This article covers everything you need to know to get started using the Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition ruleset with Realm VTT.

If you're coming from the D&D 5th Edition (2024) ruleset, most of what you know carries over — records, compendiums, drag-and-drop, the six-tab character sheet. What's different is called out throughout, and the What Level Up Adds Over 5e section is a one-page summary.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction

2. What Level Up Adds Over 5e

3. Getting Started

4. Creating a Character

5. The Character Sheet

6. Expertise Dice

7. Combat Maneuvers & Exertion

8. Fatigue, Strife & Resting

9. Managing Spells

10. Managing Inventory & Equipment

11. Prestige

12. Feats, Gifts & Features

13. Creating and Managing NPCs

14. Creating Content for Your Campaign

15. Combat & Rolling Dice

16. Advanced Features

17. Tips & Tricks

18. Modifiers & Effects

Introduction

The Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition ruleset for Realm VTT implements EN Publishing's A5e, including support for:

• An 8-step character creation wizard covering the four A5e origin records (Heritage, Culture, Background, Destiny)

• Expertise Dice on skills, saves, attacks, AC, initiative, maneuvers, and prestige

• Combat Maneuvers with tradition, degree, mastery, and exertion cost

• Exertion pools with hit-die recovery and spell-slot conversion

• Fatigue and Strife tracked as stacking conditions with automatic disadvantage

• Prestige with an auto-derived reputation table and prestige checks

• Supply and Bulky encumbrance

• Four caster types — Spellcasting, Spell Points, Spell Inventions (with the Fizzle Die), or none

• A5e weapon properties, materials, qualities, customizations, shield types, and broken/repair rules

• A5e stat blocks with a persistent Maneuver DC, bonus actions, and in-lair reaction/legendary caps

• And much more!

What Level Up Adds Over 5e

If you already know the 5e (2024) ruleset, this is the delta.

Level Up-only modifier types: Expertise Die, Expertise Die Upgrade, Maneuver DC Bonus/Penalty, Free Upcast, Fizzle Die Reroll 1s, Exertion Recovery, Prestige Bonus, No Prestige Disadvantage, Ignore Armor Sleep Penalty, Bulky Limit Bonus, Reach Bonus, Skill Specialty, Skill Check Ability, Cannot Be Flanked, Creature Type, Magical Attacks, Silvered Attacks, No Long/Close Range Disadvantage.

Getting Started

Accessing the Ruleset

When you create or join a campaign using the Level Up ruleset, all the character sheets, compendiums, and game mechanics are automatically available. Two themes ship with it — Level Up - Light and Level Up - Dark.

Key Concepts

• Records: Everything in Realm VTT is a "record" — characters, NPCs, items, spells, feats, heritages, cultures, destinies, archetypes, abilities (maneuvers), etc.

• Compendiums: Collections of records that can be searched and dragged onto character sheets

• Drag-and-Drop: Most content is added to characters by dragging from compendiums or other sources

Creating a Character

Using the Character Creation Wizard

When you create a new character, an 8-step wizard guides you through the process.

Step 1: Attributes

Choose from three methods to determine your ability scores:

1. Manual Entry — Type your scores directly (useful for pre-rolled stats or custom arrays)

2. Roll 4d6 Drop Lowest — Click the dice button next to each ability

3. Point Buy — Allocate 27 points across your abilities

   • Each ability starts at 8 (costs 0 points)

   • Raising to 9 costs 1 point, 10 costs 2, etc.

   • Maximum of 15 before heritage/background bonuses

   • The system tracks your spent points and shows errors if you exceed limits

Step 2: Select Class

Select your class from the dropdown. Once you click next it will:

• Set your hit die

• Apply saving throw proficiencies (and prompt for any save proficiency choices)

• Prompt you to select skill proficiencies

• Apply Armor Training (A5e's term for armor proficiency)

• Set your spellcasting ability and caster type, if applicable

• Prompt you for any additional choices needed for your class

Step 3: Select Background

A5e backgrounds are much richer than 5e's. Selecting one and clicking next:

• Applies fixed ability score increases and prompts for the choice-based ones

• Grants fixed skill proficiencies and prompts for skill choices

• Grants tool proficiencies (fixed and chosen)

• Adds languages

• Offers an equipment package

• Rolls your Connection and Memento off the background's roll tables

• Prompt you for any additional choices needed for your background

Tip: Your Connection and Memento are stored on the character and displayed on the Notes tab.

Step 4: Select Heritage

Heritage is Level Up's verson of Species. Selecting one applies and clicking next:

• Creature type

• Size (and size info)

• Speed

• Special senses

• Level-gated heritage features

• Prompt you for any additional choices needed for your heritage

You may be prompted to choose a Heritage Gift.

Step 5: Select Culture

Culture covers how you were raised — a separate record from Heritage. It grants languages and level-gated cultural features. Clicking next will prompt for additional culture choices, if any.

Step 6: Select Destiny

Destiny is your character's narrative arc. Selecting one adds its features and rolls your Destiny Motivation off the destiny's table (also shown on the Notes tab).

Step 7: Starting Equipment

Choose between:

• Equipment packages — from your class and your background, or

• Buy with starting gold — with a live gold tracker and a running list of purchased items

Step 8: Bonus Knowledge

This is A5e's Intelligence bonus. You get one prompt per point of your Intelligence modifier, each choosing one of:

• A Skill Specialty

• A Lore Skill Proficiency (Arcana, Culture, Engineering, History, Nature, Religion)

• An extra language

• A tool proficiency

The wizard always ensures you know Common.

