Campaign Summary:

3-20+: You begin at 3 to signify having gone through training. There are some fun Elder Dragons at higher levels. Like Furious Rajang.

Politics: Low, but might rear it's head depending on how the story develops. 

Roleplaying: Medium to high. – A lot of concepts and even additional systems are based around immersion and the feel of the MH games.

Tactics (as in combat): Medium to high. – That doesn’t mean you have to min-max everything, the new weapons bring some good punches to the party.

Pace: Moderate. You will travel across the world in great distances for hunts, but there will be opportunities for downtime in cities and towns as well.

Group Size: Small. Currently planning for 3-4.

Player Expectations:

This is a Monster Hunter campaign set in the Old World. Having only played MHW, obviously my knowledge is derived from that and the information found online and in the conversion. That being said, MH story is not necessarily known to be super deep.

This campaign is quite literally monster of the week with immersive fluff around it. The story will mainly lead you through the world and introduce reasons to fight stronger monsters. Don't expect Shakespeare.

This universe has its own Monster Manual inspired by the Monster Hunter games. That means standard creatures and classifications don't see as much use as a regular campaign (i.e. Fey, Fiends and everything in between). The Monster Hunter bestiary introduces its own classifications, such as Wyverns and Leviathans. When creating a character that has abilities targeting a specific type, take this change into account.

Since you will be a full party (4), there will be no palico companions. But I am considering giving you palamutes down the line if there is demand for it; primarily as transport (and passive support).

In the Monster Hunter games, you are basically a powerful warrior, with no magical ability, that swings around a giant sword or fires arrows at the creature you are hunting. That is not the case in a Monster Hunter styled D&D game. The Monster Hunter Universe was created with all official classes and races in mind. You will find weapons and monster materials, and even factions that grant extra spells to spellcasters throughout this guide and its companion book the Monster Hunter Monster Loot Tables.

That being said, I highly suggest leaning more toward lesser magical classes, since much of the MH feel comes from fighting with your fancy weapons rather than throwing spells. Classes like Fighter and Ranger lend themselves very well for this campaign. They are also the classes with the most weapon proficiencies (followed by Barbarian and Paladin). Don't feel like you need to rely on a caster to support you. The expanded items list is full of support items that pack a punch.

Magical items do not exist in Monster Hunter the same way that they do in a normal D&D game. You cannot find or obtain a Flame Tongue Long sword, a Staff of Frost or any other magical armor, weapon, or wondrous items. Instead, when you kill or capture a creature, the party receives a number of materials that can be inserted into their weapons and armor to gain their magical effects. You can also search for resources to craft other useful tools, like potions. Think of it as a "create your own magical items." Some one-time use or very unique magic items might rarely exist at my discretion. You get them if you get them, don't expect to be able to go shopping for them.

If it's not already obvious, this  is a campaign full of 3rd party material. There are adjustments to existing equipment, races, and some class features. Because of this, I ask you use the resources on this site as basis for building your character. The Class features in particular are primarily from Giffyglyph. These have been playtested and I do consider them sensible improvements. While most can be considered buffs, I see it as something to offset the lack of multiclassing availability.

I’d also like to introduce several house rules that are aimed at giving the campaign a little realism and help you settle into the adventure's concept. While some might feel punishing at first glance, they generally also offer the possibility of being a boon or are offset by something else. We will decide as a group on some of these (there are some where I will put my foot down). With that said, if you have a house rule or system that you’d really like to adapt, please contact me with the material (eg, I am still deciding on a crafting system that is not too convoluted, and have yet to review the multiple poison systems I have). Note that if at any point in the campaign a system or rule turns out to not work for this group, there is always the option to vote it off the island.

This campaign will be played on discord, foundry vtt, and using this site to log progress (you'll still be expected to keep notes). Further information and lore will "unlock" as you explore the world in the adventure. A text rp channel exists for potential exchanges to be had during longer downtimes or similar. In session rolls may be done with dice, foundry, or avrae, but during character creation I ask that you roll any required dice (like bonus attribute and wealth) in avrae, announcing what you are rolling for before you do so. As for character sheets, I have not looked too closely at foundry yet, so not 100% clear on how everything works, but because of the customized state of... well a lot, dndbeyond does not seem like a feasible solution without investing a lot of time into adding the homebrew stuff, which would just double my work since that likely will have to be a thing in foundry also. Because I'll be hosting myself, I suggest keeping a manual, personal sheet on the side, because foundry won't be up 24/7. To some degree kanka.io can be used to track character details and story (there is even an option to keep certain aspects of the character private).

