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themaque
2015-03-16, 06:39 PM
What is an unusual house rule specific to your gaming table? I'm not talking No Variant Human or No Synthesis Summoner. I'm talking something very distinct for your table?

Mine? NO DURIAN ALLOWED.

If I have to explain, you've never had Durian. It's a fruit that can only be described as a moldy onion left to ferment in an old sweat sock. This issue has come up once. ONCE.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JBntA-ZOz0M/Td4nmoKPFfI/AAAAAAAADiE/xI5l8FWUfTg/s1600/no-durian.jpg

JNAProductions
2015-03-16, 06:56 PM
No cockney accents for Orcs. *Looks accusingly at Games Workshops.*

BootStrapTommy
2015-03-16, 07:03 PM
Metagaming, Month Python references, web comic references, and other things which derail play are punishable with damage.

Puns are pun-ishable by character death. Needless to say, I've been gnome to fall victim.

Karl Aegis
2015-03-16, 07:34 PM
If failure doesn't lead to an interesting consequence you don't need to roll.

gom jabbarwocky
2015-03-16, 08:25 PM
Month Python references

Aye. At my table, quoting Monty Python results in being forced to eat your own character sheet.

Mr Beer
2015-03-16, 09:27 PM
"No durian" is just a specific example that contravenes the "Don't be an inconsiderate jackass in my house" rule.

Knaight
2015-03-16, 11:40 PM
What is an unusual house rule specific to your gaming table? I'm not talking No Variant Human or No Synthesis Summoner. I'm talking something very distinct for your table?

Mine? NO DURIAN ALLOWED.

If I have to explain, you've never had Durian. It's a fruit that can only be described as a moldy onion left to ferment in an old sweat sock. This issue has come up once. ONCE.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JBntA-ZOz0M/Td4nmoKPFfI/AAAAAAAADiE/xI5l8FWUfTg/s1600/no-durian.jpg

Does it count as distinct when it's also downright common as a rule in entire apartment buildings, hotels, etc.? I lived in Thailand for a while, and no durian restrictions were pretty common (even if it is tasty, odor aside).

YossarianLives
2015-03-17, 12:13 AM
No stealing the DMs socks.

themaque
2015-03-17, 05:32 AM
Does it count as distinct when it's also downright common as a rule in entire apartment buildings, hotels, etc.? I lived in Thailand for a while, and no durian restrictions were pretty common (even if it is tasty, odor aside).

I'm currently living in Houston. So by context in that context it is an unusual rule.

Had a GM who said "Game will Pause for Ice Cream Truck. No exceptions."

VincentTakeda
2015-03-17, 05:42 AM
My current campaign is a heroes unlimited/ninjas and superspies campaign where, while its possible to combine all varieties of archetypes (an alien hardware expert who in the course of the campaign gets experimented on who then finds a magical weapon and gains mystically bestowed abilities is entirely possible)... which would normally be even more ludicrous levels of power than the system normally offers.

In the home version I'm running though, nothing stacks mechanically. If you have a 51 supernatural strength, instead of 'boxing' giving you an extra 2 points... the idea is that boxing isnt going to have much of an effect at all on such a ludicrous pre existing supernatural strength, so all bonuses you ever get are a function of your original rolls, and highest possible unstacked modifier wins.

Whats even worse is that attacks per round 'anti stack'... You could easily learn 5 martial arts, but if one martial art gives you 9 attacks per round and another martial art only gives you 2... then your character only gets 2.

So far its been working out marvellously. Characters get a far broader set of options for dealing with situations, without that broadedning also giving them silly spikey ludicrous numbers.

Ah yes. We're also using armor rating as damage reduction.

Phoenixguard09
2015-03-17, 06:46 AM
We really only have one unusual one.

If the player must use the bathroom, the character excuses themself to do so as well.

RoyVG
2015-03-17, 07:09 AM
I had a cheesecake once with durian in it... never again please.

-Every not-so-funny pun made at the table must be met with squinted eyes and a vague grin by the DM, usually followed with the words 'Oh you...'

-Whenever multiple members of a party are low on hit points and no form of healing is available (out of resources, healbot cleric is away), all must shout: 'Need more healing belts.'

Tiri
2015-03-17, 07:39 AM
What is an unusual house rule specific to your gaming table? I'm not talking No Variant Human or No Synthesis Summoner. I'm talking something very distinct for your table?

Mine? NO DURIAN ALLOWED.

