Zak's 5e-Hack Character Gen

This is only for first level.

This is mostly here for my reference during character gen or for people asking what I did to change 5e. Includes a lot of minor hacks, biggest ones probably being hit points knocked back to Old School scale and no cantrips.

If you know what class you want: roll stats on 3d6, arrange to taste.

If you don't: roll 3d6 in order, choose class after.

CLASSES:

These index cards are designed to be used by experienced players and new players since we get alotta both at my house:

Alice:

Roll twice on the leveling-up table here

Witch/Warlock:

Roll twice here and once here

Fighter-types are proficient with any weapon. Casters are proficient only with whatever weapons they pick to start with, Rogues/thieves are proficient with whatever they pick to start with plus improvised weapons.

RACES

Parents for tieflings here.

Elf home villages are here.

BACKGROUNDS

only skills and stuff are listed, other changes from default 5e in red

Clergy, nun etc-Insight, Religion, extra language A holy symbol (a gift to you when you entered the priesthood), a prayer book or prayer wheel, 5 sticks of incense, vestments, a set of common clothes, and a belt pouch containing 15 gp

Charlatan-Deception, Sleight of Hand,  A set of fine clothes, a disguise kit, tools of the con of your choice (ten stoppered bottles filled with colored liquid, a set of weighted dice, a deck of marked cards, or a signet ring of an imaginary duke), and a belt pouch containing 15 gp

Criminal-Deception, Stealth, A crowbar, a set of dark common clothes including a hood, and a belt pouch containing 15 gp

Spy-as criminal above, trade out perception for stealth if you want

Entertainer-Acrobatics, Performance, A musical instrument (one o f your choice), the favor of an admirer (love letter, lock of hair, or trinket), a costume, and a belt pouch containing 15 gp

Gladiator-as above, plus add an exotic thrown or hand weapon

Folk Hero-Animal Handling, Survival,A set of artisan’s tools (one of your choice), a shovel, an iron pot, a set of common clothes, and a belt pouch containing 10 gp

Guild Artisan-Insight, Persuasion, A set of artisan’s tools (one of your choice), a letter of introduction from your guild, a set of traveler’s clothes, and a belt pouch containing 15 gp, roll on vornheim business table Random jobs here

Merchant-as guild artisan above Random jobs here

Hermit-Medicine, Religion, A scroll case stuffed full of notes from your studies or prayers, a winter blanket, a set of common clothes, an herbalism kit, and 5 gp

Noble-History, Persuasion,  A set of fine clothes, a signet ring, a scroll of pedigree, and a purse containing 25 gp

Knight-as noble above

Outlander-Athletics, Survival, A staff, a hunting trap, a trophy from an animal you killed, a set of traveler’s clothes, and a belt pouch containing 10 gp

Sage-Arcana, History, 2 extra languages, A bottle of black ink, a quill, a small knife, a letter from a dead colleague posing a question you have not yet been able to answer, a set of common clothes, and a belt pouch containing 10 gp

Sailor-Athletics, Perception, extra language,, A belaying pin (club), 50 feet of silk rope, a lucky charm such as a rabbit foot or a small stone with a hole in the center (or you may roll for a random trinket on the Trinkets table in chapter 5), a set of common clothes, and a belt pouch containing 10 gp

Pirate-as sailor

Soldier-Athletics, Intimidation, An insignia of rank, a trophy taken from a fallen enemy (a dagger, broken blade, or piece o f a banner), a set of bone dice or deck of cards, a set of common clothes, and a belt pouch containing 10 gp

Urchin--Sleight of hand, Stealth, Disguise kit, thieves’ tools, A small knife, a map of the city you grew up in, a pet mouse, a token to remember your parents by, a set of common clothes, and a belt pouch containing 10 gp

EQUIPMENT:

 You have a knife and another melee weapon of your choice and a backpack. If you are a cleric you have a holy symbol, if you're a wizard you have a spellbook.

Roll d20 on this table until you get the same result twice or the table instructs you otherwise

1. Shield or helmet AC +2

2. Leather armor +1

3. Studded/ring mail AC +3 or take leather armor or a cloak and (no matter what you choose) roll d10+9 on this table from now on

4. Scale mail AC +4 or take leather armor or a cloak and (no matter what you choose) roll d10+9 on this table from now on

5. Chain mail AC +6 or take leather armor or a cloak and (no matter what you choose) roll d10+9 on this table from now on

6. Splint mail AC +7 or take leather armor or a cloak and (no matter what you choose) roll d10+9 on this table from now on

7. Plate mail AC +8 or take leather armor or a cloak and (no matter what you choose) roll d10+9 on this table from now on

8. Crossbow w/10 bolts 

9. Roll D20+ charisma mod. DC=15 If you fail, take one thing, if you succeed, choose a number of things off this list equal to the number over 15, then stop.

10. Mirror, wolvesbane or 10' pole

11. 100gp or or thieves' tools

12. 5 torches + 2d4 oils

13. Rope

14. Grappling hook

15. Bedroll + some mundane object smaller than a breadbox not on this table

16. Caltrops or 10' chain

17. Melee weapon of your choice, it may be throwable

18. Short bow w/10 arrows

19. Lantern + 2d4 oils

20. Rations: 1 week +Wineskin

WEAPON LIST:

WHERE ARE YOU FROM?

