Adjustments and Additions

In case you didn't already know, during your turn, along with your movement, bonus action, and action, you also have a free object interaction you can take. This free object interaction is normally used to unsheathe weapons, open doors, or do other simply tasks. You cannot drink a potion, use a magic item, or anything else like that with your free object interaction. 

When you want to use an object that doesn't specify a certain type of action to use (i.e. action, bonus action, reaction), such as a potion, you can use either an action or bonus action to do so.

If you drink a healing potion using a bonus action, you roll the dice as normal. If you drink a healing potion using an action, you do not roll dice and instead regain the maximum number of hit points.

Prior Initiative

When using this variant, all players roll initiative at the start of every session. When combat breaks out during a session, the initiative rolled at the start of the session is used. The DM rolls initiative for all other creatures in the combat as normal. The creature that caused combat to break out goes first and initiative is followed using said creature as the start of the first round. So, if a creature would have been before the creature that acted first, it acts at the end of the round.

* ^ Might not use this ^ *

Team Up Initiative

If two creatures in the initiative order would go consecutively, both creatures can instead decide to act simultaneously. When acting simultaneously, their turns are treated as a single turn.

When you make an ability check, attack roll, or saving throw and roll a natural 20, you gain inspiration. You can only have one inspiration at a time.

The following are uses for inspiration:

Advantageous Situation. You expend an inspiration point to gain advantage on an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw.

Retry. You can expend an inspiration point to reroll an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw. You must use the new roll.

Initiative Break. You can expend an inspiration point to move your order in initiative. So long as you have not already taken a turn this round.

Recharge. You can expend an inspiration point to regain an expended resource or feature that can be used as if you took a short rest.

Shielding. You can expend an inspiration point to roll a number of available Hit Die up to your proficiency bonus. Add your Constitution modifier to that roll and you gain those hit points as temporary hit points. The temporary hit points last for 1 hour.

Surging Strike. You can expend an inspiration point on your turn, you can take one attack action or cast a cantrip with the cast a spell action on top of your regular action and a possible bonus action.

Arcane Recovery. You can expend an inspiration point on your turn to regain some of your magical energy. You can choose expended spell slots to recover. The spell slots can have a combined level that is equal to or less than half your proficiency bonus (rounded up).

Swift Action. You can expend an inspiration point on your turn to take the Dash, Dodge, Disengage or Use Object action for free.

Defensive Warding. You can expend an inspiration point to rally your allies' defenses. When a creature that you can see makes an attack roll or an ability check, you can impose disadvantage on that roll. You must use this after the roll, but before you know the outcome.

Death's Busy. You can expend an inspiration point to automatically stabilize when making death-saving throws.

I Know a Guy. You can expend an inspiration point when you need a piece of information on an item, monster, location, or person. You know a guy or girl who will have further details regarding how to acquire the information you seek.   

But Wait, We Planned for This. You edit the scene by mentioning a way how your character, off-screen, planned ahead and set things up for this exact situation.

If one creature wants to jump onto another creature, it can do so by grappling. A Small or Medium creature has little chance of making a successful grapple against a Huge or Gargantuan creature, however, unless magic has granted the grappler supernatural might.

As an alternative, a suitably large opponent can be treated as terrain for the purpose of jumping onto its back or clinging to a limb. After making any ability checks necessary to get into position and onto the larger creature, the smaller creature uses its action to make a Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check contested by the target’s Dexterity (Acrobatics) check. If it wins the contest, the smaller creature successfully moves into the target creature’s space and clings to its body. While in the target’s space, the smaller creature moves with the target and has advantage on attack rolls against it.

The smaller creature can move around within the larger creature’s space, treating the space as difficult terrain. The larger creature’s ability to attack the smaller creature depends on the smaller creature’s location, and is left to the DM's discretion. The larger creature can dislodge the smaller creature as an action—knocking it off, scraping it against a wall, or grabbing and throwing it—by making a Strength (Athletics) check contested by the smaller creature’s Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check. The smaller creature chooses which ability to use.

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

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

Overrun

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

Tumble

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

When a melee attack reduces an undamaged creature to 0 hit points, any excess damage from that attack might carry over to another creature nearby. The attacker targets another creature within reach and, if the original attack roll can hit it, applies any remaining damage to it. If that creature was undamaged and is likewise reduced to 0 hit points, repeat this process, carrying over the remaining damage until there are no valid targets, or until the damage carried over fails to reduce an undamaged creature to 0 hit points.

