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Let's start at the beginning, as a DM or storyteller, I run high risk and high reward campaigns. No campaign world I run will be without balance, but it will not have training wheels either. Just because you are at a beginning state, this will not be the state of the rest of the world.
The people that created DND were wargamers that built balanced scenes based off of their best guesses. We will do the same here, but it will not be to the current WOTC standards.
I will not tell you that some mechanic is balanced because of how it behaves in 8 or less conflicts. Though I respect people who came into the game with DND 3.0 and after, the original design module design was an average of 32 rooms with wandering monsters as additional problems. There typically was no real chance to rest in the average game.
What's crept up in recent years is a overly safe game that removes too much of the tension that came from people being nervous that their carefully crafted masterpieces might not make it out of the next encounter.
There is a world of difference between the culture that produced this song...
...and the overly protected characters of shows like critical role. I'm not knocking the show if you enjoy it, Matt has a style and ruleset you can copy. If you are looked to be immortal, invulnerable, and unaccountable for your own decisions what follows is a ruleset you will not enjoy.
If you are looking to provide nights of excitement that people can talk about years later, this one is for you. We'll start with the basics.
Rule 1: I'm a fan of alignment. I think it makes a conversation worth having about the core beliefs of a character, be they conscious or unconscious. This will be a primary system that will follow the Hero Points / Dark Points Homebrew that will follow.
I don't limit this game to alignment however. The World of Darkness setting had in its original and 3.0 editions, four systems that we will be adapting.
This is nature and demeanor: http://masqueradeembraced.wikidot.com/wiki:nature-demeanor
A Nature is who you are at your core, be it conscious or unconscious. A Demeanor is how you present your public face, be it conscious or unconscious. This will be a primary system that will follow the Hero Points / Dark Points Homebrew that will follow.
This is also a virtue and a vice: https://darklingthrush.fandom.com/wiki/Virtue_and_Vice
A virtue will be a core part of your character that will be the cardinal virtue that most applies to you. A vice will be a core part of your character that will be the piece of the seven deadly sins that most applies to you. This will be a primary system that will follow the Hero Points / Dark Points Homebrew that will follow.
This can also a Willpower roll mechanic. Good characters are at advantage to willpower checks to uphold there virtue and at disadvantage to resist temptations that tempt their vice. Evil characters are at advantage to willpower checks to uphold there vice and at disadvantage to resist fits of conscious that tempt their virtue.
Both the virtue and the vice can be further defined by the character such as a good paladin that has a weakness for alcohol (Gluttony). It could also be defines as a villain whose evil is limited by a potentially self destructive need to avenge any wrong done to an innocent child (Justice).
Rule 2: I'm a fan of the set attribute point system of World of Darkness. I think its more fair than random rolls and the endless custom systems to create better stats. I'd rather as the DM put the power into the players hand and be able to easily check mathematically that it was properly applied.
I grant players 84 points to place into Strength, Intelligence, Wisdom, Dexterity, Constitution and Charisma as you will. This is enough to have three stats rated at 10s and three stats rated at 18s.
No character can have a stat higher than 20, unless there are racial modifiers. No stat can be lower than 3.
The 84 points are on a 1 for 1 swap basis. The points may also be raised latter through leveling or magic. No attribute raised by leveling may exceed 20 before racial modifiers.
Wish magic and magic items like the Manual of Gainful Exercise may raise each attribute to by a maximum of 5 each. Wishes do so at a rate of one per Wish. This means that attributes may be magically boosted to 25 before racial modifiers by this method. This will account for a total possible gain of attributes of 30 points (6 attributes x 5 raised points).
Temples may grant greater blessings that may raise attributes by an additional 2 points (at a cost of 25,000 per ritual). Combined with the system described above, this places a limitation of 27 on characters before racial modifiers.
The Homebrew cap on any Attribute is 30. There are no factors that will mechanically raise any above that number or its +10 modifier cap. Monsters listed at having higher attributes will have their attributes revised down to 30.
Rule 3: Character classes are limited to Level 20. My version of Epic play is in the post below this one. That is only possible in a Table top game due to limitations in the online system we use.
Among the NPCs of the player handbook races, no more than 10% of any group population will have adventuring classes. Those without them will have two additional skills, two tool proficiencies, and a Background.
The world will have a mix of levels. Level 20 NPCs will be rare, but there will be enough that the game will never be mistaken for an easy mode Isekai.
I'll go into more in the upcoming Worldbuilding thread.
