Prone: A couple house rules

[LibraryOgre]

A couple houserules I have used for prone:

1) Disadvantage on ranged attacks against you.
2) Disadvantage on your attacks does not apply if you are using a crossbow.

[Mith]

A couple houserules I have used for prone:

1) Disadvantage on ranged attacks against you.
2) Disadvantage on your attacks does not apply if you are using a crossbow.

Isn't the first one an actual rule?

I do like the second one. It gives a niche for the crossbow.

[viaFAMILIAR]

Isn't the first one an actual rule?

I do like the second one. It gives a niche for the crossbow.

Almost. It's actually attacks within 5' have advantage, otherwise disadvantage. Mark's suggestion omits the advantage bit and applies to only ranged weapons.

[viaFAMILIAR]

A couple houserules I have used for prone:

1) Disadvantage on ranged attacks against you.
2) Disadvantage on your attacks does not apply if you are using a crossbow.

I could see this being one step from a feat, or a beneficial "prone", taking a knee?

How did it apply in-game?

[Aprender]

Our house rule for prone is that ranged attacks from a higher elevation do *not* suffer disadvantage as the char is not presenting a smaller surface area/target (unless they are and then 1/2 and 3/4 cover kick in).

[LibraryOgre]

Almost. It's actually attacks within 5' have advantage, otherwise disadvantage. Mark's suggestion omits the advantage bit and applies to only ranged weapons.

I missed the "Otherwise disadvantage" part, actually. It wasn't intended to replace the advantage for melee strikes, just impose disadvantage on ranged attacks, which the game already does.

As for how it applied in game, it hasn't yet. The disadvantage on ranged attacks did annoy our ranger a bit (he'd JUST gotten Sharpshooter, and loved shooting through bushes), but he uses a standard bow, not a crossbow.

[PeteNutButter]

I missed the "Otherwise disadvantage" part, actually. It wasn't intended to replace the advantage for melee strikes, just impose disadvantage on ranged attacks, which the game already does.

As for how it applied in game, it hasn't yet. The disadvantage on ranged attacks did annoy our ranger a bit (he'd JUST gotten Sharpshooter, and loved shooting through bushes), but he uses a standard bow, not a crossbow.

There is another difference. RAW prone gives disadvantage on melee attacks further than 5' away, such as reach weapons. RAW ranged weapons also get advantage when firing at a prone target within 5', though its usually just to offset the normal disadvantage for firing at a target within 5' [without Crossbow Expert].

If you were to do any rule, I would suggest to change the items instead of the general rule. Under the crossbows, just say "Being prone doesn't provide disadvantage." That way you leave the rules open to further weapons that might have the same effect (like guns), without having to change the prone condition again.

Even if you don't have any plans to allow things like guns in your world, it's just generally neater to have the specific rules on the specific items, rather than lumping them into general rules.

[BloodOgre]

I might consider homeruling prone to provide a crossbow shooter with advantage. or make it part of the crossbow expert feat.