Important: After completing the wizard, you'll still want to:

• Add spells by dragging them from the Spells compendium to your Actions tab

• Add Combat Maneuvers (Ability records) if your class grants them

• Drag an Archetype when you reach your class's archetype level

The Character Sheet

The character sheet has six main tabs. The tab names match 5e — the differences are inside them.

Main Tab

Sections: ✦ Vitals ✦, ✦ Identity ✦, ✦ Abilities ✦, ✦ Saving Throws ✦.

• Portrait: Click to upload a character image

• Class and Level: Adjusted automatically when you add a Class, level up, or drag a Class record

• Identity: four drop targets — Heritage, Culture, Background, Destiny. Drag the record onto its field. Dropping a second one replaces the first.

• Ability Scores: STR, DEX, CON, INT, WIS, CHA with modifiers

• Saving Throws: Proficient saves are automatically calculated

• Hit Points: Current, Maximum, and Temporary HP

• Armor Class: Automatically calculated based on equipped armor and shield type

• Senses: Darkvision, Blindsight, etc. If formatted as "Darkvision #", Realm VTT will automatically apply the Darkvision effect on unlit maps for your tokens.

• Speed, Proficiency Bonus, Experience Points

• Hit Dice: Shows available hit dice by type — with Short Rest, Long Rest, and four Recover Exertion buttons (see Exertion)

• HP by Level: Click the Heart icon to edit your HP received per level

Rolling Ability Checks and Saves

Click the dice icon next to any ability modifier or saving throw. The system automatically includes your ability modifier, proficiency bonus, any active effects or bonuses, and any applicable expertise die.

Skills Tab

Sections: ✦ Skills ✦, ✦ Proficiencies ✦, ✦ Skill Specialties & Other Expertise ✦, ✦ Tool Proficiencies & Other Skills ✦.

The Skills tab shows all 20 A5e skills — the 18 from 5e plus Culture and Engineering.

• Proficiency Toggle: Cycles through Not Proficient, Half Proficient, and Proficient. (An expertise state exists internally but is granted only by features and effects — it isn't clickable.)

• Ability: Each skill row has its own ability dropdown, so you can rebase any skill (e.g. Strength-based Intimidation). Culture and Engineering default to INT.

• Modifier: Automatically calculated

• Roll Button: Rolls the skill check, including any expertise die

Skill Specialties

Under ✦ Skill Specialties & Other Expertise ✦, click Add to create a specialty row:

• Skill — any of the 20 skills, any of the 6 saving throws, or one of your custom Other Skills

• Specialty — a combo dropdown pre-populated with that skill's canonical A5e specialties (Acrobatics → Balancing / Escape Artistry / Swinging / Tumbling; Athletics → Climbing / Jumping / Lifting / Running / Swimming / Throwing; Arcana → Aberrations / Constructs / Detection / Dragons / …). You can also type your own.

• Active — check to enable

When active and matching the roll, a specialty contributes a 1d4 expertise die. It also applies to initiative when it matches your initiative skill.

Tool Proficiencies & Other Skills

Under ✦ Tool Proficiencies & Other Skills ✦, add rows for tools and homebrew skills. Each row has a proficiency toggle, a name, an ability dropdown, a computed modifier, and a roll button. These rows also feed the Skill Specialty dropdown.

Proficiencies

The ✦ Proficiencies ✦ section holds your Weapon Proficiencies and Armor Training. Format them as the rules expect so proficiency is applied when rolling attacks.

Actions Tab

Sections: ✦ Attacks ✦ (plus the Basic Maneuvers & Actions accordion), ✦ Abilities ✦, ✦ Spells ✦.

• Roll Initiative: the initiative button on the right

• Roll Attacks and Damage: Equipped weapons from the Inventory tab appear here

  • Ranged weapons get an Ammo field, automatically deducted on an attack roll

  • Thrown weapons: click the Sword icon to switch to a Ranged attack

  • Dual-wielding: click the "1" icon until it shows "0" to mark an off-hand attack

  • Versatile weapons: click the "1" icon to change it to "2" for two-handed

• Feature Toggles: a row of checkboxes above the attack list for togglable features (stances, on/off class features). Flipping one re-derives AC, HP, and predicate-gated modifiers live.

• Basic Maneuvers & Actions: an icon-and-button grid — see Combat Maneuvers

• ✦ Abilities ✦: your Ability Groups, which are where maneuvers and exertion pools live

• ✦ Spells ✦: spell slots, spell points, cantrips, and leveled spells

Tip: You can drag any button such as "Use", "Attack", or "Cast" to the Hotbar below to make a shortcut for that action.

Inventory Tab

Sections: ✦ Inventory ✦, ✦ Treasure ✦.

Alongside the usual equipment list, currency, and total weight, the Inventory tab shows the two A5e encumbrance readouts:

• Bulky Items / Bulky Limit

• Supply / Max Supply

See Managing Inventory & Equipment.

Features Tab

Sections: ✦ Feats ✦, ✦ Features ✦.

• Feats: your Feats are listed here

• Features: gained from your class, archetype, heritage, culture, background, and destiny, Heritage Gifts, Combat Traditions, Fighting Styles, class-locked feats, and general feats as well

• Classes/Archetypes: shows your chosen classes and archetypes

• Resistances, Immunities, and Vulnerabilities: set by damage type

• Shape-shifting: Wild Shape, Polymorph, Animal Shapes, Shapechange, Disguise Self, and a conditional Shifting Form mode

Notes Tab

Sections: ✦ Prestige ✦, ✦ Notes ✦.

The Notes tab holds your Prestige block (see Prestige), your rolled Connection, Memento, and Destiny Motivation, plus a rich text editor for backstory, session notes, appearance, goals, and bonds.

