5e House Rules

This post is about rules I would use if I were to run D&D 5e. I think D&D 5e is a frustrating game to run or play and most of my experience with it have been mixed. The rules presented here are either optional rules straight out of the 2014 core books or are permitted by the rules therein.

Variant and Optional Rules, Rules Changes

I am going to use variant rules to suit the tone or style of the game.

Slow Natural Healing + Healer's Kit Dependency (DMG pages 266 - 267)

Healer's Kit Dependency applies to short rests only. PCs cannot spend hit dice to recover lost HP during a short rest unless someone expends one use of a healer's kit to treat that character.

Slow Natural Healing applies to long rests only. PCs do not automatically recover lost HP at the end of a long rest. They must spend hit dice to recover HP. Standard rest rules are used (short rest is 1 hour, long rest is 8 hours). RAW, PCs recover half of their hit dice per long rest, and so you need at least two long rests to recover all your hit dice. That means you may need two long rests to be able to recover all your lost HP, then another two long rests to recover all your spent hit dice.

First, this rule encourages down time activities meaning you are encouraged to take an interest in the setting. Rest means light activity is allowed. Go make friends or contacts. Hire allies. Gamble. Research something. Gather information, rumors, news, gossip. Find a teacher and learn something. Try crafting. If you rest in the wilderness or the dungeon, the GM is going to roll wandering encounters and you're going to die. Make the local town your hub.

Second, this rule changes the way you perceive damage within the narrative of the game. Standard rest rules make damage abstract and nonsensical. A stab wound from a spear or a bowshot can be slept off which causes something called narrative dissonance. With this rest variant, damage feels like something to treat seriously. Healing spells and items become more valuable.

Because your class features still recover normally (unlike with gritty realism), it shouldn't slow the game down too much or nerf characters.

Side Initiative (DMG page 270)

The GM rolls one d20 for each NPC group. One player rolls one d20 for the PCs. The rolls are unmodified. Whichever side rolls the highest goes first.

Morale (DMG page 273)

There are conditions that stipulate when to roll to see if the NPCs want to continue to fight or if they try to flee, surrender, or parley. 

Starting Attitude (DMG page 244)

The rules instruct the GM to "Choose the starting attitude of the creature that the adventurers are interacting with..." Either friendly, indifferent, or hostile. For the sake of randomness and emergent gameplay, I may turn this into a Charisma roll on a case-by-case basis, usually for random NPCs. Either the PC who is in the lead or the PC who is nearest to the NPC must roll. The DC for indifferent will depend on the creature or situation. Friendly will be 5 above the DC or a nat 20.

Awarding Inspiration (DMG page 240)

Players can earn inspiration for good roleplaying. To me, good roleplaying is not playing true to your character (even though that is objectively good for roleplaying). People recognize good roleplaying as staying in character as opposed to breaking character, and avoiding metagaming.

If you break character to make jokes, to ask for rules clarification, to ask for room or NPC descriptions that have already been provided, to ask the GM how they'll interpret a rule or make a ruling before you commit to your action, use game terminology in your player narration and descriptions, spoil the mood of a scene, have side-conversations or out-of-character conversations, these are examples of breaking character and are bad roleplaying. You don't have to use a voice or accent to stay in character, but those are also good. Staying in character means providing descriptions of what your character does and how they do it using natural but not necessarily flowery language, and saying what your character says how they would say it.

Players who can maintain character for an entire scene / encounter are automatically awarded inspiration at the end of the scene / encounter.  No discussion needed.

Monsters

The sidebar on page 6 of the monster manual says DM's should feel free to tweak monster stat blocks. No restrictions are given. Page 7 states alignment is part of the stat block and says it is subject to change by the GM. Therefore, I will probably never use any vanilla monster stat blocks.

Race, Class, Background, and Magic Restrictions

I don't like all the races, subraces, classes, subclasses, backgrounds, and spells. The passages cited below show that these things are features of the setting and that the GM has purview over the setting, therefore, the GM is free to restrict race and class availability and even combinations. In addition, Chapter 9 has rules for customizing existing classes, races, backgrounds, spells, and even creating your own. Therefore, count on any race, class, or background feature, or spell being subject to change because I don't like broken builds. Broken builds make more work for the GM.

