Manix House Rules

Chillos’ D&D 5e House Rules

 

Approved Books

• WotC Books: PHB, DMG, MM, Elemental Evil, Xanathar, Volo
• Unearthed Arcana
  • Note: more recent version always supersede older versions and published versions supersede UA content
• Kobold Press: Tome of Beasts
• Other: Solve et Coagula, Elminster's Guide to Magic, Matt Mercer's Gunslinger warrior option

 

Determining Ability Scores

• Use 27 points “point-buy” as detailed under “Variant: Customizing Ability Scores” on page 13 of the PHB.
• You gain a bonus ability score improvement OR a feat at first level.
• Hit points: first three levels always gain maximum hit points. Afterwards when you roll, always take hit die average as minimum hp.

 

Manix Player Races:

• Note: assume you will be throwing out racial name, identity, history and culture. The following is simply a list of what statistics are in use.
• Dwarf: hill, mountain & duergar (SCAG)
• Elf: high, wood, drow, eladrin (UA44), avariel (UA46), grugach (UA46), sea (UA46)
  • Custom: scindo, fei, asa, turost
• Halfling: lightfoot & stout
• Human: You may choose to use either the standard Human Traits or the Variant.
  • Manix: Exceptions to standard ability score bonus for certain human ethnicities:
    • Arrisian - You may option to increase your Intelligence by 2 in lieu of increasing a single other ability score.
    • Conox - You may option to increase your Constitution by 2 in lieu of increasing a single other ability score.
    • Darshinian - You may option to increase your Charisma by 2 in lieu of increasing a single other ability score.
• Dragonborn
• Gnome: forest, rock, deep (EE)
• Half-elf: see variants from SCAG pg 116
• Half-orc
• Tiefling:
  • Choose a subrace:
    • Infernal (see tiefling entry as presented in PHB)
      • You may also choose any of the Tiefling Subraces from U45_FiendishOptions
    • Abyssal (see Unearthed Arcana – That Old Black Magic)
• Aarakocra (EE)
• Genasi (EE)
• Aasimar: scourge or fallen
• Firbolg
• Goliath (Volo)
• Kenku
• Lizardfolk (plus custom variants per Malixian subrace)
• Tabaxi
• Triton
• Bugbear
• Goblin
• Hobgoblin
• Kobold
• Orc
• Yuan-Ti Pureblood
• Changeling (UA1)
• Warforged (UA1)
• Minotaur (UA2)
  • Changes: Increase Str by 2, not 1
  • Replace Sea Reaver trait with Powerful Build (see under Orc, Volo pg 120)
• Custom: boggan, brownie, bullywug, cansin, cathian (kyanna, nezorah, slyth), centaur, gnoll, guktan, neogi, nezumi, pwca, rofka, satyr, sprite, thri-kreen

 

Bard

• Song of Rest does not require active use of healing during rest periods in order to gain its benefits (this is in response to the more stringent healing rules I’ve adopted below).

 

Ranger

• Use Unearthed Arcana’s revised ranger instead of the one presented in the PHB

 

New Classes:

• Artificer - UA27
• Mystic - UA33

 

Deities:

• Many of the gods/pantheons of Manix are kinda broken, merged, cloned, disorganized and/or dead right now. So. Um… I'll get back to you.

 

Encumbrance

• Fuck encumbrance rules.
• Just be fair and reasonable. If you cannot be fair and reasonable, then make sure you buy, burgle, bribe or beg your way into a Bag of Holding asap.

 

Feats

• At any level you may forgo taking an Ability score Improvement feature from class advancement and instead choose a feat in its place.
• Feats may be chosen from the following sources:
  • Players Handbook
  • Sword Coast Adventure Guide
  • Weapon Feats - UA15_Feats
    • Specifically: Fell Handed, Blade Mastery, Flail Mastery, Spear Mastery & Tool Feats
  • Skill Feats - UA38_Skill Feats
  • Racial Feats - Xanathar's Guide to Everything
  • Tool/Feat synergies from Xanathar's (pg 78+) apply.
• Changes:
  • Elemental Adept: change text to, “In addition, when you roll damage for a spell you cast that deals damage of that type, you can reroll any 1 on a damage die.
  • Heavily Armored: this feat also grants you proficiency with shields if you do not already possess it.
  • Heavy Armor Master: this feat also grants you proficiency with shields if you do not already possess it.
  • Medium Armor Master: this feat also grants you proficiency with shields if you do not already possess it.

 

Training

• Class advancement - no training is required for leveling your class.
• Tools and language - see Downtime Activities below.

