Questions tagged [house-rules]
House rules are small fan-created additions and replacements to core rules in a rules set, and this tag should be used when there are locally-created rules at the core of the question. In most cases, they are not officially sanctioned by the designer, in contrast to optional rules (see the [optional-rules] tag). For creation of substantial new content or rules subsystems, use the [homebrew] tag instead.
662
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How to add flashbacks to our game?
I'm interested in adding a system for flashbacks into an intrigue-heavy Dark Ages Vampire game. Gomad gave some fantastic albeit general ideas in:
How to make in-game planning more fruitful and fun? ...
- 2,244
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What effects would allowing to flank with reach have on game balance?
One of my players asked me recently if I would allow their character, who has 10ft. reach, gain advantage from flanking while still using their reach.
I am aware that RAW this would not work since you ...
- 49.6k
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Will anything break if prone crossbow-wielders get advantage instead of disadvantage?
Being prone imposes disadvantage on attacks, which makes sense for melee weapons and traditional bows. However, for things like crossbows and firearms, laying prone seems like it should have the ...
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House Rules: Exploding dice for damage in 5e
My players and myself feel the "wear down" mechanic of hit points in 5e considerably subtract from the fun of the game and the strategy.
I've been considering introducing a exploding dice ...
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Would it harm game balance to allow potions to be self-administered with a bonus action?
Potion usage costs an action according to RAW, as stated in the DMG on page 139:
Drinking or administering a potion takes an action.
However, I have heard of GM's house-ruling that PC's may use a ...
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Is there a D&D 5e equivalent of the e6 variant style?
Now that 5e's been out for a few years, has anyone found a point past which characters have a significant jump in power and developed a set of rules for capping levels below that, similar to the "E6" ...
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Gestalt caster balance: what price should allow multiple casting classes to share a spellbook?
I'm planning on running a P6 (tl,dr: stop leveling at 6, keep getting feats every 5k XP) campaign wherein the PCs are all gestalt characters, one "side" of which needs to be a full caster. ...
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Does Tiamat's Breath Weapon Circumvent Circle of Power?
Tiamat has the Limited Magic Immunity trait, I know that much.
Unless she wishes to be affected, Tiamat is immune to spells of 6th level or lower. [...]
However, the last portion of the 5th level ...
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14
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2
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Making Mountain Stance interact with the Knockdown monster ability not frustrating
Mountain Stance gives, among other things:
you gain a +4 item bonus to AC and a +2 circumstance bonus to any
defenses against being Shoved or Tripped.
Some creatures, like a wolf, have the knockdown ...
- 62.4k
26
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Respawning mechanics for quick and easy recovery from death
The standard means of recovering from death in 5e mostly require the use of spells like revivify, raise dead, reincarnate, and resurrection that are all costly to varying degrees in terms of time and ...
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Does the DM need to declare a Natural 20?
I see a lot of D&D content out there and when combat starts eventually someone gets a roll of 20, a so-called Natural 20, shouts out "Nat 20" and everyone cheers. The DM then does some ...
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House ruling Darkness Blindnes and Obscured [closed]
Background
I am DMing Curse Of Stradh - and there is a lot of Fog in Barovia. The party have characters with and without dark-vision. I am not really happy with how light, darkness and obscurement ...
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Are my house rules good to make it easier to run away from combat in 5E?
I want a house rule to make it easier for either side to run away from combat.
My main gripe with the standard rule is running away from combat devolving into:
A dashes + moves away from B (provokes ...
- 124k
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4
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How do we deal with my DM's house-rule about critical damage?
In the campaign I'm playing in, our DM has set a house-rule for critical damage. So, we do
maximum damage for one set of dice, roll the second set and add modifiers at the end
instead of the typical ...
- 9,306
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6
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Drawing and sheathing weapons as one item interaction
In PHB, page 190, it explains about the free item interaction:
You can also interact with one object or feature of the environment for free, during either your move or your action. For example, you ...
- 144k
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Is this homebrew tweak to the Druid class balanced?
Druids are great, but Wild Shape has some subtle frustrations.
I'm near the end of a mid-level (5–12) campaign in which I played as a Circle of the Moon Druid, and our group may continue on to a high-...
- 2,437
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Does this nerf to the Sharpshooter Feat make it too weak or unbalanced?
