These sound really cool. Mind sharing specifics on how you've implemented these?
Sure! I also like several of [MENTION=5889]Stalker0[/MENTION]'s – I realized I always assumed death saves don't reset until a short rest, when RAW has them resetting automatically when you are "stable."
Simplified encumbrance... this one is fast and loose, but the closest I've found online are
ANSWULF'S SIMPLIFIED ENCUMBRANCE RULES FOR 5E which uses old English "stones" as unit of measurement. Instead, what I was doing in our face-to-face game (before it went into hiatus) was creating a visual "equipment grid" for each PC based on the Strength (or rarely racial traits) where each grid roughly = 1 stone (14 lbs). I would put a grey silhouette of a humanoid in the background of the grid as well as a rough size comparison reference. Then players could just sketch in stuff using simple/common sense guidelines. Eventually, I intended to add magic item slots too. However...one of the challenges of this approach was for fighter-types who up their Strength as they level up, requiring the addition of more grids/stones to their equipment tracking sheet.
Elite monsters... involve a bunch of changes so I'll put it in spoilers:
[SBLOCK=Elites]
Elites are a cut above other monsters in terms of their ability to withstand punishment and effectively fulfill their combat role. Generally, they draw from monsters of CR 2 or higher and have Multiattack; an orc war chief named Black Feathers would be a good example. A Legendary Monster could make sense as an elite, depending on its CR and how the DM uses it. Narratively, elites are often named or foreshadowed monsters who don’t necessarily have extensive backstory; they are encountered either leading standard monsters or minions, in small groups of 2-3, or rarely alone when the environment or circumstance would still make a single elite a challenge. Ideally, a single elite is a good challenge for two PCs.
Hit Points: Instead of calculating an elite’s HP using the average of each hit die, use 75% of the maximum die value. For example, take a CR 4 orc warchief (93 hp, 11d8+44 hit dice) from the MM. Instead of calculating its HP assuming a result of 4.5 for each hit die, calculate it as 6 for each hit die. Thus its HP increases to 110.
Saving Throws: Any saving throws to which the monster doesn’t already apply its proficiency bonus gain half its proficiency bonus. For example, our orc war chief already is proficient in Strength, Constitution, and Wisdom saves, so those stay the same. However, it adds +1 (half of its proficiency bonus) to Dexterity, Intelligence, and Charisma saves.
Improved Criticals: When the elite monster scores a critical hit it deals an extra die of damage if it’s CR 1-4, two extra damage dice if CR 5-10, three extra damage dice if CR 11-16, and four extra damage dice if CR 17+.
Enduring: The elite monster gain the “Enduring” trait:
- If the elite would be immobilized or restrained, the elite instead has its speed reduced by half and must repeat the saving throw at the start of its next turn; if it succeeds its speed remains half for as long as the spell or effect dictates it would be immobilized/restrained, whereas if it fails it becomes immobilized or restrained as normal.
- If the elite would be stunned or dominated, the elite instead grants advantage to all attacks made against it and suffers vulnerability against the next attack to hit it before the start of its next turn, and the elite must repeat the saving throw at the start of its next turn; if it succeeds it continues to grant advantage for as long as the spell or effect dictates it would be stunned or dominated, whereas if it fails it becomes stunned or dominated as normal.
Class Features (Optional): The DM may wish to give the monster one or two class features if appropriate. However, this is very much an art, as some features (e.g. Sneak Attack) are worth enough that you’ll need to recalculate the monster’s CR entirely, whereas other features are low enough impact that they are easily accounted for in the bump to XP value described below (e.g. Reckless Attack), and others have no effect on the monster’s mechanics at all (e.g. Thieves’ Cant). For our orc warchief Black Feathers, I’m inclined to give him the barbarian’s Reckless Attack as a feature and call it a day.
Boosting # of Uses (Optional): If the monster has a recharge ability or an ability usable a number of times per day, the DM may wish to increase this by one step. For example, an orc warchief can use Battle Leader 1/day. For Black Feathers, I could increase that to 2/day, but since I’m anticipating using him in a more guerilla warfare format where he attacks and withdraws, I’m going to make Battle Leader usable once per short or long rest.
XP Value: Because it can stave off crippling effects better, has more hit points, and potentially deadly critical hits, an elite monster is worth about 125% of the XP of the baseline monster. For example our orc warchief (usually worth 1,100 XP) would be valued at 1,375 XP. [/SBLOCK]
My trap system is a big topic, and traps probably merit a thread of their own. My ideas came about from play experiences DMing some trap-filled dungeons including
Tomb of Horrors,
Dragon Mountain, a couple
Dungeon magazine dungeons, a homebrew dungeon, and an adventure/dungeon I'm writing for publication called
Krak al-Mazhar: Citadel of the Shadow in the Flame; The Angry GM's article
Traps Suck (particularly his articulation of the "click rule"); and the UA on traps as well as
this thread discussing that UA.
