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 5.5E (2024) games.
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to organize player characters and adventures, both are grouped in
Tiers:- Tier 1 (T1): Levels 1-4
- Tier 2 (T2): Levels 5-10
- Tier 3 (T3): Levels 11-16
- Tier 4 (T4): Levels 17-20
CHARACTER CREATION
Character Creation
All officially released resources such as WotC printed books (like PHB’24, EFA, FRHoF, RHW, … ) and WotC official digital material (ABH, BndD, …) are allowed. You can use stuff from all these resources without restriction.
- You cannot use older 5.0 (2014) material.
- You cannot use playtest material (such as Unearthed Arcana), homebrew and 3rd-Party materials.
- Should you want to see a list of what specific Classes / Subclasses, Backgrounds, Species, and Feats are allowed, you can find them listed in the post below.
Exceptions & Clarifications:
in doubt use the most recent updated version
Should something have got an updated version, you have to use the updated version.
do not roll Hit Dice - use the fixed value instead
When leveling up you don’t roll Hit Die, use the fixed value shown in your class entry instead.
Species with Flying can only Glide as long as they are Tier 1
All Species 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.
Creatures can take damage from an Emenation only once per round
Creatures can take damage from the same Emenation only once per round (as opposed to once per turn), to avoid “Carrying the Cleric” shenanigans.
the spell Syluné's Viper is banned
The spell Syluné’s Viper (FRHoF) is banned, because it causes unfair play patterns.
Generating Ability Scores
Generating Ability Scores
To generate your character’s Ability Scores, you can use Standard Array or Point Buy (your choice).
Starting Level
Starting Level
You can create a character at the following levels
- Level 1 (therefore Tier 1)
- Level 5 (therefore Tier 2)
- Level 11 (therefore Tier 3)
- Level 17 (therefore Tier 4)
Equipment
Equipment
Should you start at 1st level, you have your starting gear from your Class and your Background.
Should you generate a character at higher level, you gain extra Gold (in addition to your starting equipment from your Class & Background) as listed below:
- Level 5 = + 320 GP
- Level 11 = + 1760 GP
- Level 17 = + 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 non-magical 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.
Starting Magic Items (Level 5+)
Starting Magic Items (Level 5+)
Characters at starting Level 5 or higher, begin with one (or even more) magic item(s) from the following lists:
when starting at Level 5 or higher, choose ONE from this list
bag of holding, +1 shield, +1 weapon, +1 wraps of unarmed power, +1 wand of the war mage, +1 rod of the pact keeper, or any one Common magic item.
when starting at Level 11 or higher, also choose ONE from this list
bag of holding, +1 armor, +2 shield, +2 weapon, +2 wraps of unarmed power, +2 wand of the war mage, +2 rod of the pact keeper, or any one Common magic item.
when starting at Level 17 or higher, also choose ONE from this list as well
bag of holding, +2 armor, +3 shield, +3 weapon, +3 wraps of unarmed power, +3 wand of the war mage, +3 rod of the pact keeper, or any one Common magic item.
BASTIONS & CRAFTING
Bastions & Crafting
Bastions
Bastions
Although we do use Bastions, we incorporated them into our Downtime rules (see “Downtime Activities” below). All your characters share the same Bastion (think of it as an Adventurers’ Guild for all your characters).
Your hirelings & recruits in the Bastion stay there and do not travel with you, unless a DM specifically tells you otherwise. Same is true for Bastions that can travel.
We do not use Bastion Events, unless a DM specifically tells you that they might.
Note that one of your characters can only benefit from a Facility, if they fulfill the requirements of that Facility (e.g. to benefit from a “Guildhall”, your character needs to be level 17+ and have Expertise in a Skill, even if another of your characters build this Facility).
Crafting
Crafting
If your character crafts a magic item during a game (e.g. using a Herbalism Kit to craft a healing potion, or Calligrapher’s Supplies to craft a spell scroll), these magic items will cease to exist after the adventure - although a DM might allow you to keep one of them as a Consumeable Magic Item Reward after the adventure.
Please be aware, that opportunities of having 8+ hours of free time during an adventure will be highly unlikely.
However characters can create magic items (from a limited selection) via Downtime Days (see “Downtime Activities” below). These do not require any proficiency in a Tool.
