D&D 5E Your Favorite 5e Houserule

[Laurefindel]

Oddly enough, despite the dozens of house rules we have had (and many we still use) in 5E, there is nothing that is my "favorite".

Same here

I surprise myself - me, a chronic houseruler - playing by pretty much by RAW (with the use of Feats and Multiclassing, if you consider their use as a houserule). Most game I DM however has a houserule or two specific to the genre and style for that game, or the players I play with.

 

[jasper]

1. The monsters want to win too.

 

[6ENow!]

I have a desire to build a table with the screen(s) as the tabletop. I think I could do it for about $5000

We use a 55" wall-mounted TV for maps, displaying initiative, etc. and it works great. I wouldn't want it on the table unless it was a BIG table!

Same here

I surprise myself - me, a chronic houseruler - playing by pretty much by RAW (with the use of Feats and Multiclassing, if you consider their use as a houserule). Most game I DM however has a houserule or two specific to the genre and style for that game, or the players I play with.

Yeah. We have a bunch of house-rules, but none are essential to playing IMO.

 

[6ENow!]

In posting about expertise in another thread, the one house-rule we use that I would want to keep if I played at other tables is allowing you to choose expertise in one of your background skills at the expense of the other. This way a Wizard (sage background) could have expertise in Arcana and be as good or better than a rogue or bard. Likewise, a Fighter (soldier) could have expertise in Athletics or Intimidation and be as good as a rogue or bard as well.

 

[Monayuris]

Simpler initiative tracking. Everyone rolls like normal, but then I call out “anyone higher than X”, X being what I rolled. So players have a bit more flexibility, and I don’t have to waste time going down all of the numbers. Then I go, then I call out everyone else can go.

I do this too. I also roll initiative this way every round. It really streamlines combat and makes things a lot more tense.

Long rests not allowed in the dungeon.

Long rests are 24 hours and require a successful survival check in the wilderness.

Magic item charges use the Usage Die from The Black Hack.

I don't use feats, but I grant a lot of feat abilities as normal defaults. For example, all proficient characters can use the additional attack on a crit or drop to 0 from Great Weapon Mastery. All characters who can fight on horseback get the advantage on attacks from Mounted Combatant and all characters get the Polearm Master opportunity attack.

If you benefit from a Raise Dead or Revify or such, you gain a permanent and cumulative -1 to all your future death saves.

If you drop to 0 hit points, you suffer a cumulative level of Exhaustion

 

[Zaukrie]

(note, I can barely remember which version has which rules, who knows, some of this might be RAW).......

Flanking matters.

You can't just keep trying skill checks forever until they work.

Re-roll initiative every round when fighting high level demons.

I use minions a lot.

 

[dave2008]

We use a 55" wall-mounted TV for maps, displaying initiative, etc. and it works great. I wouldn't want it on the table unless it was a BIG table!

Currently I am think about 4 50" TVs linked together to make one "screen." That is close to 4'x8' which seems good to me (+ extras of course). I want to be able to have a map on the table and use minis on it, so on the wall will not work so well.

 

[6ENow!]

Currently I am think about 4 50" TVs linked together to make one "screen." That is close to 4'x8' which seems good to me (+ extras of course). I want to be able to have a map on the table and use minis on it, so on the wall will not work so well.

We map on the TV using powerpoint, etc. and tokens for the PCs and monsters when we need to. Otherwise, we just stay with theater of mind most of the time.

 

[dave2008]

We map on the TV using powerpoint, etc. and tokens for the PCs and monsters when we need to. Otherwise, we just stay with theater of mind most of the time.

I like physical minis though. I've used them since the 80s and old habits die hard!

 

[toucanbuzz]

This seems to weaken Polearm Mastery by giving half of it to all characters.

I'd play a multiclassed swashbuckler rogue with a whip. A semi-reliable way to get attacks on someone else's turn so I can deal my sneak attack again? Sign me up. The whip is both reach and finesse. Would lose a level to another class to get the weapon proficiency, but a level of fighter shouldn't hurt.

I've yet to have any player take polearm mastery, but likely I'd amend the feat to make their use of aoo to be as many times as their proficiency bonus.

