House Rules: Simplification the Autistic Way
Design Philosophy
My goal isn't to complicate games, but to streamline them and improve their worst parts. I try to make every rule change do at least one of the following:
- Provide demonstrable benefit to players while making things move faster and smoother
- Create opportunities for big character moments
- Be written in a way that (hypothetically) if someone chose to opt out of a particular rule they could without affecting others' enjoyment
Philosophy: Authentic Choices Over Survival Anxiety
Your Character Won't Die From One Bad Decision. Period.
Failure Creates Story, Not Endings
Failed rolls create complications that enhance the narrative, not character death. When Dorian touched the cursed cart, he fell unconscious but was easily revived—consequences that enriched rather than ended the story.
Multiple Safety Nets for Terrible Ideas
Before something catastrophic happens, I'll ask for a roll to see if your character realizes the danger. Even if they fail, I'll ask if you're sure. You'll have multiple chances to reconsider.
Death Requires Multiple Conscious Decisions
Character death comes from deliberate choices: entering dangerous combat, refusing retreat opportunities, poor positioning, party decisions, and continued aggression while wounded. Our exhaustion-based system requires 6 Wounds—that's multiple conscious decisions to keep pushing forward.
Make the Choices Your Character Would Make
Don't second-guess yourself or play it safe out of fear. Tell the story that feels authentic. If I ever ask you to say goodbye to a character, it will be because you decided that ending was right for their story.
Actions: Streamlined
If I can't keep Movement, Action, Bonus Action, Reaction, Free Action, Turn, and Round straight, how could I expect the rest of the table to manage?
An Action is anything your character does that isn't a reaction or free action—melee attacks, ranged attacks, spells, movement, hiding, dashing, etc. No distinction between Actions and Bonus Actions.
Rushed Actions
- First hostile action: Normal roll
- Second hostile action: Disadvantage
- Third hostile action: Double Disadvantage (roll 3d20, take lowest)
- If the action requires a Saving Throw, the Save is made at the appropriate Advantage/Disadvantage level
Hostile action = any attempt to damage or debuff a neutral/hostile creature
Spellcasting Limits
Only one Leveled Spell per TURN. No limit per ROUND.
Theory-crafting encouraged until solved, then reevaluated before future campaigns.
Mana-Powered Spells
These changes reduce pressure on casters, who often hoard spell slots to their own detriment.
How It Works
- Mana replaces Spell Slots
- Spell cost = spell level (a 4th level spell or upcasting to 4th level costs 4 Mana)
- Mana recovers on Long Rest
Calculating Your Mana Pool
Your maximum Mana equals the total cost of all your traditional spell slots.
• 4 × 1st level = 4 Mana
• 3 × 2nd level = 6 Mana
• 3 × 3rd level = 9 Mana
• 1 × 4th level = 4 Mana
Total = 23 Mana
This may give casters a few more spells per day, but average spell level will be lower. Martial classes receive buffs through the rest system to maintain balance.
Special Rules
- Arcane Recovery: Regains Mana equal to ½ wizard level (rounded up)
- Sorcery Points: Convert to/from Mana 1:1
Resting
Short Rest
10 minutes. Roll as many hit dice as you like, one at a time.
Field Rest
8 hours in a non-safe location. Automatically get maximum value for any rolled hit dice at end of rest.
Long Rest
Option A: Sleep 8 hours/night in the same safe location for 3 consecutive nights
Option B: Sleep 8 hours in your own bed at home
Once you hit 3 consecutive nights in a safe location, you get Long Rest benefits each consecutive night there.
Long Rest Benefits: Recover all HP, Mana, Hit Dice, etc.
Safe Location: Inn, Bastion, or similar (DM discretion). Empty dungeon rooms and forest campsites don't count. Nor does a night slept in a Tiny Hut. Magnificent Mansion however would qualify assuming there are only allies inside and no imminent threat of it being dispelled.
Why This System Exists
The Core Problem
D&D assumes 6-8 encounters per day, but I refuse to pad sessions with meaningless fights. With only 1-2 meaningful encounters per day, players enter each fight at full strength, forcing me to either:
- Make all encounters incredibly deadly (risking constant TPKs)
- Accept easy encounters
- Contrive reasons the party can't rest
How This Fixes It:
Unpredictable Difficulty — The same encounter might be trivial when well-rested or deadly after a week without Long Rest.
Natural Pacing — Story creates resource pressure organically. "You're in hostile territory" naturally explains why Long Rests aren't available.
Geography Drives Challenge — I design encounters based on what should be at a location, not what will challenge the party. You decide how to navigate them.
Meaningful Decisions — "We'll just sleep it off" isn't always an option, but Field Rests prevent operating on fumes.
Hiding in Combat
Cover: Mostly obscured (tree, ally, table, poor lighting) = attacks against you have disadvantage
Full Cover: Completely obscured = cannot typically be targeted
To Hide:
- Must have Cover from enemies you're hiding from
- Use 1 Action for DC 15 Stealth check
- Or with Full Cover, automatically succeed
While Hidden:
- First attack has advantage, then you're no longer hidden
- Exception: If attack kills enemy and no other enemy sees you, remain hidden
Grappling
Attempt to grab a creature within melee range with at least 1 free hand.
