Update: The Beta Version (7th draft) is now posted below. (3/26/26)
I haven’t posted much here lately but it’s for a good reason. I’ve been looking over my Player’s Handbook, Dungeon Master’s Guide, and Monstrous Manual and making minor changes as I move towards stripping out WotC’s IP.
The first step is a minor one: changing the name to Heroes & Hexes, swapping Dungeon Master for Gamemaster, making corrections and clarifications, and (in some instances) tweaking the rules to add flexibility, options, and challenges.
The first book, the Player’s Handbook, has the following changes:
- The term “race” was changed to “ancestry.” It sounds more like a fantasy term and is, strictly speaking, more accurate.
- Proficiency bonus progression has been slightly improved, with the proficiency bonus now being equal to a creature’s level or Hit Dice divided by two, rounding up fractions.
- Each ancestry still has preferred classes but, now, advancing in a preferred class grants a character 1 bonus Hit Point per level.
- Each ancestry is slightly tweaked. Dwarves, elves, gnomes, and halflings now gain proficiency with weapons commonly used by their people. Forest gnomes have been added. Half-elves and half-orcs both gain 1 bonus skill at character creation. Half-orcs’ ability adjustments now match those in AD&D.
- Generally, class abilities have been edited for clarity.
- Assassins’ Backstab and Killing Strike abilities have been clarified with regards to concealment and range.
- Bardic Music has been simplified and cleaned up.
- The Saving Throw bonuses granted by class abilities such as Battle Frenzy and Danger Sense have been slightly reduced from a maximum of +5 to a maximum of +4.
- Clerics now have better domain abilities.
- Fighters are now more customizable, gaining a Fighting Style at levels 2 and 10. This allows for the creation of a wider range of fighter-types, such as archers and duelists.
- Magic-Users are now Mages. They gain the Arcane Recovery ability at 2nd level. This allows them to regain all expended cantrips, as well a number of spell levels equal to 1/2 of their magic-user level. They must rest and study their spell book for an hour in order to regain these spells. They now have a d6 Hie Die type as well.
- Paladins may now expend Hit Points from their Lay on Hands ability to damage undead and creatures native to the Lower Planes. This Smite Evil ability only applies to melee attacks.
- Rangers may now choose their Favored Enemies and, at higher levels, gain additional Favored Enemies.
- Thieves’ Backstab and Sneak Attack abilities have been clarified with regards to concealment and range. Sneak Attack is now more lethal.
- Starting skills are more clearly delineated at the beginning of the Skills section.
- Investigation has been added as a skill. Perception reflects how sharp a character’s senses are. Investigate represents a character’s ability to search for clues and use deductive reasoning.
- Item Saving Throws were a mess. I’ve improved those rules and made them much clearer.
- Rules for light, cover, and concealment have been updated and clarified.
- Hex and Elemental Bolt have been added (re-added in the case of Elemental Bolt) as magic-user cantrips.
- Spells have been slightly edited for clarity in some instances.
Please check out the PDF for it below and let me know what you think:
From the Sorcerer's Scroll 