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House rules

This document contains rules for 5th Edition D&D.

Character Creation

  1. Before selecting a race or class, roll 3d6 for your initial ability scores. Assign them, without rearranging the order, to Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma.
  2. Select your race and apply any ability score modifiers it grants.
  3. Select your class. If desired, you may increase any of your ability scores up to the level shown in the table below.
Strength Dexterity Constitution Intelligence Wisdom Charisma
Fighter 14 14 10 7 7 7
Cleric 8 8 10 7 14 12
Wizard 7 7 10 14 8 7
Rogue 8 14 10 10 10 10
Druid 8 8 10 7 14 12
Ranger 14 14 10 7 10 7
Paladin 14 8 10 7 12 14
Bard 8 14 10 12 8 14
Sorceror 7 7 10 10 10 14
Barbarian 14 10 14 7 7 7
Warlock 7 7 10 12 12 14
Monk 10 14 10 8 14 7

Feat Changes

Resilient

If a character with this feat would later gain proficiency in the chosen ability through a class feature such as Diamond Soul or Slippery Mind, he may instead increase that ability score by 1.

Lightly Armored

If a character with this feat would later gain proficiency in light armor for another reason, he may instead increase his Strength or Dexterity by 1.

Moderately Armored

If a character with this feat would later gain proficiency in medium armor for another reason, he may instead increase his Strength or Dexterity by 1.

Heavily Armored

If a character with this feat would later gain proficiency in heavy armor for another reason, he may instead increase his Strength by 1.

Weapon Master

If a character with this feat would later gain proficiency in all martial weapons for another reason, he may increase his Strength or Dexterity by 1.

Great Weapon Master

The bonus attack granted on a critical hit or reducing a creature to zero hit points can only be used against a different creature.

Sharpshooter

This feat is not available.

Lucky

This feat is not available.

Class Changes

Druid

Druids are proficient with shortbows. Moon druids do not gain the ability to wildshape to a CR1 beast at level 2. Instead, this is available at level 3. Druids select their starting available forms using terrain types as described in Xanathar’s Guide.

Rogue

Rogues can use Cunning Action to drink a potion.

Ranger

Beastmasters may use a bonus action to verbally command their companion to move and take any action (excluding multiattack). If it is not commanded, it will protect itself and its allies to the best of its ability.

The maximum size and CR of the companion increase with the beastmaster’s level:

Level Maximum size Maximum CR
Level 3 Medium CR 1/4
Level 7 Large CR 1
Level 11 Huge CR 2, and the companion can be commanded to multiattack

Spell Changes

Spell Change
vicious mockery This spell is on the Wizard spell list.
comprehend languages This spell is a Knowledge domain spell.
lesser restoration This spell removes the stunned condition.
power word: heal This spell is on the Cleric spell list.
planar ally This spell is on the Wizard spell list.
wall of light This spell is a Light domain spell.
healing spirit This spell is not available.

Domain Specific Cleric Cantrips

Clerics do not have access to sacred flame by default. Instead, each Cleric domain has a special set of additional cantrips to select from:

Domain Cantrips
Arcana sacred flame, word of radiance
Death toll the dead
Forge sacred flame, word of radiance, produce flame
Grave sacred flame, word of radiance, toll the dead
Knowledge sacred flame, word of radiance, toll the dead, true strike
Life sacred flame, word of radiance
Light sacred flame, word of radiance
Nature thorn whip, produce flame, frostbite, gust, infestation, thunderclap, poison spray
Tempest frostbite, gust, thunderclap
Trickery infestation, poison spray, viscious mockery, shocking grasp, true strike
War blade ward, sacred flame, word of radiance, magic stone, true strike

Rule Changes

Alternate Resting Rules

Characters can only take a long rest if they have the following amenities:

  • Cooked food.
  • A bed.
  • Comfortable temperature and no exposure to inclement weather.

Characters that rest overnight without these amenities merely gain the benefit of a short rest, however they recover hit points as if they spent one additional hit die.

Alternate Healing Rule

If a character is unconscious at 0 hit points and then healed, he is moved to the end of the initiative queue, stunned for 1 round, and is prone (until he spends half his movement to stand up, as normal).