REWARDS
Rewards
Rewards - Downtime Days
Downtime Days
You gain +20 Downtime Days at the end of each adventure. You can spend these Downtime Days to level up (see “Downtime Activities” below).
Rewards - Gold & Loot
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.
- This includes non-magical spellbooks.
- Between adventures your character is allowed to purchase any item listed in the Player’s Handbook with your characters GP.
Rewards - Magic Items
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 can only keep ONE magic item after a game from each game session. 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.). Stat increasing books (i.e. Manual of Bodily Health) do count towards the magic item limit, even if already read.
- 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
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.
DOWNTIME ACTIVITIES
Downtime Activities
Your character earns +20 Downtime Days after every adventure. Your character can participate in Downtime Activities between adventures as listed here:
“Level Up”.
Level Up
Downtime Cost: 10 Downtime Days
You character may spend 10 Downtime Days to gain one Level. 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 magic item from the following lists:
when reaching Level 5
bag of holding, +1 shield, +1 weapon, +1 wraps of unarmed power, +1 wand of the war mage, +1 rod of the pact keeper, or any one Common magic item.
when reaching Level 11
bag of holding, +1 armor, +2 shield, +2 weapon, +2 wraps of unarmed power, +2 wand of the war mage, +2 rod of the pact keeper, or any one Common magic item.
when reaching Level 17
bag of holding, +2 armor, +3 shield, +3 weapon, +3 wraps of unarmed power, +3 wand of the war mage, +3 rod of the pact keeper, or any one Common magic item.
“Brewing”.
Brewing
Downtime Cost: 5 Downtime Days
Your character may brew one potion depending on their tier (see the list below) for 5 Downtime Days each. This does not cost your character any GP. Be aware that these potions still count towards your character’s consumable magic item limit.
- Tier 1: a Common potion, such as a potion of healing (2d4+2 HP)
- Tier 2: an Uncommon potion, such as a potion of greater healing (4d4+4 HP)
- Tier 3: a Rare potion, such as a potion of superior healing (8d4+8 HP)
- Tier 4: a Very Rare potion, such as a potion of supreme healing (10d4+20 HP)
[Wizards] “Copying Spells”.
[Wizards] Copying spells
Downtime Cost: varies (see below)
Gold Cost: varies (see below)Your Wizard character 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 Wizard character’s spellbook from another player, 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 spell scrolls.
“Forge Magic Item”.
Forge Magic Item
Downtime Cost: 10 Downtime Days
After an adventure, your DM might tell you, that you have the possibility to get an additional magic item, but your character has to invest time to forge it (E.g. your party might have found magic ore, you could forge into a magic weapon). Your DM will tell you which magic item you might forge. You character may spend 10 Downtime Days to gain this item.
This can be done only once per item - you cannot forge the same magic item more than once.
“Magic Shop”
Magic Shop
Downtime Cost: 10 Downtime Days
Gold Cost: varies (see below)Your character can spend 10 Downtime Days and the Gold listed below to get one magic item from the Starting Magic Item (Level 5+) list.
Note that your character must have the level listed or higher to get a magic item from a list.
- a level 5 item costs 860 GP
- a level 11 item costs 6400 GP
- a level 17 item costs 24000 GP
“Poison”
Poison
Downtime Cost: 5 Downtime Days
Gold Cost: varies (see below)Your character may buy one Poison for 5 Downtime Days each. Your character has to pay the associated GP cost. Poisons that do not have a listed GP prize CANNOT be obtained with this downtime acitivity.
“Re-Training”
Retraining
Downtime Cost: 10 Downtime Days
Your character can change one of the following things for 10 Downtime Days each. You still need to fulfill the prerequisites of your new choice.
- exchange one General Feat with another General Feat
- exchange one Fighting Style Feat with another Fighting Style Feat
- exchange one Epic Boon Feat with another Epic Boon Feat
- exchange one Skill proficiency with another Skill Proficiency
- exchange one Standard Language with another Standard Language
- exchange one Rare Language with another Rare Language
- exchange one Tool proficiency with another Tool Proficiency
- (Bards, Rangers, Sorcerers, Warlocks, Eldritch Knights, Warriors of Mystic Arts, Arcane Tricksters) exchange one known spell with another spell from your spell list of the same spell level
“Relaxation”
Relaxation
Downtime Cost: 10 Downtime Days
Your character can get rid of a disease between adventures for 10 Downtime Days.