Expertise Dice

Expertise dice are the signature A5e mechanic and are wired into nearly every roll. They render as a distinctly colored die alongside the d20. If you own the Level Up Dice Pack (included with the Adventurer's Guide) it uses the d8 from this pack.

How they stack

• Only one expertise die applies per roll.

• The highest single source sets the base die.

• Each additional source steps the die up one size on the ladder d4 → d6 → d8 → d10 → d12.

• Stacking is capped at 1d8 — unless a source carries an uncapped marker or you have an Expertise Die Upgrade modifier.

• A single authored source above d8 (e.g. a feature granting 1d10) still stands on its own.

• Sources whose predicate failed contribute nothing — they neither add a die nor step the stack up.

• A Rattled creature gets no expertise die at all.

Where they come from

There is no manual "set my expertise die" control on the sheet. Dice arrive from:

• Modifiers of type Expertise Die on features, items, and effects (scoped by the modifier's Field)

• Skill Specialties — an automatic 1d4 on the matching skill

• Situational rules in code — Flanking (+1d4), Attacking From Above, and Heavy/Tower shields (1d4 on Dexterity saves)

Which rolls they attach to

There's also a minroll10ifexpertise-style keyword for features that read "treat a roll of 9 or lower as a 10 on checks where you roll expertise dice."

Combat Maneuvers & Exertion

Basic Maneuvers & Actions

On the Actions tab, expand the Basic Maneuvers & Actions accordion. These cost no exertion:

• Other Actions: Dash, Disengage, Dodge, Help, Hide, Ready, Search, Press the Attack (bonus action), Fall Back (reaction), Sprint (action), Tumble (action or bonus), Back-to-Back (bonus)

• Basic Maneuvers: Disarm, Grab On, Grapple, Knockdown, Overrun, Shove

Each posts a chat card with the relevant save button. Tumble automatically applies your Acrobatics expertise die, the Tumbling specialty upgrade, and size-based advantage/disadvantage. Overrun rolls a Strength save and offers basic melee damage.

The NPC sheet has the same grid on its Actions in Combat tab.

Combat Maneuvers

Maneuvers are Ability records. On the record, set Type to Combat Maneuver and fill in:

Maneuvers live as rows inside an Ability Group on the Actions tab, each with a Use button. This Ability Group is usually added via the class as "Combat Maneuvers".

Maneuver DC

Your Maneuver DC is computed fresh every time you use a maneuver — it isn't a stored number on the PC sheet:

8
+ max(STR mod, DEX mod)     (or the ability group's configured save ability)
+ Proficiency Bonus
+ 1 if the maneuver is Mastered
+ Maneuver DC Bonus modifiers − Maneuver DC Penalty modifiers
+ a rolled expertise die on field "maneuvers"
+ 1 if you have a Trip weapon equipped and the maneuver benefits from it

It's printed on the chat card as Maneuver DC: N. NPCs, by contrast, store a persistent maneuverDC on their stat block.

Exertion

Exertion is tracked by your Combat Maneuvers Ability Group. Each group's Uses counter on the Actions tab is its exertion pool, filling up as you spend.

• Pool size comes from the group's configured fields (ability mods, proficiency bonus, per-class levels, arithmetic) — or from spell-slot conversion.

• Spending: clicking a maneuver's Use button adds its cost (−1 if Mastered, minimum 1).

• Convert Spell Slot to Exertion: a button on the ability group — expend a slot for 2 exertion per spell level, added to the pool's maximum.

• Recover Exertion via Hit Dice: four Recover Exertion buttons on the Main tab's hit-dice strip (d6/d8/d10/d12). Spend N hit dice of that size, roll 1d4 per die, and the total is deducted from every exertion pool. An Exertion Recovery modifier with field flatPerDie replaces the roll with a flat value per die.

• Rests: groups set to restore on long rest / short rest reset to 0. Spell-slot-conversion groups have their maximum reset to the static base, wiping temporary converted exertion.

Fatigue, Strife & Resting

Fatigue and Strife

A5e splits 5e's Exhaustion into two tracks. Both are stacking token effects named "Fatigue" and "Strife" — there is no numeric field on the sheet; the count is read live from the applied effects.

Applied automatically when:

• You survive a massive-damage save → +1 Fatigue and +1 Strife

• You critically fail a death save → 2 death-save failures +1 Fatigue and +1 Strife

• You drop to 0 HP → Unconscious + Prone + Fatigue

Mechanical effects (applied automatically to every affected roll):

Separately, the Rattled condition suppresses all expertise dice.

Short Rest

The Short Rest button on the Main tab restores spell points to maximum, resets death saves, resets short-rest ability groups, and restores short-rest spell uses. It does not recover hit dice, HP, Fatigue, or Strife.

Long Rest

Click the arrow next to Long Rest to open its popover, which has two checkboxes:

• In Haven — you're resting somewhere safe and comfortable

• Resting in Armor — auto-synced from your equipped armor

Sleeping in medium or heavy armor (other than hide) halves hit dice recovery and prevents Fatigue/Strife reduction. The Ignore Armor Sleep Penalty modifier exempts you.

A long rest:

• Restores HP to maximum, clears temp HP, resets death saves

• Hit dice: regain max(1, half your total hit dice), largest die first — quartered if Roughing It (resting in armor)

• Restores all spell slots and spell points; repairs burned-out Spell Inventions

• Resets all exertion pools

• Fatigue/Strife: none recovered if Roughing It. In a Haven → recover 1 Fatigue and 1 Strife. Not in a Haven → recoverable only when the count is exactly 1; if both are at 1, you get chat buttons to pick which one.