Target makes STR or DEX Save (DC = 10 + your STR or DEX modifier):
On Fail:
- Target your size or smaller = Grappled
- Target larger than you = You gain Riding condition
Riding Condition: You move with the creature. Attacks that miss you strike them instead. They can only move at half speed.
Conditions
Can't see. Attacks vs you: advantage. Your attacks: disadvantage.
At ½ HP or less.
See charmer as ally. Charmer has advantage on social interactions with you.
Heroes lose 1 action; monsters perform one less action next turn.
At 0 HP. Taking damage causes 2 Wounds (3 on crit).
Disadvantage on rolls when source visible; speed halved moving toward it.
Cannot move. Attacks vs you: advantage.
Actions or movement reduced (e.g., Dazed, Grappled, Prone, Difficult Terrain).
Can't act. Attacks vs you: advantage. Melee hits: auto-crit.
Can't be seen. Your attacks: advantage. Attacks vs you: disadvantage.
Incapacitated + rock properties. Immune to most damage except explosions, picks, etc.
Disadvantage on rolls.
Movement costs 2× speed. Disadvantage on attacks. Melee vs you: advantage; Ranged vs you: disadvantage. 15' movement to stand.
Move with creature you're riding. Attacks that miss you strike them. That creature moves at half speed.
Speed halved during next turn.
Disadvantage on attacks except vs most recent taunter.
Has any Wounds (6 Wounds = death).
Heroic Reactions: A Better Way
Choose any spell/ability with a reaction component, OR one of these:
⚔ INTERPOSE
When a creature within 10' would be struck, push them out of the way and become the target. You enter their space, moving them to an adjacent space of your choice.
⚔ OPPORTUNITY ATTACK
When an adjacent enemy willingly moves away, make a melee attack with disadvantage.
Only heroes can make opportunity attacks—monsters cannot.
⚔ HELP
Grant an ally advantage on a roll if you can explain how you help. DM may require a skill check or grant advantage automatically depending on the idea.
Limit: One Help reaction per roll.
⚔ ASSESS
Make DC 12 skill check to learn about enemy weakness, ability, plans, environment, story, etc.
DM answers honestly. Limited to reasonably discernible information, though combat may spark unexpected insights. Tie goes to the player.
Dying: Your Way
When You Drop to 0 HP
- Gain 1 Wound
- Gain Dying condition until you regain HP
- No unconsciousness. No death saves.
Dying Condition Effects
- Limited to 1 action
- Concentration broken
- DC 10 Con Save or take 1 Wound when taking action
- Taking damage causes 2 Wounds (3 on crit)
The Wound System
Wounds replace exhaustion mechanics. A PC dies at 6 Wounds.
Recovery: 1 Wound recovered per Long Rest.
Additional House Rules
Player vs Player Combat
Direct PvP not permitted except as part of in-world contests.
PCs may attack/counter-attack each other to further the story. Combat concludes once it serves its narrative purpose—preferably decided by involved players, but DM has final discretion.
Post-game private chat required to ensure hostility stays with characters, not players.
Player vs Player Insight Checks
Permitted. One player rolls Insight, the other rolls Deception (if lying) or Persuasion (if telling truth). The roller decides which, and the table isn't told.
Spell Components
Only components with gold cost are physically required.
Group Checks
For group activities only. Majority pass/fail.
NAT 20/NAT 1 counts as 2 successes/failures.
Individual Checks
Generally limited to 1 party member unless reasonable assistance offered.
With assistance: Choose between one roll with Advantage OR each rolls independently.
If rolling with Advantage, DM determines who rolls based on who does the heavy lifting.
Untimed Skill Checks
If there's no time limit and the PC is capable, the check determines how long it takes and if complications arise.
- Rogue picking their liquor cabinet lock: Succeeds even on NAT 1, but may take 3 hours and discover they're out of cognac
- Rogue picking the Imperatrix's lock: NAT 1 may break picks and jam the lock, preventing future attempts
Nimble Initiative
Your initiative roll (including modifiers) determines actions available on your first turn:
- 20+: 3 actions
- 10-19: 2 actions
- 1-9: 1 action
After the first turn, all combatants have their normal 3 actions per round.
Turn Order
Highest roll goes first. If a player has highest initiative, proceed clockwise around the table. If an enemy has highest initiative, proceed counter-clockwise. Enemy combatants spread around table at random.
Miscellaneous Rules
- Trance resting: Must occur in same general area for duration
- No flanking
- Max HP at odd levels, average/rolled at even levels
- NAT 20 on skill check: Best possible outcome (not auto-succeed)
- NAT 1 on skill check: Auto-fail, even with high bonuses (Reliable Talent usually prevents this, but DM may impose consequences)
- Concentration damage: DC 10 CON Save (always DC 10)
- Spell Scrolls: Anyone may attempt with DC 12 Arcana Check. Scroll consumed regardless of success.