The following homebrew rules are unofficial and by GM approval only.
Auquid's Adventure Homebrew Guidelines for GMs
Monster Creation Homebrew Guidelines (Google Drive link)
Encounter Balancing Homebrew Guidelines (Google Drive link)
Beyond the Advanced: Adding Tactical Depth in SW2.5 (Google Drive link)
Short Guide to the Bio Region
Contributed by Auquid
An entire region ready for play, including a map, history and lore, places of interest, notable NPCs, and two new Schools unique to the area.
Sword Maiden (SW2.0 Homebrew Race)
Contributed by Momo
A race inspired by the images on the SW Core Book covers.
Mechmancer (Magitech Era Class)
Contributed by Auquid
A class intended for use in historical Magitech Era campaigns.
Chelly's Book of Barbarous
Contributed by Chelly
A whole bunch of homebrewed PC versions of Barbarous races.
Medusa PC Race
Contributed by Auquid
Another new Barbarous race option.
Sword World Mystic GM
Contributed by Miriable
Solo, GMless and zero-prep-GM play built specifically for Sword World 2.5, with a Mythic GM Simulator feel.
Google Drive link
itch.io link
Gunblades
From a Japanese online forum, translated by Momo
A unique weapon class for Artificer spellblades.
"Seven Colors of Mana" Department of Dueling Techniques
Originally by Kazuya, translated and updated by Auquid
A new School especially for Alchemists.
Lifeweed
Contributed by Miriable
| Name | Stance | Power | ③ | ④ | ⑤ | ⑥ | ⑦ | ⑧ | ⑨ | ⑩ | ⑪ | ⑫ | Crit | Add'l Dmg | Price | Notes |
| Lifeweed | - | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | None | - | see below | Restores Power 0 HP |
Lifegrass as purchased from vendors is a dried and processed version of a wild plant commonly called "Lifeweed." In a pinch, Rangers can forage for Lifeweed and use it to help heal their companions.
This herb is commonly found in wooded areas or temperate grasslands. In one of these environments, gathering enough Lifeweed for one dose takes ten minutes and a Herbology Check against a target number of 10 in the spring or summer, 15 in fall, or 20 in winter. A Sage or Ranger can make this check up to three times a day before exhausting the local supply. Groups searching together can only make three checks in total. Meria and Grassrunners gain a +2 bonus on this foraging check.
Lifeweed can rarely be found in other environments (essentially anywhere with sufficient soil, water, and sunlight). The GM can adjust the search target by up to +6, and/or the search time to up to an hour, in more meager places like mountain passes or desert scrub.
Cut Lifeweed wilts quickly, and loses its effectiveness completely within a day.
Algorithmically Derived Power Table
From a Discord post by Auquid, with tweaks by Miriable
The Sword World Power Table is entirely bespoke; the numbers there are not based on any sort of algorithm. This can be frustrating for VTT creators and online players who would rather not have to refer to a 101-row table every time.
The following formula can generate reasonably accurate Power Table results, based on the Power and the die roll:
(Power x Roll) / 40 + (Roll / 4) - (Power / 30)
To get even closer to parity with the Power Table, apply the following rules to the formula's result (in order):
- If the Power is 15 or less and the Roll is 6 or less, subtract 1 from the result.
- If the Roll is 8 or more, add 1 to the result.
- If the Power is 70 or higher and the Roll is 9 or higher, subtract 1 from the result.
- Always round off (i.e. a decimal of .5 or more will round up to the nearest integer) instead of rounding down.
- The result can never be less than 0.
This algorithm is not perfect; it can vary by up to 3 points compared to the original, especially at the high end. Some Power rows are identical (Power 29 through 31 all return the same results, for instance). But it presents a usable and generally consistent set of results.
Treating Miakis' [Bite] and [Claws] as Innate Weapons
Contributed by Miriable
A Miakis' [Bite] and [Claws] weapons should be considered Innate Weapons, and will automatically upgrade to the A-rank versions of these weapons if the Miakis takes the proper [Weapon Proficiency/Wrestling] Feat. Due to their smaller size than Barbarous weapons, Miakis' [Bite] and [Claws] can only be advanced to A rank and no further.
