Variant Rules (5e Halo Setting)

Alternate Armor and AC

While not wearing any armor, a creature's AC is equal to 10 + their Strength or Dexterity modifier + their proficiency bonus. In this setting, a creature's AC is their ability to dodge. If you have an Unarmored Defense feature, such as from being a monk or barbarian, you gain a +2 bonus to your AC while fulfilling that feature's requirements.

All armor grants a penalty the target's AC, and Strength and Dexterity saving throws. This penalty is referred to as its Armor Penalty. Additionally, all armor grants additional "armor" hit points, and some armor grants "shield" hit points. Shield hit points are lost before armor hit points, and armor hit points are lost before the wearer's hit points. Additionally, armor hit points are vulnerable to fire damage, while shield hit points are vulnerable to lightning damage, and neither benefit from the wearer's damage vulnerabilities, resistances, or immunities. Additionally, force, poison, and psychic damage dealt to a creature ignores their armor and shield hit points. By default, armor and shield hit points can not be regained, though this can change depending on the armor being worn, other equipment being wielded, and a creature's specialization features.

Additional Weapon Properties

• Long Reload - Similar to the reload property, a limited number of shots can be made with a weapon that has the long reload property. A character must then reload it using an action, or may use their bonus action to reload a single shot.
• Automatic - A weapon with the automatic property fires multiple projectiles with a single pull of the trigger. When you make an attack, roll the die listed in the weapon's automatic property. The weapon spends that many shots and the damage is dealt to the target a number of times equal to the automatic die's roll. If the weapon's remaining ammunition is less than the result, it is dealt a number of times equal to the weapon's remaining ammunition instead.
• Spread - A weapon with the spread property fires multiple projectiles with a single pull of the trigger. On a hit, roll the die listed in the weapon's spread property. The weapon's damage is dealt to the target a number of times equal to the spread die's roll.
• Stabilizing - In order to attack with a stabilizing weapon, it must first be set up, which can be done as an action and lasts until you move more than 5 ft. on a single round. If you can make multiple attacks on your Attack action, you can forgo one or more attacks to set up the weapon. A stabilizing melee weapon can not be used if your movement speed is 0.
• Scoped - as an action, a creature wielding a weapon with a scope may aim down the weapon's scope, allowing them to make attacks with the weapon at its long range without disadvantage until they move more than 5 ft. on a single round.
• Plasma Cartridge - this weapon uses a single standardized plasma cartridge as ammunition. Each shot uses a listed percentage of its charge, and reloading takes an action or bonus action.
• Heavy - the heavy property functions identically for Small creatures. If a Medium creature attempts to wield a one-handed weapon with the heavy property, they must wield it with two hands unless they have a Strength score of 20 or higher.

Decryption Skill

The Intelligence (Decryption) skill replaces the Int (Arcana) skill in this setting, as magic is not an aspect of the Halo universe. The Decryption skill allows a creature to manipulate powered devices in unauthorized ways, such as hacking a door open or reverse-engineering an encoded message.

Electronics Skill

The Intelligence (Electronics) skill replaces the Int (Religion) skill in this setting, as religion is a much more minor aspect of this setting than in a setting like base 5e where the existence of gods is undeniable. The Electronics skill can be used to repair or manipulate technology physically, such as powering a broken container to gain access to its contents or hot-wiring a vehicle.

Simple Exhaustion

When a creature gains a level of exhaustion, rather than its traditional effects, they gain a -1 penalty to any d20 rolls they make, and for every even-numbered level of exhaustion a creature gains they also gain a -5 ft. penalty to their movement speed. If a creature has at least 10 levels of exhaustion, they immediately drop to 0 hit points and can not regain hit points until they have fewer than 10 levels of exhaustion. If a creature has at least 15 levels of exhaustion, they are killed instantly.

Skulls

The following "Skulls" are optional rules to increase difficulty or introduce some fun, whacky gameplay elements:

Foreign

In order to have proficiency in a weapon or armor unique to either the UNSC, Covenant, or Prometheans, a player must have created their character with starting equipment of the same type.

Black Eye

The 'only' way to restore health and temporary hit points is to punch the healing out of your enemies. When you make a melee attack against a creature, you gain hit points equal to half of the damage dealt. If you are granted a regenerating amount of temporary hit points, such as from a Covenant Combat Harness, they do not regenerate, but can also be regained in the same manner as hit points.

Plasma Funeral

Every time a grunt is killed, its methane tank detonates, releasing a blast of plasma. Every creature within 10 feet of the creature must succeed a DC 17 Dexterity saving throw or take 2d6 fire damage.

Birthday Party

Every time a creature is killed by a critical hit by the players, all players receive 1 inspiration as their head explodes into confetti and cheers.

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