If I have to explain, you've never had Durian. It's a fruit that can only be described as a moldy onion left to ferment in an old sweat sock. This issue has come up once. ONCE.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JBntA-ZOz0M/Td4nmoKPFfI/AAAAAAAADiE/xI5l8FWUfTg/s1600/no-durian.jpg

It's not that bad. Most of my mother's family love it. I don't, however. The smell is just intolerable to me.

goto124
2015-03-17, 08:00 AM
If the player must use the bathroom, the character excuses themself to do so as well.

Why did this make me laugh so hard.

'Why is the dwarf spending so much time in the latrine?'
'Must be the fish he ate at Mozor's...'

Yora
2015-03-17, 08:31 AM
Metagaming, Month Python references, web comic references, and other things which derail play are punishable with damage.

Puns are pun-ishable by character death. Needless to say, I've been gnome to fall victim.
But, but... (http://explosm.net/comics/3853/)

JeenLeen
2015-03-17, 08:36 AM
No undead, no summoning of undead, and talking about summoning of undead is frowned upon.
If a player claims to be undead, they must leave and are subject to being attacked in the meantime.

And, yes, houserule for being in the house, not in-game. Playing a necromancer is fine. (And if you admit you're not undead, you are allowed to stay.)

An unspoken, more applicable one is that we hush-up if a phone call is made or a delivery man brings food. None of us want someone a friend or family member overhearing some inanity from the game.
Cheap beer may be brought into the house, but it must not stay at the house. Good beer may be left.

Mr.Moron
2015-03-17, 08:49 AM
The oddest rule I ever played with was one GM who had a super crits rule. If you rolled a 20 to threaten, and then a 20 to confirm there was a third confirmation roll. If this hit, the attack was a 100% instant kill. It didn't matter what when the attack or target was "20"-"20"-"hit", meant that thing was dead.

This only ever actually ever killed something once. It was generic level 1 NPC sailor in a battle against a Kraken on a boat - pretty much the opening blow of the fight. He had to pause for a full minute or two to consider what was going on, before deciding the sailor had somehow strangled it with the ships anchor? It was a very odd, and very funny moment.

Yora
2015-03-17, 08:58 AM
It's not really that odd, I think. I saw the dice fall like that one (like 12 years ago or so) and came up with that result on the spot. It seems the obvious thing to do.

Mr.Moron
2015-03-17, 09:03 AM
It's not really that odd, I think. I saw the dice fall like that one (like 12 years ago or so) and came up with that result on the spot. It seems the obvious thing to do.

It was pretty jarring for me at least. This was a background NPC of the type that were ineffectually dying in droves in every other scene. Suddenly, one of them gets the strength to pick up a giant anchor, swing it around a giant squid and strangle it to death in a single action.

Hell it would have been a jarring change in tone if one of PCs had pulled something like that, coming from the cannon-fodder it was absurd to the point of self-parody.

RoyVG
2015-03-17, 09:20 AM
The oddest rule I ever played with was one GM who had a super crits rule. If you rolled a 20 to threaten, and then a 20 to confirm there was a third confirmation roll. If this hit, the attack was a 100% instant kill. It didn't matter what when the attack or target was "20"-"20"-"hit", meant that thing was dead.

This only ever actually ever killed something once. It was generic level 1 NPC sailor in a battle against a Kraken on a boat - pretty much the opening blow of the fight. He had to pause for a full minute or two to consider what was going on, before deciding the sailor had somehow strangled it with the ships anchor? It was a very odd, and very funny moment.

We actually have this rule as well, though we need 20-20-20 for an instant kill. 20 is an autohit/threat like normal, 20-20 is Critical + some roleplay consequence.

Likewise we also have the 1-1-1 rule for attack rolls. Roll 1, attack fails and roll again for possible mishap. Roll 1-1 is miss+major mishap. Roll 1-1-1 is you die due to failing so hard.

We had both happen at least once, luckily the death-fail was on a cohort of one of the player characters. The 20-20-20 win actually also happened to a friend of mine, in which he tried to motorboat a goddess 'because he was going to die anyway, might as well have some fun'. Three rolls later he basically was a new god because a job opening was just made available.

goto124
2015-03-17, 09:28 AM
Metagaming, Month Python references, web comic references, and other things which derail play are punishable with damage.

Puns are pun-ishable by character death. Needless to say, I've been gnome to fall victim.

How long before the punishment is RL damage? :P


he tried to motorboat a goddess

Does that mean what I think it means?

RoyVG
2015-03-17, 09:34 AM
Does that mean what I think it means?

