VIENNA ADVENTURER’S LEAGUE ULTIMATE EXPERIENCE
Welcome to our little RPG community!
Here we will list the rules we will use for our open D&D 5E games.
-
to organize play characters and adventures are grouped in Tiers:
- Tier 1 (T1): Levels 1-4
- Tier 2 (T2): Levels 5-10
- Tier 3 (T3): Levels 11-16
- Tier 4 (T1): Levels 17-20
CHARACTER CREATION
All officially released resources such as printed books (like PHB, MPMM, ERLW, MOT, VRGR, XGtE, … ) and material officially released for Adventurer’s League (like ALCoS, ALEE, ALRoD, …) are allowed. You can use stuff from all these resources without restriction. You cannot use playtest material (such as Unearthed Arcana), homebrew and 3rd-Party materials.
Exceptions & Clarifications:
Should something have got an updated version, you have to use the updated version.
When leveling up you don’t roll Hit Die, use the fixed value shown in your class entry instead.
All Races with flying speed have the following ability instead as long as they are Tier 1:
Glide. You can glide or slow your fall. When you fall and aren’t incapacitated, you can subtract up to 100 feet from the fall when calculating falling damage, and you can move up to 2 feet horizontally for every 1 foot you descend.
Custom Lineage characters are not allowed to pick any Feat, that would grant an increase to an Ability Score as their Bonus Feat gained at Level 1 (e.g. the “Telekinetic” Feat).
Backgrounds that would grant Feats and/or add Spells.
In V.A.L.U.E. Backgrounds neither grant Feats nor Spells. You are allowed to acquire the Feat when you reach an Ability Score Improvement per usual, even if that Feat would normally be restricted to be acquired by getting the Background. You still are allowed to pick a Background, that would grant Feats and/or Spells, but you would only benefit from that Background’s other Features.
Tables like “This Is Your Life” (from XGtE p61ff) and “Heroic Chronicle” (from EGW p190ff) may not be used.
Firearms won’t be used in a game unless the DM at your table tells you otherwise.
The Spell silvery barbs is banned.
Alignment
Your character can be any Alignment, but please keep in mind that your character should still be able to work in a group. Basically that means the party you are traveling in is always assumed to be working together and even a mismatching alignment will not get into the way with party interactions.
Generating Ability Scores
To generate your character’s Ability Scores, we still use Standard Array or Point Buy, but we increase the limits on point buy. You’ve got a total of 27 points to invest into the 6 Ability scores utilizing the following table:
Starting Level
You can create a Level 1 (therefore Tier 1), or a Level 5 (therefore Tier 2) character.
additionally:
- Should you have at least one character at Level 11 or higher, you could also create a new Level 11 character.
- Should you have at least one character at Level 17 or higher, you could also create a new Level 17 character.
- Should you have had any character in our previous season, before Friday 13th of May 2022, please study Character Reset (listed below) for details.
Starting Magic Item (Level 5+)
Characters at starting Level 5 or higher, begin with one (or even more) magic items from the following “everygreen magic item lists”.
- At Level 5 you gain one pick, at Level 11 you get another and at Level 17 yet another from the following lists. You have to take the picks for the Level-Thresholds in order (e.g. a new Level 11 character picks one item from the [5, 11, or 17] and one from either the [5, 11, or 17] or the [11 or 17] list).
at Level 5, Level 11, or Level 17
bag of holding, +1 shield, +1 weapon, +1 wand of the war mage, +1 all-purpose tool, +1 amulet of the devout, +1 arcane grimoir, +1 bloodwell vial, +1 moon sickle, +1 rod of the pact keeper, +1 rythm-maker drum, +1 dragonhide belt, insignia of claws, or any one Common magic item.
at Level 11 or Level 17
+1 armor, +2 shield, +2 weapon, +2 wand of the war mage, +2 all-purpose tool, +2 amulet of the devout, +2 arcane grimoir, +2 bloodwell vial, +2 moon sickle, +2 rod of the pact keeper, +2 rythm-maker drum, or +2 dragonhide belt
only at Level 17
+2 armor, +3 shield, +3 weapon, +3 wand of the war mage, +3 all-purpose tools, +3 amulet of the devout, +3 arcane grimoir, +3 bloodwell vial, +3 moon sickle, +3 rod of the pact keeper, +3 rythm-maker drum, or +3 dragonhide belt
Equipment
Please disregard page 143 PHB when creating your character.
