5th Edition Dungeons & Dragons

This page details how I use the 5th edition rules.

In general, rules are only allowed from the following books:

• Player's Handbook
• Dungeon Master's Guide
• Monster Manual
• Xanathar's Guide to Everything
• Tasha's Cauldron of Everything

Character creation can be done using any method outlined in the PHB. However, if you choose to roll dice for your characteristics, I expect it to be done in person – primarily so we can laugh when you roll low. (The same rule exists for hit points at levels 2 and above)

• Races: Only races from the Player's Handbook are allowed with the following exceptions and notes:
  • Dragonborn, Tieflings, and Drow (Dark Elves) are very unusual and will be met with stares and/or discrimination everywhere they go.
  • Orcs are allowed as a player race – though they will be met with some suspicion in certain “civilized” towns.
  • Goblins are allowed as a player race – however they are highly unusual and generally hated by everyone.
• Variant Rules: All variant rules in the Player's Handbook are allowed – with the following comments:
  • Equipment Sizes (PHB, p.144): Using armor of a different size is allowed without modification. However, a day of this will incur one level of Exhaustion (PHB, p.291).
  • Some variant rules from the DMG are also used. (Need a list)
• Significant Injury Houserule: When a character wakes up after being unconscious, they acquire one level of Exhaustion (PHB, p.291) if they failed at least one death saving throw while unconscious.
• Unconscious condition: Ignore the last bullet point: “Any attack that hits the creature is a critical hit if the attacker is within 5 feet of the creature.” Such an attack may or may not be a critical hit based on the normal rules for critical hits.
• Grid-based combat: Combat is almost always done on a square-grid battlemat with miniatures or other tokens.
• Persistent Damage: (see below)
• Wizard enhancements:
  • Wizards can put spells in their spellbook even if they are of a level higher than they can prepare.
  • Wizards can use Ritual Casting to attempt casting spells of a level higher than they can prepare. To do so, they must spend an additional 10 minutes and make a spellcasting ability check (just like for a spell scroll) for each level above their maximum. Any failure results in something bad (TBD).
• Deities: The preferred deities are from the “Fantasy-Historical Pantheons” (PHB, p.297-299) or the Non-Human Deities (PHB, p.296)
  • Celtic – also worshipped in Spindrift
  • Greek – also worshipped in Lowland
  • Egyptian – also worshipped in Backbone
  • Norse – also worshipped in Rota
• Level Advancement: Players can expect their characters to advance levels slowly. Expect to be at first level for “a few” sessions – and do not expect them to ever reach double-digit levels. (Unless I change my mind)
• Economy: A quick rule-of-thumb is that one gold piece is equivalent to $50 in real-world spending. Thus, a Longsword costs $7500 equivalent (and is therefore considered an expensive accessory).
• Languages: Not everyone speaks Common, but everyone has a native tongue. (Needs expansion)
• Flanking: Let's try using the DMG Optional Rule: Flanking (p.251)

• Sadly, playtesting determined this rule to be cumbersome and it has been jettisoned.
• Any time a character takes damage, they incur one point of “Persistent Damage” for each die rolled against them.
• This damage is part of (not in addition to) the normal hit point damage they take and needs to be kept track of separately.
• Each point of Persistent Damage reduces the character's maximum hit point total by one.
• Magical healing (except for Healing Word) restores one point of Persistent Damage for each die rolled.
• Hit dice rolled after a Short Rest has no effect on Persistent Damage.
• A Long Rest restores ONE point of Persistent Damage.

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