Expertise Design
The goal of expertise is to make characters feel beyond average, while proficiency is what characters are good at, expertise is what they are extraordinary at, those singular skills that they have honed to perfection. However 5e's implementation of this system is fundamentally flawed, when characters get expertise, they often get it in sums of 2 or 4, negating the idea of being an expert. Can you really be an expert in 4 things? If you want your rogue to be the master of stealth, they have to also be a master of three other things, which can diminish the experience for a player, they can no longer feel like they are an expert but just better proficient.
Design Goals
- Lower the amount of expertise obtained in game, especially by individual characters
- Attempt to resolve expertise 'breaking bounded accuracy'
- Create a new system for martials to engage with to boost their skills
- Create a clear mechanical difference between a martial being good at a skill and a caster being good at a skill.
- Fix expertise not hitting its design intentions.
New and Improved
Expertise at first level often means progression is limited for a character, you want your rogue to be good at stealth? Well the only meaningful choice for that is expertise at first level. Later I will tackle giving the expert classes replacements for expertise at first level. Firstyly, below I'm going to introduce you to two examples of the new mechanics , Expertise and Speciality, after they're introduced we will go onto how they are used in individual classes.
Expertise
You must be proficient in a skill to have expertise. Expertise grants you an additional +1 to checks made using that skill, this bonus increases to +2 at level 9 and +3 at level 13. Additionally you gain a unique ability dependent on the skill you have expertise in, these abilities are listed at the end. Also you can never have expertise in more than one skill.
Speciality
Having speciality in a skill grants a D4 to any ability check made with that skill. Whenever you gain another feature that grants speciality, you can choose to improve one of your existing specialities instead, improving the die size by one magnitude, so if it is a D4 it then becomes a D6, a D6 becomes a D8, a D8 becomes a D10 and finally, a D10 becomes a D12. A speciality can never be greater than a D12.
Martials & Speciality
The goal of speciality is to particularly allow non-mental stat classes to be good at mental skill checks as well. If you want to be the charismatic fighter, the probably most common troupe in fantasy, as 5e is designed you will never be as good at it as a caster. I do not want to step on the toes of casters however, this system is designed to give everyone their fair dues. Casters/ mental-stat classes are good at all their corresponding skill checks, a wizard is good at all 5 intelligence checks while a martial with speciality will just be great at one.
Speciality
A 2nd level feature for Fighters, Barbarians, Rogues and Monks
Your skills in the way of combat are far greater than most but not all battles can be won with the sword.
At 2nd level, you gain speciality in one skill of your choice that uses Wisdom, Charisma or Intelligence, having speciality in a skill grants a D4 to any ability check made with that skill.
At levels 5, 9, 13 and 17, you can again gain speciality in one skill of your choice that uses Wisdom, Charisma or Intelligence, or you can choose to improve one of your existing specialities instead, improving the die size by one magnitude, so if it is a D4 it then becomes a D6, a D6 becomes a D8, a D8 becomes a D10 and finally, a D10 becomes a D12. A speciality can never be greater than a D12.
The Rogue
Now from a design standpoint, Rogues are supposed to be the skill check class, getting at level 11 to basically never fail. We want to keep in line this design, by cutting the amount of expertise they can have, they need compensation. They gain the speciality feature above along with:
Professional Work
Replaces Rogues 1st level expertise class feature
A professional never fails, you gain 3 knack points. Whenever you make an ability check that adds your proficiency bonus or a speciality die, you can spend one knack point to roll an additional d20. You can choose to spend one of your knack points after you roll the die, but before the outcome is determined. You choose which of the d20s is used for the ability check.
You regain all your expended knack points when you finish a long rest.
Expertise
Replaces 6th level expertise feature for Rogue
Starting at level 6, You gain expertise in one skill of your choice for which you are proficient, granting you an additional +1 to checks made using that skill, this bonus increases to +2 at level 9 and +3 at level 13. Additionally, you gain a unique ability dependent on the skill you have expertise in, these abilities are listed at the end. Also you can never have expertise in more than one skill.
The Artificer
Tool Speciality
Replaces the artificers 6th level feature Tool Expertise
Starting at 6th level, you can pick one of your tool proficiencies to gain a D6 speciality, allowing you to add a D6 to any ability check made using that tool. When you reach 10th level, this increases to a D8, at 13th level to a D10 and at 17th to a D12.
Additionally you gain proficiency in two tools of your choice.
The Bard
Expertise always felt odd on Bards, thematically, mechanically and even historically bard were good at a lot of skills, hence their jack of all trades feature. Their unique class design is being good at everything, a master of none, so why did they make them the single best skill check class is confusing. So my goals here are to further their class identity as a jack of all trades. Eventually in A6E, we will be redesigning each class so can look further into giving the bard more then, but for your current game:
Jack of All Trades
Changes the bards 2nd level Jack of All Trades Feature
Starting at 2nd level, you can add half your proficiency bonus, rounded up, to any ability check you make that doesn't already include your proficiency bonus.
Now this might seem like nothing but for tier 2, where skill checks still heavily feature, they get an additional +1 to everything! This allows the class to lean more heavily into the good at everything archetype.
