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Bayar
2008-09-19, 05:18 AM
Basically, post your houserules. Minor things, major things, whatever could come handy for other DM's. A compendm will be kept alphabetically in the first posts.

Bayar
2008-09-19, 05:19 AM
Reserved 1.

Bayar
2008-09-19, 05:22 AM
reserved 2.

Bayar
2008-09-19, 05:24 AM
K, last one to be reserved. You can post now.

Saph
2008-09-19, 05:31 AM
Rule 1: Don't be a jerk.
Rule 2: Play nice with the others. You don't have to be nice IC, but you do have to be nice OOC.
Rule 3: If something's illegal by the rules but makes sense in-game (or is just sufficiently cool), then you can do it.

I don't use crunch-type houserules anymore. They're too confusing for new players (and in my group, we get a lot of new players), and most are covered by the above three anyway. For instance, using loopholes to achieve any kind of infinite number violates rule 1 (Don't be a jerk) and probably also rule 2 (because you're wasting everyone else's time while they sit for an hour as you describe it all and then argue with the DM).

- Saph

Staven
2008-09-19, 05:37 AM
Rule 4: No ToB. It's broken.
Rule 5: Confer with the DM your PrC choice.
Rule 6: Things can be impossible, but not implausible.

Rule 4 is a big one around our group.

Thurbane
2008-09-19, 05:40 AM
Rule 1: The first rule of houserules, is we don't talk bout houserules.

Rule 2: The second rule of house rules is...oh wait, I already said that.

Rule 3: The third rule of houserules is "Be excellent to each other!"

Rule 4: The fourth rule of houserules is "Do what thou wilt is the whole of the law."

Rule 5: Rule 0 is rule 1

:smallbiggrin:

Morty
2008-09-19, 05:40 AM
Rule 4: No ToB. It's broken.


Not only it opens a can of worms, but "let's not use this splatbook" is hardly a rule, isn't it?
My group uses only one houserule so far:
7: If you have Two-Weapon-Fighting feat, you can make an attacks with both your weapons as a standard actions. We decided on that after we saw our ranger attack with only a single sword too often, as battles in our games tend to be rather dynamic.

Bayar
2008-09-19, 05:44 AM
Some of my houserules:

Orcs get a rage ability 1/day as a racial ability. They cant qualify for feats like Extend rage/Immediate rage or any other feat that requires a rage ability unless they also get it from a class. This racial rage cannot be swapped for a frenzy or other variant unless you take a variant class that allows it. If, for example, an orc fighter gains a level of barbarian, he is allowed to rage 2/day. If he decides to take a variant barbarian level (like Frenzy from complete scoundrel), he will convert his racial rage ability to that variant.

Half-orcs have +4 STR instead of +2. They dont suffer extra penalties to their mental stats. (+4 STR -2 INT -2 CHA).

Hobgoblins no longer have level adjustment.

Elves that decide to become warriors (not the class, the role in the party) may opt to take a penalty to INT instead of CON. They are more graceful and more fit for a battle, but they are less focused on arcane arts. This decision can only be made at level 1, when the character is created. (+2 DEX -2 INT)

Elves that decide to become arcane spellcasters may opt to have a bonus to INT instead of DEX. They are more focused to arcane arts but are less nimble. This decision can only be made at level 1, when the character is created. (+2 INT -2 CON)

Cubey
2008-09-19, 05:47 AM
Not only it opens a can of worms

Hello! *waves*

My houserules. They're for 2nd ed Exalted - nobody said it's a DnD thread!

1. You roll for your highest virtue and not necessarily Conviction to regain Willpower each morning. I probably could put that in 1st ed too...
2. The charm, Friendship With Animals Approach, has non-sensical requirements (of another charm which not only is assigned to a different ability, but requires HIGHER essence!), so I change them to "none".
3. You choose to use (or not) a defensive charm after you get hit by the enemy and hear how many successes it scored, not before. This is because I play by post and it speeds the game. Applies for 1st ed too.

bosssmiley
2008-09-19, 05:48 AM
In the spirit of the poster above: "Fox only. No items. Final Destination." :smallbiggrin:

Seriously, for D&D: Most of K & Frank's Tome series is standard in my games
I also have about 5 pages of additional houserules (who ever thought simplifying the game would mean more paperwork?)

Suffice it to say I consider the RAW an interesting, if flawed, set of suggestions. :smallwink:

SoD
2008-09-19, 05:51 AM
8. Knocking people unconcious.

To attempt to knock someone unconcious, as an attack action, you strike at their head with your weapon with a -4 penalty. The attack must deal bludgeoning damage, if using a peircing or slashing weapon (including morningstar, and other 'bludgeoning and x' weaponry) take an additional -4 penalty*. The target then must make a fortitude save (DC=5+damage dealt) with half their natural armour (rounded up) as a bonus to the save. If they are aware of the attack, they receive a +2 circumstance bonus (+4 if already in combat), and an additional +4 if they're wearing protective headgear. If they fail the save, they are knocked unconcious for 2d4 hours. This only works on creatures with a conciousness and a recognisable head.

* If using a weapon designed to deal nonleathal damage (e.g. sap) the attack takes no penalty (but might if trying to deal leathal damage), unless the weapon ordinarily deals pericing or slashing damage. Also, the save is based on physical damage only (so, 4 damage plus 2 cold damage from an Uldra with a club, would require a save of 9, and the target would take 2 points of cold damage). If using a peircing or slashing weapon, it must be justifiablely bludgeoning (flat of an axe, handle of a raipier, etc.)

Kurald Galain
2008-09-19, 05:57 AM
Rule 1: Don't be a jerk.
Rule 2: Play nice with the others. You don't have to be nice IC, but you do have to be nice OOC.
Rule 3: If something's illegal by the rules but makes sense in-game (or is just sufficiently cool), then you can do it.

Rule 3-b: If something's legal by the rules but makes no sense in-game (or just just sufficiently lame), then you can't do it.

Rule 4: Discussion about what is and isn't legal by the rules is to be held after the game, not during. I tend to play by karma/drama/logica rather than by strict bureaucratic interpretation anyway. I realize that this is not everybody's taste but hey, plenty of games and players in town.

