What are your go to house rules?

[jdrakeh]

For Swords & Wizardry Complete (not sure if any of this has been addressed directly in the most recent edition):

Known Languages

All characters can speak and write the Common tongue by default for purposes of facilitating easy communication between characters. This does not count against the total number of languages that it is possible for a character to know. Further, additional languages known as the result of a character's Intelligence attribute rating are both able to be spoken and written.

The Languages of Magic

These house rules assume that the Knowing Spells class ability of the Magic-User allows a character of the class in question to read the magical script of their own spell books and scrolls. Further, it is assumed that every Magic-User has their own unique magical script that they use to encode their spell books and scrolls, justifying both the existence of the Read Magical Writings class ability of the Thief and the Read Magic spell.

Read Normal Languages (Thief)

In line with the house rules regarding languages above, the Read Normal Languages ability of the Thief class concerns itself only with languages not already known by a character.

Non-Combat Action Resolution

The default saving throw rules of Swords & Wizardry will be used to resolve non-combat action that is not provided for by other rules
in Swords & Wizardry (e.g. Thief class skills).

 

[aramis erak]

Yeah, that's about it. How about everyone else?

For D&D, I used to use 4d6kh3, reroll initial rolls of 1s (non-recursive), place where desired when rolled. Once I got to D&D 3.0, I switched to array or point spend.

For Pendragon (specifically 4e): set the breaking point of a tourney lance at 15+1d6, open-ending where 6 = 5+1d6 recursive. Recorded for the lance by the GM at start of tilt...
Have everyone roll homeland, then vote to see whose is the starting homeland.
Pulling the sword from the stone requires all the dexter traits and Honor to succeed plus being Cymric from Logres, and at least one crit amongst them. Missing only one makes you one of Uther's nephews or nieces.

Traveller: 2d6 of rerolls across all of character gen. Usable separately even to reroll one die of a 2d6 throw.
CT only: Roll the skill die then pick the table.

L5R5: Ranking past a curriculum exception doesn't mean you can't take the talent, just that it no longer counts as in curriculum. (Directly counter to errata.)

Savage Worlds: None I'm aware of, per se, other than using reloaded with SWD16... which required some minor adjustments due to skill list differences. Oh, and a brief bit of Barsoomian adventure mid campaign, using Red Sands.

 

[GMMichael]

The last time I house-ruled a game, it kept happening until I had a completely new game. So, now I try not to house-rule if I can help it. Too much work involved.

 

[delericho]

The +2/+1 ability score increases are rolled into the various ability score methods:

• If rolling, you get 6d6-drop-3 once, 5d6-drop-2 once, and 4d6-drop-1 for the rest.
• If using the standard array, it's 17, 15, 13, 12, 10, 8.
• For point buy I forget the numbers. But you get a few more points, and can buy up to a 17.

Characters have to use a fixed number of hit points per level (no option to roll). This includes first level, but they get a flat +5 bonus.

Likewise (a very minor one), characters who choose to take money instead of the fixed equipment for their build get a fixed amount - no rolling.

We don't use encumbrance except by armour, and don't track minor items such as ammunition, food and water, currency below 1gp, etc. (Though this may vary depending on the campaign - if survival is a big theme, these become much more important!)

Characters have a fixed amount of inspiration, which refreshes when they gain a level (proficiency bonus/2). Spending a point of inspiration cancels disadvantage on a roll (if any) and instead grants advantage on that roll. It can also be used after a roll to gain a single reroll if desired.

We also use:

• Shields Shall Be Splintered:Whenever you take damage, you can opt to have the damage absorbed by your shield. Fighters can splinter the shield after the damage has been rolled, everyone else must do so before the roll. The shield is splintered and destroyed, but you don’t take any damage from the blow.

