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View Full Version : [3.5] My Houserules, please comment



Segial
2008-06-25, 12:14 PM
I intend to introduce a few house rules for my current d&d group and I would like some feedback what you think of them, how you think they'll affect the game and what kind of problems could evolve from them.

a) Illiteracy
The illiteracy class feature is added (the barbarian class already has it) to the Fighter, Ranger, Ninja, Swashbuckler, Rogue, Warrior, Scout and Commoner Class and all prestige classes without spellcaster progression. You can remove the class feature by either multi-classing into a class without the feature, spending a bonus language on it or buying a single rank in "speak language".

b) Damage Reduction
For every point Damage Reduction a character posses the appropriate incoming damage is instead reducted by 5% (round up) up to a maximum of 75%.

c) Class Skills
Certain Races treat specific skills always as class skills for calculating the costs for buying skillranks in that skill regardless if the skill is actually on their current classes skilllist, although the maximum rank they can reach in the skill is still calculated normally. For the Core-Races these skills are:

Dwarves: Appraise
Elves: Listen, Search, Spot
Gnomes: Listen
Half-Elves: Diplomacy, Gather Information
Halflings: Climb, Jump, Move Silently, Listen
Half-Orc: Intimidate
Human: Any one (pick at 1st lvl)

Curmudgeon
2008-06-25, 12:50 PM
I intend to introduce a few house rules for my current d&d group and I would like some feedback what you think of them, how you think they'll affect the game and what kind of problems could evolve from them.
I'd first ask: why? What problems are you trying to solve with these house rules?

a) Illiteracy
The illiteracy class feature is added (the barbarian class already has it) to the Fighter, Ranger, Ninja, Swashbuckler, Rogue, Warrior, Scout and Commoner Class and all prestige classes without spellcaster progression. You can remove the class feature by either multi-classing into a class without the feature, spending a bonus language on it or buying a single rank in "speak language". As full spellcasting classes are already the most powerful in the game, it's a bad idea to penalize other classes relative to casters. It's also annoying to try to work out the consequences of someone who's illiterate but has Decipher Script or Use Magic Device as a class skill. How does Decipher Script/Decipher a Written Spell work if you can't read? Also, what about Rangers using scrolls? The game doesn't have these problems normally, so if you create the problems you need to also create answers to them. If you want to make illiteracy more common, I suggest not adding it to any spellcasting/UMD/Decipher Script classes.

b) Damage Reduction
For every point Damage Reduction a character posses the appropriate incoming damage is instead reducted by 5% (round up) up to a maximum of 75%.
This makes DR much more powerful at higher levels (i.e., with higher damage). It's mostly the monster races which have DR, so you'll immediately make life tougher for most combat classes. DR doesn't apply to spells, so once again you're making non-spellcasting classes weaker. Still a bad idea.
c) Class Skills
Certain Races treat specific skills always as class skills for calculating the costs for buying skillranks in that skill regardless if the skill is actually on their current classes skilllist, although the maximum rank they can reach in the skill is still calculated normally. For the Core-Races these skills are:

Dwarves: Appraise
Elves: Listen, Search, Spot
Gnomes: Listen
Half-Elves: Diplomacy, Gather Information
Halflings: Climb, Jump, Move Silently, Listen
Half-Orc: Intimidate
Human: Any one (pick at 1st lvl) Gee, it looks like you really like halflings, though you're (mostly) just turning the racial one-time bonuses into forever bonuses. This skews the balance for class dips quite a bit. Now a halfling with a 1-level dip into Rogue can have proficiency in a bunch of Rogue-like skills despite only having minor training in the class. This also really mucks with the game designers' intention that humans are the most versatile skill users.

Another_Poet
2008-06-25, 01:09 PM
Illiteracy: I know it's more realistic for a medieval setting but adding illiteracy makes things worse for the reasons Curmudgeon offers. Here's an alternative:

Any character who does not currently have the illiteracy class feature can add the illiteracy class feature uring character creation and, in exchange, gains 2 bonus skill points or 1 bonus language. Illiteracy can be removed from the character at any later time by spending 2 skill points.

This way it's a positive choice the players get to make instead of a penalty imposed on them.

Regarding DR, the DR rules as written are not perfect but they are fairly well enmeshed into the CR of many monsters, the power level of many spells, and the cost of many items. For instance, DR5/slashing is a great thing at low-mid levels (5th level cleric or rogue would love this) but useless at epic levels. With your system it's 25% DR/slashing at all levels. That really throws off the power curve, wealth by levels and EL of many encounters.

You've also effectively capped DR at DR15 (=75%). This is unfortunate.

Plus, what about partialimmunity? For instance a 1 HD skeleton with DR5/bludg used to be immune to a dagger stab (unless the wielder has good strength) and that makes perfect sense; now the skeleton has 25% DR/bludg and can be completely destroyed by two dagger wounds (if rolling well and/or good strength). Does that make sense to you?

I'd leave DR as is unless you want to take a lot of time and patience to devise a completely new system. You'll have to do the same for energy resistance too, if you want any kind of consistency in your game.

For racial skills, I think it's fine. Not as big of a deal as Curmudgeon makes it out to be, although yeah, make it just one or two skills per race. Personally I think a much better houserule would be to make all skills class skills for all classes and let people build their skills as they like. Their total skill points are still limited by their class/race combo, but it's more customised and less pigeonholed. But if you want a world where the races are even stricter stereotypes then sure, I don't think it will hurt game balance to have a couple of racial skills for each PHB race. (It will be even harder to keep track of skill points, however.)

Anyway hope this helps and good luck!

ap

Curmudgeon
2008-06-25, 01:32 PM
Illiteracy: I know it's more realistic for a medieval setting but adding illiteracy makes things worse for the reasons Curmudgeon offers. Here's an alternative:

Any character who does not currently have the illiteracy class feature can add the illiteracy class feature [d]uring character creation and, in exchange, gains 2 bonus skill points or 1 bonus language. Illiteracy can be removed from the character at any later time by spending 2 skill points.

This way it's a positive choice the players get to make instead of a penalty imposed on them. This is an excellent suggestion, AP. It provides an "out" for the Fighter who went for the extra skill points, but later acquires a Manual of Gainful Exercise and really wants to be able to read it.

Another_Poet
2008-06-25, 02:01 PM
This is an excellent suggestion, AP. It provides an "out" for the Fighter who went for the extra skill points, but later acquires a Manual of Gainful Exercise and really wants to be able to read it.

Thanks! (And thanks for catching my typo!)

Love your avatar by the way.

ap