CTrees
2011-12-05, 02:13 PM
As I may soon be DM'ing a Pathfinder game, I'm trying to nail down my banned and restricted list, as it were, as much as possible BEFORE the start of play. I prefer to play by RAW as much as possible, but there are always a few things.
My list, thus far:
-Unless otherwise specified, all first party Paizo material will be allowed, as written. This includes items on the SRD marked "Pathfinder Accessory."
-Any material currently in the playtest phase is not allowed.
-With the exception of Psionics Unleashed, third party or non-PF (i.e., 3.0/3.5) material will not be allowed. With prior approval and a good argument, this may be relaxed on a case-by-case basis.
-Guns do not exist.
-Paizo errata in the FAQs for the various books will be used. Pathfinder Society errata will not.
-Compsagnathus familiars grant +2 to Initiative, matching Scorpion familiars.
-PCs cannot take templates.
-Any races in the "Monsters as PCs" section of the SRD is allowed, except for Drow Noble and Merfolk (the latter being either highly annoying or distinctly overpowered, purely based on if the movement speed is somehow ignored). Gnolls and Lizardfolk are also allowed (come to me for stats if interested) Large cities will tend to be quite cosmopolitan (so playing a goblin isn't necessarily suicide without boosted disguise), but not every individual or small town is going to be so accepting.
-Up to two traits are allowed.
-Any alignment is allowed. Alignment does not have to be declared to other party members. However, depending upon player actions, alignment changes may be forced. Also, if one plays distinctly out of the party’s interest, I will do nothing to stop the other PCs from reacting as they see fit. Try to play nicely.
-Region-specific traits, feats, classes, etc. are assumed to be refluffed to an appropriate location (it's the intent that's important, not the city/state).
-Chain-gating, Wish loops, and similar draw the attention of Inevitables. Templated, advanced Inevitables with class levels.
-Outsiders do not necessarily appreciate being bound. Be careful with your wording on any orders.
-Words of Power do not exist. Neither do feats which reference them.
-Coins have no weight while in inventory. Neither do arrows/bolts/bullets. Yes, this is a contrivance.
-At level three and higher, you are assumed to have as many basic arrows/bolts/bullets (non-enchanted, non-masterwork, and not of a special material) as you need for combat. Also a contrivance, but those are so cheap, I’m willing to handwave it for sake of gameplay. This rule will be revoked if abused (revocation retroactively taking place immediately prior to said abuse).
-Stats will be rolled in front of me. 4d6b3, rerolls allowed-but not required-if the average score is less than 12.5*
-When leveling up, you may either take the average HP for your level, rounded up, or you may roll. This choice may not be changed later.
-Individual initiative will be used, unless the group is too large**
-Natural ones are automatic failures on saving throws and checks to overcome spell resistance. On attack rolls, a natural one is a miss, and the target is allowed to make one trip, disarm, sunder, grapple, dirty trick, reposition, or steal attempt, without the possibility of retaliation (ex., a trip check following a fumbled attack cannot be failed so badly as to render oneself tripped). If the attacker is able, successive attacks during a full attack action are still allowed***
-On a charge, a character wielding two weapons may make one attack with each weapon
-Resistance to fire is treated as resistance to lava, not immunity.
-Basic knowledge checks (ex: fire doesn’t hurt fire elementals) are free actions. More detailed checks (ex: Know: Engineering to determine the best way to demolish a structure) will likely take longer, and will be arbitrated on a case-by-case basis. Getting an estimate as to how long that will take is a free action which does not require an action – just asking me.
-You can use Vital Strike while charging, Spring Attacking, Flyby Attacking, Power Attacking, etc. However, it cannot be used with attacks of opportunity or any action which grants multiple attacks per round (Cleave, the full attack action, etc.). If wielding two or more weapons, treat use of Vital Strike as a standard action. Haste and similar effects allow Vital Strike to be used more than once per round.
-Blood Crow Strike has a range of touch, and allows the next applicable attack made by the target to be made at the listed range, with the listed effects.
-Titan Mauler Barbarians of level three or higher may use weapons which would normally be too large.
-Leadership is allowed, with restrictions. Tell me the sort of followers and cohort you wish to recruit, and I will build and outfit them. You can issue orders, and they will be loyal to you, but I will roleplay and control them-they are people, not summons. Thrallherd is similarly allowed – I will build the NPCs, but you will have more direct control. Thrallherds may not have thralls or followers with levels in Thrallherd – the strong will required is too difficult to control.
-Familiars, in general, will be ignored in combat. However, if they are used in combat, or they are discovered while being used for purposes of which the discoverer would disapprove, they’re fair game. You have been warned.
-Shopkeepers want to take your money, not to roleplay for issues which are not plot-important. For general shopping, the descriptions/names/prices from the SRD will be used (sale prices for loot from PCs to vendors will be half the listed value). Assume any haggling, negotiations, etc. have been handled by your characters, for ease of play.****
-Not every two horse village will have a fully stocked magic-mart. Availability will be better than the rules as written, and great in cities, but even in cities, production or acquisition of custom (or highly exotic) items may take some time.
*I’d prefer to use pointbuy, but I know my players wouldn’t accept it.
**A source of repeated debate in my group
***My group demands some sort of fumble rules. These are the least offensive I’ve come up with which will still appease them.
****We had a DM for awhile that really enjoyed roleplaying shopkeeps. In a manner which made the rest of us want to kill every shopkeep on sight.
As this is my musings on off moments at work, I'm bound to be missing things. Most of these are either explicit statements of things which are DM discretion anyway (like level of firearms allowed, stat-rolling method, etc.), rather than real houserules, or me being nice. As I want this list as complete as possible before play begins, what recommended houserules am I missing?