That link has a lot of my design thinking (scattered over a couple posts), but I'll post my initial take on trap triggers in spoilers...
[SBLOCK=Trap Triggers & Rethinking Traps]
Mechanical Triggers
False Floor, Lever, Pressure Plate, Spring Mechanism, Tripwire
False Floor
A false floor is a brittle or fragile section of floor, typically designed to conceal some variety of pit trap. It gives way when a certain amount of weight is placed on it (usually ~50 lbs).
Trap Examples: pit trap, spiked pit trap, gelatinous cub pit trap, acid pit trap, etc.
Notice: Most of the time, a false floor is undetectable. Wisdom (Perception) checks can detect signs of weathering where monsters skirt the false floor or periodically replace it, but will not identify the false floor itself. The exception to this is that a dwarf will automatically recognize the change in stonework used for a false floor built into stone.
Saving Throw: When a character triggers a false floor, they must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw as it crumbles away beneath them. On a failed save, the character falls into whatever trap awaits below the floor. On a successful save, the character can use a Reaction to grip the edge of what is now a hole, though this requires two free hands (i.e. dropping anything they were holding, which falls down the hole).
Disarm: Interpretting the signs of a false floor and skirting around it is the best defense, as is flying or levitating. Alternately, a false floor can be triggered with a sufficiently heavy object or a long plank can be laid across it allowing safe passage.
Encounter Design: False floors can be dangerous when used with particularly threatening pit trap, but their real danger comes from their ability to split the party. Additionally the threat posed by a false floor is magnified when encountered with monsters that Shove or otherwise inflict forced movement (e.g. minotaurs) or spells and effects that inflict forced movement (e.g. gust of wind). False floors are a great way to use a trap to tell a story, opening up a heretofor unexplored area of a dungeon.
Lever
A lever is a trigger that is deliberately pulled by monsters (or unwitting characters) to activate a trap. This includes winches, pulley systems, or any other mechanism that requires an action be taken to activate.
Trap Examples: falling gate, false doorknob, scything blades
Notice: Generally, a lever’s presence will be obvious, requiring no check to notice. However, sometimes a lever will be placed in a recessed alcove that is designed so it’s not visible until either in bright light or within 30 feet of a character with darkvision. Other times a lever will be disguised as something else, such as a doorknob, rung of a ladder, or even a book on a shelf.
Disarm: A lever can be switched off as an action. It can also be jammed with a piece of equipment such as a crowbar or dagger preventing it from being pulled. While thieves’ tools aren’t much help with disarming a lever, they can be used – given at least 5 minutes – to swap the on and off positions of the lever.
Encounter Design: A lever is usually placed in a place that’s hard for character to reach, but easy for monsters. Getting within 30 feet of the lever (mage hand range) should usually be a challenge. Sometimes, however, a disguised lever will be placed in plain view.
Pressure Plate
A pressure plate is a section of floor masked to look indistinguishable from the rest of the floor, that when a certain amount of weight is placed onto it (often about 50 pounds), and then removed from it, triggers a trap.
Trap Examples: falling gate, poison darts, rolling sphere
Notice: A well-designed pressure plate is usually not noticed until it is triggered, when a character feels it drop about an inch beneath them with a soft “click” sound. Causing structural damage, however, such as knocking over a pillar with a thunderwave spell or a ring of blasting, will cause a pressure plate to vibrate. Additionally, a character with tremorsense can detect the presence of a pressure plate with a DC 20 Wisdom (Perception) check, due to subtle fluctuations of the plate in response to creatures moving across the floor.
Disarm: The easiest way to handle a pressure plate is to find a suitably heavy object to weigh it down, thereby freeing a creature to step off of the plate safely. However, tearing out nearby flagstones – requiring at least 5 minutes – allows a character using thieves’ tools (or ball bearings) to prop up the plate so that it cannot be depressed anymore.
Encounter Design: A pressure plate presents a dilemma for characters to resolve, and thus it’s best placed in an area that will either feature some other external pressures (e.g. monsters or another trap) or in an area that the characters will repeatedly pass through (e.g. a “junction room” in a dungeon). Small humanoids may design pressure plates which have a weight threshold allowing Small creatures to pass over without triggering.
Spring Mechanism
A spring mechanism involves a tightly coiled spring, typically tiny and well hidden, that triggers when a trapped object is opened or physically manipulated.
Trap Examples: bear trap, bladed puzzle box, poison needle
Notice: In most cases, a spring mechanism is unnoticeable to the eye. Only a thorough examination of a trapped object – requiring at least 5 minutes and bright light – allows a character to make an Intelligence (Investigation) check to notice the glint of the spring mechanism inside the object.
