D&D 5E Honor & Sanity

[halfling rogue]

I don't have the DMG yet, but I heard that there is a rule option to add Honor and Sanity as a couple new abilities.

Anyone want to give a rundown on what that's all about?

 

[Pauper]

Honor is a call-out to the old Oriental Adventures book from AD&D days, while Sanity is a call-out to Call of Cthulhu (which had an official d20 adaptation during Third Edition).

Fifth Edition suggests you treat each as a separate stat, so if you use both, your characters will have eight stats. The rules also suggest situations where you'd have a player roll a characteristic check or saving throw based on each stat. (This means that, although the stats are inspired by other mechanics, they don't use the mechanics that inspired them, instead being much more integrated into the Fifth Edition core mechanics.)

 

[ephemeron]

They're part of the chapter on customizing rules for your campaign; Honor as an ability score is suggested for campaigns "in a setting inspired by Asian cultures, such as Kara-Tur in the Forgotten Realms" or focused on a knightly order, and Sanity is for when you want to mix some Call of Cthulhu into your D&D.

Each gets examples of what kind of situations would call for checks or saving throws (e.g., Honor checks to navigate tricky etiquette, Sanity saves when you get too close to something from the Far Realm) and special circumstances for gaining and losing points in the attribute. Also, recommendations for adjusting character creation when you're using a seventh ability score.

 

[Rune]

They're both ability scores, either rolled for at character generation, purchased with extra points, or assigned from an array that has an extra 11 in it per ability added.

Honor serves as a kind of reputation as well as being the ability used for checks and saves related to it. It can only be raised (or lowered) through actions.

Sanity is used for related checks or saves and can be raised with stat increases.

At least, that's what my memory is telling me.

 

[halfling rogue]

I assume the DMG provides information as to what happens to/for characters who are either high or low in either of these? I'm having a hard time figuring how these are to be ability scores rather than a separate function all together. In other words, my Strength or Dexterity effects certain skills and certainly combat. Do these extra ability scores effect skills or combat? Does a high Honor score, for instance, bleed through to other areas on my character sheet? Or are these virtually separate, operating as their own sort of side mechanic, that impacts saving throws?

I know these would work for specific game settings, but would they be worth including in a run of the mill D&D session?

 

[Parmandur]

They operate as saving throws, same as other abilities.

Seems they would jive well with the attributes as skills variant, as well.

 

[Rune]

Or are these virtually separate, operating as their own sort of side mechanic, that impacts saving throws?

Saving throws AND ability checks, which could potentially have skill proficiency bonuses applied.

I know these would work for specific game settings, but would they be worth including in a run of the mill D&D session?

I don't think so--really, the only thing they add is granularity of ability scores--but your milage may vary.

Also, in the case of Sanity, it's another ability to stretch your increases over. That could be good in a horror game, but not for most, I would think.

 

[halfling rogue]

thanks for the info folks. it piqued my interest when I heard it and wondered if i could rig it up to work for something like a Middle-earth setting...

 

[Rune]

thanks for the info folks. it piqued my interest when I heard it and wondered if i could rig it up to work for something like a Middle-earth setting...

Honor, maybe, because of the reputation attached to the score. Does suggest that honor (or the lack thereof), while mutable, is an inherent trait.

Of course, this could also be achieved with an appropriate bond and/or flaw.

 

[Riley37]

"Reputation is what other people know about you. Honor is what you know about yourself... Guard your honor. Let your reputation fall where it will." - Bujold

This is, of course, not the usage that 5E intends. It's just good advice for life.