House Rules

There are a few unique 5e House Rules in play for Aria of Stars - those are indicated here.

Advanced Inspiration

Acquiring Inspiration:

Players and the GM may grant each other inspiration for exceptional roleplay, great moments, or inspired gameplay. This is done by general table approbation or by the GM calling out that inspiring moment.

Inspiration Pool:

Players may pool up to three points of inspiration.

Spending Inspiration:

Players may use inspiration for any of the following effects:

• To gain advantage on a die roll (must be spent prior to the roll)
• To impose disadvantage on an enemy roll (must be spent prior to the roll).
• To add to a scene.

This last bit requires a bit of explanation. The player may use inspiration to, with the agreement of the GM, add something to or change the scene. Need a bit of cover in that warehouse? Of course there are crates over there. Maybe the barrels the enemies are hiding behind are full of lamp oil. Maybe guards are just outside! Maybe you have an odd thing in your pack that makes sense for you to have, but isn't typical equipment despite being in-character.

This allows you to alter the scene to improve your odds or just make the story better. Add items, change the nature of those items, keep things moving or on their toes - it can't directly contravene what the GM's already established, but enables a sort of 'yes, and' improv for the scene in progress.

Battle Fatigue

In base 5e, dropping to 0 hit points has no real lasting problems - there’s no real downside beyond faceplanting for a turn or two as the healers rush to your side.

In an effort to make dropping to 0 hp have more meaning and represent a material danger:

• When a character drops to 0 hp and is then revived by spell or magical ability, That character gains one level of Exhaustion, which is removed by the usual means.

Exhaustion is additive; additional exhaustion levels have deleterious effects on a character - this is intended to replicate the repeated trauma of near-mortal injuries and the limitations of healing magic.

Note that this ruling does not include healing potions (which may be magic, but are not considered so for the sake of battle fatigue), healing and medicine checks, or stabilizing from death saving throws. It is to your advantage to stabilize someone before healing them, even if that's simply a Spare the Dying cantrip.

Flanking

Flanking is NOT being used in the LITD ruleset. To grant advantage to another player, you may use the Help action on your turn, or may choose to use inspiration to boost their roll.

Travel

Part of the important bit in a Westmarches campaign is getting to where you want to go. When the party convenes, the first stage of the adventure will be travelling to the area you've selected to begin your exploration.

A group can travel 4 hexes/day on the DM's map. This can be pushed to six hexes at increased risk, or decreased to 2 hexes/day if foraging (and the area is suitable for foraging). The DM will let you know how many days of travel the journey will take based on your choice of speed. A survival check will be made by a member of the party for each day of travel; this duty cannot be performed for more than one travel day in a row for each character (so at least two characters must alternate on this check). There is a chance of getting lost - but in getting lost, adventure can and will be found.

Foraging:

If the party chooses to forage, and the area is suitable for foraging (e.g. deserts or blasted lands may simply not have food and water to be found!), the characters will not consume food for each day of travel where the survival check succeeds against DC10, regardless of all other outcomes.

Getting Lost:

As well as whatever interesting thing occurs when lost, characters will have to succeed on an appropriate check to rediscover their position. Certain feats do make it impossible to become lost if that character is in the party!

Food and Water:

A character who runs out of food and water incurs one level of exhaustion per day travelled, if not foraging. Yes, it is possible to die of exposure!