Challenge Run Rules (from Reddit)

[balduransbones]

Yes, another challenge run ruleset. No, I never did play with the Nuzlocke rules properly. But I found this post on Reddit Challenge Runs on top of Honour Mode -- who's in? and it got me thinking.

I tweaked OP's rules, added & tweaked some rules from a commenter, and here's what I've come up with:

1. One Life: Play on Honour Mode OR a Custom Difficulty with Single Save enabled.
2. Limited Long Rests: Restrict the total number of long rests and when they can be taken.
   
   • You should rest to level up. Can only level up between initiating a Long Rest and leaving camp.
   • You cannot rest with enemies nearby. Cannot Short Rest while hiding / in stealth.
   • Ancient Sigil Circle Camps: Can only Long Rest once per unique Ancient Sigil Circle on a map. Must initiate the Long Rest by travelling to camp via the Sigil Circle. (You can bounce in and out of camp for swapping party members, etc., normally, however.)
3. Three's the Magic Number: Attunement rules apply! Characters are limited to 3 Attuned magic items at a time. Since Attunement isn't a built-in game mechanic, simulate "attuning" by Short or Long Resting before equipping the item. Can un-attune one item and attune another in the same rest. See below for details on what exactly requires attunement.
4. No pick-pocketing merchants. Especially not to steal spent money back or do "reverse pickpocket" cheese. (Not actually a challenge for me, because I don't pickpocket normally, but I like making it an explicit commitment.)
5. Critical Failure is Final! No using Inspiration to reroll Critical Fails.
6. RAW Resurrection: Cannot use the starting Scrolls of Revivify. Must always cast Revivify, within 10 Turns (1 minute), on a physical body (not a soul mote). Only Clerics and Bards can use Scrolls of Revivify, if any are looted or bought, and same time limit applies.
   
   • Raise Dead: Simulate the casting of Raise Dead (5th-level Necromancy) by having a Cleric or Bard "waste" a 5th-level spell slot and then revive the companion via Withers. Body must be within Touch range of the caster and cannot have died more than 10 days ago.
   • True Resurrection: Gale's scroll can, of course, be earned and used as normal. To use Withers' actual True Resurrection, "pay" 2500 GP + 1 diamond by discarding the gold & diamond into a random container outside of camp. This is the only way to resurrect someone without a physical body, at any time.
     
     • Considering RAW True Rez costs 25,000 gp in diamonds, this is still a hefty discount!
   • Bonus: "Pay" for all spellcaster Revivify and Raise Dead spells as with True Resurrection. Revivify cost = 300 gold OR a diamond. Raise Dead cost = 100 GP AND a diamond (this is in addition to the gold spent with Withers).
7. Faerun's Fast Travel: Diegetic fast travel only. Must interact directly with a Sigil Circle to teleport to another Sigil Circle.
8. Barrelmancy Banned: No sending barrels to camp. No fast travelling with smokepowder.
9. Who Carries the Chest? For people (like me) who yearn for meaningful encumbrance.
   
   • No Magic Pockets: No sending any items back to camp. You have to pick up and carry all your loot back to camp yourself. This should put limits on the loot you can get from no-rest dungeons/combat areas. (And may help limit the sheer number of books I loot for no reason lmao.)
   • Bonus Options (pick one):
     
     • Only what you can carry. Do not use the Camp Chest at all. Party members (and hirelings!) must carry everything.
     • Carry Your Consumables: No storing of consumables, including food, in the camp chest.
     • Trail Rations: Can use the Camp Chest for everything EXCEPT food, which must be stored exclusively in party inventories.

So that's my tentative ruleset! Gonna try it out this weekend, and will report back.

General Attunement Rules

• Legendary items always require attunement.
• Story/Quest items (orange outlines) do not require attunement. This takes precedence over rarity.
• Ammunition and consumables never require attunement. This takes precdence over rarity.
• As a rule of thumb, an item requires attunement IF:
  
  • it grants bonus magical-type damage (e.g. cold, force, psychic, necrotic, etc.)
  • it grants bonus spell slots, at-will spells (1st-level and up), or multiple spells (not including cantrips)
  • it grants a feature, ability, or buff that is always active or unlimited, including buffs to skills, saves, and ability scores
• As a rule of thumb, an item does NOT require attunement if the only benefits it provides are one or more of the following:
  
  • basic +1/+2/+3 enchantments on armour & weapons
  • features/benefits that can be described as "made really well" or "really good at being a sword", etc.
  • player-crafted gear (Adamantine, Sussur, 'combine X fragments')
  • gear made by Dammon for the player
  • it grants a cantrip (limited or at-will), one limited-use spell, or one limited-use spell + a cantrip
    
