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D&D 5.5 check-in

DNDOne, Sixth Edition, DND Next, 2024, we say goodbye to these old and outdated names and we welcome the newest edition of D&D 5.5

It's been almost 2 years since the early Quick Start Rules for the new 2024 D&D 5.5 edition came out and over the past two years we've seen a number of re-released content, regurgitated books, recycling but not really up-scaling.

Back in December 2024, they announced that MagicCon would launch "Legends of Greyhawk." Back then I was hooked. Me and my friends started searching through our old AD&D and 3rd edition Greyhawk material. We were ready for the new-old setting to return. And some of us were eagerly waiting for a resolution for the second Cataclysm.

For the first time, Dungeons & Dragons will be featured at MagicCon! Learn more here.

But nothing happened. They released Heroes of the Borderland starter set as a callback to B2, one of the earliest campaign settings, originally setting agnostic, retroactively set in Yeomanry which is Greyhawk.

Last month (April 2026) they finally released Legends of Greyhawk, the long awaited new League format to rival Adventure League https://wizardsprod.a.bigcontent.io/v1/static/Legends-of-Greyhawk-Guide-April-2026

I've run one Legend of Greyhawk adventure, the first, "A village named Hommlet." And I'm finding a new energy to keep playing 5.5.

And on my two-year-journey that is 2024 to 5.5, I've lost some friends along the way. Casualties to OSR, NSR, 5E hybrids, and Pathfinder.

5.5 has a new damage type system which rewards True Strike and Shillelagh What I've learned, by limited to the 5.5 only content is that the new damage type system works. Not only is there more mixed damage types in the damage expression of more monsters, there is more character access to change your damage type to overcome resistances.

Take the Swarm of Rats CR 1/4 or Swarm of Insects CR 1/2, or even a nice Undead Specter CR 1

These are all pretty classily low level monsters that resist mundane damage types.

If you are a party of martial characters, who don't have access to energy types like elemental fire or even radiant, then even these low level monsters will be difficult to take down.

But adding True Strike to a character grants them radiant type damage and Shillelagh can produce force damage.

It's easier than ever to gain these cantrips:

As a High Elf, whenever you finish a Long Rest you can swap out your Cantrip Prestidigitation with any other Wizard Cantrip, including True Strike.

Not to mention that any Artificer, Bard, Sorcerer, Warlock, or Wizard can take True Strike as one of her known cantrips.

Since Magic Initiate Wizard also gains two wizard cantrips, all Humans can take this feat as their secondary Origin Feat but also non-Humans can take the Sage background, with Con/Int/Wis, this background really only adds True Strike to Clerics and Druids who increase their Wisdom ASI as opposed to Artificers and Wizards who increase Intelligence ASI and already have access to True Strike.

But then there is Druid who has the cantrip Shillelagh and the Guide Background which gives Magic Initiate Druid and access to the Cantrip Shillelagh.

Guide Background increases Dex/Con/Wis which is really good for a lot of characters. Dexterity for Fighters, Monks, Rangers, and Rogues. Any ranged Dex characters who wants to splash in a melee weapon and increases Wisdom to the same standards or a few characters who can dump their Dex and pump Wisdom as primary casters, like a primary Wisdom caster Ranger, which isn't as bad as it seems.

Just between Shillelagh and True Strike you can see the following Builds have access:

All High Elves Any Human with bonus feat Magic Initiate Druid or Wizard

Artificer, Bard, Druid, Sorcerer, Warlock, and Wizard

Sage Clerics

Guide Monks, Guide Rangers, Guide Rogues

It's not complete coverage, but it's pretty close.

Monsters have more skills and save proficiencies Another big change that people aren't talking about is how most 5.5 monsters have trained skills and more proficiencies in saves. Not to mention a lot of them now have access to new damage types and higher damage expressions.

Concentration is now more of a limiting factor Before 5.5, concentration was a thing. Do you run it RAW, where every time you take damage you must roll a save? Do you allow combat casters to take feats to boost their Constitution Saves or give them advantage to maintain concentration or all the other concentration support features.

This is where the new 5.5 meta really starts to take shape because there are several spells, like spiritual weapon, that now require concentration, and a few that do not.

Temp HP only expire after a long rest Previously, you gained temps with an expiration date. Now, you can keep your temps indefinitely or until your recast them.

Bonus action for drinking a potion Bonus Actions really got a overhaul. Now there are more actions that are faster than a full action and it helps with action economy. Nick Weapon Mastery, also can give you a Bonus Action back, when you are used to using your bonus for an off-hand attack.

