Extending 5E

Part of the appeal of 5E is the large variety of settings and game styles available. While they all build on top of the core 5E game mechanics, these settings and styles also frequently bring their own twists as well. Many of these we have been able to support just by allowing the creation of everything from custom races and classes to items and custom types. Working with content providers, we have also discovered the need for more basic changes to the character sheet. Our new support for extensions addresses this need.

Extensions are a new type that describes changes to the character sheet. For characters outside of a campaign, players can pick the extensions for each character. For characters in a campaign, the GM picks them at the campaign level.

This initial release of extensions focuses on adding options to the character sheet. Future versions will allow extensions to focus options available when making choices in the character sheet. For example, highlight races, classes, or backgrounds appropriate for a campaign setting or to similarly discourage ones that are not appropriate.

In this release, extensions provide support for extra languages, new skills and new character options. To allow more powerful combinations, extensions can be combined with the another new feature called restrictions, described below.

Languages

Configure a list of extra languages that are available anytime the user has the option to pick any language. Added languages also appear when picking languages for any feature modeling. Selected languages will display on the character sheet even if enabled extensions don’t specifically add them.

Skills

Configure a list of skills that show up on the character sheet at the bottom of the skills section. Each skill provides a name and an ability score for the skill. Enabled skills show anytime a feature gives an option to pick proficiency in any skill. Added skills also appear when picking skills for any feature modeling. Note: selected skills will only display on the character sheet if there is an extension enabling them.

Character Options

Character options provide a more generic extension to the character sheet allowing for new features and trackable counts. All of the character options have an option name, an optional set of features and can be required or optional. The features operate the same as features for classes or races including supporting user options, for example to have the character pick a feat. Required features will generate a hint box at the top of the character sheet if they are not configured. This allows you to have features that may not be required for all characters. There are four character option types:

• Counter: counters allow you to track a numeric value on the character sheet. Typical usage would be to track a rank or level on the character sheet. This value only changes when a user makes a change.

• Uses: similar to a counter, but instead of showing as a number it shows with usage bubbles. Typical usage would be to track something with a small count, like inspiration.

• Pick: a pick provides the ability for the user to select a custom type. Typical usage would be to pick a faction or patron god that provides some additional abilities.

• Features Only: just shows the configured features and any options that they may have. Typical usage would be for a simple feature addition like pick a feat.

Character options display directly below languages on the character sheet.

Restrictions

In many cases, tracking a counter on the character sheet goes beyond just showing the number and comes with different features based on the value of the counter. To support this scenario there is a new restriction option for features. Restricted features only show up on the character sheet and enable the feature attributes if the restriction is met. The restriction can be based on the character level (not the class level) or on a character option value. This could enable a faction to have different abilities based on the character’s rank or renown. The screenshot below shows an example of restricting a faction feature to members with Faction: Rank of 1.

Starting Extensions

To get you started with extensions we’ve included a couple of common extensions in the Shard Player’s Guide.

• Heroic Feat: allows character to immediately pick a feat.

• Inspiration: adds an inspiration counter to character sheet along with usage instructions.

Build your own extensions and tell us about it here or on any of our social channels.

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