Best/Most Fun House Rules? (3.5e)

[HunterOfJello]

What are your favorite non-obvious House Rules from 3.5e games that you've encountered that made playing more fun?

[Shadowbane]

For full BAB classes like the fighter, add class level to damage. It helps a lot. For medium BAB classes, add 1/2 class level, and for low BAB don't add anything.

Just for speed, skills are your level + modifier and that's your ranks in them. It makes skill monkeys skill monkeys without too much fuss. And more ease.

Add dexterity to longbow/shortbow damage. Helps archers a ton.

Oh, and get rid of the alignment system. Have your paladin be just a knight in shining armor, thanks. Or a sour armor dude.

EDIT: ARGH typos.

[Tyndmyr]

Add strength to longbow/shortbow damage. Helps archers a ton.

Composite?


Obviously...don't use the multi/favored class rules. It's a headache for no real gain.

[Shadowbane]

I meant dexterity, my bad. :p

[HunterOfJello]

Just for speed, skills are your level + modifier and that's your ranks in them. It makes skill monkeys skill monkeys without too much fuss. And more ease.


Maybe I'm not understanding you correctly. Doesn't that nerf character's skills by 3 points? At lvl 1 you can have up to 4 ranks + their modifiers in a skill, but your way a lvl 1 could only have 1 rank + modifiers.

[Shadowbane]

At lower levels yes, but they also don't need to pump intelligence for skill points. My players seem to prefer it, so I'm not complaining. When I play, I request that the DM doesn't use that house rule though. :p

But it does help for the non-skilled characters. That way a paladunce can actually know stuff about religion or nobility as he levels up, instead of pumping ride and sense motive or diplomacy and nothing else.

[Boci]

At lower levels yes, but they also don't need to pump intelligence for skill points. My players seem to prefer it, so I'm not complaining. When I play, I request that the DM doesn't use that house rule though. :p

But it does help for the non-skilled characters. That way a paladunce can actually know stuff about religion or nobility as he levels up, instead of pumping ride and sense motive or diplomacy and nothing else.

Doesn't that render the skill monkey role moot? Not a bad idea.

[Roderick_BR]

Maybe I'm not understanding you correctly. Doesn't that nerf character's skills by 3 points? At lvl 1 you can have up to 4 ranks + their modifiers in a skill, but your way a lvl 1 could only have 1 rank + modifiers.
Just assume their chosen skills starts with a +3 bonus.

[Evard]

I got rid of the class skills and told everyone they can choose 8 skills to be trained in (except the rogue they get all.. yes all)

This allowed the players to customize their characters, a fighter that studied history or a wizard that would study magic while balancing on a beam. Lots of fun :)

Of course they had to explain why they chose the ones they did (simple explanations)

[JonestheSpy]

Whenever we ordered out for Chinese, any player could substitute a fortune for a die roll. The player had to break open the cookie and read the fortune out loud (then hand it to the DM for verification), and the DM had to base the result of the character's action on the fortune.

Sometimes, those fortunes were eerily appropriate.

THAT...is awesome.

[drengnikrafe]

Mine are mostly just getting boring things out of the way. Like...
1) Carrying capacity is magically increased to "don't worry about it", within reason. No carrying houses, but just fine carrying every small object you encounter in your entire career.
2) Multiclass penalties are eliminated.
3) So are cross class skills.
4) Starting gold for level 1's is eliminated. It is replaced by: up to 3 weapons of your choice, light or medium armor of your choice, things key to the class (spellbook, lockpick...), and an "Adventurer's kit" containing pretty much anything under 5 gp in existance. This was done to counter the character sheets with an infinite number of extremely cheap, nonmagical items (marbles, bouncey balls, spare lute strings...) clogging character sheets.
5) You can take Knowledge (All). It costs 3 skill points per 1 rank. People now occasionally take Knowledge.
6) No tracking food or water.

[Draz74]

I'm a fan of simplifying treasure greatly by using the Wealth system from d20 Modern. It's a little bit harder to work in fluff-wise than in d20Modern (since you can't just ascribe everything to the mysterious workings of online bank accounts and credit scores), but it's doable (haggling, unstable prices on the open market, favors and connections within the guilds of magic item crafters ...)

