What are some house rules that you use at your table to make campaigns go smoother?

[All Might]

Hello, all!

To expound on the title a little bit: I'm trying to compile a master list of methods, rules, and policies to better define my DM/GM style and encourage the most positive atmosphere at the table.

Like anyone, I'd like to have every tool at my disposal to quell disputes before they happen, ensure smooth gameplay, make roleplay comfortable, and encourage cooperation rather than competition at the game table. I have my own ideas, and the DMG and PHB of course have good suggestions for many situations, but what do you all do at your tables (both players and DMs)? What are your group's golden rules that may not be common practice? What are the key components to your table that allow everyone to consistently walk away saying "That was a great session!"?

Thank you all ^^

[Matticusrex]

Short rest are 5 minutes, twice per day per player. People actually play short-rest classes now.

[Man_Over_Game]

Inspiration is rewarded by emphasizing one of your flaws. If doing so hurt you, you get inspiration. If it hurt everyone else, they get inspiration.

During social checks, I have you roll your dice, then role your roll.

I allow a list of primary attribute changes to certain classes, each with specific requirements to prevent multiclassing requirements. So now you can play a Strength Monk AND multiclass as Barbarian, as long as you obey the specific rules.

During big fights that hit a temporary stopping point, I'll allow anyone to gain the benefits of a Short Rest. Those that do get Exhaustion. The fight then continues with some major change (boss enters next form, new wave comes in, etc).

You can modify a spell to do something it doesn't say it normally does, but doing so requires you to cast the spell at one level higher (like freezing water with Ray of Frost).

When I ask you to make an Ability Check, I only tell you what Attribute needs to be used. You tell me what proficiencies you want to apply, I say it's applicable. If you can apply more than one, get Advantage.

[CheddarChampion]

Not a house rule but "Rule 0" is always good.

Otherwise:
1. Spell foci do not hamper somatic components if appropriate for the class. A bard holding a shield and a wizard wand doesn't work, but a shield and a flute does. No warcaster required.
2. "Item slots" equal to your Str score. Dagger: 1 slot, potion: 1, arcane focus/spell components: 1, longsword: 2, shield: 2, greatsword: 3, armor: 1/2/3, etc. Replaces stuff like encumbrance. Half that number is what a character can have on hand - can grab as an item interaction.
3. Ignore the short rest hour requirement. Just tell the players when they should receive the benefits of a short rest depending on the circumstances. But also let players suggest getting a short rest. They can usually gauge when they need to recover better than you can.
Everyone's hurting but the ritual is almost complete and they haven't even started fighting the wizard? "You steel yourself and draw upon borrowed strength. If you survive this battle you'll still be worse for wear. Everyone gets a short rest."

General advice:
1. If something is worded strangely, just decide what it does and stick with it for the session. Review your decision between games.
2. Try to get specific feedback from players. Don't ask "Was it fun?" instead ask "What did you think of the fight with X?" or "What would you change about the rules I made up for that spike trap?" D&D is best when everyone is having fun and you need actual feedback to improve. Additionally, the "Master" is an eternal student.
3. Tell other people when they're harshing your mellow. Just because you're a DM you don't have to suffer too much.
4. 90% of the fun is who you play with.

If you really want a smooth game, lower levels and no multiclassing help but usually subtract from the fun factor. Except always start at least at level 2 because level 1 combat is super swingy. Just about any CR 1 monster has the potential to KO in one hit - no crit required.

Fun things/methods:
1. Let players describe killing blows so long as the descriptions make sense.
2. State intent -> Roll dice -> Describe outcome instead of State method -> Roll dice -> Confirm/Deny success.

[SpawnOfMorbo]

Primary Houserules

5 min short rest

4e NADs as saving throws. Get one primary save with full prof from class and you pick another that has 1/2 Prof.

Show me your homebrew class and I'll probably allow it in some way as long as it isn't overly broken. 5e isn't balanced and I rather people use something fun than jump through hoops.

Sometimes...

Level 3 or 6 is the last level you gain. You will gain subclass features eventually, feats regularly, and ASI rarely. All driven by narrative.

