D&D 5E [+] How do you make 5E more challenging?

[cranberry]

Damage that drops you below your CON is insta kill.

What if your a 1st level PC with 10 hp and you CON is 15? In that case a single point of damage would kill you.

 

[Mistwell]

Something that would DEFINITELY make the game more difficult, which I have not implemented, is using Inspiration as written rather than how most tables use it.
As written, inspiration needs to be used BEFORE a roll is made. Most tables, including mine, use it as a reroll. I like it as a reroll- but it'd be harder if we stuck to RAW.

Another thing that can help with difficulty- limit characters helping with skill checks. Either the helping character needs the skill, or to have a better relevant stat than the character that's rolling.

Speaking of skills, I generally rule that characters need proficiency in a skill to make the roll- with obvious exceptions like Perception.

Huh. I didn't know tables used it as a re-roll. We use it before the roll is made. Though in at least one game we switched to luck points, where you can add points (max 5) to a roll after you roll but before you know if you succeed or fail, and you can keep them if it turns out you still failed.

We also require proficiency in a skill to help someone with that skill.

 

[Minigiant]

You ah... optimize the monsters the same level as the PCs.

The PCs have Feats, the Enemies have Feats.
The PCs have Magic items, the Enemies have Magic Items.
The PCs multiclass, the Enemies multiclass
The PCs have new content, the Enemies have new content.

It's all fun and games til the hobgoblins have Hexladins and Sorclocks..

 

[Distracted DM]

During exploration, failed checks will usually have a "things get worse" result rather than a "nothing happens" result. Failing to intimidate someone turns them against you, failing a perception roll triggers the hidden trap, failing to climb means falling halfway, etc.

I often try, but sometimes forget, to "fail forward" with checks. That's sort of what you have going on here, but I do need the reminder sometimes- so THANK YOU for reminding me

 

[GrimCo]

What if your a 1st level PC with 10 hp and you CON is 15? In that case a single point of damage would kill you.

10 hp and CON 15 means that you can go to -15 hp and then you are dead. By default, you are dead when your negative damage is equal to your hp max. So a lv 10 barbarian with 16 con can go all the way to -105 before he dies. It makes lv 1-2 martials a bit harder to kill outright, but at later levels, it makes instant death more common. since max CON is 20 (so at -20 hp, everybody is dead). I also play monsters smart, so they will target downed opponents, and since dying opponent is helpless, that's auto crit. For crit rules, i use same rule as someone already mentioned - one dice is maxed, other is rolled, or if it's 2d6 weapon, it's 2 dice maxed 2 rolled. So your basic orc with greatsword deals 12+2d6+3 damage (min 17). Thats nasty even against martials and can outright kill some lv1 characters.

Other things i use.

FIrst, inteligent monsters fight smart. They use terrain and tactics to get maximum advantage over PC-s. They also fight dirty if they can. If they start to loose, they will try to run and ambush PC-s later.

Second, i have living world. I do give descriptive warnings, but if players don't pay attention, they can run into something nasty way above their level. I did have lv 3 party enter adult dragons lair. They were crispy critters after first round.

Antagonist party - sometimes, they will run into adversaries built with PC rules ( class levels). Then it's PvP time (party vs party).

 

[Distracted DM]

By default, you are dead when your negative damage is equal to your hp max. So a lv 10 barbarian with 16 con can go all the way to -105 before he dies.

Actually that damage has to be taken from a single source. Meaning said barbarian need to take that much damage from a single attack etc. for instant death. 5e doesn't have negative hp, it just has zero.

 

[W'rkncacnter]

Actually that damage has to be taken from a single source. Meaning said barbarian need to take that much damage from a single attack etc. for instant death. 5e doesn't have negative hp, it just has zero.

which is even crazier.

 

[GrimCo]

You're right. Single source. Tbh, since day one, i house ruled negative hp. Cause if monster attacks downed opponent and doesn't do enough damage in one attack for instakill, it effectively just wasted it's turn which is bonkers to me. So, everybody can go to negative HP up to their CON score, damage is cumulative, and then they die. So players need to move or protect their downed party members.

 

[commandercrud]

Enforce encumbrance.

 

[tetrasodium]

I often try, but sometimes forget, to "fail forward" with checks. That's sort of what you have going on here, but I do need the reminder sometimes- so THANK YOU for reminding me

Not really sure what it would be called, butInverting fail forward to add metered failure or something for "you failed, but let's measure how good or bad it went is another way of increasing the difficulty.

When players stop thinking of it as "fail forward" and start thinking of it as "failure but" the longshot feels more weighty going in.