I'm getting pretty close to wrapping up a campaign where the highest damage dealing character in the party was a Sharpshooting Fighter, who in combination with the Crossbow Expert feat, was regularly ...
- 124k
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What are the consequences of changing the rule for casting multiple spells in a turn to "You can spend no more than one spell-slot each turn"?
The D&D 5e rules for casting multiple spells in one round are a frequent source of confusion across tables in my experience. While the rule is just a line of text
You can’t cast another spell ...
- 2,773
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2
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Is it balanced with other races to give Dragonborn short-range blindsight as an additional racial trait?
I use this homebrew rule for darkvision and add a new racial trait called low-light vision in my games:
Darkvision: The following player races have darkvision to a range of 60ft; Drow, Half-Drow, ...
- 96.2k
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How will this static Initiative houserule affect game balance?
In my current D&D group all the PCs have a static Initiative (8 + Proficiency + Dex + any other bonuses) while enemies and NPCs keep rolling the original way (d20 dice roll + Dex). This enables us ...
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Would it be unbalanced to allow Extra Attack on a ready action?
The rules for D&D 5e clearly state that Extra Attack can only be used on the character's turn:
Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action ...
- 16.2k
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Flying sidecar mechanics [closed]
So here's the deal. Currently I'm playing a level 8 goliath, barb 6/fighter 2. Totem barbarian, 2nd totem is bear. Str 18. We also have a homebrew rule that allows my character to increase by a size ...
- 65.5k
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Review a mechanic for allowing weaker Spell Scrolls even if not on class spell list
I am a new GM so I would like to get some feedback on me "relaxing" the Spell Scroll class requirements. Basically if it makes sense and is not something I might regret in the long run.
The ...
- 96.2k
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5
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Games with a granular alignment system? [closed]
I've recently started out a Basic Fantasy campaign with several new players.
In this campaign, I want their characters to gradually gain their alignments based on
they actions they take. For example, ...
- 30.6k
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3
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What are the ramifications of changing Armor Class to be Constitution-based instead of Dexterity-based?
It's never made much sense to me that your Armor Class is based on your Dexterity modifier, which carries the implication that you're harder to hit because you're somehow nimbly moving out of the way ...
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Is Heightened(4th) Silence spell balanced?
The second level spell Silence can be heightened to 4th level, when its description is as follows:
Heightened (4th) The spell effect emanates from the touched creature, silencing all sound in or ...
- 41.7k
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2
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Would Find (Greater) Steed summoning a construct be gamebreaking?
My warforged bard has the Find Greater Steed spell. As a reflavouring, the steed is created from animating scrap and nearby objects.
Would giving it the construct type instead of celestial/fey/fiend ...
- 96.2k
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How would a house-rule allowing a person attacking a Device to target only part of it work?
Within M&M 3E, there's the Removable Flaw for powers that turns them into items that are worn or carried that can be damaged or removed. The following rule states how the Toughness is calculated:
...
- 10.2k
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Will this Ritual Caster house rule break the game?
The House Rule
The prerequisite for the Ritual Caster feat changes to “Trained in
Arcana, Heal, Nature, or Religion”.
In order to master a ritual, a player must be trained in the relevant skill (e.g. ...
- 36.3k
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How to run an encounter against a sleeping party, utilising a homebrew system
I'm currently working on a personal revision to traveling in the wilderness in Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition, and I've hit a roadblock with encounter design. Let me summarize my system and the ...
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What would be the impact if I allowed Barbarian's Unarmored Defense to stack with Lizardfolk's Natural Armor?
I am going to preface this question with the fact that yes, I am well aware they are separate AC calculations that you choose between. I am simply posing a theoretical question that warrants deeper ...
- 39.5k
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Why does increasing or shade-shifting a root stat not do so for skills?
Intuitively, if you learn a skill that's based on your physical strength, or your reflexes, or your ability to spot things, then if you get better at those things you would likewise get better at the ...
- 40k
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When would I give a checkpoint to my D&D party that they can return to if they die?
My sister said she didn't like how in D&D you can die, and suggested checkpoints, what would be the best way to do that, should I have them save whenever they want, or just after major bosses?