Character Creation:

Starting Place: This party will be made up of  a group of Hunters, making their way in the Old World. The Story is more open ended.

Morality: Eberron rules: Alignment are like the pirate code – a guideline rather than a rule. Race does not necessarily define one’s relationship to good and evil. That does not mean those concepts are absent in this world. People can be good, people can be evil. That being said, you will be a team of upstanding hunters, meaning you have been through training teaching you right from wrong when it comes to hunting. One person's evil deeds will reflect on the entire group. No outright evil characters please. 

Starting level: Level 1. Progression is milestone based.

Ability Scores:

Races: Some races have adjustments to them, so use what is listed and not from other sources (Check Race Patch Notes for a rough summary). Races do not provide stat bonuses or penalties. Instead, add +2 to one stat, +1 to a second stat, or alternatively +1 to 3 separate stats of your choice. Proficiency Swaps are allowed (ASI and Languages are already flexible as is), however Custom Lineages are not. (Though you are welcome to adjust visuals with a mixed lineage in mind) Some races (Like Ancient Wyverians) are not available for players to play, since they simply would not fit into the setup of the group (team of newbie everyman hunters).

Backgrounds: Unique Backgrounds are available. These backgrounds are closely tied to your place in the Hunting Guild and your role in the party. If you take one of the non-Hunting Guild backgrounds, be aware that some services might be limited, however you are able to attain renown with the Hunting Guild nonetheless, as they have close ties to research institutions.

Classes & Subclasses: Artificers do not exist. Multiclassing is not a thing. Certain subclasses might be more difficult to work into the setting than others, so make sure to run your choice by me. Changing Subclasses can be discussed on a case by case basis. Check the Class Patch Notes for some adjustments and comments on Tasha stuff. Additionally, spell lists have been expanded.

Skills: Most skills in a Monster Hunter styled campaign have the exact same uses as they do in a standard Dungeons and Dragons game, but some of them that are used more frequently, have additional uses in this type of game, or perhaps just need a bit more clarification on some of the things they can do.

Arcana. An arcana check can help identify magical effects left by creatures, such as the gore magala's frenzy virus. If your DM plans to use the shrine benefits or cursed shrine complications, an arcana check can help determine if it's worth touching, if the shrine is more closely related to magic than religion. (this feature is still in development, so it may or may not come up)

History. Used when attempting to recall information about a creature a character may have read about or has done other research on.

Medicine. Can be used to determine what type of the new blight conditions (found in the MHMM) a creature is suffering from.

Nature. Used when attempting to discern what a creature(s) is by the signs they find, the silhouettes they see off in the distance, or possibly by the impact the creature has on the environment.

Religion. If your DM plans to use the shrine benefits or cursed shrine complications, a religion check can help determine if it's worth touching, if the shrine is more religiously based. (this feature is still in development, so it may or may not come up)

Investigation. Used for finding resources in an area and looking for signs when a perception check finds nothing.

Perception. Used by both the scout and spotter roles during hunts. (see the scout and spotter role in this chapter for more information)

Stealth. Commonly used by the scout role during hunts. (see the scout role in this chapter for more information) Survival. Used by the trailblazer role during hunts (see the trailblazer role in this chapter for more information)

Hunt Skill: A special skill not linked to any ability, but rather developed over time, similar to the progression of proficiency. Making a Hunt skill check requires a Free Action and your modifier dictates the number of times you may make a Hunt check during an encounter.

Artisan Tool Proficiency: For this campaign, I count Poisoner's Kit and Herbalism Kit as Artisan Tools, since their crafting capabilities are integral to a Monster Hunter toolkit. So if you have the choice of Artisan Tool proficiency, you may add these to the choice pool.

Feats: Because Humans have been adjusted, nobody will have access to feats right away. And because generally in this campaign you will not level up without the option to take at least a little bit of a rest / time for yourself, I am considering allowing feats with the caveat of time (possibly a little monetary) investment or through a little bit of storytelling at the least. Some feats are banned. Some are only allowed under certain circumstances (looking at you, Tasha feats) which will be judged on case by case basis.

Knacks: Roll or choose one Knack from the table of the Knacks Entity Notes.