-PHB page 6: "Your GM might set the campaign...on one (a world) that he or she created...Ultimately, the DM is the authority on the campaign and its setting, even if the setting is a published world."

-PHB page 17: "Not every intelligent race of the multiverse is appropriate for a player-controlled adventurer."

-PHB page 17: "Humans are the most common people in the worlds of D&D..."

-PHB page 45: "Twelve classes...are found in almost every D&D world..."

-PHB page 165: "This chapter defines two optional sets of rules for customizing your character: Multiclassing and Feats...Your DM decides whether these optional rules are available in a campaign."

-DMG page 4: "And as a referee, the DM interprets the rules and decides when to abide by them and when to change them."

-DMG page 4, "Part 1: Master of Worlds": "Even if you're using an established world such as the Forgotten Realms...The world is yours to change as you see fit and yours to modify as you explore the consequences of your players actions."

-DMG page 9, section "It's your World": "The assumptions sketched out above (reference section Core Assumptions) are not carved in stone...You can build an interesting campaign setting by altering one or more of these core assumptions..."

-DMG Page 9: "Your world is the setting for your campaign. Even if you use an existing setting...it becomes yours."

-DMG page 263 GM's Workshop: "As the GM, you aren't limited by the rules in the PHB, the guidelines in this book, or the selection of monsters in the Monster Manual."

-DMG page 287 Restricting Class Access: "Without changing the way a class functions, you can root it more firmly in the world by associating the class with a particular race or culture."

Table Rules

DMG page 235, "There are the rules of the game, and there are table rules for how the game is played. For instance, they (players) need to know...how to treat a cocked die." Topics listed include Table Talk, Dice Rolling, Rules Discussion, Metagame Thinking, etc. Chapter 8 of the DMG touches on unwritten or soft rules of the game. They discuss things tantamount to style, expectations, and the etiquette. The books make suggestions, but these are things the GM takes responsibility for.

Declaring Actions

Once you've declared your action, you can't change it. No do-overs, no redos, no retracting what you've said. No retcons. If you recognize a mistake two rounds later or after something has been resolved, we're not going back and correcting it unless it's life or death. Otherwise, we can talk about it outside the game and try to do better in the future.

Joke Characters

No joke characters. Joke characters spoil the tone (mood) of the game. Try not to spoil the tone. 

PvP

No PvP (player vs. player). Adversarial play makes your characters unlikable to me, the GM. If your characters are unlikeable, it makes it harder to care about preparing and running the game.

Evil PCs

No evil PCs. Evil PCs are something I don't like about this hobby. It's not fun for me. If you're going to make a character who's a jerk, give them some redeemable quality to make them likeable. If you do something heinous enough, I reserve the right to take your PC and make them mine, and make them an NPC villain in the setting.

PC Names

No joke names, no dumb fantasy names. I need to be able to spell, proncounce, and remember your character name. I am the GM and I portray all NPCs. Your parents are NPCs. Therefore, I have veto powers for all PC names, and it goes like this "my NPC would not have named their kid that. Pick another name or I open up the Bible."

Character Builds

Some players have fun by finding exploits with powers and abilities available in the game and mixing and matching them to create overpowered combinations to trivialize challenges. These are called character builds. Sometimes these builds are called broken because they spoil the intended way the game should play or function. This makes more work for me, the DM, and I don't like it. If you bring a build to my game, I reserve the right to hand you a pre-generated character (a pregen) to play instead, I reserve the right to nerf your character without justification, I reserve the right to do something arbitrary and malicious up to and including stating "rocks fall, your character is dead.", and I reserve the right to remove you from my game or group.

Electronics

I prefer pen and paper. If you're relying on D&D Beyond or a similar application to track your character or understand the rules for how your character works, here's a warning: if that app doesn't work or is slow, I'm not waiting on it.

