Is homebrew an acceptable answer to a question?

Question

Perhaps it's just the game designer in me, but for many of the questions asked here I almost automatically start thinking of homebrew solutions to whatever problem the asker is having. Would providing a short bit of homebrew rules be an acceptable "answer" to a question?

The clearest example is the recent question, "Is there a real use for the Medicine skill in D&D 5e?"

On the surface, the answer to this seems to be a simple "Nope, it's pretty useless." As soon as I read it, though, I started thinking about ways that Medicine could be useful, specifically a set of rules for using the Medicine skill to maximize hit dice re-gained during a rest.

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Answer 1

If, after well articulated research, you can reasonably suggest there's something missing for what's being sought in the originating system, and the querent doesn't explicitly forbid homebrew, you can answer with a "Your system doesn't support your request, but here is some homebrew I wrote, and here's how it played out in a game I ran."

That last bit is really important, by the way.

We require answers that are justified by good subjective and objective components (if any.) Discussing your homebrew in context in your experiences shows that you've tested your homebrew. Since your answer can stand alone without the homebrew, due your research into the system showing the absence of support, or the poor implementation of support, adding a "here's how I fixed this problem" is quite good.

We're not a good community for the testing or discussion of homebrew though.

As a note, if the querent explicitly requests potential homebrew, then you're on much safer ground, especially if you can point to similar imaginings and how they worked in other games.

Answer 2

I'm going to add a different answer that differs slightly from Brian's.

Answering Game Questions With Homebrew

1. Some game questions are asking for "Rules As Written" answers. Homebrew is not an answer to those questions. I mean, you can put forth a homebrew answer, just don't be surprised when it gets downvoted into oblivion.
2. Some questions are asking about how their game system works. Answers are generally expected by them and others to be about the usual system, but following the guidance in How do we handle a desire to challenge the frame of a question? you can suggest your own tested solutions after clarifying how it works in the system, and that either there's not a solution or the solution is one you find poor for specific reasons. As Brian says, "We require answers that are justified by good subjective and objective components (if any.) Discussing your homebrew in context in your experiences shows that you've tested your homebrew. Since your answer can stand alone without the homebrew, do your research into the system showing the absence of support, or the poor implementation of support, adding a "here's how I fixed this problem" is quite good. This doesn't mean you can only suggest homebrew when there's not a RAW answer, but also where the RAW answer is suboptimal.
3. Obviously if someone is asking for homebrew/house rules/alternatives, it's fine. "I'm playing AD&D 2e and feel like I need some kind of Perception mechanic but there's not one... How do you handle this?" That's legitimate, of course answers must conform to Good Subjective, Bad Subjective and not be something you just made up off the cuff.

Homebrew Questions

1. Questions about vetting homebrew rules are acceptable inasmuch as they are tightly scoped. Remember the goal is "Good Subjective, Bad Subjective." What's the difference between asking a question about a new rule from a third party publisher and your own homebrew? Nothing, in nature. But the question has to be tightly scoped - complete explanation of the rule, and "have you done this or similar and what were its effects."
   For example, "I want to replace AC with damage resistance in 5e D&D because it seems more realistic. Here's the exact details:... Have you done this, and what are the pros, cons, and effects on your game?" This is legitimately answerable without speculation. Others have used official and/or unofficial rules to do this in various D&D flavors. Experience does not have to be 100% identical to qualify as Good Subjective - as every group and table is different, that's not possible. Of course, you can answer this badly and get downvotes ("Savage Worlds works kinda like that! It's fun."). But homebrew is legitimately on topic.

See Are "critique my home-brewed content" questions on topic? I've also added a homebrew tag to some other meta questions.

Answer 3

YES! The more the better. The site is absolutely suffocating in BtB (by the book, aka RAW) rigidity that misses the entire point of roleplaying games and their use of GMs to make calls on the spot. Advice and thoughts are definitely something that it urgently needs more of. I wonder sometimes if some of the answerers have ever actually put the books down long enough to play a session.

Unless the poster specifies BtB, you should encourage out-of-the box thinking instead of parroting the same old party line which is by far the worst aspect of the site today.