Starting wealth: We’ll use this table with adjusted d4s for starting gold (instead of equipment) as per ThinkingDM's calculations. Formula is still xd4 * 10 gp. Because of setting specific changes to equipment such as weapons & armour, I will have everyone roll for gold instead of going for the starting equipment. In addition to these funds, you will also receive whatever is provided through your background.

Starting relationships: Do you know each other? Happy to have 2 players have a prior relationship. Talk to each other! On that note: PvP outside of circumstances like charms and curses happens only with solid reason and both Players (not characters) consenting.

Starting Rumors: Before the first session, write me 5 (or more if you like) rumours about your character that circulates in the local taverns. These may be rumours of your exploits during hunting training, ribald jokes about your past exploits, or even mean-spirited gossip. At least two of these rumors must be true, but the others may be exaggerations or outright fabrications. Make some negative, some positive.

Party introduction: You all find yourself on

Races

Since the reemergence after the Great Dragon War a thousand years ago, the races of the world crawled back from extinction. Even with the slow advancements of technology, some races left their mark in the Old World. Working together with each other, under the guidance of the Platinum Court and Wild Lords, these races set out to become the society we have today.

There are many other races that live within the Monster Hunter Universe. Many of these races fought alongside or against the humans, elves, and all the other races in one of the two wars. Their origins all begin with being created by one god or another. They are rarely seen in civilized society, nor do they tend to join organizations like the Hunter's Guild.

The monstrous races of the Old World were born in many different ways. Many of them were born when Fatalis and the other corrupted gods attempted to influence the races of the world. The kobolds were once dragonborns that were twisted into the scrawny-like creatures of today. The orcs were once goliaths and humans; the goblins, halflings; firbolg became bugbears and tritons were molded into sahuagin.

Not all of the monstrous races were created in this way though, many of them were created from the corruption themselves. Hobgoblins and yuan-ti were all created in such a way.

Languages

Among the civilized races, Common is the universal mode of conversation. But many of the races have their own racial dialects that have become removed enough from each other to count as unique languages, even if they still share a script.

Draconic is possibly the oldest existing language and is seen as the language of religious scripture and of scholars, with Wyverian being a less formal offshoot of it.

Lynian is best known as the language used by the civilized Felyne and Melynx. However, many of the independent tribes speak offshoots of the language, that sound different, but are still close enough to the civilized Lynian, that someone fluent in the language could communicate with the tribes. Civilized Lynian uses the common script, but the various tribes have developed their own, often pictographic scripts. The study and translation of these is a respected field among Lynian Researchers.

The corrupted races have their own languages, far removed offshoots from Dwarvish and Elvish. Some industrious merchants go through the trouble of learning the languages, as well as some military commanders, and of course certain researchers. It is rare to come across someone fluent in them however, since these races have kept largely themselves since the reemergence.

Lastly, any of the extra-planar languages are so rare, they are not heard or read outside of the most secure libraries of research institutes. Outside of Infernal, with devils seen as hostile forces last around 1000 years ago, most knowledge of extra-planar languages and other planes is little more than theoretical and generally highly confidential.

The backgrounds in the Monster Hunter Universe are linked to the various factions. This reflects most clearly in the background features. For now, only the Hunter's Guild has fully a represented faction and backgrounds. That being said, there is no reason a Wycademy Researcher could not go an get themselves a Hunting License. In that case, their respective feature would be replaced by the Hunter's Guild feature.

Hunter's Guild Backgrounds: As your training comes to an end and your adventuring career begins, you must decide where your ambitions lie in your future with the Hunter's Guild. These backgrounds are based on the many employment opportunities a hunter has as their Hunter Rank increases.

Wycademy Backgrounds: Whether in training or as established Researcher, your thirst for knowledge drive you into the world.

Equipment and Equipment Crafting are essentials of Monster Hunter. Players will seek out monster materials to improve their weapons and armor, and to create consumables. Below you will find the rules for weapons, armors and trinkets.

Magical Items

Magical items do not exist in Monster Hunter the same way that they do in a normal D&D game. You cannot find or obtain a Flame Tongue Long sword, a Staff of Frost or any other magical armor, weapon, or wonderous items. Instead, when you kill or capture a creature, the party receives a number of materials that can be inserted into their weapons and armor to gain their magical effects. Think of it as a "create your own magical items."

