Dungeon Master Runs a Homebrew Campaign Where He Denies Players the Ability to Follow Standard Combat Rules

Author image for Eleonora Bader
Eleonora Bader
Jan 17, 2024 11:30 AM EST

A Dungeon Master can either make or break a DND campaign… And this particular DM was really digging his and his players graves when they were playing, leading to one player becoming extremely frustrated, and turning to Reddit for advice.

This dungeon master was using a homebrew campaign in a homebrew system… If you know anything about DND, you understand how this can be problematic. The DM did not write up a system, but instead, just made one up, confusing his players, time and time again whenever the time came to meet up and play. He did not like hit points, which… what can I say? I'm just rolling my eyes over here. Scroll down to read all about the millions of mistakes this DM was making, leading to a messy game, and an even messier campaign.

Want some DND funnies after this? Here are the funniest Dungeons and Dragons memes of the week for adventurous dice rollers…

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  • 01
    Dungeon Master doesn't like hit points... darwinfish 18 hr. ago I am a homebrew fan. I am a proponent of "it is impossible to play 100% RAW and you are fine to adjust rules or make calls that fit the moment and your game." That said, there is a line between "You can drink a potion as a bonus action." and "The GM decides literally everything that happens on a totally subjective basis." Has your GM been a player before? Have they experienced an actual game with actual rules before? Because this so
    via Canva
  • 02
    DM Doesn't like hitpoints Table Disputes My friends and I play online every week on a homebrew campaign run by our DM, i'll call him K.
    via u/traxxr1
  • 03
    So K follows basically none of the standard combat rules, and it's been a major issue for our last two sessions. The way his combat "system" works is, the player whose turn he decides it is (we don't roll init) rolls a d20 if he wants to attack someone. Depending on how high the roll is, K decides what happens to the enemy, usually something like "you rake your sword past his shoulder" "you cut off a few fingers" stuff like that.
    via u/traxxr1
  • 04
    But here's the thing, it works the same way when enemies damage you. Last session, one of the party members got his leg st. bed and missed 4 turns of combat until the wizard came to heal him. I've tried telling him that using actual injuries to describe combat results in players missing turns, feeling like their attacks arent doing anything and resulting in a worse experience overall, but he refused to listen.
    via u/traxxr1
  • 05
    His "system" is attributing a higher dice roll with "more injury" without realising that it isnt a system, its a game of make beieve using the dice as a baseline. How do i explain that a consistent combat system is nevessary to make encounters actually fun?
    via u/traxxr1
  • 06
    BrotatoChip117 - 18 hr. ago Monk Sounds like your DM should be using an entirely different system. The game has those baseline rules for a reason and while they are malleable, it sounds like he's just ignoring them entirely to fit his idea. If players aren't having fun my suggestion would always be to talk to the DM about what you'd like to do differently. If that's not an option then I would suggest finding someone else to DM for you. 1.4k Reply Share ….. mrfixitx 15 hr. ago 100% this, somethin
    via u/BrotatoChip117, u/mrfixitx
  • 07
    Tichrimo 14 hr. ago edited 13 hr. ago DM Dungeon World is a Powered by the Apocalypse game (i.e. the same 2d6 system as Blades) that is specifically a medieval fantasy game. Sounds like a great fit here. Reply Share 98 MossyPyrite 14 hr. ago Oh man, I bet he'd love it! I'm running a group for it right now and it's a blast. The narrative focus, attack "tags", debilities, degrees of success, it would work great for the way he's doing rolls. 29 ▼ Reply Share
    via u/Tichrimo, u/MossyPyrite
  • 08
    cogprimus 18 hr. ago until the wizard came to heal him. The wizard? heal? This truly is strange homebrew. :D Reply Share 336 Sea_Cheek_3870 - 17 hr. ago "What sorcery is this?" 99 Reply Share Yazkin_Yamakala - 16 hr. ago 83 ….. DM "Not sorcery. WIZARDRY!" Reply Share
    via u/cogprimus, u/Sea_Cheek_3870, u/Yazkin_Yamakala
  • 09