EDIT: Additional rule:
-Knowledge (history) checks do not apply to the future.
My list, thus far:
-Unless otherwise specified, all first party Paizo material will be allowed, as written. This includes items on the SRD marked "Pathfinder Accessory."
-Any material currently in the playtest phase is not allowed.
-With the exception of Psionics Unleashed, third party or non-PF (i.e., 3.0/3.5) material will not be allowed. With prior approval and a good argument, this may be relaxed on a case-by-case basis.
-Guns do not exist.
-Paizo errata in the FAQs for the various books will be used. Pathfinder Society errata will not.
-Compsagnathus familiars grant +2 to Initiative, matching Scorpion familiars.
-PCs cannot take templates.
-Any races in the "Monsters as PCs" section of the SRD is allowed, except for Drow Noble and Merfolk (the latter being either highly annoying or distinctly overpowered, purely based on if the movement speed is somehow ignored). Gnolls and Lizardfolk are also allowed (come to me for stats if interested) Large cities will tend to be quite cosmopolitan (so playing a goblin isn't necessarily suicide without boosted disguise), but not every individual or small town is going to be so accepting.
-Up to two traits are allowed.
-Any alignment is allowed. Alignment does not have to be declared to other party members. However, depending upon player actions, alignment changes may be forced. Also, if one plays distinctly out of the party’s interest, I will do nothing to stop the other PCs from reacting as they see fit. Try to play nicely.
-Region-specific traits, feats, classes, etc. are assumed to be refluffed to an appropriate location (it's the intent that's important, not the city/state).
-Chain-gating, Wish loops, and similar draw the attention of Inevitables. Templated, advanced Inevitables with class levels.
-Outsiders do not necessarily appreciate being bound. Be careful with your wording on any orders.
-Words of Power do not exist. Neither do feats which reference them.
-Coins have no weight while in inventory. Neither do arrows/bolts/bullets. Yes, this is a contrivance.
-At level three and higher, you are assumed to have as many basic arrows/bolts/bullets (non-enchanted, non-masterwork, and not of a special material) as you need for combat. Also a contrivance, but those are so cheap, I’m willing to handwave it for sake of gameplay. This rule will be revoked if abused (revocation retroactively taking place immediately prior to said abuse).
-Stats will be rolled in front of me. 4d6b3, rerolls allowed-but not required-if the average score is less than 12.5*
-When leveling up, you may either take the average HP for your level, rounded up, or you may roll. This choice may not be changed later.
-Individual initiative will be used, unless the group is too large**
-Natural ones are automatic failures on saving throws and checks to overcome spell resistance. On attack rolls, a natural one is a miss, and the target is allowed to make one trip, disarm, sunder, grapple, dirty trick, reposition, or steal attempt, without the possibility of retaliation (ex., a trip check following a fumbled attack cannot be failed so badly as to render oneself tripped). If the attacker is able, successive attacks during a full attack action are still allowed***
-On a charge, a character wielding two weapons may make one attack with each weapon
-Resistance to fire is treated as resistance to lava, not immunity.
-Basic knowledge checks (ex: fire doesn’t hurt fire elementals) are free actions. More detailed checks (ex: Know: Engineering to determine the best way to demolish a structure) will likely take longer, and will be arbitrated on a case-by-case basis. Getting an estimate as to how long that will take is a free action which does not require an action – just asking me.
-You can use Vital Strike while charging, Spring Attacking, Flyby Attacking, Power Attacking, etc. However, it cannot be used with attacks of opportunity or any action which grants multiple attacks per round (Cleave, the full attack action, etc.). If wielding two or more weapons, treat use of Vital Strike as a standard action. Haste and similar effects allow Vital Strike to be used more than once per round.
-Blood Crow Strike has a range of touch, and allows the next applicable attack made by the target to be made at the listed range, with the listed effects.
-Titan Mauler Barbarians of level three or higher may use weapons which would normally be too large.
-Leadership is allowed, with restrictions. Tell me the sort of followers and cohort you wish to recruit, and I will build and outfit them. You can issue orders, and they will be loyal to you, but I will roleplay and control them-they are people, not summons. Thrallherd is similarly allowed – I will build the NPCs, but you will have more direct control. Thrallherds may not have thralls or followers with levels in Thrallherd – the strong will required is too difficult to control.
-Familiars, in general, will be ignored in combat. However, if they are used in combat, or they are discovered while being used for purposes of which the discoverer would disapprove, they’re fair game. You have been warned.
-Shopkeepers want to take your money, not to roleplay for issues which are not plot-important. For general shopping, the descriptions/names/prices from the SRD will be used (sale prices for loot from PCs to vendors will be half the listed value). Assume any haggling, negotiations, etc. have been handled by your characters, for ease of play.****
-Not every two horse village will have a fully stocked magic-mart. Availability will be better than the rules as written, and great in cities, but even in cities, production or acquisition of custom (or highly exotic) items may take some time.
*I’d prefer to use pointbuy, but I know my players wouldn’t accept it.
**A source of repeated debate in my group
***My group demands some sort of fumble rules. These are the least offensive I’ve come up with which will still appease them.
****We had a DM for awhile that really enjoyed roleplaying shopkeeps. In a manner which made the rest of us want to kill every shopkeep on sight.
As this is my musings on off moments at work, I'm bound to be missing things. Most of these are either explicit statements of things which are DM discretion anyway (like level of firearms allowed, stat-rolling method, etc.), rather than real houserules, or me being nice. As I want this list as complete as possible before play begins, what recommended houserules am I missing?
EDIT: Additional rule:
-Knowledge (history) checks do not apply to the future.