Ages ago when I just started DM'ing I had written down several pages of a priori houserules, e.g. banning certain spells that were overpowered, stuff like that. Nearly none of this ever came up at the game table as it just happened that players rarely if ever even wanted to do the things I had banned. So what I do these days is allow everything in principle, but check for a moment when players take something unusual. Even then I've only had to "veto" (as in, kindly request to change something) one thing.

Mastikator
2008-09-19, 06:12 AM
I use a lot of houserules, so I'll just name them instead of explaining them. :P

Armor class as Damage reduction
Wound points and vitality points
Loss of limb possible
(attempt to) Balance Classes
(attempt to) Balance Races
Normal weapons do more than just damage
Alternate experience method
Alternate skill ranks system
Alternate skill use system
Wealth by race, social status, age and luck (instead of level)

And the most important one: always allow and encourage the players to think of the rules as guidelines instead of restrictions.

Those are the ones I can think of off the top of my head.

Bayar
2008-09-19, 06:15 AM
I use a lot of houserules, so I'll just name them instead of explaining them. :P

Armor class as Damage reduction
Wound points and vitality points
Loss of limb possible
(attempt to) Balance Classes
(attempt to) Balance Races
Normal weapons do more than just damage
Alternate experience method
Alternate skill ranks system
Alternate skill use system
Wealth by race, social status, age and luck (instead of level)

And the most important one: always allow and encourage the players to think of the rules as guidelines instead of restrictions.

Those are the ones I can think of off the top of my head.

If you can give details, it would be apreciated. As it is, we can only guess what your exact rules are.

only1doug
2008-09-19, 07:47 AM
No Teleportations*


*Dimension door and all similar spells upto and including teleportation circle don't work unless your starting point is a Portal stone.

Portal stones are not portable, once setup they are difficult to dismantle.

Portal stones can be made by permanently enchanting a oblisk or other object of appropriate arcane shape with teleportation circle. This process is neither cheap nor fast.

Leicontis
2008-09-19, 07:59 AM
1. Double all hit points, across the board.
2. If your crit confirmation roll is a nat20, roll again to bump the multiplier. If this confirmation is a nat20, repeat until you roll a non-20, bumping the multiplier up for every confirmation.
3. Every character gets one "trivial skill point" per level (four at lvl 1) that can only be spent on effectively useless skills like Profession, Craft (none of the standard ones), Knowledge (none of the standard ones), or Perform (for non-bards). Now the fighter that grew up on a farm knows something about farming without gimping his skills!
4. If an outsider is non-neutral on both alignment axes, and has alignment-based DR, then either opposing alignment will break it (so devils would be /good or chaotic, for example).

Epinephrine
2008-09-19, 08:10 AM
We use a fair number, many spells are houseruled. Some basics:

Tumbling: Tumble check to avoid AoO is a DC12+opponent's Reflex save, separate roll for each opponent's AoO. Success by 10+ allows full speed movement.
(this makes it much harder to ignore melee threats, ensuring that dextrous, high-level opponents (or players) aren't avoided with a simple DC 15 check)

Flanking: Flanker must be visible/threatening to provide benefit. Can opt to ignore a (one) flanker to eliminate their flank, doing so triggers free Attacks of Opportunity, and you are denied your Dex against these AoO (as you are ignoring the guy behind you to focus on a given foe). Invisible foes that are flanking are considered ignored, and hence get free AoO.
(this rule allows one to ignore foes that are inconsequential - if you don't mind giving up free attacks against you it makes sense - why would something you don't view as a threat matter much to you - flanking a red Dragon with a small summoned Fire elemental makes NO sense. Note that this allows the existence of "one-sided flanks" - if you are flanked by creatures 1 and 2, and you choose to ignore #2, # 1 no longer gains flanking benefits, but # 2 still does, as he's attacking you with a threatening flanker on the other side. Since you can only ignore one flanker, a pair of rogues can still do a number on a person, and a fighter/rogue pair can still be dangerous, scoring extra attacks by the fighter if you choose to ignore him to deny the rogue's sneak attack damage. It's really meant to allow one to ignore non-threats, as having a badger flank something with DR5/cold iron is ludicrous.)

Touch attack/power attack: One cannot use a power attack on any touch attack, the combination is just too broken.

Poison crafting: Poisons are crafted much like magic items, max of 1,000gp per day worth. It makes no sense that it should take weeks to brew a single dose of a poison.

Grapple: We're still trying to adjust this to work - looking at no more than one attempt per round to start a grapple, as otherwise it is a "win" button versus spellcasters.

Knowledge checks: We are allowing defaulting of knowledge checks to other types, as seems appropriate. A roll of knowledge nature to find out about a green dragon seems somewhat reasonable at a substantial penalty (-10 typically, could be greater for unusual creatures), given that they are woodland dwellers and the character is from a wooded area - doubtful that you'd know everything, but you'd have a sense of the basics.

Totems: We are using totems (craft totem) as a replacement for scrolls for those who don't have literacy as part of their culture. Same costs etc., just that they can't be copied by an archivist (though he can activate them). Druids don't tend to write things down with fancy inks and papers, they weave, carve, knot, etc. Requires the feat Craft Totem to use, requires ranks in a craft skill. Basically introduced to allow me to play an illiterate druid (raised in the wild), and to limit the potential issues with having a druid and an archivist in the party.

Archivist: Domain spells cannot be used by archivists, they only function due to a specific aligning of the cleric with the deity. Domain scrolls only function for those with that domain as part of their spell list.

One I'm going to suggest, and we'll hopefully incorporate:
Crafting: The material value shouldn't affect time to craft as much as the item itself - hence, a masterwork suit of armour (say 1000 gp) is crafted as per the normal crafting system, but the extra cost for Mithril would simply add a day per 1000gp worth of value, much as enchanting would add, provided you can make a skill check to work the material - adding 15 days to the time to make heavy armour out of adamantine (1,000gp per day, +15,000gp cost) seems reasonable to account for the toughness of the material; otherwise the crafting system suggests that it would add 375 weeks or so - over 7 years.

Fractional saves/BAB: First time you get a "good" save progression, you get +2.5, but multiclassing doesn't get a progressively better save (as written, a fighter1/barb1/ranger2 would have a +7 base fort save, we'd give a +2.5+0.5+2*(0.5), for +4 - essentially, 4 levels of "good" save). Good saves are +0.5, poor saves are +0.3333, BABs are +1, +0.75, and +0.5.

