Hey so recently my players wanted to shift from 2e to 5e and I don't like how different they are especially with being able to use all weapons and armour at 1st level choosing the right class or being completely healed from one nights rest. I know it's trying to make things a lot easier to use but I feel it takes away from the experience of the game such as finding a powerful magic weapon that your not proficient with and spending the time and effort to get proficient with it but that's just me.
I was thinking of adding/changing the following rules and want to know what everyone thinks and what other ideas could be used.
1. Short rest 8 hours of rest – Long rest 1 week of normal rest or 3 days with healer
- Must have someone with healing proficiency or healing pollutes or similar
2. Being proficient with martial weapons lets you choose 5 weapons from the martial weapon list to be proficient with and have +1 to attacks in all other weapons
-being proficient with simple weapons lets you choose 8 weapons from the simple weapon list to be proficient in and +1 to all others
3. At short rests you can use the abilities from rest of the weary
4. Critical hits and failures in combat cause a roll on a table for extra effects, a critical can instra kill anyone if the roll is right
5. Weapon speeds will effect initiative, I’ll be making a table
6. You don’t have to speak your races language if it doesn’t suit your backstory. It can be changed for any other language that makes sense for your backstory
7. Reading and writing will be an intelligence skill and can be chosen by any class or race instead of one being given
I will also be changing the magic system to be more like 2e with the spheres as to me it doesn't make sense that a cleric of life would be able to raise any undead.
I will probably also do something to wizards as being able to pick any spell and just know it without any training or even know of the spells existence seems OP and doesn't make sense to me.
Please tell me what you think of the rules above and if you can think of any more. Thnaks
I am certain someone has mentioned this by now, but some of the things you want to accomplish are already available in the DMG as adventuring and combat options:
1. Gritty Realism (DMG p. 267), Healer's Kit Dependency (p. 266), and Slow Natural Healing (p. 267)
4. Lingering Injuries (p. 272) sort of covers this.
5. Initiative Modifiers (p. 271)
2. Works fine. It is a bit more bookkeeping, but nothing major.
3. No idea what this is--sorry.
6. Sure, why not.
7. Hmm... the number of skills most characters get is pretty limited, so I would advise against your idea here. But, you do have a valid point, too, because in many stations of medieval life, reading and writing was NOT common at all. If that is the flavor for your game, I don't think using your idea would break anything.
Any changes to the magic system might change the nature of the system in your game. Doesn't mean it won't work, but I'd give it a lot of thought.
As for arcane spells, I agree a lot with you on this one. I remember in 1E the "Change to Know Each Listed Spell" was the same as your chance to learn a spell. A simple way to implement this in 5E would make the chance 5% per point of Intelligence (alternatively Charisma for Sorcerers and Warlocks). So, an Int 14 would have a 70% to know of a spell, and you could even use the same number for the chance to learn it, maybe allowing additional attempts with each new level.
Finally, many posts will say "Don't change it! Play it first. You'll learn to love it. Blah blah blah." And you know what, they are right in their way. 5E, played completely RAW, works fine. That doesn't mean, however, it works as YOU want to play it. So, change what you want. If you find out later on a change was a bad idea, go RAW or come up with something else. I personally love house-rules and I will have several of them before it is over. Remember...
Make it yours and your players game so you have as much fun as possible!