At Level 1 you get the equipment your Class and Background provides. You do not roll for gp.
should you generate a character at higher level, you gain extra Gold as listed below:
- Level 5 = + 320 gp
- Level 11 (if allowed to do so) = + 1760 gp
- Level 17 (if allowed to do so) = + 11360 gp
Before your character goes to their first adventure, as well as between adventures, your character is allowed to purchase any item listed in the Player’s Handbook with their (starting) money.
- You can buy equipment and spell components using the rules in the Player’s Handbook. You can sell equipment for 1/2 the listed price using the rules in the Player’s Handbook.
Clarifications:
- Equipment and Consumable items can be lent to other characters during the adventure but must return at the end of the session (unless it’s been consumed or lost).
- Potions and Scrolls can be crafted (see Downtime Activities below).
- Permanent magic items can be traded (see Downtime Activities below). You can only trade with the characters of other players. Unique magic items may not be traded.
CHARACTER RESET (Friday 13th of May 2022)
Since this will be a new V.A.L.U.E. season … we will do a Character-Reset.
This means that ALL our old characters from the previous season(s) will be gone.
- However feel free to re-create any of your characters from previous season(s) as a new character, using the V.A.L.U.E. RULES found in this post.
Additionally you may create (or re-create) ONE single character, up to the highest Level of any character of you had in the previous season(s).
This ONE character of yours also gains extra Gold as listed below:
- if Tier 1 = +80 gp for every Level > 1
- if Tier 2 = +240 gp for every Level > 5
- if Tier 3 = +1600 gp for every Level > 11
- if Tier 4 = +6000 gp for every Level > 17
The Character-Reset affects every character played before Friday 13th of May 2022.
REWARDS
Rewards - Leveling Up
You gain a level at the end of each adventure, at your discretion. If you’d like to continue playing at your current Level, you can decline to gain a Level. You still keep any other rewards earned. You gain hit points listed as the fixed value for your class (plus any modifiers) when you level up.
- Every time, when you hit a new Tier, at Level 5 as well as Level 11 and Level 17, you are allowed to pick up any ONE item from the following lists:
at Level 5, Level 11, or Level 17
bag of holding, +1 shield, +1 weapon, +1 wand of the war mage, +1 all-purpose tool, +1 amulet of the devout, +1 arcane grimoir, +1 bloodwell vial, +1 moon sickle, +1 rod of the pact keeper, +1 rythm-maker drum, +1 dragonhide belt, insignia of claws, or any one Common magic item.
at Level 11 or Level 17
+1 armor, +2 shield, +2 weapon, +2 wand of the war mage, +2 all-purpose tool, +2 amulet of the devout, +2 arcane grimoir, +2 bloodwell vial, +2 moon sickle, +2 rod of the pact keeper, +2 rythm-maker drum, or +2 dragonhide belt
only at Level 17
+2 armor, +3 shield, +3 weapon, +3 wand of the war mage, +3 all-purpose tools, +3 amulet of the devout, +3 arcane grimoir, +3 bloodwell vial, +3 moon sickle, +3 rod of the pact keeper, +3 rythm-maker drum, or +3 dragonhide belt
Rewards - Gold & Loot
Whenever your party finds treasure of a monetary value, they can keep it with them to use during play. Any remaining treasure unused at the end of the adventure is converted to gold pieces and divided (evenly) between all of the characters. The Dungeon Master can assist in this process. Mundane items, such as found equipment, are divided however the party chooses at the end of the adventure.