Intelligence bonus for skills: So as to not punish players for choosing to increase Int, the skill points for Int increase are retroactive - if you increase your Int at 4th and 8th, you get an extra 7 skill points essentially to spend at 8th level.

Bonus spells: Bonus cantrips equal to the bonus for 1st level spells. They're cantrips, may as well be free to use them.

Illusions fool blindsense/blindsight: (Don't ask me why. I think this one is stupid - the DM added it during a fight against a boss badguy who used mirror image, ruling that the Master of Shadow's Shadow Servant couldn't tell which target to attack. I honestly get the feeling that he wanted the badguy to last longer, and just made it up on the spot, but he agreed that we could fool a dragon into thinking ice was water by putting an illusion of water over the ice, so at least it's consistent.)

TheCountAlucard
2008-09-19, 08:16 AM
I allow my players to pick one of two choices when determining their hit points.

1) Roll the die normally, but re-roll any ones.

2) Go with the die average + 1/2. (i.e., a 3 for a d4, a 4 for a d6, a 5 for a d8, etc.)

I tell my players flat-out: Don't act according to your alignment, act according to your character.

Any non-core material they want to use must be examined and approved by me.

I use Rich Burlew's Diplomacy system, and I've unified Open Lock and Disable Device.

Tsotha-lanti
2008-09-19, 08:20 AM
4. If an outsider is non-neutral on both alignment axes, and has alignment-based DR, then either opposing alignment will break it (so devils would be /good or chaotic, for example).

Neat, but while this solves the Blood War problem (well, assuming that these outsiders' attacks also have two alignments - lawful and evil for devils, etc.), it doesn't solve the problem that two succubi (tanar'ri being notorious for infighting) can only harm each other by wrestling and kissing the other to death...

Oh, wait. That's not something we want fixed.

DigoDragon
2008-09-19, 08:29 AM
A few fun ones my group has used successfully--

Dodge feat: Now just gives you a straight +1 to AC as long as you're not flat-footed.

Save or Die spells: Instead of instant death on a failed save, you drop to -1 HP and are not stable (unless you have an exclusion like the DieHard feat). Makes these type of spells a lot less lethal, but considering things that have death effects could easily finish you on the following round it's still pretty dangerous.

Craft Skill Speed: Instead of making a craft check once every week, you make the check every 3 days. This helps bigger ticket items get built in a more reasonable time frame.

Initiating Combat: If during a role-playing scene a player declares a hostile action (such as attacking the BBEG during his monologue), combat is started. Everyone rolls initative and the player who initiated the combat goes first.

Eldariel
2008-09-19, 08:51 AM
Rule 3-b: If something's legal by the rules but makes no sense in-game (or just just sufficiently lame), then you can't do it.

Doesn't this kinda fall under Rule 0?


Anyways, mine:
-Dodge gives +2 vs. chosen opponent, can be chosen at any time.
-Mobility has listed benefits and the benefits of Spring Attack - Spring Attack can be used for a Standard Action amidst two moves, not only for attack.
-Two-Weapon Fighting itself grants second, third and fourth iteratives for the off-hand weapon given 17 Dex (the feat still requires only 15 Dex to take).
-Toughness effectively became Improved Toughness with the stipulation that you gain +3 HP or up to HD, whichever is larger.
-Skill Focus gives you the skill permanently in class.
-All characters gain Point Blank Shot as a bonus feat ('cause let's face it, it's easier to hit targets within 30' than further away)

-All core classes have been rewritten (too long to paste here).
-All core prestige classes, except for Loremaster, Horizon Walker and Archmage, have been rewritten.
-A dozen spells have been rewritten (Polymorph-line, Time Stop, a few others).

-Every class gets 4 more skillpoints on each level than listed (I prefer this to consolidating skills - still allows making small differences when you specialize in something, but also allows people to actually pick up a real number skills)
-Poisons always deal ½ damage (if applicable) on a successful save and full damage on a failed save and persist until you succeed a number of saves defined in the poison entry.
-Poisons aren't inherently evil. They're quite chaotic though.
-Rangers and Rogues get Poison Use automatically.
-Poisonmaker can increase the craft DC by 5 to increase the poison save DC by 1. He may do this any number of times, but any failed Craft: Poisonmaking checks would result in lame poison.

-Combat movement happens simultaneously after "orders" have been given at the start of the round, with actions taking place in initiative order and their duration being determined by action speed.
-Exceeding target's AC by 10 allows you to hit a specific bodypart which generates associated penalties.
-Armor gives DR in addition to AC (like in Unearthed Arcana minus the lowered AC bonus-part).
-Armors have had their bonus-charts synched and rewritten, and armor check penalties reduced across the board.

-If something is cool, you can probably do it (yes, I'm implementing the Rule of Cool to D&D)
-Fractional BAB and saves are in effect. The level 1 +2 changed into +1 and you can only get it once per save.

Things I'm planning but have yet to implement due to lack of finishing touch:
-Rebalancing stats
-Separating skills to physical and mental skills with physical skill bonus coming from some physical stat and mental skill bonus ranks from a mental stat (solves the problem of animals never having any skills to speak of and always relying on their racial bonuses to do anything ever)
-Halving rank max, points/level and such and giving characters half their HD (±some) bonus to all skills (perhaps giving slightly higher bonuses for in-class skills) - nobody is a friggin' commoner here, but there's still plenty of room for specialization
-Replacing warrior classes with ToB (along with an archery-related discipline) and Magic with Psionics (requires divine psionics to get it going), and bringing Factotum to the mix.

Mastikator
2008-09-19, 09:02 AM
Okeydokey Bayar. (and I remembered I have more houserules)

-Armor class as Damage reduction
Half of AC from armor and 1/4th from natural armor becomes DR/-, or DR/bludgeon in case of soft armors, such as chain- mail/shirt, padded leather armor the scales of a dragon wyrmling etc.
Critical hits ignore DR.

-Wound points and vitality points
HP now counts as vitality points, and constitution counts as wound points. A normal attack damages vitality points, when vitality points run out, attacks damage wound points.
On a critical hit when vitality is still present causes wound point damage instead.
On a critical hit when vitality is out, see limb loss.
Vitality heals as HP does.
Wound points heal slower, con mod + level/2 per week, or half from magic.
If vitality is out, the character becomes fatigued.
On a regular hit against wound points, the character makes a fort save of 10 + 1/2 damage vs 1d4 rounds of stun.

