2015WizardsoftheCoastLLC 1

UnearthedArcana:VariantRulesForthismonthsUnearthedArcana,wereshowingoffafewvariantrulesthatyoucanuseinyourcampaigns.AfewoftheseoptionsshouldlookfamiliartoplayersofearliereditionsoftheD&Dgame,assomehavebeenpresentedasvariantsinthoseprioreditions.

RulesVariant:PlayersMakeAllRollsThisvarianthastheplayersrolldiceforallpartsofcombat,includingsuchthingsasmonsterattackrollsandsavingthrows.Bymovingdierollstotheplayerssideofthetable,thisoptionkeepsthingssimplerforyouastheDM.Inaddition,themoreactiveyoucankeeptheplayersinyourgame,themoreengagedtheyllbe. Thisisagoodoptionifyourplayerslikerollingthedice,andifyoudontminddoingalittleworkupfronttomakethathappen.

AttackingandDefendingTheplayersrolltheircharactersattacksasnormal,butyoudontrollfortheiropponents.Instead,whenacharacteristargetedbyanattack,theplayermakesadefenseroll. AdefenserollhasabonusequaltothecharactersAC 10.TheDCfortherollequalstheattackersattackbonus+11. Onasuccessfuldefenseroll,theattackmissesbecauseitwasdodged,absorbedbythecharactersarmor,andsoon.Ifacharacterfailsadefenseroll,theattackhits. Iftheattackerwouldnormallyhaveadvantageontheattackroll,youinsteadapplydisadvantagetothedefenseroll,andviceversaiftheattackerwouldhavedisadvantage. Ifthedefenserollcomesupasa1onthed20,thentheattackisacriticalhit.Iftheattackerwouldnormallyscoreacriticalhitonarollof19or20,thentheattackisacriticalhitona1or2,andsoforthforbroadercriticalranges.

SavingThrowsWhenacharacterforcesanopponenttomakeasavingthrow,thatplayerinsteadmakesasavingthrowcheck.Thebonustothed20rollforasavingthrowcheckequalstheeffectssaveDC 8. TheDCforthischeckequals11+thetargetssavingthrowmodifier.Onasuccessfulcheck,thecharacterovercomesthetargetsresistanceandtreatsthetargetasifitfaileditssavingthrow.Onafailedcheck,thetargetistreatedasifitsucceededonitssave. Aswithattacks,thesavingthrowcheckhasadvantageifthetargetwouldhavedisadvantageonitssavingthrow,andviceversa.

ContestsandChecksWheneveranNPCormonsterwouldnormallymakeanabilitycheck,rollinitiative,ortakepartinacontest,neitheryounortheplayersrollthed20.Instead,usetherulesforpassivecheckstodeterminetheresult.Seechapter7,UsingAbilityScores,ofthePlayersHandbookformoreinformationonpassivechecks.

OptionalRule:VitalitySomeDMsfindhitpointsbothersome.Afightercansurviveafireball,atrollsrendingclaws,andaonehundredfootfall,onlytocrumpleinaheapduetoakoboldsdaggerslash.Thisoptionalrulemorerealisticallyreflectsthewearandtearacharactersuffersfromwounds. Eachcharacterhasapoolofvitalityinadditiontohitpoints.AcharactersmaximumvitalityequalsthecharactersConstitutionscore.Wheneveracharactertakes10ormoredamagefromanattackoreffect,thecharacterlosesvitality.Dividethedamageby10androunddown.Theresultishowmuchvitalityacharacterloses.Inotherwords,acharacterloses1vitalityforevery10pointsofdamagedealtbyanattackoreffect.