- There is a limit how much Gold every character can keep after every game. This depends on your character’s Tier as listed below.
- All mundane gear being found by your character can be kept and used by the character.
- Between adventures your character is allowed to purchase any item listed in the Player’s Handbook with your characters gp.
Rewards - Magic Items
Whenever your party finds a magic item during play, the party determines who has it for the remainder of the adventure. At the end of the adventure, any number of characters may keep the magic item if it wasn’t consumed or destroyed during play. You may keep as many magic items as you are awarded but must limit the number of magic items you bring on an adventure based on the table below.
Clarifications:
- Uncommon, rare, very rare, legendary, and unique permanent magic items are included in the “Uncommon+” column. Common permanent magic items are included in the “Common” column. “Consumable” items include any magic item that is consumed if used (potions, scrolls, ammunition, etc.).
- If an item is destroyed, consumed, or lost during play, it is removed from your character and cannot be reacquired unless rewarded again through play.
- Additional magic items may be available through events, such as a trading post or a special play opportunity. These items are subject to the magic item limits presented above.
Rewards - Story Awards
Sometimes you and others in the party may earn a Story Award. This is a special award or item, sometimes presented as a certificate, that may have significance in future adventures in the same storyline. Whenever applicable, the DM may ask if any of the characters in the party possess a Story Award. In certain circumstances, such as the case of story items, the party may have to determine who has it for the purposes of that adventure.
- Note that granted Story Awards only work at a table with the same DM, who gave said Story Award, or in a game of the same story arc, that is a coproduction of several DMs.
DOWNTIME ACTIVITIES
Your character earns + 10 Downtime Days after every adventure. Your character can participate in Downtime Activities between adventures as listed here:
- “Brewing”.
Your character may brew one item from the list below for 5 Downtime Days each. This does not cost your character any gp. Be aware that potions of healing still count towards your character’s consumable magic item limit.
acid (vial), alchemist’s fire (flask), antitoxin (vial), oil (flask), perfume (vial), potion of healing or soap
- “Catching Up”.
You character may spend 10 Downtime Days to gain one Level.
- “Copying Spells”.
If your character can copy spells, you may use the rules presented in the “Your Spellbook” sidebar in the Player’s Handbook to copy spells found in adventures, except it costs 1 Downtime Day for each spell up to 4th level and 2 Downtime Days for each spell 5th level and above. If you are copying spells from another character’s spellbook, you may do so immediately after an adventure in which both players were present and agree to do so. You are always successful at copying spells from scrolls.
- “Relaxation”
Your character can get rid of a disease between adventures for 10 Downtime Days.
- “Scribing Scrolls”
Your character may scribe Spell Scrolls of Spells that your character knows, for the listed Downtime Days & gold cost below. Scrolls scribed count towards your consumable item limit. Your character must have the Material Components of that Spell, if there are any. Should the Spell have consumeable Material Component with a Gold cost, the gp cost for you to spend for scribing that Scroll would increase by that amount.
- Cantrip (as Level 1 caster) = 1 Downtime Day & 15 gp
- Spell Level 1 = 1 Downtime Day & 25 gp
- Spell Level 2 = 3 Downtime Days & 250 gp
- Spell Level 3 = 5 Downtime Days & 500 gp
- Spell Level 4 = 10 Downtime Days & 2500 gp
- Spell Level 5 = 20 Downtime Days & 5000 gp
- Spell Level 6 = 40 Downtime Days & 15000 gp
- Spell Level 7 = 80 Downtime Days & 25000 gp
- Spell Level 8 = 160 Downtime Days & 50000 gp
- Spell Level 9 = 240 Downtime Days & 250000 gp
- “Story Award”
Before the game starts, your DM may offer your character Story Awards for Downtime Days. Your DM will tell you, if that would be possible and how many Downtime Days your character would have to spend.
