House Rules and Other Important Notes (may be updated as we go along):

0 - Respect your fellow players and the DM(s). Don't godmod other people's characters, try to be proactive, avoid anything too provocative or insensitive.

1 - DM has the final say on all rulings.
  --ADDENDUM: I will listen to any objections or arguments. But I reserve the right to deny, modify or outright fiat anything I don't agree with. Yes, I read Sage Advice and Mike Mearls and whatever it is Critical Role is up to these days. I am none of these people. Sorry.

2 - Milestone progression instead of EXP is in place (characters will level at key moments in the story, instead of the number of sad goblin families they have utterly ruined)

3 - I am aware that anyone can download the module off the internet. Please don't spoil the campaign plot for yourself or others.

4. - Resurrection magic and the diamonds needed for them are strictly regulated, and may not be easily purchased.

5. - Magic items aren't easy to buy - non-combat, utility items are usually on sale to order, while combat ones may be controlled or treated as heirlooms.

Mechanical Rulings:

1 - All spellcasting components are very showy and public. Verbal components are akin to a loud speech, somantic components are flashy and obvious, while material components must be held in hand. Many spells themselves are accompanied by visual or auditory side-effects. Short of subtle spell or certain class abilities, it is usually very hard to hide or disguise your spellcasting. Keep this in mind when in town.

2 - Variant Rests - we will be using the "Rest Point" variant for long and short rests. For most part, resting remains unchanged: Short Rests take a minimum of 1 hour, Long Rests take a minimum of 8 hours. You can only benefit from one Long Rest every 24 hours.

The main change is that while sleeping and such is still needed, characters need to be resting in a 'Safe Point' in addition to the other requirements to gain the benefits for a Long Rest. Otherwise, characters will only gain the benefit of a Short Rest. This means that simply sleeping for 8 hours will not recover HD, Hit Points, all Spells and long-rest class abilities, though short-rest benefits still apply.

A 'Safe Point' is loosely defined as any area that is dedicated to a divine power, though certain exceptions may apply. Cities and Towns usually automatically qualify as Safe Points. While travelling, delving or out in the wild, characters may need to search for such areas to gain a long rest, or even take specific actions to 'unlock' it. Such locations can be anything from an old shrine to the Forest Queen Mielikki, a travellers' lodge with an altar for Tymora, a sacred grove deep in the forest, or an abandoned prayer room in the dungeon, restored and rededicated to Lathander the Morninglord.

The intent of this ruling is to make travelling and dungeoneering over a long period of time more taxing, so as to minimise situations in such scenarios where players enter every combat with full HP and spells. This change strongly affects the balance of long-rest and short-rest classes, and is intended to be experimental - should it not work out, we may make changes or switch back to the original Rest rules.

3 - Guidance is an action and requires a spell to be cast, usually a prayer, where one beseeches a deity to help with their next challenge. If you are unable to perform any of these prior to making a particular check, you cannot get guidance on that check. Other people may also observe you casting a spell.

4 - Magic missile rolls separate d4s for each missile.

5 - Encumbrance rules are for most part, hand waved unless it obviously would cause problems.

6 - Enhanced tool and skill checks from Xanathar's Guide to Everything are in effect, subject to DM modification depending on the scenario provided.

7 - Goodberry can be fed to an unconscious creature to heal them as an action.

8 - Counterspell and Spellcasting: I'll automatically roll Arcana checks for those proficient with it. Failure means you don't recognize a particular spell being cast (but can still choose to Counterspell if you like). Once a spell has been cast successfully, subsequent casts by the same caster in the same combat are automatically recognized.

9 - In general for skill challenges, Advantage is something gained through situational leverage, whether this is a literal tool or maybe something more abstract, like social leverage (blackmail) or bribery. Backgrounds, experience or familiarity will instead lower the DC for a specific character attempting a check. To illustrate:

Someone trying to make medicine on the fly will roll 1d20+bonus against DC 16
Someone with the hermit or acolyte background will roll 1d20+bonus against DC 14
Someone using particularly high-quality herbs will roll 1d20+bonus with Advantage against DC 16
Someone receiving the direct supervision of a skilled herbalist will roll 1d20+bonus against DC 15. This can just as easily be rolling with advantage, depending on the type of supervision given.

As a DM I'll adjudicate most of these, but for most part these are the rough guidelines I will be using when adjusting for PC traits in skill challenges.

10 - You may draw one or both your weapons as part of the same use object action

11 - In light of Rule 10 the Two-Weapon Fighting feat has been 'improved' - instead of allowing the PC to draw one or both weapon as part of the same action, it allows the off-hand attack to be made as part of the Attack action if the character attacks with their primary weapon as well. If the off-hand weapon is used to attack this way, it cannot be used to attack again as a bonus action.


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More will be added as specific cases are brought up - above are only the most pertinent ones that come to mind. If you have read all these rules, especially rule 0, please put "I agree with rule 0" inside your RTJ.