D&D players share the worst house rules they’ve ever encountered
Wizards of the CoastDungeons & Dragons players are discussing the worst house rules they’ve either heard of or been asked to play with, and some of them are downright game-breaking.
As a tabletop RPG, Dungeons & Dragons is a lot of different things to its many players. Some prefer to focus on role-playing and storytelling, while others emphasize combat and the power fantasy of having incredible strength or magical abilities.
No two tables are exactly alike, and that’s in part due to house rules some Dungeon Masters may implement to shape the game as they like.
There are many popular house rules, like rule of cool or giving players more opportunities to acquire feats. Others, though, end up breaking the game or harming player enjoyment, sparking a discussion on the worst house rules ever conceived for D&D.
Wizards of the CoastD&D players discuss how bad homebrew rules ruin the game
The conversation started with a post by Reddit user No-Bag3487, who shared some examples they had seen on the DnD subreddit.
Among them are having to roll a d6 to determine movement, using initiative order outside of combat, and having to use an action to speak in battle.
Another user shared a bad experience of their own with a DM who insisted on using Wisdom or Intelligence checks against Persuasion rolls, sticking with the result, and having NPCs refuse to help no matter what the logical outcome would be.
As an example, they shared a story about a blacksmith who refused to lend weapons to the party while the town was under attack, resulting in the NPC’s own death.
A rule like that impacted how enjoyable the game was, and the player mentioned leaving the group over such bizarre rules.
Others shared rules that, while perhaps good for players, seem pretty game-breaking.
“I had a DM that … said any attack roll over 20 total was a crit,” they shared. While it might be fun, especially early on, to have that bonus, it becomes increasingly broken as the game goes on since many melee players will end up with at least +11 to hit.
These stories are ones all players and DMs can learn from. House rules can really enhance a game, but it’s vital to consider the specific interests of the table and avoid implementing rules that make D&D more frustrating than fun.