Summary
Sometimes, if you’ve been playing aDungeons & Dragonscampaign for a long time, it can be really easy for games to start feeling stale and repetitive. However, just because you’re feeling like the campaign has run out of steam doesn’t mean that it has to stay that way.
In fact, there are lots of things you can do as a DM to spice things up. The most impactful of which is to change the rules of the world or game entirely. You can even do this mid-campaign if you want. So, if you’re stuck in a rut, here are some rule changes to try for your next campaign.
No Magic Allowed
Counterspell Magic Altogether
This first one is a pretty commonplace rule for DMs to implement at the startof survival-basedor more grounded campaigns. For the entirety of the campaign, no magic is allowed. This means no spellcasting classes, spell scrolls, or any magic of any kind.
This can sound brutal and punishing. But, you can also find ways to reskin classes to make them nonmagical. For example, a cleric can be more of a medical doctor class. So, there’s still some flexibility involved.
Spellcasting Costs HP
It’s The Bloodhunting Of Full-Casters
This is a fun mechanic that I’ve seen implemented in a lot of one-shots, but could also be used for a longer campaign. Yes, you can cast spells, but instead of expending spell slots, you expend HP. Of course, in order for this to work, you’ll have to work with your players to determine what feels proportionate.
You can do a system based on spell slot levels, ratioed to HP. Or, you can work as a group to determine an individual spell’s costs based on your level and the challenge rating of enemies. Either way, this can make combat really challenging for high-level players.
No Magic Items
Turn In Your Rods, Rings, And Staffs
Similar to not allowing magic at all, youcan also outlaw magic itemsin your campaign. This is slightly more forgiving, but can still make for some interesting challenges as a DM. The biggest thing you’ll have to worry about is how to reward players with loot.
Obviously, you can give them powerful weapons of other varieties, but without magic items, you might have to make the value of gold more intriguing on its face. Perhaps the world the characters live in is quite expensive, meaning they’ll need to plunder gold more frequently to survive.
Only Casters Allowed
Lay Down Your Swords
On the complete opposite end of the spectrum, you can also create a campaign setting in which only casters are allowed. Perhaps the world your players are in is so full of magic that everybody knows how to cast at least one spell.
This rule variation is definitely a little less strict than the no magic allowed rules. This is because almost every single class in the game has a subclass that can cast at least one spell. If you really have a player who is refusing to play a casting class, just ask them to take the Magic Initiate feat so that they have some magic going for them. Although this really isn’t in the spirit of the rule overall.
You Can Lose Levels
Why not make level progression an ever-sliding scale in your campaign? If you want, you’re able to even replace death as a mechanic with level loss. Think of how impactful it would be for a character to lose a level if they fall in battle.
The only trick here is that this is something you’re definitely not going to want to spring on your table last minute. A lot of players don’t enjoy the idea of losing progression, whether that be in video games or tabletop. So, just clear this idea ahead of time. But, if everyone’s on board, this type of punishment can feel really challenging and exciting.
No Magical Healing
Save Those Potions
This next rule definitely forbids the usage of classes like clerics or paladins. But if your table is cool with that notion, having healing only come from long rests, potions, or other items that can heal can make for a really gritty, grounded campaign.
Think of this rule as the Resident Evil rule. Healing is scarce in the world, and you shouldn’t expect a cleric to come to your rescue in battle every five seconds. If you want to survive, you’re going to have to be sparing with your resources and make sure to stock up on plenty of potions before facing down dastardly villains.
No Resurrection
Perma-Death Is On The Menu
This is a rule that I implement in a lot of my campaigns, purely because, at times, I find Dungeons & Dragons resurrection rules to be a bit annoying. If you do choose to go this route, make sure you inform your players ahead of time of this rule change so that nobody’s caught off guard.
But, making it clear up front that there is no resurrection in this game, and that death is permanent, can add a grander sense of stakes to the game as a whole. This is also a great way to curb rowdy players who like to play in chaos mode, so to speak. If death is permanent, it forces players to think more carefully.
Food Is Scarce
Not A Fast Food Chain In Sight
This is a great rule to add to your campaign if your players enjoy focusing on survival, or if you want to run a post-apocalyptic-themed campaign. For this rule, you should have players assume that food is scarce, and that they need to carefully track their rations from session to session, potentially even foraging for food if they run low.
You can then use exhaustion rules or your own homebrewed set of rules to track the toll that starvation might have on players as they progress. Adding stakes like this can feel really rewarding for both player and DM alike.
Long Rests Heal For Less
I’m So Tired
This is another somewhat punishing rule that is probably best reserved for highly skilled players. A common variant of this rule is to reduce healing output for long rests if the player’s rests are interrupted. A lot of DMs use this rule by default anyway.
However, you’re able to take it one step further by explaining to your players that, depending on the severity of their wounds, healing during a long rest might count for less. You can also have long rests restore fewer spell slots if you want. Just make sure you’re balancing your encounters accordingly if you use this rule.
Level Ups Have A Cost
Hand Over Your Gold
Last but not least, on the alternate side of the level-up spectrum, you can also have players spend resources to level up. Obviously, if you’re usingan XP-based system, you’re already sort of doing this. However, there are some tweaks you can do to this system to make it more dynamic.
For example, why not have level-ups cost gold instead of XP? That way, players have to choose between valuable magical items they might want to buy or new abilities. Or, you could have a level up come at the cost of a magic item instead, which the level up consumes.
