D&D 5E Your Favorite 5e Houserule

[Worrgrendel]

We use a few houserules at our table.

Hero points: technically not a houserule and more of an alternate rule from the DMG but we use it and like it.

Luck (can't remember what system it's borrowed from): sometimes things just happen out of the blue or are more random happenstance and the DM will call for a "luck" roll, which is 3d6. 6's are good (up), 1's are bad (down), everything else is neutral (even). So for instance a player is looking for something specific in town and the DM has them roll luck for it. They roll 3d6 and get a 1, 4, and 6. This would be even (ups and downs cancel each other out) and the DM determines an outcome based on the roll. 3 up (3 x 6's) is incredible, while 3 down (3 x 1's) is abysmally unlucky.

We also use a homegrown multiple concentration mechanic. Spell casters can concentrate on more than 1 spell based on spell level divided by 3. So once a spellcaster has access to 3rd level spells they can concentrate on 1 spell of up to their highest spell level and 1 more spell of a level no greater than 1/3rd the highest level spell they can cast (rounded down). So a 5th level full caster could concentrate on any spell of up to 3rd level and also on an additional 1st level spell (2 x 1st, or 1 x 1st and 1 x 2nd, or 1 x 1st and 1 x 3rd). A 9th level full caster could do any spell up to 5th level plus a 1st level spell. Once they get access to 6th level spells then its up to a 6th and up to a 2nd (6/3 =2). A 17th level full caster with 9th level spells can actually concentrate on 3 spells, 1 spell up to 9th, 1 spell up to 3rd (9/3 = 3), and 1 spell of 1st level (3/3 =1). My last campaign actually went to 17th level and we never really found this unbalanced things at all (enemy spellcasters can do the same). You made concentration checks on each individual spell.

 

[Forgember]

Lil something for the Mountain Dwarves out there,

Dwarven Armor Training - You have proficiency with Light and Medium armor, if your gain proficiency in these armor types from another source and use Light or Medium armor add a +1 bonus to your AC.

 

[The Green Hermit]

Just found this and I don't think I ever mentioned mine: squares with a dead enemy in them become difficult terrain, because you have to step around/over the body.

I thought that was in the PHB. We've always played that way, too.

 

[SubDude]

I was planning on it. I feel like I have the right moving parts, but the trick isn't adding rules, it removing them until there's just enough to get the job done. I don't want social interaction to feel like combat.

Ever post this, Fenris?

 

[WayOfTheFourElements]

Here's a house rule I've been using:

Unless characters are flanked, they don't provoke OA when they move; they provoke OA when they don't move. It's made combat much more dynamic and chaotic.

It also increases teamwork, requiring two characters flanking to nail down an opponent.

 

[Quartz]

Unless characters are flanked, they don't provoke OA when they move; they provoke OA when they don't move. It's made combat much more dynamic and chaotic.

Very Hollywood. But It borks the shield wall tactic.

 

[Stalker0]

Fighting Styles: all of the main attack type styles (dueling, GWF, TWF) i combined into one. Offense - gain +2 damage on every attack.

 

[Weiley31]

Here's one that I've added recently. This one is more for Warlocks.


Your Patron Spells: They are automatically added to your Spell List and don't count toward your Spell List limits because your Patron is a DLC Pay to Win Cheat option your Spellcaster went with instead of studying like a Wizard, at Hogwarts, or having it in your blood like a Sorcerer. It's also stupid as Baator to have them as choices and you don't go with any of them because you found better options or you just don't like em.

Another one, that somebody else on these forums does and I like a lot, is that if your background provides you a Skill that your already proficient in, said skill due to class/Folk(race)/whatever, then instead of wasting that skill gain or arguing with the DM to swap it out, you gain Expertise, ala the Ranger/Bard, in that skill. At least now the Wizard has an excuse for gaining Expertise in Arcana and won't be showboated by the Rogue/Bard in Arcana checks.

 

[dave2008]

Here's a house rule I've been using:

Unless characters are flanked, they don't provoke OA when they move; they provoke OA when they don't move. It's made combat much more dynamic and chaotic.

It also increases teamwork, requiring two characters flanking to nail down an opponent.

That is interesting, I like the team work to lock someone down and the encouraging movement, but I don't like it being quite so easy to leave combat. I'll need to think about, but thank you for sharing!

 

[billd91]

I wouldn't strictly call it a house rule or limit it to 5e, but after the RAW shenanigans of previous editions, I approach rules and adjudicating/intepreting them from this perspective:

If your interpretation of a rule makes the use of it impossible or ineffective, you're interpreting it incorrectly.

I recognize that something might be written or edited poorly too and that means you probably have to be bit (maybe a lot) more forgiving in your interpretation. But that's what human DMs are for.