for another house rule.
House Rule: A dead creature (non-undead corpse) can be either a creature or an object, depending on the situation. It is immune to poison and psychic damage, but otherwise can be affected by physical and magical attacks.
As a creature:
The creature has 0 hit points.
The creature is unconscious.
The creature can’t move, hear, see or speak, and is unaware of its surroundings.
The creature can’t take actions or reactions.
The creature is not affected by magical or mundane healing.
The creature is an “unwilling target” for spells that target creatures.
For any spell that requires an “unwilling target” to fail saving throw to be effected, the creature automatically succeeds on its save.
The creature automatically fails all other saving throws.
Attack rolls against the creature automatically hit.
Any attack that hits the creature is a critical hit.
As an object:
The DM determines its Armor Class and hit points. For example: if the object is a dead unarmored human it might have 3d6 Hit Points and an Armor Class of 15.
The DM might decide that certain dead creature objects have resistance or immunity to certain kinds of attacks.
A dead creature object always fails Strength and Dexterity saving throws, and is immune to effects that require other saves.
As a weapon, it is an object.
“An improvised weapon includes any object you can wield in one or two hands, such as broken glass, a table leg, a frying pan, a wagon wheel, or a dead goblin.” (PHB p. 147)
As a target for a spell, it depends.
If a spell specifically says it works on creatures, it works on dead creatures.
What the target of the spell can be, as defined in the spell description, determines whether or not a dead creature can be a target for any specific spell.
If the spell describes the target as a
Does that include a dead creature?
Dead creature
Yes
Creature
Yes
Creature or Object
Yes
Corps
Yes
Willing Creature
No
Object
No
Some specific spell examples:
Animate Object cannot be used on a dead creature.
Revivify, Raise Dead, Resurrection and True Resurrection all work on dead creatures.
Fabricate “You can fabricate a Large or smaller object …” In this case a creature would not be an object you could fabricate.
True Polymorph has no effect on a dead creature. For this spell, a dead creature is considered a creature with 0 hit points.
Telekinesis has separate descriptions for the target being a creature or an object. For this spell, a dead creature is considered an object.
An unofficial suppliant to the 5th edition D&D book Astral Adventurer’s Guide with ship-to-ship combat rules and other enhancements. Download your free copy HERE.
Last month (August 2022) Wizards of the Coast brought Spelljammer into the fifth edition when they published Spelljammer: Adventures in Space. This, for the most part, is very good. However I was disappointed in the lack of information and rules needed for actually conducting a spelljamming campaign. Specifically I was expecting clear descriptions regarding how the spelljamming helm functions and better rules for conducting ship-to-ship combat. The “Ship-to-Ship Combat” section includes boxed text with 3 sentences on “Shipboard Weapons”. Other than that, the entire section on ship-to-ship combat consists of 4 sections; “Starting Distance” (1 paragraph and a table), “Initiative” (1 sentence), “Moving and Steering a Ship” (2 paragraphs), and “Boarding” (2 paragraphs).
This document has two purposes: 1. This is an attempt to make sense out of the Astral Adventurer’s Guide for D&D players that are new to Spelljamming. Some of the terminology and many of the descriptions have been reworded to make it easier for players new to the topic to understand. It also includes a few alternative rules you may want to use in your Spelljamming adventures. 2. To make Spelljamming combat more fun this supplement provides a complete set of spelljamming ship-to-ship combat rules along with new ship statblocks, ship outlines at 1″=20′ scale, and rules that make each of the players active participants in ship-to-ship combat.
(and, therefore, the Beholder’s Antimagic Eye Cone)
I recently ran a D&D 5E game where the PCs fought a beholder and a lot of questions popped up regarding what is and isn’t affected in its antimagic field. I made rulings at the table to not slow down play, but promised to look into it further to find what the official rules are and to come up with house rules for anything that might come up that haven’t been covered by any official rulings that I could find. This represents the results of my research and my current thoughts on this matter.
The description of the antimagic field spell is long and detailed. Please read it carefully. It tells you most of what you need to know. The core feature of the spell could be simply stated as “nothing magical works inside the area of effect of the spell”. The wording of the spell description goes on to explicitly define what that means. The problem is that it only “suppresses” magic in the area, and it doesn’t affect especially strong magic such as that “created by an artifact or a deity”.
Hopefully what I have come up with will help with your rulings at your gaming table.
Monsters
Very few monsters are creatures or items created by magic. As a general rule, if the monster’s description does not specifically refer to the monster as “summoned or created by magic”, it remains but can’t use magic or magical abilities.
Here are a few specific examples.
Animated Armor, Flying Sword, Rug of Smothering: These are magically created items and as such “wink out of existence” while in an antimagic field.
Beholer: Beholer’s eye rays are suppressed in the area of an antimagic field.
Dragon: The Monster Manual does state that “Dragons are also magical creatures” (MM p. 86). However, they are not “created by magic” so they do not “wink out of existence” in an antimagic field. (The same is true of Fey creatures). Dragons in an antimagic field can’t use magic or magical abilities. A dragon’s breath weapon is not considered magical; it does work in an antimagic field.