Managing Spells

Caster Types

Level Up classes have a four-way caster type rather than 5e's binary:

Classes can also require a specific Archetype before they become casters, and can be configured as full / half / third casters for multiclassing.

Spell Slots

Spell slots are radio-button counters at the top of the spell section. Click a button to mark a slot used, or click again to restore it. The Spell Caster Settings section (visible when the sheet is unlocked via the Lock icon) lets you configure which spell levels you have access to, Warlock settings, and hiding unprepared spells.

Spell Points

If your class is a spell-points caster, the Actions tab shows:

• A Use Spell Points First checkbox

• A Spell Points counter (current / maximum)

• Your Max Spell Level

Spell point costs are 2 / 3 / 5 / 6 / 7 for spell levels 1–5. Spell points are also used as a fallback when you have no slot of the needed level.

Spell Inventions & the Fizzle Die

For Artificer-style casters. On a prepared, non-cantrip spell, spell-list shows an invention box with three checkboxes: Invention, Burned Out, and Archetype. Ticking Invention auto-marks the spell prepared. The Actions tab displays your current Fizzle Die and Spell Inventions.

After casting a marked invention, the fizzle die is rolled automatically. If the roll is less than or equal to the slot level, the invention burns out and is unusable until repaired on a long rest. Otherwise the chat says the invention holds together. The Fizzle Die Reroll 1s modifier re-rolls a natural 1 once (the second result stands).

Your fizzle die and the class levels at which it steps up are configured on the class record.

Upcasting and Free Upcast

Click the numbered icon on a spell row to change its upcast level; the matching per-level scaling text is selected automatically.

The Free Upcast modifier lets you expend a slot N levels below the level you're casting at, while the spell still counts as cast at the higher level. It can be scoped to a school or sub-school. The cast card tags it: "Cast at level 4 (level 3 slot, +1 from Free Upcast)". It never applies to spell-point casts.

Casting Spells

Each spell shows its name, level, school, casting time, range, components, duration, and description, with a Cast button. Casting sends the spell details to Chat; from that card, click any button to roll attacks or damage. The GM should use the Saving Throw buttons for enemies targeted by players, or vice versa.

If a spell applies an Effect, the macro in chat can be dragged onto a token, or applied by selecting tokens and clicking the macro.

Preparing Spells

For classes that prepare spells, click the Wand icon until it shows the Book icon to mark a spell unprepared. You can filter unprepared spells out from the Caster Settings. To make your sheet load faster, simply delete spells you never prepare.

Concentration

Concentration is inferred from the spell's duration string (it starts with "Concentration") — there's no checkbox on the spell record. When a concentrating character takes damage, click the button in the chat card to roll your Concentration check (a Constitution save at DC max(half the damage, 10)).

Note that Strife 2+ gives disadvantage on concentration checks.

The Dual Concentration modifier lets you maintain two concentration spells at once, capped by their cumulative spell level. Losing the primary drops both.

A5e Spell Taxonomy

Level Up spells carry considerably more metadata than 5e spells:

• Is Rare — A5e's rare spells

• Spell Lists — Artificer, Bard, Cleric, Druid, Herald, Ranger, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard

• School — the standard eight

• Other Schools — a multiselect of ~54 A5e sub-tags (Acid, Affliction, Air, Arcane, Attack, Beasts, Chaos, Cold, Compulsion, Divine, Earth, Fear, Fire, Force, Healing, Knowledge, Lightning, Movement, Nature, Necrotic, Negation, Planar, Poison, Protection, Psychic, Radiant, Scrying, Shadow, Shapechanging, Storm, Summoning, Telepathy, Teleportation, Terrain, Thunder, Time, Transformation, Undead, Utility, Water, Weather, …). These sub-schools are what Free Upcast, Spell DC Bonus, and spell: predicates scope against.

• Spell Tags — condition-style tags (Charmed, Blinded, Poisoned, Ritual, …) used by predicates

• Explicit per-level scaling — separate damage / ongoing damage / healing / duration entries for each spell level 2–9 (and character levels 5/11/17 for cantrips), rather than 5e's single "At Higher Levels" blob

• Ignores Resistance / Downgrades Immunity flags and Additional Saving Throws

Note: Rituals exist here only as a spell tag for predicate matching — there's no ritual-cast toggle or slot bypass. Spellcasting traditions (arcane/divine/primordial) aren't modeled; spells are differentiated by spell list.

Managing Inventory & Equipment

Item Properties

Each item shows Quantity, Weight, Equipped Status (click the Bag icon to switch to the Shirt icon), Attunement, Condition, and Location (a free-text field like "In Backpack" or "At Bastion", filterable from the top of the list). Click an item's icon to view or edit it.

Tip: Dragging the same item twice increases the quantity rather than creating duplicates. Right-click an item to delete or duplicate it.

Bulky Items

Items can be flagged Bulky (auto-set when weight is 40 or more). Your limit:

Bulky Limit = max(1, 1 + STR modifier)
            + 1 if you are carrying no Supply
            + any Bulky Limit Bonus modifiers

Exceeding it applies the Encumbered effect. Worn armor is exempt while equipped; shields are not.

Supply

Items can be flagged as Supply. Your Max Supply equals your Strength score, and both numbers are shown on the Inventory tab.

Note: Supply is tracked and counted but never automatically consumed — no rest, travel, or time code decrements it. Its only mechanical effect is granting +1 Bulky Limit when you carry no Supply. Journeys, travel pace, navigation, and foraging are not implemented.