Yes. Yes, it does.

Mr.Moron
2015-03-17, 09:47 AM
We actually have this rule as well, though we need 20-20-20 for an instant kill. 20 is an autohit/threat like normal, 20-20 is Critical + some roleplay consequence.

Likewise we also have the 1-1-1 rule for attack rolls. Roll 1, attack fails and roll again for possible mishap. Roll 1-1 is miss+major mishap. Roll 1-1-1 is you die due to failing so hard.


This is actually interesting because you can work out the limits on the lifespan of a character.

After ~800 attacks, they have a ~10% chance of rolling 1-1-1 at least once.
After ~5,500 attacks, they have a ~50% chance of rolling 1-1-1 at least once.
After ~18,000 attacks, they have a ~90% chance of rolling 1-1-1 at least once.
After ~35,000 attacks, they have a ~99% chance of rolling 1-1-1 at least once.

While even for attack-heavy characters even getting to the 50% point would take years and years of game play and up to a couple centuries for certain death. A fighting type making about 5 attacks in their routine, can get to a 10% chance of falling on their own sword within a year of consistent campaign.
(assumption: 2 full attacks per combat, 2 combats per session, 35 sessions per year)

RoyVG
2015-03-17, 09:59 AM
This is actually interesting because you can work out the limits on the lifespan of a character.

After ~800 attacks, they have a ~10% chance of rolling 1-1-1 at least once.
After ~5,500 attacks, they have a ~50% chance of rolling 1-1-1 at least once.
After ~18,000 attacks, they have a ~90% chance of rolling 1-1-1 at least once.
After ~35,000 attacks, they have a ~99% chance of rolling 1-1-1 at least once.

While even for attack-heavy characters even getting to the 50% point would take years and years of game play and up to a couple centuries for certain death. A fighting type making about 5 attacks in their routine, can get to a 10% chance of falling on their own sword within a year of consistent campaign.
(assumption: 2 full attacks per combat, 2 combats per session, 35 sessions per year)

Aaah statistics. How I have not missed you.:smalltongue:

Most of our campaign don't last that long, and we don't have that many sessions, so the chance of it happening at some point is rather small and if it happens, we probalby just laugh it off and continue. Still, it's nice to see some numbers on it.

BootStrapTommy
2015-03-17, 10:24 AM
The 20-20-20 win actually also happened to a friend of mine, in which he tried to motorboat a goddess 'because he was going to die anyway, might as well have some fun'. Three rolls later he basically was a new god because a job opening was just made available. Wait, he motorboated a goddess to death? Or just got lucky on attack rolls after the fact?


This is actually interesting because you can work out the limits on the lifespan of a character.

After ~800 attacks, they have a ~10% chance of rolling 1-1-1 at least once.
After ~5,500 attacks, they have a ~50% chance of rolling 1-1-1 at least once.
After ~18,000 attacks, they have a ~90% chance of rolling 1-1-1 at least once.
After ~35,000 attacks, they have a ~99% chance of rolling 1-1-1 at least once.

While even for attack-heavy characters even getting to the 50% point would take years and years of game play and up to a couple centuries for certain death. A fighting type making about 5 attacks in their routine, can get to a 10% chance of falling on their own sword within a year of consistent campaign.
(assumption: 2 full attacks per combat, 2 combats per session, 35 sessions per year) Worth noting this adversely affects martial fighters far more than mage types. Which reinforces, however subtly, caster supremacy.


How long before the punishment is RL damage? :P Pretty quickly.

Anonymouswizard
2015-03-17, 10:28 AM
My groups big one is 'Anonymouswizard is no longer allowed to make plans or act without direction from someone more competent'. I would add 'the host shall offer tea' but it's practically law round here.

goto124
2015-03-17, 10:32 AM
Wait, he motorboated a goddess to death? Or just got lucky on attack rolls after the fact?

I thought he did it so well the goddess decided to give him a new job...

Did he get a new girlfriend too?

YossarianLives
2015-03-17, 11:46 AM
Metagaming, Month Python references, web comic references, and other things which derail play are punishable with damage.

Puns are pun-ishable by character death. Needless to say, I've been gnome to fall victim.
The metagaming I can understand.

But the rest of it... :smalleek:

DigoDragon
2015-03-17, 12:17 PM
At 8pm there is a mandatory 30-minute break from the session. Unusual without context.

