Recently a Dungeons & Dragons player shared their idea for a house rule relating to the Disintegrate spell. While the various handbook editions provide a clear set of rules, many campaigns create and use their own D&D house rules to give the game a unique flavor that often improves the overall experience.
Typically used by sorcerers and warlocks, disintegrate is a sixth-level spell that packs a heavy punch against the unfortunate target by dealing a whopping 10d6+40 force damage. Anything that is killed by this spell will turn into a pile of ash, and this includes everything that individual or creature was carrying. While resurrections can be quite common in a D&D campaign, those who are disintegrated can have a tougher time than most as their body no longer exists. In spite of all of the upside, however, disintegrate can end up being a complete waste of a spell if the target succeeds a dexterity saving throw.
That rule was the topic of conversation between D&D players Justice Ramin Arman and Hannah Rose, the former of which tweeted a potential D&D house rule amendment that could be implemented for the spell. If the target of the spell succeeds their dexterity saving throw, then the disintegration spell should continue on as a line spell and target whoever or whatever is behind it. Should that secondary target also succeed a dexterity saving throw, then the process continues until something is hit and takes damage.
D&D house rule inspired by a conversation with @wildrosemage:
If the target of a disintegrate spell succeeds on their Dexterity save, the ray now functions as a line spell, targeting whoever (or whatever) is behind the original intended target and so on until it hits something.
— Justice Ramin Arman (@justicearman) January 12, 2022
In the official rules of 5e, a successful dexterity saving throw against Disintegrate simply means the spell causes zero damage. This is a considerable departure from most spells in Dungeons & Dragons that deal damage; in most cases, if a target succeeds a saving throw against a damage-dealing spell, they take half the damage they would have taken on a failure. Disintegrate seems to have omitted this mechanic in favor of a much larger amount of damage dealt on a successful saving throw.
The beauty of Dungeons & Dragons, however, lies in the fact that the rules of the game are not ironclad, especially in home campaigns. As many fans of the game will state, the Player’s Handbook is more like guidelines than actual rules. They can be altered to fit any sort of campaign, depending on how grounded or ridiculous those involved want it to be. This home-brew rule for Disintegrate has the potential to make the spell even deadlier, which in turn can make any campaign it is implemented in all the more fun by adding yet another potential risk.
Source: Justice Ramin Arman/Twitter, Hannah Rose/Twitter
About The Author
