The options in this chapter relate to many different parts of the game. Some of them are variants of rules, and others are entirely new rules. Each option represents a different genre, style of play, or both. Consider trying no more than one or two of the options at a time so that you can clearly assess their effects on your campaign before adding other options.
Before you add a new rule to your campaign, ask yourself two questions:
Will the rule improve the game?
Will my players like it?
If you’re confident that the answer to both questions is yes, then you have nothing to lose by giving it a try. Urge your players to provide feedback. If the rule or game element isn’t functioning as intended or isn’t adding much to your game, you can refine it or ditch it. No matter what a rule’s source, a rule serves you, not the other way around.
From the DMG.
When you have never played or DMed before, it seems like a poor idea to change so many things for the sake of "realism" in a fantasy game.
You may be right but, be that as it may... only 1 of my 5 friends have bothered to as much as skim through the PHB so they wouldn't have anything to compare my usage of variant rules to.
For all they would know, these are the rules to the game.
Actually, just yesterday, 1 suggested we just get the party started because she feels like she'd be better at learning the rules as opposed to actually reading them.
You may be right but, be that as it may... only 1 of my 5 friends have bothered to as much as skim through the PHB so they wouldn't have anything to compare my usage of variant rules to.
For all they would know, these are the rules to the game.
Actually, just yesterday, 1 suggested we just get the party started because she feels like she'd be better at learning the rules as opposed to actually reading them.
I think I'm in for a looooooooong game. 😅
Most variant rules slow gameplay (a few exceptions, but not for "more realism" variants).
I applaud the intent of keeping the game well grounded because some players will run wild if you don't. The DM in my campaign is pretty laid back. One of our players keeps every sword and metal armor he can grab so he can melt it down and fashion a new set of armor or a new weapon. It is not a surprise when we arrive in a town for him to go off looking for a blacksmith so he can borrow their setup and forge some stuff. When asked he will have somewhere near twenty swords and a half- to a dozen suits of armor to melt down. That is in addition to carrying his whole "kit" that includes all the basic camping supplies. We both camp so he knows what sort of gear to bring.
My character, if he didn't have a Bag of Holding, could only carry about fifty coins out of the dungeon.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Cum catapultae proscriptae erunt tum soli proscript catapultas habebunt
You may be right but, be that as it may... only 1 of my 5 friends have bothered to as much as skim through the PHB so they wouldn't have anything to compare my usage of variant rules to.
For all they would know, these are the rules to the game.
Actually, just yesterday, 1 suggested we just get the party started because she feels like she'd be better at learning the rules as opposed to actually reading them.
I think I'm in for a looooooooong game. 😅
Yes, get it rolling!!
Then report back!
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"Sooner or later, your Players are going to smash your railroad into a sandbox."
-Vedexent
"real life is a super high CR."
-OboeLauren
"............anybody got any potatoes? We could drop a potato in each hole an' see which ones get viciously mauled by horrible monsters?"
Update: So the person who initially suggested that we all just “jump right in”…
Will be out of town on the date we all agreed upon 😶
In my group, we have six-seven players, because in general only 3-5 can actually show up for any given session. It might be worth recruiting a few more people. If everyone actually shows up at the same time, it can be awkward, but it’s still fun to see everyone all at once.
Getting back to bedrolls: I'm playing with my kids and their friends (all 10 and under), so I'm a little kinder to them than I may be to others. When this issue arose, I asked them if they were sure they wanted to sleep under the stars without a bedroll or a tent. Those who went ahead (because their characters didn't come with bedrolls, and they felt too stingy to buy them), had to make DC 15 survival checks to get the benefit of the rest, otherwise they received only 50% restoration of spell slots, HP, etc. The barbarian fared well. The wizard, not so much.
One thing to remember, though, is that the DM is a narrator and guide, not an adversary of the players. If you're going for ultra realism, but not warning them in advance, you may annoy them. Also, it may get very frustrating for you to keep track of EVERYTHING that happens in a day, making a four-hour session get the players through about 30 minutes of game time without bashing a single goblin. I completely understand the desire for immersive fantasy role-playing (it's what attracts all of us to this), but - speaking as a beginner myself - it may be a lot for total beginners.
Simply put, you should ask yourself, "Does this rule/feature add interesting gameplay/roleplay?" If not, then it may not be a good idea.
NOTE: I specifically mean INTERESTING gameplay. Not EASIER or HARDER gameplay. Just INTERESTING.
If imposing penalties on sleeping in armor encourages players to seek more comfortable ways to rest, that could lead to some interesting situations, such as an ambush where the heavy-armor-tank has to resort to battle without said armor.