Attunement

When you finish a Short or Long rest you can attune to one weapon, one armor, and two trinkets. You cannot attune to one weapons or armor each at a time. Additionally, only one attuned trinket is active at a time, granting you the material effect placed inside of it. As an action, you can swap between which trinket is active.

An unattuned armor or weapon acts as a common version, no matter its rarity; preventing the use of the weapon properties it gained from the rarity increase and rendering any materials inside their slots disabled until attuned.

Trinkets

Trinkets in Monster Hunter are not just for show. They have 1 material slot that you can place a weapon or armor material into and still gain their benefit as if it was in a weapon or armor set. You can have up to two trinkets on you at a time, but you only gain the effect of one of the trinkets at a time. As an action, you can swap which trinket effect you are using. Players can choose a trinket from any sourcebook or perhaps a trophy from a creature they have hunted. If they do not find something they like on the list, the player can work with the GM to choose an appropriate trinket for their setting.

Trinket Rules

If the material grants an effect such as extra damage on weapon attacks, or requires the armor to be worn, then it only works on armor or weapons you are attuned to.

Rarity & Slots

There are 5 rarities of armor and weapons in Monster Hunter: common, uncommon, rare, very rare, and legendary. Each rarity has 1-5 slots the hunter can use to place monster materials in. These monster materials enchant their armor or weapon with magical effects. When armor increases in rarity it does not gain any additional AC.

Material Rules

Below you will find a set of rules that limit the materials that you can place in your armor and weapon, to provide a fair and balanced game:

1. A material can only be replaced with another material. Once replaced the previous material is destroyed.
2. Materials do not stack with improved versions of their effects, including unnamed materials (IE: detect does not stack with detect+ or critical eye+1 does not stack with critical eye+2)
3. Your armor and weapon can only have one effect each that uses runes.
4. Your armor can only have one material that grants a bonus to AC.
5. Your armor can only have one damage reduction, resistance, or immunity to any one damage type.
6. Your armor can only have one advantage or immunity vs a condition such as poisoned, frightened, or prone.
7. A weapon can only have one bonus to spell DC and spell attack rolls.
8. A weapon can only have one extra damage, condition inflicting, or on-hit effect material. The extra damage material rule doesn't apply to materials that have a requirement to deal that extra damage, such as the partbreaker effect found on the Gravios Carapace material.

Armor

Armor in the Monster Hunter universe is comprised of all nonmagical armor in the PHB and uses the standard rules for the armor. This armor can be enhanced at the Smithy using materials you obtain while out on a hunt. They usually have the look and feel of the monsters utilized to enhance the armor.

A class that does not use armor such as a barbarian, monk, or some spellcasters can choose a piece of clothing as their armor. For example, this could be a robe, a tunic, or a loincloth. This armor provides no AC increase, but they can have their rarity upgrade the same way as a normal piece of armor can be to increase the material slots for magical effects.

Shields

Shields in the Monster Hunter universe can only be used with a weapon that already provides it. Any AC bonus it may provide is increased as the weapon's rarity changes, as shown in the weapon's information.

Weapons

Your class grants proficiency in certain weapons, reflecting both the class's focus and the tools you are most likely to use. Whether you favor an insect glaive or a heavy bowgun, your weapon and your ability to wield it effectively can mean the difference between life and death while adventuring. Your proficiency also means that weapons that come paired with a 2nd one (Dual Blades, Tonfas) or with a shield (Sword & Shield, Lances), are drawn together as one free action.

There are 17 types of weapons in the Monster Hunter universe: Charge Blade, Dual Blades, Great Sword, Gunlance, Hammer, Hunting Horn, Insect Glaive, Lance, Longsword, Magnet Spike, Magus Staff, Switchaxe, Sword & Shield, Tonfas, Bow, Light Bowgun, and Heavy Bowgun.

These are the only weapons available to the players and other npcs. Standard D&D weapons do not exist in this world. Weapon proficiencies have been reassigned to classes.

A character can choose to attune to an “unarmed item” instead of a weapon, such as handwraps, gauntlets, or knuckles. This item is treated as a weapon for upgrading, attunement and material placement. This item has no special properties except that it offers 1 additional material slot per rarity level. E.g. an uncommon "unarmed item" would have 3 material slots rather than 2.

