D&D 5E House rules based on experience with Bg3

[wicked cool]

My group has talked about possible house rules based on our experiences with Bg3

Some are
Drinking a potion bonus action
2 short rests before a long rest (1/2 health restored)

 

[Seramus]

Those are some well known house rules that many players seem to enjoy. Go for it!

 

[jgsugden]

I've used drinking a potion as a bonus action since the start of 5E. I've played with a lot of DMs and it seems to be the most popular house rule out there.

I am not changing my rules per se, but I use magic items to test out rule changes and there are a few new ones inspired by BG3.

Fey Rope - A Vine Rope that allows you to cast Rope Trick twice per day. However, the Rope Trick takes you to the Fey Wild and time will pass at 1 hour inside the trap being 1 minute outside the trap. This effectively allows you to take a short rest in 1 minute. It lasts for 5 minutes outside the trap - allowing you to take part of a long rest, or to use both charges to take a long rest in 2 minutes.

'Homebrew' Spells - I have introduced the BG3 version of a number of spells into my game. For example, I have a spell called Strider that is a ritual to cast and grants +10 movement for 8 hours.

Elixir Bottles - I have added magical potion bottles that extent the duration of potions that last 1 hour to 8 hours.

Duergar Harnesses - A magical harness that grants a Duergar a number of charges equal to their Proficiency Bonus each morning. The charges can be used to recover their spent Innate spellcasting.

 

[DarkCrisis]

My group has talked about possible house rules based on our experiences with Bg3

Some are
Drinking a potion bonus action
2 short rests before a long rest (1/2 health restored)

More power to you and your table, but do you really need even more healing?

Though I suppose that would help with not needing a dedicated healer in a group.

I could see it if no one wanted to play a Cleric or Druid or whatever.

 

[jgsugden]

More power to you and your table, but do you really need even more healing?...

Can't speak for the OP, but both the potion and short rest alterations impact a lot more than just healing.

Short rest to recover action surge, ki points, warlock spells, wildshape, channel divinity, etc... is a major thing. The full hour rest time for a short rest can be problematic for a dungeon setting with dynamic encounters - specifically, where monsters do not just sit and wait in their designated room.

Potions are used differently in different games, but they make a lot of appearances in my games and are used for a lot more than just healing. I asked myself what potions would rich people in big cities want, what potions would adventurers want, and what potions would caretakers want the people they care for to have - and then I made those. A lot of them are things we'd want in the real world - a potion that gives you the benefit of a night's sleep in one gulp. A potion that allows you to alter your body in any way you want for a bit. Potions that make everyone think you're more funny/beautiful/sexy. A potion that allows you to do things better (skills, tools). A potion that allows you to escape (misty step, gaseous form, go to the feywild/shadowfell/ethereal plane) or hide (polymorph into a rat, invisibility). A potion that allows you to cast defensive spells (blur, mirror image, blink, protection from good/evil). Potions that are offensive in nature (enlarge, strength, emit an aura of rot/necrotic damage). Potions that allow you to understand (comprehend languages, divinations, etc...) I have a lot of potions that are inspired by super powers.

The most interesting potions tend to be the ones that I design for 'non-combat' when people find interesting ways to use them in combat or social engagements to avoid combat.

Side suggestion as long as we're talking potions - Most of my potions expire. They begin to fade in color and would eventually lose their potency. I leave it ambiguous, usually, how long they have - but when the PCs know they could expire 'soon', they're more likey to use them rather than end up having 50 of them in their backpack when they retire ... which is what I saw most of the time in my first few decades of D&D.

 

[Nebulous]

Side suggestion as long as we're talking potions - Most of my potions expire. They begin to fade in color and would eventually lose their potency. I leave it ambiguous, usually, how long they have - but when the PCs know they could expire 'soon', they're more likey to use them rather than end up having 50 of them in their backpack when they retire ... which is what I saw most of the time in my first few decades of D&D.

That's a great idea. Might use that. As for bonus action, I still stick with an action in my games. If I wanted a bonus action I would introduce something special where the bonus was a perk of the magic item, not a blanket ability.

 

[toucanbuzz]

Most of my potions expire.

Made me think of the Knights of the Dinner Table comic, gamer spoof. All potions have expiration dates (often written on the bottle). If an expired potion is used, it triggers a roll similar to the mixing potions table. Poor characters could also buy expired potions. It was meant to be silly at first, but if I've got a campaign calendar, might be a fun idea...

 

[MarkB]

One I quite liked for healing potions that I've seen is that you can drink the potion as a bonus action to gain its normal effect, or you can use an action to drink it and the dice are maximised.

 

[Divine2021]

If I could figure out how to make push in theatre of the mind roleplaying as effective as it is in BG3, I’d be in the money

 

[jgsugden]

That's a great idea. Might use that. As for bonus action, I still stick with an action in my games. If I wanted a bonus action I would introduce something special where the bonus was a perk of the magic item, not a blanket ability.

That is (kind of) technically what I do in my game - potions are an action UNLESS you have a potion belt for ease of access. It isn't a magical item - it is just a mundane item designed for ease of access. However, PCs often find a few of these early on in their adventuring and realize they can purchase them in most medium sized cities.