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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Quickleaf" data-source="post: 7299710" data-attributes="member: 20323">Leaving aside campaign/setting-specific rules changes, and focusing only on "universally applicable" house rules...<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Implement a universal degrees of success system on all skill checks wherein succeeds / fails by 5+ is interpreted by the DM to be an especially great success or failure.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Natural 1 is auto-fail on any roll. Natural 20 is auto-success on any roll.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Implement a simplified encumbrance system using encumbrance points or item slots, similarly to how many video games have inventory screens where potions take up 1 slot, weapons 2-4 slots, armor 6 slots, etc.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Side grouped/clustered initiative</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Include more Intelligence, Charisma, and Strength saves. INT applies to... madness, altering memory, psychic winds, quickly navigating a maze, failing to read a scroll correctly, brain eaten, psionics, deducing a command word. CHA applies to... Abyssal corruption, banishment, forced teleporting/planeshifting, despair & emotional manipulation, magical imprisonment, turning people against you, unwilling polymorphing, possession, avoid detection undercover (borrowed from Hoard of the Dragon Queen). STR applies to... – forced movement, prone, caught in whirlwind / whirlpool, disarmed, reactively tearing free of vines / tentacles / restraints.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Long resting in un-safe places is generally impossible (most dungeons) or challenging & requires a group "camp check" (wilderness).</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">If campaign involves travel & random encounters as a major feature which drew players in, strongly consider removing/altering rope trick and similar "effortless rest" spells.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Use minion groups when dealing with large groups of monsters (esp. in a theater-of-the-mind game)...basically take a monster (e.g. an orc), give it 1 HD worth of hp (so 7 (1d8+3) instead of 15(2d8+6)), multiply that by number of monsters to create a hit point pool, use Mob Attacks rule from DMG instead of rolling to hit, and give minion group critical hit vulnerability.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Use a homebrew "elite" template for boss monsters leading other monsters focused on boosting survivability without sacrificing fun.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Use modified trap system emphasizing trigger-type... Unearthed Arcana/XGtE is a decent start, but be prepared to do some design work as a DM when including traps.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Make counterspelling less predictable & more engaging by adding interesting side effects. Allow 5th-level sorcerers, warlocks, and wizards (classes who'd get access to counterspell on class spell list) to "creatively counterspell" arcane spells, e.g. using watery sphere to negate a fire bolt.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Grant fighters ability to 1/turn Shove for free as part of an attack at 2nd-level.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Grant rogues the ability to decipher script at 2nd-level, recognizing any written language and puzzling out the gist given time.</li> </ul></blockquote>

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