New Monsters for CR consideration (D&D 5.5)

Cheat Sheets 5R tables

Services

Food, Drink, and Lodging (PHB)

Crafting

Herbalism Kit (Brewing Potions of Healing) Cost: 5 gp Weight: 3 lbs Ability: Intelligence Utilize: Identify a plant (DC 10) Craft: Antitoxin, Candle, Healer’s Kit, Potion of Healing A character who has proficiency with the Herbalism Kit can create a Potion of Healing. Doing so requires using this kit and 25 GP of raw material over the course of 1 day (8 hours of work).

Calligrapher's Supplies (Prerequisites for the Scribe)Type: Tool Cost: 10 gp Weight: 5 lbs Ability: Dexterity Utilize: Write text with impressive flourishes that guard against forgery (DC 15) Craft: Ink, Spell Scroll To scribe a scroll, you must have proficiency in the Arcana skill or with Calligrapher’s Supplies and have the spell prepared on each day of the inscription. You must also have at hand any Material components required by the spell; if the spell consumes its Material components, they are consumed only when you complete the scroll. The scroll’s spell uses your spell save DC and spell attack bonus.

Crafting Magic Items To craft a magic item, you and any assistants must have proficiency in the Arcana skill. Work per Day. For each day of crafting, you must work for 8 hours. If an item requires multiple days, those days needn’t be consecutive.

Tools and skills needed

Magic Item Distribution and Cost

Magic Item Rarities and Values

*Halve the value for a consumable item other than a Spell Scroll. The value of a Spell Scroll is double what it costs to scribe the scroll (as specified in the Player’s Handbook).

Magic Items Awarded by Level The Magic Items Awarded by Level table shows the number of magic items a D&D party typically gains during a campaign, totaling one hundred magic items by level 20. The table shows how many items of each rarity are meant to be handed out during each of the four tiers of play.

Encounters

XP Budget per Character

Typical Difficulty Classes

Actions

Rewards

Random Individual Treasure

Random Treasure Hoard

Character Advancement

Drakkenheim

Descent into Avernus

Evergreen Hollow 3

Vecna 3

Borag, Wizard Sage Orc

Name: Borag Class: Wizard 1st level Origin: Sage (Constitution +1, Intelligence +2, Wisdom +1, Magic Initiate Wizard) Species: Orc Str 8, Dex 14, Con 14+2, Int 15+1, Wis 12, Cha 8 HP: 9 (1d6+3) AC: 15 (13 mage armor, +2 Dex) AC: 12 (10 unarmored, +2 Dex) Init: +2, Speed: 30 Saves: Intelligence +5, Wisdom +3 Origin Skills: Arcana +5, History +5 Wizard Skills: Investigation +5, Insight +3, Calligrapher's Supplies Languages: Common, Orc, Elvish Orc Traits: Adrenaline Rush 2/Short, Darkvision, Relentless Endurance Wizard Traits: Arcane Recovery 1/Long, Ritual Adept Cantrips (5): Acid Splash, Frostbite, Mind Sliver, Toll the Dead, True Strike Spellbook (7): Chromatic Orb, Expeditious Retreat, False Life, Mage Armor, Magic Missile, Shield, Sleep Prepared Spells (2/long): False Life, Mage Armor, Magic Missile, Shield (always prepared), Sleep Dagger (20/60): +4 (1d4+2 pierce) True Strike Quarterstaff: +5 (1d8+3 blud/radiant) Acid Splash: Dex DC 13 (1d6 acid), Frostbite: Dex DC 13 (1d6 cold), Mind Sliver: Int DC 13 (1d6 psyc), Toll the Dead: Dex DC 13 (1d8/1d12 necro) Bonus Actions: Adrenaline Rush Reaction: Shield (1/Long) Equipment: 105 gp, 2 Daggers (4 gp), Arcane Focus Quarterstaff (5 gp), Fine Clothes (15 gp), Spellbook (50 gp), Backpack (2 gp), Ink (10 gp), 5 Ink Pen (1 sp), Lamp (5 sp), 10 Oil (1 gp), 20 Parchment (2 gp), and Tinderbox (5 sp), Calligrapher's Supplies (10 gp) Coins: 4 gp, 9 sp

DMG 2024, Economy continued.

