D&D 5E House Rules that Span Editions
- Thread starter the Jester
- Start date
Horwath
Legend
No evil PC's
No player vs. player fighting, stealing on other BS. Unless forced by charm or plot line.
initiative rolls a d12(to give d12 some love and to make more difference between fast and slow characters).
condensing more skills to single one; thievery(thief tools, sleight of hand), survival(handle animal), knowledge history and geography rolled into one skill.
No player vs. player fighting, stealing on other BS. Unless forced by charm or plot line.
initiative rolls a d12(to give d12 some love and to make more difference between fast and slow characters).
condensing more skills to single one; thievery(thief tools, sleight of hand), survival(handle animal), knowledge history and geography rolled into one skill.
Bawylie
A very OK person
Across games:
1.) No defective adventurers.
2.) You sit at the table to play. Not playing, not paying attention, steals time from the other players. Rules debates are post-game. Play time is reserved for game.
3.) Anything I say out loud is fair for all players to know, regardless of where their characters are. You police your own player/character knowledge to your own taste. Likewise you police your own immersion.
4.) PVP is resolved by recipient of the action, or mutual agreement.
5.) players must declare action and intent on their turn.
6.) dice must actually roll - no sliding.
7.) If you're casting, you have the spell open before your turn.
1.) No defective adventurers.
2.) You sit at the table to play. Not playing, not paying attention, steals time from the other players. Rules debates are post-game. Play time is reserved for game.
3.) Anything I say out loud is fair for all players to know, regardless of where their characters are. You police your own player/character knowledge to your own taste. Likewise you police your own immersion.
4.) PVP is resolved by recipient of the action, or mutual agreement.
5.) players must declare action and intent on their turn.
6.) dice must actually roll - no sliding.
7.) If you're casting, you have the spell open before your turn.
Mercule
Adventurer
Meta -- these are generally my GM rulings and not subject to change:
1) No drow PCs.
2) Players have a right to contest a ruling, but the DM has a responsibility to keep things moving. If it takes much discussion, the ruling stands and we'll discuss between sessions.
3) No gender-bending. This isn't philosophic/political. Without exception, every player who did this was a misogynistic, socially maladjusted, sexually voyeuristic male, even when they appeared otherwise normal. I know that's not everyone, but I reached my limit years ago.
4) Gnomes dislike technology. They are forest pranksters. Lightning often smites gnomes who attempt anything mechanical or pseudo-mechanical. Instant death is a certainty if the attempt is even marginally comic. There are no exceptions. Ever. I won't even play at a table with a tinker gnome.
Defaults -- these may change if a published setting (Eberron, currently) has rules/assumptions to the contrary:
1) Elves have no souls. They have spirits that are reincarnated rather than going to an eternal reward/punishment.
2) Druids are animists. Even if they revere nature deities, their powers are derived from nature itself. This came up in 2E (at my table) as the defining difference between a Druid and a Specialty Priest of nature.
3) Clerics always serve one or more deities. If you want to serve a philosophy or ideal, go play a Psion (Mystic in 5E).
4) No halflings. They are bland and pointless. This goes here because of published settings that include them.
4b) Halflings are not kender. Kender only exist on Krynn. If your personality for your halfling is a tiny kleptomaniac, rule 4 stands. Unless we're playing Dragonlance; then, have at it.
5) It is physically impossible for gunpowder or internal combustion engines to function. Steam power is very unreliable, but might work as a one-off solution to a trap/puzzle if the player is clever.
6) Turn Undead is not available to all clerics. It's only for those whose deities have some sort of relationship to death or undeath. The Moradin doesn't see undead as any different than another foe. You're not channeling positive or negative energy (that's stupid) -- you're channeling the will of your god. (Eberron is a big exception, since the gods are remote.)
7) No construct PCs. (i.e. warforged stay on Eberron)
8) Critical hits are possible (house rule in some editions). Additionally, there's a chance for dismemberment or other significant bad things. I haven't updated for 5E, but we used to have a chance to role on the Rolemaster crit tables, which can be grizzly.
Explicitly allowed:
1) PvP: Not my first choice, but as long as no one has hurt feelings and fun is being had, I really don't care. Just stay in character while you're screwing the others over. When the fun wears off, though, we'll talk.
2) Evil PCs (evil players are still right out): If you play evil smartly, it tends to be pretty subtle and still interesting; I've actually played very fun evil characters who understood that mustache twirling draws way too much attention, but saw a contract to off the dainty elf maiden as being no worse than bringing back the head of the orc chieftain. If you're an idiot, though, you tend to die quickly so the problem solves itself. A couple of times, I've even assassinated a fellow evil PC because their scenery chewing was a liability. Also, no trying to destroy the world or create Hell on Earth -- that's where I keep all my stuff.
1) No drow PCs.
2) Players have a right to contest a ruling, but the DM has a responsibility to keep things moving. If it takes much discussion, the ruling stands and we'll discuss between sessions.
3) No gender-bending. This isn't philosophic/political. Without exception, every player who did this was a misogynistic, socially maladjusted, sexually voyeuristic male, even when they appeared otherwise normal. I know that's not everyone, but I reached my limit years ago.
4) Gnomes dislike technology. They are forest pranksters. Lightning often smites gnomes who attempt anything mechanical or pseudo-mechanical. Instant death is a certainty if the attempt is even marginally comic. There are no exceptions. Ever. I won't even play at a table with a tinker gnome.
Defaults -- these may change if a published setting (Eberron, currently) has rules/assumptions to the contrary:
1) Elves have no souls. They have spirits that are reincarnated rather than going to an eternal reward/punishment.
2) Druids are animists. Even if they revere nature deities, their powers are derived from nature itself. This came up in 2E (at my table) as the defining difference between a Druid and a Specialty Priest of nature.
3) Clerics always serve one or more deities. If you want to serve a philosophy or ideal, go play a Psion (Mystic in 5E).
4) No halflings. They are bland and pointless. This goes here because of published settings that include them.
4b) Halflings are not kender. Kender only exist on Krynn. If your personality for your halfling is a tiny kleptomaniac, rule 4 stands. Unless we're playing Dragonlance; then, have at it.
5) It is physically impossible for gunpowder or internal combustion engines to function. Steam power is very unreliable, but might work as a one-off solution to a trap/puzzle if the player is clever.
6) Turn Undead is not available to all clerics. It's only for those whose deities have some sort of relationship to death or undeath. The Moradin doesn't see undead as any different than another foe. You're not channeling positive or negative energy (that's stupid) -- you're channeling the will of your god. (Eberron is a big exception, since the gods are remote.)
7) No construct PCs. (i.e. warforged stay on Eberron)
8) Critical hits are possible (house rule in some editions). Additionally, there's a chance for dismemberment or other significant bad things. I haven't updated for 5E, but we used to have a chance to role on the Rolemaster crit tables, which can be grizzly.
Explicitly allowed:
1) PvP: Not my first choice, but as long as no one has hurt feelings and fun is being had, I really don't care. Just stay in character while you're screwing the others over. When the fun wears off, though, we'll talk.
2) Evil PCs (evil players are still right out): If you play evil smartly, it tends to be pretty subtle and still interesting; I've actually played very fun evil characters who understood that mustache twirling draws way too much attention, but saw a contract to off the dainty elf maiden as being no worse than bringing back the head of the orc chieftain. If you're an idiot, though, you tend to die quickly so the problem solves itself. A couple of times, I've even assassinated a fellow evil PC because their scenery chewing was a liability. Also, no trying to destroy the world or create Hell on Earth -- that's where I keep all my stuff.
feartheminotaur
First Post
My group has been playing since '02. From 3e to 5e. I joined in '08 when I moved out here. There is a list of them on a whiteboard in the DM's basement. A few are specific to the edition, but they are mostly reactions to the game as it has gone on. The stuff like "no Evil PCs" or "we're using these books" are hammered during the player session zero (for new players) or edition session zero (we had one when we went to 4e and one when we went to 5e).
The general ones are:
1. The DM, nor any player, may say, insinuate, or otherwise articulate in any coded fashion "Do not roll a 1" before the die is rolled.
2. Dice must be rolled in the dice box (we had a box that looked like a castle in the center of the table) and do not grab your dice until everyone has seen it
3. If you can't play, please call/text/email/telegraph/sending the DM [Note: Our old DM fed us]
6. No phones out, no answering at the table
7. No rules discussions unless it's your turn. Five minute limit on discussions.
9. No giving out the DDI password to anyone not in the game. If you do, I'll change the password and not tell you.
11. No sex scenes. This isn't HBO.
12. One player per PC.
The general ones are:
1. The DM, nor any player, may say, insinuate, or otherwise articulate in any coded fashion "Do not roll a 1" before the die is rolled.
2. Dice must be rolled in the dice box (we had a box that looked like a castle in the center of the table) and do not grab your dice until everyone has seen it
3. If you can't play, please call/text/email/telegraph/sending the DM [Note: Our old DM fed us]
6. No phones out, no answering at the table
7. No rules discussions unless it's your turn. Five minute limit on discussions.
9. No giving out the DDI password to anyone not in the game. If you do, I'll change the password and not tell you.
11. No sex scenes. This isn't HBO.
12. One player per PC.
Tequila Sunrise
Adventurer
May I ask why you don't like divine classes? And also, do you transfer their healing spells to other spell lists in non-4e games?
Are we talking 'good rp = mechanically gimped' defective, or 'I'm a loner/coward/antihero/villain, why would I go on this adventure?' defective?
Bawylie
A very OK person
Both. Mind you, within normal limits isn't defective. Meaning, an 8 Con fighter isn't necessarily defective. And a coward isn't necessarily defective either. They can be, and if they cross that line, they're retired.
Rod Staffwand
aka Ermlaspur Flormbator
Because:
- 1. The D&D concept of the Christian fighting priest and divine magic doesn't exist in the fantasy stories I want to emulate with D&D. They are thematically inappropriate for me.
- Healing magic is broken. It is essential, yet routinely boring. Saddling a PC with this onerous duty is just bad design.
- Clerics can pick and choose which spell they cast and the god "obeys" with a miracle, since D&D magic is always dependable. It always seemed like the Amazing Cleric and his Divine Lackey Show to me. Just the very existence of divine magic and gods that take an active role in the world (at the very least empowering agents to further their causes takes some dramatic tension out of saving their world.
- Since clerical magic is tied with gods, pantheons, religious orders you'd naturally have to mandate some holy code that the PC character would need to follow. At the very least the god would be very concerned on how one might be using their magic. Only divine classes (like paladins) suffer from these RP restrictions and it's problematic.
In short, I've found the game to be improved with their removal. I'm not saying they can't be done well or add to a campaign or a setting or that other players shouldn't like them. I'm just saying the easiest fix for my concerns is to just ditch them entirely.
I've done several solutions for non-cleric campaigns over the years. I've given wizards access to some cleric spells, I've buffed natural and non-clerical healing methods, and I've done homebrewed support-type classes as cleric replacements. It's putting in more non-clerical healing that makes the biggest difference. In 2e we had PCs heal 1/2 their level + every hour or some such (with fighters healing their full level). It worked pretty well. Attrition over the day was reduced but the lack of in-combat healing made combat potentially more dangerous.
ccs
41st lv DM
1) Each player can generate their stats using any of these ways:
Standard Point Buy
Standard Array
Roll (4d6, drop one, roll 6 totals & arrange as you please)
Some other way? Discuss it with me & maybe.
*IF YOU ROLL: You'll do it in front of me (and preferably as many of the others as possible - because we enjoy cheering for high rolls, laughing at low rolls, & won't believe you if the DM wasn't a witness) & you'll play the resulting character in good faith.
2) No psionics. They don't exist in my games.
3) I won't stop you from making a Drow or Duergar. But NPCs WILL treat you as the vile monster your race is famous for.
Same goes for wanting to play goblins, kobolds, Hobgoblins, full orcs, & all manner of other monsters - if you can talk me into letting you play one in the 1st place.
4) There's no restriction on alignment, PC abilities/spells affecting other PCs, nor are PCs being immune to skills.
5) Crits: I dislike them. I think the game works just fine without them. I would prefer to just not have them.
That said, if the players want them? Then there's going to be crit misses as well as crit hits.
6) Errata, if any, comes from ME.
Standard Point Buy
Standard Array
Roll (4d6, drop one, roll 6 totals & arrange as you please)
Some other way? Discuss it with me & maybe.
*IF YOU ROLL: You'll do it in front of me (and preferably as many of the others as possible - because we enjoy cheering for high rolls, laughing at low rolls, & won't believe you if the DM wasn't a witness) & you'll play the resulting character in good faith.
2) No psionics. They don't exist in my games.
3) I won't stop you from making a Drow or Duergar. But NPCs WILL treat you as the vile monster your race is famous for.
Same goes for wanting to play goblins, kobolds, Hobgoblins, full orcs, & all manner of other monsters - if you can talk me into letting you play one in the 1st place.
4) There's no restriction on alignment, PC abilities/spells affecting other PCs, nor are PCs being immune to skills.
5) Crits: I dislike them. I think the game works just fine without them. I would prefer to just not have them.
That said, if the players want them? Then there's going to be crit misses as well as crit hits.
6) Errata, if any, comes from ME.
Rod Staffwand
aka Ermlaspur Flormbator
Oh, I forgot a big one:
You have to re-roll any roll in which the die falls on the floor--unless it's a natural 20 on a saving throw needed to save your character's life, then the result stands. Obviously.
You have to re-roll any roll in which the die falls on the floor--unless it's a natural 20 on a saving throw needed to save your character's life, then the result stands. Obviously.
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