Expertise
Replaces 3rd & 10th level expertise feature for Bard
Starting at level 10, You gain expertise in one skill of your choice for which you are proficient, granting you an additional +2 to checks made using that skill, increasing to +3 at level 13. Additionally you gain a unique ability dependent on the skill you have expertise in, these abilities are listed at the end. Also you can never have expertise in more than one skill.
The Ranger
The ranger was really given expertise as a sort of band-aid fix to its original release, so this is more of a better band-aid for them, eventually in A6E we will give them a better overhaul but for now:
Uncanny Skill
Replaces the 1st level ranger feature Canny
At 2nd level you gain Speciality in one skill of your choice that uses Wisdom, Charisma or Intelligence, having speciality in a skill grants a D4 to any check made with that skill. Whenever you gain this feature again, you can instead choose to improve one of your existing specialities, improving the die size by one magnitude, so if it is a D4 it then becomes a D6, a D6 becomes a D8, a D8 becomes a D10 and finally, a D10 becomes a D12.
You gain this feature again at level 6 and 10.
Specialised Environment
Addition to the rangers 1st level feature Natural Explorer
When you make a skill check related to your favoured terrain or creatures that live within it, you gain a D6 speciality dice. At level 4, this die increases to a D8, at level 6 to a D10 and at level 8 to a D12
Acrobatics Expertise
Your balance is honed to perfection.
While you are conscious, no effect can make you go prone unless you allow it. Additionally, while in nonmagical restraints such as manacles or while being grappled by a creature, you can forgo all your movement to automatically escape.
Animal Handling Expertise
Your connection to the creatures of the land is near unmatched.
You may converse and understand all beasts at will as if you cast the spell speak with animals, additionally you can give complex commands to beasts such as “fetch a healing potion from my bag,” “watch for intruders,” or “follow the scent on this rag” as long as the animal is not loyal to another.
Arcana Expertise
Your understanding of the weave and the fundamentals of magic are far above most in your field.
You can cast the identify spell at will without the necessary material components.
Additionally, you can detect the faint auras left behind from magic. As an action, you can open your senses to the weave, if a spell has been cast within 30ft of you in the last 24 hours; then you know both the spell that was cast and when. You can use this trait a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
Athletics Expertise
Your body is the perfect form.
You can push past your normal limits for a moment, on each of your turns you can do one of the following:
- Jump a distance equal to your movement speed.
- Lift twice your normal lifting capacity.
- Move at normal speed while carrying or dragging another creature.
Deception Expertise
You are a master of deceit, you have no tells.
Any creature who is not proficient in insight can never tell if your lying. Additionally, any spells that would determine if you are telling the truth or compel you to do so, have no effect on you.
History Expertise
Your knowledge of the world and its lore is unmatched.
Spending 8 hours in study, you can do deep research on a name, person, place or object as if you had cast the legend lore spell, you can forgo materials components when casting the spell in this way. Once you use this ability, you can't do so again until a week has passed.
Insight Expertise
You fundamentally understand the emotions that drive people and can tap into their true reasons.
Over the course of a minute while conversing with another creature, you can attempt to make them reveal the truth to you without the use of magic or trickery. The creature must make a contested deception check against your insight, if they loose then the next question you ask them they will answer honestly and without any suspicion of magic. You can only use this ability once on a person.
Intimidation Expertise
You place fear in the very air you breath.
You become immune to the frightened condition. Additionally, the area in a 10 foot radius around you is considered difficult terrain for creatures of your choice, creatures immune to being frightened are not affected by this feature.
Investigation Expertise
The world can no longer hide its secrets from you.
Your ability to investigate what occurred in area greatly improves, now you see a culmination of the clues like being able to visit the past. If it's a murder scene for example, you might see how the victim was murdered and by what based on the blood spatters and where they fell, you wouldn't see the perpetrators face but you would gain information of the major events that took place in the area.
Medicine Expertise
Your understanding of the bodies of creatures and their ailments is unmatched.
You can take the stabilize action as a bonus action.
Additionally, you always know the cure to any none magical ailment, if there is one, and how you could create it.
As well, whenever you heal a creature using non-magical means, they gain double the amount of healing.
Nature Expertise
Your knowledge of the natural world is far beyond your peers.
Choose one type of creature: beasts, dragons, or monstrosities. Once per turn, when you deal damage to a creature of the chosen type, you can add your Intelligence modifier (minimum of 1) or the speciality die you use for this skill to the damage.
Additionally, you have advantage on all checks to harvests materials from nature or animals and to use the herbalism kit.
Perception Expertise
Your sight sees more in a day than most will ever perceive.
You become immune to the deafened and blinded condition. Additionally, you can see into the Ethereal Plane, out to a range of 60ft.
Performance Expertise
Your art can even hold the attention of the gods.
You complete a special performance for your allies over 10 minutes which can occur during a short or long rest, then they, along with you, gain the following bonuses:
- Temporary hit points equal to your performance bonus until your next LR
- Advantage on their first attack or saving throw
- The first creature to be reduced to 0 hit points but not killed outright, drops to 1 hit point instead.
