D&D 5E Your Favorite 5e Houserule

[Helldritch]

It is better than I first thought. Might need some working at my table but I'll give it a shot with one of my group. Just to see how it works out in "real" life.

 

[The Green Hermit]

I usually handle it as a morale issue. The goblin at the other side of the room runs screaming when it sees what happens to its allies.

I like that, because it doesn't change the mechanics of how weapons work.

 

[The Green Hermit]

It is better than I first thought. Might need some working at my table but I'll give it a shot with one of my group. Just to see how it works out in "real" life.

I think I would keep track of individual HP still, but attach all the extra hits to the mob furthest from the group (and able to flee easiest). I also think that I would only do this for groups larger than the adventuring group. I also wouldn't necessarily tell my players, so that if it didn't make sense for somebody to flee a situation, they wouldn't wonder why the pool of enemies wasn't getting smaller.

 

[dagger]

We have a few:

1. Dual Weapon Feat - In addition to the other benefits, it also removes having to use a Bonus action for the off hand attack (still limited to one attack though).
2. New Feat: Improved Concentration - allows the caster to concentrate on two spells at once.
3. New Feat: Improved Attunement - allows the character to attune to 4 magic items.
4. Multi-classing - Only allowed for story reasons, and downtime may be required.

I think that is it.

 

[Don Durito]

I think I would keep track of individual HP still, but attach all the extra hits to the mob furthest from the group (and able to flee easiest). I also think that I would only do this for groups larger than the adventuring group. I also wouldn't necessarily tell my players, so that if it didn't make sense for somebody to flee a situation, they wouldn't wonder why the pool of enemies wasn't getting smaller.

It's pretty easy to cap damage. If a Fighter is only next to two mooks than you can just say that the amount of damage necessary to kill two mooks is the maximum he is capable of doing with that attack.

 

[The Hierophant]

My favourite 5e house rule: Adventures in Middle-Earth!

 

[Jediking]

If a creature is flanked and another PC gets within 5', that PC also gets advantage at my table. I really like your idea of adding a +1, though. Is that on top of advantage, or instead of advantage? I can see it working on top of advantage, because the more they are surrounded, the more perilous their situation is.

It is instead of advantage, only one or the other (either +bonus OR advantage) will apply unless additional bonuses or circumstances outside of flanking/surrounding are involved.
So from your example, both flanking creatures would have +1 to their attacks. If one more joined them, all three attackers would have +2 to attacks. If two more allies join and surround the hostile creature (four attackers total, one on each side), then all four attackers would have advantage.

Positioning does matter, as being Surrounded (ALL attackers have advantage) only applies when a creature has at least one hostile creature on each of it’s four sides. If four attackers strike at a creature but no one is directly behind it, then they would have +3 to melee attack rolls. We use minis for most big encounters so it is easy to call and rule during combats.

I tried the optional Flanking rule found in the PHB but found advantage to be given out too often and resulting in enemies getting downed too quickly (the DMG Flanking has been discussed elsewhere, so this was just my repeated experience).

I’ve been using this which really helps groups of weaker monsters or minions to still remain a viable threat, especially for BBEGs, and also see some classes make more dynamic choices in their combat style (especially our current Monk and Bard who both now jump in and out of melee combat, rather than do the same strategy for every encounter)

 

[CapnZapp]

Btw did anyone ever use (any edition): some mage conjurer bloke casts summon monster XY amd the party gets teleported to him?

Casts Banishment on Coroc and his party

 

[Nebulous]

We let players roll HP and keep half if they roll low. So if the fighter rolls the d10 and gets a 2, he gets 5 instead. We tend to have a lot of combat though.

I used that rule for years and years. Rolling a 1 at level up sucks.

 

[Nebulous]

Flanking does +1 damage in my games if you hit. Advantage was just way TOO good, and is the default way 5e tries to fix everything. They're scared of small numbers, as if it will snowball into 3e again.