Dangerous Magic: Alternate Magic Rules

With great power comes horrible consequences

Greetings! Will here with something that's not a Failed Magic Items article for once.

A little while back, Jon ran an epic-level evil campaign. Long story short, our evil characters were ultimately given their own alternate multiverse to shape and rule over as the evil gods of evilness that they were. Where Good has lost, men's hearts have darkened, and misery reigns. Basically...one of these.

Following that campaign, I started another one set in this multiverse. Where the mortals of the Material Plane were locked in an epic struggle against an unstoppable army (that my evil character was the patron deity of by the way) and the hope that good would return to the world was the central focus. And the whole thing turned out be...well, kind of depressing. And pretty onerous. And honestly not that fun to write. So we stopped.

Remember my fellow DMs: You are allowed to end a campaign if you are not having fun.

Thankfully, lessons were learned and I walked away from it having created a number of homebrewed mechanics, settings, and monsters that could prove useful in future, albeit less grimdark, games. One of which was an alternate approach to the rules of magic.

Dangerous Magic

Prior to starting my ultimately doomed campaign, Jon tipped me off to this article over at Last Gasp Grimoire. In summary, it details a mechanic where it's not a question of how many spells a magic user can cast, but how many they can cast safely. Where the overuse of magic could potentially invite hardship and possibly death on the user.

Additionally, it touched on the idea of every spellcaster having a fluctuating "pool" of magical energy at their disposal, one that was as chaotic and shifting as the winds themselves.

It made perfect sense for a setting ruled by selfish and treacherous entities that were perhaps unwilling to share the magical energies of the multiverse, and now the lowly mortals of the Prime Material Plane are forced to pick off of their scraps.

Unfortunately, as well written and compelling as that LGG module is. It's...a lot. And perhaps skirts a little close to being "random table porn" that would be unwieldy during your typical D&D session.

So, I sought to keep the spirit of this mechanic intact while also simplifying it into something an average player could easily wrap their head around.

So what does this mean for said player? Well for starters, there are no longer spell slots. The magic a spellcaster can safely use is determined by Spell Points, the value of which is calculated at the end every long rest by rolling 1d6 per every traditional spell slot level (refer to the official PHB for spell tables).

For example, a 3rd Level Wizard traditionally has access to 1st and 2nd level spell slots, so this character would roll 2d6 to determine their Spell Points until the next long rest. The level of spell a spellcaster may use is also determined by the class’s traditional Spell Slot allotment.

Using the previous example, a 3rd Level Wizard traditionally has access to 1st and 2nd level spell slots, so this character would be able to cast spells at 2nd level or lower. Players may safely use spells for as long as they have the Spell Points to spend on them, the level of spell cast being the determining factor in how many Spell Points that spell costs (i.e. the 5th Level Cone of Cold spell would cost 5 Spell Points).

Cantrips and Ritual Spells can be cast as normal and do not require the use of Spell Points.

Flirting with Disaster

If a spellcaster decides to push their power beyond what their Spell Points would allow, they must do so by drawing energy from other, more dangerous areas of the multiverse, and the entities therein do not look kindly on those who meddle with their power without their permission. This invites hardship upon the offending spellcaster in debilitating and occasionally deadly ways.

When a player runs out of spell points but still makes the choice to cast another spell, they must roll on the Broken Limits Table (listed at the bottom of this article) and suffer the consequences of the result. The level at which the spell is being cast determines the type of dice that is rolled:

Spell Level 

1. 1d4
2. 1d6
3. 1d8
4. 1d10
5. 1d12
6. 1d20
7. 2d12
8. 2d20
9. 3d20

Additionally, if the spellcaster decides to cast a level of spell higher than what Spell Points they have remaining, the Spell Points are subtracted from the spell level and they will roll the appropriate dice. 

For example, A 5th Level Wizard knows the 3rd Level Fireball spell and wants to cast it on a group of encroaching Orcs. Sadly, the Wizard only has 1 Spell Point remaining. Knowing the risks, the Wizard decides to use the spell anyway. This is calculated in the following way:

3rd Level Spell - 1 Spell Point = 2

Therefore, the Wizard would roll on the Broken Limits Table with 1d6. The spell is successfully cast, the Wizard rolls on the Broken Limits Table, and after rolling a 4 gets the following result “You briefly forget where you are, what you’re doing, and have disadvantage on all saving throws until your next turn.”

The Orcs burn, and the Wizard is briefly debilitated for figuratively and literally playing with fire.

Changes by Class

Wizard

Arcane Recovery

Instead of regaining Spell Slots during a short rest the Wizard instead rolls half of their Spell Point dice (rounded down) to regain Spell Points. A 1st level Wizard rolls 1d6 and divides the result by 2 (rounded down, minimum of 1)

Spell Mastery

The spells you choose for this perk may be cast without spending Spell Points. All other rules still apply.

Signature Spells

The spells you choose for this perk can be cast once in between rests without spending Spell Points. All other rules still apply.

Expert Divination

Instead of regaining a Spell Slot, you regain a Spell Slot worth of Spell Points. All other rules still apply.

Druid

Natural Recovery

Instead of regaining Spell Slots during a short rest the Druid instead rolls half of their Spell Point dice (rounded down) to regain Spell Points. A 1st level Druid rolls 1d6 and divides the result by 2 (rounded down, minimum of 1)

Sorcerer

Flexible Casting

Instead of your Sorcery Points being used to buy Spell Slots, they can be exchanged for Spell Points. The exchange rate is at a 2:1 ratio (2 Sorcery Points = 1 Spell Point). You may also use Spell Points to buy Sorcery Points, but the exchange rate is reversed (2 Spell Points = 1 Sorcery Point)

Warlock

Mystic Arcanum

Your arcanum spells can be cast once in between long rests without spending Spell Points. All other rules still apply.

Eldritch Master

Instead of regaining Spell Slots, you regain all Spell Points allotted to you from your last Spell Point Roll.

Paladin

Divine Smite & Improved Divine Smite

Instead of spending Spell Slots to add 1d8 you spend the appropriate number of Spell Points (i.e. 1d8 = 1 Spell Point). All other rules still apply.

Changes by Race

Drow

Your racial spells do not cost Spell Points and are still cast on a “per-day” basis.

Tiefling

Your racial spells do not cost Spell Points and are still cast on a “per-day” basis.

Changes by Feat

Magic Initiate

These spells are still cast on a “per day” basis.

Note for DMs

Monster Spellcasting

A monster’s Spell Points are determined in the same manner as a player’s. For example, An Eye of Gruumsh has access to 1st and 2nd level Spell Slots, therefore this monster would roll 2d6 to determine their Spell Points. All other spellcasting rules still apply.

Adjudicating

If there is ever a question or dispute pertaining to spellcasting that this guide does not cover, refer to the PHB and replace any mention of “Spell Slots” with “Spell Points” to determine a course of action. More often than not, if a particular skill or ability does not mention the use or recovery of Spell Slots it is likely that traditional rules still apply.

