House rules
This is an overview of house rules used in my roleplaying campaigns.
Dice Rules
- Don't roll d20s unless you intend to use them. The worst rolls I see will count for next checks/attacks.
- If a die drops off the table: Reroll.
- If a die is cocked (tilted on some table item to the point you can't position a d6 on top of it without falling off): Reroll.
- A player is generally trusted to not fudge any dice and trusted to use digital randomisers off screen at times.
DnD 5e
House rules used in DnD 5e.
Basics
- Books: All official (if anything 2021+, please inform first)
- 3rd party: Ask
- Optional features: All valid
- Unearthed Arcana: Not used
- Abilities: Use point buy
- Hit Point Rolls: Use standard progression
- Potion drinking: Bonus Action
- Diagonal move & Square shape: Standard 5e (5ft/square meaning "spheres" are actually cubes)
Falling
When you fall 10 feet or more, you may choose to cinematically fall the remaining 490ft at the end of your current or next turn, whichever comes first, allowing for more reactive and dynamic play.
Reminder: The basic rule for fall damage in D&D 5e is that a character takes 1d6 points of damage for every 10 feet fallen, up to a maximum of 20d6.
5e Initiative
Same Initiative
If using Roll20; let the automatic function decide.
Otherwise:
If two combatants have the same initiative:
- The one with higher Initiative bonus goes first
- If same; opposed flat check; highest get highest Initiative.
Shift numbers up/down as conveniently as possible.
Initiative Cascade
If many enemies of the same kind appears, their initiatives may be "cascaded" as in one roll is made, and the rest of them continue to have one less initiative number in order to spread actions out. If one such reduction overlaps with a PC, skip another point down in order.
Example: If the party is attacked by 5 zombies, one initiative roll is made and the result is "7", the following three zombies will have 6, 5, 4 and 3. IF a player got "5", one zombie is pushed down (as it has terrible +Init) so the zombies instead get 6, 4, 3 and 2 with a PC on 5.
Delay Initiative
Despite earlier versions of DnD having Delay as an option, DnD 5e does not. I am evaluating if this can be used but for right now I'll allow anyone to lower their initiative to any lower number at the beginning of combat.
Actions
Demoralize
Translated to 5e from DnD 3.5 Intimidate and Feint (but it's shit) as well as PF2 Demoralize and Feint.
Demoralization means using your inner charisma to act overt and threatening in combat in such a manner as to make the opponent believe you are an even greater threat than normal to throw their combat skills off. This can be done to purely intimidate an opponent into submission or use your force of personality to confuse their combat abilities.
You can use an action to Demoralize an opponent to reduce its resolve in combat using either your Intimidation or Deception skills. You can target an opponent that you threaten in melee combat and that can see you. When you make the Demoralization action, the opponent must succeed on either a Wisdom saving throw or an Insight check against DC 8 + Proficiency bonus + Charisma bonus + other or become Demoralized for 1 minute. If you have advantage on Charisma checks, increase the DC by +4. A target that has succeeded on a Demoralization attempt from you in the past 8 hours has advantage on the roll. Creatures immune or resistant to fear are immune or have similar resistance to Demoralization performed with Intimidation.
Condition: Demoralized A Demoralized character takes a -2 penalty on attack rolls, ability checks, and saving throws. They may make a new Insight or Wisdom saving throw at the end of each of their turns with a +2 bonus for each such turn. I.e.: When being Demoralized, there is no bonus, at the end of their first turn following gaining the Demoralized condition, there is a +2 bonus to the roll, for the next turn it's +4, incrementing until +20 on the tenth turn, should that ever happen.
Ready Action
A readied action counts as if it was done during "your turn" for a number of effects such as the Extra Attack feature or for Spellcasting. I.e. this allows a creature to use the Extra Attack during a readied action and a caster "holding" a spell isn't forced to retain concentration if injured before the spell goes off.
If the event stated in the Ready doesn't trigger, the Action is still void.
Clarification: A character can always elect to NOT use a Reaction that is available to them, including the one Ready Action grants.
Ready outside of combat needs to be interpreted on a case-by-case basis, but common ways to resolve it is a one free pot-shot before the rest of initiative starts or that an appropriate readied action grants a player to not be surprised if the creature would otherwise be surprised. If two triggered actions would happen simultaneously, let the ensuing initiative roll decide who gets theirs off first.
Help Action
You can lend your aid to another creature in the completion of a task if you are able to be of any use. When you take the Help action, the creature you aid gains a bonus to the roll equal to your proficiency modifier or ability modifier on the next ability check it makes to perform the task you are helping with, provided that it makes the check before the start of your next turn.
If the helper would be of extraordinary use for the attempt, they may instead of their bonus choose to grant an additional die to roll and the most favorable result is used, stacking with advantage if applicable.
Alternatively, you can aid a friendly creature in attacking a creature within 5 feet of you. You feint, distract the target, or in some other way team up to make your ally’s attack more effective. If your ally attacks the target before your next turn, the first attack roll is made with advantage.