Minotaur Weakling [Headbutt] Attack
Contributed by Miriable
Much like a Large Herbivore Lykant, a Minotaur Weaking can use a Minor Action to perform a [Headbutt] attack. This "Range/Area: Touch/-" action deals 2 points of fixed damage to a single target. This effect can only be used once per round.
Soleil and the [Daybreak] spell
Contributed by Miriable
Normally, a Soleil at night received a -4 penalty to Willpower and Fortitude checks. This can be mitigated by use of the 10th level Priest of Tidan exclusive spell [Daybreak], which generates a ball of light which mimics natural sunlight. This spell has two possible effects on a Soleil:
- Simple exposure to this divine sunlight removes the -4 penalty, but doesn't restore the Soleil's normal bonus to those numbers under sunlight.
- The Soleil can touch the light ball and absorb it into their body as a Major Action. For the next ten minutes (60 rounds), they act at night as if under direct sunlight, with their full +4 bonus to Willpower and Fortitude. If they had not used their [Photosynthesis] ability six times on the previous day, they will also automatically regain 10 HP when they absorb the light ball. A Soleil can only perform this absorption once per day.
If a Soleil deliberately touches a [Daybreak] light ball during the day, the resonance between the spell and their own natural power will cause it to explode immediately, as if the ball had been thrown at the Soleil. Follow the spell rules for a Thrown Light Ball in that case.
Meria and the [Holy Cradle] Spell
Contributed by Miriable
The Divine spell [Holy Cradle] puts up to five characters into a healing sleep, allowing them the equivalent of a full night's recovery in only 3 hours. Meria, however, do not need to sleep, and recover HP and MP at fixed times every day.
At the GM's discretion, the [Holy Cradle] spell will place Meria in a healing torpor for 3 hours, giving them the equivalent of their usual [Thriving Life] during "off hours." This torpor is similar to the [Nap] spell, with similar awakening conditions.
A Meria affected by this spell will not regenerate normally the next morning.
[Holy Cradle] affects Carnivorous and Fungi Meria as usual.
Quepala and Abyssal Magic
Contributed by Miriable
With the release of Abyss Breaker, Quepala monsters who can cast spells should now also have the option to learn Abyssal Magic.
Semi-directed Character Growth
Contributed by Miriable
Instead of the usual post-adventure Growth procedure, roll 1d. On a 1-3, increase one stat of your choosing by 1 point. On a 4-6, roll a second 1d and increase that stat by 1 instead.
Signs of Valor work as usual on the second 1d roll, but don't have any effect on the first roll.
Skill Checks for the Non-Skilled
Contributed by Miriable
By design, Sword World can be punishing for characters who don't have the correct Class for a Skill Check. This is meant to promote party unity, since usually Skill Checks are for the benefit of the entire party.
To help soften the blow of being unskilled, the GM might consider allowing characters to use half of the relevant Ability Score Modifier (rounded down) for Skill Checks. This reflects the character's natural ability without allowing them to overshadow actually skilled characters.
Physical Abilities of Dolls (for Conjurers)
From SW2.0 Q&A, with adjustments by Miriable
The Conjurer's [… Doll] spells give next to no information about what a doll's physical abilities and resistances are. Other sources indicate:
- Dolls have 1 HP and 0 MP.
- Dolls automatically fail Evasion, Willpower, and Fortitude checks, and are destroyed by any damaging spell or attack that is not a fumble (double 1's).
- Dolls cannot carry anything heavier than about 5 KG. They might be able to shove heavier objects around (e.g., open a heavy door or knock something off a table) at the GM's discretion.
- A Doll's Movement Speed is 8. The number of legs does not materially affect their movement.
- Dolls cannot Block, or join or create Skirmishes. If any character wishes to Block a Doll to prevent them from passing through their area or coordinate, they do so automatically.
- Dolls are automatically destroyed if they're caught in the radius of a damaging area effect spell. The Doll does not count against the number of the spell's targets.