Broken Limits Table (1d4-3d20)

1. Your mind strains and you take 1d4 psychic damage.
2. You become stunned until the end of your next turn, this ignores any resistances or immunities to the “stun” condition.
3. You feel weak and your speed is reduced by 10ft. for 1 hour.
4. You briefly forget where you are, what you’re doing, and have disadvantage on all saving throws until your next turn.
5. You become confused (See the Confusion spell for details)
6. Your vision fades and you become blinded for 10 minutes.
7. Your skin inexplicably lacerates, causing 2d6 slashing damage.
8. You begin to vomit uncontrollably and cannot take actions on your next turn. At the end of your next turn you must make a DC 11 Constitution saving throw. If you succeed, you regain your composure and may act as normal on your next turn. If you fail, you continue to violently throw up. This continues for three turns or until you pass the save.
9. For 1d4 hours your breathing is no longer automated. Each of your bonus actions must be spent consciously remembering to breathe, if you choose to not use your bonus action for this purpose you take 2d4 damage.
10. You lose all feeling in your legs and fall prone. For the next 2d4 hours you are unable to walk or stand and can only use your arms to drag yourself at a speed of 5ft.
11. Any action you take happens 5 seconds after you decide to take it. For the next hour your Initiative bonus is -5, you cannot take reactions, and all attack actions and saving throws are rolled with disadvantage.
12. You suddenly burst into green flames and take 3d6 fire damage. The fire is otherworldly in nature and cannot be extinguished through conventional means (i.e. water). You continue burning for two turns reducing the damage by 1d6 each time until no dice remain.
13. You speak in unintelligible gibberish for the next 2d4 hours. You think you make perfect sense in your mind, but no one else can comprehend what you are saying, even through magical means. Spells with the “verbal” component become impossible to cast.
14. All damage you take for the next 2d4 hours reduces your maximum HP. Your maximum HP returns to normal after this time. If your HP is reduced 0, you die instantly without death saves.
15. Life energy dissipates out of your body in a bright blue mist, your speed is reduced to 0 and all ability scores drop to 3 for 1 hour.
16. You are unable to regain HP for the next 2d4 hours.
17. Animate Objects is cast on the nearest 5 Medium sized objects. They become hostile toward you and any allies that are with you.
18. An item you are holding, carrying, or wearing permanently vanishes.
19. You share the effects of the spell cast on the target as if it was cast on yourself.
20. Your mind and body give out, instantly dropping your HP to 0 and rendering you unconscious but stable.
21. You instantly suffer 4 levels of Exhaustion
22. Your hands vanish for 2d4 hours. You cannot grab anything and spells with the “somatic” component become impossible to cast.
23. You become Petrified for 2d12 hours. This cannot be cured by Greater Restoration.
24. You cannot regain Spell Points during your next long rest.
25. You suddenly begin to have masochistic tendencies. Every hour for 2d6 hours you must make a DC 20 Wisdom saving throw. If you succeed, nothing happens. If you fail, you deal 5 damage to yourself. Each failed save increases this damage by 5. In addition, all damage you take from enemies is doubled. This effect ends if your HP reaches 0.
26. A vision of an apocalyptic cataclysm flashes across your mind, the sheer horror of the vision causes you to take 8d8 psychic damage.
27. For 2d4 hours, Critical Hits instantly kill you. You cannot make death saves.
28. You permanently forget the spell that was just cast. You cannot re-learn it. (Note: This does not lower your maximum “spells known” and you may learn back up to your maximum amount on your next level up)
29. For 2d4 hours, anything that dies within 60ft. of you rises again with full HP. If they die again, they do not rise.
30. You and anyone within a 20ft. sphere are stripped of any remaining Spell Points until the end of your/their next long rest.
31. Your mind and body withers and atrophies. All ability scores are permanently reduced by 1.
32. Your eyes burst from your skull, causing 3d6 force damage and permanently blinding you.
33. Your left arm turns black, shrivels with decay, and falls off.
34. Your AC drops to 0 for 2d6 hours.
35. For 2d4 hours, you shrink to 1/6th of your normal size. Your HP, Speed, all ability scores, and any remaining Spell Points also reduce to this amount (minimum of 1)
36. The bones in your legs permanently vanish. You fall prone and can drag yourself with your arms at a speed of 5ft.
37. All damage you take from now on is increased by 50%.
38. You or a random creature (including allies) within 60 ft. of you vanish into a formless demi-plane for 1d100 hours.
39. You are inflicted with a creeping decay. For 1d100 hours, your maximum HP is reduced by 1 every 2 hours. Your maximum HP does not recover when this effect ends.
40. A fiery explosion erupts from your body, dealing 10d10 fire damage to you and anything in a 30ft. sphere.
41. You instantly and permanently age 1d4 x Character Level years.
42. Feeblemind is cast on you, it automatically succeeds and only be cured by the necessary saving throw every 30 days.
43. All knowledge of speech permanently fades from your mind. Spells with the “verbal” component become impossible to cast until you learn how to communicate again.
44. You are True Polymorphed into a black house cat and must make a DC 18 Charisma saving throw. If you succeed, you revert to your original form after 1 hour. If you fail, the change is permanent.
45. Good news! You never have to roll on this table again because your connection to the arcane energies of the multiverse is permanently severed. You are no longer able to cast spells.
46. You briefly blackout and awaken feeling like a completely different person. During your next turn, use the appropriate Background table(s) to re-roll your character’s Personality, Ideal, Bond, and Flaw traits.
47. All memory is permanently erased from your mind.
48. Your soul becomes corrupted and your alignment permanently shifts to Chaotic Evil. What is to be done with your character is at the DM’s discretion (i.e. turn them over to the DM, keeping playing as an evil character, etc.)
49. You become keenly aware that your soul is now condemned to the worst punishment the afterlife has to offer. In addition to taking 4d8 psychic damage, you cannot be resurrected in any way once you die.
50. You watch your body fall away from you as your soul is released from your mortal form. Until you are returned to your body through magical means (i.e. a Resurrection spell), you are effectively dead and exist as a helpless ghost. You can still be seen and can communicate but cannot affect the Material Plane in other ways and you cannot venture more than 5ft. away from your body. Every 4 hours you remain a ghost your body decays for 4d8 necrotic damage. If your body’s HP reaches 0, your soul is released into the afterlife.
51. All damage you take from now on permanently reduces your maximum HP to a minimum of 1. This maximum HP cannot be regained (leveling up still adds to your maximum HP like normal)
52. You feel the eyes of an unknown and incredibly powerful malevolent entity staring into your soul.  You take 10d10 psychic damage and are stunned for 1d4 hours.
53. Any conditions you suffer from now on become permanent and cannot be dispelled or cured.
54. You become possessed by a malevolent spirit from beyond the Material Plane. It acts on your behalf (DM control) and you must make a DC 20 Charisma saving throw at the start of your next turn. If you succeed, the spirit is banished back to its plane of existence, your HP is reduced to 0, and you fall unconscious. If you fail, the spirit remains in control until your next turn where you will need to make the saving throw again. Upon failing the throw three times, the spirit permanently takes control.
55. You expend all of your remaining life-force over the course of 1 minute, rapidly aging and decaying before crumbling to ashy dust. Your character dies.
56. An inky black tentacle bursts from the ground at your feet and pulls you into the dark ether between multiverses. You die horribly in a manner beyond mortal comprehension.
57. Your mind breaks and you become convinced that a glorious treasure resides within your chest cavity. Every action you take must be made with the goal of excavating it by any means necessary. No matter how deep you dig, you are sure that the treasure is deeper.
58. You are violently and painfully torn apart from the inside as a Shadow Demon emerges from your body. Your character dies.
59. Every vein and artery in your body ruptures causing you to bleed internally for 10d10 damage each turn. In addition, your speed is reduced to zero and you cannot take any actions. Only a healing spell cast at 6th level or higher can stop it. Upon your HP reaching 0, you get no death saves and your character dies.
60. Your body tears at its seams and erupts in a cataclysmic explosion, killing you instantly and dealing 40d10 fire damage to anything in a 120ft. sphere.