[Master_Rahl22]

The most fun house rule we had was that if you can make everybody at the table laugh, it happens.

This led to such events as the Fighter NPC that was with us because we were going to rescue the princess he was a bodyguard for was turned to jelly by a giant of some kind. Our only divine caster wasn't high enough level to cast Resurrection, so he cast Reincarnation and hoped for a PC race. We got... a rabbit. The Sorcerer, whose scrawny butt had been saved multiple times by Alric (the NPC) said, "Damn, couldn't he at least have come back as a were-rabbit?" So from that day forward, whenever the moon was full, Alric could be seen hopping through gardens and munching on carrots. :smallbiggrin:

This of course also meant that we knew when a big plot point was coming up cause the DM would get a super serious look on his face, something like somebody who knows they're going to be told a joke and determined not to laugh. :smalltongue:

[Master_Rahl22]

5) You can take Knowledge (All). It costs 3 skill points per 1 rank. People now occasionally take Knowledge.

I take it you/your players haven't seen Knowledge Devotion? Free +1 attack and damage against anything you can make a knowledge check about, and can go up to +5 to both if you have a high enough check.

My group also ignored carrying capacity within reason, and didn't track food or water.

[Marillion]

When generating stats, you roll 4d6, and the DM rolls 4d6. Without knowing what the DM rolled, you then decide whether your roll or the DM's roll counts. It's basically the mystery door for your stats.

[JaronK]

I've been playing around a lot with how to deal with wealth by level. As it stands if you want a low magic game the low magic classes are screwed due to them needing gear more... plus CR gets screwed up even more than usual. And DMs regularly get messed up on exactly how much they're supposed to give.

So I worked out a system based on Vow of Poverty that just gives you the numerical bonuses you're supposed to get while lowering WBL a great deal and removing numerical bonuses from most items. Thus, there's no +1 Rapiers... a magic rapier would be a Keen Rapier or something. Meanwhile, at level 4 any weapon you pick up is automatically considered +1 just because you're wielding it.

So far it's going quite well.

JaronK

[RandomLunatic]

Death occurs at -(10+1/2 HD+CON Mod). It widens that tiny little "death's door" into something actually useful at high levels.

Undead, contructs, and other non-living creatures normally destroyed at 0 are instead destroyed at -(1/2 HD+CHA Mod), and fall inert when below 0 (as Warforged).

[Eldariel]

Vitality Point/Wound Point system. Makes killing people slightly harder (that is, random deaths don't occur nearly as frequently) while dropping people much easier, is logical and gives awesome framework for called shots/limb damage and various other damage-based penalties. Oh, and criticals remain awesome throughout the game.

[ken-do-nim]

I've been considering doing spell dcs the d20 Call of Cthulhu way, dc15 + ability bonus instead of dc10 + spell level + ability bonus. This has some nice ramifications:
(a) low level spells are much more useful in a high level game
(b) puts bards on more of an even footing with 9 level casters
(c) some of the magic items with incredibly lame dcs get a boost

[BooNL]

I've been playing around a lot with how to deal with wealth by level. As it stands if you want a low magic game the low magic classes are screwed due to them needing gear more... plus CR gets screwed up even more than usual. And DMs regularly get messed up on exactly how much they're supposed to give.

So I worked out a system based on Vow of Poverty that just gives you the numerical bonuses you're supposed to get while lowering WBL a great deal and removing numerical bonuses from most items. Thus, there's no +1 Rapiers... a magic rapier would be a Keen Rapier or something. Meanwhile, at level 4 any weapon you pick up is automatically considered +1 just because you're wielding it.

So far it's going quite well.

JaronK

This looks quite interesting. How is this balanced as opposed to regular WBL?
Looks a lot easier for the DM as well, instead of giving the players boatloads of treasure because they need it you can focus on single, more powerful items, storywise.

[Nero24200]

"All hail King Torg!"

Best. Rule. Ever*

Basically, the rule is thus. Whenever the characters say "King Torg", all the players must then instantly follow it up with "All hail King Torg!". It's from Kobolds ate my baby, where the players play as kobolds working for King Torg.