Because wound point makes you have a LOT more "HP" at first level, you don't gain full dice at first level, it's still min 1/ level.

Characters without a constitution modifier don't have wound points, they function normally.

-Loss of limb possible
On a critical hit against wound points (or a "called shot"), check damage type. Slashing chops off, bludgeoning crushes/breaks, piercing pierces.
And roll a d6, 1 = left leg, 2 = right leg, 3 = left arm, 4 = right arm, 5 = body, 6 = head.
Characters who have lost or crushed legs can only walk at half rate, as a full round action, and needs to make balance check DC 15 + damage vs falling prone.
Characters who have lost or crushed arms can only use one handed items, and only with that one hand.
Crushing or chopping or piercing of the body or head is instant death. Piercing any other body parts is doesn't do anything special.


-(attempt to) Balance Classes
(I don't have the the list of changes, sorry)

-(attempt to) Balance Races
(not here either :P)

-Normal weapons do more than just damage
Axes are only half effected by armor AC and DR (a full plate mail gives +2 armor and 2/- vs axes instead of +4 and 4/-)
Heavy Maces (and bigger bludgeon weapons) knock enemies prone on a critical hit.

-Alternate experience method
Exp to gain a level is 1000 x level, and your exp is reset to 0 every time you gain a level.
Exp from defeating a challenges is 150 * (your ELC/CR you overcame). Note that gaining a level takes longer and longer.
Exp is also gained from winning quests, roleplay etc.

-Alternate skill ranks system
Skill points are gained at a 150% rate from class skills (or racial), but only x2 at first level.
level 7, 14 and 21 reduce max ranks possibly placed by 1, so it's level + 3, then +2 then +1 and ending at just level.
Skill points from permanent int bonus is retroactively gained at the rate of 1 per month or level.

-Alternate skill use system
(don't have the list of changes, sorry a third time)

-Wealth by race, social status, age and luck (instead of level)
No strict rules on this one.
Wealth is decided by setting and circumstance and has no connection to level.
For example, a rich king could very well be first level.
And a high level orc barbarian leader most likely doesn't have anything of great value.

- Fatigue Points
Rather than simply having "fatigued" and "exhausted" as status effects, you have fatigue points.
It's 2 + con mod + (level * dice size / 20) rounded down, (in case of multiclass and use of different dice size, round after the bonus is added, you get +3 fatigue from levels if two classes give 1.5 each), minimum # of fatigue points is 1
You count as fatigued when you have 0 fatigue points left, you count as fatigued, when you have -50% you are exhausted, -100% makes you collapse.
Resting restores fatigue completely.
Effects that normally causes you to be fatigued now instead deal 1d6 fatigue point damage, and exhaustion 2d6, (and so on).

Characters without constitution don't have fatigue points (they can't become fatigued anyway).

---

On a second note, and maybe an OT one. I'm seeing a lot of good ideas in this thread. Some I might use myself. :P

Epinephrine
2008-09-19, 09:20 AM
Did you want specific spell houserules as well?

Oh, added:

Precision damage: Spells that have multiple hit rolls can only have precision damage added once - so a Splinterbolt, which can fire up to 3 bolts, can only add the sneak attack/sudden strike/skirmish damage to a single bolt.

Persistence: Persisting a spell doesn't make it all day, but boosts the duration one class (from minutes to 10 minutes, from 10 minutes to hours). This prevents stupid cheese. Persistance is reduced in metamagic cost (nobody is using it, so I don't know the cost - not because it sucks, just because we're not that into metamagic, and we're only 8th level, so it wouldn't be useful really yet anyway - nobody has any metamagic save my rod of extend spells and rod of silent spells (both 1st-3rd level)).

Dipping for classes: We discourage this. Many of the benefits of classes are thus modified/shifted to prevent abuse.
- Lion Totem barbarian: Pounce moved to 6th level ability
- Wisdom to AC effects (monk, swordsage), etc: If the class is your highest level, unaffected, if not you only gain a maximum of +1 per class level.
- others as needed, to prevent dipping for really good abilities.

Ranger fighting style: We homebrewed new styles, since the existing styles aren't always appropriate. For example, I believe one player is following a "mobile sniper" style progression, with Shot on the Run and Woodland Archer as two of his options.

Saph
2008-09-19, 09:24 AM
Rule 3-b: If something's legal by the rules but makes no sense in-game (or just just sufficiently lame), then you can't do it.


Doesn't this kinda fall under Rule 0?

Yes, but it's helpful to get it straight from the start. Some players think that anything that's legal by the rules should be doable, and get upset if they're vetoed by the DM. It saves a lot of aggravation if this sort of thing is agreed on at the beginning of the campaign.

- Saph

Rebonack
2008-09-19, 10:20 AM
House rules, eh?

1) Tie Action Points to Charisma.
The Fluff: A strong force of personality allows the character to push themselves beyond their normal limits.
The Crunch: Characters get an action point at first level and another at each level divisible by five. In addition to one more per point of Cha mod.
The Reason: Let's face it, Cha is the universal dump stat for most classes. And the reason is clear. Aside from importance to a few skills it doesn't do anything unless you have a class ability tied to it. This modification makes Cha go from nearly useless to a real life-saver.

2) Bonus to Initiative is based on Wisdom
The Fluff: Being more aware of your surroundings implies being able to react to those surroundings faster.
The Crunch: Exactly what it sounds like. Wis bonus is used for Initiative in place of Dex.
The Reason: Dexterity is already too awesome as it is. Seriously.

3) Cantrips at Will coupled with casting stat modifier bonus damage on spells
The Fluff: If you're so awesome (sorcerer) that you can bend the universe to your will I should hope that being more awesome would result in bending it a little more for that extra few points of fire damage.
The Crunch: Sorcerers get a bonus equal to one and a half times their Cha mod. Everyone else gets a bonus equal to their primary casting state mod.
The Reason: This basically means that first level casters aren't utterly useless after they blow their handful of spells. The cleric can still heal (albeit slowly) and the wizard can still throw around Acid Splashes.

And now a few quick ones.

