D&D 5E A Collection of Minor House Rules

[dregntael]

If you have the Extra Attack class feature, two-weapon fighting doesn’t use your bonus action.

Readying an attack only uses up one of your attacks.

If a character gets surrounded by two or more attackers, the attackers can divide themselves in two groups flanking the character. The character chooses which group to face, the other group has advantage when attacking the character.

When you drop to zero hit points, you immediately lose one hit die. If you don’t have any left, you fall unconscious until you finish a long rest.

You can use a spell scroll even if the spell is not on your spell list by making an Intelligence (Arcana) check of DC 5 + the spell’s level. On a failed roll, you suffer a scroll mishap (see DMG p. 140).

You automatically know the following spells and cantrips if they appear on your spell list: druidcraft, hex, hunter’s mark, prestidigitation, and thaumaturgy.

The casting time of counterspell is one action instead of one reaction (so you have to ready it on your turn).

When you roll a natural 1 on a weapon attack, your weapon is damaged, giving a cumulative -1 penalty to damage until it is repaired.

When someone rolls a natural 20 on a weapon attack against you, your armor is damaged, giving a cumulative -1 penalty to AC until it is repaired.

Path of the Berserker: Frenzy does not cause exhaustion, but the bonus attack is made with disadvantage.

Wildshape: Half of the damage you take in beast form carries over to your regular form.

Champion: Your maximum hit points are increased by 1 per level.

Path of the Four Elements: The ki cost of all elemental disciplines is reduced by 1.

Paladin Aura of Protection: You must choose one saving throw to grant the bonus to. You can change the saving throw as a bonus action.

Beastmaster: When you take the Attack action, you can use a bonus action to command your companion to make an attack against the same target.

 

[clearstream]

Increasing your Hit Point Maximum
If you choose to roll your Hit Die to increase your hit point maximum, you may reroll any die that comes up 1.

Unarmed
Hands and feet have the Light weapon property.

Swimming in Armour
Armour that disadvantages Dexterity (Stealth) also disadvantages Strength (Athletics) checks made to swim.

Moving while Blind
Each foot of movement costs 2 extra feet of speed. Contact with a sighted guide lets you move at normal costs. If you Dash while blind you must make a Dexterity (Acrobatics) check (DC12) or fall prone.

Dodge
Also applies disadvantage to rolls made for special melee attacks.

Demographics
About 1/100 people have tier 1 character class-equivalence, with an order of magnitude fewer per tier above that.

Building a Stronghold
Work can continue while the character is away, but each 2 days the character is away adds 1 day to the construction time.

 

[cmad1977]

Soft on HP, ruthless on damage.
Roll for hp, if the roll is lower than the printed "average" take the printed value. Then prepare to face the full might of any and all creatures you face.


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[Illithidbix]

Take the "1 interact with an object" rule and throw it under a bus.
Personally I think the "interacting with object" rule is vastly more restrictive than it needs to be, and is rather out of place with the rest of 5E rules.

Many of the most common interactions with items—drawing or sheathing a sword, moving through a door that opens easily, picking up a scroll, withdrawing a potion from your backpack, and the like—do not require an action. You are generally assumed to be able to incorporate such uses into your turn, while you move and take your action.
Sometimes, however, the DM will require you to use your action when an item needs special care or when it presents an unusual obstacle. For instance, a DM could reasonably expect you to use an action to open a stuck door.
(Although I have heard that using it does add a tactical element to the game and makes single one-handed weapon users more viable as a useful concept)

All Rangers know Hunter's Mark for free
Rangers get such a tiny number of known spells and the class seems to depend upon Hunter's mark to stay competitive in combat.
Paladins (who technically have the same spell progression) will probably not only be able to prepare more spells that the ranger knows (1/2 paladin level + CHA mod), but also get Oath spells automatically prepared.


My 3 potential fixes for Moon Druids. Moon druids are considered by many to be somewhat over powerful; at least at low levels. I've come up with three fixes... depending on exactly what issues you have with them.

1) All the damage you have taken in Beast Form is applied to your normal HP when you shift out.
It encourages druids to use the "burn spellslots of Beast Form healing" which already exists.
If it's too brutal change it to "half the damage" or another fraction.

