#alternate rules

Honestly I think more TTRPGs (including DnD) should follow that philosophy. It makes things much more engaging for the players when they're the ones rolling the dice, instead of the DM rolling behind their screen and asking if an X hits.

I’m working on a one-shot in some extemely cold weather, and thought it be fun to expand further on my cold weather hazards. They may seem extreme, but they are intended specifically for the equivilent of being in Antartica. The hazards can be reduced down for lesser winter weather which is why I’m sharing them.

If you have a player who choses gods before their domain, or end up wanting to incorporate some other elements from the other domains their god oversees this is the alternate rule for you! 

Have your player pick the two domains that fit the two elements of the god they want to follow. For example: Persephone fits both the Nature and Grave domains, Athena would work well with the Knowledge and War Domains, Odin covers a wide range -Trickster, War, Knowledge and Arcana. Although a god might have multiple domains, try to restrict the player to 2. 

Once the domains have been chosen, go through and decide which abilities and spells from each class will be used. If your player is picking all of their abilities from one domain, and only adding one from the second then tell them to just pick the first domain. If a player wants to use the duality domain it should be fairly evenly split. 

The prepared spell list is a bit tricky, as there are multiple ways you could do it. EIther pick one spell from each list per level, pick the entire level from one list, or just decide on a list as a whole. However, once you decide on your always prepared spell there’s no changing.

The following variation is attributed to my uncle, who is no longer of this world. It is similar to a rules variant found in a themed version of UNO for the Boston Red Sox, but I doubt that is where he got it. Mainly because the version this rule comes from is from around 2007, and I learned this way a bit before that. But it is still the closest I have seen to how I was taught, so I am noting it. I just want to share this version for those interested.

Deck Construction/Limitations:

- 30 Card Deck

- 2 Copies per card limit

- Only cards from Black & White onward are allowed.

- Only regular Basic, Stage 1, and Stage 2 Pokemon can be used. No special cards like EX, GX, Prism, V, etc.

- No Supporter, Stadium, Prism, or Ace Spec cards allowed.

Rules:

The game plays out like a regular match of Pokemon but with a host of new rule changes:

- At the start of the game, players draw up 7 cards. The following turn, players draw up to 5 cards, if they already have 5 or more cards, they cannot draw.

- Pokemon can evolve the turn they are played, but only once that turn. Example: You played a Bulbasaur this turn, you can evolve it into Ivysaur but cannot evolve it into Venusaur right after.

- You may attach 1 Basic energy per turn to EACH of your Pokemon in play. Example: If you have 2 Pokemon in play, you may attach 1 Basic Energy to each of them. This rule does not apply to Special Energy however.

- There are only 3 Zones where Pokemon can be played. 1 Active Pokemon and up to 2 benched Pokemon.

- There are no Prize Cards in Quick Battle, instead, Pokemon that are knocked out and all Pokemon attached are sent to the Knockout Pile. (Above the Deck, turned Horizontally) All other cards such as items and energy are sent to the discard pile. When a player has no Pokemon left to fight, they lose.

- As there are no prize cards, cards and attacks requiring the prize cards have no effect. They fulfill whatever is possible. Example: If a Pokemon attack deals bonus damage based on the number of prize cards taken, it does base damage instead. If you are to draw cards equal to the number of prize cards, you would draw no cards.

- There is no lost zone, as such, cards affecting the lost zone or requiring the lost zone have no effect. They are treated similarily to cards that affect prize cards as stated above. Example: If an attack deals extra damage when there are no cards in the Lost Zone, that attack does not do extra damage because the lost zone does not exist.

- When there are no cards left in a player's deck and they cannot draw up to 5, that player shuffles their discard pile into the deck then draws up to 5.