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Xenre
2009-06-20, 06:48 AM
Everyone's got 'em. Here are a few of mine:

Skills: Cross-class skills cost double skill points to purchase (i.e. 2 skill points for 1 rank) then, from 2nd level on, each skill purchased at creation can be increased with 1 skill point per rank.

Feats: There are no class specific feats (with the exception of Weapon Specialization).

Stat Rolling: 3d6, 36 times. Pick the 6 Highest rolls. You are meant to be heroes (believe it or not this usually has an average of about 13-16 with one or two 17s and one 18 if you are really lucky).

Criticals: If the creature is immune to a critical hit, then a 20 does not make an auto-hit.

These are just a few of mine. Feel free to adopt them into your game.

What are some of your house rules?

Ghostwheel
2009-06-20, 07:04 AM
Starting characters have a combined +x ability score bonus after factoring in racial and all other modifiers. All ability scores must be (pick your poison) odd or even. The DM decides what x is. The players go from there.

The beauty of this is that you can balance starting characters that are Core-only with others that include things such as Taint or flaws.

__________________________________________________ __________

This is not a house rule, but use the DMG guide for HP: average the HP per die. That way, a DM can always calculate how many HP a character is supposed to have.

Starscream
2009-06-20, 07:23 AM
I started a thread a while back to get some help with mine. The end result is probably a bit too long to post in its entirety, but it can be found here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=6082341#post6082341).

Josh the Aspie
2009-06-20, 07:32 AM
Everyone's got 'em. Here are a few of mine:
Stat Rolling: 3d6, 36 times. Pick the 6 Highest rolls. You are meant to be heroes (believe it or not this usually has an average of about 13-16 with one or two 17s and one 18 if you are really lucky).


Oh, I definitely believe it. To get an 18, you have to roll a 6 on 3 different dice, that's 1 out of 6^3 = 216 different rolls.

The Rose Dragon
2009-06-20, 07:36 AM
OK.

Solars and Abyssals get five free Excellencies out of their Favored and Caste abilities. Sidereals and Dragon-blooded get four. Infernals get the first Excellency of their patron Yozi for free, raksha get one of their Caste Excellencies for free while Lunars get two free Attribute Excellencies from their favored and caste attributes. Also, getting Essence 3 costs less for all Exalted.

squeekenator
2009-06-20, 07:51 AM
You can use Strength for Intimidate. It makes sense.
Average health, not rolling. Chance should have little to no role (oh, snap! Unintentional pun!) in your actual character. Similarly, it's always point buy (32, I like heroic heroes).
Each character gets three lives to start off with, the first two times you die something miraculous happens and you avoid the attack, perhaps also getting some sort of health boost to stop you from burning through three lives in as many rounds. Once you die once, resurrections don't bring you back with three lives. Makes low levels a bit less lethal, but still encourages players to be careful in case they lose those lives.
Not a house rule as such, but any combat classes will get large DM-granted buffs once the average player level starts to reach the mid teens. I've handed out divine rank before (with plot reason, of course), so it's not some pathetic token improvement.

dragonfan6490
2009-06-20, 10:50 AM
In one game I was in, our stat rolling was 4d6, reroll 1's, drop lowest die. Three columns. We then go to each row, and pick the ability score we wanted. One of my friends decided on six 17's. I went the more varied route.

Faleldir
2009-06-20, 11:11 AM
When you make a Hide check, opponents engaged in melee do not observe you unless they threaten you.
Note: I never used this in a real game. I just thought there should be a way to use stealth in combat without being invisible.

DamnedIrishman
2009-06-20, 11:26 AM
Stat Rolling: 3d6, 36 times. Pick the 6 Highest rolls. You are meant to be heroes (believe it or not this usually has an average of about 13-16 with one or two 17s and one 18 if you are really lucky).


I just tried that, to test your theory.

16 14 14 14 14 14

What are the chances?

