EriktheRed
2013-06-30, 03:53 AM
Posting this here in preparation of a play-test. Comments are welcome.
These houserules are meant to streamline gameplay for play-by-post.
1. The active character rolls all dice whenever possible. Anything an inactive player would need to roll out of turn, they automatically take 10 against the active character’s roll. If anything is missed that should have been rolled by the active player, the DM will make the needed rolls before posting the summary of the round.
2. Initiative no longer determines turn order. Instead, all actions occur simultaneously, and are resolved after all characters have posted. The DM will post a summary of each round to begin the next round of combat. There are some exceptions:
a. Pre-empt. If you want to have your action occur before another character’s action, you may make an initiative check to determine if you succeed. You may not change your action based on the results of your initiative check. In the first round of combat, you may attempt an initiative check to catch an opponent flat-footed. If your pre-empt makes an opponent’s action impossible, that action is wasted, unless it can legally target you. Example: If you interrupt a lightning bolt by putting up a wall of stone, the lightning bolt is cast and hits the wall (wasted action). If you step in between the charging minotaur and its target, you become the target of its already rolled attack and damage.
b. Readied/Delayed Actions. You may declare that you are waiting for someone else to act before taking your action. Since actions are resolved simultaneously, there is no meaningful difference between a readied and a delayed action. For special actions that require a readied action, there is no initiative roll required.
c. Interrupted Actions. If an action is interrupted successfully by an opponent’s (or an ally’s) action (this requires either an immediate action, or a pre-empt check), that action is wasted, even if in a standard tabletop game it would not be.
d. Defensive Actions. Taking a total defense action cannot be pre-empted except in the first round of combat. Fighting defensively can be pre-empted, but the AC bonus from fighting defensively will still apply against all attacks that turn.
e. Movement. If multiple people wind up ending their movement in the same space, the DM will roll initiative to see who winds up in that space, and who winds up in an adjacent space.
f. Rerolls. Any power that would grant a reroll is removed. A suitable replacement ability will be worked out with the DM if this power is from a class feature.
g. Attacks of Opportunity.
i. Option One: There are no attacks of opportunity. Instead, if your action would provoke an attack of opportunity, you are at a -5 to any d20 roll you make this turn.
ii. Option Two: Unless specifically declared, every character takes every attack of opportunity available to it, unless that character has specifically declared it will not (and has no limit in the number of attacks of opportunity they may take per turn). Combat Reflexes now adds +4 to your to-hit with attacks of opportunity. Monsters will have an AoO DC and damage listed as part of their description. If a player provokes, they must include a defense roll (AC-10, +1d20), or take that damage (which is averaged, not rolled). Monsters will do the same.
3. Critical Hits. All critical threats automatically confirm (if they hit). Critical hits do not multiply any damage dice (including the base damage dice), only the non-variable damage is multiplied. For example, a longsword that deals 1d8+3 damage deals +3 damage on a critical hit. If there is no non-variable damage, or the attack has a negative damage modifier (ex. 1d6-2) a critical hit instead adds damage equal to the damage multiplier. Effects that would improve the threat range of a weapon are removed.
4. Text. Any OOC stuff (dice rolls, mechanics explaining flavor text of character actions, rules questions) in the IC thread should be put within spoilers. Each player should pick a color for speech. Shouting is in bold text, whispering is in small text, and thoughts are in italics.
5. Idleness. If you are idle for more than 48 hours without contacting the DM, you are considered to have nothing to contribute to the scene, i.e., your turn is effectively “skipped.” If this happens in combat, you will be considered to take a total defense action for that turn. If you are idle for more than 1 week without contacting the DM, you will be treated as an NPC. If you are idle for more than 2 weeks without contacting the DM, your character will become an NPC until such time as it can be removed from play, and a new player will be found to replace you in the game.
6. Cleave. Cleave and similar feats and abilities that give contingent extra attacks are removed from the game.
These houserules are meant to streamline gameplay for play-by-post.
1. The active character rolls all dice whenever possible. Anything an inactive player would need to roll out of turn, they automatically take 10 against the active character’s roll. If anything is missed that should have been rolled by the active player, the DM will make the needed rolls before posting the summary of the round.
2. Initiative no longer determines turn order. Instead, all actions occur simultaneously, and are resolved after all characters have posted. The DM will post a summary of each round to begin the next round of combat. There are some exceptions:
a. Pre-empt. If you want to have your action occur before another character’s action, you may make an initiative check to determine if you succeed. You may not change your action based on the results of your initiative check. In the first round of combat, you may attempt an initiative check to catch an opponent flat-footed. If your pre-empt makes an opponent’s action impossible, that action is wasted, unless it can legally target you. Example: If you interrupt a lightning bolt by putting up a wall of stone, the lightning bolt is cast and hits the wall (wasted action). If you step in between the charging minotaur and its target, you become the target of its already rolled attack and damage.
b. Readied/Delayed Actions. You may declare that you are waiting for someone else to act before taking your action. Since actions are resolved simultaneously, there is no meaningful difference between a readied and a delayed action. For special actions that require a readied action, there is no initiative roll required.
c. Interrupted Actions. If an action is interrupted successfully by an opponent’s (or an ally’s) action (this requires either an immediate action, or a pre-empt check), that action is wasted, even if in a standard tabletop game it would not be.
d. Defensive Actions. Taking a total defense action cannot be pre-empted except in the first round of combat. Fighting defensively can be pre-empted, but the AC bonus from fighting defensively will still apply against all attacks that turn.
e. Movement. If multiple people wind up ending their movement in the same space, the DM will roll initiative to see who winds up in that space, and who winds up in an adjacent space.
f. Rerolls. Any power that would grant a reroll is removed. A suitable replacement ability will be worked out with the DM if this power is from a class feature.
g. Attacks of Opportunity.
i. Option One: There are no attacks of opportunity. Instead, if your action would provoke an attack of opportunity, you are at a -5 to any d20 roll you make this turn.
ii. Option Two: Unless specifically declared, every character takes every attack of opportunity available to it, unless that character has specifically declared it will not (and has no limit in the number of attacks of opportunity they may take per turn). Combat Reflexes now adds +4 to your to-hit with attacks of opportunity. Monsters will have an AoO DC and damage listed as part of their description. If a player provokes, they must include a defense roll (AC-10, +1d20), or take that damage (which is averaged, not rolled). Monsters will do the same.
3. Critical Hits. All critical threats automatically confirm (if they hit). Critical hits do not multiply any damage dice (including the base damage dice), only the non-variable damage is multiplied. For example, a longsword that deals 1d8+3 damage deals +3 damage on a critical hit. If there is no non-variable damage, or the attack has a negative damage modifier (ex. 1d6-2) a critical hit instead adds damage equal to the damage multiplier. Effects that would improve the threat range of a weapon are removed.
4. Text. Any OOC stuff (dice rolls, mechanics explaining flavor text of character actions, rules questions) in the IC thread should be put within spoilers. Each player should pick a color for speech. Shouting is in bold text, whispering is in small text, and thoughts are in italics.
5. Idleness. If you are idle for more than 48 hours without contacting the DM, you are considered to have nothing to contribute to the scene, i.e., your turn is effectively “skipped.” If this happens in combat, you will be considered to take a total defense action for that turn. If you are idle for more than 1 week without contacting the DM, you will be treated as an NPC. If you are idle for more than 2 weeks without contacting the DM, your character will become an NPC until such time as it can be removed from play, and a new player will be found to replace you in the game.
6. Cleave. Cleave and similar feats and abilities that give contingent extra attacks are removed from the game.