I've played a lot of DnD in my time. Something that makes the game special is that every campaign has a different set of "base" rules. Take ability scores, for example: Do you roll them out, oldschool style? Do you use a pointbuy (the standard for games like this)? Perhaps use the "standard" array? There are so many ways to go about it that make different character builds possible.
I'm also a big fan of games like XCOM and Darkest Dungeon that let you customize the kind of game you play. Maybe you like to use different flanking options, or you don't want to worry about those corpses blocking your meatgrinder. Check some boxes so that you're playing the version of the game you
want to play! These choices can make gameplay easier, harder, or just different.
Most games put difficulty on a sliding scale, easy->hard. How boring. Maybe the monsters are stronger, maybe your character is weaker, but it's the same thing - everything is either easier or harder.
DnD players deserve better. Some of us (like me) will want powerful characters that can do awesome things but are still challenged by tough foes. Some players will be more casual, looking for a fun experience without worrying too much about trivial things like tactics or death. Others still will search for the toughest challenges, making everything as difficult as humanely possible just to see if they can do it. Others still will just be looking to try something different on a new playthrough.
With that in mind, here is a list of things I propose as "new game" options, that change the way your game plays out, letting you take control of your own difficulty settings, and controlling your own fun:
- Tweak Point Buy - let people choose how many points they get on character creation. Powergamers can pick more points, hardcore players can choose less.
- Ability Min/Max - let people min/max ability scores. Drop the minimum score from 8 to 3, and the maximum base score from 15 to 18 (these are the minimums and maximums you can get from a 3d6 ability score roll, btw). Make it an "advanced" option so as not to scare away new players.
- Race-independent Racial Bonuses - Most races get a +2 and a +1 to separate abilities; this option would let you choose which abilities those are, and make them essentially independent from race. Example: Say I want to play a drow fighter, but have no need for the extra Charisma. I'll pick this option, and bump Strength instead!
- Free Feat at level 1 - in my experience, this is a common house rule among GMs, and it adds some early game flavor at a point when 5e is at its most bland.
- Tweak ability check DCs - make those skills really matter, or make it so everything is easy!
- Adjust relative opponent level/difficulty - make your opponents weaker or stronger than they would normally be, relative to your level. This could be done by using enemies with a different encounter level, adding bonus actions/abilities to your opponents, giving them better/worse abilities so that they hit harder, etc.
- Tweak starting level - let players start as high as level 3. Why level 3? By this time, every class has chosen their subclass, so you could (for example), actually start gameplay as an eldritch knight and not just a fighter with suspiciously high intelligence. Scale the game appropriately to this starting level.
- Iron Man Mode - Can you imagine a version of this game where you can't savescum that skill check, or reload halfway through a crushing battle? Well now you just did! Lots of players will respond to a version of this game where your actions, choices, successes, and failures really are final. Absolutely add an achievement for iron-manning the game as well!
- Allow Inspiration - Certain actions will give you inspiration that can be used to reroll anything. They could be awarded for particularly strong dialogue choices, reaching certain points in the game, or even just getting one per long rest.
- Turn off death - For those who don't want to worry about keeping those rez scrolls around, use the NWN version where you only die if everyone goes down in a fight. After the fight, everyone gets back up with 1 hp.
Just think of all the ways this would improve the game without seriously modifying its underlying structure! Imagine the replayability this would offer! Consider how much more meaningful this could make multiplayer, where an entire group could play according to their own rules!
I'm done for now, but I'm sure there are a plethora of other things that could be added to this list. What do you think, community?
