D&D 5E Common house rules for 5e.

[darjr]

Idea swiped from here D&D 1E - Common House Rules for AD&D?

What are your most used house rules or common ones.

One I use is on a crit the first set of dice is maxed out. Curiously I find that new players prefer to roll all the dice instead.

So I’m interested in what your doing? Feat for everyone at first level? Zero level funnels? What?

 

[Quickleaf]

I have a bunch, but the main one that players seem to ask for is "bonus action to drink a potion."

 

[Mull Ponders]

In the game I am currently playing in, the DM has instituted a rule that if you go to 0 hit points, it takes 10 HP of healing to bring you back to 1 and consciousness. This prevents the silly "whack-a-mole" chumbawamba.

 

[FallenRX]

I have a bunch, but the main one that players seem to ask for is "bonus action to drink a potion."

In my experiences, this is the most common one.

 

[Cruentus]

Slow healing, based on older DnD, the gritty healing in the DMG is half baked. Though you could still spend HD. Medicine skill sped up natural healing.
Fatigue when you get healed from 0 hp during combat. Again, modified negatives rather than the 5e Fatigue, which is also half baked.
Lingering Injuries, but again, used a 3PP version that wasn't so much "lop off limbs", but had recovery times for major injuries. (See a pattern here?)
Enemy gained Advantage to hit if you cast a spell while in melee, and didn't target the creature you were in melee with
No Flanking (Advantage), instead +2 to hit if you came behind someone engaged

 

[James Gasik]

Magic item attunement is equal to proficiency bonus, and most items don't have attunement unless attunement unlocks additional powers for the item.

Variant Human is banned, but everyone gets a Feat at level 1.

ASI's are based on character level, not class level (save for "bonus" ASI's like the Fighter and Rogue).

Bonus Action spells can be used in the same turn as leveled spells.

Casters do not need a free hand to cast spells (originally this was for Clerics only, but thinking about it, I didn't see a real need to prevent Eldritch Knights from using shields).

Concentration is no longer determined by a Constitution saving throw. It uses the same mechanic, but now all casters use Constitution modifier + proficiency bonus by default, whether or not they have Con save proficiency.

Resilient can be taken multiple times.

Customizable Backgrounds.

Instead of Short Rests taking an hour, characters can take 5 minutes to get the benefits of a Short Rest a number of times per day equal to their proficiency bonus.

Wild Magic Sorcerers regain the use of Tides of Chaos under the following circumstances:

*any natural 1 or 20 is rolled at the table (whether or not it would be ignored due to advantage/disadvantage, or would be rerolled).
*if they have Inspiration, they can trade it in to regain Tides of Chaos.

Half-cover for a Medium creatures is considered to be three-quarters cover for a Small or Tiny creature. Three-quarters cover for a Medium creature is considered to be total cover for a Small or Tiny creature.

Bonus action to drink a potion (forgot this until I saw it was mentioned above!).

 

[billd91]

We roll hit points twice at level-up. Player takes the higher of the two.

Drinking potions as a bonus action, mainly because I want to encourage more use of consumables.

I'm also thinking pretty hard about using Strength saves more. I think too many situations may look at Strength (athletics) checks rather than Strength saves. And I think I'd rather balance the saves among themselves better.

 

[darjr]

Anybody use alternate stats for skill checks?
Like Dex for medicine check if the injured player is shrunk to tiny?

 

[Emirikol]

Players choice to miss..or break your weapon on a natty 1 but get a crit.

No electronics on the game table.

Species (race) restrictions are specific to the campaign and cultural Alignment is a thing for races. Yes, orcs and drow are naturally evil by the same way devils are and "anything goes for race" isnt a thing in our Hyboria, Lankhmar, or Spelljammer campaigns. If you cant come up with an interesting character personality, a different rubber mask on you head isnt going to change that.

Replacement characters come in same xp as previous character because the dm isnt a dick and character death is a thing.

 

[darjr]

Players choice to miss..or break your weapon on a natty 1 but get a crit.

No electronics on the game table.

Species (race) restrictions are specific to the campaign and cultural Alignment is a thing for races. Yes, orcs and drow are naturally evil by the same way devils are and "anything goes for race" isnt a thing in our Hyboria, Lankhmar, or Spelljammer campaigns. If you cant come up with an interesting character personality, a different rubber mask on you head isnt going to change that.

Replacement characters come in same xp as previous character because the dm isnt a dick and character death is a thing.

Oh! I have a player that has a glass sword. It’s going to get this property now.

Note he does have a chance to get more.