(Basically my daughter's bedtime, so the break is to allow me time to help her get ready for bed).

dysike
2015-03-17, 12:38 PM
1. A certain player's characters must pass by the DM and get the OK from the majority of the other players (rule was instigated after he played a talking horse)
2. Anyone started/participating in a drawn-out OOC argument will be hit with a ruler. (Was added after another player kept getting into fights with the guy playing as a talking horse)
3. Players do not touch the DMing skull.

Nicrosil
2015-03-17, 12:57 PM
Never, EVER, touch the DM's dice.
In a similar vein, any dice Alex uses have to be quarantined. Dude's practically made of bad luck.

BootStrapTommy
2015-03-17, 01:19 PM
But, but... (http://explosm.net/comics/3853/)Off with his head!


The metagaming I can understand.

But the rest of it... :smalleek:
No one affronts the seriousness of the gaming table on my watch! *angrily slams fist on table*

RoyVG
2015-03-17, 05:42 PM
Wait, he motorboated a goddess to death?

Exactly that, he motorboated a goddes to death, and got her job in the process.

Orion Hamby
2015-03-17, 09:36 PM
Exactly that, he motorboated a goddes to death, and got her job in the process.

That must have been the manliest man ever🎲

oxybe
2015-03-18, 12:15 AM
Do you also gain her title? Because Gruk the Bloodslayer, Goddess of the hearth needs to be a thing as far as I'm concerned. And it needs to be in an in-character, in-setting late night talk show, filmed in front of a live dungeon audience.

"What happens when low mental stat heroes attain divinity, next, on Eliminister Tonight!" /introsong.

Orion Hamby
2015-03-18, 12:26 AM
Do you also gain her title? Because Gruk the Bloodslayer, Goddess of the hearth needs to be a thing as far as I'm concerned. And it needs to be in an in-character, in-setting late night talk show, filmed in front of a live dungeon audience.

"What happens when low mental stat heroes attain divinity, next, on Eliminister Tonight!" /introsong.

So what channel will this be on or is it pay per view (I'm joking of course)🎲

Sith_Happens
2015-03-18, 06:07 AM
Exactly that, he motorboated a goddes to death, and got her job in the process.

Welp, looks like that's it, someone has officially won at being a player character.

Anonymouswizard
2015-03-18, 06:28 AM
Do you also gain her title? Because Gruk the Bloodslayer, Goddess of the hearth needs to be a thing as far as I'm concerned. And it needs to be in an in-character, in-setting late night talk show, filmed in front of a live dungeon audience.

"What happens when low mental stat heroes attain divinity, next, on Eliminister Tonight!" /introsong.

'So Gruk, when did you decide to become Goddess of the Hearth?'

'Well, it was after I killed her and looted the divinity, strangest thing, seems like the gods had an opening.'

'You sound different to the last time you were on the show Gruk.'

'I was embarrassing the other gods, they thought I could do with a read. I ended up with a +5 inherent bonus to INT.'

Talakeal
2015-03-18, 02:35 PM
The oddest rule I ever played with was one GM who had a super crits rule. If you rolled a 20 to threaten, and then a 20 to confirm there was a third confirmation roll. If this hit, the attack was a 100% instant kill. It didn't matter what when the attack or target was "20"-"20"-"hit", meant that thing was dead.

This only ever actually ever killed something once. It was generic level 1 NPC sailor in a battle against a Kraken on a boat - pretty much the opening blow of the fight. He had to pause for a full minute or two to consider what was going on, before deciding the sailor had somehow strangled it with the ships anchor? It was a very odd, and very funny moment.

This is actually in the third edition DMG as an official varients, so its a pretty common houserule.

I perfer thr 2nd ed exploding crit systems where a nat twenty just gave you an extra attack which could itself generate extra attacks so long as more twenties kept being rolled.

Lord Torath
2015-03-18, 02:45 PM
This is actually in the third edition DMG as an official varients, so its a pretty common houserule.

I perfer thr 2nd ed exploding crit systems where a nat twenty just gave you an extra attack which could itself generate extra attacks so long as more twenties kept being rolled.Me too. It's the crit system I use. A 20 is an automatic hit that inflicts normal damage and gives you an instant free attack. If that free attack hits, you inflict normal damage. If that free attack was a 20, you get another attack. It has the benefit of making more-skilled fighters more likely to crit.

Chronos
2015-03-18, 03:27 PM
Not an RPG, but here's one for Magic: the Gathering. A friend and I had a houserule that, whenever you used anything that gave you "one mana of any color", if you didn't need any particular color, you had to choose a new one every time. So a long game could end up seeing mauve mana, ocher mana, teal mana, plaid mana, ultraviolet mana...