Table Talk

First rule about speaking at the table: Don't be a dick. If you get mad, it's OK to excuse yourself. It's OK to ask for the GM to call for a break. It's OK to leave a session and come back next week. Second, if it's unclear if you're speaking in-character or out-of-character, I am going to treat what you've said as in-character. No jokes or side-conversations. No phones. No building dice towers. No drawing. These things spoil immersion and slow down the game. Pay attention and be ready.

Player Narration

Players narrate their own stuff. You tell us what your actions look like. Tell us what we see, hear, etc. Use natural language rather than game terminology. For example, don't say "I use my bonus action to rage, I use 20 ft of movement to move to the goblin, and I use my action to attack." Instead, you can say "you see Conan go into a rage, run, and swing his sword at the goblin's head." Don't say "I cast fireball." Say "you see Samson conjure a small flame and hurl it into the center of the goblin hoard and it blossoms into a great big hemisphere of flame." Here's another rule: Description or roleplay first, roll second.

No Rules Discussion During a Game

During the game, there is no asking rules questions for clarity, no reading rules allowed or describing them, no asking the GM for their reasoning for a ruling. The exceptions are if the situation is life or death. Save it for outside the game. Do your best to use the rules correctly and we'll use the honor system. If the rules are unclear or lacking, or if our recollection of the rules is incomplete, I'm going to make a ruling and move on with the game.

No Breaking Character (the Metagaming Rule)

5e DMG page 235 describes Metagame Thinking as "thinking about the game as a game." Essentially treating the game like a game rather than a roleplay exercise. Metagaming is essentially what happens when you break character or roleplay poorly.

For instance, your character doesn't have a concept of a balanced encounter. If you are playing your character cock-sure that the encounters, traps, hazards, etc., will be suited to your character's powers and abilities, you're not playing your character like they care what happens to them. You're playing your character like an idiot, a madman, or like someone with no sense of self-preservation.

Here's another example of metagaming. A combat round represents 6 seconds of real time. It is therefore metagaming to have a discussion about what to do and how to do it mid-encounter if that discussion is out-of-character. If it's in-character, you must wait for your turn to speak, and you can only speak an amount that is reasonable for a 6-second time span.

The best tip to avoid metagaming is to stay in character as much as possible. Every time you break character, you're breaking immersion and you're slowing the game down. I challenge you to try to go without breaking character as much as possible like Liam O'Brien from Critical Role.

No Speech or Insight Checks, Limited to No Ability or Skill Checks

Per the DMG, page 236, under the subheading Ignoring the Dice, the 5e DMG says that it is valid for a Dungeon Master to "...use dice as rarely as possible. Some DM's use them only during combat and determine success or failure as they like in other situations."

I believe that the player should use their own intelligence, wisdom, charisma, and luck. This is called player skill over character skill. Treat the NPCs like real people, not like an opportunity to roll-to-solve (tm) a problem; Try to find a solution in-character by using curiosity and creativity. Try to make the NPCs happy or satisfy their needs to get something in exchange. I see game mechanics for social interaction as unnecessary, and the results of their use often feel contrived and unsatisfying. I also think they disincentive player engagement.

Also refer to these passages for social interactions specifically:

-PHB page 186 Results of Roleplaying: "The DM uses your character's action and attitudes to determine how an NPC reacts..." "Pay close attention to the DM's portrayal of the NPC's mood, dialogue, and personality. You might be able to determine an NPC's personality traits, ideals, flaws, and bonds, then play on them to influence the NPC's attitude." "Interactions in D&D are much like interactions in real life..."

-DMG page 244 Social Interaction: "Some DMs prefer to run social interaction as a free-form roleplaying exercise, where dice rarely come into play..."

Interpreting the Dice

5e DMG page 242 has allowances for failing forward or succeeding at a cost if the roll just shy of a difficulty class, for degrees of success or failure where additional effects can occur for when a roll is +/- 5 of a difficulty class, and treating 1s and 20s as special even outside of combat. I will use these situationally and they will be entirely case-by-case. I won't use these as opportunities to be generous or cruel to the players; instead, I'll use them to make the game more interesting or to manage the pacing of the game.