Levels 1-4 Party XP is (4 x 6,500) = 26,000 XP Magic Items Value are (6 x 100) + (4 x 400) + (4,000) = 6,200 gp Treasure Rate is (6,200 / 26,000) = 0.2384615384615385 gp/xp

Levels 5-10 New XP (85,000 - 6,500) = 78,500 XP Party XP is (4 x 78,500) = 314,000 XP Magic (10 x 100) + (17 x 400) + (4 x 4,000) + (40,000) = 71,800 gp Treasure Rate is (71,800 / 314,000) = 0.2286624203821656 gp/xp

Levels 11-16 New XP (225,000 - 85,000) = 140,000 XP Party XP is (4 x 140,00) = 560,000 XP Magic (3 x 100) + (7 x 400) + (11 x 4k) + (7 x 40k) + (2 x 200k) = 727,100 gp Treasure Rate is (727,100 / 560,000) = 1.298392857142857 gp/xp

Levels 17-20 New XP (355,000 - 225,000) = 130,000 XP Party XP is (4 x 130,00) = 520,000 XP Magic Items (5 x 4k) + (11 x 40k) + (9 x 200k) = 2,260,000 gp Treasure Rate is (2,260,000 / 520,000) = 4.346153846153846 gp/xp

DM Wealth Guide Levels 1-10, 25 cp per XP Levels 11-16, 1 gp and 3 sp per XP Levels 17-20, 4 gp, 3 sp, and 5 cp per XP

As a DM, if you give out magic items, then you don't need to stick to this chart that closely. But whenever you are in doubt, knowing that 25 cp per XP for levels 10 and lower is a good level of wealth, is very good to know.

A single Skeleton with 50 XP can leave 12.5 gp in a coin stash and this will slowly build your wealth to allow you to buy your first +1 magic weapon for 400 gp before reaching level 4.

DMG 2024, digital release

The revised DMG is now official. It's full of so many new things. But of all the new things to read about, I've been focused on how magic item prices by rarity sets a certain economy for the game.

This chart sets the price for magic items, consumable, and even scrolls, all in a neat table.

In this paragraph, it's important to note that there are 100 magic items, including consumable, for a party of 20th level players. It's ambiguous as to exactly how many characters are in a party. In Chapter 2, "Group Size" is defined as a party of four to six characters and a "Small Group" is less than four. Keeping this in mind, I'd like to assume a party size of exactly four characters.

In this chart, we can determine everything we need to know as a DM for setting an economy that will be in step with the new DMG 2024 guidelines for wealth and magic item value.

If you have 4 characters who just reached level 5, their combined Party XP will be (4 x 6,500) = 26,000 XP Using Magic Item Value as Price you can purchase all the recommended tier 1 magic items like this (6 x 100) + (4 x 400) + (4000) = 6,200 gp

Furthermore, you can find an exact Gold Piece to XP rate like this (6,200 / 26,000) = 0.2384615384615385 gp/xp or 24 cp/xp

Now, in most campaigns there is lodging and meals and upkeep. If we just look at a moderate night at the inn (5 sp) and one day worth of rations (5 sp) that's 1 gp/day.

What if we divide the magic items by four so that instead of 6 commons, 4 uncommons, and 1 rare, we have 1.5 commons, 1 uncommon, and 1/4 rare for a solo character who just reached level 5.

We could also say that he fights three enemies each day before paying 5 silver for a moderate room at the inn and that between paying for meals and eating rations he spend an additional 5 silver each day for food. How many days will it take him to reach a wealth of (6,200 / 4) = 1,550 gp

Level 1, boar CR 1/4 (50 XP), three combats for 150 XP/day Level 2, black bear CR 1/2 (100 XP each), x3 for 300 XP/day Level 3, brown bear CR 1 (200 XP each), x3 for 600 XP/day Level 4, cave bear CR 2 (450 XP each), x3 for 1,350 XP/day Day 1-2 Modest Room (2 x 5) = 10 sp (upkeep) Modest Meals or Rations (2 x 5) = 10 sp (upkeep) Boar hunting (6 x 50) = 300 XP Treasure Rewards (25 cp/xp x 300 XP) = 75 gp XP Balance (0 + 300) = 300 XP GP Balance (75 - 2) = 73 gp Day 3-4 Modest Room (2 x 5) = 10 sp (upkeep) Modest Meals or Rations (2 x 5) = 10 sp (upkeep) Black Bear hunting (6 x 100) = 600 XP Treasure Rewards (25 cp/xp x 600 XP) = 150 gp XP Balance (300 + 600) = 900 XP GP Balance (73 + 150 - 2) = 221 gp Day 5-7 Modest Room (3 x 5) = 15 sp (upkeep) Modest Meals or Rations (3 x 5) = 15 sp (upkeep) Brown Bear hunting (9 x 200) = 1,800 XP Treasure Rewards (25 cp/xp x 1,800 XP) = 450 gp XP Balance (900 + 1,800) = 2,700 XP GP Balance (221 + 450 - 3) = 668 gp Day 8-10 Modest Room (3 x 5) = 15 sp (upkeep) Modest Meals or Rations (3 x 5) = 15 sp (upkeep) Cave Bear hunting (9 x 450) = 4,050 XP Treasure Rewards (25 cp/xp x 4,050 XP) = 1,012 gp, 5 sp XP Balance (2,700+ 4,050) = 6,750 XP GP Balance (668 + 1,012 - 3 + 0.5) = 1,677 gp, 5 sp

If 1,550 gp was our target, we hit it and only went over 127, in part to launching 250 XP above level 5.

