D&D 5E Which Homebrew Rules do you use? Fixes, styles of game, pillars, etc.

[Erechel]

Sorry if i revamp an old thread that I've started myself. Now that the dust has settled, and many of us had penty of time to adjust to the "new" edition: how about your house rules? What have you modified from this wonderful edition? These are a few of my own:

1) Searching for traps, secret doors, and such with Intelligence (Investigation) instead of Wisdom (Perception).
2) Fighting in melee range without a melee weapon, shield or martial arts gives advantage to the attacks against you (being disarmed is dangerous).
3) Using Hit Dice is dependant on Medicine checks and first aid kits. Also (this isn't a houserule), I use the Natural recovery option from the DMG, and short rests only allow to use 1 hit dice unless the Medicine roll is 20 or higher (see below).
4) I've made Medicine work with Intelligence, and every time a creature uses Medicine to use a Hit Dice, I grant a free hit dice if they roll a 20, two if they roll a 25, and three if they roll a 30 (I like to reward taking this feat).
5) Every time a character falls to 0 HP, it gains a level of exhaustion.
6) Druids' wildshape share HP with the human form. Temporary hit points may come only when the druid polymorphs in a creature with more HP than him, and it's the difference between the maximum HP of the druid and the beast form HP- injures are carried also from one shape to another (so, if the druid has 10/25 hit points, in dire wolf form it has 22 hit points, and 12 of them are temporary). If the creatures have equal less HP than the druid, then they share HP.
7) Druids may wildshape only on beasts they have studied alive for enough time.
8) Long rests are food dependant. Short rests are water dependant.
9) The Goodberry spell requires a freshly picken berry, consumed by the spell. Berries harvested with a gold sickle last until used.
10) Banished Create and destroy water and Create food and water spells, and the ranger's and outlander's features only grant Advantage on foraging, instead of auto-succeed. I've revised also the foraging rules.

I use other house rules, specifically to enhance the survivalist aspect of the game, but they are a bit complex.

 

[Immoralkickass]

My table has quite a few houserules, but my favourite one is this: Dice that rolled off the table counts as a nat 1

 

[MiraMels]

I have players make defense rolls against a monster's passive attack score. Natural 20s give the player an opportunity attack.

I've also changed shoving and grappling to be an active check on behalf of the players and a passive score on behalf of the monster. I'm toying with the idea of dropping the skills from grappling but, haven't tested that out yet.


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[Hastati]

I think the main thing that my group has consistently houseruled over the last 35 years is that we pretty much ignore material components for spells. We assume that if you know the spell you have gathered the components (but you have to pay any specific GP cost if there is one, such as for Raise Dead). We also don't worry about the somatic component if you carry a weapon/shield. This usually helps out the Cleric who wants to cast cure wounds during combat.

 

[S'mon]

Sorry if i revamp an old thread that I've started myself. Now that the dust has settled, and many of us had penty of time to adjust to the "new" edition: how about your house rules? What have you modified from this wonderful edition? These are a few of my own:

1) Searching for traps, secret doors, and such with Intelligence (Investigation) instead of Wisdom (Perception).
2) Fighting in melee range without a melee weapon, shield or martial arts gives advantage to the attacks against you (being disarmed is dangerous).

I like your #2, although it does rather assume human-sized combatants who are trying not to throw themselves onto enemy weapons by default. I think completely disarmed player characters are rare enough that this is unlikely to come up much in practice but I think I might use it for attacks by human-sized attackers vs unarmed N/PCs. Also makes disarming more dangerous - I think re disarming I'd best give disadvantage to the attacker by default; attacker has advantage if wielding 2hw.

Re #2, I tend to either use either Investigation or Perception at player preference, or require Investigation for secret doors and such, or say Perception to detect presence, Investigation to work out how to open it. I think "Passive Investigation" is a bit silly but due to the Feat I have to allow take-10 on Investigate.

 

[iserith]

I only have one that I use consistently across all games: Inspiration is claimed by the player rather than granted by the DM to a limit of 4 times per session (one for each demonstration of a personality trait, ideal, bond, or flaw). Though sometimes I include other ways to claim Inspiration, depending on what I want to emphasize in a given game. For example, a creative use of a trinket in a game where trinkets play more of a part.

Otherwise, I adjust the dials of the game system for each and every campaign I run to suit what I'm going for. It's rare that any two games will have the exact same settings. Some games have different resting rules in place, some have feats or no feats, some have different lifestyle expenses and downtime rules, etc.

 

[Zardnaar]

Same houserule for 3E and AD&D.

1. Decent level of personal hygiene. If I can smell you and its bad you are out.

 

[delphonso]

One of my favorites was:
Rolling a nat 1 causes your weapon to get stuck in the enemy's armor/clothing/tentacles.

The one I hated but we had for years because no one questioned it:
Rolling a nat 1 caused you to fall prone.

This killed so many characters in 3.5.

 

[Iry]

13th Age Resting Rules.

 

[Croesus]

I've also changed shoving and grappling to be an active check on behalf of the players and a passive score on behalf of the monster.

I definitely like this one, though I would make an active check for whoever is attempting the action (initiating the grapple/shove, breaking the grapple/shove) vs. passive check for the target.