All of these homebrew rules are open for discussion and may be altered or axed at any time. Feel free to ask me about them or give feedback.
* Game Version: We will be using the 2014 version of DnD 5E; though I am more than willing to throw Monk-players a bone and let them play the 2024 version, or add some 2024 rules if they turn out good, haha
* Game Version (January 2025 Update): We are currently using a version of DnD 5e that mixes elements of 2014 and 2024. Classes and Races/Species of 2025 are allowed, Weapon Mastery is given to even the 2014 classes, but spells, feats and character creation rules for 2014 will be mostly used; but all completely new feats and spells from 2024 can also be chosen, and feats that exist in 2024 and 2014 should be talked about with the DM. Also, the new True Strike is allowed, because it's strictly better. Other spells that used to be bad but now are changed are also most likely allowed. Ask your DM.
* Nat 20s and Nat 1s on ability checks and saving throws: A Nat 1 on an ability check will always result in an outcome that isn't ideal, while Nat 20s will result in favorable outcomes. However, they can't bend reality; basically, expect something good or bad happening, but not unreasonable. The king won't kill you on a Nat 1 if you try to persuade him to lend you some troops, but he also won't give you his entire army on a Nat 20. Saving throws are a bit easier: A nat 1 saving throw on a damage-effect is a simple fail, but a Nat 20 avoids damage completely.
* Nat 1s in combat: These same rules also apply to enemies: Rolling a nat 1 on an attack will result in me, the DM, rolling for severity on a D20. This is true both for enemies as well as for players. Depending on the results, something determined by the DM happens. The results are as follows:
Nat 1 Severity: Your attack misses, but a very minor positive effect might happen.
2 to 10 Severity: Just a simple miss, nothing happens.
11 to 15 Severity: A minor setback (losing an attack if you have multi-attack, losing your bonus action, losing half or the rest of your movement, a minor negative effect that lasts until the start of your next turn etc.)
16 to 20 Severity: A major setback (friendly fire, you damage yourself, your enemy attacks you in return, a non-magical item you wield breaks, you get disarmed, an effect happens that you have to use an action for to negate, etc. No permanent or long-term detriments, though!)
All of these events are subject to the rule of cool. In tense, life-or-death battles, I'll flavor these events to be as cool as possible, as to not make your character seem incompetent or bumbling. In light-hearted encounters, the severity may be humorous though.
* Detect Evil and Good, and similar effects: In this game world, Detect Evil and Good will actually give you a creature's alignment. However, this is limited to the creature types mentioned in the spell. A Paladin's Divine Sense meanwhile can also sense a vague idea of good and evil, even in humanoids, but it has to be a strong enough lean to notice. A simple egotistical opportunist thief who is Neutral Evil may not be detectable, but a warlord who likes sacrificing people and summoning fiends and to do his dirtywork may. Alignment for players exists, but is flexible and can change over time by either player choice or consequence for actions. Wantonly murder will definitely skew you towards evil after a time.
* Potions: Taking a potion or giving it to a conscious ally is a bonus action. Administering a potion to an unconscious ally is an action.
* Lethality of Attacks: As usual, if you do a Melee Weapon or Spell attack, you can declare that it is non-lethal. As per the usual DnD Rules, Ranged Weapon and Melee Attacks cannot be non-lethal. However, in order to make keeping enemies you want to keep alive easier, you can instead decide to have the enemy go into death saves; you only have to tell me. This does not work for spells such as Finger of Death or Disintegrate, however.
* Spell scrolls: Spell scrolls may be used by classes that usually cannot use these spells, but require an arcana check (10 + Spell Level) or it wastes the type of action the spell requires. In that case, the spell scroll isn't wasted, but the action is lost.
* Spell Improvisation: Know-casters (Sorcerers, Bards, Eldritch Knights, 2014 Rangers etc...) can now replace a number of spells equal to their spellcasting modifier + their proficiency bonus with other spells of the same levels on their class's spell list, if they have a week of downtime. This doesn't require a dedicated downtime activity, but can be done on the side. They can also, instead, replace a single spell with another spell of the same level if they long rest in their home base, an Inn or a safe, civilized location. Inspired by both the Spell Versatility UA that didn't make it to Tasha's, as well as Pathfinder 2e's Spell-Retraining feature.
* Warlock Expanded Spell List: Even if you are not playing the 2024-version of the Warlock, I'm taking a page out of the 2024 edition. 2014-Warlocks now automatically get access to their available subclass spells. It's stupid that Warlocks have to go out of their way to take them on a level up, potentially wasting the opportunity to take another spell. So, now you get them automatically!
* Additional Actions: All additional actions from the DMG and Xanathar's are allowed (Like Mark, Disarm, or Identify a Spell), with the exception of Healing Surge, which will only be available if the party lacks a character with healing options.
* Racial Option Additions: If you chose Kobolds and Lizardfolk, you use their MOTM iterations, but you also get Pack Tactics for Kobolds and Cunning Artisan for Lizardfolk. All types of Elves, even the PHB versions, also get the version of Trance that the Sea Elves and Shadar-Kai get in MOTM. Flying Races are allowed, but only their newest iterations, if they have been reprinted. If you have other ideas of what I could or maybe should allow, please tell me.
* Spells and Cantrips through feats and racial traits: For any race that uses pre-tasha's racial spellcasting rules, we'll use post-tasha's design philosophy rules (in other words, you can chose the mental casting ability of your choice and use spell slots after the subsequent castings if you wish)
* Feats: For 2014-player; Every player gets one Level 1 feat. If your race gives you a feat (hello variant human and custom origin), you gain an additional one, but backgrounds that give out feats no longer will give you a third one at that point. Additional feats may be chosen instead of ability score increases on level ups, or awarded by the DM throughout the story as a reward. For everyone; Training during downtime may also award feats (instead of the level up option), but will lock you into an ASI instead of a feat for every every feat gained that way.
* Paper Money: It's an age of innovation! Bank notes exist! They come in 1 Gold Banknotes, 1 Platinum Banknotes and 100 Gold Banknotes! All weight 0.002 LBS and you can replace any any coins you have with Banknotes, whenever you enter a larger city.
* Inspiration: Inspiration awards a free Reroll instead of mere advantage.
* Flanking: Flanking exists, but awards a +2 to hit instead of advantage.