And there you have it! A more simplistic way to make magic dynamic and dangerous. The Broken Limits Table was incredibly fun to come up with, and I encourage anyone who decides to use this mechanic to alter or expand said table with new and horrible ways to punish your players.

Until next time!

You Don't Need a Healer: The Case Against Party Balance in 5e

Cool guys don't look at foggy backgrounds

I've heard two outcries from my players since we started playing D&D 5e:

1. Healing is so weak! Cure Wounds is a whole spell slot and healing potions do next to nothing!
2. Every party needs a healer! How are we going to survive without healing?

The end result is that somebody in the group ends up "biting the bullet" and taking the cleric class, or the Druid/Bard/Paladin ends up devoting several spell slots a game to healing spells. Despite the Cleric class being one of the richer role-playing classes with tons of amazing control, support, and offensive spells, most players hear "cleric" and think "heal-bot."

Well, I'm here to tell you: You don't need a healer. And I can back it up with math.

You Don't Need a Healer

Yeah, I repeated it again for good measure.

Healing in 5th edition is kind of weak. 5-10 hit points is nothing, usually only negating a single attack and making the difference between life and death every so often. And it seems like every healing option is equally restrictive. Lay on Hands? Not a very large pool, there. Cleric spells? Spending a spell slot on Cure Wounds almost seems like a waste, especially at 1st and 2nd level.

But I think this was a deliberate choice by the designers. That's because of two things: Action Economy, and the focus on hit points and damage in 5th edition.

Let's start with the latter. You've probably heard that 5th edition has something called "Bound Accuracy". That means the d20 rolls are extremely limited, so you never see Armor Classes or Difficulty Classes get too high or low. Part of this is to make the players hit more often at all levels (a very satisfying feeling), but it also allows low-level monsters to be a threat at all PC levels. Even with 22 AC, an average kobold still has a 15% chance to hit a PC wearing magic armor.

But a side effect of bound accuracy is a huge focus on hit points and damage. The designers needed to make higher level PCs feel safer, and higher level monsters feel more dangerous. Thus, hit points are quickly scaled up on monsters and damage shoots up so quickly they needed to add Multiattack to nearly every monster in order to accommodate the increase. Meanwhile, PCs gain extra attacks and more powerful spells at levels 5, 11, and 17. These correspond to the four tiers of combat the game uses.

You might not realize it, but these guys can get stung by 100x as many bees as a normal commoner.

Before we talk about how this affects healing, let's talk about action economy. On each character's turn (PCs, Monsters, and NPCs alike), you get an Action, a move, a Bonus Action, and a Reaction. Action Economy is about using these actions to their best effect. And since 5th edition is all about damage and hit points, that means dealing as much damage as possible while taking as little damage as possible.

A fighter at level 1 can expect to deal 1d8+3 damage on their turn with a longsword. If they are lucky, they can use their reaction to deal another 1d8+3 damage on an Opportunity Attack, but those are fairly rare once the heroes have clashed with the enemy in combat. This amount of damage per round should look familiar: it's the same amount of healing a 1st-level Cure Wounds costs.

By focusing on damage and action economy, it's easy to see that D&D combat boils down to a race to 0 hit points. Bound accuracy means everyone is going to hit about 65% of the time, on both sides of the battle (if the DM has properly balanced the encounter). Damage will be taken. But healing spells only ever really heal one hit's worth of damage. And that's the key.

If a Cleric can heal one hit's worth of damage, they will keep another damage-dealing character active for one more round. That character will get one extra round, and another attack, in because they were healed. So what's the difference between a Cleric healing and a non-Cleric making the extra attack on their own turn?

The answer gets back to action economy. Cure Wounds is guaranteed to hit. It's a great use of an action, but it loses out on the chance to deal damage. An extra attack might not hit, but it reduces the potential for future damage. It's furthering the race to 0 hit points.

This is why healing can't be too powerful. It has to numerically resemble the equivalent action of making an attack. And if the options of fighting or healing are similar, it means an extra fighter doing damage is just as effective, and the need for a healer goes away.

For a practical example, if you pit a party of adventurers against a group of 4 Kobolds, they'll probably take 10 damage per round. If the party has 4 fighters, they can probably take the Kobolds down in 2 rounds, thus only taking 20 damage as a party. But if they have 3 fighters and a cleric who heals them, it would take 3 rounds due to the lowered offensive power, and they'd absorb 30 damage. But the cleric's healing would likely reduce the damage back down to 20, causing the party composition to make little difference.

Just make sure you bring enough swords

And the final nail in the coffin is the Hit Dice. Most parties can easily take a short rest between encounters, or fight easy/medium encounters that don't require resting between every encounter and can make due with every other.

I've had plenty of groups that are quick to call for healing when they could easily find a safe location, take a rest and spend some hit dice, then get back into the fray. This usually means they never run low on Hit Dice, but the Cleric is always the first one out of spell slots.

All of this leads back to one idea: You don't need a Healer in 5th edition. If your party is efficient in their Kobold-murdering, you'll be just fine.

So Why Play a Healer Anyway?

Well, there are some situations where having a healer is still a good idea.

In general, healers get access to spells that reverse status conditions, making them incredibly valuable when facing monsters that inflict those conditions. Lesser Restoration is a fantastic answer to a lot of low-level threats, and you won't get far in the upper tiers without Greater Restoration and Raise Dead. There's a reason many temples offer spellcasting services.

It's also convenient to have a healer when somebody is at 0 hit points. Spare the Dying is a lot more reliable than a Medicine check, and doesn't run out like a Healer's Kit. However, if you don't have a healer, both of those options are available for use. Just make sure someone in your party has a good Wisdom modifier.

Finally, each "healer" class has it's own reasons to play it.

At least 3 of these guys could be a healer. And one might be the DM.

Clerics, aside from being the second-best roleplaying class (after Warlocks), are excellent fighters and support characters. They get divine weapon strikes, some of the best passive effects in the game (Spiritual Weapon, Spirit Guardians, Guardian of Faith), and most can wear heavy armor on top of that. In fact, they are the only class with a d8 Hit Die to wear Heavy Armor regularly. Not only that, but when there is a need for healing, they are the best. Healing Word is like a super-powered long-distance Healer's Kit, Revivify is great for in-combat saves from death, and Prayer of Healing is one of the best out-of-combat healing spells available.

Paladins are the heavy hitters of the healer classes, with Heavy Armor and a tanky d10 Hit Die. They can do massive damage on a single strike, and gain tons of combat-oriented spells. They can focus on Strength or Dexterity, with tons of weapon options and powerful support magic through the use of auras. They even get their own special brand of healing, which is best used as an auto-revival for allies at 0 hit points.