Gitra, Warlock Acolyte Goliath

Name: Gitra Class: Warlock 1st level Origin: Acolyte (Intelligence, Wisdom +1, Charisma +2, Magic Initiate Cleric) Species: Goliath, Giant Ancestry (Fire Giant) Str 9, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 14+2 HP: 10 (1d8+2) AC: 14 (12 studded leather, +2 Dexterity) Init: +2, Speed: 35 Saves: Wisdom +2, Charisma +5 Origin Skills: Insight +2, Religion +5, Calligrapher’s Supplies Warlock Skills: Arcana +2, Deception +5 Languages: Common, Giant, Elvish Origin Feat: Magic Initiate Cleric (Light, Sacred Flame, Healing Word) Tool Proficiency: Calligrapher’s Supplies Goliath Traits: Fire’s Burn (Fire Giant), Powerful Build Warlock Traits: Eldritch Invocations (Pact of Tomb), Pact Magic Spellcasting: Spellslots 1, Spell Attack +5, Spell DC 13 Cantrips: Eldritch Blast, Fire Bolt, Light, Sacred Flame, Sorcerous Blast, Toll the Dead, True Strike Prepared Spells (2): Hex, Hellish Rebuke, Healing Word Fire Bolt: +5 (1d10 fire) Sorcerous Burst: +5 (1d8, if 8 is rolled add 1d8) Equipment: 150 gp, Arcane Focus Staff Quarterstaff (5 gp), Studded Leather (45 gp), Backpack (2 gp), Bedroll (1 gp), 10 days of Rations (5 gp), 3 Rope (3 gp), Tinderbox (5 sp), Waterskin (2 sp), Calligrapher’s Supplies (10 gp), Book (Occult Lore +5, 25 gp), 2x Scrolls of Hex (scribed, 50 gp) Coins: 3 gp, 3 sp

Creating 5R Characters (Resources)

I'm posting several drafts today, to get rid of them.

In this post, I'm linking to an old post from July 2016. I had been playing around with the idea of creating a program that randomly generated characters and I needed a list of all possible point buy arrays, which isn't difficult to code and with 5e there are only 65 unique arrays.

I have referenced this post more than anything I've ever posted online before. 65 Unique Arrays

Since 5th Revision (5R), I've also referenced this post here, The Origin Rant where I grouped background origins by Feat for the first time. Recently, I also posted Feats and Background Origins by Ability Score, so look for those to also be a great reference. However, the Origin Rant is still excellent for searching coma delimited for the two stats that interest you.

When I went out to create 12 Characters using only 5R rules and one for each class, I ended up with 15 characters, doubling up on the character that I am actively playing in online campaigns. Since I haven't totally bought on to the idea of starting with a 17 stat, all my characters use the following arrays: 15,15,14,10,8,8 15,15,13,10,10,8 15,14,14,12,8,8 15,14,14,10,10,8 15,14,12,11,10,10 15,13,13,12,12,8 15,13,13,12,10,10 14,14,14,12,10,8 14,14,13,12,10,10 Most of my characters used the +2/+1 Origin with a primary 15+1 stat but a few used a primary 14+2 stat as their highest.

Only one of the arrays has a wasted stat point: 15,14,12,11,10,10 that's Zim the Fighter. He needed the primary Strength stat 15+1 and a 14+2 Constitution Stat. When it came to a tertiary stat Zim elects for a Wisdom of 12, leaving him enough points for 10's in his remaining three stats with one stat point left over, placed in Dexterity for prosperity. Zim is a concept character who is a Jovial Dwarf Farmer, he has the Tough Feat and Dwarven Toughness for a bonus 3 hp each level. He's a great character and most of his abilities are passive, so he's fast and easy to play.

I hope this character creation resource post helps people make effective 5R characters faster. I know it already helps me!

So I did the math, found there are 65 unique point buy...