A5e Weapon Properties

The weaponProperties list includes 5e's properties plus A5e's: Breaker, Compounding, Defensive (with Light/Medium/Heavy), Dual-Wielding, Hand-Mounted, Mounted, Parrying, Parrying Immunity, Trip, and Vicious.

Automated in the attack pipeline:

Breaker, Defensive, Dual-Wielding, Hand-Mounted, Loading, Parrying, and Parrying Immunity are shown as tooltip text with no automation — resolve them at the table.

Materials, Quality & Customization

Items also carry Material (Adamantine, Bone, Bronze, Cloth, Cold Iron, Hide, Iron, Leather, Mithral, Silver, Steel, Stone, Wood), Quality (Standard / Fine / Masterwork), Material Properties (Comfortable, Feybane, Flaw, Fortified, Hardy, High-Quality, Lightweight, Low-Maintenance, Magical, Rust, Silvered, Underarmor, Weighty, Wild), and per-type customizations — weapon (Flamboyant, Quickdraw, Rebounding, Stealthy, Storage), shield (Hands-Free, Mirrored, Rebounding, Spikes, Storage), and armor (Camouflaged, Spiked, Stealthy, Storage).

Shields

Level Up has four shield types, each with automatic side effects:

Broken Items & Repair

Items have a Broken checkbox. A broken equipped armor or shield contributes half its AC bonus. The inventory has a Repair action that looks up the item's material for a repair DC and required tool (e.g. Mithral → DC 25, Smith's Tools) and checks whether you're proficient with that tool. Bone weapons are flagged unrepairable.

Note: Crafting is not implemented.

Weight and Encumbrance

The system tracks individual item weight, total carried weight, and optional coin weight (50 coins = 1 lb, enabled from campaign Settings by the GM), alongside Bulky and Supply.

Prestige

Prestige lives on the Notes tab under ✦ Prestige ✦.

Click Prestige Check to roll:

DC   = 12 + Region Tier × (Extremely Far ? 3 : 2)
Roll = d20 + Prestige Rating (+ any expertise die on field "prestige")

There's a toggleable Outside Prestige Area disadvantage, suppressed by the No Prestige Disadvantage modifier. The Prestige Bonus modifier adjusts your rating by half (half proficiency bonus), full (full proficiency bonus), or a flat number.

Prestige is included in the PDF character export.

Note: Prestige gain and decay over play are not automated — the rating is entered manually apart from feature-driven bonuses.

Feats, Gifts & Features

Feat Types

Beyond the general/origin/fighting-style categories, Level Up feats carry A5e-specific and class-locked types:

• Heritage Gift and Heritage Paragon — placed into a heritage's feature list; paragon gifts can chain via a slug

• Combat Tradition, Synergy Feat, Fighting Style

• Class-locked types: Practiced Techniques / Focus Feature (Adept), Field Discovery (Artificer), Adventuring Tricks / Battle Hymn / Grand Battle Hymn (Bard), Developed Talent / Furious Critical (Berserker), Principles of Devotion / Signs of Faith (Cleric), Secrets of Nature (Druid), Soldiering Knack (Fighter), Divine Lesson (Herald), Lessons of War (Marshal), Exploration Knack (Ranger), Skill Trick (Rogue), Clever Scheme / Savant Trick (Savant), Arcane Innovation / Metamagic (Sorcerer), Eldritch Invocation / Secrets of Arcana (Warlock), Elective Study (Wizard)

Add feats by dragging them from the Feats compendium to your Features tab.

Feature Choices

Feats and features can define structured choices that prompt you when added — including built-in choice types for skill expertise and skill-or-tool expertise. Features can also provide items directly into your inventory, and can add other feats by slug (used for heritage paragon chains).

Ability Score Increases

When you add a feat that grants ability score increases, a prompt appears. Select which scores to increase; the system enforces the maximum automatically.

Archetypes

Archetypes replace 5e's subclasses and are their own record type. Drag an Archetype record onto the character sheet — it validates that you have the required class, rejects duplicates, and adds all archetype features from the class's archetype level up to your current level. When you level up into your class's archetype level (default 3), the sheet prompts you to pick one.

Creating and Managing NPCs

NPC Types

Creating an NPC

1. Create a new NPC record from the NPCs compendium panel

2. Fill in name, portrait, type, size, creature type, and Alignment Traits (a Chaotic/Evil/Good/Lawful multiselect that auto-derives the alignment string)

3. Set ability scores — modifiers and saves calculate automatically

4. Add skills, speed, senses, and languages

5. Set the Challenge Rating — this automatically sets XP reward, proficiency bonus, and level (for spellcasting)

A5e-Specific Stat Block Fields

• Maneuver DC — a persistent stat block value, auto-computed as 10 + max(STR mod, DEX mod). The maneuver macros read this directly when a PC targets the creature.

• Initiative Skill — NPC initiative can key off any of the 20 skills, not just Dexterity

• Vulnerabilities alongside Resistances, Immunities, and Condition Immunities

• Actions in Combat tab — the same basic action and maneuver button grid as the PC sheet

• NPCs get expertise dice and skill specialties through the same pipeline as PCs

Ability Sections

Use the checkboxes in Subsection Settings to enable sections:

An In Lair checkbox on the Rules tab swaps the reaction/legendary caps and trait max-uses. The system auto-parses "Legendary Action Uses: 3 (4 in Lair)" from pasted text.

NPC Actions

When adding actions, the system automatically parses attack bonuses, damage formulas (e.g. "2d6+4 slashing"), recharge mechanics ("Recharge 5–6"), and uses per day. Copy the verbiage exactly as printed for the automatic parsing to work.

