House Rules
Here is a list of some House and Optional Rules while adventuring.
Here is a list of some House and Optional Rules while adventuring.
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Flanking and Surrounding a Creature/PC - Flanking is allowed, giving Advantage to an attacker if the creature understands martial tactics (i.e. a warrior, a rogue...). As the game progresses and the PCs gain levels, other classes can then benefit from flanking. Creatures will also follow this general rule. If Players begin to use this as a primary tactic, to include those not fully extended the benefit, creatures will also become more tactical for balancing purposes. Special situations and considerations are at the DM’s discretion.
Falling to ‘0’ Hit Points and Below - If a PC drops to exactly ‘0’ hit points, they are considered Unconscious and not needing Death Saves. If a PC drops below ‘0’, for every Death Save failed, if revived, they have one level of Exhaustion for every failure.
Hard Corners - A creature cannot take a diagonal step across a space with a hard corner.
Holding Action - A PC who Readies an Action holds their full Action but still requires a trigger in place, at the DM’s discretion.
Inspired Beginning - At the start of each session, everyone is given 1 point of Inspiration they can use during the game. Once the game is over, the Inspiration is lost.
Lighting - Lighting plays a major part in the game. To understand some general thoughts and rules applied:
Darkvision does not work while in Bright Light. It takes 1d4 Rounds to adjust, giving Disadvantage to rolls considering Actions using sight (attacks, investigating, etc...).
The ‘campfire study’ of understanding your exposure when comparing your location around a campfire in relation to an observer - If next to the campfire and in the Bright Light or to the front or side in Dim Light - you are visible. If in front of the campfire and in Darkness - you are silhouetted. If you are in Dim Light or further away on the other side of the campfire, you cannot be seen. Special situations are at the DM’s discretion.
Making Ability Checks - When making Abilities Checks and as the DM considers the DC before the roll is made, please be sure to mention the PC’s background and class for possible adjustments to consider, if fitting.
Expanded Ability Checks - On an Ability Check you make for certain Skill Challenges, you have options when failing the check:
Pressing Your Luck – you can roll again, attempting to beat a higher DC, but the consequences for a failure are raised.
Do or Die – you can make one last check after Pressing Your Luck. The DC typically returns to the original difficulty, but the consequences can be perilous, from debilitating to risk of death.
Modified Initiative - After rolling Initiative for an encounter, whether combat or a challenge, the order is modified to consider the situation, at the DM’s discretion. This mostly breaks down to common sense in the order of awareness of the situation. As an example, if in a dungeon and walking along a hallway, the party encounters a door. When opened, they are confronted with hostiles. Depending on the results of everyone’s Initiative, the first Round works through the order of those first seeing or having knowledge of the threat to those in the rear who are unaware of the situation. The intent to have an orderly flow of Actions and Movement, allowing those in the rear to potentially contribute in the first Round rather than waiting on everyone in front of them to move and act.
Potion Consumption - For a readied potion in the PC’s hand, as a general rule, the PC can drink the potion as a Bonus Action.
Raising the Shield - A PC must use a Bonus Action when donning or dothing a shield.
Optional Rules decided during Session Zero:
Critical Failure on an Attack - On a critical failure, the creature’s next Attack for the Round or on their next Round is made with Disadvantage.
Critical Hit on an Attack - On a critical hit, roll the damage as normal, then add the maximum damage of each die.
Falling to ‘0’ Hit Points and Below - If a PC drops to exactly ‘0’ hit points, they are considered Unconscious and not needing Death Saves. If a PC drops below ‘0’, for every Death Save failed, if revived, they have one level of Exhaustion for every failure.
Hard Corners - A creature cannot take a diagonal step across a space with a hard corner.
Holding Action - A PC who Readies an Action holds their full Action but still requires a trigger in place, at the DM’s discretion.
Inspired Beginning - At the start of each session, everyone is given 1 point of Inspiration they can use during the game. Once the game is over, the Inspiration is lost.
Lighting - Lighting plays a major part in the game. To understand some general thoughts and rules applied:
Darkvision does not work while in Bright Light. It takes 1d4 Rounds to adjust, giving Disadvantage to rolls considering Actions using sight (attacks, investigating, etc...).
The ‘campfire study’ of understanding your exposure when comparing your location around a campfire in relation to an observer - If next to the campfire and in the Bright Light or to the front or side in Dim Light - you are visible. If in front of the campfire and in Darkness - you are silhouetted. If you are in Dim Light or further away on the other side of the campfire, you cannot be seen. Special situations are at the DM’s discretion.
Making Ability Checks - When making Abilities Checks and as the DM considers the DC before the roll is made, please be sure to mention the PC’s background and class for possible adjustments to consider, if fitting.
Expanded Ability Checks - On an Ability Check you make for certain Skill Challenges, you have options when failing the check:
Pressing Your Luck – you can roll again, attempting to beat a higher DC, but the consequences for a failure are raised.
Do or Die – you can make one last check after Pressing Your Luck. The DC typically returns to the original difficulty, but the consequences can be perilous, from debilitating to risk of death.
Modified Initiative - After rolling Initiative for an encounter, whether combat or a challenge, the order is modified to consider the situation, at the DM’s discretion. This mostly breaks down to common sense in the order of awareness of the situation. As an example, if in a dungeon and walking along a hallway, the party encounters a door. When opened, they are confronted with hostiles. Depending on the results of everyone’s Initiative, the first Round works through the order of those first seeing or having knowledge of the threat to those in the rear who are unaware of the situation. The intent to have an orderly flow of Actions and Movement, allowing those in the rear to potentially contribute in the first Round rather than waiting on everyone in front of them to move and act.
Potion Consumption - For a readied potion in the PC’s hand, as a general rule, the PC can drink the potion as a Bonus Action.
Raising the Shield - A PC must use a Bonus Action when donning or dothing a shield.
Optional Rules decided during Session Zero:
Critical Failure on an Attack - On a critical failure, the creature’s next Attack for the Round or on their next Round is made with Disadvantage.
Critical Hit on an Attack - On a critical hit, roll the damage as normal, then add the maximum damage of each die.
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