D&D 5E Version 5.25 -- what do you change?

[Son of the Serpent]

A lot of these are house rules or rulings.

5e is clearly and explicitly planned for just that.

I'd love to know how many of you use these at your tables?

I am a Grognard of almost 40 years and have run nearly all RPGs RAR, with house rules that I don't even think about but just do as seems to suit the campaign.

So how many of these posters do these as house rules, especially the 5.01 to 5.10 versions?

How many have taken the SRD and created their own table variant?

To answer your question i have used and do use my recommendation in 3/3.5. I havent in 5th because im still a relative n00b in 5th and have yet to dm it. But also i think 5th as it currently is might require too much restricturing to use my rest scaling recommendation. Maybe not though.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

The option some racial traits to be replaced with racial feats.

I miss monster/template/ racial paragon classes.

In a sourcebook like Unearthed Arcana I would offer as optional rules to can add abilities scores as Courage (hold against stress by menaces), Grace(karma/fate/luck, a enough clean soul to resist supernatural attacks or curses), Talent(dancing, playing music, handcrafting, (keys of martial) arts) and astuteness (social manipulation, noticing about little details as clues, fast mind for stressful situations) and some "sub-abilities" would work like bonus feats (perception, for example).

Distinction between the level of power (unlocking higher powers, more hit powers and bonus attack) and level of knowledge (all you have studied and remember in your memory).

The samurai, ninja, sohei, shadow assassin, swashbuckler and gladiator should be martial adepts, classes with martial maneuvers (special attacks from "Tome of Battle: Book of Nine Swords". Warden and Seeker classes as "primal martial adepts".

The totemist-shaman and favored soul could be soulmelder classes (from "Magic of Incarnum"), using soulmelds to get powers like monster traits or softer version of monster templates (feytouched, half-dragon, half-celestial).

Storytelling points as reward to "buy" special background points (allies, for example).

 

[Son of the Serpent]

The option some racial traits to be replaced with racial feats.

I miss monster/template/ racial paragon classes.

In a sourcebook like Unearthed Arcana I would offer as optional rules to can add abilities scores as Courage (hold against stress by menaces), Grace(karma/fate/luck, a enough clean soul to resist supernatural attacks or curses), Talent(dancing, playing music, handcrafting, (keys of martial) arts) and astuteness (social manipulation, noticing about little details as clues, fast mind for stressful situations) and some "sub-abilities" would work like bonus feats (perception, for example).

Distinction between the level of power (unlocking higher powers, more hit powers and bonus attack) and level of knowledge (all you have studied and remember in your memory).

The samurai, ninja, sohei, shadow assassin, swashbuckler and gladiator should be martial adepts, classes with martial maneuvers (special attacks from "Tome of Battle: Book of Nine Swords". Warden and Seeker classes as "primal martial adepts".

The totemist-shaman and favored soul could be soulmelder classes (from "Magic of Incarnum"), using soulmelds to get powers like monster traits or softer version of monster templates (feytouched, half-dragon, half-celestial).

Storytelling points as reward to "buy" special background points (allies, for example).

I miss templates too.

And they were nifty way to reward particularly crafty players for going to great lengths to secure power. Im no fan of rank and file power gamers but im a fan of hard workers and intelligent players. If you go to great lengths to secure power a template is a great way to award you after the game starts with an increase to your ecl. Also i would like to see level mobility come back. Loss and gain of levels like the tide. Again. Templates. Monster levels. Great way to do it.

 

[Blue]

Ive been doing pretty much the same except I let them roll 4d6 with re-rolling 1's. They can roll two sets and pick one, or roll a third, which they must use if they do no matter how bad it is. I let them assign their ability scores as they wish though.

The idea with the in-order was a very organic character. High scores where you may not have put them if you could choose. Like the 18 CON Bard who can drink everyone under the table, which would not have happened if the players assigned scores - it likely would have been CHR or DEX. So you end up with wise barbarians, smart fighters, strong wizards, and the like.

 

[R_J_K75]

The idea with the in-order was a very organic character. High scores where you may not have put them if you could choose. Like the 18 CON Bard who can drink everyone under the table, which would not have happened if the players assigned scores - it likely would have been CHR or DEX. So you end up with wise barbarians, smart fighters, strong wizards, and the like.

I totally agree with that and the only reason I dont do that now is more to placate PCs, but I may start.

 

[Stalker0]

I think people have already taken the 5.25 and are leaping into 5.75 or even 6!

The concept of 5.25 is really tweaks, no fundamental changes. For example all of the rest concepts to me are too dynamic.

My short list for a real .25, aka adjustments.

1) Feat Tuning
2) Bows use strength for damage.
3) Adjustments to the Ranger/Sorc
4) Slight adjustments to some Wizard schools (like the ones that can use their primary effect on like one spell in the game, but just a small adjustment).
5) Throw in an int based maneuver to allow for an Int using Battlemaster Fighter.
6) Tweak the human (somewhere between the regular and variant human lies true balance).
7) Take a reclassification pass at magic items (some items are too strong for their classification, and some too weak).
8) Adjust the garbage spells in the game. Just take Treantmonk's guide, find all the worst spells, and make some improvements. For a .25 I'm not going to say, any spell that is below the curve. Just the ones that are truly and obviously awful.

 

[PrimevalSeeker]

1. Fix the ranger.
2. Crafting rules.
3. Subclasses for all classes start from level 1 and all classes get subclass features at the same levels.
4. Remove perception as a skill and make it similar to how initiative works but still based on WIS.
5. Make concentration based on INT.
6. Remove stat bonus from race choice and move them to class and maybe background choice.
7. Balance the saving throws.
8. Make weapons more diverse and interesting, both baseline but also using feats.
9. Separate feats from ASIs.

I don't think any of the above changes would have to fundamentally change the rules of the edition.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

I like the idea of subclasses from level 1, or something like archetypes from Pathfinder, but with a class feature at level 1 to show it is different since the beginning.

 

[NotAYakk]

"2. Grant proficiency bonus to all saves. This prevents the "auto fail save" issue at higher levels; against an even-level foe, high stats save a lot, low stats save little, and it doesn't get worse."

I have a question - just a question not more - why does having the possibility of having an auto-fail save exist in the game for some foes of even level against some types need to be eliminated at higher levels? I mean, aren't there at higher level powerful effects with no saves at all? Aren't there foes at higher levels with immunities that are absolute too, like iirc rakshasas immunity to spells below abc.

I dont get why the possibility of "auto-fail" or "auto-success" (depends on which side you are on - pitching ir catching) is something that cannot exist in the game world at even levels as a choice that can be made. Certainly, it should be not the majority of cases or by any means the norm, but something to be prevented?

A bunch of higher level D&D becomes rocket tag with auto-fail saves.

Enemy has low charisma and no bonus? Banishment wins the encounter.

You can fix rocket tag with "I'm immune to almost everything".

If you go back to OD&D, spells got worse in their effects if you failed, yet saves got better. So the product was relatively level.