Although Dungeons & Dragons is built on rules, some awesome ones seem to be overlooked. The rules of D&D create a framework for the fantasy setting, which includes magic, monsters, and other creations that don't exist in our own world. Setting clear rules means that everyone at the table knows how spells work, stealth and what they can and can't do on their turn.
With D&D currently on its fifth edition, it is easy for some rules to slip people's attention. Players and DMs are only human and might forget or find they are doing some D&D rules wrong. Veteran players and DMs might a rule but be unsure if it was from a previous edition or not, and some rules just don't see common use since they're more situational.
Most players will only know of the rules listed in the Player's Handbook, but inside the Dungeon Master's Guide are some cool rules to cover a variety of situations. In chapters eight and nine, there are details about combat action alternatives, variants for healing and rest, and even going mad. Although these rules provide a much richer playing experience, many players seem to be unaware of them.
Make D&D Chases Feel As Exciting As A Movie
Chases in D&D sound exciting but can quickly turn into a predictable affair. Using only movement can make the pursuit boring and inevitable, as faster creatures or players will outpace slower ones. When run like this, what should be a fun D&D encounter can get slowed down. The Dungeon Master's Guide has a section about running a chase for players, which includes some clever ways to make it feel more exciting.
Players are encouraged to use Dash as an action during the chase, although they can also use spell and ranged weapon attacks. However, the DM can also introduce complications to the chase, which will make the entire scenario feel more dynamic. Each participant in the chase, be they player or enemy, must roll a d20 at the end of their turn. This roll will trigger an outcome determined on a table of complications.
The Dungeon Master's Guide provides complication tables for chases in urban and wilderness D&D settings, but DMs are encouraged to make their own. Complications to the chase can include insect swarms, sudden drops in the terrain, or obstacles. The chapter breaks down each aspect of a chase a DM must consider into easy-to-understand sections meaning that chases in D&D can play out just like in the movies.
There Are More Rules Around Combat Actions Than Most Realise
A player's turn can easily be separated into action, bonus action, and movement, with action usually being used to attack an enemy. However, there are so many other things a player can do in their turn. Most will already know about Dodge, Help, or using an object, but the Dungeon Master's Guide has a section in chapter nine that lists some more awesome options to make tabletop combat tactics in D&D more fun.
Shove Aside is a variation of the Shove attack in the Player's Handbook. Using Shove Aside, players can use the Shove attack action to force the target to the side rather than away or make it prone. The player must make an Athletics check at disadvantage; however, on a success, the target is moved 5 feet to a different space within the player's reach.
Disarm is just as it sounds, allowing players to try to knock an enemy's weapon out of their hands. Players can use a weapon attack to disarm their foe and must succeed in a contested Athletics or Acrobatics check. On a success, the target drops their weapon but takes no damage.
Players have disadvantage on the attack roll if the enemy is holding the weapon with two hands, such as well-known D&D weapons like polearm or great sword. The target will have advantage on the ability check if it is larger than the player's character or disadvantage if it is smaller. While this type of disarming attack does no damage, it is still very useful, especially if players are trying to de-escalate a combat situation.
Few players know they can Mark a target during combat as it is in the Dungeon Master's Guide rather than the Player's Handbook. When a player makes a melee attack against an enemy, they can also Mark them as a target. Until the end of the attacking player's next turn, any opportunity attacks they make against that marked target have advantage and don't expend their reaction. The player would still need to be able to make an opportunity attack and not be under any D&D 5e status condition that could limit or prevent them from doing so.
D&D Has Two Little-Known Movement Rules
Not all combat takes place in wide spaces like battlefields, large dungeon rooms, or thick forests. Sometimes the area can be a little tight, making moving around more difficult. It is generally excepted as a rule in D&D that a player cannot move through a hostile creature's space. However, there are two ways that players can do just that.
The first is using Overrun, where players force their way through a hostile creature's space. As an action or bonus action, the player makes a contested Athletics check, with advantage if they are a size larger than the enemy. They can move through the creature's space on their turn if they succeed. This can really make tanking character builds in D&D feel like they are plowing through the enemy and turn a raging Barbarian into something to be feared.
Tumble is similar to Overrun, but players can duck and weave instead of shoving through the space. Tumble is based on Dexterity rather than Strength with a contested Acrobatics check. This is great for rogues and rangers, who need to position themselves more strategically.
D&D Ability Checks Don't Have To Be Just Success Or Fail
Ability checks are often simplified into success or failure, which can risk taking the fun out of things and making events too procedural for players. Two good rule variants to consider are a success at a cost and degrees of failure. Both are detailed in chapter eight of the Dungeons Master's Guide, with good examples for each.
Success at a cost is a way to turn a failed ability check into a success but with consequences. Nothing is worse for a D&D player than missing out on opportunities by failing a skill check DC by one or two; this rule allows the player to still succeed but will create a problem for the party to overcome. This rule can also be used when a player barely makes the DC by hitting it exactly, creating a success but one with an interesting outcome.
Creating success with consequences can add new obstacles for players and unique roleplay opportunities. Examples of this could be a character is missed by a fireball, but their cape catches fire, and they must use their turn to put it out. Or, when interrogating an enemy, an Intimidation check gets the player information, but the prisoner shouts it, thus alerting others to the party.
Degrees of failure work similarly to success at a cost; if a player fails a check, the failure can have different consequences. A D&D player’s stealthy rogue attempting to pick a lock might fail but not so much that their lockpicks break if they miss the DC by one or two. However, if they fail by five or more, they might fail to the degree that the lock is damaged.
Introducing any of these rules into a D&D campaign will add to the depth of the world by giving the players and DM more options. The most awesome rules are those that add to a player's experience. Dungeons & Dragons adventures are always unique journeys, so adapting rules to meet the needs of a group is always important.
