[Placeholder] 5e: Hardcore Mode

[dmw71]

This is just a placeholder.


My life is extremely busy and stressful right now, and I'm struggling to keep up with the single update per week in the games I'm currently running, but I was just introduced to a set of house rules for 5e that I'm dying to try!

(My use of the word "dying" was unintentional, but does make for a good pun.)

Here is how they are described/introduced:

"These are The Arcane Library’s house rules for
keeping 5E fast, dangerous, and fun. These rules
were inspired by 5E Hardcore Mode, Dungeon
Crawl Classics, and Index Card RPG."

The house rules are only two pages, and I have "read" them, but I will definitely need some time to actually digest them (especially the spellcasting rules). I also just purchased the "hardcore mode" rules listed as an inspiration, and will want to read through those, too.


Some of these rules are quite a departure from the core rules as written (some, especially the character creation rules, have a very Basic D&D feel) and are almost certain to make the game significantly more deadly. In fact, one of the last 'Miscellaneous Rules' is:

Have one or two extra characters ready.

Once my life gets less chaotic, this is definitely something I will want to try out.



P.S. For those of you (Zhym -- cough, cough) that were interested in playing 5e but not using D&D Beyond, this may be an opportunity for you. The core rules are still the core rules, but these house rules modify them heavily! The character sheet builder, I don't think, will accommodate these changes, so I will need to think of something else to manage characters.

[Rex]

Do you have a link to the house rules Dave?

[dmw71]

Do you have a link to the house rules Dave?

I don't, actually, as it's not published anywhere yet.

Kelsey, of the Arcane Library, shared a PDF file with her email distribution list earlier today (or, seeing the current time, yesterday) that was a preview of an upcoming project she's working on.

I hesitate to share it because she's previously told me how she likes to keep the content she shares with her list exclusive to those members that are supporting her (and not post them anywhere publicly, like a blog).


Let me send her a message to seek permission first.

[dmw71]

Let me send her a message to seek permission first.

My email has been sent.

As I told her in my message, I will totally respect if she is not okay with her exact rules document being shared. I realized, as I considered your question, that I will need to post "some" set of house rules if/when I do run this game.

And I will eventually run this game!

If not hers exactly, I will create a version of them that are my own, using hers (and her sources, and other sources) as my inspiration.

[Rex]

Thanks Dave, I bought the Hardcore Mode, PDF and it looks interesting. Not sure I would use all of it but as someone who likes the gritter feel games I like some of it for sure.

[dmw71]

Thanks Dave, I bought the Hardcore Mode, PDF and it looks interesting. Not sure I would use all of it but as someone who likes the gritter feel games I like some of it for sure.

I haven't had a chance to look at the Hardcore Mode PDF yet, but I suspect it (and Arcane Library's house rules) are probably pretty close. Kelsey did tell me that her spellcasting house rules were strongly influenced by the Dungeon Crawl Classics game, so there might be some deviation there (unless Runehammer was also influenced by DCC and they're in his Hardcore book, too).

I have the Hardcore Mode PDF open in the background, and will try to give it a quick read today, but as has been the case of late, work is keeping me extremely busy.

[dmw71]

I haven't had a chance to look at the Hardcore Mode PDF yet, but I suspect it (and Arcane Library's house rules) are probably pretty close.

I just took my first look at it and noticed Kelsey is listed in the "Special Thanks" section of the acknowledgment page. So, yeah, I'm expecting some significant overlap -- except her house rules have been distilled down to a two-page document instead of a 37-page book.

[dmw71]

Created a '5e: Hardcore Mode' post in the 'House Rules' topic.

Let's leave this post for the actual (eventual) game recruitment and move discussion about the rules themselves there.

[dmw71]

Let me send her a message to seek permission first.

Not surprisingly, permission has been granted.

I'm copying screenshots of the different pages here -- two pages of rules and two pages of tables -- and the "full" PDF is included below:

AAHHR1.jpg (263.39 KiB) Viewed 2397 times

AAHHR2.jpg (256.82 KiB) Viewed 2397 times

AAHHR4.jpg (140.26 KiB) Viewed 2397 times

AAHHR5.jpg (158.34 KiB) Viewed 2397 times

Arcane Almanac, Hardcore House Rules.pdf

(8.45 MiB) Downloaded 59 times

[Marullus]

Interested in seeing this when it comes to fruition.

[dmw71]

This is something I still very much look forward to.

It might be a while, though.

[Radrabbit]

Would be interested if this gets off the ground.

[dmw71]

Would be interested if this gets off the ground.

Stick around. It will.

Don't expect this to be a full-fledged campaign, or even a one-shot (but maybe?); I'm really expecting this to be a series of (potentially random) encounters just to test the rules in actual gameplay. And also character creation.