GRIMDARK

Variant Rule Set for D&D 5e

Introduction: This document provides the basics for using the GRIMDARK system for 5 th Edition
D&D games. This rule set is intended to represent “Gritty Realism” in role-playing sessions. The set is
not intended to replace the published version of D&D 5e in anyway. It is meant to be used to “switch
things up” and try something different. This is a good set of rules to be used during Halloween and
Horror themed game sessions.

by BIG RICH

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 GRIMDARK: “Gritty Realism”
“There comes a time, thief, when the jewels cease to
sparkle, when the gold loses its luster, when the throne
room becomes a prison, and all that is left is a father's love
for his child.”
– King Osric, Conan The Barbarian
maiming, or death. Unlike the typical game
of D&D where action resembles an action
movie, GRIMDARK focuses on a style of play
suggests “realism” in that any wound could
result in a loss of life. The 5th edition Dun-
geon Masters Guide discusses this very
briefly on page 34.

GRIMDARK is a system that allows for play-

The GRIMDARK system is intended to emu-
ing “Grim & Gritty” games of Dungeons and
late a sub-genre of speculative fiction with a
Dragons 5th edition. It changes the standard
tone, style, or setting that is particularly
rules in aspects of Armor Class, Hit Points,
dystopian, amoral, or violent such as seen in
Damage, and Recovery. The system is intend-
GAME OF THRONES, WARHAMMER 40k, or
ed to make combat more dangerous for char-
WALKING DEAD. Although the assumption
acters of any level.
may be to make the storyline very glum and
gloomy, it is not necessarily required.
Typical advice about “Gritty” role-playing is
provided within the 5th edition Dungeon
GRIMDARK is “Dark Fantasy” where Evil is
Masters Guide on page 267. Here it is called
real, heroes can make a real difference, and
“Gritty Realism” and suggests that it is “a good
bad things happen when combat arises.
option” to promote role-playing rather than
just simple “Hack and Slash” gaming.
The real key as with any role-playing session
is to make it fun while keeping the tone
In a story using GRIMDARK rules, the char-
somewhat serious. There can be moments of
acters experience dire consequences when
joy, comedy, and gallows humor through the
entering into life-threatening situations. Un-
sessions but the Storyteller, Dungeon Master
like most games of Dungeons & Dragons, the
(or Gamemaster) should always remember to
player can no longer simply reference Armor
return the overall tone to that of GRIMDARK.
Class and Hit Points to measure the surviv-
ability of a combat situation. Now any brush
with combat could result in serious injury,

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 Honestly, it’s a fine line to walk. The aim As a side note, any spells that change the
should be to keep the pendulum swinging method of calculating Armor Class (for
between Righteousness and Evil, hope and example, Mage Armor) remains the same.
fear, love and hate. And to keep your players DAMAGE REDUCTION
coming back, they’ll need to have opportuni-
Instead of armor and shields enhancing
ties to make a positive impact on the world,
Armor Class they will instead reduce the
even if they can’t save all of it.
damage inflicted on a character after being
struck in combat. I suggest using the
Your version of a “Dark Fantasy” story may
following method for damage reduction:
not be the same as mine. And that’s okay. The
main thing is to present the material in such Light Armor reduces by 5, shields and
as way that it is true to the nature of the key medium armor reduces by 10, and heavy
elements of GRIMDARK. Below I have col- armor reduces by 15.
lected some changes to the standard 5th edi- However, keep in mind that some armor
tion Dungeons & Dragons rules to reflect the influences DEX which will then result in a
nature of the GRIMDARK system. change of Armor Class. Remember to refer to
page 145 of the 5th edition Player’s
Handbook to note max additions to DEX.
For example, using the GRIMDARK Armor
Class calculation of 10 + his or her Dexterity
ARMOR CLASS
modifier, a character with a DEX mod of +3
wearing Light armor has no change in armor
As a general rule, Armor Class will be
class, resulting in a total of 13 for Armor
calculated differently than in the standard
Class. However, wearing a Chain Shirt
5th edition D&D rules. It still represents how
(Medium Armor) would change the
well your character avoids being wounded in
calculation to simply 10 + Max Dex 2
battle but no longer includes the benefit of
resulting in an automatic 12. The same
armor or shields. Therefore, Armor Class is
character wearing Plate (Heavy Armor) has
calculated by simply calculating 10 + his or
no DEX penalty but must have a STR rating of
her Dexterity modifier. Record your AC on
15+ to wear the armor properly.
your character sheet as you would normally.