Rules Lite

Conversation is the medium of the game, not the rules or mechanics. I will repeat this for emphasis. Conversation is the medium of the game, not the rules or the mechanics. I as the GM am the referee of the rules, and I will be using them sparingly because I don't like most of them. If something can reasonably succeed, I'll probably just say it works. If something is stupidly impossible, I'll probably just say it fails. Consider the passages below:

-DMG page 4: "And as a referee, the DM interprets the rules and decides when to abide by them and when to change them."

-DMG page 4: "...but the rules aren't in charge. You're the DM, and you are in charge of the game."

-DMG page 4, How to Use This Book: "The last part helps you to adjudicate the rules of the game and modify them to suit the style of your campaign."

-DMG page 5 subheading Part 3: Master of Rules continued: "As a referee, the DM acts as a mediator between the rules and the players. A player tells the DM what he or she wants to do, and the DM determines whether it is successful or not, in some cases asking the player to make a die roll to determine success..." and "the rules don't account for every possible situation...How you determine the outcome of this action is up to you."

Grounded Fiction

Fiction / fantasy / sci-fi doesn't mean anything goes. The logic of the make-believe world is based on out real world (but is not strictly realistic or simulative). Assume if something can work in real life, it works like that in the game. The reason why we make this assumption is because the real world is our shared point of reference. In other words, don't ask what the game rules allow, ask what the world allows. This makes the game intuitive. Apply our basic understanding of the real world to the make-believe world to understand places, people and character actions. This is how I will make rulings and this is how I expect you to decide what your character can do in a given situation.

More to Come

This is a start. I expect to find more problems with the game and to find more solutions to them as I go were I to actually run 5e. I expect that this post could be revisited and expanded upon by a lot.

Seven Rules for Monsters in TTRPGs - Your Fun is Wrong

First Rule of Monsters

Monster means monster. Monsters are not people, they are monsters. Do not humanize the monsters. This keeps monsters monstrous. Any exceptions blur the distinctions between men and monsters and makes monsters mundane and familiar. Mundanity and familiarity are antithetical to what makes us feel fear which is the unknown and things beyond our control.

Second Rule of Monsters

The monsters don't want to win; they want to eat; they want to breed; they want the thrill of the hunt; they want bloodsport; they want to hear your screams; they want to corrupt your soul; they want to serve the devil; Sometimes ritualistically.

Third Rule of Monsters

If your monsters could be replaced by humans, use humans instead. This ensures that when monsters do appear, they're doing something that men can't or won't do! It keeps monsters weird and strange.

Fourth Rule of Monsters

Use fewer monsters, both in quantity and variety. When you use a group of monsters, keep it homogenous, treat it like a hoard. When you use one monster, it becomes a big set piece monster. This keeps scenes or moments with the monster distinct like a monster movie.

Fifth Rule of Monsters

Knowledge is power; There are no experts on monsters! There are no scholars and no lore books. Even if there were, you could never attain complete knowledge of the monster. Monsters are the unknown things that go bump in the night! For every one thing that folk think they understand about monsters, there is something they don't understand!

Sixth Rule of Monsters

Monsters are a puzzle. They're not something familiar but with a twist. What do they want? How do they get it? When or where are they most dangerous? What is their secret weakness? No die rolls will grant this information. Adventurers must gather rumors, listen to the tales, scout cautiously, observe from afar, set up a trap, and be ready to run.

Seventh Rule of Monsters

Monsters are not balanced for fun. They're faster than you. They're tougher than you. They hit harder than you. You don't understand their powers, and maybe you can't.

Open Lite RPG

This game is free for non-commercial use and was created with the intent to be used for Draconia '95.

RULE ZERO
The rules provide structure for the game, but the fiction we create is based on realism; therefore, the logic of a scene beats the rules.

