Variant Rules (Dragon Ball Supplement)

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Variant Rules[edit]

The following are writeups and links to various variant rules this campaign should use.

Attack Clashes[edit]

When a creature is targeted by a damaging spell, technique, or similar effect, they can use their reaction to initiate an attack clash with a similar effect (melee weapon, ranged spell, saving throw etc) if within range. Both creatures immediately roll damage for their respective attacks. The higher roll deals damage equal to the difference between the two rolls; if the damage rolls tie, no damage is dealt. If charging an attack, they can use the charged technique instead. Both then roll a d20 using their spellcasting modifiers, with advantage to the attack causing higher damage. An attack dealing less than half the other automatically fails. In case of a tie, the current turn ends, and both must maintain the clash on their turns as an action or automatically fail. When maintaining, they roll damage again, halve it, add it to the total, and roll again if possible. The winner resolves their attack as if they succeeded, provided the target is within the area or directly targeted. If the attack requires a saving throw, the loser automatically fails.

For example, creature A makes an unarmed attack against creature B, and B initiates an Attack Clash. B also makes an unarmed strike. A deals 9 damage, and B deals 28, thus, B wins the clash, dealing 19 damage to A. Additionally, B turns it into a Massive Hit, and knocks them back 15 feet.

Another example. Creature A is currently charging a Spirit Bomb, and Creature B makes a ki blast attack against them, turning it into a Death Beam. A uses their reaction to initiate a Attack Clash, and instead of making a ki blast attack, they use their currently charging Spirit Bomb. A deals 70 damage, and B deals 30, less than half of A's Spirit Bomb causing A to win. They must now use their Spirit Bomb, with B being in the radius.

Otherworldly[edit]

Dying usually isn't the end of things here, as there are various ways to return to life, to be brought into the living world for short periods of time, or even enjoy your time in the otherworld with an actual physical body. That put aside, that body is not as limited as you would otherwise be when in your live body. When in an otherworldly body, your ki point maximum doubles, if you don't have ki, you gain an amount of ki equal to your level which can be used as any equivalent currency you have, if you have no equivalent currency it may be used as twice as much temporary hit points. Furthermore, your Constitution is reduced by 4.

Beyond Mortal[edit]

At level 21, all characters gain half proficiency (rounded down) on all saving throws that they're not proficient on.

Better Armor Class[edit]

At levels beyond 20, characters have high modifiers and proficiency bonuses, with the proficiency bonus especially causing the numbers to skyrocket out of control, and making it always possible to hit any target, which can disrupt game balance. To address this issue, add +5 to the AC of all CR/level 21+ creatures, including players, and +10 to CR/level 30+ ones. This adjustment helps maintain challenge and somewhat balance in high-level play.

Variable Speed and Damage Threshold[edit]

For each point above 0 a creature has in their Dexterity modifier or Strength modifier, their speed increases by +5 feet per Dexterity point or per two Strength points. For a similar decrease in any of these scores, apply an equal speed penalty. Only the highest bonus and lowest penalty yield between each one of the two is applied, not both (For example a character with +1 dexterity and +2 strength would get a +5 to speed not +10, and a character with +1 dexterity and -1 strength would get a +0 to speed, due to the penalty that strength yields).

Speed Bonuses/Penalties from transformations are calculated separately from those from the base ability scores and are solely based on the transformation's bonuses to the modifier not a character's total modifier.

Additionally every character has a damage threshold equal to twice their Strength modifier, where if they are dealt damage below this threshold they do not take any damage, but if they take damage equal to or above this threshold they take damage as normal.

Beam Jumps[edit]

When firing a beam at something, instead of dealing damage, you can instead propel yourself. When doing so, they move a number of feet in any direction equal to (the beam’s length × its width) ÷ 10, rounded down to the nearest 5. When attempting to land or grab onto an object, even if it would not incur falling damage, they must succeed a DC 12 Dexterity or Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, they fall prone or fail to grab the object.

Super Destructive Blast[edit]

Charging techniques can achieve devastating destructive power, capable of destroying mountains, moons, and even planets. This rule allows characters to unleash immense destruction on inanimate objects and landscapes without disrupting the balance of encounters involving creatures.

When using a charging technique, at specific points during the charge-up process, it becomes capable of immense destruction. The additional range and damage mentioned affect only objects and structures, not creatures. For techniques with Ki Points, Enhanced Charging's extra cost counts to the requirement, and for techniques without Ki (Such as Spirit Bomb and Revenge Death Ball) the rounds are counted instead as follows.

  • Charging Requirements:
  • 10 Ki Points or 5 Rounds for techniques without ki: Increases the attack's magnitude significantly. The length and width (if applicable) of the attack increase by 500 times the current range in feet, affecting only objects in the additional range and dealing double damage to them.
  • 15 Ki Points or 10 Rounds for techniques without ki: Converts the attack's range into the current range of the technique in miles, affecting only objects in the additional range and dealing triple damage to them.
  • 20 Ki Points or 15 Rounds for techniques without ki: Extends the attack's range to ten times the current range in miles, affecting only objects in the additional range and dealing quadruple damage to them.
  • 30 Ki Points or 25 Rounds for techniques without ki: Extends the attack's range to a hundred times the current range in miles, affecting only objects in the additional range and dealing quintuple damage to them.
  • Effect on Techniques:
  • Techniques with Length and Width (e.g., beams): Both dimensions increase by the specified multiplier, with the option to omit increasing width.
  • Techniques with Only Width (e.g., orbs): The width increases by the specified multiplier, with the option to omit increasing width.

