My Table

## DM outranks DMG

* I tell people that I'm running D&D, so I think it would be ingenuine if they arrived and found out that in my world there are no elves or all combat will be resolved via super smash bros. That being said I do reserve the right to change the rules however I see fit. I will do my best to tell players how my world and my game work so they can make informed decisions, but I do not feel beholden to any specifics in the rule books.
* I consider all rules to be an imperfect translation of an organic world where hit dice, spell slots, and experience points do not exist.

## PC and NPC abilities

* The rules governing PC abilities and advancement are necessary to give players a concrete and fairly balanced representation of their character's growing power and competency. They do not represent universal rules. An NPC may be a "wizard", but they do not use the PC wizard class.

## Death

* While I think it is perfectly valid to play D&D just to role-play and create a story together, and therefore avoid killing off PCs unless dramatically appropriate, that is not the game I want to run.
* I try to make my game a mix of role-playing and strategic game-play, and I think for that to be interesting there has to be consequences. There has to be the possibility of player death, total party kills, and losing to the big bad who then proceeds to destroy the world.
* I think a big part of D&D is making interesting decisions, including the decision to retreat. Maybe even the decision to retreat and leave your friend to die. I also think it's fun and exciting when players come up with a brilliant way out of an impossible seeming situation. So I intend to make some (but not all) encounters very difficult, maybe even impossible, a Kobayashi Maru.
* Losing an encounter does not always mean death. Sometimes it does, such as when fighting a wild animal or an evil overlord, but guards/minions generally prefer to take prisoners than to kill outright.

## Character Creation

* Because the world of Mishtar I am crafting for my D&D games is meant to evoke a different feeling than the standard "Fantasyland" D&D is expected to be played in, I have made some adjustments to the races, classes, feats, and spells players can use in my game.
* See Character Creation

## House Rules

This is a list of house rules currently agreed on by my players. A particular campaign may have additional rules such as rest length, character creation restrictions, etc.

* **Attack of Opportunity on Stand**: When a creature stands up from prone creatures within melee range get an attack of opportunity. Bonus Actions as Actions: Any bonus action can be done as a regular action.
* **Called Shots**: Players (and enemies!) can select to target part of a target, increasing AC but weakening the target on a hit.
* **Critical Failures**: Rolling a 1 on an attack or skill check forces you to roll on a Critical Failure Table.
* **Flanking**: If a creature has enemies on both sides (3 or 4 spots apart for single space creatures) then those enemies get advantage on melee attacks.
* **Flexable Initiative**: Players can lower their initiative after rolling.
* **Inspiration**: Inspiration can be used to reroll any die or to solve a puzzle.
* **Mounted Combat**: You may use a bonus action to make a controlled mount take an action other than dash, disengage, and dodge.
* **Potions as Bonus Actions**: You can drink a potion yourself as a bonus action.
* **Scrolls for Everyone**: Any player can use spell scrolls. The spell was already cast by someone into the scroll. They are written in the language of the Allfather which anyone can read.
* **Valid Rolls**: Dice on edge or on the floor are rerolled.

House Rules Ideas.