D&D 5e rule changes: Difference between revisions

** Bards will play an equipped Musical Instrument, or whistle if they have none equipped, while casting Bard spells. This is cosmetic, however.

* The game does not stop a character from casting a leveled spell with both an action and a bonus action in the same turn.

* Anyone can cast any Spell [[Scrolls|scroll]] from any class list (even if it is not their own or they do not have the spellcasting feature), and there is no [[Arcana]] check for casting higher level spells than a character has spells known.

* Spell [[Scrolls|scrolls]] do not have a fixed DC or attack roll bonus. They use the caster's spellcasting modifier (see [[Spellcasting Modifier]] for how this is determined for multiclass characters and characters without normal spellcasting).

* Using the [[Help|help]] action on a [[Downed (Condition)|downed]] ally brings them back to 1 hit point and leaves them [[Prone (Condition)|prone]]. This action can also be used to remove various other harmful conditions such as [[Ensnared (Condition)|Ensnared]], [[Enwebbed (Condition)|Enwebbed]], [[Sleeping (Condition)|Sleeping]], etc. It cannot be used to provide an ally advantage on an attack roll or ability check.

* [[Jump (Bonus Action)|Jumping]] is a bonus action which consumes 10 ft of movement speed. With a Strength score of 10 or below, a creature can jump 15 ft, and this increases by 5 ft for every two points in strength above 10. At 20 Str a creature may spend 10 ft of movement speed and a bonus action to jump, and can travel 35 ft effectively increasing the creature's movement speed by up to 25 feet. You also don't roll an athletics check prior of the jump for it to succeed without being hit by an obstacle you are jumping beyond (such as a fence). You also don't roll acrobatics check when landing in any difficulty terrain where failing you fall proned (except when landing on slippery ice or grease).

* Readying an action is not implemented.

* Grappling is not implemented.

* Bonus action attack options such as offhand weapon attacks do not require a character to first take the attack action. (Except the one gained from Polearm Mastery, which is not available unless you have already made at least one attack.)

* Donning and doffing armour does not take time, and can be done as an action even in combat.

=== Equipment ===

* Some [[Equipment|equipment]] like gloves, boots, or helms may require armour proficiency to wear effectively. They don't grant a bonus to armour class (unless they have a magical effect that specifically says so), but may have magical effects and the character will only be able to don them effectively with the correct proficiency.

* [[Armour#Heavy_Armour|Heavy armour]] does not have a Strength requirement, and therefore no movement speed penalty.

** This also allows a character to dual wield hand crossbows. It does not allow a character to wield a hand crossbow with a shield because the crossbow goes in the ranged set while the shield goes in the melee set. But as discussed above, the character gains the AC bonus of a shield equipped on your melee set even while the ranged set is actively drawn.

* Appropriate weapons have the "[[Heavy (weapon property)|heavy]]" property added to them, but this property does not apply disadvantage to attack rolls made by small characters.

* The weights of various pieces of [[Equipment|equipment]] have changed. For example, chain mail weighs 36lbs instead of 55lbs.

* Thieves' tools are split into two items: [[Thieves' Tools]] are required for lockpocking, and [[Trap Disarm Toolkit]]s for disarming traps. These are consumed on an unsuccessful use. Because there are no tool proficiencies, the [[Sleight of Hand]] skill is used for these checks.

=== Conditions ===

* [[Encumbered (Condition)|Encumbered]]: A character becomes encumbered when they carry an amount equal to 14 lbs (7 kg) times their Strength rather than 5 times. Being encumbered also halves your jump distance in addition to the normal effects.

** [[Heavily Encumbered (Condition)|Heavily encumbered]]: A character becomes heavily encumbered at 18 lbs (9 kg) times their Strength rather than 10 times. It also prohibits them from being able to climb or jump at all in addition to the normal effects.

* [[Frightened (Condition)|Frightened]]: Creatures which are frightened are unable to move at all (rather than being unable to move toward the source of their fear), unless the effect instead makes them "[[Fear|fearful]]" which gives them the frightened effect as well as making them flee.

* [[Prone (Condition)|Prone]]: Being prone gives disadvantage on [[Strength]] and [[Dexterity]] [[Saving Throw|saving throws]], attacks against a prone creature have [[Advantage|advantage]] out to a range of 10 ft rather than 5 ft, and ranged attacks against a prone creature do not have disadvantage. Your character cannot do anything while prone. Starting the turn while prone will cause you to automatically use half your movement to stand up. Becoming prone during your turn automatically ends your turn.

* [[Turned (Condition)|Turned]]: Turned creatures will not dodge, as it is not implemented as an action.