What rules and mechanics from other systems would you like to import into your 5e games?

[Afrodyte]

Exactly what it says in the title.

What rules or mechanics from other systems would you like to import into your 5e games? Why? What effect do you hope it'll have on play?

If you have imported rules from other systems, which ones did you use? How did it go? What would you do the same or differently?

 

[Laurefindel]

I’d like to import the Fellowship Pool from The One Ring RPG as a way to deal with inspiration (basically a communal inspiration pool). As a DM, I find it hard to award inspiration consistently and fairly to all players, so a renewable resource for the group sound like a good way to go for me and my group. I might not have the pool refresh automatically at the beginning of each game, but I’d rather refresh the whole pool every now and then than inconsistently awarding inspiration on an individual basis.

 

[pogre]

It is a minor thing, but I changed how magic item charges work in my campaign back to a system I used in 3e. A charged item is rated by a die (if I want it to have 50 charges I start with a d20). Every time the player rolls a 1 after using a charge the item goes down 1 die type.

Example: A wand that I want to have around 50 charges starts with a d20 and declines in die type as follows:
D20 -> D12 -> D8 -> D6 -> D4
With average rolling it comes out to around 50 charges.

It makes using charged items a little more unpredictable and if I give an item with charges I'm not stuck with dealing with it in my campaign on a permanent basis.

 

[DEFCON 1]

My next campaign is going to have what you could consider to be a very minor Roll & Keep system a la AEG. Basically instead of rolling d20s for ability checks they'll roll 2d10. With Advantage it'll be 3k2 keep the highest, with Disadvantage it'll be 3k2 keep the lowest.

I wanted ability modifier and proficiency to have more importance on the checks, and having a bell curve for the dice does that.

 

[Giltonio_Santos]

I'd like a magic system more akin to the one in the cWoD Mage, with tools, style and sphere rating determining what spellcasters are able to do, instead of a list of spells. I'd not want it as a permanent replacement, though, just as a rules module to use in some specific campaigns.

 

[Monayuris]

I use the cleave rules from ACKS for fighter classes: if you drop a creature to 0 hp, you can move 5’ and attack another creature. If you keep dropping does to 0, you can do this a number of times equal to your level on a single turn.

I use the dungeon exploration rules from B/X, practically whole cloth. Exploration actions take 10 minute turns with random encounter checks every 2 turns. Time tracking is so much easier and sensical this way.

I use morale and reactions from B/X. Not all monster encounters become a fight, and not all fights are to the death.

I’ve been looking for better rules for familiars... right now they are a little too cheesy. Goblin punch has some interesting ideas. I’ve also seen a blog post that proposes that if your familiar is killed, it turns into a demon that tries to murder you.

I also use side based initiative from B/X. Tracking individual initiatives is a pain.

I think this is from 13th Age, but I’m considering increased attack damage based on level for fighter types. This would be in place of multiple attacks (multiple attacks, from fighters and such, just slow down the game).

I guess I take a lot from B/X, but it’s my favorite D&D, after all.

 

[renevq]

I really like a lot of the mechanics in 13th age; off the top pf my head, I'd specifically want to implement backgrounds-as-skills. In a broader sense I'd like to find a way to implement the way the game blurs mechanics and story, with things like icons and end-game class abilities that help players meaningfully influence the meta-narrative.

 

[Lord Mhoram]

I use the countdown pool from W.O.I.N, the Escalation Die from 13th age.
As we are short on players, Gestalt (althought that is from another edition, rather than a different system).

Thats about all right now.

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

Probably use the Stunts list from Fantasy AGE to replace crits and allow crits to happens on skill rolls.
When you roll a 20, you roll 1d6. The result is the number of stunt points you can spend on the Stunts list (more damage, push, disarm, cleaving attack, extra attack etc. Each Pillars has its own Stunt table).

 

[Tormyr]

I stole parts of the concepts of Threat and Momentum from Star Trek Adventures. Threat and momentum are that game's inspiration point/resource pool. Players get momentum by exceeding the needed number of successes on a dice roll or for good role playing. They can use momentum for an additional die during a roll, re-rolling dice, prevent an injury, or to alter the narrative ("Yeah we totally remembered to bring the Type-III phaser rifles on the away mission."). The GM gets threat when the players roll a complication (a 20 on a d20. Lower numbers are better in STA), when the players dither on a decision, or when they decide to kill someone or a ship. The GM can use threat to do anything the players do as well as increase the complication range on a player roll (and spend additional to the point where 17-20 is a complication).

I took the concept of threat, and if the party dithers about and talks in circles about what they are going to do next, especially when time is important, I award myself an inspiration point which I can use later for all the normal uses of insipration.

For the concept of momentum, I expanded the use of inspiration to allow the players minor alterations of the narrative. If the PCs want to enter a building through a window, maybe a window was left open or has an external shutter that is easily opened. If the blacksmith PC is looking for a grappling hook, he can find one in his shop.