​​​​​​Encounters

When role playing actions, if any of those actions would begin an encounter requiring initiative, initiative is rolled normally. After initiative order is determined, those players and creatures included in the encounter take their turns before anyone else, according to the initiative order among those involved. After the initial turns are completed, initiative order begins as a normal round, with the order of play being determined by the full initiative list.​​

As an encounter finishes, immediately after the fighting is complete, each person still alive after the encounter will get one last turn starting with the character that would go next according to initiative order.​

​​Attacks

​An “attack” on a creature requires the “attacker” to roll a die for whether their “attack” hits the target. An Area Of Effect (AOE) spell that only lists its effects (no rolling to hit) is not considered an “attack”. For example, Sneak Attack halves damage from an “attack” and has no effect on an AOE spell’s damage.

Two-Weapon fighting is something everyone can do. It allows you to attack with a second LIGHT weapon that is in your off-hand. THis attack is a bonus action and therefore no other bonus actions may be performed in this same turn if this scond attack is used. Also, no DAMAGE modifiers are added to this attack.​ Modifiers to HIT still apply.

Readying an Action

On your turn, y​ou can choose to select a perceivable Trigger. When the Trigger occurs, as long as it is before your next turn, you may decide (or not) to spend your Reaction to either take the Action you stated OR take Movement you stated (you may not do both).

Readying an Attack Action allows only a single Attack, even if you have multiple attacks per normal Action.

​​Warging

For those who have “the gift,” warging allows to commune with a creature, overriding all of the creature’s Wisdom-based and Intelligence-based Abilities, Skills, and Proficiencies with the warger’s.​

Warging may be performed by casting both Beast Sense and Speak With Animals simultaneously. Requires concentration​. This is the only exception where 2 spells may be cast at once. 

The target must be a willing beast within 100 feet. The duration is 8 hours or until cancelled by using an Action. During this time, the warger can control the warg target as if it were their own skin for a range of up to 10 miles. If the range is exceeded, the warg session ends without detriment to either side.

If the warg target is brought to 0 HP during while warging, the warger must roll against a WIS DC 15 save.

Success: take half damage (psychic) that the warg target would have taken after resistances and modifers. The warger is stunned for one round from when the damage is dealt.

Fail: take full damage (psychic) that the warg target would have taken after resistances and modifers. The warger is unconscious for d4 hours. (This may be interrupted by external forces)​

Mounts and Combat

Mounting a creature takes half of your Speed. Mounts can be controlled or uncontrolled. Intelligent creatures (defined by it understanding ANY language in its stat block) will always be uncontrolled. Unintelligent creatures will always be uncontrolled UNLESS they are trained to accept a rider (or something grants the ability to control such a creature).

​When an unintelligent and trained creature is mounted, it immediately shifts to be under the rider’s control. When controlled, the mount will act on the rider’s initiative and the ONLY actions the mount can take are Dash, Disengage, and Dodge. By spending a rider’s Action, he may shift the mount from controlled to uncontrolled while mounted (or uncontrolled to controlled, as long as he has the capability to control the mount).

When uncontrolled, a mount takes actions on its own initiative and can do whatever actions it could normally do in its stat block. However, its movement and actions are entirely at the DM’s discretion within certain bounds (see Animal Training below). A mount that knows its rider well, may very well stand beside him and fight until it takes too much damage in a single hit – or too much damage cumulatively. It may even try to protect the rider if he were to fall prone.

As an example, on your turn, you could mount a warhorse, ride it towards your enemy, attack that enemy from horseback using your normal weapon, then have your horse Disengage, and continue riding past the enemy.

If an effect moves your mount against its will while you are on it, you must succeed on a DC10 DEX save, or fall off the mount, landing prone within 5 feet of it. If you are knocked prone while mounted, you must make the same saving throw. If your mount is knocked prone, you can use your reaction to dismount as it falls and land on your feet, otherwise you are dismounted and fall prone within 5 feet of it.

When an intelligent animal is mounted, they will always act independently on their own initiative and can take any actions it normally would. If the mount provokes an opportunity attack, the attacker can target the mount or the rider.

Animal Training

Certain animals that are accustomed to battle, such as a Warhorse, can be trained to be more predictable in combat situations. To train a creature to fight for you on its own accord, you must spend time training the creature. Each successful training session accumulates 1 Training Point. The number of Training Points accumulated dictate how many points of damage can be taken by the creature while uncontrolled before it becomes Frightened, flees combat, and loses half of its Training Points. Healing the creature does not impact the damage taken for the purposes of this mechanic. Training Points cannot be recovered by any means other than successfully completing training sessions.

