Switch-Style Characters (5e Variant Rule)

Switch-Style Character

(First ask your GM/DM if you may use a Switch-Styled character or more than one character in their campaign, as you are technically playing two characters at once)

A switch-styled character, is when you have a character that changes to another fighting style via. Different/Multiple character sheets. This could mean a character with two souls in one body, or maybe a character with split personalities, or perhaps someone made a deal with another that only one of the two may fight at a time? Examples of this would be having one character sheet based on damage output then switching to another based on support, etc.

• Ability Scores rolls are shared among both character sheets however they do not need to be in the same ability score. (ex. if your rolls are [8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13] both character sheets must share those Ability Score rolls, however if one has 8 in strength, you can place it onto another ability score on the other character sheet.)

• Any abilities/proficiencies that one character may have, can only be used by that character sheet. (ex. If one is a Fighter and the other a Rogue and you want to activate Rogue’s “Sneak Attack”, you must stay as a Rogue for that ability and the other character will not benefit from “Sneak Attack”, vice versa if you want to use the Fighter's ability "Second Wind")

• Both characters sheets can be different or the same classes, but the subclass MUST be different (unless the subclass states it was made for Switch-Style Characters).

• Both Characters will gain the same EXP. (They will level up together)

• Only one character sheet can be active at a time.

• Switching counts as an action in a battle.

• You can switch characters out of battle freely.

• Any damage taken will go to the inactive character sheet too

• The inactive character sheet will not die from this effect (example if the active character sheet takes 50 damage and the inactive character sheet would get knocked unconscious from this, they instead will drop to 1)

• If the active character sheet that is battling is knocked unconscious or dies, the inactive character sheet will have the same effect.

• Likewise, both character sheets are affected by any healing effects

• Any effects of spells or abilities that would Slow or Give that character Disadvantage on rolls will not apply to the inactive character sheet, unless the opposing party casts it again toward the inactive character sheet (Only If the person using Switch-Style switches to the inactive character) (Time limit for effects still applies. If the character inflicted with the effect switches back out, they still have to roll saving throws until the effect ends)

• Any effects that would Halt the Movement of the target (Example Hold Person), unless they pass the saving throw, they cannot change characters until the effect ends.

• The same applies to buffs, only the active character will be affected unless the supporting party casts it again on the inactive character (Only if the person switches to the inactive) (Time limit for effects still applies.)

• Effects that will still affect both would be, any Damaging Effects, Any Effect that would send a character into a different plane (example Banishment) will send both to the plane, Magic Jar (However the switch-style character gets advantage for the saving throw), Imprisonment, Power Word Kill (As long as the active character has less than 100), etc.

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