What kind of Homebrew is present at your table?

Hey there DMs and players

I'd like to know how much and what kind of homebrew is implemented at your table, maybe also why and how well it works.

From reworking whole systems (like how armor or weapons work) to small tweaks (like making the stunned condition less disengaging for players) or implementing new systems (like a complex injury mechanic).

I'd also be interested to know if you implement different homebrew rules for different campaigns.

Here are the rules I've implemented at my table as a standard:

  • The Dazed condition from the 2024 UAs
  • Tweaked the Stunned condition to allow players to still do something
  • Implemented a Dying condition thats essentially a "final stand". Allowing players to act when at 0 hit points but get Exhaustion in return
  • Alternative Effects for Critical hits like lowering the AC, granting disadvantage on D20 tests and so on
  • Extended / Deity-specific Domain spells for clerics and paladins
  • First Strike mechanic that grants one member of a group an action before combat when the other group is surprised. This avoids the "I shoot an arrow at them... But I am last in initiative"-situation.
  • A rework of Legendary Resistances. They are a +10 instead of a auto success.
  • Players get maximum hit points at levels 1 to 3 and can reroll all 1s when rolling for hp on a level-up
  • Resurrection rules similar to those present in Critical Role called "Dying and the Fading Soul"
  • Extended usage of the Proficiency Die Optional Rule from the 2014 DMG, replacing almost all notions of the PB with the die except a few like calculating saving throw DCs or ability uses
  • Additional reactions anyone can take like Distract or Chase
  • Death Saves must be rolled behind my screen and kept secret
  • Spell Crafting for the casters allowing them to create new spells on level-up or during downtime
  • Some spell rebalances or reworks like fireball dealing 6d6 at 3rd level or counterspell being two opposed skill checks each time with varying bonuses
  • An injury system with varying degrees of injury and how to treat them
  • Various homebrew subclasses and species

Here are some of my experimental rules that have not yet migrated to the standard rules:

  • A battle maneuver system that grants all martial characters access to a limited number of modified battlemaster maneuvers and also allows them to come up with new maneuvers
  • A travel-role system that makes overland travel more interesting by giving players more options on what to do during travel with mechanical benefits like scouting ahead, being a medic, being an entertainer and so on
  • Made Long Rest require food, water and a safe and warm place to stay in order to be guaranteed to work

And lastly some campaign specific rules:

  • A 5-stage sanity system with increasingly detrimental effects. It starts with roleplay flaws and ends with character death
  • Large-scale environmental effects for the regions the players are currently adventuring in. For example: In a fey-touched forest they have diadvantage on survival checks made to navigate and all non-fey creatures have disadvantage on saves against illusion and enchantment spells.

I personally think these are quite a lot but still keep the game a dnd 5e game at its core. I also know that many of them make my players stronger while only some of them make the game harder. So far everything has worked out just fine.