Misc. Houserules, Feats, and Fighting Styles
Equipment Remastered
Weapons
Changed Properties
The following properties are changed in some way.
Heavy. A tiny or small creature can ignore the penalty if their Strength score is 15 or higher.
Reach. The amount of reach added is the number next to the property. For example, a weapon with reach 10 would grant 10 feet of additional reach instead of just 5.
Versatile. This property is removed on all weapons, as it is next to useless in the majority of situations and is often the least important property a weapon has.
New Properties
The following properties are added to select weapons on the table.
Overkill. Whenever you roll a 1 or 2 on the damage die for this weapon, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll, even if the new roll is a 1 or a 2.
Reliable. This weapon is dangerous, even in grazing blows. Whenever you make an attack with this weapon, the minimum amount of damage you can deal with that attack is the number indicated next to the property. This damage is dealt even on a miss, but is still subject to resistance, immunity, and other damage reduction, and also cannot benefit from bonus damage.
Forceful. This weapon is weighty and powerful, capable of pushing its opponents. Whenever you hit a creature with a melee attack using this weapon, and the target is no more than one size category larger than you, you can push the target 5 feet in any direction horizontally. If you hit a creature with a ranged attack using this weapon, they are instead pushed away from you in a straight line.
Deadly. Whenever you score a critical hit with this weapon, you can roll one additional damage die when determining the extra damage the target takes.
Double-Sided. You must hold this weapon in two hands to make attacks with it, but it is considered two weapons for the purpose of engaging in two-weapon fighting. You can engage in two-weapon fighting with this weapon even if it lacks the light quality.
Colossal. These weapons are massive and unwieldy, only usable by the strongest of warriors. If your Strength score is less than 15, your attacks with this weapon have disadvantage.
Special Weapons
Rules for special weapons are below.
Blowgun. Whenever you deliver poison using an attack with this weapon, the target of the attack has disadvantage on its initial saving throw against the poison.
Lance. Remains unchanged from how it appears in the Player's Handbook.
Nets. Is removed from the weapon table and is now treated as adventuring gear, with new rules for it later in the document.
Greatbow. A greatbow requires special arrows, which both cost and weigh twice as much as regular arrows.
Creating New Weapons
Not all possible weapons in the worlds of D&D are represented by the table. At DMs discretion, you can create new weapons based off the ones in the table. The simplest way to do this is to simply use an existing weapon and call it something else. For example, you can call your club a caestus, your longsword a katana, or a warhammer a bar mace.
Alternatively, you can change the damage type of one weapon to another (choosing from bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage) and call it something else. An example would be changing the damage type of a whip to bludgeoning and call it a ball-and-chain. Your creativity is the limit here.
Silvering Weapons
Silvering a weapon only costs 10 gold, or twice the cost of the weapon (whichever is higher). Additionally, you can silver ammunition at a cost of 5 gold per piece.
Improvised Weapon
Improvised weapons that require two hands to be used deal 1d8 damage instead of 1d4.
Weapons Table
On the next page is a weapons table that supercedes the one presented in the Player's Handbook.