Is it a bad sign that I'm already making spreadsheets? This is yet another missed opportunity in the new PHB, to make everyone's job easier

Charisma Origins

Healer Feat Hermit (Medicine, Religion, Herbalism Kit, Con, Wis, Cha) Lucky Feat Merchant (Animal Handling, Persuasion, Navigator’s Tools, Con, Int, Cha) Wayfarer (Insight, Stealth, Theives’ Tools, Dex, Wis, Cha) Magic Initiate Cleric Feat Acolyte (Insight, Religion, Calligrapher’s Supplies, Int, Wis, Cha) Musician Feat Entertainer (Acrobatics, Performance, Musical Instrument, Str, Dex, Cha) Skilled Feat Charlatan (Deception, Slight of Hand, Forgery Kit, Dex, Con, Cha) Noble (History, Persuasion, Gaming Set, Str, Int, Cha)

Wisdom Origins

Alert Feat Guard (Athletics, Perception, Gaming Set, Str, Int, Wis) Healer Feat Hermit (Medicine, Religion, Herbalism Kit, Con, Wis, Cha) Lucky Feat Wayfarer (Insight, Stealth, Theives’ Tools, Dex, Wis, Cha) Magic Initiate Cleric Feat Acolyte (Insight, Religion, Calligrapher’s Supplies, Int, Wis, Cha) Magic Initiate Druid Feat Guide (Stealth, Survival, Cartographer’s Tools, Dex, Con, Wis) Magic Initiate Wizard Feat Sage (Arcana, History, Calligrapher’s Supplies, Con, Int, Wis) Skilled Feat Scribe (Investigation, Perception, Calligrapher’s Supplies, Dex, Int, Wis) Tavern Brawler Feat Sailor (Acrobatics, Perception, Navigator’s Tools, Str, Dex, Wis) Tough Feat Farmer (Animal Handling, Nature, Carpenter’s Tools, Str, Con, Wis)

Intelligence Origins

Alert Feat Criminal (Sleight of Hand, Stealth, Thieves’ Tools, Dex, Con, Int) Guard (Athletics, Perception, Gaming Set, Str, Int, Wis) Crafter Feat Artisan (Investigation, Persuasion, Artisan Tools, Str, Dex, Int) Lucky Feat Merchant (Animal Handling, Persuasion, Navigator’s Tools, Con, Int, Cha) Magic Initiate Cleric Feat Acolyte (Insight, Religion, Calligrapher’s Supplies, Int, Wis, Cha) Magic Initiate Wizard Feat Sage (Arcana, History, Calligrapher’s Supplies, Con, Int, Wis) Skilled Feat Noble (History, Persuasion, Gaming Set, Str, Int, Cha) Scribe (Investigation, Perception, Calligrapher’s Supplies, Dex, Int, Wis)

Constitution Origins

Alert Feat Criminal (Sleight of Hand, Stealth, Thieves’ Tools, Dex, Con, Int) Healer Feat Hermit (Medicine, Religion, Herbalism Kit, Con, Wis, Cha) Lucky Feat Merchant (Animal Handling, Persuasion, Navigator’s Tools, Con, Int, Cha) Magic Initiate Druid Feat Guide (Stealth, Survival, Cartographer’s Tools, Dex, Con, Wis) Magic Initiate Wizard Feat Sage (Arcana, History, Calligrapher’s Supplies, Con, Int, Wis) Savage Attacker Feat Soldier (Athletics, Intimidation, Gaming Set, Str, Dex, Con) Skilled Feat Charlatan (Deception, Slight of Hand, Forgery Kit, Dex, Con, Cha) Tough Feat Farmer (Animal Handling, Nature, Carpenter’s Tools, Str, Con, Wis)

Dexterity Origins

Alert Feat Criminal (Sleight of Hand, Stealth, Thieves’ Tools, Dex, Con, Int) Crafter Teat Artisan (Investigation, Persuasion, Artisan Tools, Str, Dex, Int) Lucky Feat Wayfarer (Insight, Stealth, Theives’ Tools, Dex, Wis, Cha) Magic Initiate Druid Feat Guide (Stealth, Survival, Cartographer’s Tools, Dex, Con, Wis) Musician Feat Entertainer (Acrobatics, Performance, Musical Instrument, Str, Dex, Cha) Savage Attacker Feat Soldier (Athletics, Intimidation, Gaming Set, Str, Dex, Con) Skilled Feat Charlatan (Deception, Slight of Hand, Forgery Kit, Dex, Con, Cha) Scribe (Investigation, Perception, Calligrapher’s Supplies, Dex, Int, Wis) Tavern Brawler Feat Sailor (Acrobatics, Perception, Navigator’s Tools, Str, Dex, Wis)

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