D&D 5e House Rules

A set of House Rules for 5e D&D.

Class Rules
See D&D 5e Homebrew Classes.

Equipment Rules
These rules serve to specify how some equipment works.

Armor
See the Armor Chart for D&D 5e in the Armor article.

Shields
See the Shields Chart for D&D 5e in the Shields article.

Weapons
See the Weapons Chart for D&D 5e in the Weapons article.

The Backpack
Strapped to the outside of your backpack, and stored in special dedicated compartments, you optionally carry (without sacrificing any carrying space or weight): You still have to factor the weight of the above items against your maximum carry-weight, and if you do not actually possess the above items, do not simply assume that they are given automatically - with the exception of the "Camp-Kit, Light", which is given to any player who receives any of the listed equipment that belongs in that kit, at character creation.
 * The Backpack itself (its own weight does not count against weight limit of backpack)
 * A Camp-Kit, Light (bedroll, blanket, mess-kit, sanitation kit, tinder-box and a tiny bit of firewood - total weight is 8 lbs)
 * A spare outfit
 * A coil of rope
 * A light source
 * A single tool-kit
 * Potion Case with room for 3 potions (the weight of the potions is not factored into this)
 * A scroll-case with room for 10 scrolls (scroll-weight negligent)
 * 3 days worth of rations
 * 2 water-skins
 * 2 small weapons (short-swords, hand axes or similar sized)
 * 1 optional large item (shield or similar size) or one optional medium item (no larger than a light crossbow or battle-axe) and one small item (quiver, short-sword or similar size).

What else fits in my pack?
In a normal, backpack in addition to the gear you can carry for free, you can only carry 3 cubic feet worth of gear, weighing no more than 40 lbs.
 * A ration takes up half a cubic-foot of space, which you can use as a sort of reference point.
 * Virtually any tool-kit can be compressed into taking up 1 cubic foot.
 * A water-skin takes up a quarter of a cubic-foot.
 * You can dedicate a quarter-foot of space to "knick-knacks", which permits you to carry any number of items smaller than a balled fist, without worrying about space, but you still have to track weight.
 * A bundled up suit of armor takes up a whole cubic-foot.
 * 100 GP takes up a quarter cubic foot, so assume that 100 GP in silver takes up 2.5 cubic feet, and 100 GP in copper takes up 25 cubic feet.
 * Assume that gems take up space as if they were gold-pieces equivalent to their value, so 100 GP of gems takes up the same space as 100 GP in Golden Coins.

Saddle Bags
Saddle Bags are a good alternative to gain some extra carrying capacity, but also carry a limited amount of supplies. Assume that the bags always, without subtracting from weight and size capacity, will hold the following (though you must still record the weight against the maximum carrying capacity of your horse):
 * Camp-kit extension (half-tent, cooking gear and other necessities - total weight is 15 lbs)
 * Horse Tournout (Weight: 1 lbs)
 * Grooming Kit (Horse - weight: ~2 lbs)
 * A sack with 3 days worth of supplementary horse-feed, or 1 days worth of daily horse-feed.
 * 10 waterskins
 * 3 days of rations
 * Choice between 2 cases of either potions (3 per case) or scrolls (10 per case) - you may choose one of either, or opt out on one or both and choose an additional 4 water-skins per case you opt out of.
 * 1 tool-kit or 3 additional rations
 * you can strap a maximum of one polearm on the horse
 * you can strap a maximum of 1 two-handed melee weapon, or heavy crossbow to the horse
 * you can strap a maximum of 4 small weapons to the horse
 * you can strap a maximum of 2 medium weapons (full-sized one-handed weapons or ranged weapons smaller than a heavy crossbow) to the horse
 * you can strap a single shield to the horse
 * you can carry a single suit of armor bundled up on the horse

What else fits in my pack?
See the guidelines under "Backpack". The saddlebacks can hold a total of 5 cubic feet of equipment, not to exceed a weigh of 100 lbs.

Carrying More Gear
As a player, you rightly assume that your character can carry items that are not in a backpack. Belt-pouches, scabbards and even his hands are methods of transporting gear that he might need, and more importantly, being able to get to it fast.

Weapons
Your character has 4 weapon slots, but the fourth slot is actually his hands.
 * Carrying a weapon in your character's hands (4th slot), that he cannot sheathe because the weapon doesn't permit this, results in permanent disadvantage on stealth and athletic checks, as well as moving 10 ft slower in difficult terrain.
 * You can carry the same amount of gear in either of your 3 regular weapon slots.
 * Daggers are the smallest traditional weapons in D&D, so we're going to use them as the economic unit to define the holding capacity of a weapon-slot.
 * A single weapon-lot (excepting the fourth slot, which is literally the character's own two hands) can hold 5 daggers.
 * A small weapon (any light weapon) takes up 2 daggers worth of space.
 * Any one-handed (versatile doesn't disqualify) weapon that isn't light takes up 4 daggers.
 * A quiver, a shortbow or a light-crossbow all count as one-handed non-light weapons for this effect.
 * A shield counts as non-light one-handed weapon AND a dagger.
 * A two-handed sheath-able weapon counts as 7 daggers, subtracting from another slot due to being seriously bulky.

Other Gear
You have three additional equipment slots, that can be used to carry:
 * A potion kit with room for 3 potions
 * A scroll case - but using scrolls in combat requires the amount of scrolls in the case to be limited to 3. Having more scrolls in the case causes the player to have to roll a 1d100, with a 10% chance of drawing the wrong scroll per additional scroll in the case.
 * A tool-kit.

Combat Rules
These rules are mainly in regard to Combat. Some minor rules to re-balance combat a bit.

