House rules

The most complete list of house rules is here: Tordan House Rules

Here are some of the house rules I normally use in my games with some additions for my newest one. I am going to try to explain them without using the 5e rules as a base so they will still make sense to people who are not familiar with the 5e rules.

Limited Cantrips
Cantrips are the least powerful types of spells available to most casters. Any Cantrip you know is always available to use (You don’t need to prepare them each day). The number of times you can cast a cantrip per day is double the number of times you can cast a 1st level spell per day (twice your 1st level spell slots) or maybe try twice the number of known cantrips, including bonus ones from race and class. That might make more sense.

Warlocks get four times their known cantrips per short rest

Resting and Healing:
There are two types of rests you can take, a short rest (1 hour) and a long rest (8 hours). You can only take one long rest in a 24 hour period and gain any benefits. You can take more than one short rest in a 24 hour period but you can only gain the same benefit from a short rest once in a 24 hour period.

After a long rest you recover half your HD rounded up. You can spend them after a short or long rest

Simple Alternate Hardcore rest and healing:
When you take a long rest you roll to see how many HP you heal (if needed). The dice are your half your HD rounded up plus your constitution bonus. A HD is the die you roll for your HP at each level (d10 for fight, d8 for cleric, d6 for wizard, etc). So a 1st or 2nd level fighter rill roll a d10 + con bonus after a long rest to see how many HP are healed. A 3rd or 4th level fighter would roll 2d10 + con bonus.

When taking a short rest you may roll 1 HD and add your Con bonus to recover HP. You can only do this once per 24 hours even though you can take more than one short rest (you cant benefit from the same thing more than once in a 24 hour period when taking a short rest).

Initiative
I will be experimenting with this initiative system, will probably make some adjustments as we play based on how it feels and feedback.

At the beginning of each round you will declare what you would like to do. Based on what actions you are taking you will roll a different die for your initiative. This system is experimental and will probably be changed after play.

-Lowest roll goes first
-Ties to to higher Dex
-Can delay your action until later
-Might need a way to make Dex more important, could reduce die for each +2 dex (d12->d10->d8->d6->d4->d3->d2->1)
-Roll two dice if taking more than one actions (move and attack is d6 + d8).
-Experiment with when taking multiple actions they happen at different times?
-Maybe cantrips are d6 or d8?
-If you can’t take your action because of changes before you can act you lose your action? Or can change it after everyone else has acted? or add d12 to your initiative.

d4 Ranged attack, drop held item
d6 Movement, Melee attack with light or finesse weapon, cast Cantrip
d8 Melee attack, swap gear
d10 Cast a spell, Melee attack with heavy weapon

Ideas:
-To change action roll new action and add to current initiative count.
-Melee attack roll damage die for initiative
-To simplify roll move and attack init together and act on total?
-If making two attacks roll both together and act on total or bump the init die up one for two attacks (d6->d8->d10->d12)? Or roll both dice and take the higher one?
-For each +2 init bonus player can reduce a die of their choice
-Use normal d20, re-roll each round, subtract from roll based on actions:
0 Ranged attack, drop held item
2 Movement, Melee attack with light or finesse weapon, cast Cantrip
4 Melee attack, swap gear
6 Cast a spell, Melee attack with heavy weapon