Few ideas for rules.

[gtoasnt3]

All in all every choice comes down to what the PC's and you want in a game system. I mentioned in other posts that we don't use any house rules and prefer it that way. House Rules are a part of the game, but 4th ed has been the only D&D version where we don't have any variants at all.

Creative ideas, though.

 

[Smeelbo]

The skill points.

Yes you can take a feat to have plus 2 to a skill but that is a very poor use of a feat generally.

Skill Focus, PHB 201, is +3 for a single trained skill. The PHB hardly ever hands out anything bigger than +2.

Compare Skill Focus: Stealth to the paragon tier feat Silent Stride. The former gives you a +3 feat bonus to Stealth under all circumstances, whereas the latter removes a -5 penality under some circumstances. Skill Focus effectively lets you go beyond your level, skill-wise, and is very effective in 4E.

I miss skill points too, but they lead to too much variance, which makes designing appropriate encounters much more difficult for the referee.

Smeelbo

 

[Engilbrand]

You want gritty and "realistic", but do your players? Ask them. Present these ideas to them. If they like them and you like them, feel free to use them.
Personally, I would refuse. I might be willing to discuss a couple of points, but a DM who said, "This is what we're doing." would get a "Ne!" from me. I've played in too many games I hated with "awesome house rules that add to realism" to continue to waste my time on them.
I don't want realism when I play D&D. Actually, it's not even realistic. It's just "stuff that makes characters suck". I don't see where the fun will be for the players.

1. While this improves characters, it adds an unnecessary aspect of bookkeeping that they've tried to get away from. I'm neutral on it.
2. and 3. No. They only make things harder without increasing fun. Rule changes that increase fun are OK. Rule changes which don't are bad. At least in my book.
4. I was in a one-shot where a player was going to shoot a monster. The DM decided that there was a penalty for an adjacent ally. I told him that there isn't in this edition. "Well, it would make sense, so there is." My response: "No, there isn't. This game isn't about making sense. It's about fun. Telling him that you were going to shaft archery might have made him choose something different. I'm here to play D&D, not something that you're going to change as the idea comes to you." 4e isn't about screwing over anybody but the monsters. This makes range suck.

Realism isn't just silly as it is now. Realism is silly in any roleplaying game. Period. That's not to say that you shouldn't have problems, diseases, and other nasty things. But I played in a horrible game that included more rolling for saves in the first game than I had rolled in the YEARS before then. Why? The characters were in the Chuult in Forgotten Realms. They had to save numerous times every day from diseases. I've mentioned this game before. The DM was proud of his "realistic" house rules document. I'm glad that I got out of it and play with competent people now.

 

[Rel]

You want gritty and "realistic", but do your players? Ask them. Present these ideas to them. If they like them and you like them, feel free to use them.

Well there I agree with you. Input from the players is always a good thing.

I don't want realism when I play D&D. Actually, it's not even realistic. It's just "stuff that makes characters suck". I don't see where the fun will be for the players.

Sometimes players enjoy parts of the game that present extra challenges to overcome and choices to be made. I'm not sure you intend to come off so against the idea of adversity to the PC's.

This game isn't about making sense. It's about fun...4e isn't about screwing over anybody but the monsters. This makes range suck.

Did the GM say that this ruling about range didn't apply to the monsters? Perhaps the players as a whole wouldn't have had a problem if the rule were applied both ways.

But I do take issue with your first couple statements regarding fun and making sense. For some people the game is only fun if it makes a certain amount of sense.