D&D 5E Is it houseruling to let a torch set fire to things?

[RevelationMD]

Just to clarify. A house rule is any rule that applies to your own house. It need not be mechanical in nature. It need not have anything to do with an existing rule. The only requirements are that it A) be a rule, and B) apply only to your house.

A mechanical change such as this torch issue that deals with mechanics, and that applies only to your house, would be a house rule.

Sorry, I respectfully disagree. I don't believe allowing fire to light flammable objects is a rule - in exactly the same way as (going back to my previous post) allowing human characters to breathe is a rule. These are simply obvious unspoken truths that require no ruling whatsoever whether that ruling be restricted to the 'house' or to the entire hobby.

 

[Maxperson]

Sorry, I respectfully disagree. I don't believe allowing fire to light flammable objects is a rule - in exactly the same way as (going back to my previous post) allowing human characters to breathe is a rule. These are simply obvious unspoken truths that require no ruling whatsoever whether that ruling be restricted to the 'house' or to the entire hobby.

How does your allowing it to do so require me to rule the same way at my house?

 

[Uchawi]

You may find that 99 percent of us house rule the same way based on real world physics, but it does not change the principle of what is defined or undefined. It is just a common ruling.

 

[Maxperson]

You may find that 99 percent of us house rule the same way based on real world physics, but it does not change the principle of what is defined or undefined. It is just a common ruling.

Right.

Here's one for those saying that lighting a torch with fire is not a house rule. What about fireball? It explicitly lights flammable items that are not carried. So would you allow it to light an unlit torch that the target was carrying in his hand, as well as the 10 torches lying at the target's feet? Or would you say it doesn't light, while at the same time lighting the 10 torches lying at the target's feet? Would it be a house rule if you did allow it?

 

[Manbearcat]

They're dirty metagamers is how.

Pfff. Everyone knows you divide your Intercostal Strength by your Lung Capacity to get your Respiratory Points for the turn. I mean if you're not even doing the basics of oxygen to carbon dioxide exchange how can you even say you're role playing at all?

And with every "I breathe" action, every handwaved "yeah I moisten my eyeballs" do they poison the RPGing well.

I have a dream. One day, every discrete instance of biomechanics and bodily function will walk hand in hand with each other in perfect mechanical resolution harmony. Then. Then we will have nice things.

 

[RevelationMD]

How does your allowing it to do so require me to rule the same way at my house?

I'm not allowing fire to burn. Fire does burn whether I allow it or not. Sure I could rule that fire doesn't burn in my campaign but a rule that dictates that it does burn is as irrelevant as a rule that dictates humans can breathe oxygen. Sure you can rule exactly as you please - I'm not requiring you to do anything - but I'd guess that you'll be busy if before playing you write individual rules to cover every real world law of nature. Much more efficient, I would suggest, to rule where your campaign world bends the laws of nature rather than to rule in every case where it adheres to them.

Bear in mind though that by your very own definition 'the rule that fire burns flammable objects' is NOT a house rule as it doesn't tick the box ''B) apply only to your house.'' - going by the poll it seems the vast majority of gaming tables play the ''fire burns'' rule

 

[RevelationMD]

And with every "I breathe" action, every handwaved "yeah I moisten my eyeballs" do they poison the RPGing well.

I have a dream. One day, every discrete instance of biomechanics and bodily function will walk hand in hand with each other in perfect mechanical resolution harmony. Then. Then we will have nice things.

Roll your dream proficiency please.

 

[ChrisCarlson]

When you open up the definition of that dirty word enough, as some try to do, you get into a situation where every single rule (even the ones spelled out in the books) could be construed as houserules. Because the DM still has to decide if each of those rule exists at their table. And so, every table could rule differently. Thus, all rules are houserules.

 

[Maxperson]

Bear in mind though that by your very own definition 'the rule that fire burns flammable objects' is NOT a house rule as it doesn't tick the box ''B) apply only to your house.'' - going by the poll it seems the vast majority of gaming tables play the ''fire burns'' rule

Yes and no. I'm talking about YOUR ruling. That 99% of people make that same ruling independently doesn't let your ruling apply to any house but your own. Of course the vast majority of people are going to rule that fire burns. I certainly do. The point is not whether most people do it, it's that the game doesn't define certain mechanical effects that the DM has to rule on.

The obvious ones are easy, but many, if not most of them aren't as easy as fire burning.

I am curious, though, what about the questions I asked concerning fireball?

 

[Maxperson]

When you open up the definition of that dirty word enough, as some try to do, you get into a situation where every single rule (even the ones spelled out in the books) could be construed as houserules. Because the DM still has to decide if each of those rule exists at their table. And so, every table could rule differently. Thus, all rules are houserules.

Sure you can take anything to an absurd length, but that's overstepping things by quite a bit. House rules are changes or additions to the rules of the game as they are written.