House Rules: Variant Combat Options
D&D combat has the potential to be thrilling and dramatic, but it also has the potential to turn into a grindy slog. In an effort to keep things interesting, I routinely look for options that will provide players with interesting and meaningful choices. There are a variety of interesting combat options built into the standard rules, but many of them are tied to class features and feats. If you’re happy with the rules as written, feel free to disregard these options. However, if you’re looking for a way to add a little more complexity to combat without too much unnecessary rules bloat, here are a few suggestions.
The goal is to provide additional combat options that still require an expenditure of resources within the action economy. I love how 5E handles actions, but I feel as though there is room for more complexity without bogging down combat too much. These options could be made available to all combatants, or limited to specific combatants or circumstances. As each combatant gets only one Bonus Action and one Reaction per turn, using any of these would mean sacrificing the potential to use any other ability that requires one of those.
Obviously these options provide some additional power to martial classes, though I think it is within reason when compared to the abilities available to magic users. If you like some but don’t like others, pick and choose at your discretion, or alter them as you see fit.
Use your Bonus Action to:
Switch between a readied weapon and an unreadied weapon. (Using standard rules you would need to drop your readied weapon in order to quickly ready a different weapon. This option allows you to sacrifice your bonus action in order to stow your previously readied weapon and ready a new weapon.)
Use your Reaction to:
Deflect - Add +2 to your AC against one melee attack that would hit you. You must be wielding a weapon or shield and must be aware of the attack.
Raise Shield - Add +2 to your AC against one ranged attack that would hit you. You must be wielding a shield and must be aware of the attack.
Commit to the Attack - Add +2 to the damage value of a successful attack you have made. (Alternatives: If you feel this is too strong, make it +1 to damage. If you feel this is not strong enough, make it +[proficiency value].)
Counterattack - After an enemy misses you with a melee attack, make one melee attack against that enemy with disadvantage.
Grab - After you have made a successful unarmed strike, attempt to grapple the target of the unarmed strike.
Quick Throw - Make a ranged attack with a readied melee weapon that has both the Light and Thrown properties. The attack has disadvantage. (The goal of this rule is to make small throwing weapons a little more interesting. In particular, this could be used to allow martial characters to make a hasty, last ditch attempt to interrupt an enemy who is about to cast a spell or use an item.)
Provide an Opening - Give one specific enemy +2 on its next attack against you. (Used to give an enemy a reason to prioritize you as a target. Similar in theory to a Goading Attack, but done without the expertise of a Battle Master.)