My D&D 5th Edition “House Rules” V1.0

I haven’t played D&D 5th Edition yet, but I have the Basic PDF and have read blogs and forum extensively to see what others think of it.

I’m certainly willing to give it a chance, but there are a few things that don’t mesh with my playstyle. (I skipped 3rd & 4th Editions entirely.)

So here are my “house rules” that gelled in my brain as I was just waking up a while ago, and I just had to write them down before I forgot.

“D&D 5th Edition “House Rules”

version 1.0

July 25, 1014

1) Resting & Healing: A “short rest” is a minimum of 1 hour. A “long rest” is a minimum of 8 hours. Any COMBAT or other STRENUOUS ACTIVITY before the minimum time will SPOIL a rest; start over again from the beginning if desired. During a “short rest,” a character may spend some of their Hit Dice (HD) to heal Hit Points (hp). During a “long rest” a character regains any spent Hit Dice (HD), up to their maximum Hit Dice (HD); Hit Points (hp) are NOT regained during a “long rest” unless the character spends Hit Dice (HD) again.

2) The Rogue ability “Sneak Attack” is renamed “Backstab.” The “Backstab” ability may only be used if the intended target is SURPRISED or otherwise UNAWARE of the presence of the Rogue. If one of these conditions is not met, treat as per a “rear attack.” Unless otherwise specified, a “rear attack” means the intended target may not apply any Dexterity or Shield bonuses to its Armor Class (AC) for purposes of the attacker’s “to hit” roll.

3) Cantrips: A spellcaster may cast as many Cantrips as they have spellcasting character levels PLUS their spellcasting Ability Modifier (e.g. Intelligence or Wisdom) before requiring rest to regain spellcasting ability. DAMAGE-DEALING cantrips may do a MAXIMUM Hit Points (hp) damage equal to the caster’s spellcasting character level.

4) Spellcasting Times: Casting a spell with a spell-level (i.e. not a Cantrip) is NOT INSTANTANEOUS. If using 6-second combat rounds, a spell requres a number of rounds equal to the “spell level.” If a spell is cast using a higher-level “spell slot,” use the level of the spell-slot to determine the spell’s level for purposes of casting time. If a spellcaster is damaged or fails a Saving Throw before the spell is completed, the caster must make a Concentration Check. If the Concentration Check is passed, the spellcasting may continue. If the Concentration Check is failed, the spellcasting is interrrupted and the spell-slot is expended.”

I’m in favor of “volumetric fireballs” and rebounding lighting bolts as well, but I don’t think those would be a total deal-breaker at my table.

It’s also probable that I will be making better versions of the nerfed Sleep and Charm spells, and likely others, once I have the core rulebooks in hand.