Bards and Druids have tons of non-healing benefits, but they both get Healing Word for good measure. Rangers only get Cure Wounds, but can be used as healers in an pinch. Druids and Rangers also get Healing Spirit, hands-down the best non-combat healing spell in the game.

The point is, even if you play a "healer" class, you don't need to solely focus on healing. If you do, you'll miss out on all sorts of good stuff your class can do!

So, What Do you Need?

If party composition can forego healers, what exactly do you need?

Well, as I mentioned above, you really need the ability to deal and absorb damage. Every class has the ability to do this, so you shouldn't have any trouble getting these into your party. But even some commonly-accepted necessities can be forgotten in this system.

Picking locks? Just make sure someone in the party is Strength-focused and you can probably kick down any door that you'd have to pick. Or just have the Wizard cast Knock.

Charismatic Face of the Party? Not needed, especially if you're willing to work with the DM to avoid political quests. Or just have the Wizard cast Charm Person.

Ranged Attacker? Not completely necessary. If you're a squishy wizard, then sure, fight at range. But it isn't necessary to ensure it's included in your party.

Healer? Didn't we just talk about this?

All you need is damage and damage absorption. Once upon a time, the party's thief was the only character that could pick locks or disable traps. Now, magic and system flexibility have altered that completely.

The one thing you don't need but will always get: weird and anachronistic party names.

For damage, the classic example is the Fighter or Barbarian. Sorcerers, Rogues, and Paladins are also good choices. Also, classes like Bards and Druids that can "lock down" an enemy can allow for an easy victory.

For damage absorption, any class with good Hit Points (Fighter, Paladin, Barbarian, Ranger) and good AC (Fighter, Cleric, Paladin) can tank damage. But don't forget the dodging abilities of Rogues or Monks, and the Temporary HP buffing abilities of Warlocks and Wizards.

Party balance used to be important, and the idea that it's necessary has carried forward into modern D&D. This is a PSA to help you feel better about not picking the Cleric class "because nobody else did".

One last time: You don't need a healer.

Thanks for reading!

Old News: The Commoner Class

What a dreamboat!

A while back, I wrote about which background you should choose as a player. Well, I also wrote about a Commoner Class that essentially allows you to make your own background. I figured it might be fun to let the players really get into the shoes of the peasantry.

I haven't had a chance to playtest this yet, but it's not too complicated. Here's the link! Let me know if you find typos or have suggestions.

The Commoner Class

More recaps coming soon, I promise! The games should pick again here in a few weeks.

Thanks for reading!

6 Figure Characters

Surely they don't ALL need character sheets...

I was continuing to ruminate on different styles of combat, in particular mass combat. I wanted to find a way for my players to cycle through characters in a mass-combat scenario. I had a few goals in mind:

1. Make it quick and dirty. Cut rules when necessary.
2. Preserve the power level and flavor of each class and race at first level.
3. Don't let the players get too attached to the characters.

I wanted to create a system where the players could potentially create and run multiple characters at once, and spend less than 5 minutes creating a character. I think I figured out how.

6 Figure Characters

They are called 6 Figure Characters because they are wholly dependant on the ability scores the player rolls.

To make a 6 Figure Character, roll each ability score, in order, using 3d6 to determine the numbers.

The highest two stats determine your class. Your class determines your offensive and defensive ability, as well as your melee and ranged damage die.

The lowest two stats determine your race. Your race determines a bonus racial feature.

Additionally, each stat determines a few other numbers. All divisions are rounded down.

Strength (STR)

• Melee attack bonus = STR/4 (rounded down)
• Melee damage bonus = STR/6 (rounded down)

Dexterity (DEX)

• Ranged attack bonus = DEX/4 (rounded down)
• Ranged damage bonus = DEX/6 (rounded down)
• DEX = AC

Constitution (CON)

• CON = hit points

Intelligence (INT)

• Tactics bonus = INT/4 (rounded down)
• Wizard spell attack bonus = INT/4 (rounded down)

Wisdom (WIS)

• Passive Perception = WIS
• Cleric/Druid/Ranger spell attack bonus = WIS/4 (rounded down)

Charisma (CHA)

• Morale bonus = CHA/4 (rounded down)
• Bard/Paladin/Sorcerer/Warlock spell attack bonus = CHA/4 (rounded down

Since these characters are going to be rather short-lived, I've created two "new" stats to approximate certain effects on a full character sheet.

All skill checks are now rolled using 1d20 plus the "Tactics" bonus. I imagine these characters are not going to survive a single battle, so clumping the various skills into a single stat seems appropriate.

All saving throws are now rolled using 1d20 plus the "Morale" bonus. The most common saving throws are Dexterity (to dodge), Constitution (to endure a physical effect), and Wisdom (to endure a mental effect). On a battlefield, such effects will be everywhere, and a soldier's ability to fight through the pain is more about their willingness to stay on the battlefield than the meager differences between their stats. Thus, it is assumed that these characters are succumbing to multiple effects, but their dedication to the cause determines if they actually flee.

Race

Race is determined using the two lowest scores. There are many types of dwarves, but most of them aren't dexterous. There are many types of elves, but most of them aren't strong.

Since you know how much I love spreadsheets, I made a spreadsheet to help determine race.

Note that this is based on Ahnerian (specifically Garlancian) racial breakdowns. I highly suggest changing the table if you have a different race makeup in your world.

Beyond that, each class gets a special ability that approximates their most combat-related racial trait.

• Dwarf: Ignore Poison damage
• Elf: Use highest stat for Passive Perception
• Human: Use highest stat for tactics
• Halfing: Use highest stat for Morale
• Dragonborn: Breath weapon - one use, ranged 1d12
• Gnome: Take half damage from magic
• Half Elf: Can select any class that matches highest ability, ignore second highest ability requirement
• Half Orc: If you would be killed, you are left at 1 HP instead
• Tiefling: If damaged, attacker takes 1d6 fire damage

Class

Class is determined using the highest two ability scores. This one was a lot more difficult to put together, and I ended up weighting it towards the core classes (Fighter, Rogue, Cleric, and Wizard), with the two most versatile classes (Monk and Warlock) also being the rarest.

Again, this is weighted the way I see Ahneria, so please adjust if your world is different. You can even adjust if the battle is different - if one side is mostly paladins, you'll want to play that up.

Here is the breakdown of each class.

