Yogibear41
2013-07-09, 11:24 PM
Some house rules I have been working on, many inspired by my own DM and his tales of 1st edition Kudos to him :smallsmile:
General House Rules:
Players will create their characters using a 52 point buy ( I know its absurdly high but you are the 1% the elite of the elite, trust me you will thank me later)
Few house rules then specific class rules, all prepared divine casters will be using the alternate spontaneous variant rules available in unearthed arcana, however the ability to learn additional spells to add to their list of spells known will be available as treasure/rewards for completing certain quests, EXP: a cleric completes a quest for his temple in return they will teach him a new spell that he can add to his list known. This will not be a common occurrence however, and players should still choose which spells they have known carefully at each level gained. Higher level spells will be especially hard to come by. Generally all non-homebrew spells are available for a player to add to their list, however each spell learned at each new level should be run by the DM just in case.(for the most case I don’t expect to veto anything but there might be that one off the wall spell out there that could potentially break the game) The same goes for feats.
I will also be using a retraining rule that will be available once players have reached level 6. Using this rule players can retrain one level each time they are eligible to receive a bonus feat after level 6(this does not take the place of gaining the bonus feat for each 5k exp earned after level 6, you can retrain and still gain the feat) Using these rules a player can potentially replace most of his base class levels with prestige class levels, as long as his remaining 5 levels still allow him to qualify for the class. For example: a 5the level ranger/1st level horizon walker, could retrain his 5th level or ranger to make himself a 4th level ranger/2nd level horizon walker, as long as he still had 8 ranks in Know: geography after losing his 5th level of ranger and as long as he still possess the endurance feat. In order to do this when he reached his 6th level and took the first level of horizon walker he would need to put a rank in Know: geography granting him 9 ranks for the time being, however when he retrained his 5th level or ranger he would lose one rank in it due to losing the skill points for that level so he would once again have only 8 ranks.
He could continue retraining himself in this fashion until he was a 3rd level ranger/3rd level horizon walker, however if he then tried to retrain his 3rd level of ranger he would lose the bonus endurance feat at that level thereby disqualifying him from the horizon walker class so he cannot do that, however if he choose endurance as his bonus feat at that time for another 5k xp earned he would be able to untrain his 3rd level of ranger in order to become a 2nd level ranger/4th level horizon walker. Using this system a character could eventually retrain him-self and become just a 6th level horizon walker. I have put this system in place to go along with the bonus feats normally granted in e6 because I believe it offers up a way for particular character to differentiate themselves from others by specializing their training in one particular field. A few exceptions to this rule are that for the most part prestige classes cannot be mixed and matched as one sees fit cherry picking 1-2 levels in multiple prestige classes, there are a few exceptions to this rule but those exceptions almost exclusively belong to several one level special homebrew prestige classes I have created, that will be rewards for in game roleplaying and character development,( for the most part they will be extremely well hidden and rewards for looking in the right places at the right times and getting in good with the right people, perhaps learning some forbidden lore along the way), another rule is that for prestige classes that advance casting progression, a character must always retain at least 1 level in the base class that granted him the casting ability in the first place for example a cleric who began to train in the Church inquisitor prestige class could at most become a 1st level cleric/5th level Church inquisitor because he must retain the class that gave him his casting ability in the first place. Finally all prestige classes are subject to DM approval before retraining I’m sure that there is a prestige class out there that could become completely broken in an e6 game using these rules. I can go ahead and tell you know anything that gives you access to 4th level spells or higher is out, I’m looking at you UR-Priest.
Magic Item creation Rules
Now a note on the creation of magical items, this is a moderately low magic campaign, magic items are incredibly rare as are the ingredients to make them. There is a major distinction between arcane and divine magic in this campaign and the creator a particular magic item bestows either arcane or divine properties into said item. Mechanically speaking the items are 100% the same, however roleplaying wise there is a huge difference, detect magic and other spells will be able to determine whether a magical item is arcane or divine in nature. In the majority of the campaign world arcane magic is forbidden, the gods have decreed that it is a mockery of divine magic that they have so graciously gifted to the populace, now how people treat arcane casters and items varies greatly by region. In some regions arcane casters will be locked up and persecuted by law, in others they will simply be killed on sight, and in others the people could care less, in extremely rare cases they might even be well respected for spitting in the eyes of the gods(note that arcane magic is not evil in this campaign nor is divine magic always good, it’s based on culture and events that happened thousands of years ago, drat now I’ve told you too much :P) Certain Religious organizations might actively seek out and destroy arcane magic items, and collect and store divine magic items as “holy artifacts”
But back to the point at hand, just because a character has taken the prerequisite item creation feats, and has the gold to create said item does not mean he can simply make it, in order to create a magic item a character must(in addition to having said feat) know how to create the item and have the proper supplies to create the said item. This part is still a work in progress on my part, but generally speaking I believe that upon picking up the feat I will allow the player to initially learn at least one “recipe” so they will at least get something out of the feat. For example a player who picks the craft wondrous item feat, will start knowing 1 recipe(subject to Dm approval) a player who picks up craft magic arms and armor, will most likely be able to do +1 upgrades to all armors and weapons, but will have to research or be taught how to upgrade them further to +2 or to add special qualities to them.
Additionally I don’t like the rule about spending XP to create magic items, so I will be forgoing that part of the rule and using basically the pathfinder version of item creation basically: you pay the money, and take the time crafting as usual maybe make some kind of skill check, but you don’t have to pay any xp in creation costs.
Death
Finally character death and raising will not result in level loss, finding a way to reez someone in a world where even the most powerful people only have access to 3rd level spells is going to be an adventure in and of itself.