I'm making a specific e3 type classes currently (cleric, templar, fighter, rogue, Warlock, and witch) and so eventually I'll be tunning a few test games with these.

[djreynolds]

I have a luck roll based on your highest save, you make-up the value of this DC, players can use bless or inspiration with it.

I use this when a player(s) may have missed something crucial to the story, or something obvious.

I too will give out some freebies based on story achievements, usually a partial background and limited skill.

For example, in Out of the Abyss, some of players gained a portion of the outlander feat, they could find enough food for one person and have advantage on survival/atheltic checks but only in the particular Underdark region they survived in.

This was before the UA new features where you could switch out skills upon leveling

[Pex]

In 3E reference, always use Investigation when Searching. Always use Perception when Spotting. No need to take a moment to figure out which one to use. Despite the PHB, it means Investigation is always used to search for traps.

Ignore encumbrance. It only matters when bulk is an issue, and even then use common sense.

Minutiae of detail doesn't matter. No need to track rations or arrows used. It's enough to say you restock in town. It's a game, not accounting.

Get back all HD spent on short rest healing when you long rest. People forget or don't even know it's supposed to be half. It really doesn't matter. Let it be.

[MustaKrakish]

In 3E reference, always use Investigation when Searching. Always use Perception when Spotting. No need to take a moment to figure out which one to use. Despite the PHB, it means Investigation is always used to search for traps.


Same here.

I also make characters start with the worst gear possible and a very low amount of money. It makes finding regular gear an actual upgrade rather than waiting for X level to find magic items.

Healing kits heal a very small amount of hp when used with the medicine skill. You can't heal without a healing kit.

I roll death saves for my players.

[Makorel]

I also make characters start with the worst gear possible and a very low amount of money. It makes finding regular gear an actual upgrade rather than waiting for X level to find magic items.


Do you always start at level 1 when you do this? If not is it weird for higher level characters to only have basic starting equipment?

[MustaKrakish]

Yeah, of course, level 1 characters. They start with tiny amount of gold and the worst armor from the type they wish to wear. They don't start with explorer packs and all that.

[HappyDaze]

Long Rest does not restore hit points.
Long Rest restores all (rather than half) hit dice.
Long Rest allows hit dice to be spent just with a Short Rest.

[noob]

Not a house rule but "Rule 0" is always good.

Otherwise:
2. "Item slots" equal to your Str score. Dagger: 1 slot, potion: 1, arcane focus/spell components: 1, longsword: 2, shield: 2, greatsword: 3, armor: 1/2/3, etc. Replaces stuff like encumbrance. Half that number is what a character can have on hand - can grab as an item interaction.

So now a str fighter have an hard time wearing more than heavy armor, a longsword, a shield, a bow, a dagger in case of disarmament or grappling, a flask of water for thirst, a backpack, a rope(Heavier than a longsword so counts as 2 slots) and 2 rations to have something to eat for two days.
Why did you feel the need to prevent fighters from carrying enough equipment for approaching a broad range of situations?
Normally a str fighter would have 8 or 9 more things in order to manage a correct number of situations (such as a small handheld mirror, chalk, a flask of oil, some tissue, a sewing kit, a sharpening stone, 2 or 3 ways to start fires, some ink and paper, a torch or lantern and so on)
Why did you want to remove polyvalence from str fighters?(they already did not have too much polyvalence: killing stuff in fights does not solves all the problems in the world(although it can be a substitute for diplomacy if you are ready to leave a trail of bodies))



Same here.

I also make characters start with the worst gear possible and a very low amount of money. It makes finding regular gear an actual upgrade rather than waiting for X level to find magic items.

Healing kits heal a very small amount of hp when used with the medicine skill. You can't heal without a healing kit.

I roll death saves for my players.
Makes sense that we need a healing kit for healing during short rests (I mean resting should not in itself close wounds in under an hour)
And healing kits being needed for casting a healing spell makes sense too (you can not just cram energy in someone and hope it cure wounds cleanly)

[diplomancer]

During social checks, I have you roll your dice, then role your roll.


I love this idea. I want to steal it. Does the player first say which skill he wants to use (intimidation, deception, persuasion)?

