House Rules: Challenge and Triumph Items - Celebrating a Triumph (D&D 5e)

Part 1

Celebrating a Triumph

Achieving Glory

Rarity	XP Threshold
Common	600
Uncommon	1,100
Rare	2,000
Very Rare	3,200
Legendary	6,800

If a character has already achieved a great deed they wish to commemorate, they can take time to honor their victory. While recognition may be important to this process, the key thing is that it be a substantial personal victory; the character must have been a vital part of the encounter. Celebrating victory over a dragon by showing off a gem from its hoard may be able to benefit a rogue who peppered it with arrows, finding the niches and notches in its armored scales bleeding slowly of strength and vitality. But if the scoundrel simply purloined the jewel as the rest of the group fought there is no tale for him to tell that will empower anything but a tankard.

House Rules: Challenge and Triumph Items - Setting a Challenge (D&D 5e)

Wilder and more mercenary adventurers may have little or no interest in demonstrating personal talent with crafts. Their interest in items of value often begins and ends with what they can buy or steal. The most common example of this is the orc barbarian, though rogues are often equally uninterested in “earning a living” rather than just taking what they want.

What these characters may want is to have a token by which they celebrate a successful conquest or represent an oath sworn and kept. While taking trophies or trading tokens is simple enough, there is a measure of power to be had in formality with these acts. In some ways setting and undertaking a challenge is the easier method; by having a specific goal in mind the benefit is gained in the doing. On the other hand, some grand deeds happen, demanded in the moment, so they take their prizes and must find ways to make proper talismans and trophies later.

The central part of creating such an item is the event to be done or celebrated. Regardless of whether the trophy is present before or after, it must represent an accomplishment worthy of the heroes or villains of legend. This event can be accomplished alone or as part of a group, though the achievements of groups must be correspondingly larger than challenges overcome alone. While high level characters overcoming lower CRs may seem trivial, remember that it is the sealing of an oath or celebration of their prowess as much as the deed itself that empowers the magic. The DM, as always, determines the whether a given event is appropriate.

New Arcane Tradition: Defilers (D&D 5e)

Best known for its origins on a distant and desolate world, this dark practice has metastasized across the prime material through the work of various dark powers and the even stronger force of human avarice. To say that there are those who consider the practice of this arcane tradition is an evil act is to understate the level with which they revile it. While defiling magic is rooted in necromantic practices, the manipulation of life and death, many necromancers consider the level of wanton destruction practice of this path represents a stain of so deep it undercuts the value of achieving that power. They recognize that, unchecked, these abilities would swiftly turn even the most verdant of world into a gods-forsaken, magic hating wasteland like the world from which this tradition hails. The reaction of druids, rangers, green knights, and most sane creatures is nearly beyond words. They condemn this path with a passion that would dim the sun, carving paths of blood and holy wrath through nearly any obstacle to annihilate so much as suspected practitioners of it.

New Research Downtime action: Discovering Formulae (D&D 5e)

While some adventurers might rely on discovering formulae for crafting magical items among the plunder of their fallen foes, others prefer to be more proactive. By using the Research downtime action a character can seek a formulae for the creation of a magic item.

House Rules: Using Fate Assessment and Declaration rules in other systems (FATE, Cypher System, D&D 5e)

House Rule; A version of the Declarations rules for FATE are available as part of the Cypher system.

This is an expansion of the existing rules for spending XP to gain short/medium term benefits. Rather than gaining a skill or ability you declare a certain thing about the area, environment, or world to be true. This should have something to do with the nature of the character. For example, a character with the History skill might state that the decor of a palace dates is more than a hundred years old and that suggests a particular place where weapons would be displayed, and thus creates a place the characters can find arms in the heat of the moment, while a character who Employs Magnetism might determine that the table hidden under a tablecloth is made of a ferrous metal. Obviously, declarations cannot be made that relate to things already known to be false, such as trying to place such a weapons display in a location where the characters previously looked for them without success. While, generally, this will cost the player 2 experience points as a short/medium term benefit some declarations with more lasting significance may instead be 3 point long term benefits. Only rarely will a declaration will be instant, such as a fighter declaring that an opponent in the middle of an open ballroom has stepped directly below a chandelier.
GMs have the right to veto any suggestions that seem out of scope (or ask the player to revise them), especially if the rest of the group isn’t buying into it, or they can veto with an offer for the character to make an appropriate skill check to get alternate similarly useful information instead. Finally, the GM can simply veto by giving the player an experience point, as a player refusing a GM intrusion.