When a creature drops to 0 hit points from a single damage source equal to or greater than half its hit point maximum, it must succeed a Constitution saving throw or suffer a lingering injury. The DC equals 10 or half the damage it took, whichever number is higher.

If a creatures fails the saving throw, roll on the Lingering Injuries table. This table assumes a typical humanoid physiology, but can be adapted for creatures with different body types.

d20 Injury

1 Lose an Eye. You have disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight and on ranged attack rolls. Magic such as the regenerate spell can restore the lost eye. If you have no eyes left after sustaining this injury, you’re blinded.

2 Lose an Arm or a Hand. You can no longer hold anything with two hands, and you can hold only a single object at a time. Magic such as the regenerate spell can restore the lost appendage.

3 Lose a Foot or Leg. Your speed on foot is halved, and you must use a cane or crutch to move unless you have a peg leg or other prosthesis. You fall prone after using the Dash action. You have disadvantage on Dexterity checks made to balance. Magic such as the regenerate spell can restore the lost appendage.

4 Limp. Your speed on foot is reduced by 5 feet. You must make a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw after using the Dash action. If you fail the save, you fall prone. Magical healing removes the limp.

5–7 Internal Injury. Whenever you attempt an action in combat, you must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, you lose your action and can’t use reactions until the start of your next turn. The injury heals if you receive magical healing or if you spend ten days doing nothing but resting.

8–10 Broken Ribs. This has the same effect as Internal Injury above, except that the save DC is 10.

11–13 Horrible Scar. You are disfigured to the extent that the wound can’t be easily concealed. You have disadvantage on Charisma (Persuasion) checks and advantage on Charisma (Intimidation) checks. Magical healing of 6th level or higher, such as heal and regenerate, removes the scar.

14–16 Festering Wound. Your hit point maximum is reduced by 1 every 24 hours the wound persists. If your hit point maximum drops to 0, you die. The wound heals if you receive magical healing. Alternatively, someone can tend to the wound and make a DC 15 Wisdom (Medicine) check once every 24 hours. After ten successes, the wound heals.

17–20 Minor Scar. The scar doesn’t have any adverse effect. Magical healing of 6th level or higher, such as heal and regenerate, removes the scar.

When a creature takes damage from a single source equal to or greater than half its hit point maximum and isn't reduced to 0 by that damage, it must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or suffer a random effect determined by a roll on the System Shock table. For example, a creature that has a hit point maximum of 30 must make that Constitution save if it takes 15 damage or more from a single source.

System Shock

d10 Effect

1 The creature drops to 0 hit points.

2–3 The creature drops to 0 hit points but is stable.

4–5 The creature is stunned until the end of its next turn.

6–7 The creature can’t take reactions and has disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks until the end of its next turn.

8–10 The creature can’t take reactions until the end of its next turn.

When you fall from a great height, you *instantly descend up to **500 feet. If you’re still falling on your next turn, you descend up to 500 feet at the end of that turn. This process continues until the fall ends, either because you hit the ground or the fall is otherwise halted.

*The instant is technically from when you start falling until the same point during the next round, but for simplicity, it's instant.

**Yes, the math checks out for the most part. An object starting at rest will travel roughly 580 feet downward if in free fall, not accounting for air resistance. So if you do account for air resistance and terminal velocity, it will probably be around 500.

The following is taken from Xanathar's Guide to Everything and is written with the DM as the audience, so keep in mind "at your discretion" means my discretion, not yours. (Note: I don't know why I said this since it doesn't say that anywhere, but I am just gonna leave it here.)

Crafting an Item

A character who has the time, the money, and the needed tools can use downtime to craft armor, weapons, clothing, or other kinds of nonmagical gear.

Resources and Resolution. In addition to the appropriate tools for the item to be crafted, a character needs raw materials worth half of the item’s selling cost. To determine how many workweeks it takes to create an item, divide its gold piece cost by 50. A character can complete multiple items in a workweek if the items’ combined cost is 50 gp or lower. Items that cost more than 50 gp can be completed over longer periods of time, as long as the work in progress is stored in a safe location.

Multiple characters can combine their efforts. Divide the time needed to create an item by the number of characters working on it. Use your judgment when determining how many characters can collaborate on an item. A particularly tiny item, like a ring, might allow only one or two workers, whereas a large, complex item might allow four or more workers.

A character needs to be proficient with the tools needed to craft an item and have access to the appropriate equipment. Everyone who collaborates needs to have the appropriate tool proficiency. You need to make any judgment calls regarding whether a character has the correct equipment. The following table provides some examples.

