D&D 5E (2024) Help me Houserule 5e Equipment & Items

[FitzTheRuke]

You could make them enhance existing healing effects.
Alchemical band-aid: When taking a short rest you may re-roll up to half (minimum 1) of the expended hit dice. You may take either result.

If you care, this is technically a D&Dism. Historical bucklers took a hand to use, but were more portable than a big shield.

I know that one can't always trust reenactment for historical accuracy, but I once saw a row of archers fire their bows and then cover themselves against returned fire with their bucklers. It was enough to make it believable to me that such a thing could be done.

It's also my experience (25 years of martial arts unrelated to the afore-mentioned reenactment) that the difficulties and drawbacks of various weapons and techniques are so different from what people imagine, that any inaccuracies that something like allowing a buckler to work with a bow might add to the game - would pale compared to the inaccuracies that already exist.

If that makes any sense.

 

[Kobold Stew]

If you care, this is technically a D&Dism. Historical bucklers took a hand to use, but were more portable than a big shield.

That's fair.

The whole-hit-points-to-weapons thing is filed with artificiality. It bugs me that you swing a dagger with the same speed as a greataxe ,but I have to let it slide.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

That's fair.

The whole-hit-points-to-weapons thing is filed with artificiality. It bugs me that you swing a dagger with the same speed as a greataxe ,but I have to let it slide.

True, though I feel like reach often makes more difference than speed. At any rate, we're a little into the weeds (not that I mind that, this is really meant to be a discussion, after all).

 

[Merlecory]

Some other items you could add

Bolas: a thrown tripping weapon. Maybe they could have some sort of limited use enchantment? A target wrapped in the bolas is also silenced for example.

Rope in a bottle: When you open this bottle up to 90 feet of rope begins to pour out and harden. The rope lasts for 1 hour. When thrown, the bottle breaks and acts like the web or grease spells? Concentrationless web might be stronger than you want, so maybe a smaller area and for 1/2 rounds?

 

[Merlecory]

Goal #3: Do It Yourself Crafting

• Yes, I'd like a crafting system. 2024 D&D is close, maybe, to a working system, but I'm not sure I like things taking months and months at higher levels. Maybe.
• OTOH, I don't want people crafting Magic Items. At least, not pumping them out like Bastions seem to do, or building all the broken combos like 3e seemed to do. IDK - I'm open to feedback on this one.

Looping back here, and I think I've seen it mention elsewhere in the thread.

The revised Star Wars RPG gave players the ability to customize/personalize weapons and armor. I would suggest that those become available to players who craft/have a bastion craft things for them.

Some possible modifications:

• Increasing max dexterity bonus by +1
• Reduce/eliminate a speed penalty for armor? Not sure how often players are wearing armor they don't have the strength for, but maybe this would change that?
• Reducing weight- Not sure how much you track encumbrance, but that might have some additional value in a more gear focused game.
• Armor could be disguised as something less restricted, or as something more threatening. Advantage on deception/intimidation checks
• Mount equipment/weapons to armor- Reduce the action economy to gain access to say a grappling hook (those are in 5E, right?), or allow you to quick draw a weapon.
• Weapons could be made to be easier to conceal
• Increase the short/long range of a weapon.

 

[Merlecory]

Now that I am thinking about it, are you interested in Bastions? If so

• Crafting assorted items
• People generally looking for intrigue
• Hiring scholars to answer specific questions your characters might have
• Warding (spells, lead sheet to prevent scrying, etc)
• General "Cosmetic" improvements that have no real mechanical effect might still be nice touches for a players home.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

Now that I am thinking about it, are you interested in Bastions? If so

• Crafting assorted items
• People generally looking for intrigue
• Hiring scholars to answer specific questions your characters might have
• Warding (spells, lead sheet to prevent scrying, etc)
• General "Cosmetic" improvements that have no real mechanical effect might still be nice touches for a players home.

I'm interested in Bastions, but I absolutely loathe most of how they were implemented. I was honestly more excited about them when they were first announced than they probably deserved, and I find them a big letdown. There's certainly something salvageable about them, but I suspect that it would be a lot of work.

 

[Yaarel]

For weapon and armor lists, I would keep it minimal for a specific flavor, such as Viking weapons and armor. If the player wants something else, it means the equipment came from somewhere else and there is a story behind it.

 

[Yaarel]

I'm interested in Bastions, but I absolutely loathe most of how they were implemented. I was honestly more excited about them when they were first announced than they probably deserved, and I find them a big letdown. There's certainly something salvageable about them, but I suspect that it would be a lot of work.

Let the player characters spend their gp to build whatever they want for whatever purpose at any level. They can even spend gp to magick their structures in any way that they want. The Bastion benefits are just on top of whatever they built as they level.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

Let the player characters spend their gp to build whatever they want for whatever purpose at any level. They can even spend gp to magick their structures in any way that they want. The Bastion benefits are just on top of whatever they built as they level.

Yes, that is definitely the first fix. I think, though, that I was always disappointed that they wound up overly involved while ultimately being nothing much more than magic-item-generating machines.

I didn't think that Downtime was very well executed either, but it was a little more broad. It's also strange that Bastions seemingly replace Downtime. I hope that doesn't continue to be the case long-term. Maybe they'll bring Downtime back in an upcoming Xanathar's-like book, and figured we could keep using the old rules until then. (Which we can).