RULES LITE
A rules lite game allows the Game Master (GM) to interpret the rules to serve their style. DIY and design are expected. GMs can change, add, or subtract rules, but new rules should not add unnecessary complexity that doesn't improve the game.  For example, you don't need a rule for playing a musical instrument when we can believe that a character can do so because the player included it in their character concept or history. This game can be adapted for any setting and any genre.

PLAYER CHARACTERS (PCs)
Discuss character concepts with the Game Master (GM). PCs must suit the tone and setting, and must be able to work with a team. PCs need a goal to pursue in play. Create an ordinary person who becomes an adventurer.

ABILITIES
Roll three six-sided dice (3d6) for each ability to generate an ordinary person. Abilities describe your character, but do not limit player agency (example, a low intelligence character does not mean you have to play your character unwisely).

Strength: hand-to-hand, Load
Agility: Defense, saves
Vitality: Max HP, saves 
Knowledge: tools, crafts, lore
Perception: Missiles, surprise
Willpower: Magic, saves
Luck (optional): critical range, random table rolls

Score Modifier Description
3 to 6 -1 modifier below average
7 to 14 no modifier average
15 to 18 +1 modifier above average

HIT POINTS (HP)
Your maximum HP is 10 + your vitality modifier. HP represents your physical condition, and so HP loss abstractly represents wounds or injuries. Recover 1 lost HP per day representing natural healing. At 0 HP, make one Save; Success means unconscious for one hour, failure means death.

DEFENSE (DEF)
Your Defense is 10 + your agility modifier + bonuses from armor and shields. Defense represents your ability to defend yourself when you are willing and able. Your touch defense is 10 + agility modifier and is applicable for attacks that do not need to penetrate or bypass armor such as wrestling. Defense cannot exceed 19.

CLASS
Class is a game term for the sake of game terminology. It suggests rather than describes your characters' background, skills, and knowledge. PCs are limited to one class. These class options are left vaguely defined for you to flavor as you like. Assume all classes are fit for adventure, can use improvised weapons and peasant weapons, and can do basic things like light fires and climb ropes.

Fighter
Fighter describes an athletic person who can use all weapons, armor, and shields. Fighters get a +2 to saves vs fatigue.
Lv Hit Save
1 +1 14
2 +2 13
3 +2 12
4 +3 11
5 +3 10
6 +3 9
7 +4 8
8 +4 7
9 +4 6
10 +5 5

Mage (alternate name PKer)
Mage describes someone who can cast spells (or use supernatural powers in other genres). Mages add a +2 to saves vs Magic.
Lv Hit Save MP
1 +0 15 2
2 +1 14 4
3 +1 13 6
4 +1 12 7
5 +2 11 8
6 +2 10 9
7 +2 9 10
8 +3 8 11
9 +3 7 12
10 +3 6 13

Rogue (alternate name Esper)
Rogue describes someone who is trained or self-taught in specialized and unconventional skills (suited to the setting, genre, etc. of the game). Rogues can use light armor, one-handed swords, and crossbows or longbows. Rogues add a +2 to saves vs traps.
Lv Hit Save Skill
1 +1 15 1-2 in 1d6
2 +1 14 1-2 in 1d6
3 +1 13 1-2 in 1d6
4 +2 12 1-3 in 1d6
5 +2 11 1-3 in 1d6
6 +2 10 1-3 in 1d6
7 +3 9 1-4 in 1d6
8 +3 8 1-4 in 1d6
9 +3 7 1-4 in 1d6
10 +4 6 1-5 in 1d6

LEVEL
Level describes how experienced you are in your class. Lower levels mean amateur, higher levels means seasoned.

EXPERIENCE POINTS (EXP)

Characters need 20 * their level in exp to increase their level (example a level 3 character needs 60 exp to reach level 4). Encounters are worth 1 to 4 exp, where a 2 exp encounter is an ordinary difficulty encounter. No exp for absenteeism. Players may not level up mid-game session.

TO-HIT BONUS (HIT)
Your hit is how well you can hit with barehanded attacks and weapons you can use or to grapple an opponent. Add to your d20 roll when you attack along with any other appropriate modifiers. An attack hits when the roll is greater than or equal to the opponent's Defense.