Rule 4: I limit multiclassing to 3 classes only. For me, this is something that dates back to AD&D 1st edition, so I'm just holding to Gary Gygax's hard limit.
In Roll20, this is limited to level 20 in total. I only do this due to design limitations I've seen in the program.
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That said...
In table top, normal character races from the player's handbook, may take each of these classes to level 20. Hit points are limited to 400. Class Proficiency is limited to +6. Levels past 20 cost 50,000 experience each. Feats or attribute gains for each class applies normally, for three times the normal amount being possible.
Divine and Arcane spell slots may be combined up to their normal maximum limits for one class at level 20 each. Warlock spells are separate from both. Monk Ki powers are separate from both.
Only one background may be taken for tabletop character. Only the beginning skill set for one class may be taken for the tabletop character.
Rule 5: Monsters may take a class. Like with the standard races of the player handbook, this will never be more than 10% of a group's population.
Any Intelligent monster may have a Background. The skills, benefits and items from that Background apply where appropriate. This is in addition to any listed skills within the Monster Manual.
Class Proficiency is limited to +6. For some creatures, this is a nerf.
Monsters with classes follow their race's attribute spread. Those with less than the normal adventurer's 84 point attribute spread, may add the excess points where they wish.
Those with more than the 84 point attribute spread may not. If the difference is greater than what they would gain from spending attribute point due to levels, they may not gain attribute points or feats from that method until the difference is made up (if that is even possible).
Rule 6: The game will limit the total amount of hit points possible to 400. That was the maximum presented amount in the original Deities and Demigods.
If it was good enough for Thor, it is good enough for your character. The 5E presents creatures beyond this level, but keep in mind through a DM using immunities, resistances and restrictions this is easily mathematically achieved. For example, Superman could only have 10 hit points if he is immune to the type of damage you are using against him.
A being, including a player is allowed through building up resistances, through magic and other means , to the point they are resistant to all damage under 5E mechanics. I have no problem with a character with 400 hit point thus being the same as a character with 800 hit points in this manner.
Immunities must be restricted. No being with 5 or more immunities will lack a vulnerability (i.e. damage type that inflicts double damage against them).
As a Homebrew, characters can create an immunity by simply combining two resistances. This also means that feats or powers that can bypass resistance can inflict half damage on something that was considered immune. So an Elemental adept of fire, for example, may attack a creature normally immune to fire for half damage.
In addition, the Homebrew will limit the maximum damage from ANY attack or event to 100 hit points of damage at one time. Thus, in the examples above, even under maximum damage, a maximum hit point character would take 4 or 8 hits of maximum damage to kill.
It's my interpretation that hit points are something Mythic. Yes, a high level fighter can take damage that will kill multiple Bull Elephants in Real Life, as the high level fighter is a mythic character.
As for rolling your hit points, always take the maximum hit points of a dice without rolling. I've been a DM since the 1980s. A 10th level character with 10 hit points from bad rolls is just an annoyance.
A character having the maximum possible hit points for their level is not going to cramp my style in any way. Take the full amount, you will need it.
Rule 7: A Natural "20" will always be a success. It will hit, save against, or succeed (attribute or skills checks). If the character normally had virtually no chance, such as a 1st level character attacking something with an AC of 30, it will barely succeed. If it was something the character had a fair chance at, it will critically succeed, often doubling the reward for success.
A Natural "1" will always fail. This is for hit checks, Saving Throws, Attribute Checks or Skills Checks. If the character normally had virtually no chance, such as a 1st level character attacking something with an AC of 30, it will it will critically fail, often doubling the penalty for failure (damage, negative effect duration, etc.). If it was something the character had a fair chance at, it will just fail.
Rule 8: Armor Class is limited to a total of 30. This is the math spread from AC 10 to -10 from AD&D 1st and 2nd edition, Accounting for DND 3.0's interpretation of no armor being AC 10.
The maximum possible "to Hit" is +25. For character's this can be gained from magic (+15 maximum in any combination), attributes (+10 possible at 30), Class Proficiency (+6 at level 20), or any other factor not already listed.
Rule 9: Saving Throw Difficulty is limited to a total of 30. This is a math point you might be seeing a pattern to already.
The maximum possible Saving Throw Bonus is +25. For character's this can be gained from magic (+15 maximum in any combination), attributes (+10 possible at 30), Class Proficiency (+6 at level 20), or any other factor not already listed.
There are Save or Die situations. Surviving the game is not always just about hit points.
