This Page is an Archive – these rules are no longer in use
D20 Chaos One-Shots are a chance to try out the very best characters against ridiculous odds. Every month the gauntlet is laid down to players to make a Level 20 build to group up and take on epic trials and god-like evil creatures. Are you up to the challenge?
Each themed event is spread over a week, with multiple sessions scheduled for different parties to face the challenge (usually 10 sessions, at least one per day, 6 players per session). In the weeks leading up to it each player can sign up to a single upcoming session, but in the final days players can opt to play in multiple session to fill in any gaps in the other parties as well.
There are two main types of event – Chaos Escape (challenges vary between low-combat puzzle/sneaky problems to high-combat arena clashes and Boss battles) and Chaos Towers (either Attack or Defences style, but high-combat all the way).
Character and Magic Item rules change each time to keep things interesting, but expect level 20 with a range of powerful items (always wanted to try that particular Legendary?) and a big pile of gold to spend!
Create your character sheet in D&D Beyond using the campaign link supplied in the discord Rules channel, which will allow you to select from all officially published races and classes. Unless specifically excluded in a particular month (for example due to theme) content from any any official published Wizards of the Coast DnD 5e book (including Critical Role) can be used in the one-shot, for magic items, races, classes etc.
Basic Build
- Players make a Level 20 Character
- Standard Array or Point Buy
- HP is Fixed Formula
- No Homebrew or Unearthed Arcana except what I provide for the specific theme
- Players will use the Variant Encumbrance rules
- Players start with the Gold Buy option (roll for gold, no starting equipment)
- Players start with the following
- 10,000 Extra Gold (10k)
- 6 Magic items (may be Consumable items or single-use temporary effects)
- All items can be any rarity up to Legendary
- If all of these items are Very-Rare or lower then you can pick ONE epic bonus:
- an Artifact from the list below (see approved Artifacts)
- an Epic Boon (see DMG A-P and Q-Z)
- an Epic Feat from the list below (see Epic Feats)
- 14 workweeks of downtime
Approved Sources
- All Official Races are approved for use except for Custom Lineage, Variant Human, and any race now marked as Legacy (since publication of Monsters of the Multiverse)
- All Official Sub-Races are approved for use including Critical Role variants
- All Official Backgrounds are approved for use including Custom Backgrounds
- All Official Classes are approved for use including Critical Role classes
- All Official Sub-Classes/Archetypes are approved for use including Critical Role sub-classes
- Multiclassing is allowed up to a maximum of 3 classes
- Tasha’s Cauldron Customize your Origin and Optional Class features are approved
- All Official Feats are approved for use except Aberrant Dragonmark, Svirfneblin Magic and Lucky
- All Official Spells are approved for use except Wish and Simulacrum
- Players will be given one free Feat with every race, unless you get a feat already with your background (Strixhaven) or pick an Epic feat as your bonus.
- All Official WOTC Books are approved for magic items, summons, and familiars
- Players may select Themed Homebrew Feats, Backgrounds, or Items provided by me in place of their normal selections
Magic Items & Crafting
- Cannot attune to or benefit from more than one magic item of the same name (+1/+2 count as the same)
- No more than 6 magic items with the same name (scrolls, etc) in your inventory (except healing potions)
- Any Item attuned to a creature under your control (Familiars, Companions, etc.) counts against your character’s normal attuned items limit (usually 3)
- Players can use their downtime for the following
- Use Gold to buy Mundane equipment, Healing potions, Spell/Crafting components, or Consumable magic items
- Craft Consumable Magic Items up to Very Rare rarity
- Training – 1 skill, tool or language learned in (10 – INT modifier) weeks – costs 100gp per week for trainer.
- Players must provide a list of items they have crafted or purchased to be signed off by an admin (to be cross-checked against rules for crafting and item prices)
- Firearms or Future tech cannot be used except for my themed items where appropriate
- Players may choose only one Tome or Manual, and/or only one Chaos Book
- Players who use the following items will have tweaks made to the items
- Broom of Flying requires holding on with one hand while in the air
- Blackstaff has no Master of Enchantment feature
- Potion of Giant-Size either grants the extra HP or Extra Damage, not both.
- Spell Gems require the spell’s normal casting time when the gem is used (acts as a reusable scroll)
- Dragon Masks can only heal from damage dealt by a hostile creature (no friendly fire or terrain damage)
- Artifacts are unique, so only one player per group can wield each one.
- Akmon, Hammer of Purphoros does not give immunity to exhaustion.
- Nether Scroll, for gaining the benefits the DC to read is increased to 30
Gameplay Tweaks
Please be mindful of other players and don’t use strategies that will significantly limit them being able to participate or have fun. To keep the game running as quickly and smoothly as possible, the following extra rules apply to our level 20 games:
- Players will have a time limit of 2 minutes for their turn (movement, bonus action, action – prepare outside your turn and make sure you can complete all your actions in this time!)
- Players may have a max of your Proficiency Bonus tokens under your control on the board (6 for level 20)
- Players should have a minimum AC of 18 and a maximum of 28
- Spellcasters should have a minimum Spellcasting DC of 18 and a maximum of 28 (all casting classes)
- Players will not be given a Short or a Long Rest during the event
- No spell effects can be active at the start of the game, anything cast during downtime will have expired unless it has an indefinite duration (until dispelled)
- Druids can pick up to 6 beast forms to use in combat (does not affect roleplay or exploration)
- Divine Intervention can only be used to heal creatures you can see using their own hit dice
- An Artificer can only choose one “Replicate Magic Item” Infusion
- Players can’t use Mythic or Legendary Actions from a creature’s stat block (Legendary Resistances are ok)
- Magic items are always absorbed into a Shape changed or Wildshaped form unless the new form is the same size class and has the same size body part (e.g. hand/head) as your original form
- Cannot trade, sell or share magic items, or team up for crafting (only share healing potions)
- Leftover gold can be donated to the party
Dark Souls
Dark Souls mode is taking a break.
Epic Feats
Coming soon…
Approved Artifacts
- Akmon, Hammer of Purphoros (Mythic Odysseys of Theros)
- Axe of the Dwarvish Lords (Dungeon Master’s Guide)
- Blade of Avernus (Balder’s Gate: Descent into Avernus)
- Blade of Broken Mirrors (Explorer’s Guide to Wildemount)
- Dekella, Bident of Thassa (Mythic Odysseys of Theros)
- Ephixis, Bow of Nylea (Mythic Odysseys of Theros)
- Grovelthrash (Explorer’s Guide to Wildemount)
- Khrusor, Spear of Heliod (Mythic Odysseys of Theros)
- Lash of Shadows (Explorer’s Guide to Wildemount)
- Mace of the Black Crown (Explorer’s Guide to Wildemount)
- Mastix, Whip of Erebos (Mythic Odysseys of Theros)
- Orb of Dragonkind (Player’s Handbook)
- Ring of Winter (Tomb of Annihilation)
- Ruin’s Wake (Explorer’s Guide to Wildemount)
- Silken Spite (Explorer’s Guide to Wildemount)
- Sword of Kas (Dungeon Master’s Guide)
- The Bloody End (Explorer’s Guide to Wildemount)
- Will of the Talon (Explorer’s Guide to Wildemount)