4) The sorcerer is basically a re-flavored psion. Why? Because their means of casting is much more spontaneous than the current sorcerer is. And they get better blaster spells.

5) Bonus HP at first level equal to the constitution score. Because making just about any weapon at first level a get hit and die scenario strikes me as a bad idea.

6) Reflex is a defense rather than a save. Touch attacks are abolished all together. So I can use my amazing agility to spring out of a massive explosion unharmed but I can't use it to avoid being touched by a creepy gnome? This results in a general weakening of touch attacks in general. Which is a good thing considering how broken some of them are.

7) Cure spells have a range of close rather than touch. Clerics are now a 2/3 caster ala the bard. They can cast cure spells as a swift action, however. See, Wizards had the bright idea of making clerics so amazing so more people would play them. But they still get stuck healing the party despite said awesomeness. Their casting stat is also swapped over to Cha. And they get favored soul benefits. Okay, so they're basically a favored soul with turn undead. This modification allows them to smash stuff in the face whilst at the same time healing their party. Everyone wins! Except... well... the monsters getting face-smashed of course.

8) Priest class! Basically the cloistered cleric without the extra domain. They don't get Divine Power, either. The poor sods. They can, however, target a number of people with cure or inflict spells equal to their Wis mod. And cure spells can be used to inflict half damage to living targets.

9) Turn undead ceases to be awful. Undead within the AoE take 1d6 damage per turn undead related class level (+ Cha mod) if they fail a Will save equal to 10+level (not half!)+Cha mod. Half damage on a save. If the undead critter fails the save they also get blasted five feet away from the cleric and become immobilized. Weeee!

>_>

Okay, that's it for now.

valadil
2008-09-19, 10:25 AM
My houserules:

1. We don't play D&D. We play Valadil's game. It's an RPG based loosely on D&D. I don't change many rules, but this gives me license to and scares away rules lawyers.

2. I don't give out experience. I give out levels when the party deserves them.

3. To make up for experience, I give out something called fate chips when I feel a player deserves an individual reward. Fate chips allow the players to fudge the dice or story in their favor. It lets players play the character they envision instead of the one the dice give them.

AKA_Bait
2008-09-19, 11:16 AM
Rule 4: The fourth rule of houserules is "Do what thou wilt is the whole of the law."


Seriously, no Crowley at my gaming table please.

Talanic
2008-09-19, 11:27 AM
First rule:In character creation, all players get to pick a skill-giving feat other than skill focus. Any of those +2 to two separate skills feats. This is free.

Second, I usually play under gestalt rules, with a caveat. All races that have a favored class MUST be that class as one of their gestalts. All elves have wizard levels. All half-orcs are barbarians in addition to whatever else they are. That means a 20th level elven fighter is significantly different from a 20th-level halfling fighter. Anyone whose favored class is not racially fixed (i.e. humans and half-elves) gets to choose what they gestalt as.

Third, we use Fax_Celestis's paladin variants. Paladins of all four non-neutral alignments, plus feats and special abilities that make the class more useful.

Fourth, we use the shield block variant rules that I posted about a year ago. A character using a shield can use it to block attacks with an opposed attack roll, causing the shield to take damage instead of the wielder. The people on the boards developed a whole feat tree that seems pretty good.

Fifth, I redid the Overrun combat action so that it doesn't overwhelmingly suck. It's a bit more complicated than normal but use of it should wind up being awesome if people get the feats. A chance to bowl over opponents in a straight line, passing through their areas and rendering them prone, PLUS--with a bunch of feats sunk into it--making attacks as you go!

Sixth, I made some rules for low-tech materials like flint and obsidian. They make sense for the actual physical characteristics of those items--and when enchanted to lessen their penalties, they can get pretty good.

Seventh, cantrips at will (within reason) and no keeping track of weight (also, within reason) to add some expedience to the game. A lot of the things up above add more rolling, so a few other things that we don't bother keeping track of helps even it out a bit.

Seriously, I've been considering making my own system for a while now.

Telonius
2008-09-19, 11:50 AM
1. Remove favored classes. Multiclass is free.
2. Half-Elves get a bonus feat at 1st level.
3. Half-Orcs lose the CHA penalty.
4. No alignment restrictions on Monks or Bards.
5. Paladins take the alignment of their deity (if any) and must act as a prime example of the ideals of their deity, philosophy, or cause.
6. Monks get full BAB, proficiency with Gauntlets (which are also a Monk weapon), and can spend time/gold/xp enchanting their own body as though it were a weapon/armor.
7. Sorcerers get free Eschew Materials at first, and their HD improves to d6.
8. All Clerics are Cloistered Clerics.
9. Knowledge (Religion) is now on the Druid class skill list.
10. Rogues get an additional Rogue Ability at level 20.
11. The following feats and spells are stricken from the game: Natural Spell, the Polymorph school, Time Stop, Wind Wall, Divine Power, Contingency, Knock.
12. Toughness = Improved Toughness.
13. Remove the +1 BAB requirement for the Weapon Finesse feat.
14. The Two-Weapon Fighting feat now scales to include extra attacks with each iterative attack. Improved Two-Weapon fighting lessens the penalty by 1 for each attack. Greater Two-Weapon fighting lessens the penalty by an additional 1.
15. Remove "Open Lock" from the list of skills. Opening Locks is now covered by Disable Device.
16. All adventurers are issued a Handy Haversack at creation, not counted against WBL.
17. There are no Vorpal weapons in my game. If you ever encounter a Vorpal weapon, you can be assured that you will soon be facing a Jabberwocky, which will be an epic-level foe.
18. Add Pun-Pun as an over-deity of Cheese, Exploits, and Metagaming. He is jealous of his ultimate power, and will personally act to prevent any player from approaching it.

Kurald Galain
2008-09-19, 12:01 PM
2) Go with the die average + 1/2. (i.e., a 3 for a d4, a 4 for a d6, a 5 for a d8, etc.)
Oh yeah, we've done that for a long time since there is always somebody who rolls way too poorly on hit points - this is the same reason why I never used random ability generation even in 2E.



I tell my players flat-out: Don't act according to your alignment, act according to your character.
Yep, that's one of the few a priori rules I made. Don't worry about alignment (heck, use nature/demeanor if you really want), just play what you want to play. You'd be surprised about how easy it is to strip alignment rules from 3E.