Weapons
| Name | Cost | Damage | Weight | Properties |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Simple Melee Weapons | ||||
| Club | 1 sp | 1d4 bludgeoning | 2 lb. | Light |
| Dagger | 2 gp | 1d4 piercing | 1 lb. | Finesse, light, thrown (range 20/60) |
| Greatclub | 2 sp | 1d8 bludgeoning | 10 lb. | Two-handed, heavy, forceful |
| Handaxe | 5 gp | 1d6 slashing | 2 lb. | Light, thrown (range 20/60) |
| Javelin | 5 sp | 1d6 piercing | 2 lb. | Thrown (range 30/120) |
| Light Hammer | 2 gp | 1d4 bludgeoning | 2 lb. | Thrown (range 20/60), forceful |
| Mace | 5 gp | 1d6 bludgeoning | 4 lb. | forceful |
| Quarterstaff | 2 sp | 1d6 bludgeoning | 4 lb. | Double-sided |
| Sickle | 1 gp | 1d6 slashing | 2 lb. | Finesse, deadly |
| Spear | 1 gp | 1d6 piercing | 3 lb | Thrown (20/60), reach 5 |
| Simple Ranged Weapons | ||||
| Blowgun | 10 gp | 1 piercing | 1 lb. | Ammunition (range 25/100), loading, special |
| Crossbow, light | 25 gp | 1d10 piercing | 5 lb. | Ammunition (range 80/320), loading, two-handed |
| Dart | 5 cp | 1d4 piercing | 1/4 lb. | Finesse, light, thrown (range 20/60) |
| Shortbow | 25 gp | 1d8 piercing | 2 lb. | Ammunition (range 80/320), two-handed |
| Sling | 1 sp | 1d4 bludgeoning | - | Ammunition (range 30/120) |
| Martial Melee Weapons | ||||
| Battleaxe | 10 gp | 1d8 slashing | 4 lb. | Overkill |
| Curved greatsword | 50 gp | 1d12 slashing | 5 lb. | Finesse, two-handed, heavy |
| Double-bladed scimitar | 50 gp | 1d6 slashing | 5 lb. | Double-sided, finesse, reliable 1 |
| Glaive | 20 gp | 2d4 slashing | 6 lb. | Heavy, reach 5, two-handed, reliable 2 |
| Greataxe | 30 gp | 1d12 slashing | 7 lb. | Heavy, two-handed, overkill |
| Greathammer | 80 gp | 1d12 bludgeoning | 24 lb. | Colossal, two-handed, forceful, overkill |
| Greatsword | 50 gp | 2d6 slashing | 6 lb. | Heavy, two-handed, reliable 2 |
| Halberd | 20 gp | 1d8 slashing | 6 lb. | Heavy, reach 5, two-handed, overkill |
| Lance | 10 gp | 1d12 piercing | 6 lb. | Reach, special |
| Longsword | 15 gp | 2d4 slashing | 3 lb. | Reliable 2 |
| Lucerne | 35 gp | 1d8 bludgeoning | 8 lb. | Heavy, two-handed, reach 5, forceful |
| Maul | 10 gp | 1d12 bludgeoning | 10 lb. | Heavy, two-handed, forceful |
| Morningstar | 15 gp | 1d8 piercing | 4 lb. | Deadly |
| Pike | 5 gp | 1d8 piercing | 10 lb. | Heavy, reach 10, two-handed |
| Rapier | 25 gp | 1d8 piercing | 2 lb. | Finesse, reliable 1 |
| Scimitar | 25 gp | 1d6 slashing | 3 lb. | Finesse, light, reliable 1 |
| Shortsword | 10 gp | 1d6 piercing | 2 lb. | Finesse, light, deadly |
| Trident | 5 gp | 1d8 piercing | 4 lb. | Thrown (range 30/120) |
| Ultra-Greatsword | 100 gp | 3d4 slashing | 20 lb. | Colossal, two-handed, reliable 3, reach 5 |
| Ultra-Greataxe | 75 gp | 2d6 slashing | 22 lb. | Colossal, two-handed, deadly, overkill |
| Ultra-Spear | 50 gp | 1d12 piercing | 18 lb. | Colossal, two-handed, reach 10 |
| Warhammer | 15 gp | 1d8 bludgeoning | 2 lb. | forceful |
| Whip | 2 gp | 1d4 slashing | 3 lb. | Finesse, reach 10 |
| Name | Cost | Damage | Weight | Properties |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Martial Ranged Weapons | ||||
| Crossbow, hand | 50 gp | 1d6 piercing | 3 lb. | Ammunition (range 40/160), light |
| Crossbow, heavy | 50 gp | 1d12 piercing | 18 lb. | Ammunition (range 100/400), heavy, loading, two-handed |
| Longbow | 50 gp | 1d10 piercing | 2 lb. | Ammunition (range 150/600), heavy, two-handed |
| Greatbow | 300 gp | 2d6 piercing | 6 lb. | Ammunition (range 200/800), Colossal, two-handed, special |
Repeating Crossbows
These magazine-loaded crossbows can be fired as quickly by a trained arbalist as an experienced archer can fire arrows. To modify a repeating crossbow costs 250 gp (to represent the materials and expertise needed to create the mechanisms) and weighs one additional pound. In return, repreating crossbows ignore the loading property.
Adventuring Gear
The following adventuring equipment has been modified.
