House Rules

Character Creation: Races

  • Array or Point Buy.  (No 4d6-lowest d6.)
  • No Variant Humans
  • No Feats
  • No Dragonborn

 

Arcane Focus

“Arcane focus” items, as defined in the standard 5th Edition ruleset, do not exist in the Dahrqbrü campaign. Spellcasters will need to acquire and expend components for spellcasting.

Spells

Identify Variant (DMG p. 136)

Some magic items are indistinguishable from their nonmagical counterparts, whereas other magic items display their magical nature conspicuously. Whatever a magic item’s appearance, handling the item is enough to give a character a sense that something is extraordinary about it. Discovering a magic item’s properties isn’t automatic, however.Sometimes a magic item carries a clue to its properties. The command word to activate a ring might be etched in tiny letters inside it, or a feathered design might suggest it’s a ring of feather falling.

Wearing or experimenting with an item can also offer hints about its properties. For example, if a character puts on a ring of jumping, you could say, “Your steps feel strangely springy.” Perhaps the character then jumps up and down to see what happens. You then say the character jumps unexpectedly high.

VARIANT: MORE DIFFICULT IDENTIFICATION
If you prefer magic items to have a greater mystique consider removing the ability to identify the properties of a magic item during a short rest, and require the identity spell, experimentation, or both to reveal what a magic item does.

Initiative Variant

  • Speed Factor (“Combat Options,” DMG, p.270)

Supplemental Rules

The Complete Armorer’s Handbook: Equipment Upgrade and Rune Magic System for 5E by Heavy Arms

This is one of the most thoughtful supplements I’ve found since deciding to come out of “retirement.” Among various considerations, I am particularly interested in the fact that this system,

  1. Offers players an opportunity to directly engage in buffing up their character’s weapons and armor;
  2. Lets players invest their character’s hard-earned gold in impactful ways which can actively develop their character’s power;
  3. Broadens a DM’s base for creating fun and specialized NPC’s.

I’ll also mention that I especially appreciate that “[t]he properties of adamantine have been adjusted to more closely reflect its more iconic status of previous editions.” Coming from AD&D, I was a little surprised to discover how adamantine and mithral had been diminished in 5e.

On a personal note, I’ll reiterate that I did not take the decision to ban Feats from my campaign lightly; I pained over the decision for months, and I still think about it (too much). I don’t want overpowered optional rules to undermine the choices and sacrifices players make to distinguish their characters; I very much want all players in my game to feel special, powerful, and heroic.

I’m excited to test the supplemental rules from The Armorer’s Handbook in our Dahrqbrü campaign. More than anything, I hope this supplement will help make our game more fun!

Pending review.