House Rule; A version of the Assessment and Declaration rules  are available in D&D.

The player can declare their character "notices" or "remembers" some piece of knowledge. Based on the obscurity of that knowledge the GM sets a DC and the player makes an Intelligence roll. Depending on the nature of the declared item, they may add their proficiency and other bonuses based on skills. For example, recognizing the god to which a now-defiled altar was once sanctified would be an Intelligence (Religion) roll or a warrior may use Intelligence(History) to know the background, and a particular weakness, of a fighting style an opponent uses.

If the DM has already determined a piece of information a player wants to declare, they treat the roll normally but provide the predetermined answer on a successful roll. Similarly, if a player attempts to determine information that the DM has not pre-decided after a successful roll the player may determine the answer as if they had made a declaration at the outset. As always, DMs have the right to veto any suggestions that seem out of scope, specifically asking the player to revise them, especially if the rest of the group isn’t buying into it.

Such pieces of information can be used to provide advantage or force disadvantage on a roll taken that they might influence. Only the character who made the discovery can use benefit unless they specifically share the information with another. After being used once it cannot be used again by any character with the party until after the character which used it takes a short rest.

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New House Rule; Wizard's Magical Primacy (D&D)

As the sole class to rely almost solely on spells for their power, vs sorcerers and warlocks who have increased physical combat ability and a variety of innate magic or divine casters who are highly capable in physical combat, wizards are the primary caster in D&D. Further, where other casters have specific constraints to their magic use, either representing sponsor influence or thematic style to their learning, wizards, at large, specifically reject these constraints in favor of seeking greater understanding. To represent these things;

Wizards can use spells from all spell lists.

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A History of Magic: Illusion Subschools and Selected Spells (D&D)

Contents

Previously: The History of Illusion

The Subschools of Illusion: Figment, Glamour, Phantasm, Shadow.

Figment: A figment spell creates a false object or sensation. All who perceive the figment perceive the same thing, not their own slightly different versions of the figment. (It is not a personalized mental impression.) Because figments are unreal, they cannot produce real effects the way that other types of illusions can, and generally fail if this inability becomes obvious. Darkness, invisibility, message, sending.

Glamour: Like a figment, a glamour creates an image that others can see, but also affects the minds of those who see it or are caught in it. While glamours are no more able to deal physical damage than the figments they are based on, their mind effecting component may prevent this from being readily apparent, even allowing them to deal psychic damage.

Phantasm: A phantasm spell creates a mental image that only the caster and the subject (or subjects) of the spell can perceive. This subschool is the portion of the school closest to its parent tradition. The results of these spells are personalized mental impressions completely within the minds of the subjects. Unlike a other types of illusion, there is no fake or semi-real image or anything to actually see, so third parties viewing or studying the an area with an individual under a phantasm have no way to perceive the illusion. While phantasms can deal damage it is nearly always psychic damage.

Shadow: A shadow spell creates something that is partially real from extradimensional energy. Such illusions can have real effects. Damage dealt by a shadow illusion is the same type as would be dealt by a real object.

Selected Spells:

Gremlins

Illusion cantrip (phantasm)

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: 60 feet

Components: V, S

Duration: Instantaneous

You build a mental image of the target being plagued by small creatures darting about at the corner of their vision and taunting the target of this spell. If the target attempts to look directly at these tormentors, the creatures vanish. Often it seems they have just gone around corners, behind objects, or into containers, even if these actions would not actually conceal them or allow them to fit. While startling and distracting, these creatures do not actually harm the subject, though they may become persistent and possibly menacing if ignored.

Both you and your target must make a Wisdom saving throw or become incapacitated until the end of your next turn.

Animate Shadow

1st level illusion (shadow)

Casting Time: 1 action (ritual)

Range: 5 feet

Components: V, S

Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour

Through your illusion magic you convert your shadow into a Shadow (per the Monstrous Manual), except that its type is Construct, its alignment is neutral, and its strength drain attack does not raise additional Shadows. This creature appears in your space or an unoccupied spaces that you can see within range. The summoned creature is friendly to you and your companions and disappears when it drops to 0 hit points or when the spell ends. It obeys any verbal commands that you issue to it (no action required by you). If you don’t issue any commands, it defends itself from hostile creatures, but otherwise takes no actions. In combat, the summoned creature has its own turn.

For the duration of the spell you cast no shadow.