Barbarian

• Melee attack die - 1d12
• Ranged attack die - 1d6
• Offensive Ability - Rage: +2 melee damage
• Defensive Ability - Unarmored: AC=CON, not DEX

Bard

• Melee attack die - 1d8
• Ranged attack die - 1d8
• Offensive Ability - Spell: Charm Person - force opponent to make morale check
• Defensive Ability - Inspire: Adjacent allies get +1 to attack rolls

Cleric

• Melee attack die - 1d8
• Ranged attack die - 1d8
• Offensive Ability - Smite: double damage against undead
• Defensive Ability - Spell: Bless - Adjacent allies get +1 to saving throws

Druid

• Melee attack die - 1d6
• Ranged attack die - 1d6
• Offensive Ability - Spell: Thunderwave - all adjacent take 1d8 damage
• Defensive Ability - Animal Form: double HP

Fighter

• Melee attack die - 1d10
• Ranged attack die - 1d10
• Offensive Ability - Precise: +2 to attack rolls
• Defensive Ability - Second Wind: heal self 1d10, usable once

Monk

• Melee attack die - 1d8
• Ranged attack die - 1d10
• Offensive Ability - Unarmed: extra attack using 1d4
• Defensive Ability - Unarmored: AC=CON, not DEX

Paladin

• Melee attack die - 1d10
• Ranged attack die - 1d8
• Offensive Ability - Smite: double damage against undead
• Defensive Ability - Lay on Hands: heal adjacent ally 1d10, usable once

Ranger

• Melee attack die - 1d6
• Ranged attack die - 1d12
• Offensive Ability - Spell: Hail of Thorns - on ranged hit, enemies adjacent to target take 1d4
• Defensive Ability - Explorer: ignore difficult terrain

Rogue

• Melee attack die - 1d10
• Ranged attack die - 1d10
• Offensive Ability - Precise: +2 to attack rolls
• Defensive Ability - Dodge: +5 to AC, usable once

Sorcerer

• Melee attack die - 1d6
• Ranged attack die - 1d6
• Offensive Ability - Spell: Chromatic Orb - 2d8 ranged damage
• Defensive Ability - Spell: Mage Armor - AC+3 for remainder of combat

Warlock

• Melee attack die - 1d6
• Ranged attack die - 1d6
• Offensive Ability - Spell: Eldritch Blast - double ranged attack, 1d10 damage
• Defensive Ability - Patron Bond: advantage on tactics and morale rolls

Wizard

• Melee attack die - 1d6
• Ranged attack die - 1d6
• Offensive Ability - Spell: Magic Missile - no attack roll, 1d4 damage to three targets
• Defensive Ability - Spell: Mage Armor - AC+3 for remainder of combat

Level

All of this was put together in order to approximate the power of a 1st level character. To create higher-level characters, just apply the following formulas:

• HP = CON x level
• Number of attacks = level / 5 (rounded down)

Using 6 Figure Characters At the Table

So, obviously it would be pretty inconvenient to use this system as it is presented here in this article. In order to make the system function better, I put together two sheets for players to use. One is a reference sheet for making a character, and the other is the simplified character sheet itself.

Here is the Reference Sheet.

Here is the Character Sheet.

Between them, they contain all of the rules laid out here. If a player has access to both, they should be able to make a character in no time at all.



Another fun game of spot-the-PCs-on-the-battlefield

Now, in my mind, a game using these characters could be the start of a campaign, where the players run through dozens of characters in the first session to simulate a war. Then, the surviving characters are transferred from the 6 Figure format to a full character sheet.

Because of the unusual stat-generation method, I would leave it up to the DM to decide if the players can reroll their stats. I might offer them an option:

1. You can keep your stats as is
2. You can change your stats to the standard array (15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8) but you have to keep them in highest-to-lowest order

This might mean that a couple 16's or 17's are knocked down to 15, but in return, the 4's and 5's are brought up to 8. I'm okay with that.

If I run a game using these rules, I'll make sure to link this article!

Thanks for reading!

When You Just Cant

Ey, girl, lemme whispa in ya ear

Language in games is a tricky business.

Sometimes it's easy - just have a creature only able to speak broken Common, or put something in a language that a player can translate. Or have a code-style minigame, where the players slowly gather words and translate a message.

However, there are two languages that are a bit special: Thieves' Cant and Druidic. These "class languages" are supposed to be known by everyone who has received the training required to be a Druid/Rogue. But surely not every Thieves' Guild uses the same signals and codes. Surely each forest has a different language.

So, here's some ideas to spice up these "code" languages in your game. Also, how to justify that whole "Thieves' Cant takes four times as long as normal speech" thing.

Thieves' Cant

In essence, this is a manufactured code. It doesn't have to be sophisticated, though.



Like murderhobos, but without the murder

Every Thieves' Guild, Urchin Collective, and League of Assassins will have their own version of the Thieves' Cant. Just because a rogue knows Thieves' Cant doesn't mean they'll completely understand someone who learned to speak Cant in another city or country. However, you could certainly say they have advantage on deciphering it, or give them a few words of the overall message.

Thieves' Cant (according to the PHB) comes in two varieties: spoken and written. The spoken variety is the trickier of the two, so here's some good ways to implement it within a community of rogues.

1. Doublespeak. The least sophisticated type. You simply say one thing and mean another, like "I whacked the guy." It can be used as slang, and low-intelligence thieves might use this exclusively as their spoken language.
2. Hand Signs. Usually different than the signs used by the deaf community, to avoid being spied on by deaf people. In the Forgotten Realms, the Drow have this kind of communication. More common among political rogues, who already lie about everything.
3. Codespeak. Requires a decent level of intelligence. This will sound like gibberish unless you understand the rules of the Cant. Pig latin is a classic example: "I-ay illed-kay im-hay".
4. Key Words. This is a very difficult type to implement into a community, which means it's usually the best for keeping dark secrets. In this Cant, certain words have predetermined meanings. Instead of "I killed him", you might say "the Pegasus has flown the coop". Without knowledge of the predetermined meaning, the message is undecipherable.
5. Magic. Finally, among arcane tricksters, spells like Message and Silence would certainly be used to conceal communication. Of course, they'd probably be used in conjunction with the above methods.

Of course, these are drawn from real code languages. Here's a good list of them. (Note that the "official" thieves' cant is a Key Word code. That's tricky to implement among a less-educated medieval population...)

As for the written language, I would actually shy away from using coded messages. First off, we want something that even the burliest of thugs could understand. Second, I don't want to step on the toes of the linguist feat. And finally, if I do put a code in game, I usually want the players to solve it, not the characters. So having the rogue simply read it would break the encounter.

Instead, we can use the simple symbols used by miners and wanderers as Thieves' Cant. They do this in Skyrim and it's very good.

At the very least, you need symbols for "safe", "danger", and "this way". Symbols for "home" and "loot" aren't a bad addition. After that, you can simply combine the symbols together or make them more specific.

And remember, each city will have different symbols. A rogue might need to relearn the code when they visit a new city. However, unlike spoken languages, all organizations within a single city will usually use the same symbols.

Druidic

Druidic can be manufactured as a code language, but that never really felt right to me. If you can turn into animals, why not just talk like the animals do?

Bark, bark

If spoken, druids can simply imitate the calls of animals and understand them. Practically, this would work like the Key Words codes above, but with noises instead of words. A druid might give the howl of a wolf, the taps of a woodpecker, or the melody of a bluebird. And they could differentiate it just enough that another druid would know it wasn't an actual animal.

Some forests have wilder druids who wouldn't want to memorize such calls. They could communicate like dogs do - mostly through facial expression. Or they could train their bodies to give off certain pheromones, then interpret them entirely via instinct. Either way - nonverbal communication that wouldn't be accessible to non-druids.

As for written communication, I think they would use the natural environment when possible. It'd be very similar to tracking - a broken branch here, an upturned stone there. Together, they form a message.

Finally, every forest is different. The birds of one forest sing differently than those from a distant wood. Though druids would likely pick up on simple messages more easily, they would still require some time to learn the full lexicon of Druidic in a new forest.