Upgrading your Armor & Weapon

When you want to upgrade your armor or weapon, consult the table below. Once you have the correct number of resources, a smithy will upgrade your gear for the cost listed. It takes one week to complete the process. Some creature materials will state that it is a "rarity" armor crafting material, these can be used in place of the resources listed in the table.

There are many factions in the Monster Hunter Universe. Some of them make up the foundation of society, while others seek to destroy it. Many of these factions are voluntary associations led by guildmasters, but that’s the extent of their resemblance to the craft and merchant guilds found in most Dungeons & Dragons worlds. They include many different kinds of organizations:

A central governing body, The Hunter's Guild and its specialized branch, The Research Commission (Rewrite!)

A corporation led by His Immenseness, The Elder Dragon Observation Team (Rewrite!)

Two research institutions; The Royal Paleontology Scriveners (Rewrite!), and its offshoot, The Wycademy (Rewrite!)

A poachers ring, the Talon Society

A cult of fanatics, the Cult of Fatalis

Faction Membership

The denizens of the Old World aren't born into factions. An individual can choose to belong to any, or be tricked into some faction or more commonly belong to no faction at all. Some Factions actively recruit new members, while others simply accept those who seek membership. People within a family might join different factions, which can lead to strong connections between the factions in question or to painful animosity in families whose members follow different paths.

You establish your character's membership in a faction by choosing one of their faction backgrounds. This guide assumes that you have chosen a faction and that you maintain your association with it throughout your life. As a result, your choice of faction can play a more significant role than most backgrounds do in shaping what your character does now, not just what you accomplished in the past.

The backgrounds associated with factions in this setting work like those in the Player's Handbook, giving you proficiencies, languages, equipment, and suggested characteristics (personality traits, ideals, bonds, and flaws). Each faction entry also provides personal contacts; suggestions for your alignment, race, and class; and a list of spells that you can add to your spell list if you're a member of a spellcasting class.

Faction Spells

The spellcasters of the Old World's factions have magic specific to their faction. A faction's description includes a list of those faction spells.

If you play a character who has the Spellcasting or the Pact Magic class feature, your guild spells are added to the spell list for your class, thereby expanding the spell options available to you.

Additional Rules

The factions in the Monster Hunter Universe use the same rules for renown and contacts as found in The Guildmaster's Guide to Ravnica starting on page 29. The essentials are summed up below

Contacts

People can be bonds if they inspire you, motivate you, or make you act against your best interests. (They can represent flaws if their existence amounts to a weakness for you.) Contacts, in comparison, are simply people you know.

They might be a rival, a mentor, a friend, just another member of the faction or possibly a member of a different faction entirely, but their relationship with you is rarely as strong as with a bond.

These contacts should be created with your DM and may provide additional depth for your character. When you create a character you have a number of contacts equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of 1).

Renown

Renown is your status in a faction. The higher your renown is, typically the more known and respected you are within the faction. It's also possible to gain renown in other factions, though this renown won't allow you to gain any ranks within the other factions.

To gain renown you must advance the faction’s agenda in some way. Each faction's description includes a discussion of its goals and your role in pursuing those goals, which would merit an increase in your renown.

When you join a faction as a starting character, your renown score with that faction is 1. It is up to the DM when you gain renown, not the player.

 At your DM's discretion, you might also have a renown score in a faction  you don't belong to. You can't ever formally advance in rank within another faction, but a high renown score can earn you additional contacts, favors, and other benefits.

Benefits of Renown

There are many benefits when you gain renown in a faction, most often it is tied to an increase in rank within the faction you are in, but not all are faction specific such as the two below:

Renown 3 or Higher. You have established yourself as a respected member of the faction and as such, the faction members are friendly to you by default (though some members might have a reason to dislike you). Your own faction will provide you with lodging and food in dire circumstances and pay for your funeral if needed. If you are accused of a crime, your faction offers legal support, as long as a good case can be made for your innocence or the crime was justifiable.

Renown 5 or Higher. You gain another contact. This might be a member of the associated faction, or perhaps someone else you met on your adventures.

Some factions have positions of honor that characters can apply for if their renown score is high enough. Not every member aspires to do so, but any character who meets the prerequisites can apply for the position. Ultimately, the DM decides whether a character qualifies for such a role, with a certain renown score as a minimum requirement.