Spectral Arms

1st level illusion (glamour)

Casting time: 1 action
Range: Self
Components: V, S
Duration: 1 hour

You create a illusory weapon copy of a melee or ranged weapon with which you have proficiency. You wield this weapon as if it were a normal version, but use your Intelligence for attack and damage rolls and it deals psychic damage rather than the weapon's normal type. You may appear to sheath the weapon, but intentionally dropping or giving it away ends the spell immediately. If you are unwillingly disarmed the weapon immediately returns to your hand, however.

If the weapon chosen is a ranged weapon it comes with one piece of ammunition per round, while thrown weapons reappear in hand once per round after an attack.

Enemies that can see through visual illusions, such as those with truesight, are immune to this spell.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher the duration increases by 1 hour per additional slot level above 1st. 

Perfidious Enchiridion

2nd level illusion (glamour)

Casting Time: 1 action (ritual)

Range: touch

Components: V, S

Duration: Permanent

You confuse the contents of a single page worth of writing you have scribed so that it appears to be some form of foreign or magical writing. When you cast this spell you can specify individuals that are unaffected by any or all of the effects that you choose. You can further refine the trigger so the spell activates only under certain circumstances or according to physical characteristics (such as height or weight), creature kind (for example, the writing could be set to be read by aberrations or undead), or alignment. You can also set conditions for creatures that may read the text, such as those who say a certain password.

At the end of each round in which an individual gives the enchanted text more than a cursory examination, attempting to translate it or reading it aloud for example, they suffer 1d4 psychic damage and must make a Wisdom save or take a level of exhaustion.

A History of Magic: The History of Illusion (D&D)

Contents

Previously: Enchantment Subschools and Selected Spells

The earliest illusion magic appears to have been failed attempts at conjuration. As we all know matter is an extremely dense repository of energy. While modern researchers can have detailed formulae by which to calculate exactly what these ratios are it took substantial trial and error for early conjurers to realize how much energy exists in even the smallest sliver of matter. Some of these early experiments proved capable of producing phantasmal results. Ghost images of the desired objects and effects. The majority of these effects were disregarded as outright failures while others would provide the ultimate groundwork for the basic conjurations we know today. A few, however, lived on as minor tricks, demonstrations, and even the occasional practical joke.

A History of Magic: Enchantment Subschools and Selected Spells (D&D)

Contents

Previously: The History of Enchantment

Enchantment Subschools: Charm, Compulsion.

                Charm: A charm spell is a subtle manipulation, changes how the subject views you or others, typically making it see you as a good friend.

Compulsion: A compulsion spell forces the subject to act in some manner or changes the way her mind works. Some compulsion spells determine the subject’s actions or the effects on the subject, some compulsion spells allow you to determine the subject’s actions when you cast the spell, and others give you ongoing control over the subject.

Selected Spells:

Fundamental Compulsion

Enchantment cantrip (compulsion)

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: touch

Components: V, S, M (a chip of moonstone)

Duration: Instantaneous

You violently forge a psychic link with your target. Your target makes a Wisdom saving throw. If they fail you they take up to 1d4 psychic damage. You may choose to deal less than the damage rolled, to a minimum of 0.

Further, during your next turn you may target the same individual with this cantrip and either using a range of 120 feet or dealing double damage on a failed save. If you use either of these benefits and the target succeeds at their save you suffer 2d4 psychic damage.

This spell's damage increases by 1d4 when you reach 5th level (2d4), 11th level (3d4), and 17th level (4d4).

Soothing Touch

enchantment cantrip (charm)

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: Touch

Components: V, S, M (a small piece of fur or sprig of mint)

Duration: Concentration, up to 1 round
You attempt to suppress strong emotions in a humanoid. Your target must make a Charisma saving throw; a creature can choose to fail this saving throw if it wishes. If a creature fails its saving throw, choose one of the following two effects.
You can suppress any one effect causing a target to be charmed or frightened. When this spell ends any suppressed effect resumes, provided that its duration has not expired in the mean time.
Alternatively, you can choose to make a target indifferent about creatures of your choice that it is hostile toward. This indifference ends if the target is attacked or harmed by a spell or if it witnesses any of its friends being harmed. When the spell ends the creature becomes hostile again, unless the DM rules otherwise.
In either case after the spell ends, during their turn, the creature realizes that you used magic to influence its mood and may become hostile towards you.

Next: The History of Illusion

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More of those evolutionary cantrips. I very much like these and can see a clear place for them in broader play, though. I have a fondness for the idea that a wizard who wants to deeply specialize should be able to shape those always-used abilities around that speciality. I've also leaned in a little on giving rules teeth to some of the things I discussed in the history section.