Attack Options
These are some new general Attack Options.

Cross Fire
If you are using a ranged weapon to attack an enemy, you may take advantage as if you were flanking, if that enemy is threatened in melee combat, by someone who is at a 90 degree angle from you (roughly), instead of the usual 180 degrees required to flank. However, you do not extend the benefit of flanking to the ally in melee combat.
 * If an ally is engaging an enemy in ranged combat at a 90 degree angle from you, you both gain the benefits of flanking.
 * This effectively replaces the Rogue's ability to sneak attack when an ally is within 5 feet of the enemy.

Precise Strike
You attempt to bypass an opponent's armor and attempt to attack vs. the opponent's full AC.
 * If you miss, your attack fails.
 * If you succeed, your attack bypasses the resistances and Damage Reduction of the opponent's armor, but not any natural or magical damage reductions or resistances the opponent might have from other sources.

Regular Strike
You strike your opponent's armor, rolling vs. the opponent's AC from sources other than armor exclusively - this doesn't mean that the opponent can ignore their max-dex bonus. The Shield Bonus still applies against these attacks, however.
 * If you miss, your attack fails.
 * If you succeed, your attack hits, but is subject to all the damage reductions and resistances of the armor in question.

Size Up
You can size up an opponent with a free perception check each time you attack the opponent. The perception check is made at disadvantage if your opponent is in an area considered "dim light" for you. The DC is equal to the opponent's AC.
 * If your roll exceeds the DC, you learn the opponent's AC and armor type and benefits.
 * If the roll doesn't exceed the DC, then you the GM will section the AC as much as he can, into individual sources, and inform of what you may have learned. For instance, assuming the opponent's entire load-out didn't count, your roll might have been enough to notice the armor alone.
 * If you are proficient with some of the equipment that the opponent is using, you can immediately identify it, provided it isn't concealed or somehow very exotic, and the GM should subtract these item's armor value from the DC.

Combat Maneuvers
Anyone can now perform any Combat Maneuver, but the Fighter Sub-Class called the "Battle Master" gains 4 (later a 5th) superiority die, and any character with the Martial Adept feature gains 2. Superiority Die are recovered at the start of the next turn - because of this, they are down-graded to d4s.

Grappling
When you attempt to grapple another character, you make an attack roll vs. their Grappling DC. The grappling DC consists of the target's dexterity modifier, and +/- 1 per size category they are above or below the attacker, respectively.
 * If you hit with your grapple attack, the victim must make a strength save vs. 8+strength+proficiency, or remain grappled. If the victim wins, they become the controller of the grapple, and can end the grapple as a reaction, or remain in the grapple.
 * Grappling treats one character as being the controller, which is who-ever initiated the grapple, or who ever has most recently won a grapple challenge. The controller can, at any time use their reaction to disengage from the grapple, but upon doing so, the other character immediately gets to attempt to re-grapple as a reaction.
 * When in a grapple, both characters are stationary, and attacks made against them from outside the grapple are made with advantage, but there's a 25% chance of hitting the wrong target.
 * When in a grapple, those participating can ignore each other's armor and shields for the sake of attack rolls within the grapple.
 * During a grapple, light weapons can be used with no disadvantage, but ordinary weapons can be used with disadvantage and while counting as improvised (no proficiency bonus).
 * Attacking during a grapple follows normal rules, bur during a grapple, either character can use their reaction to attempt to either break free of the grapple, or subsequently restore the grapple.
 * Attack rolls to push or trip (see maneuvers) are made with advantage during a grapple. They can be made with proficiency even though the attacking character is not wielding an appropriate weapon.

Disarming Attack
You can perform disarming attack while unarmed or armed with any weapon, provided your opponent is close enough for you to be able to perform a melee touch attack.
 * You may spend superiority die to deal full damage on the attack, though if the opponent does not have gauntlets on, or otherwise is protected on the hands somehow, then it is unnecessary to spend a superiority die to deal regular damage on the attack.

Distracting Strike
When you hit a creature with an attack while using this maneuver, you provide your allies with an opening. The target must succeed at a Strength Saving Throw or the next attack roll against the target by an attacker other than you has advantage if the attack is made before the start of your next turn. The creature can choose to not make the saving-throw at all, but then your attack automatically counts as a critical hit.
 * If you spend a superiority die, the advantage extends to all attacks made against the target until the start of your next turn, except attacks made by you.

Dodge
As a reaction, provided you have at least 10 ft of movement left and you are hit by an enemy, you may attempt a dexterity save vs the opponent's attack roll.
 * If you succeed, you avoid the damage from the attack and move to an adjacent unoccupied square, but your speed is set to 0, and you have disadvantage on all attack rolls you make during your next turn.
 * If you fail, you did not successfully dodge, remain in your current square, you lose 5ft of movement.
 * You can spend a superiority die to retain 5ft of movement at the end of your dodge.
 * You can spend superiority die to boost your dexterity save.
 * You can spend superiority die to ignore the disadvantage on a single attack.

Evasive Footwork
You must decide to use this maneuver before making any attacks during your turn, and also while retaining at least 5 ft of unspent movement. By sacrificing the ability to make attacks of opportunity and taking disadvantage on any attacks you make that turn, you gain a +2 Dodge Bonus to your AC which persists unless you become immobile are incapacitated or knocked prone.
 * You may spend a superiority die to retain the ability to make attacks of opportunity, but these are still made with disadvantage.
 * You may spend superiority die to gain an extra +2 to AC per die spent.

Feint
As a bonus action, you can attempt to use the Feint Maneuver against a create within reach. Until the end of the turn, you have advantage on your next attack roll against that creature.
 * You may spend a superiority die to to extend the advantage to one additional attack you conduct.

