Therefore, they are neither gritty nor realistic. Rather than providing a different style of play, the gritty realism rules just make everything take longer.

Even the 5e DMG has a set of Gritty Realism rules to use that just extends short rests to once a day, and long-rests to once a week. However, I never thought these hit the right spot of focus or depth for my own campaigns. A quick google search will turn up a number grim dark, gritty, or other survival rules. Don’t We Have This Already?ĭiscussion of gritty mechanics and survival rules in 5e is an evergreen topic. However, if you enjoy it, these rules should give you something to sink your teeth into. There is nothing wrong if that style of play is not for you. If you choose this style of play, the game is inherently going to get much more about tracking and managing resources. This is a silly and as it’s just a style of play. Important Side Note: Gritty play is sometimes pushed with a sense of elitism.

As a result of Matt Colville’s recent twitch hangout, I was inspired to write down my own thoughts on gritty rules for 5e. In other words, it extends gameplay into longer term campaign elements, rather than containing it to individual encounters. This means adding gameplay elements that focus on attrition, strategic resource management, mitigation, and lean into the fragile nature of health. Sometimes players want to break things up with more of a gritty or survivalist style. The heroic playstyle of 5e D&D is a lot of fun, but it’s focused on the encounter for resource management and pacing.

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