It is a well established trend to compare Dungeons & Dragons to various Indie TTRPGs. Often times, these discussions are framed around the question of which mechanics could be imported from these systems into D&D 2024 or 5e. The progress clocks of Blades in the Dark, monster protocols from Crown & Skull or skill challenges from D&D 4th Edition come to mind. People love taking the best mechanics of one game and putting them into D&D. 

This process is not limited to mechanics. Even general ideas about gameplay, like the collaborative worldbuilding of Dungeon World, are imported into 5e. Sometimes, these games teach us lessons we then apply to D&D, like how you can easily simplify stat blocks in the spirit of ICRPG.

This made me think: Does this work vice versa? Are there lessons we can take from 5e and apply them to the various other system we are playing?

The most widespread mechanic taken from D&D 5e might be the advantage/disadvantage mechanic. Here is Marisha Rey from Critical Role explaining the mechanic, 6 years before they adapted this very mechanic into their own came, Daggerheart.

The Long Rest: Self Selected Difficulty

D&D is a simple game. Not in terms of rules, of course, but in terms of gameplay. Winning fights following recommended challenge ratings is hardly a challenge for even the least tactical groups. One of the main aspects that makes it so easy is without a doubt the long rest: Whenever you feel like you need to refill your resources, you can completely regain all of them by simply stating that you want to long rest. In-game, about 8 hours pass and you can continue with your adventure. While there are methods to circumvent this, Dungeon Masters do not get many tools to actually do so. Even interrupting a rest does not hinder its completion (the rest is allowed to be interrupted for one hour, while most fights last barely a minute). 

While this makes it harder to design challenges as a Game Master, it does have major benefits for the games balance. The players can effectively self select how hard they want the game to be. If they are feeling brave, they can push forward after each fight, not stopping until evil is defeated. If they are feeling insecure, there is not a lot within the rules stopping them from taking a couple of rests. Technically they can only take one long rest a day, but unless your in-game days take multiple sessions, this should not come up often. This way, if the Game Master made the game hard, the players can counteract this by taking more rests. If the game is easy, they will feel confident in pushing forward.

Counterbalancing the Game Masters power with player activated mechanics can be a good way to ensure a feeling of fairness in your games. Giving these mechanics a low cost (like the passing of 8 in-game hours) will ensure they are not overused, but can still be applied without much consideration. In the same way, coupling them to a resource the flow of which the Game Master & players control together (in D&Ds case this is the passage of time) can ensure balance through a friendly tug of war.

Characters can rest for a full reset of their abilities most of the time in D&D. This allows players to control the difficulty of their campaign. Art licensed by Dean Spencer

Long Combats: Creative Breaks

The combat of modern Dungeons & Dragons is notorious for being long and cumbersome. Many blows are exchanged without them necessarily changing the dramatic stakes of the scene. When entering combat, the flow of the game changes completely. It shifts from free flowing roleplaying to strict 6 second rounds and initiative order. The vague space of the Game Master's descriptions turns into to strict movement on a 5ft. grid. The options narrow from the endless possibilities of the theatre of the mind to the hard facts on the map and character sheet. 

While these factors have been criticized, there are upsides to this sudden jump from a roleplaying experience into a tactical wargame. First and foremost, this type of situation triggers a different part of the brain than exploration or social encounters (traditionally played in the theatre of the mind). No longer do you have to come up with clever descriptions or improvise dramatic scenes, but can sit back and relax while the tactical mind takes over. Now the decisions are about attack modifiers, spell slots and distances.

These creative breaks can help the Game Masters during preparation - sure, a Goblin Ambush is not necessarily a dramatic masterpiece, but it will fill significant session time with little preparation. During the game, relaxing your creative muscles can be nice, especially if you know the game well. Experienced Game Masters and players can essentially play D&D combat on autopilot and just let their thoughts spiral for a while, being refreshed for the roleplay that follows after the combat is over. Having alternative game modes that completely differ from your regular gameplay can therefore have certain benefits.

This is the map of Outdoor Survival (1972). This was a completely separate game required to play OD&D. Its strict procedures take many creative preparations off the Game Masters shoulder.

Conclusion

There are many things we can learn from each TTRPG and incorporate into others. Even though it often feels like the default, D&D does have some hidden benefits in its mechanics and style of play. We can recognize and benefit from these lessons and take them to the TTRPG of your choice - just the way we adapt other game mechanics into D&D.

Jonas from Dungeon Merlin has posted an excellent rebuttal to my thesis on his blog, if you are interested in a different view on this matter!