Disclaimer: May or may not be best rule ever, you milliage may very. Nero24200 is not responsible for any outbursts of anger, confusion, strains, heart-attacks or accidental death or dismemberment whilst reading this post.

Edit: Disclaimer: May not be a "houserule".

[JaronK]

This looks quite interesting. How is this balanced as opposed to regular WBL?
Looks a lot easier for the DM as well, instead of giving the players boatloads of treasure because they need it you can focus on single, more powerful items, storywise.

Still working it out. The goal is to make it match up to WBL appropriately, so you still have the same power level... it's just that a good chunk of it becomes automatic, and the value of that chunk is removed from WBL. Here's the basic rules right now (I'm still ironing it out)):

2: +1 Enhancement Bonus to AC
4: +1 Enhancement Bonus to Attack and Damage Rolls, +2 Enhancement Bonus to AC
5: +1 Resistance Bonus to all saves
6: +3 Enhancement Bonus to AC, +1 Deflection Bonus to AC
7: +2 Enhancement Bonus to a stat
8: +4 Enhancement Bonus to AC, +1 Enhancement Bonus to Natural Armor, +2 Enhancement Bonus to Attack and Damage Rolls
9: Energy Resistance 5, +2 Resistance Bonus to all saves,
10: +5 Enhancement Bonus to AC
11: +4/+2 Enhancement Bonuses to two stats
12: +6 Enhancement Bonus to AC, +3 Enhancement Bonus to Attack and Damage Rolls, +2 Deflection Bonus to AC
13: +3 Resistance Bonus to all saves,
14: +7 Enhancement Bonus to AC, Energy Resistance 10
15: +6/+4/+2 Enhancement Bonuses to three stats,
16: +8 Enhancement Bonus to AC, +4 Enhancement Bonus to Attack and Damage Rolls, +2 Enhancement Bonus to Natural Armor
17: +4 Resistance Bonus to all saves
18: +9 Enhancement Bonus to AC, +3 Deflection Bonus to AC
19: +8/+6/+4/+2 Enhancement Bonuses to four stats, Energy Resistance 15
20: +10 Enhancement Bonus to AC, +5 Enhancement Bonus to Attack and Damage Rolls

But then your WBL is cut to 1/10th of normal value.

JaronK

[Tinydwarfman]

I've been playing around a lot with how to deal with wealth by level. As it stands if you want a low magic game the low magic classes are screwed due to them needing gear more... plus CR gets screwed up even more than usual. And DMs regularly get messed up on exactly how much they're supposed to give.

So I worked out a system based on Vow of Poverty that just gives you the numerical bonuses you're supposed to get while lowering WBL a great deal and removing numerical bonuses from most items. Thus, there's no +1 Rapiers... a magic rapier would be a Keen Rapier or something. Meanwhile, at level 4 any weapon you pick up is automatically considered +1 just because you're wielding it.

So far it's going quite well.

JaronK

:O ... You must give me a link to this amazing sounding system! I wanted to do something just like it!

EDIT: Wow, I have been ninja'd by a psychic

[Tyndmyr]

Allow a person using Detect Magic to make a Spellcraft check to identify items.

[Telonius]

Paladin: extensively modified. Paladins now take the alignment of their deity (or cause). Spells and smite targets are affected. (Neutral paladins gain "smite extremist" for example, allowing them to smite anybody who doesn't have at least one Neutral alignment component). Paladin's Oath: the Paladin must act as a shining example of that deity or cause's goals. Alignment changes still cause the Paladin to "fall," as do gross failures to live up to the deity's ideals. In no case does the Paladin's Oath require a character to be an idiot.

[Tyndmyr]

Drama Dice: Each person gets at the beginning of the night an amount of drama dice equal to his lowest stat modifier(minimum 1).

Expend a drama die to add a d10 to any roll, retroactively. For those fond of perversity, allow them to also be subtracted from the rolls of others.

Drama dice are also awarded for anything particularily heroic, impressive, or badass. Taking risks and getting away with it or bearing the consequences in style. What you do is often less important than how you do it.