- 2,790
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Playing (some) monster races without racial HD
I'm interested in whether it is possible to play certain (monstruous) humanoids from MM without adding their racial HD, whist at the same time preserving balance. What exactly would I need to do to ...
- 2,017
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What would be the impact if I let Hand of Harm be used more than once, like Hand of Healing?
In Tasha's Cauldron of Everything, the Way of Mercy Monastic Tradition grants both Hand of Healing and Hand of Harm at 3rd level. Hand of Healing/Harm describe their effects as using 1 ki point to ...
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Is it unbalanced to allow a monk with the Tavern Brawler feat to use improvised weapons as monk weapons?
A friend of mine wants to play a variant human monk with the Tavern Brawler feat. He asked me if he could use improvised Weapons as monk weapons.
I personally haven't played a monk, or a character ...
- 29.4k
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Potential complications from allowing Arms of the Astral Self to interact with Grapple Rules via feats?
Preface
My earlier question led to a definitive RAW answer proving that Arms of the Astral Self can't be used for grappling, even if a feat like Tavern Brawler gave you a grapple check bonus action ...
- 96.2k
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Do any odd complications arise when I houserule that you can recover a single arrow fired into battle?
Refer to: Is ammunition recoverable and reusable?
You can't recover a single valuable magic arrow fired into battle due to the general rule of rounding down applying to the weapon property that lets ...
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What would the effect be of eliminating the rule preventing other non-cantrip spells on a turn if a bonus-action spell is cast?
The rule on bonus-action spells states:
A spell cast with a bonus action is especially swift. You must use a bonus action on your turn to cast the spell, provided that you haven't already taken a ...
- 49.6k
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What effects do critical and fumble tables have on D&D 3.5?
Just getting some extra damage, and just missing, seem pretty boring. A lot of people like to spruce things up by having critical hits and natural-1 fumbles result in a roll on a special table, which ...
- 144k
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Does crafting necessarily require spending gold?
I know the crafting rules say you have to spend gold to represent the cost of materials used in crafting something, but what about in a situation where you aren't in a city and can't reasonably just ...
- 1,285
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Would this hit/miss houserule be balanced with bounded accuracy?
Would this houserule be balanced with the bounded accuracy system?
If an attack roll is made and "misses" by one, the defender takes a glancing blow. This glancing blow does not count as a ...
- 48k
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Would it be game-breaking to allow casting spells at a higher level to increase the save DC for that spell instead of increasing damage?
There are a number of spells that include a section on "At Higher Levels." The actual effect varies from spell to spell; longer duration, more targets, summon better creatures, etc. I am specifically ...
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Is this house-rule that has each monster/NPC roll initiative separately (even when there are multiple creatures of the same kind) game-breaking?
The rules for initiative in PHB read (emphasis mine):
Initiative determines the order of turns during combat. When combat starts, every participant makes a Dexterity check to determine their place in ...
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How can I allow my player to be a Doppelganger without excessive HD/LA?
A player character who is a Doppelganger has four levels of Monstrous Humanoid and LA +4:
Racial Hit Dice: A doppelganger begins with four levels of monstrous humanoid, which provide 4d8 Hit Dice, a ...
- 345k
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Can a Doppelganger buy Changeling racial feats?
The Changeling race in D&D 3.5 has a history defined as
They evolved through the union of doppelgangers and humans, eventually becoming a separate race distinct from either ancestral tree.
In D&...
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Using 3d6 instead of d20 for D&D Next
I am currently running a campaign with D&D Next playtest packet released at September. My player has been complaining about his terrible attack rolls (He didn't prevail because of fumbles, even at ...
- 27.7k
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How can I create a mechanic for players to evolve the relationship with their deity?
For context: recently one of my players asked me if a mechanic could be created to evolve his relationship with his deity (Eldath), like he had seen in another game.
I suspect this request was made ...
- 29.7k
13
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3
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Advantage on damage rolls - is it still balanced?
Something that bothers me about the advantage/disadvantage system is that it doesn't actually affect how much damage you do in a single attack, only the likelihood that the attack will hit. For ...
- 75.5k
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Experiment with Two-Weapon Fighting Alteration: Is it Balanced?
I've been working on an alteration to how one engages in Two-Weapon Fighting, which I've disliked the vanilla version due to various well known, or at least heard, problems.
Here are a couple spots ...
- 48k