[stoutstien]

Not really a rule but a way of making sure that all the players and the DM are on the same page as far as the style of gameplay.
I use the Star trek question: if the campaign was one of the Star trek series which one is it?

Original series represents your lower magic sword & sorcery. Traveling to unknown destinations. Food water ammunition is usually not an issue but occasionally might be.

Next-gen is your high fantasy. The party in general is superior than most of the surrounding NPCs so they are called on to deal with issues that only they can take care of.

DS9. mostly singular location campaign. The premise of a home base that the campaign is centered around.

Voyager. The epic quest. The journey is the focus point which might have a bigger emphasis on tracking supplies because they're not guaranteed. You are mostly alone unless you can gather allies and maybe in the process make a few enemies. This style might have multiple goals but the primary one is just survival.



What are expectation of what type of game is going to be it's very important but rarely discuss. make sure all the players that are showing up the game are showing up for the same one.

[Anonymouswizard]

Any noncasting class in a first party book or the Middle-earth books is automatically allowed, spellcasting classes are allowed at GM-discretion. This serves two purposes: it allows me to keep control of how magic in setting works, and allows me to mitigate choice patalysis. I've played with some players who cannot decide between attacking and shoving, and others who had no problems picking which spells to memorise for their wizard in their first every session.

You begin the session with one Inspiration, can hold as many as you earn, and can spend it to instantly stabilise. You can alsospend it to pull outany mundane item worth less than 10gp that you could fit into a backpack, as long as you could potentially carry it on your person.

Every party member gets Inspiration if I have to cheat to have a good story.

Oh, and for standard adventuring equipment (rope, a tent, a sextant, rations...) if you don't have it on you a DC10 intelligence check will let your character be smarter than you. Garlic is DC20. If you fail then tough luck.

[Zhorn]

Mostly just advice;
Have a session zero. Request of your players to ask about expectations and the specific rules they want to be on the same page as you about before they commit to anything. The Lucky and Shield Master feats, crits and extra dice, pets and NPC followers, Twinned Spell and Dragon's Breath, deviations from rules as written, etc. If you know what your players are wanting to play, you can better prepare to have an agreed understanding of how those rules will behave in your game without either side being blindsided.

Rule of fun. Two-parter.
(1) "Whatever happens tonight, I'm here to have fun", the mantra both you and your players need to keep in mind for ever session. Stress and drama from outside of the game is not to be brought into the game, and the moods and feelings of the characters are not to be projections of or be projected to the players at the table.
(2) If something doesn't work for your table, there's nothing wrong with scrapping it and moving on to the next thing. Quests, scenes, rules, etc. Sometimes it's not about what you add into the game, but also what you take out. What works for one table may not be a fit for another.

Snacks, drinks and bathroom breaks. No special follow up here, just think it through.

[Man_Over_Game]

I love this idea. I want to steal it. Does the player first say which skill he wants to use (intimidation, deception, persuasion)?

Yup, but it also helps to tie in the other skill-based house rule I listed, which is to allow players to decide what proficiencies to use for an ability check, and grant Advantage if they list more than one.

That way, they are only Deceptive/Intimidating/Persuasive when they choose to be.

[CheddarChampion]

Why did you feel the need to prevent fighters from carrying enough equipment for approaching a broad range of situations?

So if you have 16 Str you have 16 slots. 8 of those can be immediately accessible. Longsword + shield = 4/8 used. You can have a potion in 1, a longbow takes 2, and a quiver for 1, all ready with merely an item interaction or less.

You have 8 more slots that take more time to access. Armor takes 3, leaving 5 slots for whatever.
I mean these slots mostly for gear, not for stuff like water & food. The readily available slots only really matter inside of combat, where it would be unusual to need rations in hand for at the drop of a hat. Same as rope. Just drop your pack, rifle through it, and grab the item.

If you're on a long journey (5+ days), shouldn't you also get a mule or the like anyhow?
I don't see this as a debuff to strong characters?

[Whyrocknodie]

Remove 'Counterspell' entirely. Do not replace it with anything.

Short short rests (as per lots of other people).