Celestial, Elemental, Fiend (Fiends include demons, devils, hell hounds, rakshasas, and yugoloths.): While in an antimagic field they can’t use magic or magical abilities.
Undead(skeletons, zombies, vampires and the like): If they were summoned or created to only last for the duration of the spell that created them, they will “wink out of existence” while in an antimagic field. Otherwise they remain but can’t use magic or magical abilities.
Constructs(like golems, modrons, and such): If their description says that they were magically created, they will “wink out of existence” while in an antimagic field. Otherwise they remain but can’t use magic or magical abilities.
Monster features
Magical Weapon Attacks: Some monsters (such as the deva) have magical weapon attacks. These attacks do not get any of the extra magical damage inside an antimagic field.
Magical features: Any feature that a monster possesses with the word “magic” or “magical” in it’s description, is suppressed in an antimagic field.
Other, possibly magical features: If a feature is not described as magical but the DM decides that, in his D&D world, that feature is magical, it is suppressed. Examples might include a fly speed without wings (such as death tyrant, for example), or a demilich’s Life Drain ability (This ability isn’t specifically described as being magical, but its description is very similar to a spell description). I would advise the DM to carefully considering the ramifications of any such rulings.
PC features
Clerics, Druids, Paladins, Rangers: Treat their divine magic spells the same as any other spells.
Clarification: Deities directly grant their worshipers the ability to cast divine spells; these spells are not directly created by the deity so are suppressed in an antimagic field like any other spell.
Divine Intervention: A Cleric’s Divine Intervention feature does function in an antimagic field.
Clarification: The Deity is directly doing the effect. If a deity personally creates an effect it overrides the antimagic field spell.
Monks: A monk’s ki is not considered magical, it works in an antimagic field. The Ki-Empowered Strikes feature says a monk’s unarmed strikes count as magical. That magic is suppressed in an antimagic field.
Creatures and objects summoned or created by magic
The antimagic field spell says: “A creature or object summoned or created by magic temporarily winks out of existence in the sphere.”
For any specific creature, you need to know what spell created it. Typically, if it was created by a spell with an Instantaneous Duration it will not be affected.
Spells
Concentration: An antimagic field does not end a concentration spell. The castor can maintain concentration while inside the antimagic field but the effect of the spell he is concentrating on is suppressed while he is in it.
You can’t cast any of the following spells while in an antimagic field, but here is what happens to these creatures or objects after they are created, once in an antimagic field.
Prismatic Wall: The spell description says: “Antimagic field has no effect on the wall.”
Polymorph: Polymorphed creatures are suppressed by an antimagic field spell.
Clarification: If created with the polymorphspell, you maintain it by maintaining Concentration, so it is suppressed in an antimagic field. If created with the true polymorph spell, it reads in part “If you concentrate on this spell for the full duration, the spell lasts until it is dispelled.” It can be dispelled, so it will be suppressed in an antimagic field.
Animate dead, raise dead, stone shape: Creatures created with these spells are not affected by an antimagic field spell.
Clarification: Any non-magical creatures or objects that were created by a spell with an Instantaneous Duration, such as these, are not affected.
Familiar: Your Familiar doesn’t disappear, but you can’t dismiss it or recall it while in an antimagic field. The same is true for your steed created with the find steed spell. They are a celestial, fey, or fiend that was brought to you by magic, but are not magically created creatures.
Goodberry: The magic potency of goodberries are suppressed. The same is true for the special effects granted by the food and drink created with the Heroes’ Feast spell.
Leomund’s secret chest: You can’t recall the chest while in an antimagic field.
Melf’s acid arrow: The arrow created with this spell is not magical, so you could cast the spell while outside the antimagic field and shoot it a creature that is inside.
Meteor swarm: The blazing orbs of fire created with this spell are magical, so they would disappear when they entered the antimagic field. The same is true for the globe of cold energy created by the Otiluke’s freezing sphere spell and the whip created by the thorn whip cantrip.
Planar ally: The celestial, elemental, or fiend that was summoned with this spell does not disappear.
Plant growth: Plants that have been affected by this spell are not affected by an antimagic field.
Other features
Blessings (DMG p. 227, 228): Blessings aren’t suppressed by an antimagic field spell.
Clarification: A blessing that a character receives from deity is a “magical effect created by a deity” so it can’t be suppressed by an antimagic field spell.
Charms(DMG p. 228): A charm can’t be used in the area of an antimagic field.
Telepathic communication: “A creature within the area of an antimagic field … can’t send or receive telepathic messages”. (MM p. 9)
This is far from an exhaustive list but perhaps, if you can follow my reasoning, this will help with other questions that may pop up. Please leave your suggestions, questions, and comments below (positive or negative).
My first inclination was to make the rules regarding lava as realistic as possible but eventually gave up. I have decided to not even try to make lava in D&D realistic. Here is why.
As I see it, you have two different options when coming up with house rules for lava in your D&D games. You can try to make interactions as realistic as possible or you can give it more of a fantasy feel. As an example, here are two different ways I might come up with house rules for falling into lava.