Skills - if you wish to gain additional Skill proficiencies, you must either choose a multiclass that allows for it or take the Skilled feat.

 

Tool Proficiencies

• Alchemy: Feel free to make use of the rules in Solve et Coagula: A Practical Guide to Alchemy
• Tool/Feat synergies from Xanathar's (pg 78+) apply.

 

Languages

• When generating a new character, learn an additional language per your Intelligence score modifier.
  • So if you start with an intelligence score of 16, you gain three additional languages in addition to your starting languages.
  • Note: most of my settings do not use the standard array of D&D languages.

 

Weapons

• Finesse:
  • The following weapons now possess the finesse tag: Handaxe & Sickle
• Firearms
  • Only gunslingers (fighter), gunsmiths (artificer) and military or noble Nakaltian dwarves may begin with proficiency in firearms.
    • Gaining proficiency with firearms requires training in the same manner as learning a new tool proficiency, Intelligence modifier does not apply.
      • Those proficient with Martial Ranged Weapons may reduce the training time using Dexterity instead of Intelligence.

 

Armor

• Additional Shields
  • Buckler:  Cost: 5gp. AC +1. Str. - Stealth - Weight 4 lb.
    • This small shield is fitted around the arm and made of metal, wood, or boiled leather. It takes the same time to don and doff as a normal shield (1 action) and a character cannot benefit from a buckler and any other type of shield at the same time. Unlike a shield, a character can still use the hand in which the buckler is equipped. If during a character's turn they use an item with this hand, attack with a weapon in this hand, or attack with a two-handed weapon, then the character does not gain the buckler's bonus to AC until the start of their next turn.
    • Attacking with a one-handed weapon or thrown weapon using the buckler hand causes disadvantage on the attack roll. The hand wielding the buckler does not count as a free hand for the purposes of spellcasting, grappling, or unarmed attacks.
    • A character proficient with shields is also considered proficient with bucklers. A buckler does not benefit from the rules or abilities that specifically refer to shields, such as the Protection Fighting Style or the Shield Master feat.
  • Tower Shield:  Cost 30gp. AC +3. Str 13. Stealth - Disadvantage. Weight 40 lb.
    • A huge metal-reinforced shield nearly as tall as its wielder. Donning and doffing the tower shield takes 1 action. A character cannot benefit from a tower shield and any other type of shield at the same time.
    • While a tower shield is equipped, its bearer takes disadvantage on all attack rolls due to the off-balancing encumbrance of the shield, unless the weapon has the Light property. A character proficient with both shields and heavy armor is assumed to be proficient with tower shields. All other rules that affect shields still apply to tower shields.

 

Uncommon or Rare Materials

• Weapons:
  • Adamantine (Xanathar pg 78)
  • Drow - drow frequently treat their weapons with a fine layer of enchanted adamantine filigree that grants bonuses to attacks and damage rolls. These weapons lose their enchantment bonuses permanently if they are exposed to sunlight for an hour.
• Armor: adamantine & mithril (DMG)
  • Adamantine (DMG)
  • Mithril (DMG)
  • Drow - drow frequently treat their armor with a fine layer of enchanted adamantine filigree that grants bonuses to AC. The armor loses its enchantment bonuses permanently if it is exposed to sunlight for an hour.
• Other (INCOMPLETE): alchemical finishes/materials, star metal, grey adamant, galvorn ("remnatite"), primal/planar materials, arjale, aeglis/ulden, spellforged orichalcum, raven's ice, "katrinium", tantulhor,

 

High Ground

• If you have higher ground, are not at long range and are beyond the melee reach of your target, you gain advantage on your attack roll.

 

Critical Hits

• When you roll a natural 20.
  • Double the amount of dice you would be rolling for damage (but not additional modifiers, just the dice)
  • Roll ‘em!
  • Calculate damage, but count dice that rolled below the average for that die as having rolled average:
    • 1d4=3, 1d6=4, 1d8=5, 1d10=6, 1d12=7

 

Fumbles

• When rolling with disadvantage:
  • You roll at least one natural 1 and your second number is also a miss, this is a fumble.

 

Acrobatics & Falling Damage

• You may reduce falling damage by 10’ with a successful Acrobatics skill check.
• DC = 10+1 for every 5’ fallen.

 

Optional Rules from DMG:

• Hero Points (DMG p 264)
• Healing (DMG p 266)
  • Healer’s Kit Dependency
    • You may always spend a minimum of one hit die, even without a medicine check.
  • Slow Natural Healing
• Action Options (DMG p 271)
  • Climb onto a bigger creature
  • Disarm (may be tweaked at a later time)
  • Overrun
  • Shove aside
  • Tumble
  • Injuries (DMG p 272)

 

Spells: Wizard Cantrips

• Wizards may record multiple cantrips in their spellbooks as they do with other spells, and may swap our and prepare them in the same manner.