If forcing your players to take into account their food and water needs makes them think carefully about their travel routes, it can make Rangers/Druids/Paladins feel more valuable (hunting/summoning for food), as well as lead to situations where your players decide to take a "shortcut" through the woods and run into a pack of monsters.
If you give large amounts of magic items to players, and impose encumbrance, your players may have to be willing to abandon some gear or perhaps purchase/"borrow" a horse or mule.
Interesting gameplay, more often than not, is fun gameplay.
whether anything is interesting is completely dependent on the DM... finding a stream to refill waterskins could be an entire quest, rolls from a table with different outcomes, assumed, or completely ignored and everything in between.
Getting back to bedrolls: I'm playing with my kids and their friends (all 10 and under), so I'm a little kinder to them than I may be to others. When this issue arose, I asked them if they were sure they wanted to sleep under the stars without a bedroll or a tent. Those who went ahead (because their characters didn't come with bedrolls, and they felt too stingy to buy them), had to make DC 15 survival checks to get the benefit of the rest, otherwise they received only 50% restoration of spell slots, HP, etc. The barbarian fared well. The wizard, not so much.
One thing to remember, though, is that the DM is a narrator and guide, not an adversary of the players. If you're going for ultra realism, but not warning them in advance, you may annoy them. Also, it may get very frustrating for you to keep track of EVERYTHING that happens in a day, making a four-hour session get the players through about 30 minutes of game time without bashing a single goblin. I completely understand the desire for immersive fantasy role-playing (it's what attracts all of us to this), but - speaking as a beginner myself - it may be a lot for total beginners.
you definitely want to warn players with a list of your house rules in session 0... "hey guys I am adding survival challenges to this quest because there will be lots of travel... bla bla bla"
I did a one shot that was basically players traveling through a jungle for a week to do a quest so I told them survival would be part of it and once people know what they are involved in then they enjoyed actually setting up their inventory prior to starting the quest and being creative. They were covering themselves in mud like arnold in the predator to help their stealth... they were building traps. I also gave them stealth bonus if they traveled light with minimal gear. So forgoing a bedroll might force them to roll con saves to sleep well but they get a stealth bonus. So much you can do with survival.
Instead of this rules-based approach - which is slightly undermined by bedrolls being cheap and easy to obtain, so the consequences are trivial to completely avoid - consider requiring players to track their gear on a backpack sheet: https://imgur.com/NEl5Whl (for example)
This forces players to be accountable to how much gear they are carrying (beyond rule-of-thumb encumbrance) and is a slightly more engaging way of keeping track of the mundane aspects of travel instead of hand-waving them.
Ahhhh, bedrolls and realism 😁 Ok, so what does a bedroll do? A) provides an insulating layer between you and the ground. Yes there are other ways to do this but … B) provides padding to the ground and any little protuberances from it - yes in setting your sleeping spot you eliminate as many as possible but… C) provides an insulating layer between you and the air when it’s cold. Oh, keep in mind that desert nights are cold - I’ve seen 100F differences between heat of the day (4PM ish) and cool of the night (4AMish) in the American southwest deserts. D) provides protection from weather if you don’t have a tent - your oiled wool/leather hooded cloak is wrapped around the bedroll or a waterproofed groundcloth is the outer layer to keep rain, snow etc off the bedroll so it provides A - C.
old style bedrolls became sleeping bags - initially still rectangular, today most are form fitting mummy bags. But to make a bedroll you need 2or 3 items, a blanket or comforter, a sheet (optional), and a waterproof slicker/groundcloth. Lay it out ground cloth then comforter then sheet, fold it in thirds lengthwise then fold the bottom end under (fold the top under too if your not getting into it right away to keep critters out).
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Wisea$$ DM and Player since 1979.
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Oh, you are use the variant rules for more realism.
I feel sorry for your players... What next slow natural healing?
(This a joke, not criticism).
Actually…
(check my posts) 😇😭
I’ll save you the trouble of scouring through my posts:
Variant Resting Healing Rules
From the DMG.
When you have never played or DMed before, it seems like a poor idea to change so many things for the sake of "realism" in a fantasy game.
<Insert clever signature here>
The part above the words "From the DMG" is from there. The sentence under it is my own opinion. I could have made that more clear.
<Insert clever signature here>
You may be right but, be that as it may... only 1 of my 5 friends have bothered to as much as skim through the PHB so they wouldn't have anything to compare my usage of variant rules to.
For all they would know, these are the rules to the game.
Actually, just yesterday, 1 suggested we just get the party started because she feels like she'd be better at learning the rules as opposed to actually reading them.
I think I'm in for a looooooooong game. 😅
Most variant rules slow gameplay (a few exceptions, but not for "more realism" variants).
I hope your group enjoys it.