Adventuring Gear
| Item | Cost | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Acid (vial) | 25 gp | 1 lb. |
| Alchemist's Fire (flask) | 50 gp | 1 lb. |
| Ball Bearings (bag of 1,000) | 1 gp | 2 lb. |
| Caltrops (bag of 20) | 1 gp | 2 lb. |
| Basic Poison (vial) | 50 gp | 1 lb. |
| Holy Water (flask) | 25 gp | 1 lb. |
| Hunting Trap | 5 gp | 25 lb. |
| Nets | 1 gp | 3 lb. |
| Torch | 1 cp | 1 lb. |
Acid (vial). Whenever you make an improvised weapon attack with this vial, or when you take the Use an Object action, you can either splash it against a creature within reach as a melee weapon attack, or throw it up to 20 feet as a ranged weapon attack. Either way, a target takes 2d6 acid damage on a hit
Alchemist's Fire (flask). This sticky, adhesive fluid ignites when exposed to air. Whenever you make an improvised weapon attack with this flask, or when you take the Use an Object action, you can either smash the flask against a target within reach as a melee weapon attack, or throw it up to 20 feet as a ranged weapon attack.
If you hit with an attack using the flask, a target takes 2d4 fire damage and is ignited. At the start of each of an ignited creatures turns, it takes another 1d4 fire damage. A creature can end this damage by using its action to make a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw to extinguish the flames.
Ball Bearings (bag of 1,000). Whenever you make an improvised weapon attack with this item, or when you take the Use an Object action, you can spill these tiny metal balls from their pouch to cover a level area 10 feet square instead of making an attack. A creature moving across the covered area must succeed on a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw or fall prone. A creature moving through the area at half speed doesn't need to make the saving throw.
Caltrops (bag of 20). Whenever you make an improvised weapon attack with this item, or when you take the Use an Object action, you can spread a single bag of caltrops to cover a 5-foot-square area instead of making an attack. Any creature that enters the area must succeed on a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw or stop moving and take 1 piercing damage. Until the creature regains at least 1 hit point, its walking speed is reduced by 10 feet. A creature moving through the area at half speed doesn't need to make the saving throw.
Basic Poison (vial). You can use the poison in this vial to coat one slashing or piercing weapon or piece of ammunition. Applying the poison takes an action. A creature hit by the poisoned weapon or ammunition takes 2d8 poison damage and must make succeed a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or become poisoned until the end of your next turn. Once applied, the poison retains potency for 1 hour before drying or until you hit with an weapon or piece of ammunition using the poison.
Holy Water (flask). Whenever you make an improvised weapon attack with this flask, or when you take the Use an Object action, you can either splash it against a creature within reach as a melee weapon attack, or throw it up to 20 feet as a ranged weapon attack. Either way, a target takes 2d6 radiant damage on a hit if they are a fiend or undead.
A cleric or paladin may create holy water by performing a special ritual. The ritual takes 1 hour to perform, uses 25 gp worth of powdered silver, and requires the caster to expend a 1st-level spell slot.
Armor
| Armor | Cost | Armor Class (AC) | Strength | Stealth | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light Armor | |||||
| Padded | 5 gp | 12 + Dex modifier | — | Disadvantage | 13 lb. |
| Leather | 10 gp | 11 + Dex modifier | — | — | 10 lb. |
| Studded leather | 45 gp | 12 + Dex modifier | — | — | 13 lb. |
| Medium Armor | |||||
| Hide | 25 gp | 12 + Dex modifier (max 3) | — | — | 15 lb. |
| Chain shirt | 50 gp | 13 + Dex modifier (max 3) | — | — | 20 lb. |
| Scale mail | 50 gp | 14 + Dex modifier (max 2) | — | Disadvantage | 45 lb. |
| Breastplate | 400 gp | 14 + Dex modifier (max 3) | — | — | 20 lb. |
| Half plate | 400 gp | 15 + Dex modifier (max 2) | — | Disadvantage | 40 lb. |
| Heavy Armor | |||||
| Ring mail | 30 gp | 14 | — | — | 40 lb. |
| Chain mail | 75 gp | 16 | Str 13 | Disadvantage | 55 lb. |
| Splint | 200 gp | 17 | Str 15 | Disadvantage | 60 lb. |
| Plate | 1,000 gp | 18 | Str 15 | Disadvantage | 65 lb. |
| Shield | |||||
| Targe | 5 gp | +1 | — | — | 3 lb. |
| Shield | 10 gp | +2 | — | — | 6 lb. |
| Tower Shield | 50 gp | +3 | Str 15 | Disadvantage | 12 lb. |
Hunting Trap. When you use your action to set it, this trap forms a saw-toothed steel ring that snaps shut when a creature steps on a pressure plate in the center. The trap is affixed by a heavy chain to an immobile object, such as a tree or a spike driven into the ground. A creature that steps on the plate must succeed on a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw or take 1d4 piercing damage and stop moving. Thereafter, until the creature breaks free of the trap, its movement is limited by the length of the chain (typically 3 feet long).
