2023 is already a massive year for Honor Among Thieves, alongside the recent confirmation that a TV series is in development set within the fictional world from eOne and Paramount Pictures. Needless to say, there are plenty of reasons to dive back into a Dungeon Master's campaign.
However, sometimes the Dungeon Master can set some pretty strange House Rules, that can completely derail a campaign and force a party into acting in a way they traditionally wouldn't. For better or worse, these Redditors have shared their own experiences with bizarre Dungeons & Dragons House Rules.
Alliteration Attack
Reddit FatalisticBunny immediately waded into the topic with several strange House Rules they use as a Dungeon Master. They note that "Any attack that you can use more than four consecutive words of alliteration in (I.E. Since Sadie sat stupidly, Sammy superbly smashes some skeletons) does double damage."
It's the kind of fun trick to use that gets players involved early into a game and thinking about how they present their character and the way they cast their attacks. Being more inventive results in genuine bonuses, so while it might be unconventional as a rule, it's also very engaging for the party.
Fleshing Out Foes
Clynch0 shared their own unusual House Rule saying "The players I DM for demand that I create a name and a rich, thorough backstory for any enemy that crits them. Even the littlest and least meaningful enemy gets a monologue if he crits one of my players."
It's a storytelling approach that not many would follow throughout their campaign for fear it would slow down proceedings, but there is an immersive realism to this House Rule, which allows players to perhaps return to characters down the line, like a Nemesis System. Exploring worlds like Ebberon would be more fun with familiar foes that form a shared history.
Theme Songs
WoodlandWizard77 has contributed their own fun House Rule on Reddit that brings genuine benefits to the players saying "All of my players have a theme song on a 200+ song playlist. Whenever the song comes on, the players get a little green rock to use as a bonus."
The concept is a novel one but plays on the notion that parties often have music on in the background to liven up a playing session. Allowing the gamers to choose their theme song and then it has real consequences on a campaign, is a neat trick that could help parties get the most out of their downtime especially.
The Rolling Rule
delta_baryon has decided to bring in a House Rule as the Dungeon Master that isn't fun but manages to keep control of a game. They said, "Any die that goes on the floor counts as a 1 (DM included). Before that rule was introduced, dice were getting chucked everywhere. Afterwards, it turned out that people could throw them sensibly after all."
Despite it being slightly odd and a little boring, it does ensure that the Dungeon Master can keep all of their dice without any getting lost and quickens the speed of the gameplay so that the party can embark on their campaign without getting sidetracked looking for their equipment.
Looking For Laughs
WildGalaxy's unique House Rule is one that everyone is going to want to copy. They said, "Any time someone makes a bad joke, they roll a d20 to see how funny it was and everyone has to force a laugh relative to the roll." It certainly encourages people to make terrible puns throughout.
But it's also a great way to break the ice for a party that might not have played together before, with the fun of the community aspect of Dungeons & Dragons ensuring that everyone can take part in their way while also connecting with those around them. Thus the rule is perfect for building bonds.
Last Will
No matter how good a wizard's spell might be, someone is likely to fall in battle. Quietus87 has a weird House Rule for that though. They said, "we had Last Will and Testament with the following extra: if the last will is not fulfilled, the dead character's ghost will return to haunt the group."
It's an idea that isn't often brought up, considering players usually try to avoid death in their campaign so that everyone can get a fair shot at playing through a narrative. However, this optional extra is hilarious and could add a unexpected and creative dynamic.
Creating Scrolls
Occasionally a Dungeon Master comes up with a weird Dungeons & Dragons House Rule that's so inventive that it's a shame it isn't within the main game. That's the case for malakia717 who said, "You can rip pages out of spell books, and use them as scrolls in an emergency."
It's a genuinely intriguing use of the magical items available and allows the game to become more adaptable, giving players an extra significant choice that could make a major difference in the middle of a conflict. These little adjustments usually demonstrate how a good DM controls the setup.
Deal With The Devil
Reddit Overall_Resource_722 was also very creative in their invention of a House Rule, which helps to flesh out the lore of Dungeons & Dragons further. They said that "I once let one of my players make a deal with the devil (me) and in return they had a -10 intelligence score."
While plenty of comics and additional material have played with the notion of a deal with the devil in Dungeons & Dragons it's rare to have the equivalent play out during a campaign, but is certainly another unique trick to add to a Dungeon Master's arsenal.
Bribery
alithebae has managed to work their House Rules to their favor as a Dungeon Master. They said, "In my session we are allowed to bribe our DM with fresh fruits or alcohol and he will let us do one thing we aren't supposed to in the game with a simple 'but we brought you strawberries Damian.'"
Bribery won't be allowed in every game, but it's quite cheeky to bring an element of lobbying into a campaign, where players might be able to get away with a little more than usual, as long as they haggle the right way. That could even be utilized within character.
Silly Ideas
EighthManBound has shared their own ridiculous House Rule as a Dungeon Master. They said, "The DC1 Wisdom check. If a player with a negative Wis bonus makes a frivolous suggestion for a character action, they roll a Wis check at DC 1. Failure means they have to take said action."
That's a fun rule that links to the type of characters that are in on the action and can lead to some silly circumstances where party have to embark on absurd movements, just because of this new House Rule forcing them to do so. It will ultimately lead to some hilarious moments.