Spent drama dice are then given the DM to use as he wishes.

Unspet drama dice, at the end of the night, give you 10% bonus xp. Each.

[Vampire D]

Mine are mostly just getting boring things out of the way. Like...
1) Carrying capacity is magically increased to "don't worry about it", within reason. No carrying houses, but just fine carrying every small object you encounter in your entire career.
2) Multiclass penalties are eliminated.
3) So are cross class skills.
4) Starting gold for level 1's is eliminated. It is replaced by: up to 3 weapons of your choice, light or medium armor of your choice, things key to the class (spellbook, lockpick...), and an "Adventurer's kit" containing pretty much anything under 5 gp in existance. This was done to counter the character sheets with an infinite number of extremely cheap, nonmagical items (marbles, bouncey balls, spare lute strings...) clogging character sheets.
5) You can take Knowledge (All). It costs 3 skill points per 1 rank. People now occasionally take Knowledge.
6) No tracking food or water.


I really understand these and i agree with their reasonings the most. With the exception of the Knowleadge (all) and a few more restrictions of the 1st lv gear. These rules really rock because usually(or at least my players) players are not very enthuseastic about tracking their rations or the multiclassing penalities. Also, i would like to add that with my players i dont force them to keep up with amunition for slings (rocks or bullets) and after about lv 5 arrows and bolts. This is beacuse at those lvs theres not use in tryign to make sure they have to pay for them... they have the money, its just wasting time. The excetion of course is enchanted or posioned amunition.

Edit: I dont completely agree with the ignoring the set back from cross classing, but there are some skills that classes should get that aren't class skills. Just trying to wrap my head around the fact that not all classes get the perception based skills as class skills.

[Zom B]

A creature in our games uses its natural Reach as its maximum distance moved in a "5 ft step". For instance, a large creature makes a 5' or 10' step, etc. It works out for the most part. It just seemed odd for a Colossal-sized creature that can claw you from 20 ft away to only be able to move 5 feet in a step.


Drama Dice: Each person gets at the beginning of the night an amount of drama dice equal to his lowest stat modifier(minimum 1). <snip> Unspet drama dice, at the end of the night, give you 10% bonus xp. Each.

At first glance, this looks like it penalizes people who rolled one low score. Unless you're using point buy, then it just discourages min-maxing.

[Zeta Kai]

Enlarged creatures have 5' speed bonus for every size category that they increase. It just makes sense.

[Tequila Sunrise]

2: +1 Enhancement Bonus to AC
4: +1 Enhancement Bonus to Attack and Damage Rolls, +2 Enhancement Bonus to AC
5: +1 Resistance Bonus to all saves
6: +3 Enhancement Bonus to AC, +1 Deflection Bonus to AC
7: +2 Enhancement Bonus to a stat
8: +4 Enhancement Bonus to AC, +1 Enhancement Bonus to Natural Armor, +2 Enhancement Bonus to Attack and Damage Rolls
9: Energy Resistance 5, +2 Resistance Bonus to all saves,
10: +5 Enhancement Bonus to AC
11: +4/+2 Enhancement Bonuses to two stats
12: +6 Enhancement Bonus to AC, +3 Enhancement Bonus to Attack and Damage Rolls, +2 Deflection Bonus to AC
13: +3 Resistance Bonus to all saves,
14: +7 Enhancement Bonus to AC, Energy Resistance 10
15: +6/+4/+2 Enhancement Bonuses to three stats,
16: +8 Enhancement Bonus to AC, +4 Enhancement Bonus to Attack and Damage Rolls, +2 Enhancement Bonus to Natural Armor
17: +4 Resistance Bonus to all saves
18: +9 Enhancement Bonus to AC, +3 Deflection Bonus to AC
19: +8/+6/+4/+2 Enhancement Bonuses to four stats, Energy Resistance 15
20: +10 Enhancement Bonus to AC, +5 Enhancement Bonus to Attack and Damage Rolls

JaronK
This is similar to the WBL-replacement system I worked up, except players choose which bonuses they get. See the last two pages of my Tome of House Rules (https://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0B13rBX1CAB0XNzgyZWEyZDItYzg1OS00MTJkL Tg0NjUtMWUwMWNhYzBjODgx&hl=en). /shameless plug.

