D&D 5E House Rule Idea: Exploding Weapon Dice

[Uni-the-Unicorn!]

I prefer accuracy providing more damage thematically. So I would say revise how crits are done. Maybe allow an extra damage die if you hit by 5 or more and then another one if it is a natural 20? Though I do get the appeal of not having to do math.

maybe if you have advantage and both rolls hit you do max damage or get an extra die of damage?

 

[Doc_Klueless]

Okay, what do you think? Would this make combat a little more deadly? Would it be fun? Are there unpredictable results?

I primarily play Savage Worlds that has exploding dice. As others have said, it will add time during those turns where it's applied. But it's not applied that much and, therefore, doesn't add a lot to the player's turns in terms of time. And they can be exciting.

Since, as I stated I play SW primarily, I'm very biased. My response would be: Yes, it'd be more deadly. Yes, it would be fun. and Yes... sorta. D&D characters have such a huge number of HP that it'd make things deadly, but not in the "Possible for peasant to kill a knight with one lucky shot" kinda way.

 

[R_J_K75]

Though I do get the appeal of not having to do math.

One of the things I'd love to see removed from D&D in the next full new edition (6E) is removing plusses/minuses from the game for ability scores, saves, attacks, damage, spells, skills. I liked how Alternity did escalation die so I think something like that could work in D&D. The fiddly math aspect of D&D has annoyed me for a very long time, but I never tried to remove it or even have any solid ideas on how to do it, I do know I want it gone.

 

[DND_Reborn]

FWIW, we haven't found the exploding critical damage dice to slow things down at all. Since our house-rules make hitting less common, a side-effect for us is that critical damage only happens about 5% of the time (when averaged over all dice).

 

[Uni-the-Unicorn!]

One of the things I'd love to see removed from D&D in the next full new edition (6E) is removing plusses/minuses from the game for ability scores, saves, attacks, damage, spells, skills. I liked how Alternity did escalation die so I think something like that could work in D&D. The fiddly math aspect of D&D has annoyed me for a very long time, but I never tried to remove it or even have any solid ideas on how to do it, I do know I want it gone.

It will not happen in D&D, but I understand the appeal too.

The only thing I can think of is an exploding dice-type mechanic.

to hit: add a d20 for each traditional +1, pick the highest. So a 16 ability score allows you to roll 4d20, pick the highest.

damage: add a damage die for each traditional +1. So a 16 with a long sword gets you 4d10 damage. Maybe this should be pick the highest too, and the a crit is if two are maxed?

That actually sounds interesting

Edit: though that could make a dragon bite something like 22d10!

 

[UngainlyTitan]

To the OP, you do what you find fun but I do not think that the problem with D&D combat is dropping the PC's to 0 but the consequences for doing so are insufficient.
I think that in combat it should be better, so when a character is healed they are combat effective for a few rounds, or it should be totally out of combat healing so that the party has a strong incentive to run away when a member is downed.
The current situation of a PC bobbing in and out of unconsciousness on less than 10 hit points is a bit silly.

 

[DND_Reborn]

The current situation of a PC bobbing in and out of unconsciousness on less than 10 hit points is a bit silly.

Yep, the "whack-a-mole" effect needs to be stopped. But people are then complaining players don't have fun because their PC went down and they can't get "back into the fight".

 

[Guest 7034872]

Yep, the "whack-a-mole" effect needs to be stopped. But people are then complaining players don't have fun because their PC went down and they can't get "back into the fight".

Piffle to their complaints.

If I wanted to play Call of Duty, I'd play Call of Duty. When I play D&D, I don't expect to bounce back onto my feet with wits fully restored and start whaling on orcs ten seconds after getting knocked unconscious and bleeding out. I also don't expect to go back to full HP and battle readiness after a single night's sleep; I expect to be messed up after one night's sleep unless there's been some aggressive magical healing.

I would love to see this problem fixed in 6e. I don't think it will be, but I do think it should be.

 

[Weiley31]

The Hellboy TTRPG (which uses 5E rules) actually uses Exploding Dice rules for its Critical Hits system.

 

[Uni-the-Unicorn!]

The Hellboy TTRPG (which uses 5E rules) actually uses Exploding Dice rules for its Critical Hits system.

Care to explain?