2015WizardsoftheCoastLLC 2

Ifacharactersuffersacriticalhit,doublethevitalitylost,sothatthecharacterloses2vitalityforevery10pointsofdamage.Ifacriticalhitdealslessthan10damage,itstillreducesvitalityby1. Losingvitalitycausesacharactershitpointmaximumtodrop.CalculatethecharacterscurrentmaximumusingvitalityinsteadofConstitution.Thus,asvitalitydrops,acharactersConstitutionmodifierfordetermininghitpointsalsodrops. Acharacterreducedto0vitalityisimmediatelyreducedto0hitpoints.Ifacharacterisreducedto0hitpointsbuthisorhervitalityremainsabove0,anyadditionaldamageisappliedinsteadtothecharactersvitality.Acharacterisnotunconsciousuntilbothhitpointsandvitalityreach0. Completingalongrestincreasesacharactersvitalityby1+thecharactersConstitutionmodifier,uptothecharactersmaximumvitality.Effectsthatrestorehitpointshavenoeffectonvitality.However,acharacterwithmaximumhitpointswhoreceiveshealinginsteadrestores1vitalityforevery10pointsofhealing.

RulesVariant:CustomAlignmentsAlignmentservesasahandylabelforthegeneralattitudesofcharactersandmonstersalike.Itworksasasortingmechanism,providingabigpictureassessmentofwhichcreatures,factions,andNPCsmakenaturalalliesorenemies. ThestandardalignmentsystemembracesthefundamentalpointsoftensioninD&D:thestrugglebetweengoodandevilontheonehand,andtheconflictbetweenlawandchaosontheother.Thenicethingaboutthisarrangementisthatitallowsfortensionevenwithinagoodalignedparty.Thelawchaosdividemeansthatcharacterscanstilldisagreeonhowtopromotegoodintheworld. Alignmentismeanttoserveonlyasaquicksummaryofacharacter,notarigiddefinition.Itsastartingpoint,butelementssuchasflawsandbondspaintamuchmoredetailedpictureofacharactersidentity.

Youmightfindthatthealignmentchoicesofgoodandevil,lawandchaosaretooabstractforyourcampaign.Youmightpreferattitudesthataremorenuanced,withouttheimplicitdemarcationofheroesasgoodalignedcreaturesandvillainsasevilalignedones.Asimplesolutionistodiscardalignmentinfavorofanalternativesystemthatbringsthekeyconflictsinyourcampaigntotheforefront. IdentifytheConflict.Thinkabouttheimportantopposingforcesinyourcampaignbyaskingthefollowingquestions.Canyouplacethemonoppositeendsofacontinuum?Aretheremultipleconflicts?Whatarethekeyconflicts,andhowdoalltheseparateconflictsinteract? Foryourownalignmentsystem,trytocreateatleasttwopaths,oneofwhichallowsarangeofoptionsfortheplayercharacters.Theotherpathscandividetheworldbetweenthecharacters(includingtheirallies)andtheirenemies. Forexample,imagineacampaignsettingwhereanecologicalcrisisengineeredbyacabalofnecromancersthreatenstotransformtheworldintoadeadwasteland.Formingonealignmentpatharetheopposingforcesoflifeanddeath.Likethechoiceofgoodorevil,thisconflictdefinesthesetting,andyouwouldexpectmostplayercharacterstobealignedtolifeoratleastneutralwithrespecttotheirsupportforthenecromancersplans. Thesecondconflictpathmightbepreservationversusdestruction.Peoplewhohavegatheredtoprotectthelandmightdisagreeonwhethertoattackanddestroythenecromancers,ortoworkinsteadatstrengtheningthenaturalordersothatnoteventhenecromancerspowercanoverwhelmit. MultipleChoices.Forgrittiergamesthatavoidobviousclassificationsofgoodversusbad,youmightcreatealignmentpathswithmorethantwochoices.Inagamethatfocusesonintrigueandpowerstruggles,forexample,alignmentmightbeaquickreferenceforwhichfactionsacharactersupports.Oneelementofacharactersalignmentmightindicatehisorheraffiliationwithanoblehouseorguild.Asecondelementcouldcalloutwhichdeityorpantheonthecharacteristiedto.

2015WizardsoftheCoastLLC 3

NeutralAlignment.Whencreatingyouralignmentsystem,thinkabouttheroleofneutrality,anddecidewhethertheresamidpointforanyalignmentpath.Neutralcreaturesmightchoosetositoutastruggle(asisoftenthecaseingoodversusevil)orseestrengthsinbothapproaches(asinlawversuschaos).Theroleofthischoiceinyourcampaignshouldmakesenseintermsofyourcentralconflict.