Roll d20 if you want

Dwarves don't roll here

Dark elves are always from Drownesia or a random hex

1-8 Vornheim if human or half-elf, Chaos Wastes if Half Orc or Tiefling, Gaxen Kane if Goblin, Nornrik if White Elf, The Black Ocean if Sea Elf, Far Lands otherwise

9-11 Elsewhere on the Northern continent

12-14 Hakleth Archipelago

15-16 Voivodja

17 Chaos Wastes

18 Yoon-Suin

19 Southern Continent (like deserts, etc)

20 Random Hex, roll d4-1, d10, d10, d10

FIRST LEVEL SPELLS

New or altered spells in red

CLERIC SPELLS

Bane (-d4 to enemies, Cha save, Concentration up to 1 min)

Bless (+d4 to friends, Cha save, Concentration up to 1 min)

Command (Wis save, any 1 word command)

Create or Destroy Water (10 gallons)

Cure Wounds (d6+wis mod)

Detect Evil and Good (Concentration, up to 10 mins blocked by a foot of stone etc)

Detect Magic (Concentration, up to 10 mins blocked by a foot of stone etc)

Detect Poison and Disease (Concentration, up to 10 mins, blocked by a foot of stone etc)

Inflict Wounds  (d6+wis mod touch attack, verbal component only)

Protection from Evil and Good (concentration up to 10mins, one creature, foes have disadvantage & can't be mentally attacked)

Purify Food and Drink

Sanctuary (1 min, range 30', enemies need wis save to attack, if target attacks, spell ends)

Shield of Faith (60 ft, concentration up to 10 mins, +2 ac)

removed:

Entangle

Guiding Bolt

Healing Word

DRUID SPELLS

Create or Destroy Water (10 gallons)

Cure Wounds (d6+wis mod)

Detect Unnatural (includes monsters and arcane magic--Concentration, up to 10 mins)

Detect Poison and Disease (Concentration, up to 10 mins, blocked by a foot of stone etc)

Entangle (concentration, up to 1 min, str check each rnd to escape, 20ft square)

Faerie Fire (60ft, conc up to 1 min, dex save, everyone has advantage to hit)

Fog Cloud (20 tft radius, heavily obscured, lasts until dispersed by wind etc)

Hunter's Mark (touch or transferred w/weapon, target becomes extremely tasty-smelling to animal-int creature of Druid's choice, 1 hr)

Jump (triple jump distance, 1 minute, cricket legs)

Longstrider (longer legs, +10ft to speed, 1 hr)

Animal Messenger -cause one ordinary animal cat size or smaller to carry a message of any length to anyone

Moon Sickle (hand weapon, lasts 1 min, d6 damage, blinds who it hits for 1 round)

Purify Food and Drink

Shillelagh magic staff does d12 damage lasts 1 min
Skin Chain  (touch a target skin-to-skin. That target becomes glued to the wizard. Anyone touching the target with bare flesh becomes glued to the target and on and on. Concentration)

Speak with Animals (10 mins)

Thorn Whip does d8 damage plus dex save or be disarmed lasts 1 min 

Removed:

Charm Person

Healing Word

Thunderwave

WIZARD/SORCERESS WITCH/WARLOCK SPELLS

Alarm (casting time 1 min, lasts 8hrs)

Charm Person (Wis save at beginning & whenever you ask for something heavy, lasts until save made)

Color Spray (15-ft cone, affects 6d10 worth of creatures, weakest first, blinds for a rnd)

Comprehend Languages (lasts 1 hr, must touch text if written)

Detect Magic (Concentration, up to 10 mins)

Disguise Self (minor illusion, 1 hour, Int check & inspection to defeat)

Drunk Reversal (exchange blood alcohol level of two touched targets)

Expeditious Retreat (2x speed concentration up to 1o mins)

False Life (d4+4 temporary hp, 1 hour)

False Sensation--Cause target to hear or smell an imaginary thing, lasts one round

Feather Fall (1 min,)

Floating Disk (1 hr)

Fog Cloud (20 tft radius, heavily obscured, lasts until dispersed by wind etc)

Grease (10 ft square, permanent )

Hideous Laughter (target lies prone laughing, conc up to 1 min, wis save each rnd, wis sav at adv each time targets hurt, affects 1 target in hearing range)

Identify (takes 1 min to cast)

Illusory Script (writing looks like some other writing up to 10 days to targets of choice)

Mage Armor (ac= 13+dex mod for unarmored ally lasts until next sunrise or sundown)

Mending-Fix a single break in any non-magic inorganic object
Power word vomit: affects all but caster in earshot, con save or throw up lose 1 action

Protection from Evil and Good (concentration up to 10mins, one creature, foes have disadvantage & can't be mentally attacked)

Reduce (Touch, lasts 1 min, shrink 50%)
Skin Chain  (touch a target skin-to-skin. That target becomes glued to the wizard. Anyone touching the target with bare flesh becomes glued to the target and on and on. Concentration)

Shield (+5 bonus to ac in reaction to attack for 1 rnd)

Silent Image (concentration up to 10 mins, illusion, int check + round of investigation to id)

Sleep (20 ft, 5d8 hp of creatures, weakest 1st, no save but wakes easily)

Unseen Servant: (1 hr telekinesis 60 ft)

Removed:

Burning Hands

Jump

Longstrider

Magic Missile

Thunderwave