How to Use This

If your rogue comes from a different city, or if your druid comes from a distant land, they'll have to learn the new signs. Could be a fun mini-game, especially in a quest oriented around starting a new thieves guild or moving to a new area.

Every rogue/druid will have a particular method of communication they prefer, and not all members of their class will communicate the same way. Similar to a dialect of the language, the player might need to figure out what an NPC means or risk misunderstanding.

Or, just treat it like a different language or ignore it altogether. Not every group of players enjoys decoding messages and learning about regional dialects!

Thanks for reading!

Prose by Any Other Name

Wouldn't smell as sweet

I tried a little experiment recently.

I wanted to break a character sheet down into its story elements. See, every mark, every number on the character sheet has a story behind it. You aren't just a "fighter", you chose this life for a reason. You aren't just "STR 18", there are years of struggle and effort behind that number. Ask any weightlifter and they'll tell you a unique and personal story about their relationship with gaining strength. Why are they doing it? How are they doing it?

So, to facilitate this experiment, I asked two of my players to bring a spiral-bound notebook to an impromptu session. We just started talking about what sort of game we wanted to play, and I steered the conversation towards what kind of characters they wanted to play. We dug deeper and deeper until we had covered everything we could think of that would normally be needed to play a character.

I had them write everything down in their journals in first person. That way, their notebooks could act as a campaign diary and a record of their adventures, both in and out of the fiction.

During the actual game, I tracked the player's actual stats and rolled dice for them, so they could focus on describing their actions and figuring out what to do. I'm still trying to work out the kinks in that, but when we play next I'll be trying out some new things and posting an update.

Essentially, I wanted the players to be immersed in the fiction. No numbers, no dice. In the end, I actually think it worked out really well!

I'm going to go through everything we did to make this happen!

The Basics



The players wanted to be wizard apprentices, so that's the art theme today

First off, we can address ability scores. This is actually a fairly easy one, as many people have already provided prose versions of abilty score equivalents. I used this one:

https://dmingwithcharisma.com/2011/10/dd-stats-in-simple-language/

Next is alignment. I believe that there are actually two "neutral" options for each alignment axis, so I had the players choose two statements about morality and society from the following lists:

Morality:

• I trust others, and believe everyone has some good in them. (internally good, inherently good)
• Even though most people are jerks, that doesn't stop me from believing the best of people. (internally good, inherently evil)
• The average person is too trusting, you've got to think for yourself if you want to survive. (internally evil, inherently good)
• Deep down, everybody only looks out for themselves. I'm no different. (internally evil, inherently evil)

Society:

• Society exists to keep us safe, I want to contribute in any way I can. (internally lawful, inherently lawful)
• It's important to have discipline and structure in your life. Unfortunately, it's something many people lack. (internally lawful, inherently chaotic)
• Rules are for normal people. I do what I want to! (internally chaotic, inherently lawful)
• People are just animals pretending to function. When I break their rules, I'm just living my true self. (internally chaotic, inherently chaotic)

As far as the 5th Edition Personality Traits, Bonds, Ideals, and Flaws go, I think those are already pretty prosaic and can remain abstracted. Inspiration can be likewise abstracted.

Now for a hard one: level. That's a pretty serious abstraction, so I broke it down into two parts: features and combat prowess.

Features is the easy part. Whenever you gain a level, you gain the option to use a new ability in combat. But that means you had to have been working on it beforehand!

So, whenever a character gains a level, they should write down what their character is working on that will lead them to their next level up. A level 2 fighter might write about their upcoming training to become a gladiator, if they were planning on choosing to be a champion fighter. A level 2 wizard, on the other hand, might write about learning a new spell and not quite mastering it yet.

Then, when the character actually levels up, they "master" what they were working on and start their next level's worth of tasks to work on. This ends up having two benefits: a smoother level-up process (rather than "I can suddenly cast Fireball!" we get "I finally figured out how to make the explosion happen somewhere else!" which is a much better story) and the opportunity to use half-baked abilities. Sure, a level 13 rogue doesn't have the blindsense feature yet, but how do they get there? Have they been training with a blindfold on? If that might have a specific effect in a combat, it's at least worth giving the character advantage on a roll to demonstrate they've been practicing, even if they can't use it completely effectively yet.

The other part of leveling is harder. When you level up, you gain hit points and hit dice. Generally, hit points are a pretty abstract concept. How can you translate that into prose?

Well, you can do it. Hit points and level is another way of measuring combat prowess. If you're fighting correctly using your class's style, you should be able to take on a certain level of monster. This is reflected in that monster's CR.

If level is tied to combat prowess, which is tied to what CR monster you can face, then you can describe a character's level by describing how difficult it would be for them to take down different types of monsters.

Of course, you can substitute different monsters in each slot, I just used some common monsters from the Monster Manual. It's not perfectly unique per level, but it's close enough to get the job done.

"Expecting to defeat" a monster is the equivalent of a medium challenge for a single character. "Fighting within an inch of your life" is the equivalent of a deadly challenge for a single character. And "better not fight" a monster that's twice a deadly challenge. (All of this is in the DMG, page 82)

Of course, you need a way for the players to track their HP as well. And this is where your work comes in: as the DM, you have to be on point with your combat descriptions. Otherwise, your players won't be able to accurately judge their own remaining stamina.

I use the following general rules when a player is attacked:

• On a miss: you dodge/redirect their blow with ease
• On a hit, if more than half of their HP is remaining: you block the blow, but feel yourself weakening under the attack
• On a hit, if less than half of their HP is remaining: the blow lands, drawing blood
• On a critical hit: the attacker evades your defenses and lands a direct blow

It's also helpful to say things like "you don't think you could take another blow like that" or "the fight is wearing on, and you don't think you can stay on you feet much longer". This way, the player doesn't feel blindsided when they go down. And when they do, you can always give them the chance to keep acting by simply wounding them.

Finally, when it comes to hit dice, remember that hit points are more a measure of stamina than injury. Spending hit dice just means that you were able to relax and recuperate. Most players will take the opportunity to regain full hit points or as close as possible on a short rest, so I think it's okay to assume a character would do that.

If a character is out of hit dice, saying something like, "while your companions were able to relax, you couldn't get comfortable due to the axe wound you sustained. At the end of the hour, you don't feel any better, and you feel like you could use more rest." Again, trying to make everything prosaic.



Google "wizard student" and see how much Harry Potter comes up

The last "basic" item is class. This is fairly straightforward: each class already has a good series of questions at the beginning of the class description in the Player's Handbook. A class represents some kind of natural ability (in the case of a sorcerer or barbarian), a defining event (in the case of a warlock, cleric, or paladin), or formal training (literally every class), or some combination of the three.

Thus, describing those circumstances are key to defining the class. In order to move away from "picking a class", I'd use the following lists to guide the conversation.

I get my power from...

• my physical abilities, focusing on...
• brute strength and endurance. (barbarian)
• mastering weaponry in battle. (fighter)
• speed and precision. (rogue)
• a divine source, which...
• chose me after years of devout worship. (cleric)
• rewarded me with power after I devoted myself to nature. (druid)
• I chose and swore an oath to uphold. (paladin)
• the arcane, which...
• I've been struggling to master since birth. (sorcerer)
• has started to manifest in me since my bargain with a dark power. (warlock)
• I've slowly been mastering through years of study. (wizard)
• my deep understanding of...
• people and their stories. (bard)
• the connection between mind and body. (monk)
• nature and animals. (ranger)

Then, just have the player answer the questions listed in their class's description.