In order to have a successful training session, you must spend an hour with the creature and succeed an Animal Handling (WIS) check. The DC of the check is based on the creature’s familiarity with the trainer and how many traiing points have already been accumulated (it becomes easier to train as the creature is trained successfully). A training session may only be attempted once every 24 hours.

The DC is calculated as follows:​

DC = 15 + (Familiarity Points) – (# Training Points Accumulated) – (Bonus Effects)

Familiarity Points = 0 (if Friendly); 5 (if Neutral); 10 (if Hostile)

Bonus Effects = 5 if using a spell or ability that befriends the creature or makes it easier to understand the trainer

Travelling

Travelling may be done at Slow, Normal, or Fast Pace, each providing their own pros and cons. At Slow Pace, you may use stealth. At Fast Pace, you incur a -5 to Passive Perception. At Normal Pace, you do not have either of these effects.

The speed of travel per day at a Normal Pace across simple terrain (level and on roads) depends on the person’s Speed rating; (Speed, in Feet per Round) / 10 = (Travel Speed, in MPH)

Travelling at a Slow Pace is done at 2/3 the rate of Normal Pace; a Fast Pace is at 4/3 the rate of Normal Pace.

Group travelling is always at the rate of the slowest traveller in the group. 

Example: a person with a 30-foot speed may travel 3mph at a Normal Pace, 4mph at Fast Pace, 2mph at Slow Pace on simple terrain. Typically, 8 hours of travel can be had in a day.

Travel across terrain more difficult than “simple terrain” will have a negative impact on speed, with difficult terrain halving the speed travelled.

Artifacts of the Gods

The artifacts of the gods are legendary items that require long term commitment to utilize. Each of them are connected to a single source of mystical power thought to be channeled through the god of that power.

Known Artifacts:

• Amulet of Lightbringer
• Tear of Life
• Root of Knowledge

Upon activation and until deactivated, the artifacts glow like a torch, providing bright light in a 20-foot radius and dim light for an additional 20 feet.

Upon deactivation, the artifacts cause 1 point of exhaustion due to the drain such power depletes of its holder.

From experience, it has been determined that when an artifact becomes active, it becomes extremely dangerous when in the vicinity of other active artifacts.

If any active artifacts are within 10 feet of each other, each of the holders and their surroundings take force damage. Any artifacts within 10 feet of each other are considered “involved” in this transaction. For example, if 3 artifact holders are in a line, each 10 feet from each other, all 3 are considered “involved” for the purposes of the force effect, even though the 2 on the end points of the line are not within 10 feet of each other. Each artifact holder “involved” in this effect rolls 1d12. The results are multiplied by each other and then increased by 5 RAISED to the [# of artifacts] to determine the final damage.

In addition, the holders of these artifacts are thrown away in opposing directions. Each artifact holder involved rolls 1d4. If there is ambiguity in the directionality, the DM makes the decision. The results are multiplied by each other and then again by 5, and finally increased by 5 to the [# of artifacts] to determine the final distance in feet.

For example:

• 2 artifacts
  • Holder 1:
    • damage roll = 1d12 = 8
    • distance roll = 1d4 = 2
  • Holder 2:
    • damage roll = 1d12 = 6
    • distance roll = 1d4 = 3
  • Damage = 8 x 6 + 5²= 48 + 25 = 73 force damage
  • Distance = 2 x 3 x 5 + 5²= 30 + 25 = 55 feet
• 3 artifacts
  • Holder 1:
    • damage roll = 1d12 = 8
    • distance roll = 1d4 = 2
  • Holder 2:
    • damage roll = 1d12 = 6
    • distance roll = 1d4 = 3
  • Holder 3:
    • damage roll = 1d12 = 4
    • distance roll = 1d4 = 4
  • Damage = 8 x 6 x 4 + 5³= 192 + 125 = 317 force damage
  • Distance = 2 x 3 x 4 x 5 + 5³= 120 + 125 = 245 feet

Magic Items and Identification

Magical non-consumable items may be identified and fully understood by using a short rest to focus on the item.

Consumable items (including non-magical consumable items) require identification to know their properties. Typically the charge for identifying an item is 50gp.