[Boci]

A creature in our games uses its natural Reach as its maximum distance moved in a "5 ft step". For instance, a large creature makes a 5' or 10' step, etc. It works out for the most part. It just seemed odd for a Colossal-sized creature that can claw you from 20 ft away to only be able to move 5 feet in a step.

True, but it does mean you just made monsters a whole lot harder to kill. Full attack, 20ft step away without provoking an AoO. Even large gets a significant power boost.



2: +1 Enhancement Bonus to AC
4: +1 Enhancement Bonus to Attack and Damage Rolls, +2 Enhancement Bonus to AC
5: +1 Resistance Bonus to all saves
6: +3 Enhancement Bonus to AC, +1 Deflection Bonus to AC
7: +2 Enhancement Bonus to a stat
8: +4 Enhancement Bonus to AC, +1 Enhancement Bonus to Natural Armor, +2 Enhancement Bonus to Attack and Damage Rolls
9: Energy Resistance 5, +2 Resistance Bonus to all saves,
10: +5 Enhancement Bonus to AC
11: +4/+2 Enhancement Bonuses to two stats
12: +6 Enhancement Bonus to AC, +3 Enhancement Bonus to Attack and Damage Rolls, +2 Deflection Bonus to AC
13: +3 Resistance Bonus to all saves,
14: +7 Enhancement Bonus to AC, Energy Resistance 10
15: +6/+4/+2 Enhancement Bonuses to three stats,
16: +8 Enhancement Bonus to AC, +4 Enhancement Bonus to Attack and Damage Rolls, +2 Enhancement Bonus to Natural Armor
17: +4 Resistance Bonus to all saves
18: +9 Enhancement Bonus to AC, +3 Deflection Bonus to AC
19: +8/+6/+4/+2 Enhancement Bonuses to four stats, Energy Resistance 15
20: +10 Enhancement Bonus to AC, +5 Enhancement Bonus to Attack and Damage Rolls

But then your WBL is cut to 1/10th of normal value.

JaronK

I like this a lot, especially the fact that you retain some wealth to customize your character without having to "waste" any of it on bland but neccisary stuff.

Have you considered an alternative one for less conventional characters, such as dragonfire adepts, who probably won't be that excited about the whole + to hit and damage thing?

[Tinydwarfman]

So? large creatures should be hard to kill in many respects. CR is ****ed to hell anyways...

[Boci]

So? large creatures should be hard to kill in many respects.

True, but is forcing melee to provoke AoO from them in order to attack whilst leaving other playing styles pretty muched unchanged the best way to achieve that?


CR is ****ed to hell anyways...

It was still useful. If you wanted to make a random encounter ofr your 10th level party which would be more accurate: randomly choosing a CR: 10 monster, or randomly chossing a monster? (Which we would need to do if WotC stopped printing CR with their monsters.)

[Tinydwarfman]

Whoopsie daisy, I was thought you were talking about zeta kai's suggestion: +5 to base speed. I need to read closer...

[JaronK]

I like this a lot, especially the fact that you retain some wealth to customize your character without having to "waste" any of it on bland but neccisary stuff.

Have you considered an alternative one for less conventional characters, such as dragonfire adepts, who probably won't be that excited about the whole + to hit and damage thing?

Honestly, it's a new system I'm working out and I've never had a DFA in the group, so it hasn't come up again. The +to hit and damage is supposed to be less useful for casters (I don't know if I remembered to mention that it doesn't apply to spell damage, only non spell weapon damage) as a balancing issue. I'm still working out exactly how the bonuses should work. I don't want them to be too customizable... I was actually trying to make it so it naturally helps out melees a bit more.

Still, I'm pretty sure DFAs still like a decent con score, AC, and similar abilities. So that's something.