Curmudgeon
2009-06-20, 11:57 AM
When you make a Hide check, opponents engaged in melee do not observe you unless they threaten you.
Note: I never used this in a real game. I just thought there should be a way to use stealth in combat without being invisible. I don't see how this is supposed to provide an advantage over standard rules. If your Hide check beats opponents' Spot checks you become visually undetectable (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/conditionSummary.htm#invisible), which provides the same mechanical advantages as being invisible; that's the RAW. And it's not restricted to "opponents in melee" or those who threaten you (which they can't do if they can't see you, anyway). So the house rule you explained would reduce the effectiveness of the existing Hide skill.

Sstoopidtallkid
2009-06-20, 12:06 PM
I don't see how this is supposed to provide an advantage over standard rules. If your Hide check beats opponents' Spot checks you become visually undetectable (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/conditionSummary.htm#invisible), which provides the same mechanical advantages as being invisible; that's the RAW. And it's not restricted to "opponents in melee" or those who threaten you (which they can't do if they can't see you, anyway). So the house rule you explained would reduce the effectiveness of the existing Hide skill.The problem is that you aren't allowed to make a Hide check if you're being observed. Hide still affects all opponents, it's just now easier to qualify to Hide.

Llama231
2009-06-20, 12:13 PM
The way house rule work for me, there is a completely different set for EVERY campaign, to the point of practical playing a homebrewed version of the game. At its most severe point, my house rules can have more differences than similarities.

MCerberus
2009-06-20, 12:28 PM
Polymorph spells have a chance of backfiring. This is rolled in secret AKA using it for untold cheese gets you turned into a chicken.

Curmudgeon
2009-06-20, 12:35 PM
The problem is that you aren't allowed to make a Hide check if you're being observed. Hide still affects all opponents, it's just now easier to qualify to Hide. OK, that might make some sense. But that's not what Faleldir said.

When you make a Hide check, opponents engaged in melee do not observe you unless they threaten you. The way this is phrased, you're starting with a condition that allows a Hide check. But being observed doesn't allow a Hide check, so that wouldn't be the case.

Let's try an alternate phrasing:
Opponents engaged in melee do not observe you unless they threaten you, allowing you to make a Hide check if you meet the other requirement (cover/concealment). Is that what you meant, Faleldir?

Foryn Gilnith
2009-06-20, 12:38 PM
I think the original wording is fine. I think the new wording is fine. I think that you made two vaguely (slightly) confrontational posts for nothing. :P

Faleldir
2009-06-20, 12:48 PM
Let's try an alternate phrasing: Is that what you meant, Faleldir?
Yes, that's exactly what I meant! Thank you!

AvatarZero
2009-06-20, 12:56 PM
You can use Strength for Intimidate. It makes sense.


I wouldn't do that, but I would be more generous with the special rule at the bottom of the Intimidate entry.



Special

You gain a +4 bonus on your Intimidate check for every size category that you are larger than your target. Conversely, you take a -4 penalty on your Intimidate check for every size category that you are smaller than your target.


I'd ignore the size category element and just say that if a character is larger/significantly more physically intimidating than the target then they get the +4. I think Charisma should play a part, but I also think that Orcs aren't good enough at Intimidate.

Curmudgeon
2009-06-20, 01:16 PM
Yes, that's exactly what I meant! Thank you! You're welcome. Glad to help. And now that I know what we're talking about, I think that's an interesting house rule. It's basically using the distraction of melee instead of creating a distraction via the Bluff skill.

Nice one!

Foryn Gilnith
2009-06-20, 01:21 PM
Iaijutsu Focus is a trained-only skill.
Disable Device can be used on locks. It renders them unable to accept any key, and still locked. They can still be picked after this, however; and if picked earlier they still remain picked and open.

That's all so far. I haven't gotten very far.

Quietus
2009-06-20, 01:35 PM
I just tried that, to test your theory.

16 14 14 14 14 14

What are the chances?

For kicks, I did the same.

18, 16, 16, 16, 14, 14

Slightly higher, and definitely strong enough to consider "high powered", but nothing that I'd say would break things.

Yora
2009-06-20, 01:49 PM
These are not general house rules I demand for all my games, but those "customized" to our current campaign and the setting, in which it takes place.