One Currency System[edit]

While ki acts in a vacuum mechanically in 5e, in canon it's something of a universal lifeforce. This variant rule is intended to bring that concept into reality.

Spell Slot Ki Cost
1st level 1 ki
2nd level 2 ki
3rd level 3 ki
4th level 4 ki
5th level 5 ki
6th level 8 ki
7th level 10 ki
8th level 12 ki
9th level 15 ki

Further Beyond[edit]

Player Equivalent CR[edit]

Armor Modification[edit]

Weapon Modification[edit]

Tiered Weapon Weight[edit]

Additional Status Conditions[edit]

Drinking[edit]

More Actions[edit]

Fair Critical Hits[edit]

Partial Armor[edit]

Optional Rules[edit]

Additional Clash Reactions[edit]

On its turn, a creature can give up its action and/or bonus action to gain an extra reaction specifically for an Attack Clash until the start of its next turn. The total reactions gained this way can’t exceed the number of attacks it could normally make on its turn. If using these attacks would normally require spending a resource, it costs twice as much for each extra reaction. This offers a tactical choice when anticipating incoming attacks.

Classic Martial Arts Die[edit]

This variant rule is intended for DMs who just want their players to hit a little harder without using techniques at higher levels. Whenever your Martial Arts die increases, instead of changing the size of the die used, you instead roll 1 additional d4.

Alternative Unarmed Die[edit]

If you want to ‘improve’ the Unarmed Die but don't want to use the d4s, you can use this optional rule. It doesn't achieve the same power as d4s, but at the same time it prevents techniques from becoming too ‘powerful’, since some techniques benefit from unarmed dice.

You raise the Tier of the Unarmed Die by 1 (d4 -> d6 -> d8 -> d10 -> d12). Follow the normal table of unarmed dice, this will make the die start at 1d6 and end at 4d12.

Zeni and Other Currency[edit]

In the world of Dragon Ball, the normal Coins from D&D does not exist and other races have other Currency Systems. This rule can be used to better represent this part of the World.

Zeni: Inspired by the real world currency used in Japan (Yen), is the Currency used on Earth/by Earthlings, making it a currency that can only be used while interacting with Earthlings. 1 Zeni = 2 Copper Pieces, 5 Zeni = 1 Silver Pieces and 50 Zeni = 1 Gold Piece.

Pol: Used by the Freeza Empire, Pol are small hand sized "Sticks", There are three types of Pol: gold, silver/platinum, and dark blue. It is kept in dispensers. The value in Zeni was never stated, this allows the GM to choose between values that 1 Gold Pol worth in Zenis. The recommended value is 1 Gold Pol is worth 1 Gold Piece/50 Zenis, 1 Platinum Pol is worth 10 Gold Pol and 1 Dark Blue Pol worth 10 Platinum Pol.

Gammets/Alien Currency: Only show in the Dragon Ball GT, Gammets are the currency used in Planet Imecka. it was never stated in any source how much 1 Gammets worth in Zeni Currency, this allows the GM to choose between values that 1 Gammets are worth in Zenis. The recommended value is 1 Gammet is worth between 10 and 100 Zeni.

Hercule Badge: In GT Timeline Due to Earth setting to explode as a result of Baby's recent use of the Black Star Dragon Balls, the Dragon Team enlisted Mr. Satan to convince the people of Earth to cooperate with the evacuation to Planet Tuffle. Mr. Satan tells the people of Earth that those wearing his special badges to help them identify those "assigned" by him to assist with the evacuation. By this reason, it was never used as true currency in GT canon, but in Games like the Xenoverse series, they are used as reward that can be exchanged for Zenis. If a GM desire to use the Hercule Badges in campaign, the values are the following for it:

  • Hercule Badge (Common) - A common badge worth 500 Zeni.
  • Hercule Badge (Uncommon) - A uncommon badge worth 1500 Zeni.
  • Hercule Badge (Rare) - A rare badge worth 4000 Zeni.
  • Hercule Badge (Very Rare) - A super rare badge worth 7500 Zeni.
  • Hercule Badge (Legendary) - A legendary golden badge worth 15000 Zeni.

More Ki[edit]

In this game, creatures tend to run out of ki quickly when spending it every turn. This optional rule is for DMs who want characters to rely less on charging ki or using non-ki abilities. Double the maximum ki points of every creature, and any increase or decrease to their maximum ki points is doubled in the same way.

More Technique Slots[edit]

In this game, creatures that uses the Martial Artist have a amount of Technique slots equal to thier proficiency bonus, with the possibility to mix and match techniques by changing in rests. This optional rule is for DMs who wants characters to have more techniques and less focus in rests to change said techniques. The Technique Slots for the Martial Artist is the Wisdom Modifier + Proficiency Bonus. This way, the character has more reason to focus on Wisdom, along with increase the "potency" of thier Techniques DC and Bonus.

Also using this optional rule, you still can only change half of your proficiency bonus per long rest in Technique and you must use the base value of your Wisdom modifier, not counting any transformation bonuses you may have.

Cooperation Technique[edit]

With this optional rule, multiple creatures can use a single non-Transformation technique that they know. One willing creature uses their action, and any other willing creatures within 5 feet use their reactions. All creatures must spend 2/3 of the technique’s initial and charging cost (rounded up). Each creature using a technique after the first adds an additional 1/3 of the technique’s damage die to the final attack. If the technique requires charging, all creatures must concentrate on charging. The Ki attack bonus and DC used for this technique is the average of all creatures involved. If one creature loses concentration, the technique fails for all creatures.

Moving on Another Creature's Turn[edit]

Creating a Bio-Android[edit]


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