Small Creatures
Small creatures do not suffer Disadvantage when using heavy weapons if adequately (at all) roleplayed. The topic of Longbows may need some solution but otherwise this is the case.
- Telekinetic feat
- Assumes the character habitually casts Mage Hand. Unless otherwise specified, when rolling initiative also roll a D10 and that is how many rounds are left until it expires.
- Update feat language:
be moved 5 feet toward or away from you- be moved 5 feet in the direction the hand pushes
Scribe Scroll
Rules as written are insane. I haven't formulated exact details yet, but an intermediary is this:
To determine how long scribing a scroll will last simply takes the level of the spell scroll times 8 and then add 8 to that total. This means a cantrip (0-level * 8 + 8) would take 8 hours, and a 9th level spell (9th-level * 8 + 8) would take 80 hours, or 10 days, to complete.
In addition to cost in Xanathar's.
Daylight
Daylight can be upcast. For each extra lvl:
- +20ft bright light & +20ft dim light
- The innermost 5ft radius (10ft diameter) counts as sunlight
- The spell dispels darkness spells of the same level or lower as the upcast in the inner bright light radius and 3rd or lower on the outer
Dispel Magic
- Works on items like in 3.5.
- DC determined by DM if the spell slot used is deemed too low to autmatically succeed.
- Supressing its magical effects for 1d4 rounds.
- Does not remove curses, but allows the owner to un-attune to a cursed item.
Goncai's Tower
- Galder's Tower
- Can be cast as a ritual, otherwise as written: 2 floors, each 10ft tall, 100sqf each (10x10 square)
- If 3rd lvl spell slot is used: 3 floors, 100-400sqf (20x20 square) and protection similar to Leomund's Tiny Hut. Choose between three casting options.
- Tiny Hut protections:
- Immobile walls of force line the walls, floor, roof, windows and doors. It remains attached to the building's structure for the duration. If the structure should move, the walls of force holds it together as well as moves with it.
- Nine creatures of Medium size or smaller can reside inside with you (10 total).
- Spells and other magical effects can't extend through the walls or be cast through it.
- The atmosphere inside is comfortable and dry, regardless of the weather outside.
- Until the spell ends, you can command the interior to become dimly lit or dark.
- Openings are opaque from the outside, of any color you choose, but it is transparent from the inside.
- Resident creatures and objects may leave and enter freely. All other creatures and objects are barred from passing through openings.
- If the protections are active, the caster is a resident of the tower.
- Tiny Hut casting option one (standard):
- 10 min casting time.
- Create the tower centered on you and it builds around you. Other to-be residents need to be present in the area for at least the last few seconds of casting.
- If a large creature, or more than 9 creatures other than you are in the area when the casting completes, the spell fails.
- The protections end if you leave the tower but an unprotected tower remains as a regular building until the full duration has ended.
- Tiny Hut casting option two (commands):
- 1 min casting time.
- Create the tower within 30 feet of you without protection until you make an initiation command.
- If a large creature, or more than nine smaller creatures other than you are in the area when you utter the initiation command, the spell fails.
- Before you utter the locking command word, the first 9 medium or smaller creatures other than you in the tower become residents for the rest of the spell's duration.
- When you utter the locking command, a 9th creature has entered, or a large creature tries to do so, the tower activates its protections.
- If you leave the tower, the protections remain and you may re-enter like any other resident.
- Tiny Hut casting option three:
- Renew the protections on existing tower
- Casting Time: 1 minute (ritual).
- Choose either option one or option two for the casting the conditions.
- If cast every day for a year it only makes the tower permanent, not the Tiny Hut protections. The protections can be manually added as per casting option three.
Goncai's Tower (revision suggestion)
- Spell lvl: 3 (ritual)
- Casting time: 1 minute
- Range: Any place within sight you can place the key
- Components: V, S, F (a specifically crafted key worth 300g)
- Duration: 8 hours wall of force, 24 hours building
You enter the key to Goncai's Tower straight into thin air where you want the front door of your tower to be located and say the incantations over a minute as an outline of the tower appears and becomes more tangible until the final keyword is said and the tower takes physical form. The tower will push minor obstacles like sticks or branches out of the way and creatures will be pushed in or out of walls upon creation. After the tower has physical form, it also starts affecting its surroundings like settling in the ground if it's not on solid rock. During the casting you may move the key up to 5 feet in any direction and thus move the outline of the tower by using all your movement for that round.