JaronK

[Myou]

Honestly, it's a new system I'm working out and I've never had a DFA in the group, so it hasn't come up again. The +to hit and damage is supposed to be less useful for casters (I don't know if I remembered to mention that it doesn't apply to spell damage, only non spell weapon damage) as a balancing issue. I'm still working out exactly how the bonuses should work. I don't want them to be too customizable... I was actually trying to make it so it naturally helps out melees a bit more.

Still, I'm pretty sure DFAs still like a decent con score, AC, and similar abilities. So that's something.

JaronK

http://www.zipworld.com.au/~hong/dnd/innate_magic.htm is a rather better system, it lets you take the effects you actually want. I expanded on it for my game.

[Pechvarry]

I've been playing around a lot with how to deal with wealth by level. As it stands if you want a low magic game the low magic classes are screwed due to them needing gear more... plus CR gets screwed up even more than usual. And DMs regularly get messed up on exactly how much they're supposed to give.

So I worked out a system based on Vow of Poverty that just gives you the numerical bonuses you're supposed to get while lowering WBL a great deal and removing numerical bonuses from most items. Thus, there's no +1 Rapiers... a magic rapier would be a Keen Rapier or something. Meanwhile, at level 4 any weapon you pick up is automatically considered +1 just because you're wielding it.

So far it's going quite well.

JaronK

In a previous game, my DM had a concept and I pitched an idea on how to adjust mechanics for play. It worked out terrifically well and is exceedingly easy to figure. Once you understand the concept, you need never again refer to charts.

The system: Heroics
"Gronosh the legendary barbarian wore these boots in the epic battle against the horrible black dragon of 372."

Instead of gaining WBL in the form of GP, you gain it in "Karma Points" of an equal value. A nebulous "favor of the universe". Also for this setting, "Heroic Points" would work well. PCs also get a small amount of GP for mundane purchases. Moving on...

Whenever the player wants and whenever the DM allows, characters imbue their very mundane items with their will at the same cost as buying the item. As such, the PCs are effectively creating very limited legacy items all the time. Since you're writing down how much GP you have as KP and keeping track of it the same way, all costs are the same.

Players typically imbue items with abilities that
a) are fitting to their style of combat
b) augment their existing abilities
c) - and this is the big one - are fueled by necessity.

Example, my rogue was chasing down a straggler in what turned into the most epic moment of my D&D career. I (Sudden Leap) lept into the room he'd fled into and stabbed him dead just in time to realize there were 2 men with crossbows rushing into the room from the other side. With my 2nd attack, I threw my sword as an improvised throwing weapon at one of the crossbowmen. Lucky me! critical hit! But that other crossbow could spell certain doom for me.

In my time of need, I reacted inhumanly fast, catching the crossbow quarrel out of mid-air. Mechanically, my DM let me spend Karma on the spot to turn my gloves into Arrow Snatching. RP-wise, from that day forward, I was legendary for my ability to often catch arrows (at a rate of one per round, as normal).

(On my next round, I chased him down and stabbed him with his own crossbow bolt, securing "awesome D&D play" status. But that's neither here nor there).

Adaptation: The largest problem with this system as that you're still making gear magical and thus, can lose it. It helps with the "legend" feel, but not mechanically. If I could run a game similar to this, I would keep the effects, but divorce them from items and instead put them in character slots. Instead of 12 or 14 or whatever magic item slots, you have that number of magic item abilities (and when you get full, start combining at increased costs as normal). This would make Sundering all sorts of more viable.

This may not be for everyone, but I tell you: it works well, it's thrilling RP-wise, and it's very easy to learn.

[JaronK]

http://www.zipworld.com.au/~hong/dnd/innate_magic.htm is a rather better system, it lets you take the effects you actually want. I expanded on it for my game.

Actually part of the idea was so that you could quickly build NPCs as well, so it's intentional that it not be huge on customization. The customization comes from what magical gear you do get.

JaronK

[Kaiyanwang]

As a DM, I generally play really RAW, but here few:

- I am very flexible about feat usage (quickdraw things from the wall and the groound and similar things, after all even designers suggested this in archives)

- If the PC concept is cool, and nobody is penalized or srewed, XP penalties on multiclassing be damned.