- When rolling for hit points, every number below half the maximum is considered to be half the maximum of the die. (A 2 on a d6 still counts as 3.)
- Instead of the maximum number of the Hit Die on 1st level, every character also gets one roll of the die in addition to that. (A 1st level bard with Con 14 gets 6 +1d6 +2.)
- All PCs and NPCs can only have up to 10 class levels. Beyond that, they gain only more feats (essentially, its E10). Monster can be advanced by racial HD.
- Therefore, maximum spell level is 5th.
- Spells with very long casting times or those, which are not usually used in combat, are rituals, and don't have to be prepared in advance.
- The frightened condition forces you to stay 30ft. away from the cause of the condition.
- There are no Monks and Paladins.
- Clerics are replaces by Shamans (which are mostly like divine wizards with domains)
- Sorcerers are replaced by "Witches", which are Psions who cast arcane spells from a custom spell list.
- There are no Splint Mail, Half-Plate, Full Plate and Tower Shields.

I think that's about all of them. (Thought it would be much more.)

Zain
2009-06-20, 01:56 PM
I use the no level loss at death, but you get -2 Con

And the ever usefull, you can't do that, because it will ruin the plot!

Meek
2009-06-20, 01:58 PM
My houserules greatly depend on the type of game I am running. I have a massive list (http://spiritsofeden.wordpress.com/2008/12/03/wyatts-4e-houserules/) and I take from it and apply to a game based on what I want out of the game or what the players want out of the game. Some that I nearly always use in D&D 4th Edition are:

•All Encounter powers deal 1/2 damage on a miss.
•18, 15, 14, 13, 11, 10 array instead of 16, 14, 13, 12, 11, 10.
•Remove the player's limit to Daily Item Power usages. The limit is in the items themselves, since they are DAILY powers, so I see no need for a double-limit, it's just annoying to book-keep for milestones and such.

Those are just pet peeves of mine though.

Yora
2009-06-20, 02:05 PM
16, 15, 14, 12, 11, 10 is allready quite good. I use point buy 25, which gets you something like 15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8. :smallbiggrin:
"Non-heroic" combatants have pb 20, non-combatants pb 15.

GreyMantle
2009-06-20, 02:20 PM
You get feats every odd level instead of every third.

At 2nd level and every 4th level after that, you get a +1 to any ability score.

At 4th level and every 4th level after that, you get two +1's to any ability score, at least one of which must be placed in a score you receive a racial bonus to (Humans, etc. have to choose two different scores).

At 4th level and every 4th level after that, you get a +1 dodge bonus to AC.

Items that provide a constant bonus to an ability are forbidden.

Amulets of natural armor are forbidden.

I redid races so that every race gets a mental and a physical stat bonus.

I greatly compressed the skill list.

At 1st level, you get skill points equal to 2(your classes normal number + Int bonus). Putting one skill point into a skill makes you competent (max ranks for a cross-class skill). Putting two points into a class skill makes you trained (max ranks for a class skill). Trained skills increase every level. Competent skills increase every other level. Untrained skills increase every 4th level.

Spellcasters capable of casting at least 3rd level spells may cast an unlimited number of cantrips per day. Same for 4th level spells and unlimited 1st levels.

Every caster has a separate score for determing bonus spells and save DC's.

EDIT: I also have every ability's (spells, special abilities, maneuvers, whatever) DC equal to 10 + 1/2 level + everything else, rounded up. It just makes things simpler and encourages casters not to always nova their uber-spells (hold person might not be as effective as fear, but it's still just as likely to succeed).

Shinizak
2009-06-20, 04:27 PM
When using Weapon Finesse, you apply your Dex to both attack and damage.

SilverClawShift
2009-06-20, 04:39 PM
We use Max HD at every level. It doesn't really make us harder to kill, it makes us harder to kill by accident.

We don't use XP for crafting. We don't really use XP. The DM just tells us what level we are, and we can craft assuming we have the feats/materials/and time.

I'm sure there's some stuff I'm forgetting.

Coidzor
2009-06-20, 04:42 PM
Cleave and Great Cleave can be applied to tripping so long as Improved trip has been taken and the tripper foregoes the option to take a free attack against those he's tripped in exchange for another trip attempt against a different creature.

I envision it as a very big sweep of the chain across a wide swath of the combat area. Strength checks to withstand the blow and Dex checks to just play jump rope...