 

Familiars

• Familiars share initiative with the person they are bonded to, but otherwise act autonomously and may choose to attack or take appropriate actions as they are commanded or otherwise see fit.
  • Manix:
    • There are four common versions of the Find Familiar spell; celestial, fae, infernal, abyssal and elemental. The version of spell cast will determine the energy summoned forth through the ritual that will become the catalyst for creating the eternal bond between caster and familiar. The sort of energy drawn and invested into the spell will often dictate personality traits of the familiar.
      • Note: Warlock familiars always reflect the nature of their otherworldly patron.
      • There exists other, more rare versions of the spell that tend to produce unusual familiar bonds and traits; undead, aberration and mechanical.
    • Summoned familiars are chosen from the animals in the region the spell is cast. When a familiar is chosen by the spell, they awaken and become bound to the spellcaster that cast the spell. Their appearance may remain unchanged from their natural forms or if may be influenced by the type of Find Familiar spell that had been used in their summoning.
    • While their awakening grants them greater intelligence and long lifespans, familiars are still living creatures and require nourishment and rest to live. While they can be re-summoned post-mortem, their suffering will impact their ability to perform.
      • This does not apply to undead, aberrant or mechanical familiars.
    • Their form can be changed by recasting the Find Familiar spell, but only temporarily. Their true form will always reassert itself when Adrianna dominates the sky (midnight).
      • Does not apply to undead, aberrant or mechanical familiars which can be changed through various methods.
    • If a familiar outlives their spellcaster, they must pass three death saving throws. If they fail, they also perish. If they pass, they survive. If the spellcaster is ever resurrected, their bond remains intact. Many orphaned familiars seek out others to serve, though they are unable to form the familiar bond with a different person.
    • A wizard or warlock who deliberately mistreats, fails to care for or purposely causes the death of their familiar can adversely affect the familiar's relationship with their master.

They also run the risk of drawing the attention of a cabal of free familiars dedicated to the ancient Ydisian goddess, Bast - she who granted the first familiar's bond to a loyal wizard and who they believe still lives on within every familiars sacred bond. These Guardians of Bast (often known as the Familiar's Guild by outsiders) will descend upon naughty wizards to punish them for their ill deeds against Bast's holy gift to them.

 

Spell Changes (Manix only)

• Polymorph (when cast on self or a willing target)
  • @4th – duration is 1 hour (as described in the PHB)
  • @5th – duration becomes 8 hours (with concentration)
  • @6th – duration becomes 24 hours (with concentration)
• Polymorph (when cast on unwilling target)
  • @4th – duration is 1 hour (as described in the PHB)
  • @5th – duration becomes 8 hours (requires concentration & unwilling target is allowed a saving throw once per hour to resist the effects)
  • @6th – the spell duration becomes “Concentration, up to 1 minute”
    • When you cast the spell, the creature must make a saving throw. On a failed save, it is restrained as its body begins to transform. On a successful save, the creature isn’t affected.
    • A creature restrained by this spell must make another Wisdom saving throw at the end of each of its turns. If it successfully saves against this spell three times, the spell ends. If it fails its save three times (including the first failed save), it is transformed by the spell. The successes and failures don’t need to be consecutive; keep track of both until the target collects three of a kind.
    • If you maintain concentration on the spell for the entire possible duration, an unwilling target is permanently transformed (until the effect can be removed).
• Prestidigitation
  • @1st – the “chill, warm, or flavor” and the “make a color, a small mark, or a symbol” effect duration becomes permanent.
• Reincarnate
  • Druid Reincarnation – A druid may choose to use a secondary version of the Reincarnate spell, which is cast with no material component requirements and uses the following table:
  • Targets with character levels often come back as Giant variants of the listed creatures.
  • Use the following table:

Druid Reincarnation

1-5	Aos Sí (fae; eladrin)
6-10	Astridir (50% Sprite, 30% Pixie, 10% Nixie, 10% Grig)
11-13	Barghest or Black Dog
14-20	Bear (black, brown, polar)
21-23	Boar
24-27	Bogle, Duende or Hob (fae goblins)
28-32	Canidae (dingo, fox, jackal, wolf)
33-36	Corvidae (crow, jay, magpie, raven, rook, etc)
37-40	Deer (caribou, deer, elk, moose) or Goat
41-43	Hyena
44-45	Kitsune
46-50	Lagomorpha (rabbit, hare, pika
51-54	Mongoose (meerkat or mongoose)
55-60	Mustelidae (otter, badger, weasel, ferret, mink, wolverine)
61-64	Nymph (dryad) or Satyr (fae)
65-70	Ogre, sethik
71-75	Panthera (tiger, lion, jaguar, leopard, snow leopard)
76-78	Perissodactyla (donkey, horse, rhinoceros, tapir, zebra
79-82	Pwca (fae)
83-85	Raccoon or Red Panda
86-90	Raptor (eagle, hawk, owl or vulture)
91-93	Reptile (crocodilian, lizard, snake, turtle)
94-97	Rodent (squirrel, rat, beaver, porcupine)
98-99	Spider, Centipede or Wasp
100	Use arcane reincarnation table

 

• Wizard Reincarnation - There is also a wizard variant of the Reincarnate spell, which uses the following table:

1-2	BalGez-I'ir
3-9	Dwarf (50% mountain, 50% hill)
10	Dwarf, Duergar
11-12	Elf, Ydis
13-17	Elf, Ilfyd
18-21	Elf, Syi (50% asana, 20% turost, 30% huldra)
22-23	Gnome (70% rock, 30% forest)
24	Gnome, Svirfneblin
25	Nothgar
26	Firbolg
27	Half-elf
28	Hobbit
29-31	Ilian
32-34	Orc
35-36	Ogre (10% torgan, 60% yaga, 30% sethik)
37-39	Minotaur
40-41	Gnoll
42-45	Kobold
46-48	Goblin (50% goblin, 30% hobgoblin, 10% golthyr, 10% shir vallik)
49	Bugbear
50-56	Cathian (50% kyanna, 25% nezorah, 25% slyth)
57-58	Guktan
59	Bullywug
60	Shissar (usually purebloods)
61-64	Saleer
65-67	Planetouched (70% genasi, 25% tiefling, 5% aasimar)
68	Centaur
69-70	Astrid (mortal sprite)
71-73	Calethan (mortal satyr)
74	Brownie
75-77	Tengu (80% kenku, 20% aarakocra)
78	Rofka
79	Thri-kreen
80-89	Human
90-94	Hoven
95-100	Species from other region

 

• Thaumaturgy
  • @1st – the “cause flames to flicker, brighten, dim, or change color” and the “alter the appearance of your eyes” effect duration becomes permanent.

 

Magic Item Attunement

• You may attune up to your current proficiency bonus +1 in magical items.

 

Casting Spells from Scrolls

• Scenario A
  • If a scroll is on your spell list and of a level you can cast - you cast it.  Yay.  Good job.
• Scenario B
  • If a scroll is on your spell list, but of a higher level than you can cast - roll your spell ability vs. DC of 10+spell level.
    • Pass - you cast it and the scroll goes poof.  Go you.
    • Fail - you fail to cast it and the scroll still goes poof.  Now make an Int saving throw vs DC 10.
      • Pass - nothing else happens.  But you lost your scroll. Darn.
      • Fail - roll on the Scroll mishap table in the DMG pg 140.  You suck.  Haha.
• Scenario C
  • If a scroll is NOT on your spell list, or if you HAVE NO spell list, you can still try and use the scroll IF you can read Tianne.
  • Same steps as in Scenario B, but with Disadvantage on both your spell casting check and mishap save (use your primary spellcasting ability or Intelligence for non-spellcasters).  Good luck, don't suck, don't die.

 

Magic Item Variants

• More Difficult Identification (DMG p136)
  • Three options:
  • Identify spell
  • Experimentation: identification purely through experimentation requires a minimum of 8 hours and a successful knowledge (arcane, nature, religion, history as deemed appropriate) check.
  • Research: If appropriate tools, laboratory or library is available, identification can be done in one hour (short rest) with a successful knowledge check.
• Mixing Potions (DMG p 140)
• Scroll Mishaps (DMG p 140)

 

Level Advancement

• I use Milestone Experience

 

Downtime Events

• Buying a Magic Item - XGE pg 126
• Carousing - XGE pg 126
• Crafting an Item - XGE pg 128
• Crime - XGE pg 130
• Gaining Renown - DMG pg 129
• Gambling - XGE pg 130
• Pit Fighting - XGE pg 131
• Relaxation - XGE pg 131
• Religious Service - XGE pg 131
• Research - XGE pg 132
• Running a Business - DMG pg 129
• Scribing a Spell Scroll - XGE pg 133
• Selling a Magic Item - XGE pg 133
• Sowing Rumors - DMG pg 131
• Training - XGE pg 134
• Work - XGE pg 134