Dodge feat: Now just gives you a straight +1 to AC as long as you're not flat-footed.
And that's one of the few houserulings I've made during actual play. Dodge is simply too cumbersome for the small bonus it gives, and players tend to forget.

Oh yeah and this. I've never done experience "by the book" either. Simply put, whenever a character does something cool (has a good idea, roleplays a scene well, offs a monster, stuff like that) he gets a mark. At the end of the session, they get 100 XP per mark. Done.


Yes, but it's helpful to get it straight from the start. Some players think that anything that's legal by the rules should be doable, and get upset if they're vetoed by the DM. It saves a lot of aggravation if this sort of thing is agreed on at the beginning of the campaign.
Yep. Thanks for ninjaing me :smallbiggrin: And let me just say that I like your style, and that I'd be happy to invite you to our game table (if you didn't live in another country).

jcsw
2008-09-19, 12:37 PM
When throwing splash weapons and missing, they don't move one range increment in a random direction, they either, land 5ft away in a random direction (1-8) or land in the same square as your target without dealing the main-target damage on your target.
You now target the center of squares, rather than the grid intersections

sonofzeal
2008-09-19, 12:53 PM
My attempt to rebalance classes:


1) Wizards can no longer expand their spellbook beyond the 2-per-level (same restriction as the Psion's been under all along), and abilities that reduce Metamagic cost are cut.

2) Druids can no longer use Natural Spell, and do not gain the Extraordinary abilities of their new form, such as Pounce or Improved Grab (I think this might actually have been errata'd, but I'm not sure; they keep changing it and I've lost interest in staying current).

3) Psions, Wilders, and Erudites are no longer immune to ASF (even though they aren't arcane).

4) Clerics are Cloistered Clerics.

5) Favoured Souls and Spirit Shaman have their HD reduced one step.

6) Archivists cannot learn divine spells from Domain lists, the Divine Bard list, or similar sources. Cleric and Druid spells are still fine.

7) Artificers lose their Metamagic Spell Trigger and Metamagic Spell Completion class features, and the feats "Exceptional Artisan", "Extraordinary Artisan", "Legendary Artisan" are cut.

My attempt to rebalance races:
- add in an array of (hopefully) more balanced races to fill in the gaps (http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=1010307).


My attempt to rebalance high level spells:
- Gate'd creatures get a will save

- The casting time of Time Stop is a full round

- You can't apply more than one metamagic to a single spell

- Polymorph Any Object durations are all reduced one step (so nothing is ever permanent), and functions like Wild Shape where you don't gain (Ex) abilities

- Assay Spell Resistance and Celerity are cut.

- Any spell that's obviously a Save-or-Lose has a -2 to the DC.


- Death is not automatic at -10 HP, but you become "clinically dead". Each round under -10, I will roll a Fort save (DC = the amount under -10). Failure, or a natural 1, means death. Even if you are healed in time, there might be some permanent mental or physical effects depending on length of time spent clinically dead. You may also receive a revelation or vision of some sort.

- As a corollary to the above, any "insta-death" effects put you at -10 and unstable.

- Your hitpoints are whatever you roll, or "average", whichever is higher.

- No multiclass penalties; this helps martial characters compete with spellcasters later on.

- Arcane Archer is replaced with a non-psionic Soulbow.

- Ranged weapons can benefit from any melee feats or class abilities that make sense in that context.

- Fighters of 5th level and above can retrain their fighter feats in half the required length of time; this number is cut in half again at 10th, and again at 15th. 20th level fighters can retrain to any feat they've previously trained in one minute without any special equipment (except any relevant weapons).

TheThan
2008-09-19, 01:07 PM
I’ve been working on an Oriental Adventures game that is almost nothing but house rules. Anyway here’s a short list.


Homebrewed samurai class (it’s a character class and a social class, so you don’t have to be a samurai to be a samurai)
Homebrewed spell lists for the Wu Jen and Shugenja.
Pulled from all my resources to create the available base class and prestige class list
Updated some 3.0 OA classes
Homebrewed skill system
Class defense system
Armor as damage reduction (though armor is a bit rare)
Homebrewed exotic weapons (twin Tiger swords, Wind and fire wheels, explosive Shuriken, etc)
Re-worked clan system from OA
Custom KI (chi, etc) power system. Used to augment the capabilities of players.
Homebrewed races (though I probably won’t use them)

Superglucose
2008-09-19, 01:34 PM
1) At any point the GM may count to ten. If you have not taken your action by the time the GM reaches 10, you forfeit your action (note that this is coupled with the "don't be a jerk" rule).
2) It is not the GM's fault if your character dies.
3) Character sheets are private and only the player and GMs have any right to see an individual character sheet. (Sadly this gets broken all the time, and I have to, at least twice a meet, explain in simple words that I've been stealing from the party. It takes all the fun out of being a CE thief).
4) Only the GM and the player need or deserve to know exactly how much damage is done.
5) Though shalt not min-max.
6) You may not question a character's backstory, especially when you don't even have a name for your character.
7) You may not take back any action you say you do. Also, the GM may chose to take any joke you make as an in character action or statement. This rule is also coupled with "don't be a jerk."
8) If you have to look up what your magic item does in a normal circumstance (say, 'how many dice does 'flaming' add again?'), you are not allowed to use that magic item this round. Exception: if more than one person at the table disputes the effects of the item.
9) Everything on your character sheets should be so explicitely written and obvious that any player on the table can pick up your character sheet and preform a basic attack or roll a skill check or save.

Rules 1,7, and 8 have to do with speeding up the game, nothing else. They're intended to prevent five minute turns (I wanna... cast a... no I think I'll shoot an arr... no wait...) and thirty minute chains where everyone's joking about stupid actions ("hahahah, then I stab the emperor in the face! hahahaha!"). In the system we play, magic (and their items) are much more of a system in which you can chose to do whatever you want. There are options you have, and you combine them and recombine them to determine what you want to do. It's nice because of the flexibility, but we have one really annoying player who spends all his time adding up his bonuses each time he casts a spell... despite the fact that they haven't changed for four meets. He always brags that the magic system keeps getting reworked because he "optimized my character so well!" He fails to realize that none of what his character did was nerfed (actually, the nerfs were because myself and others found ways that the system could be broken. You're supposed to fail 15% of the time, and you roll for success. I found a way to succeed 100% of the time, for instance), just that we (the rest of the party) started actually calculating his save DCs.

