5th Edition Dungeons & Dragons

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

Note that this was written when the 2014 rules were in effect. It has not been updated for the 2024 (aka “5.5”) 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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