Party Like It's 1979

 

(Art by Cynthia Sims Millan, 1978)

I've got my half-round combat and floating seconds initiative for the low-rollers. What else from golden games of yore can I cram into the most modern version of D&D?

We had fun using in our game the critical hit table from Arduin which, as often mentioned in many commentaries, is daft because over time odds are your PCs are going to suffer many more double natural 20s than any individual monster they are presently fighting. What happened over time is crit tables became more watered down (no more having a spine severed in one blow).

An excellent replacement is the Death and Dismemberment table by Zak Smith of Playing D&D With Pornstars. Basically, the Death and Dismemberment table is an alternative to death saves in 5th edition. Once a character falls below 0 hit points, a single roll is made with a variety of modifications against a table ranging from the very bad (hey, my spine can be severed again!) to characters getting that second wind and single hit point that comes with it.

The fairness of a Death and Dismemberment Table is that someone has to already drop to zero hit points before it's rolled on. To get there you use the standard critical hits of double damage (although I am experimenting with an exploding damage die on crits). This method is more fair to PCs, but still leads to broken bones and scars.

Another thing, that I am somewhat on the fence about, are divine intervention rolls. These used to be pretty common back in the day as a last ditch before character death or TPK, although it doesn't seem to be very common in the same way nowadays. The latest edition asking for divine intervention and expecting results is limited to 10th level clerics receiving a free cast of 5th level or lower spell or a 20th level cleric getting a free wish. And looing like RAW the cleric can call upon their deity as often as they meet the rest requirements.

I kind of like the idea that only the divine magic practitioners may call upon their personal deities, I had several religiously ne'er do well characters who asked for divine intervention without even listing a deity on their character sheet. But I still thing there should be some rules a'la the 1st ed AD&D Dungeon Masters Guide (pgs 111-112) that deities may refuse or even be angered by excessive requests for extra special boons. I have a table that expands on the original olden rolls, and will be working on something to make the clerical divine intervention interplay a little more robust. And perhaps offer some kind of an expansion to any character that regularly practices their religious faith.

What other gems have I tried to maintain over the years...? Ha, I do like weapon to-hit mods by armor type (although I've become attached to Anthony Huso's idea of tying the modifications to numeric base armor class sans dex & magic modifiers). I noticed character's age, height, and weight tables are missing from the latest versions. Ditto for eye and hair color. I mean, you could just pick an abnormal color - but those special Arduin tables were fun too. 

Half-Round Combat

Using half rounds for combat can add granularity and tension to combat encounters in your 5th edition D&D campaign. 

A standard round is 6 seconds, and each creature acts once per round in initiative order (a creature’s turn). Half rounds divide that round into two 3-second phases:

    • Phase A and Phase B
This allows for two opportunities to act per round with a movement and possible bonus action or by taking an action. How a creature may act is limited per phase dependent on the choice of which opportunity to act is taken first.

Mechanics
1. Initiative
    • Roll initiative as normal. 
    • Each round is split into two phases. 

    • Each phase is taken in initiative order.
2. Action Economy Per Phase
Generally split actions like this:
Phase Allowed Actions
   A Movement + Bonus Action
   B Action or Reaction Setup

Or:

Phase Allowed Actions

   A Action or Reaction Setup

   B Movement + Bonus Action
This motivates players to plan ahead, creating tactical depth.

Creatures move or take an action in either phase, but if movement is split before and after an action, the action will start in Phase A, and occur in Phase B.
3. Spellcasting
    • Spells with casting time of 1 action occur at the end of a Phase/3 seconds. 
    • Concentration checks and reactions can occur during either phase. 
4. Reactions
Reactions still occur outside a creature's turn during any phase of an opponent's subsequent turn, or during a subsequent phase of the creature reacting.
5. Status Effects
    • Effects like “stunned until end of next turn” now last two phases. 
    • Conditions should be clarified to specify which phase they end on. 

Pros
    • More tactical combat: Players must think in smaller increments. 
    • Faster pacing: Movement and action separation speeds up decision-making. 
    • Cinematic feel: Feels like bullet-time or split-second dueling. 

Cons
    • Complexity: More tracking for DMs and players. 
    • Balance issues: Some classes (e.g., monks, rogues) may benefit disproportionately. 
    • Longer combats: More phases can mean more time per encounter. 

Options
    • Legendary Creatures: Give them actions in both phases to emphasize threat. 
    • Initiative Time Drift: Shift a creature’s turn to start 1 second later per each 5 points of initiative less than the highest initiative score. 
    • Environmental Effects: Trigger hazards or changes between phases.