Attunement

Some magic items require attunement to create a bond that allows you access to the magical properties of the item. These can be weapons, armor, rings, trinkets and various other items.
Attuning to an item requires a creature to spend a Short Rest focused on only that item while being in physical contact with it (this can’t be the same short rest used to learn the item’s properties). This focus can take the form of weapon practice (for a weapon), meditation (for a wondrous item), or some other appropriate activity. If the Short Rest is interrupted, the attunement attempt fails. Otherwise, at the end of the Short Rest, the creature gains an intuitive understanding of how to activate any magical properties of the item, including any necessary Command words.
The number of items a creature can be attuned to is equal to their proficiency bonus, and an item can be attuned to only one creature at a time. A creature can’t attune to more than one copy of an item. For example, a creature can’t attune to more than one Ring of Protection at a time.
If a creature’s proficiency bonus is 3, any attempt to attune to a fourth item fails; the creature must end its attunement to an item first.​​

SPECIAL RULINGS

• Valyrian Steel requires attunement to level up — if it not attuned, it still acts as a magical weapon
• Rings of Universatility do not require attunement, but no one else can use them — they have been forcefully bonded to your character

Ioun Stone Portals

When attuned to an Ioun Stone that has been upgraded via the Fire Lake obelisks (Ioun Pillars), you gain the ability to open a portal to the cavern under Fire Lake when the stone is active. Although the portal uses the Ethereal Plane as the mechanism of travel, at no time are creatures entering the Ethereal Plane. However, if the Ethereal Plane is blocked for any reason, the portal will fail to open. 

Opening a portal requires concentration for 30 seconds (30 second spell cast time) and requires no components (no Verbal, Somatic, or Material components — other than an attuned upgraded Ioun Stone). The creature opening the portal (the caster) must concentrate on a single point in space within 30 feet of the caster. If, during the casting time, that point in space is ever more than 30 feet from the caster, the portal opening spell is cancelled. Once open, the portal can remain open for 30 minutes but can be closed at will. The caster can reset this timer without disrupting the portal by concentrating for 30 seconds. Traversing the portal is regular movement. Spells cannot traverse the portal unless the other side of the portal is within the spell’s range in the Material Plane.

The “Breakable” Property of weapons and items

Some materials, such as Dragonglass, are breakable.

Breakable materials have a chance to shatter upon contact with other materials, such as flesh, wood, or stone; the harder the strike, the more likely it is to break. The DC to not break the material is half of the modified attack roll.

For example, assume you are attacking a creature with a dragonglass dagger and you have a +10 modifier with daggers. If you roll a 12 raw and add +10 on the attack, you have a 22 attack roll. You will then need to roll 11 or better (raw) to not break the dagger.

Dragonglass Attacks on Dragonglass-Vulnerable Creatures

When a creature vulnerable to Dragonglass is struck, it instantly shatters, making the damage roll unnecessary. Shattering in this way has the same end effect on the target as the Disintegration spell.

If the attack roll is a critical hit, the shards are expelled with great force. All creatures within 15 feet of the shattered creature, including the attacker and allies, must roll a DEX Save (DC = 10 + the attacker’s Attack Bonus). Upon failing, the damage is the attacker’s damage roll for the Dragonglass weapon; passing is half the damage.

​​Miscellaneous Skills​

​​Fishing

Survival Skill roll aga​inst a DC related to the likelihood of fish being in the area (set by DM). Upon success, a fish is on the line, which then requires a Strength Contest (partly determined by a weight roll from the DM) against the fish. If the Strength Contest fails, the Player can enlist help from up to one other person, who would roll their Strength Check against the fish’s original Strength ​roll.​

• Salmon (head-on gutted) yields 75% skin-on fillet
• Snapper (head-on gutted) yields 40% skin-on fillet
• Mahi (headed and gutted) yields 65% skin-on fillet
• Monkfish (tail) yields 70% skinless fillet
• Cod (headed and gutted) yields 60% skin-on fillet
• Grouper (head-on gutted) yields 35% skinless fillet
• Halibut (headed and gutted) yields 66% skin-on fillet
• Tuna (headless bullets) yields 75% untrimmed loins
• Sword (headless bullets) yields 80% center cut
• Fluke and Flounder (whole fish) yields 35% skinless fillet
• Skate (wings) yields 35% skinless fillet
• Wild Striped Bass (whole fish) yields 33% skin-on fillet​