I applaud the intent of keeping the game well grounded because some players will run wild if you don't. The DM in my campaign is pretty laid back. One of our players keeps every sword and metal armor he can grab so he can melt it down and fashion a new set of armor or a new weapon. It is not a surprise when we arrive in a town for him to go off looking for a blacksmith so he can borrow their setup and forge some stuff. When asked he will have somewhere near twenty swords and a half- to a dozen suits of armor to melt down. That is in addition to carrying his whole "kit" that includes all the basic camping supplies. We both camp so he knows what sort of gear to bring.
My character, if he didn't have a Bag of Holding, could only carry about fifty coins out of the dungeon.
Cum catapultae proscriptae erunt tum soli proscript catapultas habebunt
Thanks for the words of encouragement & your post was funny aF
Your boy seems to have figured out a loophole perhaps 😆
Yes, get it rolling!!
Then report back!
"Sooner or later, your Players are going to smash your railroad into a sandbox."
-Vedexent
"real life is a super high CR."
-OboeLauren
"............anybody got any potatoes? We could drop a potato in each hole an' see which ones get viciously mauled by horrible monsters?"
-Ilyara Thundertale
Update: So the person who initially suggested that we all just “jump right in”…
Will be out of town on the date we all agreed upon 😶
Welcome to Dungeons and Dragons.
Sounds about right.
😑
In my group, we have six-seven players, because in general only 3-5 can actually show up for any given session. It might be worth recruiting a few more people. If everyone actually shows up at the same time, it can be awkward, but it’s still fun to see everyone all at once.
Getting back to bedrolls: I'm playing with my kids and their friends (all 10 and under), so I'm a little kinder to them than I may be to others. When this issue arose, I asked them if they were sure they wanted to sleep under the stars without a bedroll or a tent. Those who went ahead (because their characters didn't come with bedrolls, and they felt too stingy to buy them), had to make DC 15 survival checks to get the benefit of the rest, otherwise they received only 50% restoration of spell slots, HP, etc. The barbarian fared well. The wizard, not so much.
One thing to remember, though, is that the DM is a narrator and guide, not an adversary of the players. If you're going for ultra realism, but not warning them in advance, you may annoy them. Also, it may get very frustrating for you to keep track of EVERYTHING that happens in a day, making a four-hour session get the players through about 30 minutes of game time without bashing a single goblin. I completely understand the desire for immersive fantasy role-playing (it's what attracts all of us to this), but - speaking as a beginner myself - it may be a lot for total beginners.
whether anything is interesting is completely dependent on the DM... finding a stream to refill waterskins could be an entire quest, rolls from a table with different outcomes, assumed, or completely ignored and everything in between.
you definitely want to warn players with a list of your house rules in session 0... "hey guys I am adding survival challenges to this quest because there will be lots of travel... bla bla bla"
I did a one shot that was basically players traveling through a jungle for a week to do a quest so I told them survival would be part of it and once people know what they are involved in then they enjoyed actually setting up their inventory prior to starting the quest and being creative. They were covering themselves in mud like arnold in the predator to help their stealth... they were building traps. I also gave them stealth bonus if they traveled light with minimal gear. So forgoing a bedroll might force them to roll con saves to sleep well but they get a stealth bonus. So much you can do with survival.
Instead of this rules-based approach - which is slightly undermined by bedrolls being cheap and easy to obtain, so the consequences are trivial to completely avoid - consider requiring players to track their gear on a backpack sheet: https://imgur.com/NEl5Whl (for example)
This forces players to be accountable to how much gear they are carrying (beyond rule-of-thumb encumbrance) and is a slightly more engaging way of keeping track of the mundane aspects of travel instead of hand-waving them.
Even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in awhile.
Ahhhh, bedrolls and realism 😁 Ok, so what does a bedroll do?
A) provides an insulating layer between you and the ground. Yes there are other ways to do this but …
B) provides padding to the ground and any little protuberances from it - yes in setting your sleeping spot you eliminate as many as possible but…
C) provides an insulating layer between you and the air when it’s cold. Oh, keep in mind that desert nights are cold - I’ve seen 100F differences between heat of the day (4PM ish) and cool of the night (4AMish) in the American southwest deserts.
D) provides protection from weather if you don’t have a tent - your oiled wool/leather hooded cloak is wrapped around the bedroll or a waterproofed groundcloth is the outer layer to keep rain, snow etc off the bedroll so it provides A - C.
old style bedrolls became sleeping bags - initially still rectangular, today most are form fitting mummy bags. But to make a bedroll you need 2or 3 items, a blanket or comforter, a sheet (optional), and a waterproof slicker/groundcloth. Lay it out ground cloth then comforter then sheet, fold it in thirds lengthwise then fold the bottom end under (fold the top under too if your not getting into it right away to keep critters out).
Wisea$$ DM and Player since 1979.