Climb Onto A Bigger Creature Variations (5e Variant Rule)

Somewhat fixing the "Climb Onto a Bigger Creature" (DMG, page 271) rules.

Original Rules

"A suitably large opponent can be treated as terrain for the purpose of jumping onto its back or clinging to a limb. After making any ability checks necessary to get into position and onto the larger creature, the smaller creature uses its action to make a Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check contested by the target's Dexterity (Acrobatics) check. If it wins the contest, the smaller creature successfully moves into the target creature's space and clings to its body. While in the target's space, the smaller creature moves with the target and has advantage on attack rolls against it. The smaller creature can move around within the larger creature's space, treating the space as difficult terrain. The larger creature's ability to attack the smaller creature depends on the smaller creature's location, and is left to your discretion. The larger creature can dislodge the smaller creature as an action- knocking it off, scraping it against a wall, or grabbing and throwing it- by making a Strength (Athletics) check contested by the smaller creature's Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check. The smaller creature chooses which ability to use."

Fixes

1. Using entire Action for climbing or dislodging is too costly - as it means wasting entire turn (what is especially critical for bigger creature - as it has 1 turn, and many smaller creatures to keep in check). As such, after fix, climbing and dislodging cost amount of movement equal to half your speed (as in 5e SRD:Mounted Combat). So for example, if you have 30 feet of movement - then, climbing on someone or dislodging someone costs 15 feet of movement.
2. You can climb onto anything what is 1 size larger than you. Some creatures are immune to being climbed on, just like any other condition. Any creature that can't grappled can't be climbed on. Your DM may also reasonably decide for example that a gelatinous cube is not solid enough to be mounted, or that a giant octopus is so flexible it doesn't suffer the disadvantage on attack rolls targeting the mounter, or other anatomical characteristics of creature.
3. All creatures are 3D - having length, width, and height; for simplicity, it counts as cube (e.g. Medium creature fills 5x5x5 Feet Space). As such, we track how high up the creature has climbed. By default, character starts climbing from ground level, unless it can somehow get to higher level (e.g. jumping, flying, a ladder, etc). If smaller creature is dislodged, it starts falling, unless it can keep being in air (e.g. flying, clinging to something else mid-fall, etc). E.G. creature at "ground level" of Colossal creature (5 ft high) is likely on level of legs/groin/belly - while creature at upper part of Colossal creature (20 ft high) is likely on level of head/neck/shoulders/back.
4. For simplicity, larger creature's ability to attack the smaller creature is at Disadvantage. If you want to use more complex rules: each position on larger creature's body can be divided in 3 categories: attacks normally, attacks with Disadvantage, or can't attack at all - with all weapons being treated separately (e.g. if you sit on Dragon's neck - then Bite/Tail/Breath can't attack, Wings at disadvantage, Claws normally) - and those depend on player's and GM's discretion, and on creature's anatomy. Each position is either 2.5x2.5x2.5 or 5x5x5 cube of space; if smaller creature occupies multiple positions, he counts as whatever is the easiest-to-hit position is for each weapon.
5. When larger creature dislodges smaller creatures, it can try a dislodging check for each smaller creature on it. After all, some maneuvers could result in dislodging everyone simultaneously (e.g. roll-over itself).
6. If larger creature is willing to be climbed (e.g. good Attitude, Charmed), or can't do anything about it (e.g. Incapacitated, didn't detect the smaller creature), check to climb on is automatic success. Larger creature can try to dislodge all creatures it didn't detect yet, at Disadvantage; in such case, all non-detected clinging creatures must roll for dislodging check. If objects or creatures small enough to fit on bigger creature are passing through creature's space, it can choose to "catch" them with it's body - with those objects colliding with bigger creature and resting on it's body terrain.
7. Larger creatures, typically, have smaller tactile sensitivity than smaller creatures (especially if they have armor, natural or otherwise). As such, being physically touched - but not harmed - by smaller creature doesn't automatically detect it, requiring Perception check to detect. If creature is 1 size bigger, Perception checks to detect smaller creature via touch are at Advantage - and if creature is 2 or more sizes larger, Perception checks to detect smaller creature via touch are unmodified. If your Stealth is sufficiently good, it's possible to walk around on bigger creature without getting noticed. These touch Perception checks are made in addition to whatever other Perception checks are being made (e.g. Passive Perception, Sight, Sound, etc). Even a numb larger creature automatically detects, if someone with weight equal or higher than 1/10th of larger creature's Carrying Capacity climbs on it, no checks required.

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