[Wizards] “Researching Spells”
[Wizards] Reseraching Spells
Downtime Cost: varies (see below)
Gold Cost: varies (see below)Your Wizard character may research a spell for the listed Downtime Days & Gold cost below to add that spell into their spellbook.
- Spell Level 1 = 2 Downtime Days & 50 GP
- Spell Level 2 = 10 Downtime Days & 500 GP
- Spell Level 3 = 20 Downtime Days & 1000 GP
- Spell Level 4 = 20 Downtime Days & 2000 GP
- Spell Level 5 = 40 Downtime Days & 4000 GP
- Spell Level 6 = 60 Downtime Days & 8000 GP
- Spell Level 7 = 80 Downtime Days & 16000 GP
- Spell Level 8 = 100 Downtime Days & 32000 GP
- Spell Level 9 = 120 Downtime Days & 64000 GP
“Scribing Scrolls”
Scribing Scrolls
Downtime Cost: varies (see below)
Gold Cost: varies (see below)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 Gold 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 = 5 Downtime Days & 250 GP
- Spell Level 3 = 10 Downtime Days & 500 GP
- Spell Level 4 = 10 Downtime Days & 1000 GP
- Spell Level 5 = 20 Downtime Days & 2000 GP
- Spell Level 6 = 30 Downtime Days & 4000 GP
- Spell Level 7 = 40 Downtime Days & 8000 GP
- Spell Level 8 = 50 Downtime Days & 16000 GP
- Spell Level 9 = 60 Downtime Days & 32000 GP
“Story Award” [please ask your DM]
Story Award [please ask your DM]
Downtime Cost: varies (please ask your DM)
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.
“Temple Service”
Temple Service
Downtime Cost: 10 Downtime Days
Gold Cost: varies (see below)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 (90 GP), Greater Restoration (450 GP), Regenerate (490 GP), Raise Dead (1250 GP), Resurrection (2490 GP), True Resurrection (50810 GP)
“Trading Magic Items”
Trading Magic Items
Downtime Cost: 5 Downtime Days for BOTH characters
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.
“Build Bastion Facility”
Build Bastion Facility
Note: can only be done by characters, who have played at least one adventure
Downtime Cost: 0 Downtime Days
Gold Cost: 500 GP (Cramped), 1000 GP (Roomy), or 3000 GP (Vast)Your character can build one Bastion Facility, if they fulfill the requirements. This Facility can be used by all your characters as long as they fulfill the requirements (please see “Spend Time at Your Bastion” below). Ýou can find available Bastion Facilities listed in the post below.
If a Facility would require your characters to have Membership or Renown with a certain faction, you can ignore this requirement, but you can have only ONE such Facility in your Bastion (e.g. your Bastion cannot have a Red Wizards Necropolis and a Harper Hideout).
Your hirelings and recruits in the Bastion stay there and do not travel with you, unless a DM specifically tells you otherwise. Same is true for Bastions that can travel.
Note that we do not use Bastion Events, unless a DM specifically tells you that they might.
“Demolish Bastion Facility”
Demolish Bastion Facility
Downtime Cost: 0 Downtime Days
You destroy one Facility of your Bastion. You do not get any spend GP back.
(This is useful, since you can have only ONE Facility that requires Membership or Renown. So should you change your mind later, you could this downtime activity to remove a Facility you no longer want.)
“Spend Time at Your Bastion”
Spend Time at Your Bastion
Downtime Cost: 10 Downtime Days
Note: the character needs to fulfill the Facility’s requirementsIf your Bastion Facilities grant benefits from resting there, your character gains those benefits for their next adventure.
In addition, your character can give ONE Bastion Order. Should the Bastion Order have a cost associated with it, you have to pay this cost. Bastion Orders can NEVER grant you permanent magic items. Charms, potions, and scrolls are fine though.
Should your Bastion grant you the benefit of a Legend Lore or Speak with Dead spell, you gain a Charm of that spell instead, which can be used by you in the next adventure once as a Magic Action.
NO DOWNLEVELING
No Downleveling
Should you want to play a character at a table, but you only have characters of a higher Tier, you cannot level-down your stronger characters.