Talakeal
2015-03-18, 03:36 PM
Not an RPG, but here's one for Magic: the Gathering. A friend and I had a houserule that, whenever you used anything that gave you "one mana of any color", if you didn't need any particular color, you had to choose a new one every time. So a long game could end up seeing mauve mana, ocher mana, teal mana, plaid mana, ultraviolet mana...

Kind of a tangent, but I feel that a lot of games have an unwritten rule that you have to choose from something "that exists". In this case, mana colors.

I see a lot of people on the TO D&D boards doing something similar, for example using Polymorph any Object to make things for which there are no rules or using the Sarrukhs grant any ability power to make up new abilities that don't exist like "I automatically win power".

I remember the old Arabian Nights card "Ring of Maruf" allowing you to swap it out for any other card you own. Of course, it never specified it had to be a Magic card... What is the casting cost of the Ace of Spades or Topps Baseball card I wonder?

Feddlefew
2015-03-18, 04:06 PM
We play with a 24oz Mountain Dew per person limit, after the Mountain Dew Day of '09. :smallannoyed:

The host-player's largish fridge was COMPLETELY FILLED with cans of mountain dew. I spent more time waiting for my players to come back from the bathroom than actually running the game... :smallsigh:

Mr.Moron
2015-03-18, 04:54 PM
What is the casting cost of the Ace of Spades or Topps Baseball card I wonder?

iirc: Cards without a printed mana cost can't be cast (because their cost can't be paid), unless something says cast it "without paying mana cost", have a CMC of 0 and no color unless an ability says they do.

Assuming you get the casting cost issue, I assume the spell would go on the stack and then the game engine would just kind of "Crash" when it comes time to resolve it since the card lacks a type.

Arbane
2015-03-18, 05:07 PM
I remember the old Arabian Nights card "Ring of Maruf" allowing you to swap it out for any other card you own. Of course, it never specified it had to be a Magic card... What is the casting cost of the Ace of Spades or Topps Baseball card I wonder?

There's a card in the Over The Edge CCG that let you do that - "Copyright Violation", IIRC. It used the first number on the card for the cost, the second for the attack, third for defense.
Some joker pointed out this went well with one of the cards from the Redemption CCG that was current back then. I shudder to think what it could do with Yu-Gi-Oh.

TheEmperor
2015-03-18, 05:21 PM
Well, I'm PRETTY sure this was stolen from Tabletop Titans (that was the webcomic name, right?), but the one GM I've actually played with face to face demanded that Settlers of Catan never be mentioned, since it's a "German land grabbing game".


I am certain it was stolen from that webcomic.

BootStrapTommy
2015-03-18, 09:31 PM
Do you also gain her title? Because Gruk the Boobslayer, Goddess of the hearth needs to be a thing as far as I'm concerned. Fixed that for you.

Chronos
2015-03-18, 10:14 PM
Quoth Talakeal:

Kind of a tangent, but I feel that a lot of games have an unwritten rule that you have to choose from something "that exists". In this case, mana colors.
That is, in fact, a written rule in current M:tG, though we played in an earlier day when the rules weren't nearly so detailed. In any event, though, the existence of a houserule can override a standard rule. And I don't know of any way to actually abuse mauve mana (though a mauve-colored spell could be mildly abusable).

turbo164
2015-03-19, 09:32 AM
Well, I'm PRETTY sure this was stolen from Tabletop Titans (that was the webcomic name, right?), but the one GM I've actually played with face to face demanded that Settlers of Catan never be mentioned, since it's a "German land grabbing game".


I am certain it was stolen from that webcomic.

http://tabletitans.com/comic/mines-of-madness-page-1

re: mixing CCGs...does Pikachu die to Doom Blade? :smallamused:

Anonymouswizard
2015-03-19, 12:13 PM
Well, I'm PRETTY sure this was stolen from Tabletop Titans (that was the webcomic name, right?), but the one GM I've actually played with face to face demanded that Settlers of Catan never be mentioned, since it's a "German land grabbing game".


I am certain it was stolen from that webcomic.

Wait, what? But that's up there as my 4th favourite board game!

I wonder what would happen if you managed to mention Carcasone, Seven Wonders, Agricola, and Dominion in the same sentence. All games that share some themes with Settlers of Catan (and rounding out my favourite five), what's wrong with a game focused on development.