Spellcasting: you may need to manually designate an action as Spellcasting for the spell list to appear, then drag spells onto it from the Spells compendium.

Note: NPC roles, tiers, mythic actions, and automated damage thresholds are not implemented.

Creating Content for Your Campaign

Creating Items

Create an Item record and select the Type:

Also set, as appropriate: Is Bulky, Is Supply, Broken, Material, Quality, and Material Properties. Rarity above common auto-flags an item as magical, unlocking the Curse and Recharge fields.

For magic items that need mechanical effects (extra damage, to-hit, AC), add modifiers on the item's Rules tab.

Creating Combat Maneuvers

Create an Ability record, set Type to Combat Maneuver, then fill in Tradition, Degree, Cost, Action Type, and any class/archetype/heritage prerequisites. Add the maneuver to an Ability Group so it draws from that group's exertion pool.

Creating Feats

Create a Feat record and set the Feat Type. Set prerequisites, ability score increases, modifiers, feature choices, provided items, and any feats it chains to by slug.

Creating Spells

Create a Spell record, then set level, school, Other Schools sub-tags, Spell Tags, Is Rare, spell lists, casting time, range, components, and duration. The Rules tab holds damage, healing, and the per-spell-level scaling tables for levels 2–9 (and character levels 5/11/17 for cantrips), plus Ignores Resistance / Downgrades Immunity and Additional Saving Throws. If the spell applies effects, create the effects first, then select them from the dropdown on the Rules tab.

Creating Heritages, Cultures, Backgrounds & Destinies

Each has a level-gated feature list, so features are granted as the character levels.

Creating Classes and Archetypes

Class records include primary ability, save proficiencies and choices, Armor Training, starting gold, equipment package options, Archetype Level, the caster-type configuration (including spell points and fizzle die), and an As Multiclass section with separate proficiency grants and a multiclass spellcaster setting (None / Each Level / Half round up / Half round down / Third round down if Archetype).

Archetype records require a class by name and hold a level-gated feature list.

These are typically set up once and shared across campaigns via the Modules system. See the Modules article on how to export a module of your own.

Combat & Rolling Dice

Initiative

Roll initiative from the Actions tab (or the Main tab of the NPC sheet). The roll includes your Dexterity modifier, initiative bonus/penalty effects, any expertise die on field initiative, and any matching Skill Specialty.

Tip: Open the Combat Tracker with the O key. From its menu you can switch to Carousel Mode.

Making Attacks

Click the attack button on a weapon to show the roll prompt with all applicable modifiers, toggle advantage/disadvantage, toggle optional modifiers, and roll. The chat card shows the result; afterwards click Damage or Critical.

Flanking and Attacking From Above grant a +1d4 expertise die rather than advantage. The Cannot Be Flanked modifier opts a creature out.

Saving Throws

Roll saves from the Main tab, the NPC sheet, or spell results in chat. Save rolls pick up expertise dice, Saving Throw Notes (reminder tags such as Evasion), and Fatigue/Strife disadvantage automatically.

Maneuver Saves

When you use a maneuver, the chat card posts the Maneuver DC and save buttons. The save macros pass a maneuver context so features reading "advantage on saves against maneuvers" apply correctly.

Concentration

See Concentration under Managing Spells.

Death Saves

Roll death saves from the bottom-left of the Main tab. A critical failure costs 2 failures and inflicts 1 Fatigue and 1 Strife.

What the Sheet Handles Automatically

A lot of A5e's fiddly bookkeeping is applied for you. You don't need to add any of the following by hand — they're already folded into the roll or applied as an effect.

Expertise dice granted automatically

Remember that these stack by stepping up, not by adding — see Expertise Dice.

Advantage and disadvantage applied automatically

Effects and conditions applied automatically

Numbers adjusted automatically

Advanced Features

Wild Shape, Polymorph & Shapechange

The Features tab supports shape-shifting. Drag an NPC onto the Features tab, then choose a mode:

• Polymorph — replaces all ability scores; gains the NPC's HP as temp HP

• Wild Shape — replaces physical stats only; temp HP based on your level

• Animal Shapes — the form-only variant

• Shapechange

• Disguise Self

• Shifting Form (no temp HP) — available if you have a shiftingForm modifier

When transformed, your stats update, a token change effect is applied, and the NPC's actions become available. Click "Remove Shape-shift" to revert.

The Wild Shape Bonus modifier tunes temp HP (die upgrade or multiplier), AC, attack, damage, magical attacks, and the Shifting Form option.

Ability Groups

Ability Groups are the container for shared resource pools — exertion, Channel Divinity-style features, or anything with pooled uses. Configure:

• Restore on — long rest, short rest, or short rest once

• Fields to add to uses — ability mods, proficiency bonus, per-class levels, arithmetic transforms

• Saving throw ability (and an alternate) — used for the group's maneuver/ability DCs

• Spell slot conversion — enables the "Convert Spell Slot to Exertion" button

Feature Toggles

Features can add checkboxes above the attack list. Toggling one re-derives AC, HP, and every predicate-gated modifier live — use these for stances and on/off class features. See Toggle in the modifier catalog and Predicates.

Quick Reference

Drag-and-Drop Summary

Proficiency Levels

Expertise Die Ladder

1d4 → 1d6 → 1d8 → 1d10 → 1d12 — highest source sets the base, each extra source steps up one, capped at 1d8 from stacking.