A three-story tower made of stone, wood, or similar suitably sturdy materials is conjured. The tower can be round or square in shape. Each level of the tower is 10 feet tall and has an area of up to 400 square feet (20x20ft). Access between levels may be either a simple ladder and hatch or a set of stairs. Each level takes one of the following forms, chosen by you when you cast the spell:
- A bedroom with a bed, chairs, table, chest, and magical fireplace
- A study with desks, non-magical books you have read, bookshelves, parchments, ink, and ink pens
- A dining space with a table, chairs, magical fireplace, containers, and cooking utensils
- A lounge with couches, armchairs, side tables and footstools
- A washroom with toilets, washtubs, a magical brazier, and sauna benches
- An observatory with a telescope and maps of the night sky
- An unfurnished, empty room
- A stables with stalls for mounts or other applicable Resident animals, hay or dry feed, and a filled water trough
The interior of the tower is warm and dry, regardless of conditions outside. Any equipment or furnishings conjured within the tower dissipate into smoke if removed from it. When the spell ends, all creatures and objects within the tower, other than items placed in the bedroom chest, that were not created by the spell appear safely on the ground, and all traces of the tower and its furnishings disappear, leaving only physical marks where it stood. Any items put in the bedroom chest can be found there the next time it is conjured. If you have made more than one Goncai's Tower chest, only one can be opened at a time and it cannot be opened from the inside.
Until the tower dissapears, you can command the interior to become dimly lit or dark. You can also command to or open, close or lock any/all doors, windows or latches.
Unless cast as a ritual, for the first 8 hours of the tower's duration, walls of force line the walls, floor, roof, windows, and doors, attached to the building's structure for the duration. If the structure should move, the walls of force holds the tower together as well as moves with it. Spells and other magical effects can't extend through the wall of force or be cast through it. Resident creatures and objects may leave and enter freely but all other creatures and objects are barred from passing through. The wall of force reaches into adjacent planes, like the ethereal plane, in addition to the plane the tower is conjured on. The force wall is opaque from the outside, of any color you choose, but it is transparent from the inside.
Up to nine creatures of Large size or smaller can be Residents of the tower in addition to yourself. Unless some Residents are somehow specified beforehand, the first creatures up to the limit become Residents and can come and go through the barrier. All other creatures and objects are barred from passing through it.
If a Huge creature or more than the Resident limit are present at the location of the casting, the caster is aware of this. If, at the end of the casting, something is blocking the tower to activate its wall of force you may keep concentrating on the spell until the source of the blocking is removed or to move the outline of the tower as described until a suitable spot is found. You may choose to accept that the limits of the protection will be broken, in which case the tower is made as described but without the wall of force or to cancel the casting, which still uses up the spell slot.
You can cast this spell again while it is active to maintain the tower's existence for an additional 24 hours. You can create a permanent tower by casting this spell in the same location and with the same configuration every day for one year. This does not include the wall of force, but you may channel a 3rd lvl spell slot or higher as an action to activate it as if it was a new cast.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, for each slot level beyond 3rd the tower can have one additional story, duration is increased by 8 hours, its wall of force duration is increased by 4 hours, and the maximum number of Residents increase by three. You may request the tower creates non-magical common items that can be brought out from the tower and persists after the spell ends, including a sack of vegetables, dried meats and mundane dinner drinks like ale, wine or water to make a decent meal for up to the number of Residents. The amount of items you can request is the same as the spell slot level (minimum 4) and the maximum cost per item is 20g per spell level above 3rd.
Old IPO
[ edit ]
- Traits - Maximum 2.
- Drawbacks - Maximum 1. Gives a Trait.
- Flaws - Maximum 1. Almost all of them are ok (including third party stuff), but you have to check with me first. That link is just one (good) example.
- Damage Conversion (AC) - Armoured characters converts some lethal damage to nonlethal as in Unearthed Arcana (with a small fix).
- Hero Points are introduced at lvl 3.
- Damage and healing - Increased detail to go with wounds, primarily. There's now also an incentive to sleep comfortably.
- ALL MAGIC IS x2 COST. That includes enhancements on items, scrolls, potions, services, ALL! It also means that the material cost in crafting magical items is higher.
- Masterwork - Partly added to make up for a lack of magical weapons. These non-magical items packs a punch!
- Environment - Rules for sleep deprivation and hunger/thirst.
- Starting above lvl 1: Max 50% of wealth on 1 item.
- Recommend: Weapon 25% - Armour 25% - Other magic 25% - Consumables 15% - Ordinary/coins 10%
Extra reading
- Hit Points - My thoughts about traditional roleplaying Hit Points.
- Pazio GM stuff
If Anything is Unclear
- Ask
Other, Unused or WIP
- Skill bonus - Primarily needed for 3.5. Not used: Dead
- Skill training - Allowing characters to do stuff during downtime. Not used: Fix and add.
- Wounds - Mainly for RP, but also to make the world more gritty. Not used: May be fixed and added.
- Death - Death, Shock and damage. Not used: Dead
- Magic - In this low magic campaign setting, some magical features are unique. Some used: Will be fixed and added.
- New Spells - Some to do with the above some to do with the world or with functions in it. Mostly used: Rest will be polished and added.
- Residue time and DC tables - Entirely to do with detecting cast spells. Not used: Will be fixed and added.
- Feats - Magic and others. Mostly used: Rest will be fixed and added.
- Death Attack - Attempt to make it better. Not used: Dead