Goading Attack
When fighting a creature with an intelligence score of at least 3, you may use a bonus action to goad a creature into focusing on you during the battle. Make a deception check, the result of which acts as the DC for a Charisma Save made by the creature. Alternatively, you can make a persuasion check in the same way to issue a challenge to the creature, but only if the creature understands the language you are speaking.
 * If you expend a superiority die, you can make a goading attack entirely without speaking and without taking a bonus action, and instead the creature must make a Wisdom Saving Throw or be goaded. This is done by literally hitting the creature with an attack, however, and it does require that the creature is within range to hit you back.

Lunging Attack
You gain 5ft of extra reach on your attack, by spending 30 ft of movement.
 * You can spend superiority die to cover 10 ft of movement per die spent. If you end up with a cost of 0 and continue expending die, you gain an extra 5 ft of reach for each 10 ft gained this way.

Maneuvering Attack
You can opt to use this maneuver upon hitting a creature, instead of dealing damage, at which point the creature makes a strength saving throw or loses the ability to make attacks of opportunity until the start of your next turn, but you also cannot move away from that position or make any additional attacks until the start of your next turn.
 * You can expend a superiority die to retain the ability to make attacks, but you still cannot move.
 * You can expend superiority die to deal damage on the maneuvering attack itself.

Menacing Attack
Any time you hit a target, you can either expend your reaction or your bonus action to use intimidation. If the target fails a wisdom saving throw, they have disadvantage on all attacks against you until the encounter ends, or until they successfully inflict damage on you or until you miss an attack against them.
 * If you expend a superiority die, you do not have to use your reaction to perform this maneuver.
 * If you expend a superiority die without having actually hit your target, provided the target has an intelligence score of at least 3 and can hear and understand you, you can issue a threat and be allowed to roll intimidation without attacking, dealing psychic (non-lethal) damage with your superiority die. If the target drops to 0 HP from this maneuver, instead, set it at 1 HP and have the target take its reaction and bonus action (if possible) to immediately route.

Parry
If you have a melee weapon or a shield, you can always attempt to parry as a reaction, which is made as a regular attack roll with the weapon or with the shield, using the shield bonus as an extra bonus to the roll, vs. the opponent's attack roll. If you are not using a shield or your weapon is not a sword, then you have disadvantage on your parry check.
 * You can expend superiority die instead of using your reaction.

Power Attack
At the start of your turn, provided you have not used your reaction and/or bonus action and/or movement yet, you may declare that you wish to perform a Power Attack, which sacrifices your whole turn, but is automatically a critical hit if it hits the target. If you roll a critical hit, then you roll your weapon damage one more time than you otherwise would have.
 * You can, instead of using the above option, expend superiority die to simply gain extra damage on the attack equal to what you roll on the superiority die.

Precision Attack
At the start of your turn, provided you have not used your reaction and/or bonus action and/or movement yet, you may declare that you wish to perform a Precision Attack, which sacrifices your whole turn, but is made with advantage.
 * You can, instead of using the above option, expend superiority die to simply gain the superiority die as a bonus to hit the target - but not to damage.

Pushing Attack
When you hit a creature with a melee attack and choose to use this maneuver, you can choose not to deal damage, but instead to push the enemy. You add the superiority die to the attack's damage roll, and if the target doesn't exceed your own size by more than one category, it must make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, you expend your own movement to move the target up to half of your movement speed, and optionally expend the other half to follow. If the target strikes a surface, object or character, they stop but take 1d4+strength (yours) in blunt damage. If you are pushed over a ledge, they can use their reaction to make an Acrobatics check, or alternatively make a dexterity save to avoid falling down the ledge, but otherwise suffer which ever effects are laid upon them from the fall.
 * You can expend superiority die to increase the DC on any checks the opponent has to roll against when using this maneuver.
 * You can only use this maneuver if either you or the opponent has a shield, or if you have a hand free to physically push the opponent or finally if you are using a two-handed weapon that does not have reach.

Riposte
When an opponent misses an attack against you, you may spend your reaction to counter-attack against them, making an attack roll with disadvantage. If you use the Riposte Maneuver after successfully parrying an enemy's attack, you do not have disadvantage on the counter-attack.
 * Instead of spending your reaction to riposte, you can expend superiority die.

Sweeping Attack
When you attack a creature, using this maneuver, you can take disadvantage on your attack roll, and be allowed to make a free extra attack against any creature within reach, but you cannot attack the same creature twice using sweeping attack, however, you can take disadvantage on the second attack as well, prompting a third attack if you hit and so forth.
 * You can expend superiority die to avoid taking disadvantage on sweeping attacks.

Trip Attack
When attacking a creature, you can opt to not do damage, and instead attempt to trip the creature, which must then make a strength or dexterity saving throw to avoid being knocked prone. If the creature has more than two legs it gains advantage on the saving throw, and you cannot trip a creature that is more than one size category larger than your character.
 * You can expend superiority die instead of opting out of damage.

Command Maneuvers
These Maneuvers can be used to support a whole group of characters in battle, and are not particularly useful for the individual.

Formation
You can invite any number of creatures that you can communicate with to join you in a formation, and then make a Warfare (Charisma) check vs DC 8+number of creatures invited to formation, including your own character. Creatures with Pack Tactics do not count towards the DC. Many Command Maneuvers depend on being in a formation.
 * Participants in the formation can take any actions upon your instructions, during your turn.
 * Any actions taken that violate their instructions result in them being effectively removed from the formation. If they take an action that does not violate their instructions, they remain part of the formation.
 * If a participant in the formation refuses to take an action when instructed, they are removed from the formation.
 * Issuing instructions to the formation (even if only a single member of it) expends your bonus action and can only be done on your turn.
 * You can issue an number of contingencies equal to your charisma modifier, that are essentially ready-actions for the formation. If a condition for one of your contingencies is met, you may use your reaction at that exact time, to issue instructions to the formation as if it was your turn.
 * If members of your formation suffer damage from an area of effect ability or condition, you can spend a command point to distribute the damage among those hit as you wish.