Note that granted Story Awards only work at a table with this DM, or in a game of the same story arc, that is a coproduction of this and another or several DMs.
- “Temple Service”
This allows you to get cast a single spell on your character from the following list after an adventure for 10 Downtime Days as well as spending the Gold price listed below.
remove curse (90gp), greater restoration (450gp), regenerate (490gp), raise dead (1250gp), resurrection (2490gp), true resurrection (50810gp)
- “Trading Magic Items”
Whenever your character trades a magic item, both characters involved have to spend 5 Downtime Days each. Trading permanent magic items with other characters is on a one-for-one basis of equivalent rarity. You can only trade with the characters of other players. Unique magic items may not be traded.
- “Work”
Your character can get 2 gp per Tier for 1 Downtime Day used between adventures (e.g. a Level 14 character would gain 6 gp per Downtime Day).
DM-ING
Choosing an Adventure
You can run any adventure you want … be it AL, DM’s Guild, or Homebrew. Keep in mind that the Tier of your game should match the Tier of your players. Should you have questions regarding what to run, feel free to ask us in the #dm channel of the RPGVienna Discord.
Giving Out Treasure
Please keep in mind that characters will be able to keep the gold they find and/or get paid, up to a certain limit per session depending on their Tier listed below.
Clarification:
All mundane gear being found can be kept and used by the characters
Drop Max. One Item Per Game
You are allowed to drop Non-Consumeable Magic Items in your adventure, but only in a way, so that every character, who survived, could receive ONE magic item after the game.
- The Magic Item must be of the Tier of your game or lower.
The Tiers of magic items are as follows:
- Common Magic Items = Tier 1
- Uncommon Magic Items = Tier 1
- Rare Magic Items = Tier 2
- Very Rare Magic Items = Tier 3
- Legendary Magic Items = Tier 4
Exceptions & Clarifications:
- all Uncommon magic items, that grant a flying speed, are Tier 2.
- all ability-score-changing magic items (such as amulet of health, gauntlets of ogre power, headband of intellect and all belts of giant strength ) are are one Tier higher, than their rarity would indicate (e.g. a headband of intellect would be a Tier 2 magic item).
- bag of beans is a Tier 1 magic item.
- bag of devouring is a Tier 2 magic item.
- bead of force is a Tier 1 magic item.
- chime of opening is a Tier 1 magic item.
- folding boat is a Tier 1 magic item.
- Heward’s handy haversack is a Tier 1 magic item.
- horseshoes of a zephyr is a Tier 2 magic item.
- horseshoes of speed is a Tier 1 magic item.
- necklace of fireballs is a Tier 1 magic item.
- You can give out additional Consumeable items. Those are not part of the “Max. One Item per Adventure” rule.
- You can also drop a magic item of a lower Tier than the Tier of your adventure.
- You may not drop a magic item of a higher Tier than the Tier of your adventure.
Grant Story Awards
You can give out Story Awards, even “homebrewed” ones.
- You can also grant Story Awards for Downtime Days (see above), before you start dm-ing your adventure.
- Note that granted story awards only work at a table with you as the DM, or in a game of the same story arc, that is a coproduction of you and another or several DMs.
DM-Rewards
As a DM-REWARD for dm-ing an adventure at V.A.L.U.E, you may choose one of the following options (not both). Should you have multiple DM-Rewards, you may choose a different option for each of your Rewards:
DM-REWARD Options choose only one
EITHER: one of your created characters gains the Magic Item, you have dropped in this game, OR: improve the Level of one of your created characters by one.
should you choose the Level increase that character also gains Gold as listed below:
- character was Level 1-4 before = +80 gp
- character was Level 5-10 before = +240 gp
- character was Level 11-16 before = +1600 gp
- character was Level 17-19 before = +6000 gp
QUESTIONS & MORE INFO
Should you inquire “quick answers to quick questions” you could seek us out at Discord.
- There is also a #dm channel, should you have questions about running a game at V.A.L.U.E.