My New Favorite House Rule: Flashing Before Your Eyes

To commemorate the opening of this server, and in the interest of preserving information, I thought I would re-post the all-time top homebrew thread from the subreddit, courtesy of /u/obsidiandice:

This rule came out of discussion with some fellow DMs, and several of us have adopted it to great effect.

Flashing Before Your Eyes

Any time you are incapacitated for your turn, the DM will ask you a question about your character or their history. If you answer the question, you get inspiration.

This has been amazing for reducing the frustration of characters getting stunned or knocked out without reducing the drama or impact. The player gets 30-60 seconds of spotlight time that keeps them emotionally engaged in the battle, and a mechanical reward that will help them shine when they return to the fight.

Here are some examples that have come up so far:

• Is this the nearest you've ever come to death? What are the closest calls you've had before?

• If you die in this battle, what is your proudest accomplishment?

• What is your biggest regret?

• What memory do you draw upon as you try to shake off the mind flayer's influence?

This gives players an avenue for sharing backstory that's memorable and dramatic rather than dry exposition. Anything you introduce will be great fodder for the DM to bring back in subsequent sessions.

Update: After playing with this rule for a few more months, I have revised it to, "The first time in a battle you are incapacitated for your turn..." I've found that the second time usually feels more forced and artificial, and granting inspiration every single round makes death saves too trivial.---