Bait and Switch
A character who is in a formation, can use a bonus-action to switch his position with another character who is adjacent. A character can even be switched if they have fallen unconscious, but naturally cannot initiate the switch themselves. Switching does not provoke attacks of opportunity.
 * By spending a Command Point, a commander can make any number of participants in the formation switch positions, if they are in position to do so, without them spending any actions, other than the 5 ft of movement necessary to switch positions. This is done at the behest of the Commander.
 * The commander of a formation can spend a command point and spend a reaction to switch a single pair of characters who are adjacent before damage is rolled or dealt from an ability. If the attack did not hit the AC of the character who was switched in front of the incoming attack, then the attack now fails. If a saving throw is required, the new character must now roll.

Coordinated Attack
When in a formation, you can give instruction to perform a coordinated attack against a specific target, or a number of individual targets equal to your charisma modifier, with optional specific instructions given as to which participant should attack certain targets. Any participant in the formation who can attack the target at the time this order is given has to do so, or be removed from the formation.
 * When making a coordinated attack, if any participants in the attack have advantage on the attack, the commander can spend a Command Point to extend this advantage to all participants in the attack.
 * A creature attacked by a coordinated attack takes all of the damage as if it was from a single attack, and may not take any reactions in response to being attacked or taking damage until after the coordinated attack is finished. This also counts for the effects of damage reduction, but doesn't count toward defensive abilities that protect against any single attack. If such an ability is used, the target can choose which attack to apply it to during a coordinated attack, and only that individual attack will be affected.
 * The commander can spend a number of command points equal to how many participants the commander wishes to affect, and have these participants all use the highest attack roll made among them, but only the one who rolls benefits from a critical hit.
 * If multiple damage types are used in a coordinated attack, the commander can spend a command point to have all the damage count as if being of which ever of the used damage-types that the commander wishes.

Coordinated Charge
Characters can charge in formation, but are obviously limited to moving the as much as the slowest character is permitted to. All characters who participate in the coordinated charge take a dash action and can then still use their bonus action to attack a creature within range once at their new position.
 * If multiple charging characters attack the same target, that target does not gain advantage on attacks made against the characters who just charged, and further more.
 * If multiple charging characters attack the same target, they gain advantage on their attack rolls.

Coordinated Effort
You can take a penalty to your initiative roll equal to the number of people you wish to coordinate with (provided that they accept), and then have all of these individuals go at the same turn, but those who are not coordinating with you and get the same initiative as your group will act before the group.
 * You can spend a command point to use the highest initiative in the group instead.

Hold the Line
Characters who are participating in a formation and are adjacent to each other can assist each other in weathering various effects. If a character who is participating in a formation, is forced to make a saving throw, and this character is adjacent to other characters also participating in the formation, the character can obtain a bonus to their saving throw equal to +1 per adjacent ally.
 * A Commander can spend a Command Point to add their Charisma Modifier to any and all saving throws made by the entire formation for the duration of that round.

Rally
A character can give an inspiring speech before combat, which takes ~10 minutes. Listeners can only be affected by one inspiring speech at a time, and only once per day. The speech either gives the characters a bonus on a specific single dice roll, or it gives them a number of temporary hit-points equal to the speech-giver's charisma modifier and character level.
 * A commander can spend a Command Point and allow a number of creatures equal to their charisma modifier to spend a Hit Die immediately, but instead of adding their Constitution modifier to the HP recovered, they use the Commander's Charisma Modifier.
 * The commander can also attempt to extend this effect to all members of their formation, by making a charisma check vs DC 8+number of people in formation, or spend a second command point to affect all members of the formation.
 * Alternatively, a Commander can spend their own Hit Die, but only affects a number of characters equal to their charisma modifier, and cannot do this to affect a whole formation.

Rouse
A character who has 0 HP, but is stable, can be roused and brought back to 1 HP, by spending an action to do so, but only if the characters are adjacent while this is performed.
 * By spending a command point, this can be done as a Bonus Action, and this can be done from afar.

Shield Wall
When two members of a formation are standing adjacent to each other while facing the same, or opposite directions and wielding shields, they provide a +1 Shield Bonus to each other. There is no bonus among formation allies standing behind each other, only side-by-side.
 * Further more, if an attack passes through a square occupied or within 5 ft of a formation ally with a shield, but is targeting another formation ally, the targeted ally automatically gains the shield-bonus of the the ally whom the attack passes by or through. This requires that the ally being targeted is behind the shield-wielding formation ally.
 * Shield-Wielding formation allies can use their reaction to grant their entire shield bonus to an adjacent ally being targeted by an attack. They do not lose the shield bonus themselves. The commander can spend a command point to avoid them expending their reactions.

Signal
A creature who has has the ability to take an extra action, can instead allow another creature take that extra action, if they are able, by spending a command point. Such actions include:
 * Any Bonus Action
 * Any Reaction
 * An extra attack
 * An extra full action
 * Additional movement

Snap Out
If a creature has failed a wisdom, intelligence or charisma saving throw and has is under the effect of; Charm, frightened or rendered unable to act due to non-physical reasons, it is possible for another creature to attempt to reverse the effect. Such attempts may be made a number of times equal to the victim's charisma modifier, though a minimum of once. A negative modifier is levied against the roll necessary to try to reverse the effect. The creature attempting to reverse the effect uses their action to make a social roll (provided both creatures understand each other, can hear each other and both have an intelligence score of at least 3) vs the DC of the original saving throw that the character failed, and if they succeed, the effect is reversed.
 * A character can spend a command point to attempt to reverse the effect as a reaction, immediately when the character first failed their save or at any given time they want.