As to rogues with whips, I dont allow multiclassing in my games because its optional and I think it tends to be used for cheese. As such if a rogue wants to use a valuable feat to become whip proficient for that once per round chance I'm cool with that. But always a good point if we spot cheese combos. I have an understanding with my players that if we spot cheese, bring it to everyone's attention. They've been awesome about that.

 

[Nebulous]

I like physical minis though. I've used them since the 80s and old habits die hard!

I know, I love my toys. I've been buying 3D terrain too, I love that crap.

 

[The Green Hermit]

Fast Swapping - characters can swap out gear as an object interaction.

For example, you can put away your sword and shield to draw your bow as a single object interaction (which you can still do for free once per round). Having to drop gear just clutters up the table, rarely for any benefit, and this encouraged players to try different actions, rather than sticking with whatever their gear would enable because swapping would get too expensive in terms of the action economy.

I do this too. Mostly because when we first started, we didn't know any better, but when I realized it, I decided to just keep things as they were. Maybe later we'll have enough of a grip on all the rules that somebody will want to play with this, but until then, I am leaving things be.

 

[The Green Hermit]

We use a 55" wall-mounted TV for maps, displaying initiative, etc. and it works great. I wouldn't want it on the table unless it was a BIG table!

What do you use to display initiative? I've been taking the time to write it out on paper, along with keeping track of hit points, and I haven't liked how long it takes to set up each battle. Once things get going, everything is good, but it's getting to that point that is the problem.

 

[Blue]

What do you use to display initiative? I've been taking the time to write it out on paper, along with keeping track of hit points, and I haven't liked how long it takes to set up each battle. Once things get going, everything is good, but it's getting to that point that is the problem.

If you're open to a non-TV based answer, my DM has clothespins with each character's name on them and a few "Monster #X". He clips them on in order on the top of his DM screen and we're off.

 

[The Green Hermit]

If you're open to a non-TV based answer, my DM has clothespins with each character's name on them and a few "Monster #X". He clips them on in order on the top of his DM screen and we're off.

That still leaves me with keeping track of all the stats, though. If I don't write them out in order to begin with, I end up wasting more time trying to find the correct spot to write things down at later.

I do like the clothespin idea, though, for my players. I hate having to remind them that it is their turn all the time. That alone could help speed things up. And we have a clothesline, so I have lots of clothespins already.

 

[Blue]

That still leaves me with keeping track of all the stats, though. If I don't write them out in order to begin with, I end up wasting more time trying to find the correct spot to write things down at later.

I do like the clothespin idea, though, for my players. I hate having to remind them that it is their turn all the time. That alone could help speed things up. And we have a clothesline, so I have lots of clothespins already.

Current DM just calls out "20 to 25", people pipe up, he puts on a a few clothespins, repeat down the list. Only a few people (if any) in each group of five, very easy to sort. If you have the order, the numbers are not needed anymore.

 

[6ENow!]

What do you use to display initiative? I've been taking the time to write it out on paper, along with keeping track of hit points, and I haven't liked how long it takes to set up each battle. Once things get going, everything is good, but it's getting to that point that is the problem.

Our DM developed an excel file with a macro. It has the character's info, so he puts in the d20 results for each and clicks the button. Here is a screen shot:

 

[Anoth]

I use group initiative as the optional rule. But I do surprise differently. It is also a group check
And winning surprise just means your side goes first, basically wins initiative. Speeds up play. So sometimes there is no initiative rolled because they won the surprise check.

 

[The Green Hermit]

Our DM developed an excel file with a macro. It has the character's info, so he puts in the d20 results for each and clicks the button. Here is a screen shot:

View attachment 117500

This is exactly what I have been looking for. Thanks! And I could preset anticipated mobs on another page and just copy and paste them over into the battles where they are needed. Still takes a little bit of time, but not nearly as much.

Now to see if I can make it work how I want on my husband's tablet or if I'll need to drag my laptop out . . . which I've been resisting due to space issues.

 

[6ENow!]

This is exactly what I have been looking for. Thanks! And I could preset anticipated mobs on another page and just copy and paste them over into the battles where they are needed. Still takes a little bit of time, but not nearly as much.

Now to see if I can make it work how I want on my husband's tablet or if I'll need to drag my laptop out . . . which I've been resisting due to space issues.

Here you go. I had to zip it since I can't attach excel files directly. If you encounter any issues, let me know and I can pass it on. You can have up to 19 individuals I think (row 20), but I could be wrong.