Endless Journeys SRD Alpha Version 1.0.4 (Patreon)

Hey all!

Sorry I've been quiet lately, but I've been heads-down working on a couple of things to help protect this business as well as other third-party creators from (what's looking like) the inevitable Open Gaming License 1.1 update from Wizards of the Coast.

I already shared our first version of the COOL (Creator Original Open License). That's the "shell" into which new content will be placed and protected by a forthcoming 501(c)(3) trust that our attorney, Noah Downs, is putting into place. However, the COOL is nothing with its engine. That's what the Endless Journeys SRD is.

What is the Endless Journeys SRD?

Essentially, the Endless Journeys Systems Reference Document (or EJSRD) is a set of open content rules that other creators, myself included, can attribute, hack, cut/paste, or whatever they want when creating tabletop roleplaying content. 

When creating this document, I made sure that it met the following criteria:

• The rules within the document are legally distinct enough that a company like Wizards of the Coast can't sue us, saying that it's too similar to Fifth Edition.
• The rules have enough of Fifth Edition's "DNA" to at least be familiar to those who've played and created content for Fifth Edition.

This is Alpha 1.0.4

It's also important to remember that the version I'm sharing today is what tech folks call an "MVP," or Minimum Viable Product. It has everything that creators and playtesters need to get started—in other words, the car has wheels and an engine but not much else.

Despite that, this is actually the fourth version I've written since I first got wind that Wizards was going to change the open gaming license approximately four weeks ago (mid-December). So it's already had a few folks look it over and make comments. It's quite different from its original iteration.

Once the core set is cleaned up, and any gaping holes are fixed, I'll start working on additional elements to add to the system, including more character options, talents, monsters, and gamemaster tools.

What's different between Endless Journeys and Fifth Edition?

Below is a short (and likely incomplete) list of all the things that make this ruleset different from Fifth Edition.

Gamemasters don't roll dice. This is probably the biggest change in the game itself, in that players roll all the dice in the game, even when a monster makes an attack against them. For those GMs out there who love to roll dice, don't worry. The game is balanced so that you can incorporate existing Fifth Edition monsters into the game and continue to roll dice as normal. Future additions to these rules may offer conversion rules, too.

Talent Trees replace features and subclasses. While there are still "classes" (referred to as archetypes), players now have free reign to take whatever features (referred to as talents) they want, so long as their character has access to a given talent tree and they meet the prerequisites. Players should enjoy this since it gives them significantly more customization options.

Different names for familiar mechanics. You'll notice that many of the names for mechanical elements are different. Instead of difficulty classes, there are target numbers. The ability scores have different names (although Strength remained). And so on. I'll try to make a spreadsheet that identifies all of the similar terms for ease of reference.

Rules for creating archetypes and heritages. Because everything runs on a talent-based system, the heritages and archetypes in the game have rules for building your own.  These are in the early stages now but should offer far more customization than Fifth Edition allows.

Attribute scores are lower numbers. The game removes the antiquated "Ability scores with associated modifiers" and simply offers an attribute score that is akin to Fifth Edition's ability modifiers. When generating ability scores, a player still rolls dice, but the dice simply tell the player what the final score will be. Attribute scores are then added to rolls instead of their associated modifier. Note that attribute scores are 2 points higher than Fifth Edition modifiers of the same value.

Lack of proficiency in a skill gives a penalty. In Fifth Edition, a character adds their proficiency bonus to their ability checks, attack rolls, etc. In Endless Journeys, if a character isn't proficient in a skill, they suffer a -2 penalty to the roll. This may seem unusual, but it helps account for the natural 2-point bump in attribute scores. Thus, the balance remains approximately the same.

No distinction between ability checks, attack rolls, and saving throws. Instead of having separate mechanics for attack rolls and saving throws, everything is tied to a skill check. For example, there is no melee attack roll; it's a Strength (Melee) skill check. Same for saving throws (called avoidance checks). A character may opt to be proficient in a particular skill that allows them to avoid damage versus getting specific saving throws tied to their archetype. Furthermore, taking a page out of 3.5's book, I went back to the three most common types of saving throws: Fortitude (Endurance), Agility (Mobility), and Intuition (Willpower).

Characters make defense checks. Because monsters use to set values instead of die rolls to determine their effectiveness, characters must respond to those attacks by making defense checks. A defense check is similar to a "saving throw," except it's made to avoid attacks, too.

Hit point dice are smaller. Because characters have better defensive abilities and higher Fortitude scores, the base hit die for each archetype is one grade smaller. Buckle up, mages; you're going back to having 1d4 hit points!

POW points. All limited-use features, spells, etc., are now tied to POW points. Like ki in Fifth Edition, a character has a number of POW equal to their class level. A character regains POW when they complete a partial or full recovery period (short or long rest).

It's just gold for now. There is only one currency in this ruleset: gold. No more counting your electrum pieces, 5e players.