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 Points properly, the player simply refers to
DAMAGE THRESHOLD the character’s CON modifier. The modifier
represents the total Hit Points the character
In the GRIMDARK system, Dexterity makes
has at any given time. Level simply adds +1
you harder to hit and armor makes you
Hit Point per level. The only way to gain
harder to damage. However, armor and
additional Hit Points is through magic,
shields don’t last forever. As a character
magical items, Feats, or other such means.
benefits from Damage Reduction during
combat, the armor begins to soak up the For example, GREYSOUL has a 14 for CON
damage, deteriorating and falling apart. meaning that the modifier is +2. Since
GREYSOUL is 5th level, she has a total of 7
Using the general guidelines on page 247 of
Hit Points.
the 5th edition Dungeonmaster’s Guide, I
suggest that armor have the following Record Hit Points as normal on your
Damage Thresholds: character’s sheet.

Light Armor 10 (or 3d6), Shields and

Medium Armor 18 (or 4d8), and Heavy
Armor 27 (or 5d10.)
CRITICAL HITS
Every time a hit is scored against armor or
Critical hits are more frightening in
shields, reduce the Threshold by 1d6. Every
GRIMDARK. Page 106 of the 5th edition
time a “6” is rolled, as a result, roll another d6
Player’s Handbook discusses the standard
and add to the total. Continue to add an
rules for Critical Hits. However, in
additional d6 until a “6” is not rolled.
GRIMDARK things transpire a little
Using this method, it is entirely possible that differently.
one “really good hit” from an enemy could
First, when a “20” is rolled on an Attack roll,
sunder armor or a shield. When the objects
the hit is automatically a Critical Hit. At this
Threshold is reduced to “0” the object is
point, the player will roll again as if he or she
destroyed and no longer offers Damage
were making another Attack roll to check to
Reduction.
see if MASSIVE DAMAGE occurs to the
HIT POINTS enemy.
As with Armor Class, Hit Points are vastly
different in GRIMDARK. To calculate Hit

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 If this second roll results in a second “20” RECOVERY
then the enemy suffers SYSTEM SHOCK. Healing and Resting function differently in
Refer to page 273 for the chart used with GRIMDARK. Refer to page 267 of the 5th
determining the effects of SYSTEM SHOCK. edition Dungeon Master’s Guide to use the
Secondly, a Critical Hit always deals more “Slow Recovery” variant rule, as well as, the
damage, even more so in GRIMDARK. When “Gritty Realism” rules for Resting.
you score a Critical Hit, you roll extra dice
for the attack’s damage against the target.
Roll all of the attack’s damage dice twice and
add them together and DOUBLE it. Then add
SLOW NATURAL HEALING
any relevant modifiers as normal.
For example, GREYSOUL scores a Critical Hit Characters don’t regain hit points at the end
on her enemy. Standard damage dice would of a long rest. Instead, a character can spend
be 1d6+5 but in this case, GREYSOULS’s Hit Dice to heal at the end of a long rest, just
player rolls 2d6 resulting in a 7. The 7 is as with a short rest.
doubled to 14 and then the addition 5 is
added to result in 19 damage. This optional rule prolongs the amount of
Thirdly, the character scoring a Critical Hit time that characters need to recover from
may make another Attack action. Keep in their wounds without the benefits of magical
mind this is an Attack action not just an healing and works well for grittier, more
attack. realistic campaigns.
So that means GREYSOUL (a fighter who has
two attacks for each Attack action) makes
another two attacks. If another Critical Hit is
scored, the process is repeated until either
the target is defeated or no more Critical Hits
are scored.

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 GRITTY REALISM

This variant uses a short rest of 8 hours and a

long rest of 7 days. This puts the brakes on
the campaign, requiring the players to
Using GRIMDARK in a Dungeons & Dragons
carefully judge the benefits and drawbacks of
campaign can add the sense of “fear and
combat. Characters can’t afford to engage in
trepidation” that normal games of Dungeons
too many battles in a row. and all
& Dragons often lack. The possibility of
adventuring requires careful planning. This
character death is a real thing, and it makes
approach encourages the characters to spend
the role-playing sessions more interesting
time out of the dungeon. It's a good option for
and “edge of your seat” because of it.
campaigns that emphasize intrigue. politics.
and interactions among other PCs. and in Give the system a try and then come back to
which combat is rare or something to be The DM's Guild and let me know the results.
avoided rather than rushed into. And as always, Keep Rollin’ Sixes!

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