Ability Score Modifier Chart

Modifiers & Effects

Modifiers are the engine behind almost every automatic adjustment on a character sheet — a feat that adds your Proficiency Bonus to a save, a magic item that boosts your AC, a class feature that grants an expertise die on maneuvers. Instead of editing your numbers by hand, you attach modifiers to the things that grant them, and the sheet recalculates everything for you.

Where modifiers live

A modifier can be placed on any of three things:

• Features (class features, feats, heritage/culture/background/destiny features) — apply while the character has the feature.

• Items (weapons, armor, wondrous items) — apply only while the item is equipped. If the item requires attunement, the modifier applies only while it is both equipped and attuned; un-attuning or unequipping removes it automatically.

• Effects (conditions, spells, auras) — apply while the effect is active, and can include duration, stacking, and target-aware logic.

Tip: Put one-time, "always-on" bonuses on the feature or item that grants them. Use Effects for anything temporary (a spell buff, a condition) or anything that depends on who applied it.

Anatomy of a modifier

Value Types

• Number — a plain integer (2, -1). For Penalty types you can enter a positive number; it's subtracted for you.

• String — text that can contain dynamic tokens and dice (1d6 fire, Proficiency Bonus, advantage).

• From Field — reads the number live from another sheet field (e.g. proficiencyBonus), so it stays current as the character levels.

Dynamic values (String type)

String values support these tokens, resolved when the roll happens:

• Ability modifiers — Strength Modifier, Dexterity Modifier, … Charisma Modifier

• Level & proficiency — Character Level, Half Character Level, <Class> Level, Half <Class> Level, Proficiency Bonus

• Warlock casting — Warlock Spellcasting Modifier

• Shield AC — Shield AC / Shield Armor Class resolves to your equipped shield's AC bonus (halved if broken, minimum 1; 0 if no shield)

• Field references — @record.data.<field> reads any field from this character; @caster.data.<field> reads from the creature that applied the effect (for effects only)

• Math expressions — wrap in braces: {floor(Character Level / 2)}, {max(1, Charisma Modifier)}. Supports floor, ceil, min, max, abs. Without an explicit floor/ceil, results round down.

Example — a Cleric feature that adds your Wisdom modifier to a damage roll: Type Damage Bonus, Value Type String, Value Wisdom Modifier.

The modifier catalog

Modifier types marked ★ are Level Up-only — they don't exist in the 5e (2024) ruleset.

Expertise dice ★

Field notes:

• attack covers all weapon attacks; melee/ranged scope to that mode; spellAttack covers spell attacks only. Weapon fields don't apply to spell attacks and vice versa. all or blank applies to everything.

• ac applies vs all attacks; acMelee applies vs melee only and is suppressed by Parrying Immunity — use acMelee for Parrying-style dice.

• saves is a wildcard matching any per-ability save lookup; dexteritySave scopes to one. spellSave covers saves against spells and stacks with the per-save lookup.

• checks covers all ability checks. maneuvers is rolled once per maneuver use and added to the Maneuver DC, printed in chat as (includes 1dN expertise …).

Cap markers: uncapped raises the stacking cap to d12 without adding a die or counting as a source. uncapped:d10 raises it to d10. A combined value like 1d4 uncapped counts as both a die source and a cap raise.

Combat maneuvers ★

Attack & damage

Spells & healing

Saves, checks & skills

Passive scores

Passives mirror the active check: 10 + skill modifier + numeric ability/skill bonuses + a flat +3 if any expertise die is active (per the A5e rule — not the average) + ±5 for advantage/disadvantage + passive bonuses. A breakdown line is displayed under each passive in the skills popover.

Armor Class & defense

Resistances, immunities & vulnerabilities

Flat damage reduction: set Field to a damage type and Value to a number — e.g. field bludgeoning nonmagical, value 3. One source per type (overwrite, not additive).

• Field all / any reduces any damage you take by N, applied once to the instance total. Multiple all sources stack.

• Append nonmagical or magical to the field to gate the reduction by the incoming damage's magical state.

• Add a predicate like self:data.armor.category:eq:heavy for conditional reduction ("while wearing heavy armor").

Bypassing resistance & immunity

To make your own damage ignore a target's defenses, use a Damage Bonus with a String value:

Exactly three words — ignore fire resistance, downgrade cold immunity. These are directives, not damage: they add nothing to the roll and never appear as a toggle. Add one modifier per type/defense you need to pierce. Combine with a predicate to scope it, e.g. {"and": ["spell:fire"]}.

Hit points & ability scores

Important: Use Attribute Set (not Set Value) for ability scores — it floors the score correctly, reverts when removed, respects attunement, and recalculates everything that depends on it. Set Value writes a field once with no revert.

Movement & initiative

Encumbrance, supply & rest ★

Prestige ★

Senses, proficiencies & utility

Conditional modifiers: Predicates

A Predicate makes a modifier apply only when a condition is true. The simplest case ties a modifier to a Toggle the player checks before rolling; more advanced predicates inspect the roll itself.

• A toggle name — focused-shot — only when that toggle is checked

• weapon:<property> — only with a matching weapon: weapon:finesse, weapon:ranged, weapon:melee, weapon:heavy, weapon:two-handed, weapon:trip, weapon:vicious, weapon:name:dagger, weapon:type:longsword

• self:proficient — only on a check/skill you're proficient in (half-proficiency doesn't count). self:proficient:deception names a specific skill.

• effect:<name> / feature:<name> — only if the character has that effect or feature, matched by slug

• spell:<tag> — matches the incoming spell's slugified name, spell tags, primary school, sub-schools, or casting class (spell:call-lightning, spell:charmed, spell:fire, spell:druid). Fires only when the roll carries spell context — a plain sheet save has none.