Disarm: Simply avoiding the trapped object is the best defense, while thieves’ tools are the ideal way to disarm a spring mechanism. Lacking thieves’ tools, a character can attempt to break the object with an attack (referring to the damaging objects rule in the DMG), though if an attack deals insufficient damage to destroy the object then the spring mechanism triggers.
Encounter Design: One of the most iconic traps of D&D is the poison needle hidden in the lock of a treasure chest. Because traps with a spring mechanism are hard to detect, it’s best to either foreshadow them or include a brief window in which the effects can be countered by a well-prepared party (e.g. a poison with an onset time that doesn’t take effect instantly).
Tripwire
A tripwire is typically a thin piece of filament, such as fishing line or a giant spider’s spinneret, stretched across a passage holding a trap in tension. A creature moving into the tripwire while moving at a normal or fast pace triggers the trap.
Trap Examples: crossbow trap, falling net, spiderweb
Notice: A Wisdom (Perception) check allows a character moving cautiously to notice a tripwire. However, a character moving quickly (such as in the heat of combat) automatically triggers a tripwire they are unaware of.
Saving Throw: When a character triggers a tripwire when not moving quickly or in combat, they must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, the tripwire is broken and the trap is triggered. On a successful save, the character’s foot presses into the tripwire but they’re able to stop themselves before breaking it entirely; the character can use an action to Disengage safely from the tripwire, and when disengaging in this way their speed is reduced to 5 feet until the end of their turn.
Disarm: Flying or levitating often avoids a tripwire altogether, as most tripwires are placed low to the ground. Taking an action to attack a tripwire can trigger the trap at a safe distance. An Intelligence (Investigation) check may be necessary to deduce where a tripwire leads to; once that area is located then thieves’ tools can be used to safely end the tension on the tripwire without triggering the trap.
Encounter Design: Because tripwires can be noticed by observant characters, they are best placed where the characters’ guards will be down or external pressure is a factor (in the form of monsters, other traps, or a time limit). As a “minimum investment” trap trigger, tripwires can be set up in dungeons where new occupants have moved in or otherwise have little time to prepare their defenses.
Magical Triggers
Inscription, ?, ?...
Inscription
A magical inscription, like the glyph of warding spell, is a form of abjuration wherein runes are inscribed with glowing light that then fade to become invisible over time. A spoken password chosen by the creator of the inscription, allows a creature to safely bypass its magic.
Trap Examples: any use of glyph of warding, fire-breathing statues, sphere of annihilation
Notice: A magical inscription is almost invisible to the senses, though an Intelligence (Arcana or Investigation) check made as part of a thorough search – typically requiring at least 5 minutes – will discover barely perceptible glowing runes. If this check is made in pitch darkness it has advantage. Detect magic will always detect a magical inscription as abjuration magic.
Disarm: Because an inscription is born of the magical word, it can be disarmed with the right password. The password chosen by the creator of the inscription must be thematically linked to the warded area/object or the effect of the spell; for example, an inscription that triggers a spell dealing cold damage might require choosing a password related to “fire” or “heat.” The details are left up to the DM and his or her campaign world. Dispel magic cast at the appropriate level will also disarm the inscription. Finally, certain rare magical items may allow a character to subtly rewrite an inscription they are aware of with a Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check and at least 5 minutes – on a success, the character can subtly change the password or the triggered trap at the DM’s discretion. Thieves’ tools can’t disarm a magical inscription.
Encounter Design: It’s worthwhile to think of unique ways that characters can become aware of this trigger without detect magic and overcome it without dispel magic. Consider which creatures in the dungeon know the password. Additionally, when a character is initially entering an area warded by a magical inscription, the DM should give subtle clues about the presence of magic, such as an unnatural pressure in the air or a faint change in environmental conditions mirroring the type of trap about to be triggered; if the PC proceeds forward regardless, then the trap triggers.
Variations: An inscription may be reversed, its glowing writing appearing backwards to detect magic; such a reversed inscription doesn’t trigger initially when crossed, instead becoming active a round after creatures have entered the warded area. Now, it will trigger if any creature tries to leave the warded area without speaking the password. A reversed inscription will give away subtle clues as a creature is about to cross its threshold both before and after becoming active.
Age of Inscription.....PC Level.....Spell Level.....Notice/Disarm DC
0-10 years....................1st-4th........1st-2nd..........DC 15
11-100 years................5th-10th......3rd-5th..........DC 18
101-1,000 years...........11th-16th.....6th-8th..........DC 21
1,001+ years...............17th-20th.....9th................DC 24
[/SBLOCK]