Mr.Moron
2009-06-20, 04:48 PM
I like a nice point buy, something in the 40 range.
Everyone has a d4 hit die, tougher class have a HD modifier
d4 = d4
d6 = d4+2
d8 = d4+4
and so, in that fashion.

Also anything like an action points system, that puts more control in the hands of the PCs. I haven't quite settled on my favorite way to do that though.

Other things come and go. Once I used a system to buy Weapon Profs with skill points instead of Feats, since so few exotic weapons are worth it. However my proffered way of getting around it now are just to create more worthwhile exotic weapons.


EDIT: All save-or-die effects removed. Period. Includes save-or-effectively die, such as Flesh-to-Stone. Save-or-Sucks are still in for the most part, even if they feel they need some nerfin' big time.

SilverClawShift
2009-06-20, 05:04 PM
I like a nice point buy, something in the 40 range.


:smalleek:

My group considers 30 point buy to be the highest possible. Wow.

Mr.Moron
2009-06-20, 05:09 PM
:smalleek:

My group considers 30 point buy to be the highest possible. Wow.

Here is the thing about stats (at least in my view). Anything that is largely dependent on only one or two stats (casters, mostly) is going to be fine no matter if you give out a 20 point buy, or an [Arbitrarily high point buy]. While classes that are more MAD are going to feel those limitations at the lower end. As you increase point buy, you lessen the impact of MAD but the raw power ceiling of the game really doesn't move up that much.
Since there are only so many stats in which any given character can get a meaningful benefit out of a high starting score.

Of course, I'm one of those crazies that doesn't even allow most traditional melee. Asking people to either use Tome of Battle, or work out something homebrew if ToB ain't their cup of tea.


EDIT( As an example, take these two sorcerers

30-point buy
STR: 8 DEX: 14 CON: 14 INT: 8 WIS: 10 CHA: 18
40-point buy
STR: 8 DEX: 16 CON: 16 INT: 8 WIS: 10 CHA: 18

vs, say, Two Swordsages (using shadow blade):

30 Point buy:
STR: 10 DEX: 16 CON: 14 INT: 10 WIS: 16 CHA: 8
40-point buy:
STR: 16 DEX: 16 CON: 14 INT: 12 WIS: 16 CHA: 8

It's pretty clear who is getting the bigger benefit out of point-buy increase. Don't get me wrong, a 30-point buy is perfectly reasonable (I've been very happy with 30/32 PB characters). The problem really starts when you get lower than that, and you see SAD classes sitting pretty with their 1 18 and the other classes struggling to get everything they need.

Anything is better than rolling really. Where you wind up with characters who have a 24 effective point buy, in the same game with those who have a 42 point effective point buy, and other such nonsense*.

Fitz10019
2009-06-20, 05:32 PM
my Tome of House Rules (http://lukebuchanan.com/TS_Tome_of_House_Rules_3e.pdf)

Did anyone see Tequila's Abstract Equipment rules? I really like that system. I have a halfling that runs through my thoughts wielding two handaxes, and those rules cater well to him.

Gerbah
2009-06-20, 06:32 PM
Well, the biggest house rule I have (besides a 40-point buy system) is giving all the melee character maneuvers from the Tome of Battle. Yeah, it's been done, but I kinda switched it around. It works that the only way to recover a maneuver in battle is to take a standard action to recover one (which can be an attack) spent maneuver. Also, after using a strike/boost you have to wait a turn to use another (counters and such are fair game).

So far, it's worked out pretty well. It's pretty early in the campaign to tell though, plus there are only two character with access to the maneuvers (out of SIX people, simply because the rest are casters of some sort). Oh, also I'm giving another roll every turn against on-going disabling effects, like Hold Person already offers, may also extend it to other debuffs (as a general term) as well. Lastly, going to allow casters to add their main stat modifier to damage, much like a Warmage does. Should make blasting a little more potent, plus characters gain max HP on level up (4 on a d4, 6 on a d6, so on so forth).

Yeah, it's a pretty heavily house-ruled campaign, but I just wanted it to be fun. Now fighters get something fun every level, mages can blast better and won't destroy an entire encounter with one spell as easily (due also to a few more rules). I wanted to take a bit of permanent random penalties out, such as rolling a 1 on your HP, since there is no way to recover from that really.

