House Rules: Four Stunts

Four Standard Stunts to Drop into a D&D-adjacent Game

Four Standard Stunts in a Fight

Disarm. Strip away something the target is holding. If you have a free hand, you are holding that something now. Something held in at least two hands is harder to disarm.
Grapple. Grab hold of the target and do not let go (see the condition).
Shove. Shove a target a few paces back, like down a flight of stairs, or into a cosmic void. Situational.
Topple. Knock a target prone (see the condition). Bigger targets are harder to topple.

How to Do the Thing*

*Use Disarm, Grapple, Shove, or Topple in a Fight

Say you’re doing the thing, make us see what it could look like, and make an attack roll.

On a hit, you do the thing and do not deal damage.
On a critical hit, you do the thing and deal ability score modifier damage.
On a miss, consequences happen: maybe you get hit automatically for damage, or maybe the target does the thing you were trying to do right back at you.

The Four Standard Stunts can be stretched or altered to fit different circumstances, within limits established by the table. Can your character Disarm to snatch a worn necklace? Sure. Snatch off a pair of worn pants? Depends on your table. Yoink a creature’s worn underwear? Definitely depends on your table.

You might allow Fighters to deal ability score modifier damage on a hit while trying to do the thing. Perhaps gaining more effect or more damage if a Fighter scores a critical hit while doing the thing.