    • "limited-use" typically refers to the "can only be used once per Short or Long Rest" limitation

Specific Item Rules: Attunement NOT Required

• Buffs damage done to certain types of enemies (e.g. dragons, undead)
• Specifically/passively targets certain types of enemies (e.g. undead)
• Adds bonus weapon-type damage to a weapon (bludgeoning / piercing / slashing)
• Weapons with abilities that are essentially "sharp blade makes you bleed", "heavy crossbow hits hard", etc. Refer to the following list:
  
  • "Advantage on Stealth checks", Bloodletting, Colossal Onslaught, Deepflesh Slice, Diamondsbane, Gargantuan Cleave, Githborn Psionic Weapon, Heavy Hitter, Infernal Weapon, Interplanar Slayer, Lethal Weapon, Melee Caster, Part the Flesh, Perfectly Balance Strike, Razor Gale, Revenant Scourge, Rupturing, Sanctified Weapon, Staff of the Ram, Torturous Edges, Undead Bane, Whirlwind Attack
• Weapons that must be bound by a Blade Pact Warlock or an Eldritch Knight
• Armours with features that are essentially "well-crafted / made with good materials". Refer to the following list:
  • Ambusher, Balance, Exceptional Plate, Exotic Material, Force Absorption, Stealthy, Superior Material, Superior Padding, Superior Plate.
• Rings default to not requiring attunement. There are 4 exceptions: Ring of Exalted Marrow and Shifting Corpus Ring (grant 2 spells each), and the matching True Love's Caress / Embrace rings (for thematic / narrative reasons).

Specific Items

• Attunement NOT required: Elven Chain armour; Absolute's Brand gear; "green" rarity Clothing-type armour, Ironwood Club, Shining Staver-of-Skulls, Staff of Arcane Blessing, The Undead Bane, the "medical tool" weapons from the House of Healing, Clown Hammer, most grey/common gear
• Phalar Aluve: Requires Attunement, character who performs the ritual to remove it from the stone is automatically & immediately Attuned.
• Infernal Rapier: May only be wielded by Wyll. Does not require Attunement.
• Assassin of Bhaal Cowl, Amulet of Bhaal: Require Attunement. Unholy Assassins are considered automatically & immediately Attuned.
• The Deathstalker Mantle: The Dark Urge does not need to Attune or spend an Attunement Slot. All other characters must Attune as normal.
• Khalid's Gift: Jaheira does not need to Attune or spend an Attunement Slot. All other characters must Attune as normal.
• Sentient Amulet: Treat as a Cursed item, permanently attached to the character who first interacts with it (unless Remove Curse is cast on them). It is automatically & immediately Attuned to that character and occupies 1 Attunement Slot. Cast Remove Curse during a Long Rest to unequip. Any attunement to the item or interaction with it before breaking the curse will cause it to be attached to the interacting character, even if they are at their Attunement limit. (If so, remove the lowest rarity Attuned item.) Once it is no longer cursed, treat as a standard Attunement item.
• Shadowheart's Dark Justiciar gear that she receives during her Dark Justiciar magical girl transformation does not need to be Attuned to by her, nor does it take up Attunement slots for her. The same applies to either version of the Spear of Night. Anyone else using any of these items must Attune as normal.

Wondrous Items (No Attunement Required)

• Accessories: Aberration Hunters’ Amulet, Komira’s Locket, Silver Pendant, Tarnished Charm, Spellcrux Amulet, Unflinching Protector Amulet, and honestly most other amulets, I'm not typing them all
  
  • The Amulet of Windrider and The Spectator Eyes both require Attunement.
• Cloaks: Cloak of Elemental Absorption, Reverse Rain Cloak, Mantle of the Holy Warrior, Nymph Cloak
• Footwear: Hoarfrost Boots, Acrobat Shoes, Boots of Apparent Death, Boots of Brilliance, Boots of Genial Striding, Evasive Shoes, Spaceshunt Boots, Disintegrating Night Walkers
• Gloves: Gloves of Hail of Thorns, Gloves of Thievery, Knock Knuckle Gloves, Nimblefinger Gloves, Troubadour’s Wonder
• Headwear: Circle of Bones, Circlet of Blasting, Shadow of Menzoberranzan
• Shields: The Real Sparky Sparkswall, Wood Woad Shield, Shield of Scorching Reprisal, Shield of Shielding, Abdel's Trusted Shield