Preface:
The world of Rivera is a low-magic setting where there aren't many crazy races (dragonborn, tieflings, gnomes, etc), the typical races for this setting are humans, Elves, dwarves, halflings and if desired, half-elves. Wizards and sorcerers are often perceived as evil or heretical because the practice of magic is frowned upon by the church, and is commonly misunderstood. ("Jinx" is a common derogatory term used towards spellcasters) Magic items are not in high supply, nor are they in high demand. This is because a magic item isn't useful to a peasant or someone who can't make use of it. Sure it's a nice shiny Sword, but what is someone who doesn't know how to wield a sword going to do with it? (give a man a million dollar car in the desert and he'll use it for shade and shelter). This kind of setting could be compared to Game of Thrones or Lord of the Rings - wizards and Elves are wonderous, and magic tends to frighten humans.

Note about Magic Items:
Nearly never will you find a magical weapon or item in a shop. Especially in smaller towns. You're more likely to find them in the wilderness in long forsaken places. Even the simplest magic items are highly valued and highly saught after. +1, +2, and +3 weapons are not considered magical, rather they represent craftsmanship and quality of make, and still a force to be reckoned with. If you are lucky enough to find yourself with the ability to enchant your weapon, the better quality the weapon is, the stronger the enchantment it can hold.

Game Setting:
The world of Rivera is one of survival. This world has seen more than a one apocalypse-level events through its history, resetting the progress of the world and starting new eras after each disaster, to the point where historical records are almost fruitless. This much is clear by the uncountable amount of craters that spread all over the planet. All that's left is legends, folk lore, and myths. While one would assume that these catastrophes were caused by the gods, you may be surprised to hear that Rivera's inhabatants were the cause of its near-destruction. This is the result of the existance of 10th-level spells. While magic is uncommon in this world, that doesn't mean it lacks power. In fact these repeated events have cause the people of the world to fear, reject, and even seek and destroy any form of magic.

Back to the 10th-level spells though. This is every magnum opus of only the most talented spellcaster's in the world, as well as their demise. A 10th-level spell is so powerful, it's guaranteed to alter the world in a sigficant way, and it usually comes at the cost of the casters life as the power to channel the spell consumes everything in their being to bring it to fruition. The world doesn't see a 10th-level spell more than once every several thousand years, and current leadership is making sure it never happens again.

There are three forms of magic: Arcane, Divine, and Natural. Arcane magic users are frequently frowned upon, and kept on a tight leash. In fact it is illegal to perform arcane practices without being properly Sanctioned. Even after taking the tedious steps to become sanctioned, you're still only allowed to practice your craft in contained and controlled mage circles. Illegal use of the arcane arts is dealt with swiftly and harshly. Divinity magic is another story, these people are given power because they're deity has directly blessed them with that power, and has chosen them as their champion. However, scarcely does a God choose more than one champion. This makes those with powers of Divinity extremely rare, even more rare than arcane casters. (While Clerics are not the primary source of healing in this world, there's still those who practice forms of medicine and healing the natural way. These people are usually referred to as "Medicians".) Finally, those who purvey in the arts of Natural magic, are usually unseen by society. These types of people reject large society and live in the Outerlands, large stretches of land than aren't governed by any kingdom. These groups of people are typically nomadic, tribal, or barbaric; and while kingdoms don't have the resources to hunt these tribes down, they're not afraid to cut them down on site.

Survival is top priority in this world, so rulers of the world focus more on refining and solidifying what they have instead of greed for expansion. As a result, society in this world consists of four kingdoms. Three ruled by man, and one ruled by Dwarves. The three kingdoms of man were founded at the beginning of the current era by three knights, founding each kingdom in their own name. Rulership of these kingdoms are passed down to their descenedants, but the people choose which descedent follows their parent's position. (Rather than most settings where the oldest son takes the throne.) While squabbles and battles have taken place between these kingdoms over the centuries, no all-out war has truly reared it's ugly head over the centuries. Even a foolish king or queen knows not to let them become vulnerable in the world of Rivera, where outer forces can swoop in at a moments notice. As far as the Dwarven kingdom goes, it keeps to itself and stays out of the sight of prying eyes. Nearly the entire kingdom resides underground, the rest of the world has no idea where their borders lie.

This is a list of either additions or alterations to the existing default rules in an attempt to make the game more interesting and fun. You can see the currently active rules below.

These rules are subject to change based on play testing and feedback (and feedback is always welcome). Any changes will be announced accordingly.