Falling into Lava (2 options)
Option 1 – Reality
In the first second falling towards the lava, the air temperature rises to 200 degrees Fahrenheit. At this point any exposed skin will immediately blister. It feels as though every inch of your skin is touching a hot stove.
You fall for another second toward the lava, and now the air temperature has doubled to 410 degrees. At this point your hair and any clothes you were wearing ignite into flames.
A second or two later you approach the surface of the pool of lava which is between 1200 – 2500 degrees Fahrenheit. You lose consciousness from the immense pain as your flesh is charring, your blood and fluids are boiling.
You begin to asphyxiate as your lings are charring due to the hot gases above the surface.
The superheated air is burning your lungs filling them with fluid much like a blister from a burn fills with fluid.
You are have a cardiac arrest before you ever touch the lava. Your brain isn’t registering much if anything at all at this point.
As you get closer to the lava the water in your body rapidly turns into steam, causing your cells to burst and rapidly swell your body. The pressure from the created steam passes the amount of pressure that your skin and muscles can tolerate, and they begin to tear apart – either in an explosion, or by creating large openings for said steam to escape.
As your skull gets closer to the lava, the water inside your brain behaves similarly, causing your head to explode as the pressure from your brain boiling alive goes above the threshold of what amount of pressure pushing outward your skull can contain.
When hitting this super dense substance at a high speed you may break your neck or crack your skull open.
Then, resting on a bed of molten rock four times hotter than the broiler in an oven, you quickly burst into flames.
In the blink of an eye, it is just your bones and ashes on top of the lava.
Your bones are all burned to ash a few seconds later.
D&D reality house rule: If you fall into lava you die. No saves.
Option 2 – Fantasy
You can sink into the lava like Gollum does in the movie “Lord of the Rings: Return of the King.”
Lava should be scary and potentially lethal but possibly survivable, like falling form impossible heights. Some examples where D&D rules aren’t very realistic:
Fireball damage: The fireball spell does 8d6 fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. Objects that are worn or carried are not affected.
Falling damage: A creature takes 1d6 bludgeoning damage for every 10 feet it falls, to a maximum of 20d6.
Power Word Kill: This spell has no effect on creatures with more than 100 hit points.
Also, lava would not make a good backdrop for an encounter if it was strictly realistic.
D&D fantasy house rule: Any creature that falls into lava or starts its turn there takes 55 (10d10) fire damage.
Here are the rest of my house rules regarding lava (these apply to magma as well). Whether it is because lava is different or for some other reason it is just more “fun” if works like this.
How lava behaves (in my fictional D&D world)
You can think of lava as being similar to thick oatmeal that is extremely hot.
Crust: It doesn’t normally form a “crust”.
As long as it is in motion the surface stays liquid, hot, red, and glowing but there may be exceptions.
When it stops moving and pools up it will form a crust after cooling for 24 hours. (It cools twice as fast if underwater.)
The crust is 1 foot thick and does 1d6 fire damage per round to any creature that walks on it.
After 10 days the crust will be 2 feet thick and no longer does fire damage when you walk on it.
The crust continues to thicken one additional foot every 10 days until the lava all becomes solid stone.
Lava rate of flow: It flows slowly enough that you can normally avoid it. Lava flows at 5 ft. per round (50 ft. per minute, 1/2 mph). This is the same at any angle or over any terrain, even straight down without any support.
Swimming in Lava: Swimming speed in lava is 1/4 your walking speed, or 1/2 your swim speed.
Walking on Lava: Even if you are immune to fire, you can’t walk on the surface without magic, such as the “Walk on Water” spell.
Wading through Lava: If the depth of the lava is not above your shoulders you can wade through it. When wading through it, if its depth is no higher than your knees it is treated as difficult terrain, otherwise your speed is reduced to 1/4 of your walking speed..
Immunity to Lava: An immunity or resistance to fire serves as an immunity or resistance to lava. However, a creature immune to fire might still drown if completely immersed in lava.
Gasses: Lava doesn’t normally also have toxic or dangerous gasses emanating from it.
How it spreads: When it reaches a relatively flat surface it will spread. As an example, in one round a 5 foot cube of lava will spread to fill 5 random adjacent 5 ft. spaces to a depth of 1 foot. Lava that is only 1 foot deep no longer spreads unless more lava is added.
Damage:
Being Close: When a creature enters to within 10 feet of the lava, or starts its turn there, it takes 1d6 fire damage due to the heat radiating off the lava. It takes this same damage if it is using the “Water Walk” spell to walk on the surface of the lava.
Wading: A creature takes 5d10 fire damage each round when wading through a lava stream
Falling In: Any creature that falls into the lava or starts its turn there takes 55 (10d10) fire damage.
Objects: Any object that isn’t being worn or carried takes fire damage as a creature does. An object that is reduced to 0 hit points from taking fire damage from lava is completely destroyed.
Dying: A creature that is reduced to 0 hit points from taking fire damage from lava is disintegrated and everything it is wearing or carrying is completely destroyed (no saving throw, no death saves).
Note: the damage is less than indicated in the DMG but I have added the no death saves and destroying all objects rules.
Dungeon Master Assistance 