SAVING THROWS (SAVE)
A save is rolled in response to something that acts on you and does not ordinarily require a turn. Roll a d20, add any modifiers, try to roll equal to or greater than your own Save. Escaping a grapple or hold must be attempted on your turn and requires a successful save.

MAGIC POINTS (MP)
MP is another game term for terminology's sake. It represents magical stamina (or stamina with supernatural powers). All spells cost 1 to 3 MP to cast and require one turn to cast.

SKILL
Skill describes your ability to succeed at very specific actions described below. Roll a 1d6, and roll less than or equal to your skill. A GM may assume that only a Rogue can attempt these, or that other classes may attempt them with only a 1 in 1d6 chance of success.
Move silently without being heard
Hide in shadows without being seen
Pick pocket (or plant) without being observed, although the pick is noticed
Pick locks with lock picks
Disarm traps successfully and safely
Listen for and discern noises at doors

Climb 50 ft increments without fatigue
Additionally, a Rogue can backstab an opponent who is unaware of their presence. The attack roll is made with a +4 situational modifier, and on a hit the maximum damage is done (example, 6 damage if rolling a d6 without modifiers).

(optional) Track foes, wild game, etc. and identify such signs in the wilderness. Additionally, navigate unfamiliar regions, forage, nature lore and natural remedies, Foe expertise (specify Foe).

LOAD
Load is your carrying capacity. You can carry a maximum of 10 + Strength modifier items. When you are at your maximum load, you are encumbered and move at slow speed (15 ft per turn). Some items are heavy or bulky and count as two items, like metal armor or two-handed weapons. Some items are petty and count as 0 items. Some items stack up to a fixed quantity, like a container of ammunition. Record fatigue and similar conditions using item slots representing the effects that these conditions have on your character. There is no catalog of equipment. DIY.

EQUIPMENT
There is no catalog. DIY. Barehanded strikes do 1d3 damage. Assume weapons do 1d6 damage. Small and improvised weapons do 1d6-1 (minimum 1 point of damage). Large weapons do 1d6+1 damage. Metal armor is always considered heavy and may be restrictive and noisy.

LEVEL UP BONUSES
The class options available can be distinguished with bonuses. Players may choose one when they level up, though the availability of these options is subject to the GM.

• +1 Max HP (cap 20 + vitality modifier)
• +1 to an ability score (cap 18)
• +1 to Load (cap 20 + strength modifier)
• +1 to base Defense (limit once)
• -1 to Save (limit once)
• Light Armor use
• Heavy Armor use (requires light armor use)
• Shield use
• Weapon use (choose)
• Weapon specialization (choose one weapon, cap +1)
• Critical hit range +1 (cap 18 to 20; restriction cannot take at consecutive levels)
• Other, including special actions or movement, specialized skill or talent, extraordinary trait, etc. DIY (discuss with GM).

HOW TO PLAY
The game is played through conversation and can be freeform or structured into turns like a board game. In all contexts, players can do one dedicated thing on their turn. First, the Game Master (GM) describes the scene, setting, or situation (almost like a narrator). Second, the players describe what their characters do and/or say. Third, the GM describes the results. Repeat until a scene is resolved, then establish a new scene.

In general, if an action or speech can reasonably succeed, it does. Pass or fail die rolls are necessary only to simulate things we cannot do at the game table, like fighting. Saving throws can be called for by the GM to determine if characters can avoid harm for their actions. If something is sincerely impossible, no statistic or die roll will allow it to succeed.

COMBAT
Combat is structured into a GM turn and a Player turn, though all actions are assumed to happen simultaneously. A combat turn represents seconds. The player turn is structured into two phases. Phase 1, all players declare their intended action. Once declared, you can't change it. Phase 2, all players roll dice, and the GM narrates the results. Turn order may be apparent based on the logic of the scene, otherwise, the GM determines who goes first with a single d6 roll where the player turn is first on a roll of a 4-6. Note that there is no move action or double move; Players can simply move up to their movement (30 ft) as part of their action.

