General Combat House Rules

Critical hits

For simplicity, we will do critical hits however Roll20 calculates them.

Narrative boon

Upon rolling a critical hit, the player may request to replace their additional damage die roll with a narrative boon, some sort of advantage granted to their character to help turn the tide of combat. The player can propose this, or look to the DM/table for ideas. Examples of narrative boons include:

• Gaining a tactical advantage like the high ground or a defensible position
• Learning a weakness about the opponent
• Holding the enemy's attention so that the next person attacking gets an advantage
• Altering the terrain around them advantageously (like creating a crater for difficult terrain)

The choice is optional, but the player cannot change their mind and switch to the extra die once they've heard the boon (unless the DM decides, such as if there was a misunderstanding about the scenario).

Stacked Advantage/Disadvantage

Advantage and disadvantage cannot stack (ex: roll 3 dice) as in the PHB. However, at DM discretion, an additional advantage gets added as +1 to the roll result; the same with disadvantages, taking a -1 to the result.

Item Interactions

A character may interact with one item as a free action on their turn (such as grabbing an item already prepared, switching weapons, kicking a table, or opening/closing a door). If the action is complex (assembling something, digging in a Bag of Holding to find something) or requires an Ability check, it will take your Action. Interacting with a second item would also require taking your action.

Potions

• Drinking a potion is a bonus action.

• Retrieving a potion (or other item) from your bag is a separate bonus action from drinking the potion, unless you have the Alchemist Bandolier, in which case it is a free action.

• Feeding another creature a potion is a full action.

Impact Damage

• If a target is being pushed by an action (spell, attack etc.) but is stopped by something such as a wall or tree, the target may take 1d4 bludgeoning damage for each 5ft of movement it was blocked from, to represent the force of hitting an obstruction.

• If a creature is prevented from moving more than 10 ft. in this way, the creature is knocked prone.

• If this obstruction is another creature, each takes 1d4 of bludgeoning damage.

Combat Conditions

Language used to refer to characters (PC and NPC) physical condition.

Content Warning for general desciptions of increasingly dangerous wounds.

Bruised

When you have lost 1/4 of your Max HP, you are bruised. Your body or face is covered with visible scratches and bruises, and you have minor lingering pains. Anyone can recognize exposed damage with a DC 10 Perception check. Hiding it can add 5-10 to the DC, at DM discretion.

Bloodied

When you have lost 1/2 of your Max HP, you are bloodied. Your body has open wounds or massive bruising, and you feel intense pain during physical feats requiring Strength or Dexterity. Even if your wounds are hidden, anyone can recognize the signs of pain with a DC 10 Perception check.

Beaten

When you drop below 1/4 of your Max HP, you are beaten. Your body is a mess of bleeding open wounds, cracked or splintered bones, or much worse. You feel severe pain just by simply moving around. It is obvious to anyone that you are injured; there's no hiding this level of damage.

When you become beaten and you have 2 or fewer levels of Exhaustion, you gain 1 level of Exhaustion that only comes into effect after the combat ends and the adrenaline rush wears off.

Fall Damage

PHB rule of 1d6 bludgeoning damage per 10 feet, up to 20d6, and you land prone unless you avoid damage. However...

Flying Creatures

From Xanathar's Guide to Everything Optional Rules A flying creature in flight falls if it is knocked prone, its speed is reduced to 0 feet, or if it otherwise loses the ability to move, unless it can hover or it is being held aloft by magic, such as the Fly Spell. (Simply flying is not the Fly spell, which must be cast.)
For creatures that can fly, the creature's current flying speed is subtracted from the distance it fell before calculating falling damage. This is helpful to a flier that is knocked prone but is still conscious and simulates the creature flapping its wings furiously or taking similar measures to slow the velocity of its fall. (Creature must be conscious and unrestrained; only applicable when creature is knocked prone.)