2) After you have shifted out of Beast Form you cannot use Wild Shape for 1 minute (10 rounds)
(Regardless of whether the shift was voluntary or not)
To prevent shifting into a bear, then shifting immediately back in again as you loose all your bear hitpoints.

- This also deals with people whining about ArchDruid!

3) Reduce Wild Shape Max CR for level 2 and 3 Moon Druids
CR 1/2 for 2nd and 3rd level moon druids (Black Bears and Crocodiles) [Hell the Black bear still has 19 HP, like a 2nd level Fighter, but far lower AC and more reasonable attacks]
CR 1 for 4-5 Druids (Brown Bears and Dire Wolves)
CR 2 for level 6 etc (and continue with CR Level/3 from then on)
From my own experience of playing a Moon Druid, playing alongside Moon Druid and DMing for Moon Druids... never actually felt the need to implement any of the rules. I am almost just happier to let Moon Druids shine at level 2 and 3.

Magical Healing does not work very effectively on most "normal" NPCs
This is more a specific detail for my campaign, where magic is mostly just a legend and the PC are superhuman "Unfettered" (i.e have classes and levels and memories of ancient times ), because D&D characters *are* superhuman.

If an NPC is wounded and dying then healing magic will *help a bit... maybe* but you can't just Heal a dying NPC for 1 HP and expect to straight back to their feet like players do.
Sometimes the magic can save a NPC's life, although they're still probably going to be crippled by such critical injuries, perhaps permanently. Other times it may only ease pain and allow the NPC to live a little longer.
Mostly... yeah it's upto the DM's choice and what serves the narrative the best.

 

[Ovarwa]

PCs and their associated creatures (summonses, familiars, etc) roll d12s instead of d20s to hit or to save. NPCs roll d20s as usual.

 

[Lanliss]

Remembered another, Sorcerers can use Con for their casting stat, a permanent choice made at 1st level.

 

[SkidAce]

PCs and their associated creatures (summonses, familiars, etc) roll d12s instead of d20s to hit or to save. NPCs roll d20s as usual.

I don't understand....so PCs and their creatures hit and save less? (cause a d12 wont roll high enough to hit or save?)

 

[Tersival]

Some excellent houserules in this thread, my players may grow to hate me finding it. Personal favorites from my table:

Any time a character or creature takes damage reducing them to zero HPs, they must make a Constitution save, against a DC equal to the 8 plus damage taken, or sustain a wound from the Lingering Injury table, DMG p.272. (assuming this variation of the optional rule counts as a houserule)

Magical Weapons grant rerolls of any die equal to or lower than their enchantment bonuses. Weapon damage dice for a +1 weapon are rerolled on a 1, for a +2 weapon they’re rerolled on a 1 or 2, for a +3 weapon they’re rerolled on a 1, 2 or 3.

Any spell focus item may also be enchanted to grant a +1, +2 or +3 bonus to spell attack rolls and DCs, (not just Wands of the Warmage).

Masterwork weapons cost double and grant +1 to Attacks (“Balanced”) or +1 to Damage (“Weighted”); Masterwork armor costs double and may be “Lightened” (-25% weight); or “Reinforced” (reduces non-magical damage by one point per hit).

Concentration, spellcasters may cast additional concentration spells but, when triggered, concentration checks must be made at disadvantage for each concentration effect and any fail disrupts all ongoing concentration effects.

 

[Ovarwa]

I don't understand....so PCs and their creatures hit and save less? (cause a d12 wont roll high enough to hit or save?)

Exactly! This is *the* house rule for groups that believe D&D5 is easy mode. Who needs pages of targeted nerfs when this one rule does it all! Sharpshooter and GWM giving you sleepless nights due to their unbridled power? This itty bitty rule pretty much guarantees all on its lonesome that players will almost never opt for -5/+10, except against NPCs they are *supposed* to mow down like chaff. Best of all, we fix things to make absolutely sure that everyone who feel Champions suck are now absolutely right! Because, you know, critting on a 19 is no longer possible. Oh, and d12s are too cool a die to be so underutilized. Really, this is the best house rule of all. It's so good that we should call it Rule -1. Because it should take pride of place *before* Rule 0. Anyway, Ken

 

[CapnZapp]

Lol

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