• self:<data.path>:<op>:<value> — numeric comparison, operators gte, gt, lte, lt, eq. Example: self:data.armor.category:eq:heavy.

• Combine with logic — JSON like {"or": ["weapon:finesse", "weapon:ranged"]}, {"not": "feature:heavy-armor-master"}, or an array ["sneak-attack", "weapon:finesse"] (all must be true). Also {"and": …}, {"nand": …}, {"nor": …}.

Example — Sneak Attack die only on a finesse or ranged weapon: a Damage Bonus with Predicate ["sneak-attack", {"or": ["weapon:finesse", "weapon:ranged"]}].

Example — an expertise die on skill checks, but only if proficient: Type Expertise Die, Field skills, Value 1d4, Predicate self:proficient.

Example — an expertise die on saves against charm spells: Type Expertise Die, Field saves, Value 1d4, Predicate spell:charmed.

Special value keywords

These work in bonus/penalty values:

• advantage / disadvantage — grant advantage/disadvantage on the roll

• criticalN (e.g. critical19) — crit on N–20; works on attacks and on ability/skill/save checks. Multiple sources: the best wins.

• criticalExtend — extends the crit range by 1 per source (minimum 17). Stacks with criticalN and with the Vicious weapon property.

• critical — auto-critical

• minrollN (e.g. minroll10) — treat any d20 result below N as N (Reliable Talent)

• minrollNifexpertise ★ (e.g. minroll10ifexpertise) — same, but only when an expertise die is present on the roll. Wired into skill and ability checks; not saves or attacks.

• mintotalN — sets a floor on the final roll total

• <value> noCrit [type] — a damage bonus added on a hit but not doubled on a crit

• ignore <type> resistance / ignore <type> immunity / downgrade <type> immunity — on a Damage Bonus, bypass the target's defense for that type

Effect-only modifier types

When building an Effect (rather than a feature/item), extra types become available because they're aimed at a creature:

• Attacks Targeting You — adjusts attacks made against the affected creature. Supported values: advantage / disadvantage, critical (and criticalN / criticalExtend), expertise ★ (grants the attacker a 1d4 expertise die) or expertise 1dN ★, and noAdvantage (cancels any Advantage the attacker would otherwise have; does not grant disadvantage). Honored by every attack path — weapon, spell, NPC action, Wild Shape.

• Attacks Targeting You (Within 5 ft) / (Beyond 5 ft) — the same, range-gated.

• Attack Target Bonus — an attack bonus against this target, only for the token that applied the effect.

• Damage Target Bonus / Damage Target Bonus (Any) — damage against this target, from the applier or from anyone.

Effects also support target-aware predicates and extra value sources:

• target:applied_by — the attacker is the token that applied the effect

• target:creature_type:dragon, self:creature_type:undead

• attacker:senses:darkvision, self:senses:darkvision

• attacker:effect:<slug> — the attacking creature carries a named effect (lets a defender scope a bonus to a marked attacker; works on AC expertise dice too)

• target:effect:<slug> — the creature being attacked carries a named effect (taunt-style "attack my marked target with a bonus")

• source:<slug> — the spell or ability that triggered this roll matches

• Value types: api (value set externally on the token) and stack (value = the number of times the effect is applied, with optional math like *2)

Pair predicates for phrasing like "disadvantage on attacks against you, except from me": {"not": "target:applied_by"}.

Built-in condition effects

These are applied automatically based on effect stack count — you don't need to author them:

Worked examples

Amulet of Health — "Your Constitution score is 19." On the item: Type Attribute Set, Field constitution, Value Type Number, Value 19. Mark the item as requiring attunement; the change applies only while attuned and reverts when you remove it.

Adamant Mountain maneuver bonus — "+1 to your Maneuver DC."Type Maneuver DC Bonus, Value Type Number, Value 1.

A class feature granting an expertise die on attacks — Type Expertise Die, Field attack, Value Type String, Value 1d4.

"Your expertise dice can exceed d8" — Type Expertise Die, Field the relevant scope, Value uncapped. Or use Expertise Die Upgrade to both step every existing die up and lift the cap.

Heightened Potency (Necromancy) — "Cast necromancy spells one level higher without spending a higher slot."Type Free Upcast, Field necromancy, Value Type Number, Value 1. Pair with a predicate like feature:heightened-potency if it's gated.

Dueling fighting style — "+2 damage with a one-handed melee weapon."Type Damage Bonus, Field melee, Value 2, Predicate {"not": "weapon:two-handed"}.

Trained veteran — "Ignore the penalty for sleeping in armor."Type Ignore Armor Sleep Penalty, no field, no value.

Observant — "+5 to Passive Perception."Type Passive Bonus, Field perception, Value 5.

Tips & gotchas

• Number vs String: use String the moment you need a die, a damage type, or a token like Proficiency Bonus.

• Expertise dice don't add up — they step up. Two 1d4 sources give one 1d6, not 2d4. And stacking stops at d8 without an uncapped marker.

• Weapon vs spell expertise fields are separate. attack never applies to a spell attack; use spellAttack or all.

• Penalties: enter a positive number on a Penalty type — it's subtracted automatically.

• Active by Default off turns a modifier into a roll-time toggle (great for optional bonuses you choose to use).

• Attunement: item modifiers respect attunement automatically — no need to gate them yourself.

• Rounding is always down unless you write ceil().

• spell: predicates need spell context. They fire on rolls driven by a spell; a plain sheet save has no spell context and the modifier won't apply.

This guide covers the Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition ruleset in Realm VTT. Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition is published by EN Publishing. For the latest updates and additional documentation, check the Realm VTT wiki.