Another Darkness Ruleset

The Another Darkness setting has some optional rules that can be incorporated into play.

Limited Magic
The world of Draphan is rediscovering the use of magic. As a result of this naïve understanding of the arcane and divine, none of the humanoid spellcasters have mastered a spell of 6th level or higher. There are magical creatures who are able to cast more powerful spells, and the ruins of fallen kingdoms may have information on how to cast more powerful spells, but this knowledge is often guarded by powerful entities or kept deeply secret.

Learning Magic
Learning new spells on Draphan isn’t as easy as on other worlds. Most classes need to complete certain tasks to acquire new spells (up to 5th-level spells). A character that gains access to higher level spell slots can still cast lower level spells using their higher level spell slots, such as fireball or mass cure wounds using a 6th-level spell slot or higher. Here is a list of classes and requirements:

Bards: Bards need to spend 8 hours over the course of 7 days practicing new songs, dances, prose, or similar activity per new spell learned.

Clerics & Paladins: These classes need to return to their sacred order or church to have their casting focus inscribed, enchanted or blessed to allow them to cast a new array of spells. If the character does not have a place of worship, they can instead construct a shrine to their deity or to their beliefs, where they can make sacrifices, inscribe tenets upon stone, or recite holy words for 4 hours per day for three days. After the ceremony is completed, the cleric or paladin will gain access to their new tier of spells. Construction of a shrine costs 100 gp per tier of spell. For example, a 9th level cleric must construct a shrine worth at least 500 gp to access his or her 5th level spells.

Druids & Rangers: These classes must gather rare ingredients from nature and perform a nature based ritual over 8 hours. Upon completion of this ritual, the character is granted new spells. These ingredients can be animal or monster parts, herbs, mushrooms, or stones of particular shapes, colors and sizes. The druid or ranger gains knowledge of these rituals when they reach a new tier of spells.

Warlocks: Warlocks perform an eldritch ritual, basing the ritual components on their patron. A fiend patron may require a blood sacrifice, while a fey patron might require the warlock to stand on one leg facing south and cluck like a chicken while wearing a wizards hat made out of lizard skin that is two sizes too big for 23 minutes and 2 seconds on the second or fifth day of the week, but not before noon on either of those days. The warlock learns how to perform this ritual when he or she reaches a new tier of spells.

Sorcerers: Sorcerers innate magical abilities allow them to gain access to their new spells simply by completing a Long Rest after advancing in level.

Wizards: Wizards classically have their spell books as their source of spells, and so learning new spells is as simple as copying a spell from another spell book or scroll. Wizards also may get help in this endeavor from wizard universities or scholars. The cost for transcribing spells into your spellbook can be found on page 114 of the Player's Handbook.

Healing Services
If you are injured, and you are out of hit dice, you might want to visit a doctor, physician, or surgeon to restore health. A skilled doctor can restore hit points and heal injuries, at a price, without you having to wait an entire week for your hit dice to be restored.

Volatile Potions & Augmenting Salves
Potions and salves are concoctions created by apothecaries, herbalists, and other knowledgeable folk. Salves are smooth pastes often made from fat, herbs, and other natural ingredients, and have a long standing tradition among the early civilizations of Draphan. Salves are applied to the skin, and take a little time to have effect, and have predictable, mostly safe results. On the other hand, potions are fluid mixtures of alcohol and rare ingredients such as troll bladder, fiend’s blood, or ibixan hoof. Potions are a new invention, and are brewed by alchemists and artificers using complicated machines and devices, and have unpredictable and oftentimes dangerous side effects. The rewards to these risks is a nearly instantaneous effect to the person imbibing the potion, allowing for fast acting and powerful effects.

When using a potion, there is a risk of a potion mishap. A creature that drinks the potion must succeed on a Constitution saving throw against poison (the DC is against the skill of the crafter, see crafting below) or suffer one of the following effects for 1 minute, unless stated otherwise:


 * 1) Tremors: You have disadvantage on attack rolls and on Dexterity checks.
 * 2) Confusion: See the confusion spell (p. 224).
 * 3) Aggression: You attempt to attack the nearest target.
 * 4) Hallucinations: You experience vivid hallucinations.
 * 5) Hiccups: If you attempt to cast a spell using a verbal component, you have to sacrifice your movement and potential bonus action for that turn.
 * 6) Intestinal distress: You have disadvantage on stealth checks.
 * 7) Vomiting: See the stinking cloud spell (p. 278).
 * 8) Hyperactivity: See the haste spell (p. 250). After the effect ends, you fall asleep for 1 hour, until you take damage, or a creature uses its action to wake you. Your DM might allow you to wake up from other effects as well.
 * 9) Insomnia: For the next 24 hours, you cannot fall asleep except by magical means.
 * 10) Headache: You have disadvantage on Constitution (Concentration) checks.
 * 11) Drowsiness: See the slow spell. (p. 277)

There is a solution to this risk. The alchemists have another way of healing. By concocting soothing salves, many of the hostile effects of the ingredients are neutralized, but the salves take longer to enter the bloodstream, as they are applied to the skin. Salves take an uninterrupted minute to apply to the skin, but the risk of a mishap is negated. Consuming a bottle of antitoxin can also cure you of any potion side effect.

Crafting
Any crafting requires the appropriate tool and skill.

Potions and salves: Alchemist's supplies, Alchemy skill, Herbalism kit, Herbalism skill

Poisons: Poisoner’s kit, Poisoner skill

Any crafted item uses the crafter’s skill as a DC (if applicable).

For example, a level 4 rogue with expertise in poisoner skill brews a common poison. The poison has a DC of 8 + Proficiency bonus (3) + Expertise (3), resulting in a DC of 14.

The inverse is true for potion mishap effects. Potion mishap DC is equal to 16 - Proficiency bonus - Expertise. For example, a 13th level wizard brews a potion using his alchemy skill. The potion mishap has a DC of 16 - Proficiency bonus (5), resulting in a DC of 11.

When rolling skill checks during the creation, a failed check results in the item only having half effectiveness.

For example, a herbalist creates a common healing salve. She fails her creation skill check. Instead of healing for 2d4+2, the salve now only heals for 1d4+1.

Rest
A Short Rest is a period of downtime, at least 8 hours long, during which a character does nothing more strenuous than eating, drinking, reading, tending to wounds, or similar activity. Creatures that need to sleep need to spend at least 6 hours of this time sleeping, but these hours can be split up in order to accommodate for keeping watch.

A Long Rest is a period of extended downtime, at least 7 days long, during which a character sleeps or performs light activity: reading, talking, eating, easy sparring, researching, crafting items, enchanting items, inscribing scrolls, or exploring a city are all examples of light activity. A character will benefit from a long rest if it has spent at least 5 of the Long Rest doing these activities. If a days rest is interrupted by a period of strenuous activity—at least 1 hour of running, Fighting, casting Spells, or similar Adventuring activity—the character will not count that day toward its days rested quota.