Then he has the gall to come over and take our character sheets out of our hands and demand to know how we got bonus X. Whenever it's my sheet, I show him exactly where I wrote out all the little modifiers that added up to the bonus... which is also explicitly written. Some time later he had to go run out for a phone call, and we needed him to roll a save to move on. the GM asked me to roll for him, and I looked up his save modifier and saw, "+10." I rolled a seven and reported "17." He failed, took 1 damage, and when he returned, complained for ten minutes that we'd used the wrong value. That is the birth of rule 9.

(apparently he only kept track of his ability modifier and base save on the sheet, relying on his memory to add up his magical bonuses to his save... and believe me I'm not the only one who is suspicious and bothered by this.)

*sigh*
This turned into a mini-rant. Sorry guys.

BizzaroStormy
2008-09-19, 01:44 PM
I'm not the DM but we generally have one major rule.

Don't give PirateJesus sugar or caffine

1. To hell with XP. I (The DM) will decide when it is appropriate for you to level up. If you want to make a magic item, you'll need a special component (For instance, I needed the fresh heart of a tiger to make an effigy), same goes for spells with XP costs.

Zeta Kai
2008-09-19, 03:12 PM
Well, I've been working on a non-D20 RPG for a little while, but my main 3.X houserules are:

Rule #0 is enforced, heavily. We're here to have fun, not flip the table over optimization arguments.
Alignments are DM-controlled. Players don't write down their alignments. Divination spells will reveal them, but they are subject to change.
Rich's Diplomacy variant is made of pure weapons-grade WIN.
Polymorph spells are epic, or nerfed to all hell. Alter Self is +1SL, but unchanged.
Mordenkainen's Disjunction does not exist in any game I run. The only copy of the spell was on a scroll, which was eaten by a Sphere of Annihilation. Ol' Mord killed himself in grief.
XP Penalties for multiclassing are foolish & complicated. Favored classes are tendencies, not writ in stone.
Armor = Damage Reduction (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/adventuring/armorAsDamageReduction.htm).
Racial Paragon classes (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/races/racialParagonClasses.htm).
Gestalt (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/gestaltCharacters.htm) is only allowed if everyone does it (which is rare).
Players die when their HP is less than 0 minus their Constitution score. It just makes more sense.
Spell Points (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/magic/spellPoints.htm) are used whenever everyone agrees to it (which is also, unfortunately, rare).
Sanity (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/campaigns/sanity.htm) is used whenever everyone agrees to it (which is ALSO, unfortunately, rare).
Gnomes don't exist. They are an in-game myth, put forth as a joke by the fey.
WBL is a guideline at best, & cripplingly simplified at worst. It is only looked at every few levels for rough balance.

There are others, but those cover the basics, I think.

Telonius
2008-09-19, 03:35 PM
Mordenkainen's Disjunction does not exist in any game I run. The only copy of the spell was on a scroll, which was eaten by a Sphere of Annihilation. Ol' Mord killed himself in grief.

Forgot that one on my list of spells stricken from the record. My brain apparently does not want to acknowledge that it ever existed.

Reinboom
2008-09-19, 04:34 PM
First, the character creation post on my campaign site:

Tables for classes:
http://pifro.com/dnd/NEW/

Handy Quick Character Creation Sheet.
http://pifro.com/dnd/backpage.pdf

Consolidated Lists Archive:
http://wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/arch/lists

===============================
Common Rules:
Use the modified class variants on the class table generator above.
Also, material from campaign worlds (Eberron, Forgotten Realms) are vast and hard to find, so the broken stuff isn't included. That and there is too much broken in these books.
If a spell is banned that is in your domain, an alternative option is acceptable to be worked out with the GM.

Banned Spells/Powers/Maneuvers:
1
Ray of Enfeeblement
Protection from [Alignment]
Locate City**
Detect Secret Doors**
Synchronicity (p)

2
Alterself
Glibness
Glitterdust*
Knock**
Rope Trick
Ray of Stupidity
Bestow Power (p)
Knock, Psionic (p)**
Share Pain (p)

3
Bands of Steel
Shivering Touch
Stinking Cloud
Wind Wall
Ray of Exhaustion
Fly*
Unluck
Wraithstrike
Phantom Steed
Share Pain, Forced (p)
White Raven Tactics (m)

4
Black Tentacles
Polymorph
Celerity
Confusion
Dimension Door*
Fear
Solid Fog
Shadow Conjuration**
Charm Monster
Geas, Lesser
Enervation (for its metamagic potential, not for the spell itself).
Consumptive Field (d)
Divine Power (d)
Glory of the Martyr (d)
Psychic Reformation (p)
Fabricate, Psionic (p)

5
Baleful Polymorph
Cloudkill
Teleport*
Dominate Person
Feeblemind
Hold Monster
Flesh to Stone
Private Sanctum
Overland Flight
Shadow Evocation
Fly, Mass
Fabricate
Righteous Might (d)
Owl's Insight (d)

6
Acid Fog
Contingency
Overland Flight, Psionic (p)
Mind Switch (p)
Fabricate, Psionic Greater (p)

7
Transfix
Stun Ray
Avasculate
Bite of the Werebear
Brilliant Aura
Forcecage
Teleport, Greater
Magnificent Mansion
Shadow Conjuration, Greater
Banishment
Finger of Death
Planar Bubble
Reverse Gravity
Arcane Spellsurge
Energy Transformation Field
Hiss of Sleep
Simulacrum
Geas/Quest
Consumptive Field, Greater (d)
Holy Word (d)
Blasphemy (d)
Dictum (d)
Word of Chaos (d)

8
Polymorph Any Object
Avascular, Mass
Embrace the Dark Chaos
Wrathful Castigation
Celerity, Greater
Maddening Whispers
Bestow Curse, Greater
Irresistible Dance
Shadow Evocation, Greater
Power Word: Stun
Shun the Dark Chaos
Superior Invisibility

9
Maw of Chaos
Shapechange
Gate
Time Stop*
Mage's Disjunction
Programmed Amnesia
Weird
Dominate Monster
Teleportation Circle
Power Word: Kill
Ice Assassin
Astral Projection
Shades
Affinity Field (p)
Mind Switch, True (p)

Notes:
(d) = Only Found on Divine List
(p) = Psionic
(m) = Martial Maneuver
* = Modified version instead, on/based on: http://wiki.faxcelestis.net/index.php?title=Core_Tweaks
** = My fiat specific. I just don't like the spell.