Proficiency Items

Herbalism kit Antitoxin, potion of healing

Leatherworker’s tools Leather armor, boots

Smith’s tools Armor, weapons

Weaver’s tools Cloaks, robes

If all the above requirements are met, the result of the process is an item of the desired sort. A character can sell an item crafted in this way at its listed price.

Crafting Magic Items. Creating a magic item requires more than just time, effort, and materials. It is a long-term process that involves one or more adventures to track down rare materials and the lore needed to create the item.

Potions of healing and spell scrolls are exceptions to the following rules. For more information, see “Brewing Potions of Healing” later in this section and the “Scribing a Spell Scroll” section, below.

To start with, a character needs a formula for a magic item in order to create it. The formula is like a recipe. It lists the materials needed and steps required to make the item.

An item invariably requires an exotic material to complete it. This material can range from the skin of a yeti to a vial of water taken from a whirlpool on the Elemental Plane of Water. Finding that material should take place as part of an adventure.

The Magic Item Ingredients table suggests the challenge rating of a creature that the characters need to face to acquire the materials for an item. Note that facing a creature does not necessarily mean that the characters must collect items from its corpse. Rather, the creature might guard a location or a resource that the characters need access to.

Magic Item Ingredients

Item Rarity CR Range

Common  1–3

Uncommon 4–8

Rare         9–12

Very rare 13–18

Legendary    19+

If appropriate, pick a monster or a location that is a thematic fit for the item to be crafted. For example, creating mariner’s armor might require the essence of a water weird. Crafting a staff of charming might require the cooperation of a specific arcanaloth, who will help only if the characters complete a task for it. Making a staff of power might hinge on acquiring a piece of an ancient stone that was once touched by the god of magic — a stone now guarded by a suspicious androsphinx.

In addition to facing a specific creature, creating an item comes with a gold piece cost covering other materials, tools, and so on, based on the item’s rarity. Those values, as well as the time a character needs to work in order to complete the item, are shown on the Magic Item Crafting Time and Cost table. Halve the listed price and creation time for any consumable items.

Magic Item Crafting Time and Cost

Item Rarity Workweeks* Cost*

Common       1         50 gp

Uncommon 2 200 gp

Rare   10     2,000 gp 

Very rare 25 20,000 gp

Legendary 50 100,000 gp

*Halved for a consumable item like a potion or scroll

To complete a magic item, a character also needs whatever tool proficiency is appropriate, as for crafting a nonmagical object, or proficiency in the Arcana skill.

If all the above requirements are met, the result of the process is a magic item of the desired sort.

Complications. Most of the complications involved in creating something, especially a magic item, are linked to the difficulty in finding rare ingredients or components needed to complete the work. The complications a character might face as byproducts of the creation process are most interesting when the characters are working on a magic item: there’s a 10 percent chance for every five workweeks spent on crafting an item that a complication occurs. The Crafting Complications table provides examples of what might happen.

Crafting Complications

d6 Complication

1 Rumors swirl that what you’re working on is unstable and a threat to the community.*

2 Your tools are stolen, forcing you to buy new ones.*

3 A local wizard shows keen interest in your work and insists on observing you.

4 A powerful noble offers a hefty price for your work and is not interested in hearing no for an answer.*

5 A dwarf clan accuses you of stealing its secret lore to fuel your work.*

6 A competitor spreads rumors that your work is shoddy and prone to failure.*

*Might involve a rival

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 Potion of Healing Creation table.

Potion of Healing Creation

Type Time Cost

Healing    1 day   25 gp

Greater healing        1 workweek          100 gp

Superior healing 3 workweeks 1,000 gp

Supreme healing     4 workweeks      10,000 gp

With time and patience, a spellcaster can transfer a spell to a scroll, creating a spell scroll.

Resources. Scribing a spell scroll takes an amount of time and money related to the level of the spell the character wants to scribe, as shown in the Spell Scroll Costs table. In addition, the character must have proficiency in the Arcana skill and must provide any material components required for the casting of the spell. Moreover, the character must have the spell prepared, or it must be among the character’s known spells, in order to scribe a scroll of that spell.

If the scribed spell is a cantrip, the version on the scroll works as if the caster were 1st level.

Spell Scroll Costs

Spell Level Time Cost

Cantrip    1 day    15 gp

1st 1 day   25 gp

2nd 3 days   250 gp

3rd 1 workweek 500 gp

4th 2 workweeks 2,500 gp

5th 4 workweeks 5,000 gp

6th 8 workweeks 15,000 gp

7th 16 workweeks 25,000 gp

8th 32 workweeks 50,000 gp

9th 48 workweeks 250,000 gp

Complications. Crafting a spell scroll is a solitary task, unlikely to attract much attention. The complications that arise are more likely to involve the preparation needed for the activity. Every workweek spent scribing brings a 10 percent chance of a complication, examples of which are on the Scribe a Scroll Complications table.