Damage Types
Most Damage Types exist to create a unique variety of damages to circumvent certain damage immunities or exploit vulnerabilities.

Damage Rules
These are actually not house-rules, but rather an emphasis of something that is often misunderstood for obvious reasons - namely that these rules are incredibly vague:
 * Magical Weapons do not bypass damage reduction (including resistance), unless the damage reduction specifically says that Magical Weapons bypass, and neither does damage from a Magical Source.
 * In order to be certain to bypass a damage reduction or resistance, it is necessary to use a damage type that is not covered by the resistance or reduction - it is not enough that the damage merely stems from a magical source.

Force
Force is still simply physical force. There's no real functional difference between force and either slashing, piercing or blunt damage. Any time an attack says it uses "Force", the caster may choose between Slashing, Piercing and Blunt damage.

Fighting Styles
Available for some Classes, consider that all classes that gain access to fighting styles now gain access to the same list, which is this one:

Sharpshooter
You gain the Sharpshooter feature, but must be proficient with at least one ranged weapon.

Armor Mastery
You gain the Armor Mastery feature, but must be proficient with Light Armor.

Weapon Mastery
You gain one Weapon Mastery feature of your choice, but you must be proficient with at least one weapon listed in the list of weapons affected by the feature.

Great Weapon Mastery
You gain the Great Weapon Mastery feature, but must be proficient with at least one melee weapon that has the "two-handed" or "versatile" tag.

Shield Mastery
You gain the Shield Mastery Feature, but must be proficient with Shields.

Controller
You gain the Martial Adept feature.

Rider
You gain the Mounted Combatant Feature, but Athletics must be a proficiency skill for you, and you must have the sub-skill "x Riding".

Tactician
You gain the Inspiring Leader feature, but must have a positive charisma modifier.

Features
These are house-rules regarding certain features.

General Features
While many are decisively combat centered, I have preserved the categories to make it easier to look up the relevant features.

Dual Wielder
In addition to the usual effects of this feature, you also gain the following benefits:
 * When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack.

Great Weapon Mastery
When you roll a 1 or 2 on a damage die for an attack you make with a melee weapon that you are wielding with two hands, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll, even if the new roll is a 1 or a 2. The weapon must have the two-handed or versatile property for you to gain this benefit.
 * When using the option to take a -5 penalty to hit and gain a bonus to damage, you now gain no extra bonus damage, but instead treat the attack as automatically being a critical hit. If you do score a critical hit, then simply roll damage three times instead of two.

Inspiring Leader
Requires: Charisma 12

You gain a number of Command Points equal to your character level plus your Charisma Modifier that can be used to activate Command Maneuvers, or bypass the requirements of certain Command Maneuvers. You regain lost points after Long Rest.

Martial Adept
The Martial Adept feature grants 2d4 superiority die, which work with all maneuvers (see Combat Maneuvers).

Mounted Combatant
In addition to the usual abilities that are part of this feature, you also gain the following benefits:
 * You have advantage on saving throws made to avoid falling off your mount. If you fall off your mount and descend no more than 10 feet, you can land on your feet if you're not incapacitated.
 * When you are riding your mount and you have to make a saving throw, you may choose to use your Mount's saving throw for both of you.
 * When you mount has to make a saving throw, you may choose to make the saving throw on behalf of the mount instead.
 * Finally, mounting or dismounting a creature costs you only 5 feet of movement, rather than half your speed.

Sharpshooter
In addition to the regular effects of this feature, you also gain the following benefits:
 * You gain a +2 on damage rolls with all ranged weapons.


 * When using the option to take a -5 penalty to hit and gain a bonus to damage, you now gain no extra bonus damage, but instead treat the attack as automatically being a critical hit. If you do score a critical hit, then simply roll damage three times instead of two.

War Caster
In addition to what the feature normally does, a character can, upon hitting a target, use a bonus action to cast a spell that has a single attack roll and affects only one target.

Armor Features
I have preserved the categories to make it easier to look up the relevant features.

Armor Mastery
This feature replaced Medium- and Heavy Armor Mastery, but requires only Light Armor Proficiency.
 * You consider all Medium Armor to be Light Armor for the sake of proficiency requirements, and ignore any disadvantages imposed by the armor.
 * When wearing Medium Armor, provided you are proficient in medium armor, you treat the maximum dexterity bonus as being 3 instead of half+.
 * You consider all Heavy Armor to be Medium Armor for the sake of proficiency requirements, and ignore disadvantages imposed against athletic checks.
 * When wearing Heavy Armor, provided you are proficient in Heavy Armor, you treat the maximum dexterity bonus as being 1 instead of 1/5-.
 * When wearing Massive Armor, you have resistance against non-magical slashing, blunt and piercing damage.

Weapon Features
I have preserved the categories to make it easier to look up the relevant features.

Shield Master
In addition to the regular effects of this feature, you gain the following benefits:
 * When a creature you can see attacks a target other than you that is within 5 feet of you, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on the attack roll. You must be wielding a shield.
 * When you use the option to take your reaction to shove a target, you instead make an actual pushing attack, and by having this feature, gain a 1d4 superiority die on this particular maneuver. The attack deals 1d4+strength+superiority die in damage.

