Variant Rules (Grisaire Supplement)

The following variant rules can be implemented as the DM sees fit. Many of them are for more realistic effects or how the creator thought it would be more realistic. Some are also just unique to ideas of this setting.

General Variant Rules[edit]

Special Setting Variant Rules[edit]

Soul Enhance[edit]

As part of the Anti-Magic League efforts to undermine magic, they created a line of weapons that utilize the soul. These are weapons that use the soul as energy, rather than relying on magic from the Veil, thus making them distinct and immune from antimagic effects. However, they still deal damage as if magical, and can bypass all the immunities and resistances that magic can, and even more. Soul weapons deal spirit damage, which is essentially nonmagical force damage. Anything with a soul or a semblance of one is affected by spirit damage. However, soulless creatures, like certain constructs and undead are immune as a result. Some soul weapons are directly related in power to that of their user's soul. A weak person's soul will therefore perform less than stellar compared to a stronger soul.

This same logic was applied by arcanists of Khaire to enhance magic instead of weapons, leading to a small rewriting of magical application. However, unlike soul weapons, soul energy only augments the power of spells themselves, not granting them spirit damage. Some extreme methods of spellcasting include utilizing the soul of the caster entirely to cast magic. This is known as the soul category part of the larger body of "Life-casting." This area of magics is usually forbidden due to the volatile danger it poses both to the caster and in revealing disturbingly unethical magical potential. More on the actual rule page :P

Negative Abilities[edit]

The primal god is in everything and everyone in Grisaire. It is all made of it. To a degree, Primus still influences mortals to this day. The thirst for vengeance is subliminal in the dead deity's pieces, but they manifest themselves in imperfections found in all creatures. The following ability scores are called negative abilities, based on the system from 4th Edition Das Schwarze Auge. Each ability mirrors one of the six "positive" ability scores normal to DnD. You roll for these scores when you create your character, same as with the normal ability scores. The modifier for these negative scores increases the DCs for saves and checks of their correlated positive ability.

For example, Razier the elf ranger has a Rashness score of 12 and an Intelligence score of 14. He gets his usual +2 modifier to his History check to find information on the lost libraries of Ulgulothky. While the normal DC for such a situation was 13, his Rashness score modifier is +1, and so the DC for the check is increased to 14. This can be characterized as the character, while being adequately intelligent, having an impatience that can cost him success.

Such scores are meant to make characters more interesting as well as encourage roleplay of weaknesses. They can also be applied or withheld at the DM's discretion when it may not be appropriate. As prizes and boons, the DM can also grant decreases to these negative scores for players.

Stats
Positive Ability	Negative
Strength	Frailty
Dexterity	Clumsiness
Constitution	Hypochondria
Wisdom	Superstition
Intelligence	Rashness
Charisma	Cowardice

Firearms[edit]

Grisaire is a world on the verge of industrial revolutions. However, firearms are far from common in all nations. Many, like Zesh, do not have firearms save for rudimentary cannons. The concentration of firearms is within nations like Premius, Aerzale, and some in Lozor and the coastal trade nations. If you decide to include firearms in your game, it is highly recommended that you use only renaissance types from the Dungeon Master's Guide. Firearms display a certain level of wealth, but they also draw the ire from some who see such technology as only destruction.

Dietary Restrictions[edit]

Stuff like rations are actually composed of various vegetables, grains, and meats that are dried. Diets are a thing, like how wolves are carnivores. This is something that can affect what people eat and how it affects them.

Heavy Injury[edit]

A lite system change on how damage works can make it tougher for players or more fun overall in combat if you like to keep track of stuff but not too much.

Worldbuilding Class Progression[edit]

As characters grow stronger in the world, they are not doing so without people noticing and things changing around them. The most boring kind of progression in videogames sometimes is no one realizing that you're 20 levels higher than some mook. Taking a leaf from 2nd Edition, classes have additional progression effects in the world that will be listed under their sections for Grisarian Classes and official Classes.

Event-based Leveling Only[edit]

Limiting Casters and Low-Magic Alternatives[edit]

Due to the imbalance of caster and martial power in 5e, it is recommended that certain restrictions be used for tables where this is particularly egregious. Refer to tables in Spells and Magic for how to limit spellcasting by using consequential rolls! Also, for low-magic settings, it is recommended to completely eliminate access to spell levels above 3rd-level by class. Keep in mind that this severely changes the nature of class progression, particularly for casters! Additional finagling will be needed...