Losing Renown

If you go against your faction, or commit a crime against society or nature, you might lose renown. It is up to the DM to determine how much based on the offense. You cannot drop below 0 renown with a faction, but if your renown drops below the required amount for your rank, then you lose the rank and any benefits it gave you. It also may be much harder to obtain that rank again.

Changing Factions

If for some reason you chose to change factions, be it due to the narrative of the story, or some other reason, you then lose all renown with your previous faction and start with 0 renown with the new faction. The only exception with this is if you already gained renown with the new faction prior to joining them. Then instead you start with the renown you already had with them, though it may still take time for you to rise in the ranks.

Your DM decides what requirements you must meet to join a new faction. Some factions welcome new recruits and make the process as simple as possible, while others require a demonstration of loyalty.

There is a wide variety for shops in monster hunter, the most common of them are the Provision Stockpile, the Smithy, and the General Store. There are also traveling merchants that appear on occasion offering an assortment of items. Below you will find lists of items you can find at the various stores.

The Provision Stockpile. The Provision Stockpile appears in almost all cities, towns, and villages. Typically found within a guild hall and run by a guild receptionist. Characters that do not belong to the hunter's guild cannot purchase from the Provision Stockpile.

The General Store. The General Store has all your basic lifestyle and hunter needs. Here you will find a variety of items, tools, and trinkets any person may use in their life along with a few standard items for hunting.

The Smithy. A workshop designed to answer all equipment-related needs, the Smithy may be the most vital of facilities for any hunter. At the Smithy, hunters can not only purchase new weapons and armor, but they can upgrade their existing weapons and armor, allowing them to place additional creature materials into them. The Smithy also acts as a standard blacksmith for those around the town, providing them with items for everyday use.

The Ammo Vendor. An ammo vendor may be located in a general store, near a blacksmith, or perhaps they have their own shop. A store may have a large supply of ammunition types or just a few of your DMs choice.

Traveling Merchants. Traveling Merchants are vendors who randomly visit towns for one day before heading off to their next destination. Their inventory is an assortment of random items, typically between 5-10 items. These can range from typical general store items to rarer monster materials. When a traveling merchant arrives it is up to the GM to determine what they might be selling.

Your Role on a Hunt

When your party goes on a hunt or heads out on an expedition, you choose a role from the ones detailed below. Each role can be only chosen by one character, except for the spotter role.

Sometimes the party may split up. When split into groups of two the only roles available are the trailblazer and spotter.

If someone is alone, they are both the trailblazer and spotter, but they either have to choose to take disadvantage on their survival roll for finding signs or take a -4 to their passive perception.

Artisan - Primary Skill: Cooking Utensils, Three highest Ability Scores

The artisan can cook a meal for the party at the start of a hunt and during a short or long rest (if they choose to), granting all who eat it a boon to help them on their hunt/journey/day. See below for more details on cooking.

Trailblazer - Primary Skill: Survival

The trailblazer is the leader of the group and is the one who makes the final decision on which direction the group should go on a hunt. Whenever the group enters an area (new or old), the trailblazer rolls a survival check vs the creatures Carve DC to determine what type of complications or benefits the party encounters. Alternatively, if the party is not hunting anything specific or just traversing the area, the trailblazer rolls against the location's Navigation DC.

On a failure the GM rolls a d10 on the finding signs table, on a success the GM rolls a d20 instead. On a critical, the GM rolls a 2d20 and takes the highest roll, on a nat 1 the GM rolls 2d10 and takes the lowest roll.

Note that all these rolls are specifically to set the scene, and the party learns none of the results until the scout and spotters do their part.

Scout - Primary Skill: Perception, Stealth

The scout is the frontrunner of the group and the initial person who enters an area. They quietly scout the areas ahead and typically report their findings back to the group to let them know about the lay of the land, potential resources, creatures in the area, or potential hazards. Though it's not unheard of them waiting for the group to reach them instead.

When a scout notices a potential spot for an ambush it gives the spotter a +4 bonus to their perception.

Spotter - Primary Skill: passive Perception

The spotter is responsible for keeping an eye out while the rest of the group focuses on their tasks. They use their passive perception to scope out for any ambushes or dangers missed initially by the scout. If the group stated an intend to gather resources at the beginning of the hunt, the spotter is also able to spot resources with their passive Investigation; forgoing the need for manual checks, but only if it is higher than the Investigation DC of the location they are in.

