The document outlines 12 house rules for a Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition campaign, including starting characters at maximum hit points, level loss instead of character death, banning certain multiclass combinations seen as overpowered, and tweaks to critical hits, healing potions, and flanking to adjust gameplay mechanics and roleplaying perspectives. Reasons are provided for each rule focused on balancing character power, avoiding trivializing death, and emphasizing narrative over metagaming or combos that remove class differentiation.
The document outlines 12 house rules for a Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition campaign, including starting characters at maximum hit points, level loss instead of character death, banning certain multiclass combinations seen as overpowered, and tweaks to critical hits, healing potions, and flanking to adjust gameplay mechanics and roleplaying perspectives. Reasons are provided for each rule focused on balancing character power, avoiding trivializing death, and emphasizing narrative over metagaming or combos that remove class differentiation.
The document outlines 12 house rules for a Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition campaign, including starting characters at maximum hit points, level loss instead of character death, banning certain multiclass combinations seen as overpowered, and tweaks to critical hits, healing potions, and flanking to adjust gameplay mechanics and roleplaying perspectives. Reasons are provided for each rule focused on balancing character power, avoiding trivializing death, and emphasizing narrative over metagaming or combos that remove class differentiation.
Rule and Rule description Reasoning no. 1. Starting HP All Players start with maximum HP Avoid to weak characters at at level 1 level 1 and make life at level 1 less lethal 2. Character If Milestone XP system: Death should never be trivial death If a character dies – player can start and always have a penalty – so up new character one level lower. it is feared. However level loss If XP point advancement: should also be fair looking at If a character dies – player can start how close character was to up new character one level lower reach next level but add a number of XP equal to the percentage of progress the character had at the current level at the time of death 3. Starting Starting characters at higher level For balancing the party. Plus it Characters as provide the character with the is not fun to start at higher starting wealth and magic items as level being the only one not higher level listed on the “starting at higher having any gold or items levels” sheet 4. Luck Feat Luck Feat cannot be selected Though heavily debated – most tend to rate the luck feat as overpowered – specially if only having few encounters between long rests. 5. Sorcerer - Sorcerer-Warlock multiclassing is Roleplay perspective: Either Warlock “The not allowed you have a patron and pact magic OR an Origin and meta Sorlock” magic to roleplay – not both. Game Balance: Overpowered. Twin and quickening cantrips/converting warlock slots to Sorcerer points leads to combos being able to deal significant more damage than other classes at same level Rule and Rule description Reasoning no. 6. Barbarian – Barbarian – Moon Circle druid Gameplay mechanics: Moon Circle multiclassing not allowed Overpowered: Combat wild shape with druid spell slots combined Druid with Barbarian dmg. resistances makes character almost invincible 7. Barbarian - Barbarian – Fighter Roleplay perspective: Either you Fighter multiclassing not allowed have selected to be a Barbarian (which is a lifestyle) or stick to being a regular Fighter – not both. Gameplay mechanics: Overpowered: Barbarian only limitation is the limited attacks, combined with Fighter (specially Champion and Great Weapon Fighting) leads to having it all: Multiple attacks, high crit chance, reroll damage, and damage resistance 8. Healing Healing word spell is banned Roleplay perspective: Assisting a Word spell from spell lists fallen comrade should always be a challenge that needs focus (spending actions and movement to get to victim). Healing word removes all of this with a snap of your fingers as no touch is required. Gameplay mechanics: Overpowered – same reason as roleplay perspective. In addition having this on spell list of other classes than the cleric erodes the Clerics class’ role as the only master healer 9. Inspiration Inspiration cannot be give to Roleplay perspective: The other players only received by metagaming perspective of giving ones own character and used by to another player – not character ones own character is counterproductive to the roleplaying aspect and pure metagaming. Rule and Rule description Reasoning no. 10. Critical and Attack roll of 20 ALWAYS hit and Roleplay Perspective: Critical and Fumble deals critical damage. All dice Fumble rolls are just fun and after are rolled twice and plusses 30 years – we still love it. So why added hereafter. In addition you should we not also apply it for get to roll on the Critical Table DnD 5th Edition.
Attack roll of 1 ALWAYS miss and Gameplay mechanics: Rolling a 20
all subsequent attacks and and a 1 only happens a few times actions after this roll in the during a game session – just doing same turn are lost (if multiple double damage seems like a very attacks). Planned bonus actions small addition and a cantrip cast or at will/free actions after the as a bonus action or a class feat fumble roll are also lost. used as bonus action used regular In addition you get to roll on the throughout a session, can do the Fumble Table same level of “damage adder” 11. Healing Drinking a healing potion The character must spend a potions requires 1 standard action as standard action versus per base rules. However Potions alternatively one last attack ALWAYS yields the max. HP (i.e a action. It is to random and fixed amount). So a 2d4+2HP decisive if the player rolls roll or standard healing potion always high. It should always pay off to yields 10 HP drink a potion as a last way out. 12. Flanking Flanking is an optional rule in It is not so hard to arrange flanking DM Guide. Instead of gaining situation and it almost to easy a advantage if flanking - following way to get advantage. house rule applies: Additionally this rule erodes the +2 to attack if flanked by 2 differentiation factor and specialty opponents for the creatures that have pack +3 to attack if flanked by 3 or tactics ability. more opponents