Areas (5e Variant Rule)
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"Skip the combat grid. No need to count feet. We're using our 🌈imagination🌈 for this one."
This rule can be used for the entire campaign, or for only some encounters. It's perhaps best used for an improvised combat against multiple hostile creatures.
- An "area" is a square of approximately 30 feet by 30 feet.
- Every creature in the same area can target each other with melee attacks and ranged attacks.
- Hazards can be specific to a zone. For example there might be slippery ice across an entire zone, and at the end of each creature's turn the creature must succeed on a DC 10 Dexterity throw or end their turn prone.
Moving
- When you "move" during your turn, you can move to an adjacent area (including diagonally) unless you're prone or your speed is otherwise reduced.
- A riding horse or another creature with a speed of at least 60 feet can, during its turn, use its "move" to move to an adjacent area twice.
- When you use the Dash action you can move to an adjacent area (again), even if your speed is reduced, so long as your speed isn't reduced to 0.
- If a creature leaves an area, it can be targeted with one opportunity attack. For monsters, the DM decides which monster attacks. For players, they can decide who gets to attempt the attack.
Range & AoE
- If you attack a target in the same area as you with with a bow, crossbow, or firearm, it's treated as a ranged attack in close combat. This normally imposes disadvantage on the attack roll.
- You can attack a target in an area adjacent to yours with any ranged attack. Doing so however is treated as attacking in the weapon's long range, which normally imposes disadvantage on attack rolls. Attacking with a bow, crossbow, firearm, or spell ignores this limitation.
- While in combat you can't attack or target something beyond the adjacent area—perhaps due to trees, walls, or other obstacles in the way. You can however move to an adjacent zone to get a better shot.
- Areas-of-effect that can't target most of an area, such as burning hands, can target any two creatures within the area. AoEs that cover most of an area, such as fireball, must target every creature in an area.
As the DM, you can prepare a dungeon, wilderness, town, or entire adventure with areas in mind. This rule pairs particularly well with the popular "5 Room Dungeon" concept for a quickly-improvised homebrew adventure.
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