Weapon Mastery
When you take one of the Weapon Mastery features (such as "Flail Mastery" of "Fell Handed"), you may, upon a long rest, familiarize yourself with a weapon that falls into that is covered by your feature, and pick that as your preferred weapon. With that weapon, you gain a +2 to damage. You can only have one preferred weapon at a time, and must take a long rest to familiarize yourself with a new weapon, if you wish to switch.

Healing
Healing is one of those things in D&D that is both completely necessary, but also completely anticlimactic. For the most part, healing potions and healing spells are perfectly balanced, in that they expend uses (or expend themselves entirely), and HD extend the amount of time an adventurer can continue before requiring the dreaded "long rest".

Natural Healing
Removing the "full recovery upon long-rest" is an ominous thing to do, but here we go! However, virtually any spell-caster can basically return this function to a group, with the "Spare the dying" cantrip, which can be cast as a ritual.

Magic
House Rules specifically relating to "magic". Treat these more as supplementary rules, rather than "House Rules". Allow players to choose if they want to use the regular version, of the slightly more detailed version of magic.

Arcane
These rules are specifically in regard to Arcane magic.

Arcane Synergy
All Arcane Caster Classes and Sub-Classes can now learn Wizard Spells and the Spells from their own spell list. Restrictions on specific spell-schools for Arcane Trickster and Eldritch Knight are lifted, etc., whereas the wizard can learn any Arcane Spell period.

Spell Preparation
When it says "Spells Known" on the character advancement table, treat that as the number of spells your character can prepare. Characters typically gets a separate number of cantrips they can prepare. Instead of having to wait for level-up, a character can prepare new spells from a Spell Book during a long rest, though a Wizard can prepare a number of spells equal to their intelligence modifier during just a short rest.

Mana
Mana is used to cast spells that do not require a material component, by expending a number of mana-points equal to the spell level of the spell being cast. If casting a non-component spell at a higher level, it still only requires mana to cast, at the price of that new spell-level, but the caster must possess Spell Slots of the relevant level.

Component Points
Your Component Points are kept in your Component Pouch (or similar container) and are worth 1 GP per component. These components are universally usable for any spell that has a material component, unless that component has a price listed next to it. When you cast a spell that requires a material component that doesn't have a price listed next to it, which we will refer to as a "regular component", it costs one Component Point.
 * Reasoning - This gives those components an actual reason to exist!

Spell Slots
Spell Slots are used to cast with a material component, representing the time your character took, before hand, to prepare the components ahead of time, infusing them with magic and packaging them just right. You use up a spell-slot each time you cast a spell that has a Material Component, but you also use up a Spell Point (or mana point).
 * Note - This means that spells without a regular material component do not expend spell-splots. You'll notice that such spells tend to be weaker or less significant by design, than spells that do require a regular component. This is entirely on purpose.


 * Fluff - It is assumed that your character actually uses magical rites to empower these components, which can take hours, thus releasing the arcane magic within them - this is why your character cannot merely keep preparing indefinitely.

Cantrips
Because cantrips can be used as many times as a character might want now, there's a limit on how many a character can know. Instead of that, allow a character to memorize a number of cantrips equal to their casting attribute modifier, but allow them to have as many cantrips as they want in their spell-book, and allow them to start with a number of cantrips equal to their casting attribute score (not modifier), and then allow them to re-memorize these as they see fit between long rests.
 * Casting Freedom - Cantrips are easily altered and changed. Allow players to make a DC 10 Arcana check to alter properties of a cantrip, to make it better fit their needs. Need to light a fire? Alter a firebolt. Need to melt a lock? Alter acid-splash. Don't give away the solutions, and just because it seems like it might work, feel free to have it require multiple attempts. Remember that this should be much more flashy and risky (have something bad happen on a natural 1) than letting the rogue pick the lock, or the ranger start the fire normally.
 * Reasoning - It doesn't seem right that a wizard can technically copy a 9th level wizard spell into their spell-book, when they're only level one, but the mysterious and lost art of the 0th level cantrips are so elusive that they cannot even be recorded. Cantrips are for the most part mage-tools, and seem like staples of the low-level mage - it doesn't appeal to the caster-player that cantrips become pseudo abilities, because all casters will feel forced to choose the cantrips that deal damage for practical reasons.

Wild Magic
Arcane Magic is super dangerous! At least, that's what they always say. It seems like it is mostly dangerous to cast spells in melee, and otherwise, to be on the receiving end of magic. Magic is now wild and dangerous! However, spell-casters carry Arcane Foci, which basically function like Arcane Ground-Wires, preventing a short-circuit. If a caster loses their Arcane Focus, they have a 10% chance of Arcane Spell-Failure, per spell level.