[Oslecamo]

Honestly, it's a new system I'm working out and I've never had a DFA in the group, so it hasn't come up again. The +to hit and damage is supposed to be less useful for casters (I don't know if I remembered to mention that it doesn't apply to spell damage, only non spell weapon damage) as a balancing issue. I'm still working out exactly how the bonuses should work. I don't want them to be too customizable... I was actually trying to make it so it naturally helps out melees a bit more.


Casters still like being able to hit things with rays. The cleric won't mind it. The druid with several natural attacks should be drooling.

Also, I never understood why people consider that a sharper sword must be "magic", but the PC randomly making a weapon/armor stronger just by holding it is considered "mundane".

If you want to play low magic, just throw weaker/low magic monsters.

[Soranar]

Most fun house rules?

Everytime you kill something, you have to drink a shot of vodka.

I find it greatly encourages roleplay.

[Myou]

Actually part of the idea was so that you could quickly build NPCs as well, so it's intentional that it not be huge on customization. The customization comes from what magical gear you do get.

JaronK

So write out a standard progression for NPCs and let players pick what they want. 10% of WBL is too low to do decent customizing.

[Greymane]

We like to use the Vitality Point/Wound Point system, because it's awesome.

Most of our House Rules, however, tend to focus on classes, with maybe a handful for skills.

As an example, what we did to the Monk:

- Full BaB
- 6 + Int Mod for skills
- Full access to Setting Sun and may select one of their listed secondary disciplines as a primary discipline as well
- Secondary Disciplines* include Shadow Hand, Diamond Mind, Devoted Spirit and Desert Wind
- Swordsage maneuver recovery mechanic
- Flurry of Blows may be used in a Standard Action attack
- May use Wholeness of Body a number of times per day equal to her Wisdom modifier
- Abundant Step may be used every 2d4 rounds; at 16th level, the ability only consumes a move action
- Quivering Palm may be used once per day

*The Monk selects one maneuver each level to know from his Secondary Discipline list. Having a discipline be Primary means you learn each and every maneuver in the discipline as you level just by virtue of leveling.

[Jon_Dahl]

I have only one really important House Rule that I strongly recommend:
If you only use Core in character generation, add +2 to any ability. This bonus can boost any ability over 18 before adjustments.

1. I have a deadly fumble-table and rules for natural 1's in combat, but in 5th level Fighters have ability to ignore the table (sometimes).
2. I have my own critical hit-table, which favours large weapons.
3. Unexpected strike which you couldn't see does double-damage
4. You don't need to confirm criticals
5. If you lose half of your hp with a single attack, it's Near Death (See UA)
6. No bonus languages from high Int
7. Horses are stronger

(all above rules do have longer explanations)

[Spiryt]

Most fun house rules?

Everytime you kill something, you have to drink a shot of vodka.

I find it greatly encourages roleplay.

Damn....

Remembering my usual sessions, it would end after and hour with a lot of bodies, and few sleeping people.

[The Dark Fiddler]

Add dexterity to longbow/shortbow damage. Helps archers a ton.

This is one of my favorite house rules, along with getting rid of alignment restrictions.

I also change Paladins so they can choose either Wisdom or Charisma to base all their special abilities off of.

Natural 20s and 1s count as rolls of 30 and -10 respectively. And we rather like fumbles, too, but you gotta confirm them as well.

One that rarely comes up in my group, since everyone plays humans, is that favored classes get either +1 hp or 1 extra skill point per level in the class. And to keep humans from being even awesomer, human favored class becomes 'any NPC'.

[truemane]

I almost never use house rules. Generally speaking I'd rather just go with the book and keep things simple unless there's a reall good reason not to (the drowning heal, for example).

But the one that I've always used in my games forever and ever is:

Wishes are always granted by the 'nearest' wish-granting being. This would normally be a God of some sort, but could be a Planar or a Ki-Rin or a Pit Fiend. So, if you want to use or cast a Wish you had better make sure that you're getting your wish from someone amenable to your interests.

I find this eliminates all the standard lawyerizing that goes with wishes. If the PC's want to do some charity work for a Good Religious Organization and perform some good works in a Good God's name, and then gain access to the God's temple and call out to it so it's 'near' to them and then make the Wish, I'm more than happy to take whatever they say in the best light possible.