Also: No XP costs/penalties.

Edit: Dang, also changed Paladins to use the Rebalanced Paladin, plus Monks can use Flurry of Blows as a standard action (though there aren't any Monks currently). Okay I'm done now.

ShadowFighter15
2009-06-20, 07:05 PM
I haven't DMed a game yet (and probably won't for a while), but I've already started to put together some house rules.

*Paladin Spellcasting is Charisma-Based (reduces the class' MAD)
*36 Point-buy (Thanks to the Neverwinter Nights games, 30/32 point buys seem bland to me and anything lower feels underpowered)
*Full HP first level, average after (so a barbarian would get 12+CON at level 1, then 7+CON at level 2, 6+CON at 3rd, 7+CON at 4th and so on. Characters may still feel a little squishier than what I'd be used to from NWN2 (which used full HP), but it's an acceptable niggle).

There might be more that I can't think of, but those would be the main ones I'd go with.

Curmudgeon
2009-06-20, 07:14 PM
Here are my favorites: You can cast Feather Fall (redefined as an immediate action spell) when flat-footed; that's required by the way it was originally written.
Monks are proficient with their unarmed strikes.
Apply the Rapid Reload and Manyshot (up to a maximum of four bullets in the sling pouch) feats with slings.
Any feats and weapon special abilities that specify heavy crossbows work with great crossbows in the same way, though great crossbows remain exotic weapons.
Make Massive Damage saves only when the damage is 50+ and also exceeds half your remaining hit points.
Split actual movement around a non-moving move action, so you can move 15' to a door, open it, and then go through the doorway that same round using the rest of your movement.

Leon
2009-06-20, 07:27 PM
The latest version of my House Rules uses a mix of things that I've been working on for some time and a couple of things from other games (Pathfinders BAB to HD grade)

A Number of skills have been merged into others for making more sense and giving more points to spend on other things

Hide & Move silently = Stealth
Spot & Listen = Notice
Gather Info, Diplomacy & Bluff = Social Skills (or Social Engineering depending on what your doing with them)
Jump, Climb & Swim = Physical

For a wizard you can have Divination as a banned school (identify, read magic etc are Universal Spells)

Flaws are usable but only if its something that will actually be a hindrance in some way (this is judged by me and i can veto it at any time)

Ammo cost uses the Lower price halved

This list is subject to change as i continue to tweak my idea's

Tafkan
2009-06-20, 07:36 PM
You can use Strength for Disable Device, Escape Artist, Gather Information, Intimidate and Open Lock checks.
Can also use Dexterity for Climb and Jump.
You can try to raise the corpse of someone who sold their soul to the devils, but doing so also has a side effect of having a random pissed-off devil coming to reclaim the soul.
Metamagic no longer takes up higher spell slots. However, when you take the feat, you will choose one specific spell to attach it to. So if you took Empowered Spell and applied it to your Magic Missile, all your magic missiles are now automatically empowered, though the feat won't affect the rest of your spells in any way. Can take the same feat several times if you've got the feat slots to waste. :smalltongue:
Whenever grappling someone several size categories smaller than you, you can choose to crush him, doing damage each turn, depending on size difference, your strength, victim's constitution and fortitude save.
Wizards have Necromancy banned by default. It's possible to unban it, but at quite a steep cost. Various side-effects include lawful wizards, inquisitors, permanent exile, a bunch of homebrew reptilean outsiders trying to OM NOM NOM you.
Always get the maximum HP when leveling up. It's not like I'm short of ways to make them lose plenty. :smallamused:

Aron Times
2009-06-20, 07:51 PM
I have a simple house rules for games where capturing enemy combatants (or party members) will be common.

All weapon powers require a weapon and all implement powers require an implement.

This means that disarmed characters are limited to melee basic attacks (or ranged basic attacks, if they can pick up some rocks or something to throw). Monks are exempt since their fists (or feet) are considered weapons (and implements) and can be enchanted.

This means that enemy combantants do not have to be bound, gagged, and blindfolded just to be able to transport them safely.