    ohnohaymaker - 18 hr. ago as another suggested, he should maybe look into different rpg systems probably something like Blades in the Dark, which is very focused on the fiction and the narrative over the mechanics, would fit his DMing style more than dnd 405 Reply Share Steel Ratt 18 hr. ago Anything Powered by the Apocalypse would also work for this. Since you're not playing D&D at this point, you might as well play something that actually has rules that support this kind of game. Your DM would
    via u/ohnohaymaker, u/Steel_Ratt
  • 10
    Jan4th3Sm0l 17 hr. ago DM I see 2 options here: 1. Change the system 2. Change the DM You obviously can't have both at the same time, by the looks of it. 178 Reply Share UndercoverChef69 - 17 hr. ago DM will become insecure and filled with rage if they try to explain why his system sucks. There will be an argument and hurt feelings. I can feel it. 51 Reply Share …..
    via u/Jan4th3Sm0l, u/UndercoverChef69
  • 11
    manOrmachine - 18 hr. ago You aren't playing DnD anymore, you are playing Calvinball. 548 Reply Share Melodic Row_5121 - 17 hr. ago DM I see Calvinball, I upvote. Olly-wolly pollywoggy ump bump fizz!! 88 Reply Share ... Enkiduderino 16 hr. ago Is the score still Q to 12? 32 Reply Share
    via u/man0rmachine, u/Melodic_Row_5121, u/Enkiduderino
  • 12
    darw1nf1sh 18 hr. ago I am a homebrew fan. I am a proponent of "it is impossible to play 100% RAW and you are fine to adjust rules or make calls that fit the moment and your game." That said, there is a line between "You can drink a potion as a bonus action." and "The GM decides literally everything that happens on a totally subjective basis." Has your GM been a player before? Have they experienced an actual game with actual rules before? Because this sounds like a child's idea of what D&D is. A
    via u/darw1nf1sh
  • 13
    No-Personality5421 - 18 hr. ago edited 18 hr. ago Homebrew campaign in a homebrew system. Sounds like something that should have been ironed out session zero, and he should write up an actual system if he's using his own made up one, just so everyone knows the rules he's going off of. Adding-without hit points, disintegrate, power word (anything), sleep, and any other spell that triggers something based on hit points now become extremely broken or unusably nerfed. 48 Reply Share ... Vulkan Hesta
    via u/No-Personality5421, u/VulkanHestan321
  • 14
    LichoOrganico. 17 hr. ago So you're not playing D&D, but a d20-based home system. This, by itself, is not a problem, provided you have access to the source material to learn to play the correct game. If the DM told you to read the PHB and then you started playing another game without previous knowledge, then it's not cool at all. 38 Reply Share
    via u/LichoOragnico
  • 15
    milkmandanimal - 17 hr. ago DM I mean, it's not just that you're not playing D&D, you're not even playing a game at this point; if the DM is just deciding exactly what happens, you're just a bunch of NPCs in whatever fanfic is running in their head, except you roll dice sometimes. Why would you still be in this, and I use this term loosely, "game"? A41 Reply Share
    via u/milkandanimal
  • 16
    anmr. 8 hr. ago It can be valid playstyle if people around the table are having fun. Hate to break it to you, but even in D&D DM kinda decides everything that happens, having power to shape the world, decide all DCs, roll results, enemy stats, etc. It's just not as apparent as here. People meet to tell a fun story together (or fanfic as you would say). That's the essence of roleplaying. Game Master usually has most decision power and players trusts him to make arbitrary judgments that enhance th
    via u/anmr
  • 17
    I once switched from D&D 3.5 to pure storytelling in the middle of campaign. We continued the same story with same characters that had roughly the same capabilities. We just didn't roll any dice, didn't use any rules. And it was fine. In many ways even more fun. And I never got the impression that players felt somehow less "in control". The opposite - they were happy that they could finally successfully perform actions that were logical / realistic / dramatic / cool, but were not supported by im
    via u/anmr
  • 18
    Randy The Johnson - 17 hr. ago "It's a game of make believe using the dice as a baseline." Who wants to tell him... 31 Reply Share 10 ….. Kinda Nice 13 hr. ago I'm surprised how far down I had to dig to find this comment. I get what he's not enjoying about the combat, but this was funny to read. Reply Share ...
    via u/RandyTheJohnson, u/Kinda_Nice

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