5e: campaign house rules

Backgrounds

Backgrounds will be used as presented in the game. Pick a Trait, Ideal, Bond and Flaw according to each (or invent your own for the character). The traits are not meant to be straight-jackets and I fully expect the characters to alter and change theirs as the campaign goes on; I will not be checking each sheet and making sure people follow their bond and such - that will be entirely up to the player. If you want to work out additional background stuff/flavour, talk to me and we'll see what fits.


Starting Level

PCs will begin at level 3 and fast-track 1 level every 1-2 sessions. At some predetermined group point they'll leave Tul'zen, have downtown and gain a few levels during that and meet up again.


Alignment

Alignments will generally be classes as Good, Neutral and Evil. Both intents and actions matter in terms of alignment and a good person can do evil deeds and remain a good person. The latter is, of course, true as well. Alignments aren't to be straitjackets as much as the Idea the character is moving toward and becoming. (This can be more important for clerics and paladins as their god may be quite displeased if they alter alignment and/or the god they serve.) Breaking alignment should be considered a role-playing action as much as anything else - the extent to which the necessities of adventuring and the greater good forcing questionable acts on people. The question of why so many evils seem necessary may rear its ugly head as a result.


Rules Fun

If you have Advantage or Disadvantage and get critical hits or failures on both rolls, the result will be extra impressive indeed. A 1 will often result in a fumble, dropped weapon, or a spell going off in the wrong way. A critical fumble will likely harm an ally or yourself.

For magic: we're ignoring material components for the most part. (Exceptions like the cost for scrolls etc. will be in the game.)

Encumbrance is being ignored unless it gets a bit absurd :)

HP starts at max for level one; for the levels after, you can roll or take the average.

As we're not using any battle mat, some classes may feel more limited - expect things to be in the PCs favour generally in terms of 'can I do/try X?' within reason.

If there are things you figure we should house rule or add, let me know.


Dungeons etc.

A key component of the world/campaign is that adventurers possess a certain socioeconomic importance in society that, as they leave, brings prestige. (This is true even if higher level magics etc. are pretty much rumour/myth/unknown to the world - this may even be a factor in it.) Being an adventurer means one has been trained to be one, and also that it is not safe. The great empires and kingdoms of the past have fallen and left behind - along with common/undercommon and a society without widespread 'race X is Evil' stuff among the PC races - a lot of old ruins, scattered towns, old keeps etc. that need to be explored, delved, mined, made safe and so forth.

The reason for this is partially for city-states to safely expand and because all the coins etc. the PCs find can be turned into new coins, weapons and so forth far, far easier than anyone can attempt to mine for such things. The present exists via pillaging the past. A function of this, however, is that the 'safe' dungeon-style locations were all emptied out years ago. In game terms, this means that a dungeon will not necessarily be level-specific. The characters will run into things far outside their pay grade and have to retreat, make plans etc. accordingly.

It also means that levelling will be a case of every X sessions (1-2 early on, 2-4 later on) based on what characters face and how they deal with it, etc.