House Rules

My gaming group (well, one of them) is preparing for a 5th edition campaign. Right now we're playing our "alt" campaign to get an understanding of the rules. Our "real" campaign probably won't start until the new year. In the meantime I thought it might be a good idea to create a PDF of our house rules, which I'll share here. Keep in mind, this is just a first draft.

Call me a purist (or maybe a racist?), but I've never been a big fan of "every race can be every class" with the last few editions. Having said that, I don't like extreme level limits in first edition. What's the point of being a half-orc cleric if you can only attain level four?

I've also never like how weapons only really differ in damage, mechanically speaking. So I've added in some extra features when critical hits occur. This also ties in mechanics for having helmets.

I've also created a system for injuries. Each damage type has it's own section to consult. The way injuries work is, if your character is dealt damage that would bring him/her to zero or less hit points, you can opt for an injury instead: you only drop to one hit point, and roll a d20 on that damage table (d20 + your CON modifier, minus the attack's damage modifier) and consult the entry for that damage type.

This system works to add lasting injuries to characters (dropping stats, adding scars, broken bones, lopped off limbs, etc.) and places the players in the predicament: "should I drop to zero hit points and take my chances, or, do I stay in the fight and possibly sprain my ankle—or have my head lopped off?"

Thoughts? Any interesting house rules that you use that I can borrow?