Lingering Injuries

If a character drops to 0 hit points or suffers a critical hit, they must roll on the Lingering Injuries table. If a PC is rolling on the table as the result of a critical hit, they roll with advantage. NPCs never roll with advantage. The table has been modified slightly from its form in the DMG to reduce the likelihood of horrible scars, and increase the likelihood of broken ribs. If a result is ever rolled that is not consistent with the form of damage suffered, the result is ignored.

  d20    Injury
1 Lose an Eye. You have disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight and on ranged attack rolls. Magic such as the regenerate spell can restore the lost eye. If you have no eyes left after sustaining this injury, you’re blinded.
2 Lose an Arm or a Hand. You can no longer hold anything with two hands, and you can hold only a single object at a time. Magic such as the regenerate spell can restore the lost appendage.
3 Lose a Foot or a Leg. Your speed on foot is halved, and you must use a cane or crutch to move unless you have a peg leg or other prosthesis. You fall prone after using the Dash action. You have disadvantage on Dexterity checks made to balance. Magic such as the regenerate spell can restore the lost appendage.
4 Limp. Your speed on foot is reduced by 5 feet. You must make a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw after using the Dash action. If you fail the save, you fall prone. Magical healing removes the limp.
5-7 Internal Injury. Whenever you attempt an action in combat, you must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, you lose your action and can’t use reactions until the start of your next turn. The injury heals if you receive magical healing or if you spend ten days doing nothing but resting.
8-12 Broken Ribs. This has the same effect as Internal Injury above, except that the save DC is 10.
13 Horrible Scar. You are disfigured to the extent that the wound can’t be easily concealed. You have disadvantage on Charisma (Persuasion) checks and advantage on Charisma (Intimidation) checks. Magical healing of 6th level or higher, such as heal and regenerate, removes the scar.
14-16 Festering Wound. Your hit point maximum is reduced by 1 every 24 hours the wound persists. If your hit point maximum drops to 0, you die. The wound heals if you receive magical healing. Alternatively, someone can tend to the wound and make a DC 15 Wisdom (Medicine) check once every 24 hours. After ten successes, the wound heals.
17-20 Minor Scar. The scar doesn’t have any adverse effect. Magical healing of 6th level or higher, such as heal and regenerate, removes the scar.

Firing into a Crowd

If a ranged weapon or spell attack misses a character that is adjacent to one or more other characters or if another character is interposed directly between the attacker and the target, one of those characters (the one closest to the attacker or else one selected at random) is subjected to the attack, with a fixed attack roll of 1d20+0.

Non-lethal Attacks

If you make a non-lethal attack with a weapon that deals slashing or piercing damage, or is made of stone or metal, you have disadvantage on the attack roll.

Prone Condition

A prone creature cannot make an Opportunity Attack.

Spell Scrolls

You cannot cast a spell from a scroll as a reaction unless you spend an action on your previous turn preparing the scroll to be read.

Any creature that can understand a written language can read the script on a scroll and attempt to activate it.

If the spell is on your class spell list but of a higher level than you can normally cast, you must make an ability check using your spellcasting ability to determine whether you cast it successfully. If the spell is not on your class spell list, or if you do not have a class spell list, make an Intelligence check if the spell is on the Wizard class list, otherwise make a Wisdom check. The DC equals 10 + the spell’s level.

On a failed check, the spell is not cast and you must succeed on a DC 10 Intelligence saving throw or else roll on the Scroll Mishap table.

d6 Result
1 A surge of magical energy deals the caster 1d6 force damage per level of the spell.
2 The spell affects the caster or an ally (determined randomly) instead of the intended target, or it affects a random target nearby if the caster was the intended target.
3 The spell affects a random location within the spell’s range.
4 The spell’s effect is contrary to its normal one, but neither harmful nor beneficial. For instance, a fireball might produce an area of harmless cold.
5 The caster suffers a minor but bizarre effect related to the spell. Such effects last only as long as the original spell’s duration, or 1d10 minutes for spells that take effect instantaneously. For example, a fireball might cause smoke to billow from the caster’s ears for 1d10 minutes.
6 The spell activates after 1d12 hours. If the caster was the intended target, the spell takes effect normally. If the caster was not the intended target, the spell goes off in the general direction of the intended target, up to the spell’s maximum range, if the target has moved away.

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House rules for 5th Edition D&D

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