House Rules

Adventuring and the Environment

Breath

While holding your breath, any activity other than your movement uses 30 seconds of breath. If you take damage, make a CON save against losing 30 seconds of breath. The DC equals the highest of 10 or half the damage taken.

Encumbrance

Medium characters can carry 10x their STR score and lift/pull 20x their STR score.
Small characters can carry 3x their STR score and lift/pull 6x their STR score. Items made for a Small character weigh half of their regular weight.
A flying creature can carry its weight * STR score/8

RAW encumbrance never comes into play. The variant rule is overly restrictive and requires much bookkeeping. Neither rule covers PCs of size Small or flying capacity.

Fall Damage

Fall damage is 1d4 after 5ft, + 1d4 cumulative per 5 ft.
10 ft = 1d4, 15 ft = 3d4, 20 ft = 6d4, 30 ft = 15d4, 40 ft = 28d4.

Small creatures only start taking fall damage after 15 ft.

RAW fall damage (1d6 / 10ft) is irrelevant after level 2.

Identifying Magical Items

Anyone with magical abilities can tell an item is magical through touch. Discovering magical properties requires the Identify spell or experimentation. A short rest does not reveal anything. This makes magic items FEEL magical.

Combat and the Action Economy

Hiding

RAW leaves hiding to DM discretion. This is how I run it.
You cannot hide from someone who can plainly see you. To be hidden, you must:

Have a hiding spot relative to the target(s) you are hiding from. i.e. relevant camouflage for the given distance; a physical barrier that provides at least 1/2 cover, etc.
Move stealthily (half speed) into the suitable hiding spot.
Use the Hide Action (or Bonus Action if permitted).

Initiative, Balsera Style

The fiction dictates who goes first and then they pick who goes next.
Features providing a bonus directly to Initiative allow you to interject your turn in the turn order once per combat.

This allows collaborative combat strategies, it accelerates combat, encourages player attention, reduces the efficiency of DEX, handles surprise rounds organically and prevents situations where a player "initiates" combat and rolls low.

Rapier

The Rapier is a 1d6 finesse weapon and gains Special: Damage is 1d8 if your offhand is free or if your Strength is 11 or higher.
A 1-hand 1d8 finesse option makes DEX builds outclass STR 1H and Two Weapon Fighting builds. This reduces the efficiency of DEX.

Feat - Lucky

Not available. Lucky dulls the consequence of rolls.

Feat - Great Weapon Master (Reworked)

When you make an Attack with a Heavy melee weapon that you are proficient with:

If you score a critical hit, you can make one melee weapon attack as a bonus action.
If you reduce a creature to 0 hit points, you can make one melee weapon attack as a bonus action or reaction.
If you do not hit your initial target, you can divert the momentum of the blow towards another creature within reach as a bonus action. Make an attack roll for the diverted attack. If it hits, you deal the weapon's damage without your ability modifier. Creatures that are of a size larger than you may count as another creature within reach if your positioning allows it.

Feat - Polearm Master

When your make a two-handed attack with a Reach melee weapon, a Spear or a Quarterstaff, you can use a bonus action to make a melee attack with the butt end of the weapon. If this attack hits, it does 1d6 bludgeoning damage. It does not benefit from your ability modifier.
While you are wielding a Reach melee weapon, a spear or a quarterstaff, creatures provoke an opportunity attack from you when they enter your reach.

A 1d4 WITH the ability modifier combined with Reach and extra opportunities for your reaction makes 1d10 weapons far outclass any other option.

Feat - Sharpshooter (Reworked)

When you make a ranged attack with a weapon that you are proficient with:

If you score a critical hit, the extra weapon damage dice is maximized (i.e. a longbow does 1d8 + 8).
You can use your bonus action to steady your aim and ensure your attack hits. When you attack a target in this way, you forego the attack and damage rolls. The attack hits but deals half of the weapon's damage die (i.e. dart = 2, longbow = 5). Your ability modifier does not apply but magical modifiers (+1, 2, 3) and other effects do. These attacks can trigger features that occur on a hit (i.e. Sneak).
You can use your reaction to attempt to stay hidden after attacking from a hidden position. Roll a Dexterity (Stealth) check against foes' passive perception + 5.

Spells

Fireball and Lightning Bolt
Damage is 6d6 instead of 8d6.
Other spells become interesting. Casters stay on par with martial classes.

Readying a Spell
When you take the Ready action to hold a spell but it is not enacted by the start of your next turn, you can use your Reaction to release the held spell at a new or old target or continue holding the spell through your next turn (effectively Readying again). Otherwise, the spell dissipates.

RAW, if you Ready a spell and the condition is not met before your next turn, the spell slot is wasted even though you spent your action and a spell slot, maintained concentration and reserved your reaction.

Visibility of Spell Components
RAW leaves details to DM discretion. This is how I run it.

Verbal and Somatic spell components cannot easily be hidden (except for the Subtle Spell metamagic). In general:

Verbal components are audible in a 60 feet range.
Somatic components are visible behind half cover and require a successful stealth/SoH check behind 3/4 cover.

Falling Unconscious and Death

Falling Unconscious

When you fall to 0 HP, you fall unconscious and gain one level of exhaustion. Falling unconscious has a consequence.

Death Saves

RAW, Death Saves make for drawn out, anticlimactic play for the unconscious player.

The Death Save is replaced by a DC16 Constitution check made privately. It is not a Saving Throw.

On a failure, you fail one "Death Check".
On a 1, you fail one Death Check and get a Lingering Injury.
At three failed Death Checks, your character dies.
On a success, you stabilize at 0 HP.
On a 20, you have a moment of clarity where you see blurrily up to 15 feet. You can take an action or a bonus action or crawl half your speed. After, if you are still at 0 HP, you become stable.
The Damage at 0 Hit Points mechanics remain the same.
While suffocating and at 0 HP, you automatically fail Death Checks.

Lingering Injury

A Flaw caused by a gruesome injury that can impart a mechanical effect. Some adventures leave more than a scar.

Resurrection is Uncertain

Resurrection reduces the gravity of death. RAW, resurrection is limited only by gold. It is therefore nearly impossible at early levels and becomes trivial with increasing level. This change makes each resurrection attempt cause future resurrections less likely.

Each PC starts with a resurrection DC of 10. This DC increases by 2 for each resurrection attempt, regardless of source and outcome. When a resurrection spell with a casting time longer than 1 action is used, a resurrection ritual is initiated. Up to 3 characters can make a narrative contribution to the ritual. Each contribution is a skill challenge with a DC based on the nature of the contribution. Successful and Failed contributions reduce or increase the resurrection DC by 2 respectively. If the soul is willing and free to come back, the dead PC rolls a d20 against the final resurrection DC. True resurrection automatically succeeds. Wish succeeds even if the soul is not willing.
- Credit Matthew Mercer.

Other

Character Advancement

You gain EXP when you move the narrative forward - whether it is through combat, social interactions or discovery. Narrative Character Advancement

Nic's 5e House Rules