Loxagn
2015-03-19, 12:37 PM
We've always run with the house rule that any character who utters any variation of the phrase 'nothing can stop us now' will always have their next roll treated as the 'worst' result. Natural 1's with hilarious consequences, tables suddenly rolling the most 'amusing' result...

Seen as Lady Luck punishing those who, in their hubris, think themselves infallible. :smalltongue:

themaque
2015-03-19, 01:36 PM
We had the Monkey Rule back in high school. One person says the following joke.

Why did the monkey fall out of the tree?
Because it was July!

If this joke is funny, we where up to late and it was time to stop. the first time this rule was enacted we had been playing for about 18 hours and I literally fell out of my chair laughing.

braveheart
2015-03-19, 02:41 PM
At my table I don't use critical success or failure tables, although if you ever manage to get an attack roll to after modifiers be negative, you roll your damage against yourself. (I made this rule when a player made a character with a -6 on her attack rolls and still wanted to wield a sword)

veti
2015-03-19, 04:10 PM
We've always run with the house rule that any character who utters any variation of the phrase 'nothing can stop us now' will always have their next roll treated as the 'worst' result. Natural 1's with hilarious consequences, tables suddenly rolling the most 'amusing' result...

At one point we had - not so much a "rule", more an observation of the world - that anytime we went into an encounter without anyone using some variant on the phrase "we're all gonna die", we would lose at least half the party.

Using the magic phrase became talismanic. It didn't actually work, of course, but it made us all feel better.

Coidzor
2015-03-21, 05:03 PM
What is an unusual house rule specific to your gaming table? I'm not talking No Variant Human or No Synthesis Summoner. I'm talking something very distinct for your table?

Mine? NO DURIAN ALLOWED.

If I have to explain, you've never had Durian. It's a fruit that can only be described as a moldy onion left to ferment in an old sweat sock. This issue has come up once. ONCE.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JBntA-ZOz0M/Td4nmoKPFfI/AAAAAAAADiE/xI5l8FWUfTg/s1600/no-durian.jpg

Why aren't PCs allowed to use Durian-based tactics in-game? It's too cruel? :smallconfused:

Feddlefew
2015-03-23, 01:58 AM
I'm not sure if it's unusual, but when I run the game I have the Early Installment Weirdness Rule:

You can change anything about your character's back story and characterization, even if it has come up in play, between the first and second full sessions. DM still reserves veto rights, of course.

I've only had one person use it (Dwarven Samurai* escorting his lord on a diplomacy mission when lord is kidnapped, forcing him to work with party during rescue mission -> Dwarven Samuri shipwrecked during freak storm, must locate the rest of his companions without damaging already strained diplomatic relations between his and rest of PC's nations.) but I think it's improved overall quality of RP at my table since I started using it.

*Swordsage with the serial numbers filed off.

themaque
2015-03-23, 08:16 AM
I'm not sure if it's unusual, but when I run the game I have the Early Installment Weirdness Rule:

You can change anything about your character's back story and characterization, even if it has come up in play, between the first and second full sessions. DM still reserves veto rights, of course.

I've only had one person use it (Dwarven Samurai* escorting his lord on a diplomacy mission when lord is kidnapped, forcing him to work with party during rescue mission -> Dwarven Samuri shipwrecked during freak storm, must locate the rest of his companions without damaging already strained diplomatic relations between his and rest of PC's nations.) but I think it's improved overall quality of RP at my table since I started using it.

*Swordsage with the serial numbers filed off.

I like this rule, and unofficially use it for actual mechanics as well. Sometimes things don't work as well as you thought, made a mistake, or problems with team synergy. It's better to give people a last minute change than stuck with a bad character they don't like.

BootStrapTommy
2015-03-23, 11:15 AM
I like this rule, and unofficially use it for actual mechanics as well. Sometimes things don't work as well as you thought, made a mistake, or problems with team synergy. It's better to give people a last minute change than stuck with a bad character they don't like.
I concur. First session makes a good testing ground. If it bores a player, no reason they shouldn't be able to change it in the early stages.

DigoDragon
2015-03-23, 11:35 AM
I concur. First session makes a good testing ground. If it bores a player, no reason they shouldn't be able to change it in the early stages.

I agree, and I've been on both sides of the GM screen for this. Great idea it is.

Feddlefew
2015-03-23, 01:36 PM
I let players retrain skills, feats and the like between quests in exchange for gold, XP, or a sidequest of my choosing. I don't let them change class levels or race, or any traits/background related crunch after the second session, because at that point I'd rather just give them a fresh character sheet.