Experience points are session-based. In Endless Journeys, characters have an opportunity to earn up to 5 experience points at the end of each session. As such, the required experience points to gain a level are much lower than that in Fifth Edition. However, the rate at which a character improves is roughly the same (approximately three 2-4 hour sessions of play per level).

Movement speeds and ranges are by space, not feet or meters. A call back to 1e and 2e, movement speeds are now represented by spaces instead of feet. So a movement of 30 feet in Fifth Edition is now a movement of 6 in Endless Journeys. This also helps folks on the metric system convert things a little easier.

No spell slots. All spells are learned via talents and fueled with Power Points. As such, a talent may offer 3 or more effects that look similar to magical effects created in Fifth Edition. 

Simplified encumbrance. Instead of forcing a character to add up all the weight of their gear and do the math, every item has an encumbrance rating, a score of 0 or more. The player adds up the total encumbrance scores for all their gear and compares it to multiples of their Strength attribute.

Armor offers bonuses instead of flat numbers. Because armor is used when making passive defense checks, the armor's class (AC) offers a bonus to that value instead of a flat number. The variable die roll represents the chance that an NPC might miss their attack.

Weapons have set size categories. There are three size categories for weapons: small, medium, and large. A weapon's damage rating is based on its size, 1d4, 1d6, and 1d8, respectively. 

Larger weapons have the Power feature. Instead of Fifth Edition's versatile property, some weapons have the Power feature. When a character rolls damage using that weapon, they multiply their Strength score by the property's given multiplier and add the result to the weapon's die roll. This also helps account for the lack of "power" weapons such as greatswords and battleaxes.

Gear Packs make character inventory easier. Instead of forcing players to account for every little mundane item they have, the gear pack check mechanic allows them to make a check to determine whether or not they have a basic item or consumable. 

Multiple types of group checks. There are two variants of group checks, "Weakest Link" and "Combined Effort," to add a bit more realism to group checks.

Condition effects are different for characters and NPCs. Because of the asymmetrical nature of NPCs and characters, conditions work for them differently.

Surprise imposes a disadvantage on initiative checks. Instead of using the confusing surprise system in Fifth Edition, Endless Journeys simply imposes disadvantages or penalties to initiative checks when a creature is surprised. That way, a creature still has a chance to win initiative, even if they're surprised.

Fewer size categories. Endless Journeys has only five size categories: minuscule, small, medium, large, and massive. Minuscule represents any creature or object smaller than a small creature, and massive is any creature larger than large.

Characters have fast actions instead of bonus actions and reactions. Characters now have a set number of fast actions equal to their Agility score. These fast actions serve the same function as bonus actions and reactions, allowing characters to perform extra tasks during their turn and outside of it. Fast actions are also used to make block and dodge defense checks.

Characters can block and dodge checks. I mentioned earlier how characters make defense checks in response to a monster attacking them (versus the GM rolling dice to make attacks); in addition to a single passive defense check that they are allowed, a character may also use a fast action to make a dodge or block check. This push-your-luck mechanic helps protect players from more attacks, and is especially useful since monsters in Endless Journeys, on average, deal more damage.

Characters Sprint instead of Dash. As a fast action, a character can move 2 squares (which would be 10 feet in Fifth Edition). This change accounts for the extra fast actions the character's Agility score allows. Therefore, a character with extremely high Agility can move much further than a Fifth Edition character who relies solely on their Dash action.

Quick strikes have more options. A quick strike is an opportunity attack that a character may take by spending a fast action to do so. Unlike opportunity attacks, there are far more opportunities for quick strikes, similar to how they work in 3rd edition/Pathfinder.

Strain damage is new. Strain damage is a damage type caused by overexertion and non-lethal damage.

Damage modifiers replace resistances, immunities, and vulnerabilities. A damage modifier lists the type of damage it modifies along with a percentage. So instead of fixed half damage for resistance or double damage for vulnerabilities, a creature can have a wide range of resistance and vulnerability adjustments.

Characters don't fall unconscious when they hit 0. Another big change to the Endless Journeys system is that a character doesn't fall unconscious when they drop to 0 hit points. Instead, they make check on the injury table to determine the type of injury that they take. Then, each time they take damage while at 0, they take another injury. Injuries ranged from winded for a round to instant death.

Monsters have action economies. Monsters function differently than characters; they don't have fast actions or normal actions, but just actions. Like legendary actions in Fifth Edition, some monster actions cost more than a single action to perform. Monsters regain spent actions at the start of each of their turns.

View the document below.

Below is the attached document. It is currently protected by the first version of the COOL, which is owned by Hamrick Brands, LLC (the DMDave business entity), but will be transferred over to the trust once it's formed. 

Endless Journeys Systems Reference Document v1.0.4 

Have a chance to review it and ask any questions on Discord in the public #endlessjourneys channel and in the comments below.