- Picking up a Doll in the same area/coordinate is a Major Action, just like picking up any object. Any character, friend or foe, can pick up a Doll without destroying it if they so choose. If a [… Doll] spell is affecting the Doll, The spell will continue unless it specifically ends if the Doll is tampered with (e.g., the [Command Doll] spell).
- Characters can throw a Doll up to 5 meters without destroying the Doll. This counts as the Doll's entire action for the turn.
- Immersing a Doll in water for more than 3 rounds will make it too heavy to move on its own.
Geomancer Aspects are Combat Only
From a discussion on the SW2.X Discord
Though the rules for the Geomancer Class don't state it directly, other sources imply that Geographs cannot be deployed outside of combat, and all Aspects end when combat ends.
Cooperation and Skill Checks
Contributed by Miriable
If multiple characters in the same location work together on a Strength Check-based action (for instance, pushing a boulder away from a door), choose the character with the highest Strength Check total. This will be the acting character. Before the acting character's turn, other characters in the same area/coordinate may declare that they are helping with the action, then immediately end their turn. Each cooperating character adds their Strength Modifier to the acting character's Strength Check for that one roll. (This is similar to the de-bonding rule.)
Only one character may also assist only one other character on a Climb Check if both characters are climbing within 3m of each other, or if the assisting character has completed the climb but has not yet moved away from the destination. As above, the assisting character must use their entire turn helping, which gives the assisted character +2 to their Climb skill for that turn.
XP Bonus for Failures
Contributed by MomijiLoop
At the GM's discretion, everyone gains 50 XP on a fumble instead of only the roller. Everyone on the team learns from each other's mistakes, and if playing in a regular group, it'll keep everyone's XP totals the same.
Increasing XP Totals as Character Levels Increase
Contributed by Auquid
To prevent the "XP doldrums" as characters reach higher levels, GMs can increase the amount of XP given for a successful mission, as follows:
| Average Player Level | XP for Successful Mission |
| 1-3 | 1,000 |
| 4-5 | 1,500 |
| 6-9 | 2,000 |
| 10-13 | 2,500 |
| 14+ | 3,000 |
Automatic Success on Non-Resisted Spells
Contributed by Miriable
If a spell is cast on an unresisting PC, or if a cast spell has "Resistance: N/A," and the enemy side has no way to break the spell, the GM can allow the player to skip the Spellcasting roll (which in this case would only fail on double 1's) and assume the spell is successful.
Rolling Double 1's on the Power Table
From a Japanese online forum, translated by Auquid
Rolling double 1's on the Power Table is not treated as an automatic failure, but the applied damage (or healing effect) is set to "0." For example, if the Accuracy check is successful with Throw Attack, even if the player rolls double 1's on the Power Table, the target will fall prone, although no damage will be dealt. In this case, the player also gets 50 experience points.
Action Request Fees for NPCs
From a Japanese online forum, translated by Auquid
PCs can temporarily hire NPCs to help them with an Action Check. To do so, they need to pay the following amount:
Request Fee for Spellcasting: Spell level x Spell level x MP Cost x Target Number (Monster Willpower or Success Value of an effect), in Gamels
Other Skill Check Request Fees: Target Number x Target Number x 10, in Gamels
In both cases, the lower limit of the Target Number is 10. An NPC can repeat failed checks until successful, but the time will increase for each attempt (see CR II, p. 43). If there are materials required, the PCs must pay that entire cost as well; if the materials are consumed in an unsuccessful attempt, the PCs must shoulder 50% of the cost of materials for each additional attempt.
Socially problematic requests should naturally be avoided.
Limiting PC Warlocks
From a Japanese online forum, translated by Auquid
Warlock is a fairly complex class to roleplay correctly while also keeping GMs from having problems with the storyline. These rules should help steer the PC Warlocks in the right direction.
- PC Warlocks can never learn or cast [Daemon's Seed] or [Soul Sacrifice].
- Summoning Daemons which require Summoning Sacrifices marked with an (x) (for instance, the Doppelganger's Human Brain requirement) should be avoided as much as possible. If such a summoning is witnessed by a typical NPC, it cannot go unpunished socially.