However, following an... incident, we now also use:

The Gods Shall Not Be Mocked: If you use "Shields Shall be Splintered" while carrying more than 1 shield, you suffer disadvantage on all rolls for the remainder of the session. (This is also applied to any other situation where the character is deemed to be acting purely as a game piece rather than the inhabitant of a world, such as the classic "I'll jump off the huge cliff - it's only 20d10 damage, so I can take it!")

 

[Whisper-Kitten]

The last time I house-ruled a game, it kept happening until I had a completely new game. So, now I try not to house-rule if I can help it. Too much work involved.

Did you give your new game a name?

 

[R_J_K75]

For a D&D character, players could roll 2 sets for stats, if they didn't like those they could roll a 3rd but had to use them, and max hit points +con doubled at 1st level.

 

[bsss]

My only consistent house rule (if it's necessary, and it's essentially a meta-house rule) is that players should have a system resource they can use to influence the story in unexpected ways (in-system examples are SW bennies, 13th Age icon connections, and Cypher System player intrusions). However, I'm almost completely pleased with my go-to systems, so I don't feel like there's much I have to patch.

 

[GMMichael]

Did you give your new game a name?

Of course! It goes by the slightly technical name of Mechanics On Durable Opportunistic Systems (iteration 2). It's been a pretty good end to house rules for me, because after nine years, I've only wanted to make a minor change to it (one of the character perks).

 

[Whisper-Kitten]

Of course! It goes by the slightly technical name of Mechanics On Durable Opportunistic Systems (iteration 2). It's been a pretty good end to house rules for me, because after nine years, I've only wanted to make a minor change to it (one of the character perks).

Modos 2.0

 

[Cristian Andreu]

If we're talking 5e, my usual houserules are:

1.- Character Testing Period: Players can make changes to their characters up to the third session, in case they picked something they don't actually like. Can be anything from race to class features, so long as they can make it fit with their character's plot.

2.- Expanded Inspiration: Inspiration can stack, it costs 2 points to help someone else with a roll, and can be used as a DM bargaining chip for when players get in really deep trouble.

3.- Idea Checks: If a player is stuck or in trouble and another player has a solution/idea but their own character isn't there to help, I allow the first player to make an "Idea Check" (INT+ Proficiency) to see if they also come up with it.

4.- Experience Tickets: During sessions, outside of combat, rather than awarding experience points directly I give players DM Tickets, which are worth a certain amount of experience (the value is determined at the start of the campaign and is auto-adjusted based on party level and number of players at the table during the session). Then at the end of the session, each player gets 1 Player Ticket they can give anyone (even themselves!) as a reward for good roleplay, good ideas, etc. Finally, we have Acclamation Tickets, which happen when someone does something so cool or smart or funny that everyone at the table demands a ticket be given to that player. Then all three types are tallied and converted to experience points at the end of the session (all three types are worth the same).

5.- Voluntarily Failing Saving Throws: Players can choose to fail their saving throws, unless it's for detecting illusions.

6.- Wound Checks and Brawn Points: When a character reaches 0 HP, they make a Wound Check (CON + Proficiency). If they fail, they fall unconscious and begin to die as usual. But if they succeed they gain the Wounded condition, which allows them to stay active but with severe limitations (can only use action OR bonus action, no reactions, half speed, can't run, can't casts spells that require concentration, disadvantage on most rolls). Every time they take damage while Wounded they have to make a Wound Check again. In addition, each character gets a number of Brawn Points equal to their Proficiency bonus that refresh on long rests. Spending one while Wounded allows you to get rid of all the negative effects until the start of your next turn (though you still need to make Wound Checks if you get hurt), but you'll have to make Wound Check at the start of your next turn.

7.- "We're Going Too Fast!" Haste: Haste ages you 1 year. I just enjoy this little bit of old-timey side effects.

Rules 1, 3, and 4 we've been using since 3e, while the others are 5e-specific. Note that these are home rules we use with our weekly group of 7 people that's been playing since the mid 90s; with other groups I don't necessarily include these.