D&D 5E What is your favorite subsystem?

[Laurefindel]

Inspiration is also one of my favorites. I wrote up a way to handle it better in my view here: The Case for Inspiration.

It's often the thing that people take from my games and implement in their own. I'm on a big Discord server for one-shots and I see it popping up in people's games who I've never run games for before.

Yes, I'm aware of your take on personality/inspiration. I quite like it. Much better than any of the PHB/DMG variants. Actually it's you who made me like inspiration. You... inspired me.

that's your cue to you pull your "Bond" card saying "I make better rules for my friends" and claim Inspiration

 

[Shiroiken]

Backgrounds.

Nothing does more to distinguish first-level characters from each other.

I know it wasn't what the OP was asking for, but I found this to be among the best additions from 5E (I know 4E eventually added something similar, but not as well). I've seen two mechanically near identical characters with different backgrounds (including traits, ideals, bonds, flaws) that were completely different because of it. No one ever got them confused, even though they were both great weapon fighters.

I like the tables for rolling up your character's backstory in Xanathar's. One of my favorite characters got a fleshed-out backstory and even an "old flame" love interest that way.

This was an excellent addition. I find it interesting that you can get a small benefit occasionally with certain results (IIRC I got a horse one time). I don't remember if the reverse is true, but hope it is. At some point I may roll first, then use it to build my character (I seldom get to play new characters, however, so I'll probably never get the chance to).

I like the downtime rules in Xanathar's, especially the ones pertaining to finding, buying, and crafting magic items. It's a lot more efficient and story-centric than the old 3.X Craft skill.

I liked a lot of the concepts of XGtE downtime rules, but I hate the idea of forcing everything into a "workweek." This threw me, because it feels too artificial. Sometimes players have a few days of downtime, but seldom a full 7. If I were doing a campaign with long stretches between adventures I'd probably just do the XGtE version, but most of mine don't work out that way.

 

[Remathilis]

The expanded sailing rules from Ghosts of Saltmarsh.

 

[Laurefindel]

I liked a lot of the concepts of XGtE downtime rules, but I hate the idea of forcing everything into a "workweek." This threw me, because it feels too artificial. Sometimes players have a few days of downtime, but seldom a full 7. If I were doing a campaign with long stretches between adventures I'd probably just do the XGtE version, but most of mine don't work out that way.

It is the way of 5e to "package" time in and out of combat when mechanics are concerned. But it is also the way of 5e to say "in order to gain X, you need to complete a (package)".

By default, a "workweek" is 7 days. Should you decide that a workwek for resting adventurers is 3 days, then they may fit better in your campaign. Not unlike how short/long rest can be extended with the Gritty Realism variant.

my preference would have been a short downtime and long downtime abstraction, but even Xanathar is relatively flexible that way.

 

[Tallifer]

Battlemaster dice