A creature can use its action to make a DC 20 Strength check, freeing itself or another creature within its reach on a success. Alternatively, a creature with thieves' tools can use their action to make a DC 13 Dexterity check to release the trap mechanism, freeing the creature on a success.
Net. Whenever you make an improvised weapon attack with this net, or when you take the Use an Object action, you can either toss it over a creature within reach as a melee weapon attack or throw it up to 20 feet as a ranged weapon attack. Either way, a large or smaller creature hit by an attack from a net is restrained until it is freed. A net has no effect on creatures that are formless, or creatures that are Huge or larger.
A creature can use its action to make a DC 13 Strength check, freeing itself or another creature within its reach on a success. Dealing 5 slashing damage to the net (AC 10) also frees the creature without harming it, ending the effect and destroying the net. Hitting with an attack using a net is incapable of dealing any damage directly, though it can cause damage indirectly (such as by causing a creature to fall if it is flyng).
New Options
The table below represents new adventuring gear options.
New Gear
| Item | Cost | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Bolas | 1 gp | 2 lb. |
| Inquisitor's Oil | 50 gp | 1 lb. |
| Net | 1 gp | 3 lb. |
| Smoke Bomb | 50 gp | 2 lb. |
| Thunderstone | 50 gp | 2 lb. |
| Tanglefoot (bag) | 50 gp | 2 lb. |
Bolas. Whenever you make an improvised weapon attack with this item, or when you take the Use an Object action , you can attempt to knock a creature prone instead of making an attack. Choose a creature within 30 feet of you that is large or smaller. That target must make a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw or fall prone. If knocked prone by these bolas, the target must expend all of its movement to stand from being prone as the cord around their legs must be unraveled.
Inquisitor's Oil (vial). You can use the oil in this vial to coat one weapon or piece of ammunition. Applying the oil takes an action. The next time you hit a creature with an attack using the oil, it takes an additional 2d8 radiant damage if it is a fiend or undead. Once applied, the oil retains potency for 1 hour before drying or until you hit with a weapon or piece of ammunition using it.
A cleric or paladin may create inquisitor's oil by performing a special ritual. The ritual takes 1 hour to perform, uses 50 gp worth of powdered silver, and requires the caster to expend a 1st-level spell slot.
Torch. A torch burns for 1 hour, providing bright light in a 20-foot radius and dim light for an additional 20 feet. If you make a melee attack with a burning torch and hit, it deals 1d4 bludgeoning damage plus 1 point of fire damage.
Smoke Bomb. Whenever you make an improvised weapon attack with this item, or when you take the Use an Object action , you can cause it to explode and create smoke instead of making an attack. Choose a point within 20 feet of you that you can see. A 5-foot radius sphere of smoke fills the area around that point for 1 minute, heavily obscuring it. The smoke is blown away by a gust of wind of moderate or greater speed (at least 10 miles per hour).
Thunderstone. Whenever you make an improvised weapon attack with this item, or when you take the Use an Object action, you can throw it instead of making an attack. Choose 5-foot square within 20 feet of you that you can see. Each creature in that space must make a DC 13 Constitution saving throw, or lose concentration on any effect they are concentrating on and become deafened until the end of your next turn. While deafened this way, the target cannot cast any spells that require verbal components.
Tanglefoot. Whenever you make an improvised weapon attack with this item, you can instead cover the ground . Choose a 5-foot square within 20 feet of you. That space becomes difficult terrain and creatures that end their turn there must make a DC 13 Strength saving throw or become restrained by the goo. A restrained creature can repeat the save as an action, ending the effect on a success. Alternatively the goo can be attacked and destroyed (AC 5, 5 hit points, immunity to psychic and poison damage).
New Armor
The following options are added.