I plan to handle ressurection as well as any other spell or ability that would normally require 4th level spells or higher as an incantation from Unearthed Arcana.
General House Rules:
Players will create their characters using a 52 point buy ( I know its absurdly high but you are the 1% the elite of the elite, trust me you will thank me later)
Few house rules then specific class rules, all prepared divine casters will be using the alternate spontaneous variant rules available in unearthed arcana, however the ability to learn additional spells to add to their list of spells known will be available as treasure/rewards for completing certain quests, EXP: a cleric completes a quest for his temple in return they will teach him a new spell that he can add to his list known. This will not be a common occurrence however, and players should still choose which spells they have known carefully at each level gained. Higher level spells will be especially hard to come by. Generally all non-homebrew spells are available for a player to add to their list, however each spell learned at each new level should be run by the DM just in case.(for the most case I don’t expect to veto anything but there might be that one off the wall spell out there that could potentially break the game) The same goes for feats.
I will also be using a retraining rule that will be available once players have reached level 6. Using this rule players can retrain one level each time they are eligible to receive a bonus feat after level 6(this does not take the place of gaining the bonus feat for each 5k exp earned after level 6, you can retrain and still gain the feat) Using these rules a player can potentially replace most of his base class levels with prestige class levels, as long as his remaining 5 levels still allow him to qualify for the class. For example: a 5the level ranger/1st level horizon walker, could retrain his 5th level or ranger to make himself a 4th level ranger/2nd level horizon walker, as long as he still had 8 ranks in Know: geography after losing his 5th level of ranger and as long as he still possess the endurance feat. In order to do this when he reached his 6th level and took the first level of horizon walker he would need to put a rank in Know: geography granting him 9 ranks for the time being, however when he retrained his 5th level or ranger he would lose one rank in it due to losing the skill points for that level so he would once again have only 8 ranks.
He could continue retraining himself in this fashion until he was a 3rd level ranger/3rd level horizon walker, however if he then tried to retrain his 3rd level of ranger he would lose the bonus endurance feat at that level thereby disqualifying him from the horizon walker class so he cannot do that, however if he choose endurance as his bonus feat at that time for another 5k xp earned he would be able to untrain his 3rd level of ranger in order to become a 2nd level ranger/4th level horizon walker. Using this system a character could eventually retrain him-self and become just a 6th level horizon walker. I have put this system in place to go along with the bonus feats normally granted in e6 because I believe it offers up a way for particular character to differentiate themselves from others by specializing their training in one particular field. A few exceptions to this rule are that for the most part prestige classes cannot be mixed and matched as one sees fit cherry picking 1-2 levels in multiple prestige classes, there are a few exceptions to this rule but those exceptions almost exclusively belong to several one level special homebrew prestige classes I have created, that will be rewards for in game roleplaying and character development,( for the most part they will be extremely well hidden and rewards for looking in the right places at the right times and getting in good with the right people, perhaps learning some forbidden lore along the way), another rule is that for prestige classes that advance casting progression, a character must always retain at least 1 level in the base class that granted him the casting ability in the first place for example a cleric who began to train in the Church inquisitor prestige class could at most become a 1st level cleric/5th level Church inquisitor because he must retain the class that gave him his casting ability in the first place. Finally all prestige classes are subject to DM approval before retraining I’m sure that there is a prestige class out there that could become completely broken in an e6 game using these rules. I can go ahead and tell you know anything that gives you access to 4th level spells or higher is out, I’m looking at you UR-Priest.
Magic Item creation Rules
Now a note on the creation of magical items, this is a moderately low magic campaign, magic items are incredibly rare as are the ingredients to make them. There is a major distinction between arcane and divine magic in this campaign and the creator a particular magic item bestows either arcane or divine properties into said item. Mechanically speaking the items are 100% the same, however roleplaying wise there is a huge difference, detect magic and other spells will be able to determine whether a magical item is arcane or divine in nature. In the majority of the campaign world arcane magic is forbidden, the gods have decreed that it is a mockery of divine magic that they have so graciously gifted to the populace, now how people treat arcane casters and items varies greatly by region. In some regions arcane casters will be locked up and persecuted by law, in others they will simply be killed on sight, and in others the people could care less, in extremely rare cases they might even be well respected for spitting in the eyes of the gods(note that arcane magic is not evil in this campaign nor is divine magic always good, it’s based on culture and events that happened thousands of years ago, drat now I’ve told you too much :P) Certain Religious organizations might actively seek out and destroy arcane magic items, and collect and store divine magic items as “holy artifacts”
But back to the point at hand, just because a character has taken the prerequisite item creation feats, and has the gold to create said item does not mean he can simply make it, in order to create a magic item a character must(in addition to having said feat) know how to create the item and have the proper supplies to create the said item. This part is still a work in progress on my part, but generally speaking I believe that upon picking up the feat I will allow the player to initially learn at least one “recipe” so they will at least get something out of the feat. For example a player who picks the craft wondrous item feat, will start knowing 1 recipe(subject to Dm approval) a player who picks up craft magic arms and armor, will most likely be able to do +1 upgrades to all armors and weapons, but will have to research or be taught how to upgrade them further to +2 or to add special qualities to them.
Additionally I don’t like the rule about spending XP to create magic items, so I will be forgoing that part of the rule and using basically the pathfinder version of item creation basically: you pay the money, and take the time crafting as usual maybe make some kind of skill check, but you don’t have to pay any xp in creation costs.
Death
Finally character death and raising will not result in level loss, finding a way to reez someone in a world where even the most powerful people only have access to 3rd level spells is going to be an adventure in and of itself.
I plan to handle ressurection as well as any other spell or ability that would normally require 4th level spells or higher as an incantation from Unearthed Arcana.