Alternately, you could find a Lawful God and make the wish and you'll get exactly what you ask for. But if you're not careful then the Wish could be granted by anyone. And if you've attracted the interests of anyone Evil recently... then bad things could happen.

It makes wishes part of the fabric of the campaign and encourages players to treat them with respect while still getting use out of them.

[Zanatos777]

I did away with experience and instead level my players up every other session. I have a level I want them to be and I can't be bothered to make sure they get enough experience since they sometimes don't fight things.
My players never take the crafting feats or when they do its scribe martial script and so the xp costs are very small so I just waive it.

Another real nuisance that I did away with was clerics charging gp for cure light wounds. No one besides adventures can afford their prices. Often the clerics heal the party for free simply because they working toward a common goal though.

I gave Rangers full animal companion progression. My players loved it and it overpowered no one. Most of my players play melee anyway.

[Zom B]

True, but is forcing melee to provoke AoO from them in order to attack whilst leaving other playing styles pretty muched unchanged the best way to achieve that?

You want ants vs humans to be an even match? Creatures significantly smaller should not be able to keep up.

[Hawriel]

I have had many small house rules in mind over the years. Sence I switched to Pathfinder they got put on hold. Partly because Pathfinder did somthing similar, like with skills, or I wanted to learn the ins and outs befor I changed things. Any way here are some of the house rules I thought up after playing 3rd ed sence release and DMing for over a year.

All electrical based reflex saves are now fort saves. You cannot dodge an electron.

Critical buffs such as keen or imp. Crit only add +1 to the crit threat. You can stack crit buffs to a total of +2.

I use a critical hit and fumble chart. The result can be changed according to cercumstances.

Characters level when I think it's appropriate.

BAB is no longer usess a -5 desending penalty for multaple attacks. A flat -2penalty is applied for every attack made in a full attack action. This makes a nice flat number for all attacks.

All classes that have 2 skill points per level have 4.

No x2 cost for cross class skills. Exept spell craft, knowledge planes, and arcane.

Identifying is used with detect magic, spell craft, and any other knowledge skill that may be appropriate for the object/effect.

Max starting gold.

Ranger companions are level -3. If its a normal small or medium sized natural animal it will most likly be approved. Horses, or any other mount normal for your culture are ok.

Rangers get a fourth combat style feat. They also get more combat styles, such as mounted, two handed, or precision archery feats.

Sorcerer's get bonus feats like the wizard.

Sorcerer's can specialize. Apposed schools are banned, for both sorcs and wizards.

Edit forgot one.
This belongs to a friend of mine. Every time an animal or child comes into the room a random incounter occurs. This can be very dangerus. Like when we where playing Tomb of horrors at the dining room table. It was between the kitchen and the living room with the TV.

[Draz74]

All electrical based reflex saves are now fort saves. You cannot dodge an electron.
Sure you can, I do it all the time. :smallamused:
Depending on your definition of "dodge" ...


No x2 cost for cross class skills. Exept spell craft, knowledge planes, and arcane.
Not UMD? :smallconfused:


Edit forgot one.
This belongs to a friend of mine. Every time an animal or child comes into the room a random incounter occurs. This can be very dangerus. Like when we where playing Tomb of horrors at the dining room table. It was between the kitchen and the living room with the TV.

Heh, unless you're already in combat? Or ... even then? :smalleek:

[Hawriel]

Not UMD? :smallconfused:

I honestly forgot about UMD because I and my group have never used it. Not because as a group we dont like it just hasnt been used. Personaly I think the premise behind the skill is silly.

My reasoning is that spell craft and or the approriate knowedge, language or gather info skills would be used insted.



Heh, unless you're already in combat? Or ... even then? :smalleek:

Oh no every time. It can get very very nasty. Some times we will put it on hold. After the 3rd time two children a cat and a dog runs through the room at once, it got kinda sticky. This was in the tomb. I and one other person servived that fight. The size of the animal may determine what the random encounter is. One of my friends has a pug, another a great dane.