Homebrews

⚙️Rule

What it is: A directive that says what you can or can’t do in the game.
Purpose: Keeps structure and fairness at the table.
- You need to roll a d20 to attack.”
- “A short rest takes 1 hour.”
- “Drinking a potion takes an action.”

Rules are the “laws” of the game — the yes/no, do/don’t parts.

⚙️ Mechanic

What it is: A system or procedure that explains how something works in the game.
Purpose: Gives a consistent way to resolve actions and challenges.
- Advantage/disadvantage.
- Death saving throws.**
- Inspiration points.
- Hit points and healing.

Mechanics are the “engines” of the game — they make the rules run.

I've included a mix of stuff that are essentially buffs and nerfs (or both!) compared to 5e rules and mechanics - let me know what you think!

Rolling

Crits

When you roll a 20 on a d20 attack roll, saving throw, or ability check (before applying any modifiers, bonuses, and penalties), this is referred to as a “natural 20”. Rolling a 1 on a d20 attack roll, saving throw, or ability check (before applying any modifiers, bonuses, and penalties) is referred to as a “natural 1”.

Exploding Damage Dice

When you roll damage for an attack, spell, or ability, and any of the damage dice shows its maximum value (such as a 6 on a d6 or an 8 on a d8), that die explodes. Roll that die one additional time and add the result to the total damage*.*

Rolling with Emphasis

Roll 2d20. Take the result that’s furthest from 10 (the most extreme)
This mechanic makes extreme results more likely and “middle of the road” results less likely. It’s a way to make the big, tense moments feel even bigger — when the stakes are high, when the drama’s loud, and when the story calls for something bold. Best used as an alternative to a straight luck check (d20 DC11).

GM Inspiration

The DM may award GM Inspiration for good roleplay, clever ideas, or just straight up cool fucking moments that add to the story.

When you have Inspiration, which is a d20 die, you can spend it to gain advantage on an ability check, attack roll, or saving throw. You can decide to use it after you roll but before the result is revealed.

Giving Help action

A Help action can be taken by a character (as an action during combat or any time out of combat) to aid another character in the ability check, attack or saving throw they are trying to do. Mechanically, this means that the helped character can roll this ability with advantage. Either PC will be required to describe and explain how they are helping or how they are being helped. Whether the description or explanation suffices is upon DM's discretion.

Spamming Ability Checks

A PC may only attempt an ability check once per circumstance. Once you’ve made the roll, accept the outcome—success or failure—and let the story move forward. Let the rolls be meaningful.
If the rest of your party are in the same scenario as you, they can attempt the same check once as well.

Off-Ability Check.

The GM may call for, or a player may propose, an alternative ability–skill combination when it better represents the action being attempted. The goal is to let the description of your action drive the mechanics—not the other way around. Decide ability first, skill second.

Incompetence

Incompetence represents a skill in which your character is notably poor—clumsy, forgetful, or just plain bad at it.
Whenever you gain a skill proficiency as part of your Background, select a different skill in which you will have Incompetence. If you do not take skill proficiencies, you do not take an Incompetence.
5e 2014 backgrounds (PHB) all feature 2 skill proficiencies. For 5e 2024, take 2 skills for Incompetence regardless of how your Origin is crafted.

If you are Incompetent in a skill, you roll checks with disadvantage when using that skill. You also cannot give the Help action to another character making a skill check with the skill you are Incompetent in.****

Rest

Short Rest

Requires at least one hour out of combat or adventuring activity. At the end of a short rest, you can spend one or more hit dice to recover lost hit points up to your maximum. For each hit die spent, roll the appropriate dice and add them together. You can spend them one at a time.

Additionally, recover expended spell slots equal to or less than half your spellcasting level rounded up. See #Short rest recovery.

Safe Rest

Replaces "long rest". Requires at least 8 hours out of combat or adventuring activity in a safe place (designated by the DM), typically lodging at a tavern, and at least 6 of those hours must be spent sleeping. On completion:

• regain up to half of your total hit dice
• recover up to your maximum HP
• remove 1 level of exhaustion

Combat/Action Economy

Ammunition and Spellcasting Components

We're going a tiny bit easier on spellcasting and ammunition. Spells in this campaign require only verbal and somatic components; material components are ignored, unless a spell’s description or this document specifically states otherwise (see #^Spellcasting). Likewise, ammunition are not tracked for weapons with the ammunition mechanic.

Attack Crits

When you roll a natural 20 on an attack roll, your attack hits with extra force. Roll the attack's regular damage and add maximum damage dice.

Weapon Mastery

You can only use Weapon Mastery properties a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain all expended uses when you finish a short or long rest.
#Barbarian #Fighter #Paladin #Ranger #Rogue

Revised Potions

A small buff to potions:

One-Action Cantrips as Bonus Actions/Reactions

1-action cantrips that are often treated as “quick buffs” or “fast reactions” in play (and that some DMs let you bend into bonus action/reaction territory, depending on flavor or homebrew flexibility).

Spellcasting

Short rest recovery

Recover expended spell slots equal to or less than half your spellcasting level rounded up after a short rest.

Revivify

You touch a creature that has died within the last minute. That creature returns to life with 1 hit point and 1 level of exhaustion. This spell can't return to life a creature that has died of old age, nor can it restore any missing body parts.

This spell requires material equal to 300 G on the caster's person to complete.

Note: added exhaustion mechanic and reaffirmed material requirement.

Flavor

Flavor is where your character really comes alive. You can swing a sword, cast a spell, or roll for something simple — but how you describe it is what turns a normal moment into something memorable.

You don’t need flowery prose or perfect descriptions. Just adding a little personality — a quip, a habit, a visual detail, a bit of flair — can make even basic actions feel uniquely yours. Did you fire your gun with a shaky hand? Did your spell come out as a flash of color, or a weird hum? Did you reload dramatically for no reason? That’s flavor.

Flavor isn’t extra homework; it’s the seasoning that makes the whole game taste better.

And on this table, it’s highly encouraged.
If something feels cool or characterful, go for it. Your descriptions help everyone picture the moment, build shared vibes, and deepen immersion without changing the mechanics at all.

Rules tell us what happens — flavor tells us how it feels.
And that “feel” is what makes the story stick.