Proficiencies

When it comes to proficiencies, every single one has a story. Skills, saving throws, languages, equipment, and tools, all had to be learned somehow.

Some are fairly easy to describe, especially when you use your background as inspiration. Equipment and tools require some kind of teacher, which can be part of your class training or something from your past. Being fluent in a language requires immersion in that culture, or intense study. For example, the Sage background grants two languages, which could easily have been learned in the course of the sage's studies. Skills are similar to languages.



Rode a horse once -> Animal Handling proficiency

Training generally comes in three flavors: formal training, chosen life experience, and forced life experience. To demonstrate, here are two skills with an example of each. A player with proficiency in these skills could write down any of these three, based on their class and background.

Acrobatics

• Growing up in a circus family, you learn a little bit of everything. I can tumble and fall without hurting myself.
• As a child, my friends and I would compete who could perform the best dives and flips into the local pond.
• Growing up as a street urchin, I often had to run across rooftops and down unevenly-stoned alleyways to escape capture. It's second nature now.

Nature

• While I was in wizard school, I had a few electives to take. I always liked being outdoors in nature, so I picked herbology. I still remember all the names of the flowers.
• My mother was an avid gardener. While my siblings played sports and wrestled, I helped her grow flowers, and she taught me everything I know.
• As a child, I was abandoned in the wild. I don't know what each plant or animal is supposed to be called, but I know from hard-earned experience which ones will make you sick and which ones are good for eating.

Additionally, learning a skill or ability takes time and practice, and not all skills are equally enjoyable to learn. A wizard learns to use simple weapons like daggers and quarterstaffs in their training, but most wizards probably don't enjoy such pursuits.

This also leads to some interesting story discussions: where is the wizard combat school? Who teaches the wizards to fight? Do a lot of wizards skip their lessons? Or do most wizards come from a background that teaches them these weapon skills? All of these questions can enrich the story of the world and the characters.

Finally, we get to saving throws. These are used to resist certain effects, and as such can be described to demonstrate training in those areas. As a generic example:

• Str: My training included a wrestling component, which allows me to easily pin enemies and break their hold on me
• Dex: My training honed my reflexes, to the point where I react with unnatural speed to threats
• Con: My training pitted me against the harshest conditions I've ever withstood. The elements don't bother me much anymore
• Int: My training included extensive memorization and study, and my eyes are now quick to spot falsity and illusion
• Wis: My training involved long and careful meditation on my work, making me more thoughtful and understanding, but also less prone to distraction and confusion
• Cha: My training included practice in social situations that honed my personality and made me confident in who I am

Spells and Spell Slots



A requirement for wizard school

Now here's a tricky one. Let's tackle the easy part first.

Since we're moving away from specific descriptions, you can start describing spells in unique ways. Not every wizard school in every culture would call their spell "magic missile". What about the following?

• Wizard Bolt
• Unerring Spirit
• Faultless Arrow
• Homing Dagger
• Silverfish
• Apprentice's Fire
• Fire of the Guilty

Additionally, magic missile requires a verbal and somatic (hand) component. What are those? Do they just say "Magic Missile!"? Do sorcerers say something different from Warlock and Wizards? When each spell is brand new, the player is free to customize them to their actual use.

For spell slots, we can use the same language as the class features and hit points. Instead of talking about how many first level slots the character has, instead we can discuss things in terms of "ability" and "exhaustion". Here's an example for a 9th level wizard:

"I recently graduated to Arcane Brother at the conservatory. My teachers have bequeathed a new spell to me: Winter's Fury. My mastery of it is not yet complete, however, and I am quite exhausted after casting it. However, my lesser spells are coming easier and easier, and the Ghostshadow spell that vexed me a month ago now comes as easily as casting Conjurer's Smoke."

Translation: you have one 5th level spell slot, and your 4th level slots increase to three (same as 2nd level slots). You know Cone of Cold, Greater Invisibility, and Fog Cloud.

Another way to tackle this would be to use spell points. There's a decent system in the DMG (pg. 288) for this, or you could go with one of my favorite and most deadly systems...

Equipment

Finally, you can keep equipment mostly the same. But take the opportunity to give certain items a backstory!

• Though it's not much, my father's shortsword has served me well. The family crest is etched into the hilt.
• The vendor laughed when I tried to buy plate mail. I had to settle for chain.
• I picked up a few torches from a general supply store. I hope I don't have to use them too much!

Outcome

So, how'd the session go?



Nobody blew themself up. A good start!!

Well, not to brag, but it went really well! The players were very invested in their characters after working out so much of their story, and they were much more creative and experimental in combat. We all had a blast!

I don't think it's a system for everyone, and it's definitely not a system for old-school dungeon crawling. But I like it a lot.

Maybe I'll come up with a system to resolve D&D combat without dice, then nobody will roll dice and we'll just be playing group storytelling.

Just kidding! I love dice and would never completely give them up.

Completely...

Thanks for reading!

Common Sense and a Little Class

Though most folks are short on both

I've been thinking recently about running a game with a little more grit than your average game. However, I don't want to change the setting to a grittier world. (But how cool would it be to have adventurers be mostly commoners and the occasional 5e Character Class be on the level of a Demigod? Dang cool)

So instead of dialing up my Grimdark-o-meter, I can simply lower the power of the players! And I can do that by making a class just for commoners. You know, the unwashed masses?

But I want to accomplish two things: first, I don't want to give a Commoner a neat ability that a player wouldn't ever have. That's just begging to unbalance the game. Second, I want these commoners to eventually be able to take up adventuring if they wish to.

You see, it's not a terrible secret, but nearly every NPC in the Monster Manual is just the Commoner stat block with a bunch of levels stacked onto it. So it stands to reason that a commoner who "answers a higher calling" to adventure could just as easily "answer a higher calling" to become a Priest, Archmage, or Thug. So we don't want to give these "ascended commoners" a weird leg up.

So how do we do this? Simple - we just use the Commoner Class as a method for building a background. By the time a character reaches the end of the commoner class, they can become an adventurer - or not.

Here's how that would look.

Commoner Class

Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d8 (does not increase per Commoner Level)
Hit Points at 1st level: 4 + your Constitution modifier
Hit Points at higher levels: 1 per Commoner level after 1st

Proficiencies
Armor: None
Weapons: None
Tools: None
Saving Throws: None
Skills: None

Equipment

• Fine Clothes, Robes of a Faction, Common Clothes, or Rags
• A pouch of Copper and Silver pieces (your DM and your Role determine how much)
• A Set of Tools related to your Apprenticeship, or a Book in the Language you learn

Role
At 1st level, a commoner already knows their place in the world. Your ability scores must be 10 before adding racial modifiers, you do not gain the benefits of a Background, and you must select a Role to undertake in your community. This Role determines how you survive in the setting. Work with your DM to determine your Role, choose from the list below, or roll randomly.

