Which Optional Rules from the DMG Do You Use

[Reynard]

Of the Optional Rules presented in Chapters 9 of the 5E DMG (plus a few others) have you implemented in your game? How did it go?

 

[Oofta]

I only use the rest variant that a short rest is overnight and a long rest is several days, usually a week or more.

I like it because it fits my style and campaign pace while also allowing for 5-10 encounters between long rests. It seems to help balance out classes and get rid of nova rounds. The only thing I have to be careful of are those people who save their resources for that "big" encounter, so I try to broadcast a general idea of relative difficulty.

I like telling stories based on fiction that I enjoy like The Dresden Files where the heroes have some big bad show up and for a few days they're pushed to the limit. I rarely do dungeon crawls, so I always had difficulty fitting in more than a handful of encounters per day until I started using this. On the rare occasion where the story dictates I throw in a bonus long rest justified by a specially blessed place, a helpful NPC or whatever makes sense.

 

[jmartkdr]

The only one I use form the DMG is milestone experience, mostly because I don't need to use XP to nudge the players toward going after goals: in-character rewards are enough.

I have tried flanking, but really didn't like it.

 

[Charlaquin]

I have a few that I use sometimes, depending on the group and the campaign, but I don’t use all of them all the time. Facing, speed factor Initiative, and action options. I wouldn’t use some of these in the same campaign though. Speed Factor Initiative and Facing, for example, seem like they would mix very poorly.

 

[Ganymede81]

I use the optional rule allowing you to grapple onto the body of a huge creature.

 

[Dausuul]

Our group has been using story-based XP since 3E, and a while ago we adopted side-based initiative as well. We tried the gritty resting rules, but they didn't mesh well with the style of the campaign.

Right now, we're using story-based XP, and our own variations on the heroic resting and side-based initiative rules:

• Each player rolls initiative, and so does the DM. Each player who beat the DM's initiative roll gets a turn. Then the monsters go, and from then on it's side-based initiative. This way, the initiative bonuses of individual PCs still matter, but we don't have to bother tracking initiative past the opening round.
• Short rests take 5 minutes, but you're only allowed two. After that, you must take a long rest before you can short rest again. Long rests are the standard 8 hours. This ensures that short-rest classes like warlocks aren't screwed on rests, without changing how the long-rest classes operate.

 

[iserith]

I vary rules between campaigns and one-shots, using what best supports the theme and play experience I'm going for. I've used rest and XP variants plus Hero Points. I've also included firearms in a couple of adventures. It's all worked fine because I was very choosy in picking only those options that supported the particular theme I wanted to see at the table.

 

[flametitan]

I vary rules between campaigns and one-shots, using what best supports the theme and play experience I'm going for. I've used rest and XP variants plus Hero Points. I've also included firearms in a couple of adventures. It's all worked fine because I was very choosy in picking only those options that supported the particular theme I wanted to see at the table.

Same here.

That said, in my last campaign I had: Expanded actions, hitting cover (though very few of my PCs were ranged anyway), non-combat XP, the possibility to pick up firearms (though not in just any store), and Loyalty, which I used as a modifier for a BECMI inspired Morale system.

 

[Blue]

From the poll, I use Story Based XP and Rest Varients.

Not on the poll, I use:
The variant that skills can be paired with other abilities when it makes sense.
Feats
Multiclassing

And I feel the need to call out that I do not use the rules for the variant human.

This is just "official variant" rules -homerules also exist or are variations on variants and are fitted into the closest above.

 

[Shiroiken]

Story XP - works fine, but I've made a custom option that works better.

Fear and Horror - only came up once, in the Lost Temple of Tharizdun. It was pretty fun, giving the adventure an edgier feel.

Hitting Cover - in theory, this is cool. In practice, unless the cover is another monster, it doesn't matter. PCs generally have higher AC, so the "hit" on the cover becomes a miss.

Injuries - bad. bad, bad, bad. Maybe for a one shot, but it quickly makes PCs into walking/crawling wrecks. I'd suggest avoiding it.

Morale - I've used it, but I don't like it. It feels like Wisdom isn't the right ability (maybe Cha of the leader?), but I haven't found a better option. It works well enough, until I can figure out a better method.