[J-H]

I pre-roll Perception checks so that I don't have to make them stop and roll Perception checks to see if they spot something. I mass-roll about 10 checks per player in Excel using a random function (all at once), and print the table before the game.

[HappyDaze]

I pre-roll Perception checks so that I don't have to make them stop and roll Perception checks to see if they spot something. I mass-roll about 10 checks per player in Excel using a random function (all at once), and print the table before the game.

This is meant to replace Passive Perception?

[DMJosh]

I use passive initiative for non-boss monsters and NPCs. It avoids a lot of pre-combat slow-down. Players are still rolling, so there is still a chance that they'll go before or after their foes.

[J-H]

I use folded 3x5 cards on top of the DM screen to show initiative.

I have a card specifically for Init 20 to show where it is, and to help remember lair actions.

We re-roll initiative for the players a couple of times a session. I roll enemy initiative for each combat, dropping them in as appropriate. I have enemies in 3 blocks so that there's not too many different turns to keep track of. I use printed 1x1, 2x2, etc. icons/tokens for enemies, and I have them numbered (ie, skeletons 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8...). Enemy 1 block gets odd #s, Enemy 2 block gets even #s, and Enemy 3 block gets others/special/bosses/etc.


This is meant to replace Passive Perception?

Eh, sort of. Passive perception kind of stinks. Everyone's between a 10 and a 16, so there's only a very small range of numbers where anything matters.

[Urukubarr]

I stole an idea from HxH for my games.

I give everyone that plays a game I DM a 1920's german mark (silver coin, mines a funf they have ein) and if they have a disagreement that starts getting heated then the flip a coin to settle it, coin gets final say. sure you could use dice or whatever, but I liked the old coin flip.

[SpawnOfMorbo]

Remove 'Counterspell' entirely. Do not replace it with anything.

Short short rests (as per lots of other people).

I could see a counterspell that weakens the spell being cast. A weakened spell offers those effected advantage on their saving throws or reduces the duration of a spell.

Wizard cast fireball and I counterspell it? All within the damage area get advantage on a saving throw.

Wizard cast wall of stone? Duration is now Concentration 1 minute.

[HappyDaze]

Eh, sort of. Passive perception kind of stinks. Everyone's between a 10 and a 16, so there's only a very small range of numbers where anything matters.

Perhaps that's the point. Sometimes less variability has a positive effect. D&D tends to go for very swingy randomness (consider how much of the results of d20+5 come from the random element), and sometimes that's a real pain in the donkey.

[MaxWilson]

Hello, all!

To expound on the title a little bit: I'm trying to compile a master list of methods, rules, and policies to better define my DM/GM style and encourage the most positive atmosphere at the table.

Like anyone, I'd like to have every tool at my disposal to quell disputes before they happen, ensure smooth gameplay, make roleplay comfortable, and encourage cooperation rather than competition at the game table. I have my own ideas, and the DMG and PHB of course have good suggestions for many situations, but what do you all do at your tables (both players and DMs)? What are your group's golden rules that may not be common practice? What are the key components to your table that allow everyone to consistently walk away saying "That was a great session!"?

Thank you all ^^

Two rules that help things go smoother:

(1) Roll initiative only when the outcome depends on who goes first. Otherwise just let players roll their dice for that round whenever they're ready. Makes combats go faster and keeps players more engaged, since there's less sitting around waiting for other players.

(1a) In big combats it can also make it a little more confusing though so have some way to keep track of who hasn't acted yet, like having one of the players act as action tracker, or passing out poker chips at the beginning of each round which they toss back when they finish their action.

(2) Odd ability scores grant an extra +1 on ability checks, but not attack rolls or saving throws. Keeps odd scores like Str 17 from feeling like a useless waste.

[DarknessEternal]

(2) Odd ability scores grant an extra +1 on ability checks, but not attack rolls or saving throws. Keeps odd scores like Str 17 from feeling like a useless waste.

Ok, I like that one a great deal.

[All Might]

Thank you all so much for your responses! I've read every single response and have already walked away with some absolutely golden advice I would never have come up with on my own. Please continue, because I am loving this!