In addition to the Role you choose, you must create two personality traits, an ideal, a bond, and a flaw for your character. See the Player's Handbook pg. 123 for detailed descriptions of each of these traits. Each time you gain a level in the Commoner class, you may change any one of these traits, which reflects your personal growth.

Apprenticeship
At 1st level, and again at 3rd level, you gain the benefits of prolonged study in a specific profession. Select a Tool or Language and gain proficiency in it. The Tool or Language can be related to your Role, but it can also reflect training from your past.

Education
At 2nd level, and again at 4th level, your interactions with the world and the people within it have expanded your understanding. Select a Skill and gain proficiency in it. The Skill can be related to your Role, or it can reflect something you have learned through your exploration of the world.

Connections
By 5th level, you have forged a bond with a certain type of person, place, or faction. Work with your DM to determine the benefits created by that bond. The benefit you receive cannot affect your combat capabilities in any way. However, your connections can grant you leverage in situations that require exploration or interaction with the world and the people in it.

Destiny
By 5th level, you are a capable member of society. You could easily live the rest of your life with the trades, skills, and connections you have forged. However, your character may not wish to be consigned to such a simple life. At 5th level, you may recreate your character using the Player's Handbook classes, equipment, and stats.

To properly reflect this transformation, your character may need to spend months or even years training with a member of your class or a faction that instructs members of your class, such as a Bardic College or Military Academy. Work with your DM to determine how long such training would take.

If your character would rather not become an adventurer, they can instead become an NPC. Select an NPC stat block from the Monster Manual (MM pg. 342). Your character works to learn the skills required to become that NPC, taking an amount of time equal to the NPC's CR x 3 years. Your DM may restrict or allow certain NPC stat blocks based on their availability to your character.

Why bother adventuring when you can upgrade to Noble?

Now, since we need our character to start their adventuring career with 0 XP, I'd suggest using milestone experience for the commoner class. Focus on life events, surviving, and personal growth - since that's what the class emphasizes. It's no different than writing a lot of social encounters because the party contains a Bard. You could even do multiple milestones a session, since leveling is relatively easy.

Finally, let's talk combat. These PCs are the equivalent of a CR 0 monster. Thus, I'd only use CR 0 and CR 1/8 monsters against them. I'm not kidding - more than a single encounter with a few rats could kill one of these Commoners. Kicked by a mule? Dead. Surprised by a Crawling Claw? Goodbye. Flumphs are now officially terrifying.

All in all, I wouldn't play with Commoners for more than a few sessions. D&D is about heroism, adventure, and gaining power over the world. It's hard to feel heroic when you get one-shotted by a single Kobold. But it can establish a baseline about the world and how much the people within it need saving.

Unfortunately, most commoners end up using this mini...

Thanks for reading!

Diversifying Your Classes

Like this, but not at all like this.

I've been writing this blog for a while now (I started 5 months ago... woah) and I thought I'd give myself a break from creative writing and do a nice little article about making up names for "Multiclassed" classes. It ended up being quite a bit of work with the old Thesaurus.

I stuck to the classes in the PHB, and each class has a name for when they branch out into another class. The bold classes are considered the first class the character took, or the one with the most levels. So if a character starts in one class but eventually gets a lot of levels in another, they could easily be known as something else in-world.

Here we go!

Barbarian

• Bard: Skald
• Cleric: Skywatcher
• Druid: Treespeaker
• Fighter: Gladiator
• Monk: Boxer
• Paladin: Legioner
• Ranger: Beastmaster
• Rogue: Brigand
• Sorcerer: Totemist
• Warlock: Darkslave
• Wizard: Wordblade

Bard

• Barbarian: Warrior Poet
• Cleric: Ovate
• Druid: Treesinger
• Fighter: Fencer
• Monk: Diplomat
• Paladin: Preacher
• Ranger: Strider
• Rogue: Factotum
• Sorcerer: Dancer
• Warlock: Enchanter
• Wizard: Magician

Cleric

• Barbarian: Warpriest
• Bard: Loremaster
• Druid: Healer
• Fighter: Avenger
• Monk: Emissary
• Paladin: Exemplar
• Ranger: Medic
• Rogue: Shugenja
• Sorcerer: Favored Soul
• Warlock: Invoker
• Wizard: Archivist

Druid

• Barbarian: Butcher
• Bard: Siren
• Cleric: Apothecary
• Fighter: Guerilla
• Monk: Hermit
• Paladin: Yeoman
• Ranger: Explorer
• Rogue: Shapestealer
• Sorcerer: Geomancer
• Warlock: Summoner
• Wizard: Animist

Fighter

• Barbarian: Dragoon
• Bard: Marshal
• Cleric: Reborn
• Druid: Commando
• Monk: Samurai
• Paladin: Knight
• Ranger: Sentinel
• Rogue: Mercenary
• Sorcerer: Dragon Knight/Chaos Knight
• Warlock: Dark Knight
• Wizard: Spellsword

Monk

• Barbarian: Renegade
• Bard: Aristocrat
• Cleric: Acolyte
• Druid: Ascetic
• Fighter: Weapons Master
• Paladin: Avatar
• Ranger: Horizon Walker
• Rogue: Ninja
• Sorcerer: Psion
• Warlock: Incarnate
• Wizard: Scholar

Paladin

• Barbarian: Warrior
• Bard: Evangelist
• Cleric: Herald
• Druid: Anamist
• Fighter: Crusader
• Monk: Templar
• Ranger: Missionary
• Rogue: Inquisitor
• Sorcerer: Chosen
• Warlock: Death Knight
• Wizard: Savant

Ranger

• Barbarian: Scavenger
• Bard: Wanderer
• Cleric: Seeker
• Druid: Beastmaster
• Fighter: Cavalier
• Monk: Warden
• Paladin: Hunter
• Rogue: Marksman
• Sorcerer: Fireblessed
• Warlock: Envoy
• Wizard: Arcane Archer

Rogue

• Barbarian: Swashbuckler
• Bard: Infiltrator
• Cleric: Philanderer
• Druid: Scout
• Fighter: Bandit
• Monk: Acrobat
• Paladin: Bounty Hunter
• Ranger: Raider
• Sorcerer: Beguiler
• Warlock: Blackhand
• Wizard: Spellthief

Sorcerer

• Barbarian: Axeborn
• Bard: Composer
• Cleric: Divine Born
• Druid: Ancient Soul
• Fighter: Soulblade
• Monk: Elementalist
• Paladin: Augur
• Ranger: Wildblood
• Rogue: Kleptomancer
• Warlock: Shaman
• Wizard: Adept

Warlock

• Barbarian: Bloodbound
• Bard: Silvertongue
• Cleric: Malefactor
• Druid: Channeler
• Fighter: Hexblade
• Monk: Mystic
• Paladin: Darkheart
• Ranger: Fugitive
• Rogue: Gambler
• Sorcerer: Witch
• Wizard: Shadowcaster

Wizard

• Barbarian: Battlemage
• Bard: Truenamer
• Cleric: Theurge
• Druid: Sage
• Fighter: Bladesinger
• Monk: Ardent
• Paladin: Vicar
• Ranger: Alchemist
• Rogue: Duskblade
• Sorcerer: Arcanist
• Warlock: Binder

Inspiration often comes in triangle form.

Thanks for reading!