There can be 2 spotters, the 2nd spotter gives a +4 perception bonus to the other, but does not provide any bonus to the original spotter's passive investigation.

Finding Resources

When a character attempts to locate resources to gather from while on a hunt, they must make an Intelligence (Investigation) check against the locations Investigation DC. On a success, the GM determines what type of resources are nearby. Typically ore will be found in caves, fish could be found in underground lakes or in rivers, etc. When you go searching for bones, you will typically find them only in lairs. You may also find them, rarely, out in the open depending on the environment you are in.

Each region has a limit on the amount of times a Resource check can be made on a Hunt.

When a character attempts to fish, mine, catch insects, or gather plants they must make a skill check against the Resources DC in addition to having the proper equipment to gather the material with. A character must have fishing tackle to fish, a mining pick to mine for ore, a bug net for catching insects, or an herbalist kit to gather plants and mushrooms. A character can attempt to gather plants and mushrooms without a herbalist kit, but does so at disadvantage. A natural 1 on the skill check leads to your tool breaking.

If the character succeeds on the check, they roll a d6 and receive the item listed in the resources table on the location stat block.

Tracking down your prey

Tracking down the creature the party is hunting is the main goal of monster hunters.

So how do we find the creature? This creature is in the wilderness; it travels around, leaves signs, and acts like any animal would. That is what the hunting system is designed to represent. The party travels around the creature's territory, dealing with environmental hazards, skill challenges, and other creatures while searching for signs of their prey. If lucky, they might stumble on surprising benefits as well.

The party must discover signs of the creature: distant roars, tracks, marking, fresh kills, etc. The party will need to typically find between 3 and 5 signs. Once they do, they locate the monster and the final battle of the hunt begins.

However, when you are on a hunt, the creature you are looking for is not the only one in the area. You may find signs that do not belong to the monster you are looking for – they might be similar or even completely different. Once you find 3-5 of these false signs, a hard or deadly encounter occurs.

Obtaining Monster Materials

Carving

Carving your kills is one of 2 ways to obtain materials while on a hunt. When you attempt to carve a creature, make a Dexterity (Survival) check against the creatures Carve DC. On a success, roll a d20 and compare the results to the creatures loot table. On a failed save, treat the roll as if they rolled a 1 on the loot table. When you roll a natural 20 on a Carve check, you roll an additional d20 and add that number to the loot table roll. The new number is the material found on that carve check. Any total higher than 20, counts as if a 20 was rolled.

Carve DC = 10 + 1/2 of the creatures CR rounded down

Capturing

Certain creatures can be captured. A creature that can be captured will have a Capture section of their loot table. A captured creature may provide loot that you are unable to obtain, an increased or decreased chance to obtain certain loot that you may have gotten from carving. When you capture a creature, you obtain a number of materials as labeled in the creatures loot table. No check is made, but the material is not gathered until you return to town. To capture creatures, you need Tranq Bombs or Tranq ammo.

On a hit with either, roll 5d8. If the target is below 25% of its maximum hit points and its remaining hits points are below the number rolled, it falls unconscious for 24 hours.

You can hit a creature with up to three tranq bombs or ammo. Adding the total of each tranq bomb or ammo together. If the creature does not fall unconscious after a third tranq bomb or ammo, it becomes immune to their effect for 24 hours.

A creature that does not have a capture loot table, is immune to tranq bombs or ammo.

To engage in a downtime activity, the player character must spend the indicated costs in addition to their lifestyle expenses. Sometimes, an activity doesn’t incur costs by itself, but instead requires a minimum lifestyle to participate.

In some cases, when you are working on a project that takes a longer time, you can decide to interrupt your work to go adventuring. But the total days of interruption of your work must not exceed the base duration of the activity. Each activity notes, if it can be interrupted or not.

Gaining Renown

A character can spend downtime improving his or her renown with a faction. Between adventures, a character undertakes minor tasks for the faction, and socializes with its members almost exclusively.

Resources and Resolution. A character must consecutively spend a number of days equal to his or her current renown multiplied by 10, after which the character’s renown increases by 1. This activity may be interrupted.

Complications. Characters who undertake these minor tasks for an organization mostly involve risking falling behind or upsetting members, though more negative consequences can arise. At the resolution of this activity, roll a d20 and add the character’s new renown, then consult the Gaining Renown Complications table below. *Involves one or more rivals