Alternative Inspiration
Inspiration is a mechanic in Dungeons & Dragons that enables the DM to encourage and acknowledge moments of exceptional role-playing or creative problem-solving. It's a way for the DM to say, "Good work!" by granting your character a tangible benefit in-game. The DM can choose to give your character inspiration for any reason, for example:
You play out your personality traits in a compelling way.
You come up with an especially clever idea.
You act in a way that is inspiring or heroic.
You find a way to entertain or surprise the group through humor or dramatic storytelling.
You make a choice that aligns with your character’s beliefs, even if it may not be beneficial.
Your character either has inspiration or does not—you can’t stockpile multiple “inspirations” for later use.
Using Inspiration
If you have inspiration, you can expend it when you make an attack roll, saving throw, or ability check. Spending your inspiration gives you advantage on that roll.
Additionally, if you have inspiration, you can reward another player for good roleplaying, clever thinking, or simply doing something exciting in the game. When another player character does something that really contributes to the story in a fun and interesting way, you can give up your inspiration to give that character inspiration.
Alternative Inspiration Rules
The standard Inspiration rules, while simple, are often arbitrary in their awarding and easy for both the DM and players to forget. Since Inspiration is typically awarded based on subjective judgment, it can feel inconsistent, or players might overlook moments where they’ve earned it. Here are some alternative rules that provide clearer guidance on when and how to award inspiration while still encouraging dynamic gameplay..
Collaborative Inspiration. Instead of individual inspiration, all earned inspiration goes into a group pool that can be spent on any player's rolls. This encourages a feeling of teamwork, and means people are less likely to forget inspiration is available.
Flawed Inspiration. Players can gain inspiration by deliberately choosing to play up their character flaws, quirks, and weaknesses. This encourages nuanced and interesting roleplaying.
Session Inspiration. Players receive inspiration at the beginning of each session, and any unused inspiration is lost at the end of the session. This makes it much easier for players to track inspiration, as they only have to remember if they have used it this session or not.
Critical Success Inspiration. When a player rolls a 20 on a d20 check, they gain inspiration. This adds a little extra excitement to critical hits, and potentially encourages a player to follow a critical roll with more heroic action.
Critical Failure Inspiration. When a player rolls a 1 on a d20 check, they gain inspiration. This gives the player a chance to quickly pivot from a failure.
Gratitude Inspiration. Players can give inspiration to other players for helping them out. This encourages a positive and cooperative environment at the table.