Use Video Game Design Into D&d

Dungeons & Dragons was important to the history of video game development, with many terms that originated in the tabletop game still being used in video games to this day. There are lots of mechanics in video games that can be incorporated intoD&Dcampaigns as homebrew rules, for the groups that want to add something new to their experience.

There have been lots ofD&Dvideo games released over the years, yet they have adapted the rules in different ways, with the developers making some changes, in order to enhance the gameplay. MostD&Dgames don't let the players have divine powers, but the originalBaldur's Gategames turned the protagonist into a child of the deceased God of Murder, giving them abilities that the average character wouldn't possess. This idea perfectly fit the video game format, as it gave the main character some exciting abilities to use in combat, while also tying them into the events of an epic story. The same concept might not work as well in a standardD&Dgame, as having one character be far stronger than the others would cause lots of issues, especially if the player lets their drop of divinity go their head.

There are lots of video games that have unique mechanics, which would fit well into the fantasy world of aD&Dcampaign. They require a little work on the part of the DM and the players to use correctly, but they can add an interesting twist to the game. This is especially helpful for spicing up a homebrew campaign in a new way.

D&D Homebrew Rules Could Use Limit Breaks From Final Fantasy

TheFinal Fantasyseries technically introduced the concept of Limit Breaks inFF6, but the system that fans are familiar with properly debuted inFF7. Limit Breaks are incredibly powerful attacks, which are usually tied to a character taking lots of damage, and unleashing their strongest moves in a fit of anger or desperation. These attacks are usually cinematic, with Cloud's Omnislash, Squall's Lion Heart, and Lightning's Army of One being some of the most visually impressive and memorable moves in the series.

In aD&Dhomebrew adventure, Limit Breaks should similarly be rare, only appearing once a campaign or character level, as a regular appearance would diminish their effect, and essentially turn them into a normal character ability. A Limit Break is something that would trigger once a character drops below 20% hit points, similar to how the Bloodied status worked in fourth edition, representing how they're performing an all or nothing attack. The effect can be something as simple as a guaranteed critical hit, a long rest ability recharging, a spell dealing maximum damage, the ability to cast two full spells in a single action, a group-wide healing power, or summoning a powerful outsider in D&D to the party's side. The players who truly want to emulate theFinal Fantasyseries could come up with an elaborate attack for their Limit Break, so long as the DM approves it.

D&D Homebrew Rules Can Add Monado Vision From Xenoblade Chronicles

InXenoblade Chronicles,a young man named Shulk becomes the chosen wielder of the Monado, which is a sword that grants a number of different abilities to its user. One Monado ability that is tied into a gameplay mechanic is its Vision power, which lets Shulk see into the future. In mechanical terms, this warns Shulk when an enemy is about to perform a powerful attack against the party. The player can then warn the individual party members about the attack, allowing them to prepare for it, so that they evade damage, or at least mitigate it during combat inXenoblade Chronicles. This power was later adapted into theSuper Smash Bros.series, as Shulk uses his Monado Vision to perform a counter, so long as the player correctly times the move.

The officialD&Dcampaign worlds have their fair share of prophecies and omes, with some divination spells even allowing casters a glimpse at things to come. In the case of using Monado Vision, the player is given a direct sensory warning about something that is going to happen. This power doesn't need to be tied to an item and could be the effect of a blessing (or a curse) that one party member possesses. Their future sight will let them know if the party is about to be hit by something powerful, allowing them to use their reaction to counter the attack or warn the party.

This can be used as a homebrew tool for DMs who are running a group that is new toD&D, giving them a little extra help in combat. The player should also be given the details of the vision via a note or DM, with restrictions about how they can relay the info to their allies. The group might have the benefit of a prophetic party member, but are they smart enough to decipher their warnings in the heat of battle?

D&D Homebrew Rules Could Add Destroying Body Parts From Monster Hunter

TheMonster Hunterseries pits groups of four hunters against massive monsters, many of which wouldn't look out of place in aD&D homebrewcampaign. These monsters have a number of natural weapons at their disposal, including massive claws, horns, tails, wings, and breath attacks. The hunters have one advantage thatD&Dplayers do not, as they can break or cut pieces of the enemy's body, in order to remove these advantages. There are a number of weapons in theMonster Hunterseries, and some of them are better suited to this task than others. A hunter who wants to remove a monster's tail is going to need a blade, while one who wants to smash a monster's horns will need a hammer.

It would be possible to adapt the part-destroying system fromMonster HunterintoD&D. This can be incorporated by splitting a large monster's hit points and special attacks across its limbs. This gives the players the opportunity to disable a monster's attacks, so long as they are able to strike the body part in question. The body parts will need to have a higher AC to accommodate for the extra precision that is needed to strike them, as players usually just hack at whatever bit is nearest.

The players would also need to use specific D&D weapons to deal the correct type of damage for the body part in question, with bludgeoning used to break horns and plates, slashing used to sever limbs, and piercing used for disabling breath weapons. The dragons that inhabit the Dungeons & Dragons universe would fit this rule perfectly, as they are bulky enough to survive lots of attacks from party members, and have enough natural weapons to make using this particular homebrew rule worthwhile.

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About The Author

Scott Baird (2145 Articles Published)

Scott has been writing for Screen Rant since 2016 and regularly contributes to The Gamer. He has previously written articles and video scripts for websites like Cracked, Dorkly, Topless Robot, and TopTenz. A graduate of Edge Hill University in the UK, Scott started out as a film student before moving into journalism. It turned out that wasting a childhood playing video games, reading comic books, and watching movies could be used for finding employment, regardless of what any career advisor might tell you. Scott specializes in gaming and has loved the medium since the early '90s when his first console was a ZX Spectrum that used to take 40 minutes to load a game from a tape cassette player to a black and white TV set. Scott now writes game reviews for Screen Rant and The Gamer, as well as news reports, opinion pieces, and game guides. He can be contacted on LinkedIn.