EXPLORATION
Exploration is structured into turns. Each player can do one dedicated thing per turn. There are no die rolls to find hidden things (example perception). Information is revealed by the GM as the characters interact with the room or scene (information for action). An exploration turn represents 10 minutes in a small scale location like a dungeon and assumes characters are taking their time, or 1 day in a large scale location like the wilderness. If actions can be resolved in less than a full turn, count the turn for tracking purposes, but treat the time as negligible and fold it into the next turn.

SOCIAL INTERACTION
There are no die rolls to resolve conversations or to interpret meaning in non-player characters (NPCs) face, voice, or body language. Players should treat NPCs like real people and rely on their curiosity and creativity. They will remember you. NPCs can be a resource. Try to make NPCs happy by finding out what they want and offering it to them.

FAST TURNS
Long turns are boring and slow the game down. Excessively long turns can be skipped or cut short by the GM. To keep your turn concise, turn off your gamer brain and stay in character as much as possible. Rather than ask the GM for a explanation about a room, describe how your character explores and ask what your character sees. Never discuss rules during the game. Do not have out-of-character discussions about what you can do or should do. Pay attention when it's not your turn so you never need a recap. Consider the length of time that your turn represents in-game (example a combat turn is seconds). Avoid using game terminology. Describe what your character does or says fluidly like writing a line in a book and tell us what we see. No do-overs or retcons.

SITUATIONAL MODIFIERS
There are times when situations offer a character an advantage or disadvantage to an action. The GM should use their judgment and apply a conservative modifier not to exceed +/- 4. Some examples of situations that may permit a situational modifier are: obscured line of sight or reduced visibility, partial concealment or cover, a magical effect, a physical condition or restriction.

MONSTERS AND OTHER OPPONENTS
Human opponents should be designed with similar logic to PCs, but monsters should not. Stats like Strength and Agility are excessive for NPCs. Below are recommendations. Please change them to suit your game.

Hit Avg To- Average
Die HP Hit Save Def Damage Size Example
1 3 +1 14 10 1d3 half goblin, hobbit
2 7 +2 13 11 1d6 base human, elf, orc
3 10 +3 12 12 1d6+... double lion, bear, ogre
4 13 +4 11 13 2d6 triple        giant, *dragon
5 17 +5 10 14 *dragon breath can do 3d6
6 20 +6 9 15
7 23 +7 8 16
8 27 +8 7 17
9 30 +9 6 18
10 33 +10 5 19

The Importance of Staying In-Character

Metagaming is a common concept in RPGs, and it means making decisions in-character using knowledge which the PLAYER has but which the CHARACTER does not have. To an extent, this is unavoidable. This game defines out-of-character discussions as metagaming. As much as possible, you should be speaking in-character, and you should avoid speaking out-of-character.

For example, a PLAYER might understand that they have a 90% chance to succeed at tracking, but a CHARACTER doesn't have a concept of a success chance. A CHARACTER would instead understand that they are really good at tracking. Here's what the metagame approach vs roleplaying approach look like at the table:

Metagaming has out-of-character discussions that look like this:

Player 1: "Hey player 2, you have a 90% chance to track, you should track."

Roleplaying has in-character conversations that look like this:

Character 1: "Hey Character 2, you are really good at tracking. Why don't you try tracking this monster for us?"

The roleplaying approach is preferred when immersion is desired. The metagaming approach is preferred when you want to speedily resolve a short, simple scene or obstacle, but it is less immersive, and it can slow the game down if it leads to prolonged out-of-character discussions that distract from the game; And before you know it, the participants at the table have resolved an entire scene out-of-character and they've wasted a really good opportunity to roleplay, then another, then another. If you can, you should have the conversation in character, not out of character. Instead of asking "what is in the room?" say "my character looks around," and ask "what does my character see?" Instead of asking "what sounds are in the cave?" say "my character listens for sounds in the cave," and this will prompt the GM to provide you with a description of the noises that are present if any.