Scribe a Scroll Complications

d6 Complication

1 You bought up the last of the rare ink used to craft scrolls, angering a wizard in town.

2 The priest of a temple of good accuses you of trafficking in dark magic.*

3 A wizard eager to collect one of your spells in a book presses you to sell the scroll.

4 Due to a strange error in creating the scroll, it is instead a random spell of the same level.

5 The rare parchment you bought for your scroll has a barely visible map on it.

6 A thief attempts to break into your workroom.*

*Might involve a rival

The creation of spells is a complex and often dangerous process.

Time and Resources. In addition to requiring proficiency in the Arcana skill, a spellcaster needs materials worth at least 500 gp per spell level, or 250 gp for cantrips. To determine the time required to formulate the spell, divide the total gp cost by 50 to find the number of work weeks needed. The spell level of a new spell is determined by the desired effect of the spell, which is left up to the judgement of the DM. 

Multiple spellcasters can combine their efforts. Divide the time needed to create a spell by the number of spellcasters working on it. The maximum number of spellcasters that can work on a single spell is equal to the spells level.

While a spellcaster is create a spell, other spellcasters can sense the crafting of a spell while they are within a certain distance of the spell's crafter if they succeed a contest Intelligence (Arcana) check against the spell's crafter. The distance is a number of feet equal to 100 times the level of the spell, with 50 feet for cantrips. Spellcasters other than the spell's crafter have a bonus to this Intelligence (Arcana) check equal to the spell's level. If a spellcaster's passive Intelligence (Arcana) would succeed against a spell's crafter's Intelligence (Arcana) check, the spellcaster notices the spell crafting immediately after it reaches the required distance. If a spellcaster succeeds the contest Intelligence (Arcana) check by 5 or more, it knows the direction of the spell crafter. 

Crafting spell is also known to be highly dangerous to those less experienced. When crafting a spell, at the end of every work week, you must succeed a Intelligence (Arcana) check or suffer a random complication from the table below. The DC of the check is equal to 10 + the spell's level.

Spell Crafting Complications

d20 Complication

1 Divine Punishment. The gods of magic have noticed your blunder. You can no longer attempt to craft any spell until 1 year has passed. Additionally, you suffer the effects of Separation from the Weave (see below).

2 Separation from the Weave. You lose the ability to cast spells of a level equal to and lower than the spell you attempted to craft. This effect lasts for a number of hours equal to the level of the spell you attempted to craft.

3 Enemy of Magic. You have disadvantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects and creatures has advantage on attack rolls when targeting you for spells and other magical effects. This effect lasts for a number of days equal to the level of the spell you attempted to craft.

4 Arcane Disarray. Whenever you cast a spell, roll a d20. If you roll a 10 or lower, you instead cast of different, random spell you know of the same level. You do not need to have the spell prepared. If you roll a 5 or lower, you instead cast no spell and waste all expended resources. This effect lasts a number of days equal to the level of the spell you attempted to craft.

5–7 Arcane Poison. You are poisoned for a number of days equal to the level of the spell you attempted to craft. This effect cannot be removed by spells of a lower level than the spell you attempted to craft.

8–10 Magic Deficiency. Your spells become less potent. Whenever you roll for the damage or healing of a spell, roll twice and use the lower total. This effect lasts for a number of days equal to the level of the spell you attempted to craft.

11–13 Major Explosion. Roll a d8 and multiply the number rolled by the level of the spell you attempted to craft. You take force damage equal to the total. 

14–16 Minor Explosion. Roll a d4 and multiply the number rolled by the level of the spell you attempted to craft. You take force damage equal to the total.

17–20 Negligible Harm. You take force damage equal to the level of the spell you attempted to craft.

In addition, the following complication also occurs:

Magic Scattering. All spellcasters within 500 feet notice an odd fluctuation of magic and know its direction. In addition, magic sticks to surfaces within 30 feet of you, which can be detected by a creature that succeeds a DC 15 Intelligence (Arcana) check.

If a spellcaster succeeds in crafting a spell, it can choose to allow other spellcaster to be able to access the spell. Regardless, the spellcaster has access to the spell and can prepare it as normal. Over the course of a day, a spellcaster can teach another spellcaster of the same class the crafted spell. In order to teach another spellcaster of a different class, 5 days is required.