You must finish a long rest before you can complete this special performance again.
Persuasion Expertise
Speech is an extension of your very will.
When you persuade someone to become your ally, you gain the ability For my Comrades, you can only ever have a singular use of this ability at once, even if you persuade multiple people.
For my Comrades
You stand up when most would stay down for the ones you inspire, you may use your action to end all negative conditions on yourself.
Religion Expertise
Your knowledge of the gods and their worshipers in unparalleled.
You know very well the personal desires of the gods and know who is best to call upon in a time of need. As an action, you can call to a specific god and dependent on their alignment gain an effect:
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If the god has a good alignment, you cast revivify without the necessary material components.
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If the god has a neutral alignment, you cast fly at 3rd level on yourself, however you do not need to concentrate and the spell lasts its full duration.
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If the god has a evil alignment, you cast Bestow Curse at 5th level, causing the spell to last 8 hours and not require concentration.
You can only call upon a god in this fashion once per week and once you call upon a god, you can not call that particular god again without their permission, it is also up to the GM to decide any repercussions for calling upon a god in this fashion.
Sleight of Hand Expertise
Your hands hide from the eyes of gods.
You can use a bonus action to make a Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check, use tools your proficient in, or take the Use an Object action. Additionally, you can make an additional object interaction on each of your turns.
Stealth Expertise
You are only seen when you wish to be seen.
When you are hidden from a creature and miss or hit it with a ranged weapon attack, making the attack doesn't reveal your position.
Survival Expertise
Nothing has killed you yet and you don't plan on changing that.
You are unaffected by non-magical difficult terrain. You've become use to the harsh world, you are not effected by exhaustion until you have 3 levels of it, which then you feel the effects of exhaustion as normal.
Additionally, you gain a bonus to your death saving throws equal to your wisdom bonus (minimum of 1).
Expertise Feat
Prerequisite: level 10
You gain expertise in one skill of your choice for which you are proficient, granting you an additional +2 to checks made using that skill, increasing to +3 at level 13. Additionally you gain a unique ability dependent on the skill you have expertise in, these abilities are listed at the end. Also you can never have expertise in more than one skill.
Actual 6th Edition
With OneDND set on being closer to a 5.1 than a real 6th edition, I like many within the community are frustrated by the lack of experimentation from the designers and their seeming unwillingness to fix any of the real problems the game faces. I am but a humble long time homebrewer but I believe a person outside that of a mega corporation is what is needed to create the next great edition.
What makes this project different?
While they're are many great 5e based systems out there, there is none that seem to do what many people want, make 5e better. Not a game with some 5e elements, not a mix between 5e and another system, not a game that changes the fundamentals that made 5e so great. A game that stays in line with the great design philosophies of 5e while fixing the problems that have come apparent during its ten year run, thats what a good chunk of the community have shown me they want and I hope with my passion I can complete this task for my game and everyones.
Design Philosophy
First: Rules stay light in roleplay to not inhibit the expression of story and remain heavy in combat but never to a hindering amount.
Second: The GM is there to have fun, the rules they utilize should never hinder this, the GM should have the ability to adapt to situations knowing the rules are their to support them.
Third: This system shall remain playable for the less savvy players and those who search for depth. Whether possible the player should have the option of complexity or simplicity.
Community Engagement
First and foremost, this project will tackle the problems that the community as a whole agree on. Throughout the project, I will release updates and supplements to be playtested by those who would intend to use them and then use feedback provided to improve the system as a whole. There should be no surprises when this project finishes, those who engage shall already know what to expect, too many times have people been burnt by projects failing to live up to their promises. If you want to be a part, please join us on the discord or give feedback on my reddit posts.
Helping
If you would like to add any 5e problems or missing systems to the list on the right or talk about your thoughts on creating A6E, the best place to talk to me is in the discord:
Problems to Fix
Problem Status Expertise WIP Fighting Styles Pending Adventuring Day Pending Encounter Design/CR Pending SR/LR Disparity WIP Martial/Caster Disparity WIP High level Problem spells WIP Monster Complexity Pending Mounted Combat Pending Tools Pending Darkvision Pending Bad DMG Pending Tiers of play Pending Class Design WIP* Backgrounds WIP
Missing Systems to Add
System Status Downtime WIP GM Game Choice Pending GM running the game advice Pending Exploration Rules Pending Mass Combat Rules Pending Tools/Spells for mystery based arcs Pending
Fixing Expertise
A complete overhaul to the 5e expertise system designed to make expertise more interesting and impactful, while adding a unique skill expression for martials.
Version 0.2 Created by /u/TheBritishDM
Artist Credits:
Covers - Thanks for the fish - Nord-sol
Page 2 - Killian of Nore - Barret Frymire
page 4 - The Speech - NQS Bach
Back art - Greg Rutkowski - Rise of the Overlords
Additional A6E content and other TheBritishDM Homebrew content, including system redesigns can be found for free on GM Binder.
This work includes material taken from the System Reference Document 5.1 (“SRD 5.1”) by Wizards of the Coast LLC and available at https://dnd.wizards.com/resources/systems-reference-document. The SRD 5.1 is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License available at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode.