D&D 5E Weirdest House Rules You've Encountered in the Wild

[Fauchard1520]

Have you ever joined a new group only to discover that "they're playing wrong?" I'm talking about fundamental misreading of mechanics, bizarre ad-hoc rulings, and the kind of homebrew the belongs only in the darkest depths of the SRD.

What was the rule? Did it ruin your experience, or did it turn out to be fun despite its apparent weirdness?

Comic for illustrative purposes.

 

[der_kluge]

I don't know if it qualifies as a houserule, but when I was in high school, some friends of mine believed that weapons made of charcoal were the only appropriate weapons for fighting demons.

I still don't know where that one came from...

 

[monsmord]

Maybe two to contribute.

Leomund's Tiny Hut was somehow an extra-dimensional space akin to a bag of holding, but the size of a hut. Not large enough for our steeds, but we pretty much put everything else in there. That's how they (the older gamers) described it to me, and how they played it, and I didn't look it up on my own for quite a while. Apparently they hadn't, either. Encumbrance? What's encumbrance?

And for some reason all new characters got to roll for a random magic item (some high-level stuff, too) and a mutant ability. Yep, a mutant ability.

Oh, the early 80s. Adorable.

 

[jasper]

Monks take no damage on a save. This was my 20 minute game back in 1E. Monks if they were within so many feet of a wall, could save vs DEATH. On a save, they took no falling damage. These people gleefully ruled as ALL damage. So THOR could smite them for 100 HP and they took no damage.

 

[Weiley31]

I don't know if it qualifies as a houserule, but when I was in high school, some friends of mine believed that weapons made of charcoal were the only appropriate weapons for fighting demons.

I still don't know where that one came from...

Maybe somehow related to the notion of how certain things were effective against certain things.

Salt was seen as an effective ward/counter against evil spirits/monsters or something. Black Ritual Salt, or Witches Salt as its called, has a mixture of Charcoal in it. And it is used as a ward/protection against evil forces or bad juju.

The idea of Salt(Black) Weapons being like Cold Iron, in regards to being used against demons, seems a cool idea.

 

[commandercrud]

Rogues can sneak attack basically every turn.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Maybe somehow related to the notion of how certain things were effective against certain things.

Salt was seen as an effective ward/counter against evil spirits/monsters or something. Black Ritual Salt, or Witches Salt as its called, has a mixture of Charcoal in it. And it is used as a ward/protection against evil forces or bad juju.

The idea of Salt(Black) Weapons being like Cold Iron, in regards to being used against demons, seems a cool idea.

I do a lot of stuff like that in my games. Salt, the ash of certain trees, the ash of sapient people or certain animals or monsters, a banished Angel leaves a dust residue, as does a banished fiend (though different), etc.

Lots of sympathetic ritual magic, tying symbolic associations to magical effects. Bind a vampire by making a circle of salt and Control Water a circle of running water around that.

I’ve considered even doing things like making it harder to keep magic going in heavy rain, grounding a caster’s magic out by pushing them into running water, etc. spells that last for hours require a check to maintain past sunrise.

Basically, the world and your magic are inseparable.

 

[the Jester]

Rogues can sneak attack basically every turn.

I'm not sure how this is a house rule... can you elaborate?

 

[DemoMonkey]

"I'm not sure how this is a house rule... can you elaborate?"

As I recall, In first and second edition, a backstab (that's what it was called) only worked when you actually attacked an opponent from behind who was completely unaware of your presence. So doing it multiple times in a combat was very uncommon without magic items or very special circumstance.

 

[DemoMonkey]

Odd house rules: When you went down a level (in a dungeon) you automatically went up a level (in character). Which isn't the odd part.

The odd part is that the reverse was also true.