The Rules

These are the D&D5e World of Bethica rules about how the setting and campaign works.

World of Bethica Westmarch style is not a one-shot campaign but an "ongoing campaign setting" where – many diverse groups play in the same shared world. While this Westmarch started as a set of interaction one-shot adventures with some recurring characters, it has since evolved into longer sessions to accommodate more exciting and longer adventures.

These are the rules for The World of Bethica WestMarches campaign:

Rule One:
You are an adventurer because you feel a strong call in your bones to adventure. The boredom of a calm life doesn't appeal to you – you are driven to leave behind the safety of civilization and explore the wilds to make your name. Regardless of what drives you, you are driven. You choose where to go and what to do. There will be a handful of obvious choices, but you don't by any means need to take them. The adventure is in your hands.

The Rest:
  • Players will sign up and join sessions on an at-will basis. There is no assumed set party – characters can adventure in many different groups.
  • Each session is presumed to be self-contained. Players venture into the wild, find or are found by adventure, and return home each session.
  • New characters start at level 1. Characters keep whatever gold, gear, and XP they earn from session to session, including a Treasure Token appropriate to the session tier being run, and characters may (until further notice) group with other characters of any level. However, it is strongly suggested that they play in tier ranks appropriate for their character level.
  • Every character starts each session in Kylar or whatever location the session GM deems necessary. If characters have not returned home by the end of the session, they automatically return after the play has ended. o Exceptions from this rule may be frequently made to accommodate longer adventures spanning over multiple sessions.
  • Players will be penalized a cost of 1GP/Lvl per mile they must travel back home after the end of a session.
  • The World of the Bethica Westmarch persists beyond each session. If players have made a change in one session, other players will see that change if they follow the same path in a later session.
  • All initial objectives and later objectives that are discovered are marked on a shared map, which players can use to suggest places they want to explore.
  • The small city of Kylar is, for whatever reason, safe, and characters can rest here between sessions and come to no harm.


Downtime Activities:
Xanathar’s has the following downtime activities, most of which have complications and can involve rivals:
  • 1. Buying a Magic Item:
    You search for a seller of magic items. The check determines the quality of the seller, meaning the table in the DMG to which they have access. 1-4 items are generally available, at a cost determined by rarity.
  • 2. Carousing:
    You go out socializing and can make contacts. You choose the class (lower/middle/upper), and upper could be inaccessible unless you have the noble background or other ways in. You might make a hostile contact, fail, or succeed at getting a contact. Contacts will grant you a favor when you ask for it, then are no longer a contact.
  • 3. Crafting an Item (Nonmagical and Magical): (Use Bethica Rues for Cafting)
    Crafting a nonmagical item takes some relevant proficiency, time, and half the gold cost. Magic items first require a formula which could be acquired adventuring or with Research or Scrutineering activities. The formula requires a rare ingredient, and a creature must be defeated to extract or gain access to the ingredient. Time and proficiency are also required, plus gp based on the item rarity. For both types of crafting the task always succeeds.
  • 4. Crime:
    The character attempts a robbery, choosing a DC to establish both the difficulty and potential payout. Three checks are made, and this can lead to fine and jail time, getting away but empty-handed, or scoring half or all of the payout.
  • 5. Gambling:
    The character visits a gambling den, puts down a bet of 10-1,000 gp or more, and makes three checks. The DC is determined randomly, reflecting the gamblers who happen to be present. The results can vary from losing twice the bet to gaining twice the bet.
  • 6. Pit Fighting:
    Get in the ring! Spend a workweek and make three checks against random DCs. You might lose what you bet or gain up to 200 gp.
  • 7. Relaxation:
    Spend a week on modest lifestyle and gain advantage on saving throws to overcome diseases or poisons. At the end of the week, end one effect keeping the character from regaining hit points, or restore an ability that has been lowered below normal (as long as this is not caused by an active magical effect with an ongoing duration).
  • 8. Religious Service:
    Spend a workweek at an allied temple. Make one check, with a total of 11-20 granting one favor and 21 or higher granting two future favors. Characters can have a maximum of 1+Cha modifier favors at any time.
  • 9. Research:
    This is your default option for finding obscure knowledge, such as an answer to some campaign plot question. A workweek and at least 50 gp are spent, with more boosting your chances. Access to a good library or sages can grant advantage. You can learn 1-3 pieces of lore.
  • 10. Scribing a Spell Scroll:
    Scribe a scroll by spending time and gp based on the spell level. Success is automatic. The spell must be known or prepared and the character must be proficient in Arcana and provide any material components.
  • 11. Selling a Magic Item:
    Find a buyer by spending 1 workweek and 25 gp. Make a check to determine the quality of the offer, which is from 50% to 150% of the base price based on rarity.
  • 12. Training:
    Receive training in a language or tool. This requires a lot of time (around 10 workweeks) and thus is generally done over several months of play.
  • 13. Work:
    Get a temporary job. Spend a week and make one ability check based on the task. Gain a lifestyle (from poor to comfortable) based on the result and at the highest success level you also gain 25 gp.


1. Magic Item Awards
At the end of each gaming session, the players will be awarded a Tier Treasure token. A treasure token has a rarity value equal to the Adventure Tier that the game master runs for that night. [*]Adventure Tier One awards an Uncommon Treasure Token worth 500 gold pieces.[*]Adventure Tier Two awards a Rare Treasure Token worth 5,000 gold pieces.[*]Adventure Tier Three awards a Very Rare Treasure Token worth 10,000 gold pieces.[*]Adventure Tier Four awards a Legendary Treasure Token worth 20,000 gold pieces.
There are two types of session rewards, Incomplete Session Rewards and Completed Session Rewards.
Incomplete Session rewards: This is for whatever reason the session had to end before the adventure ended, and the final boss has been defeated. In this case, each player will be given a treasure token appropriate for the tier adventure. They can keep this token as a participation reward. The PROS of this is that players have earned something of value for playing even though they did not finish the quest. The CONS are, since the adventure is continued on the next session; they will not receive an end game treasure.
Completed Session Rewards: These tokens are rewarded at the end of the session and upon the completion of the adventure.
2. Magic Items & Consumables
Magic Items that are not consumed or rendered useless after use are not considered non-consumable magic items. Items like Potions, Scrolls, and Ammunition are considered consumable items because they are single-use in most cases.
In-game, non-consumable magic items will not be directly awarded to the players; they can purchase these in-game non-consumable magic items with their treasure tokens. Consumable magic items will be awarded, and no token purchase is required.
Magic item value in gold based on rarity types (Common, uncommon, rare, very rare, and legendary). if it’s a consumable, reduce the value by half: [*]Common Magic item value in gold: 100 gp [*]Uncommon Magic item value in gold: 500 gp[*]Rare Magic item value in gold: 5,000 gp[*]Very Rare Magic item value in gold: 50,000 gp[*]Legendary Magic item value in gold: 500,000 gp

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