You can however create a new character
DM-ING
DM-ing
Choosing an Adventure
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
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
Max. Magic Item Drops Per Game
Permament Magic Items (up to one per player)
You are allowed to drop up to ONE* Non-Consumeable Magic Item PER PLAYER in your adventure. Every player character, who survived, can choose ONE of those magic item after the game to keep as a reward. (e.g. If you dm-ed for 4 players, you could drop up to 4 magic items; each of those 4 players can choose 1 of those items).
A category of an item such as “any sword of vengeance” or “any demon armor” counts as one magic item. As a DM you might restrict those (e.g. “any demon armor except plate”), if you want to.
- The Magic Items must be of the Tier of your game or lower.
The Tiers of magic items are as follows:
- Common Magic Items = Tier 0
- Uncommon Magic Items = Tier 0
- 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 Rare.
- 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 Rarity higher, than their rarity would indicate (e.g. a headband of intellect would be a Rare magic item), up to a maximum of Legendary.
- bag of beans is an Uncommon magic item.
- bag of devouring is a Rare magic item.
- bead of force is an Uncommon magic item.
- chime of opening is an Uncommon magic item.
- folding boat is an Uncommon magic item.
- Heward’s handy haversack is an Uncommon magic item.
- horseshoes of a zephyr is a Rare magic item.
- horseshoes of speed is an Uncommon magic item.
- 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.
Max. Consumable Magic Items (with 1 charge) Drops Per Game
Consumable Magic Items (up to one per player)
You can give out additional Consumable magic items (with 1 charge) up to equal to the amount of players on your table. Those are not part of the “Drop Max. Items Per Game” rule.
- The Consumable Magic Items 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
- You can also drop consumable magic items of a lower Tier than the Tier of your adventure.
- You may not drop consumable magic items of a higher Tier than the Tier of your adventure.
- This limit covers only Consumeable Magic Items.
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- Alchemist’s Fire and Holy Water are classified as Adventuring Gear.
- This limit includes consumeables crafted during an adventure, if they are not used.
Up to One Forge-able Magic Item Drop Per Game
Forge-able Magic Item (up to one in total)
A DM can also include ONE additional magic item (in total), that can be forged by players with Downtime Days later (see “Forge Magic Item” downtime activity). E.g. the party might have found a magic ore they could forge into a magic weapon.
A category of such a forge-able magic item such as “any sword of vengeance” or “any demon armor” is fine. As a DM you might restrict those (e.g. “any demon armor except plate”), if you want to.
- The Forge-able Magic Item must be of the Tier of your game or lower.
The Tiers of the magic item are as follows:
- Common Magic Item = Tier 1
- Uncommon Magic Item = Tier 1
- Rare Magic Item = Tier 2
- Very Rare Magic Item = Tier 3
- Legendary Magic Item = Tier 4
Exceptions & Clarifications:
- all Uncommon magic items, that grant a flying speed, are Rare.
- 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 Rarity higher, than their rarity would indicate (e.g. a headband of intellect would be a Rare magic item), up to a maximum of Legendary.
- bag of beans is an Uncommon magic item.
- bag of devouring is a Rare magic item.
- bead of force is an Uncommon magic item.
- chime of opening is an Uncommon magic item.
- folding boat is an Uncommon magic item.
- Heward’s handy haversack is an Uncommon magic item.
- horseshoes of a zephyr is a Rare magic item.
- horseshoes of speed is an Uncommon magic item.
- You can also drop a forge-able magic item of a lower Tier than the Tier of your adventure.
- You may not drop a forge-able magic item of a higher Tier than the Tier of your adventure.
Grant Story Awards
Story Awards
You can give out Story Awards, even “homebrewed” ones.
- You can also grant Story Awards for Downtime Days (see “Downtime Activities” 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
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 ONE of the Magic Items, you have dropped in this game (not the one that could be forged with downtime days),
- OR: one of your characters gains +10 Downtime Days
should you choose the +10 Downtime Days, that character also gains Gold as listed below:
- character was Level 1-4 = +80 GP
- character was Level 5-10 = +240 GP
- character was Level 11-16 = +1600 GP
- character was Level 17-20 = +6000 GP
if you cannot find a Class / Subclass, Background, Species, Feat, or Bastion Facility in these lists, it is in general NOT allowed in V.A.L.U.E. and likely from a 3rd party publisher, older editions, playtest material (such as Unearthed Arcana), or homebrew.