Targe. This lightweight shield is strapped to the arm instead of gripped in the hands. The hand this shield is equipped in can be used to hold items, interact with objects, and grapple targets, but it cannot be used to make attacks with any weapons held in that hand, even if that weapon is two-handed.
Tower Shield. A creature who doesn't meet the Strength requirement for a tower shield has their speed reduced by half. Even if proficient, a creature's speed is reduced by 5 ft. As an action, a creature can place the shield on the ground. Until the shield is picked back up, any creature can use it as half-cover.
Spiked Armor
Adding spikes to a suit of armor or shield costs 150 gp. This represents the raw materials as well as the expertise needed to add the spikes without hindering the functionality of the armor. Applying silvered spikes costs twice as much.
On your turn, if you successfully grapple a creature within your reach while wearing spiked armor, or if a creature successfully grapples you, you deal 1d4 piercing damage to that creature. On your turn, if you successfully shove a creature within your reach while wielding a spiked shield, you also deal 1d4 piercing damage to the target.
Changes
Donning or doffing a shield is now an item interaction.
Creating New Armors
Just like weapons, not all possible suits of armor in D&D are represented by the table. At DMs discretion, you can create new armors based off the ones in the table. This is as simple as calling your armor something else. Your plate armor could be chitin armor, or your padded leather a suit of lightweight chain. The statistics for the armor remain the same, you're just narrating them as something different. More expensive armors could also represent higher quality or more complete sets. Your suit of chainmail could actually be plate armor passed down for generations, but its poor fit and disrepair make it less valuable and protective than a proper set of plate armor.
Improvised Armor
Sometimes when you are caught off guard, you need to gain protection fast. At DMs discretion, you can quickly don improvised armor made from incomplete armor sets or materials not intended to be armor. Such armor is always inferior to properly made and fitted armor. For example, a player caught without a shield could potentially use a barrel lid as a shield, but such shield may only grant a +1 bonus to armor class instead of +2.
Changelog
The following is a list of changes from the original rules that might not be immediately apparent.
Weapons
- Greatclub now has the heavy and forceful qualities.
- Light Hammers lose the light quality but now have the forceful quality.
- Mace gains the forceful quality.
- Sickle now deals 1d6 damage, loses the light quality, but gains the finesse and deadly qualities.
- Spear loses the versatile property and now has the reach 5 property.
- The blowgun is now a simple weapon with the special property.
- Darts now have the light property.
- Quarterstaff loses the versatile property, gains the double-sided property.
- Battleaxes lose the versatile property and gain the overkill property
- Glaives now deal 2d4 slashing damage and have the reliable 2 property.
- Greataxes now deal 2d6 damage and have the overkill property.
- Greatswords now have the reliable 2 property.
- Halberds now deal 2d4 damage and have the overkill property.
- Longswords now deal 2d4 slashing and have the reliable 2 property.
- Lucernes are added as a dedicated bludgeoning polearm option
- Mauls now deal 1d12 bludgeoning and have the forceful property.
- The morningstar now has the deadly property.
- Pikes have their reach increased to 10 feet.
- Shortswords now have the deadly property.
- Rapiers and scimitars now have the reliable property.
- Tridents lose the versatile property, have their damage increased to 1d8, and their thrown ranges are now 30/120.
- Warhammer now have the forceful property.
- Whips have their reach increased to 10 feet.
- Flails and war picks removed as they did not have a significant niche.
Adventuring Gear
- Nets are removed from the table and made adventuring equipment.
- Acid Vial, Alchemist's Fire, Ball Bearings, Caltrops, and Nets reworked to be able to interact with extra attack.
- Most DCs for adventuring equipment changed to 13.
- Alchemist's Fire's action to extinguish is now a saving throw. Can be used to coat an area instead of attacking a creature.
- Poison vial now has a weight.
- Hunting traps are harder to brute force open (DC of Strength check increased to 20) but can now also be disabled with thieves' tools (DC 13)
- Torches now deal 1d4 bludgeoning plus 1 fire damage with a hit on a melee attack (instead of just 1 fire damage).
Armor
- Padded leather AC and weight increased to match studded leather.
- Hide has its weight and cost increased, but its max DEX increased to 3.
- Breastplate has its max DEX increased to 3.
- Cost of half-plate now meets breastplate
- Ring mail now doesn't impose disadvantage on stealth.
- Plate has its cost reduced to 1,000 gp.
- Shields now only require an item interaction to don or doff.