House rules

House rules is a term commonly used in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game (or other role-playing games) to signify a deviation of game play from the official rules. The usage of house rules has actually been encouraged in official game materials as a way to personalize the game.

House rules can range from the tiniest of changes or additions to substantial deviations that alter the entire game play; it's really up to the imagination of the players. It is interesting to note that most groups do not stick in 100% to the official rules.

Most house rules are made up by the members of a particular group of players, and are never published; nevertheless countless of them have been posted on the web or published via other channels. In fact, any rule book which is not a part of the core rule books, even if it's from the original publishers of the game, is a form of house rules.