Optional Rules
These are some optional rules to make Spell-Casting run more smoothly.
 * 1) Gradual Mana-Up - Don't give characters their full mana-pool until they gain the ability to cast 2nd level spells. Until then, give them a smaller mana-pool, equal to their casting attribute modifier plus their caster level (which is the level they have in the class that grants them spell-casting minus the number of levels they have in that class prior to gaining access to spells). This works out fine, because by the time players gain their full mana-pool, they will have enough spells to waste those on.
 * 2) Bigger Component Belts - Introduce a version of the component pouch that can hold more components, but make it limited. The medium version, which is probably a belt and a bandolier, weighs twice as much, costs twice as much and holds twice as much, but can be worn with Medium Armor or lighter and a heavy version (again, double all statistics) which is a whole vest-rig can be worn only with light armor.
 * 3) 1 for 1 components - Use this rule only if you have half-casters or quarter-casters in your group. Half-casters can seem to outshine their full-caster counterparts. If you're using the optional rule for bigger component belts above, you shouldn't necessarily feel forced to also use this rule, but if you're using this one, you should ALWAYS use the above rule as well. Force spells to require 1 for 1 components. If the spell says it requires 3 different components, then it costs 3 component points, but still only one spell slot (of relevant level). This will quickly result in half- and quarter-casters being limited by their armor, on how many components they can carry, evening the field a bit.
 * 4) Alchemical Components - Allow players who have the Alchemy profession to roll Alchemy during legitimate down-time, to gather components themselves from a market at half price, or in actual nature for free. Have it take 10 minutes per Component Point purchased at a market, and 1 hour per Component Point scavenged from nature. This offsets the expenses of buying prepared Component Points at 1GP per Component. Characters who are not actual full-casters are somewhat unlikely to be Alchemists, and will probably have to pay for their components, or rely on the wizard to gather components for them - making the full-caster more relevant.

Spells
For information regarding spells, see the relevant article.

NPC Rules
These aren't so much house-rules as just a few summaries on how I run NPCs, to ensure that players understand how they work.

NPC Motivation
All NPC have motivation, but of particular interest, is an NPCs Primary Motivation, which is the motivation the NPC has that is driving the NPC forward at that given time. Not all NPCs have a noteworthy primary motivation, however. For some, getting through the day is legitimately their only primary motivation - and most of us can relate!

Discovering a Primary Motivation
If you can communicate with an NPC, and have spent at least an hour speaking to an NPC, you can roll Insight vs DC = the NPCs Charisma Score, to determine their primary motivation.
 * If they are actively trying to keep their motivation from you, you will not discover their primary motivation, however, you may discover that they are actively hiding a secret agenda. If the NPC is proficient in in Deception, add their Proficiency bonus (or alternatively, add their HD) to the DC.

Conflict of Interest
An NPC can never be persuaded, intimidated or deceived to act directly against their own motivations, unless a character actively manages to cause the NPC to think differently. All of the above hinge on learning the motivations of an NPC, though it is not always strictly speaking necessary to know the primary motivation of an NPC to use social rolls - in many cases, the NPCs immediate motivation is very obvious, but when playing on this, the results are not nearly as intricate as when you cater a negotiation, lie or threat directly to the NPC in question.
 * Through intimidation, the NPC can literally have their motivations altered - if you threaten someone's family, their primary motivation might shift from what ever you don't want them to do, and unto protecting the lives of those they love.
 * Through persuasion, you may cause an NPC to rethink what is necessary to achieve their primary motivation, or to realize that the Motivation is invalid, if the NPC was acting on a lack of information - causing an attacking guardsman to realize that you are not an enemy.
 * Deception can be used to cause an NPC to mistakenly think that their motivations can or cannot be achieved in certain ways.

NPC classes
NPCs in 5e do not use classes. They certainly can use classes, but there is no requirement for this to be true.

Soldiers
Soldiers, as in the human understanding of a professional or semi-professional soldier, follows a specific logical approach. Modeled after level 3 fighters, human soldiers forego many of the interesting abilities of the Player Class, but instead gain certain other abilities, making them more effective when working together with other soldiers.
 * Extra Attack - Soldiers can attack twice, as with the level 5 fighter ability "Extra Attack".
 * Linked Movement - When two characters are adjacent to each other, they can half their movement speed and move together on the same turn. When moving in this fashion, they maintain their formation as they stood, and do not provoke attacks of opportunity. When moving in formation, soldiers may not use their "extra attack" ability.
 * Switch - As a bonus action, when soldiers are moving in formation, they can switch their positions with an adjacent soldier in the formation. This allows a soldier to attack, then switch with another soldier behind him (for instance), who is then in range to attack. It also allows soldiers to move a wounded soldier to the back of the formation, or drag an unconscious soldier away.
 * Shared Initiative - All soldiers on the same side in the same encounter, go on the same "turn", but will always collectively go after any other participants in the encounter with the same initiative score.

Criminals
You should expect criminals to mimic the rogue class, but borrow from other classes as needed. A typical bandit might borrow from the Fighter as well, where as a thief will probably forego sneak-attack for unique abilities.

Proficiency Rules
These are special rules regarding Proficiencies

Trading Proficiencies
You can exchange certain proficiencies for others.

Proficiencies for Skills
You can exchange a Armor, Shield or Weapon proficiency for two skill proficiencies.

Tools and Languages for sub-skills
You can exchange any non-mandatory languages (languages your are given a choice about) and non-mandatory tool-kits (tools that aren't clearly explicitly a part of your build) for sub-skills at a rate of one-for-one.

Proficiencies for Groups
You can gain proficiency with a group of weapons from a the martial weapon category, even when you are not proficient with Simple Weapons, if you trade in a Armor, shield or Weapon Proficiency (naturally, this can only be Simple Weapons).

Racial Rules
These are rules relating to the playable and non-playable races in the setting.

Dark Vision
Dark Vision is the ultimate anti-climax of D&D, the very antithesis to dungeon-crawling. It is supposed to be something that Dwarves and the bad-guys have, but in 5th edition, everyone except humans seem to have it. We're going to do something about that. All races now have varying degrees of vision.

Humans

 * Light: Until obstruction
 * Darkness: Blind
 * Low-Light: 10 ft, 5 ft dim

Half-Elves

 * Light: Until obstruction
 * Darkness: Blind
 * Low-Light: 30 ft, 15 ft dim

Elves

 * Light: Until obstruction
 * Darkness: Blind
 * Low-Light: 60 ft, 30 ft dim

Half-Orcs

 * Light: Until obstruction
 * Darkness: Blind
 * Low-Light: 30 ft, 15 ft dim

Gnome

 * Light: 60 ft, 30 ft dim
 * Darkness: 120 ft, 60 ft dim
 * Low-Light: Until obstruction

Dwarf

 * Light: 60 ft, 30 ft dim
 * Darkness: 120 ft, 60 ft dim
 * Low-Light: Until obstruction

Hafling

 * Light: Until obstruction
 * Darkness: Blind
 * Low-Light: 60 ft, 30 ft dim

Goblinoids

 * Light: 60 ft, 30 ft dim
 * Darkness: 120 ft, 60 ft dim
 * Low-Light: Until obstruction

Skill Rules
These are rules relating to skills, which you may have noticed, are greatly limited in 5e

Changed Skills
Certain Skills are virtually useless in 5e, and seem to have been kept for bizarre reasons, whereas many generally useful skills have been merged with other generally useful skills, creating these "super skills" that are just over-all the most useful skills I've ever seen in a game. As a result, I've taken the liberty of removing two skills from the game, by making them sub-skills (see below).

Acrobatics
Acrobatics is now a Sub-Skill of Athletics. See Sub-Skills for further information, but in order to take it, you still have to have access to it from your class or your background.
 * Reasoning - Virtually every single use of Acrobatics is either covered by Athletics or by a plain Dexterity Save. Having read the skill description multiple times, I found myself unable to actually reasonably find a use of this skill. Anything balance related, I'd traditionally force as a "Dex Save", and anything related to jumping is, by the rules, covered by athletics. This leaves tumbling, but 5e doesn't have any rules for tumbling, and there's no reason this couldn't also be handled by a Dex-Save.

Arcana
Arcana is now a Sub-Skill of Lore, but in order to take it, you still have to have access to it from your class or your background.

Reasoning - Why not? It virtually changes nothing about how the skill functions. You can still buy it as a Skill at character creation, and run it exactly like you always did.

Handle Animal
Handle Animal can be bought as a Survival Sub-Skill, but in order to take it, you still have to have access to it from your class or your background.
 * Reasoning - Handle Animal still works fine to be frank, however, the characters who reasonably need Handle Animal, can entirely bypass the use of the skill, anytime they want to, and the skill isn't used to ride horses, Athletics is, so while one could argue that most mobile adventurers would need the skill, this is simply not true.

History
History is replaced with "Lore". The core History Skill still exists as a Sub-Skill of Lore, but in order to take it, you still have to have access to it from your class or your background.
 * Reasoning - There are far too few knowledge-based skills in 5e, for History to just universally have to cover all of them, and this was frankly the main reason I bothered making the rules for Sub-Skills in the first place.

Medicine
Medicine is now a Sub-Skill of Lore, but in order to take it, you still have to have access to it from your class or your background.
 * Reasoning - Why not? It virtually changes nothing about how the skill functions. You can still buy it as a Skill at character creation, and run it exactly like you always did.

Nature
Nature is now a Sub-Skill of Lore, but in order to take it, you still have to have access to it from your class or your background.
 * Reasoning - Why not? It virtually changes nothing about how the skill functions. You can still buy it as a Skill at character creation, and run it exactly like you always did.

Religion
Religion is now a Sub-Skill of Lore, but in order to take it, you still have to have access to it from your class or your background.
 * Reasoning - Why not? It virtually changes nothing about how the skill functions. You can still buy it as a Skill at character creation, and run it exactly like you always did.

Sub-Skills
Sub-Skills are Skills that are considered Sub-Categories of a larger parent skill. Sub-Skills function exactly like ordinary skills, if you are not proficient in the parent-skill, but if you are proficient in the parent skill, you may gain additional benefits unique to the given Sub-Skill, but you always gain the following advantages:
 * Lower DC - The Basic DC for a mundane task is normally 8 in 5e, and 10 for something of very light difficulty etc., but when you are using a relevant sub-skill, and you are proficient in the parent skill, you go by the assumption that the DC for a mundane task is only 5, making the DC for a lightly challenging task 7.
 * Taking Ten - By taking 10 times the amount of time normally spent on the given task, you can assume that you get a flat 10 total as your final result, instead of rolling, however, if you are using a relevant sub-skill and proficient in the parent skill, you can take ten in just twice the time it normally takes to accomplish the task. Traditionally, taking 10 is only a good idea if the task attempted is completely mundane, but because the DC is lowered as well, it can become quite a useful ability.
 * Advanced Take Ten - An Advanced Take ten normally allows a character to assume that they had rolled a 10, which is generally only useful if a character has at least a +3 to their roll, allowing them to pass the basic DC of 13, which is the most common DC in the game, however, it takes a full hour (normally, if the task would have taken an hour anyway, your character can always choose between using Advanced Take 10 or rolling). If using a relevant Sub-Skill while proficient in the parent skill, not only is the basic DC lower, but it takes only 10 minutes, unless it normally takes an hour to accomplish the task, in which case the character can treat it as a Take 20 instead of an Advanced Take Ten.
 * Taking 20 - Taking 20 normally takes several hours and allows a character to get the best result that they can get, except without the bonus from a dramatic success (natural 20). If you are proficient in the parent skill, and using a relevant sub-skill, you can take twenty in just one hour.

Parent Attribute
Apart from having a Parent Skill, all Sub-Skills have a parent attribute. You gain a number of free Sub-Skills equal to the modifier in your Parent Attribute. I.e., a character with an Intelligence Modifier of 3 can choose three Sub-Skills that means that character can select three sub-skills that have intelligence as their Parent Attribute. This line is mainly added to prevent issues with the above format.