Banned Feats:
Divine Metamagic
Natural Spell
Fell Drain
Fell Weaken
Metamagic School Focus
Easy Metamagic
Leadership
Leap Attack
Persistent Spell
Explosive Spell
Sculpt Spell
Sanctum Spell
Dragonwrought
Assume Supernatural Ability
Dark Speech
Mercantile Background
Epic Spellcasting
Epic Manifesting

Banned Items:
Admirals Bicorne
Belt of Battle
Blindfold of True Darkness
Boots of Temporal Acceleration
Candle of Invocation
Dust of Sneezing and Choking
Flesh Ring of Scorn
Headband of Conscious Effort (Concentration for a Fort Save)
Heward's Fortifying Bedroll (Sleep)
Ioun Stone, Orange
Nightsticks
Rod of Metamagic
Rod of Metamagic, Greater
Thought Bottle

Banned Item Enhancements:
Splitting
Soulfire

Banned Prestige Classes:
Hulking Hurler
Frenzied Berserker
Initiate of the Sevenfold Veil
Ur-Priest
Dweomerkeeper
Illithid Slayer
Shadowcraft Mage
Thrallherd
Telflammar Shadowlord

Banned Classes:
Wizard
Cleric
Druid
Archivist

Banned Races and Templates:
Mineral Warrior
Lolth Touched
Feral
Dark
Half-Ogre
Jermlaine
Neraphim
Anthropomorphic
Whisper Gnome
Evolved Undead
Illumian

Banned/Changed Other:
Mastery of Shaping (Archmage High Arcana)
Hivemind (Anything that can produce a hivemind, as by Book of Vile Darkness)
Effigies (The strange construct template that can be produced)
Symbionts (Tentacled strangeness from the Fiend Folio)
Lion Totem Barbarian (Alternative class feature in complete champion)
Prestige Class spell lists for anything other than that PrC (including items) (So, if an artificer was allowed, it could not use Arcane Eye right off due to Trapsmith having it at level 1)
Dinosaurs, and anything to become one or get one.



9th Level Spells Added to the Poor Poor Beguiler:
Reaving Dispel (Spell Compendium, 169)
Replicate Casting (Spell Compendium, 173)

===============================
Alignments:
Alignments are a fall through of the D&D game. They are restrictive on personality development, directive of moral arguments, and provide little to the actual game. It is to my opinion that a character design in personality should come from an interesting story, background, or other development rather than a set of one of nine rules—as is the D&D alignment system. For this, this alternative is used instead:

Alignment will be taken outsider and influence based only. All creatures from the material plane, except those born from an alignment restrictive parent, have the alignment of neutral for detection and effects purposes. All restrictions on alignments for classes are almost entirely removed. What your character does, does not define your alignment. Read further for more information.
Alignments will only apply to creatures born from one influenced outer plane or another or directly touched by said planes.
For the purpose of spell effects, item effects, and similar, these creatures will represent the alignment of their planes and not their actions/intents. For example, an angelic being (astral deva), even a blood thirsty mass slaughtering astral deva, will be considered good for spells such as "detect good".
This also applies to magic and beings formed of magic. Magic the is inherently evil (evil descriptor) will be 'evil', and anything made from such magic will be as well. The animation of the dead shall be included in this. This may still apply to the same intent bindings as the above as well, for example, if a necromancer raises an army of dead to, lets say, help reconstruct a ravaged town for the sake of the people - completely 'good' intent - the undead will still be evil for the purposes of spells and effects.
The only time a character would change alignment is when directly blessed/altered by that of an already evil source. For example, the human butcherer may be evil in personality, but will only detect of evil when the god of murder issues his direct blessings upon him. Or, a devout paladin will normally be neutral under this system, however, when the party's fiend of possession (which must be an evil outsider) possesses his body in order to give him bonuses and assist him, the paladin will register as evil.

Then the "Core Tweaks" page referenced:


Spells
Identify

Divination
Level: Brd 1, Magic 2, Sor/Wiz 1
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 10 minutes
Range: Touch
Targets: One touched object
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

The spell determines most magic properties of a single magic item, including how to activate those functions (if appropriate), and how many charges are left (if any).

In order to identify, make a spellcraft check with a DC as the highest caster level on the magic item. Success means the function and how to activate it, as well as the charges (if any) of a standard magic item are identified. This DC increases by 10 if the magic item is custom, or unique in some way. Failure by only 5 or less only reveals part of the information about the item.

Identify does not function when used on an artifact.


Glitterdust

Conjuration (Creation)
Level: Brd 3, Sor/Wiz 4
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Area: Creatures and objects within 10-ft.-radius spread
Duration: 1 round/level
Saving Throw: Will negates (blinding only)
Spell Resistance: No

A cloud of golden particles covers everyone and everything in the area, causing creatures to become blinded and visibly outlining invisible things for the duration of the spell. All within the area are covered by the dust, which cannot be removed and continues to sparkle until it fades.

Any creature covered by the dust takes a -40 penalty on Hide checks.

Material Component:
Ground mica.


Fly

Transmutation
Level: Sor/Wiz 3, Travel 3
Components: V, S, F/DF
Casting Time: 1 round
Range: Touch
Target: Personal or Creature Touched (see text)
Duration: 10 min./level
Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

You can fly at a speed of 50 feet (or 30 feet if you are wearing medium or heavy armor, or if you are carrying a medium or heavy load). You can ascend at half speed and descend at double speed with a maneuverability of good. Using a fly spell requires only as much concentration as walking, so the subject can attack or cast spells normally. The subject of a fly spell can charge and hustle but not run, and it cannot carry aloft more weight than its maximum load.

Should the spell duration expire while the subject is still aloft, the magic fails slowly. The subject floats downward 60 feet per round for a single round. If it reaches the ground in that amount of time, it lands safely. If not, it falls the rest of the distance, taking 1d6 points of damage per 10 feet of fall. Since dispelling a spell effectively ends it, the subject also descends in this way if the fly spell is dispelled, but not if it is negated by an antimagic field.

Fly is normally personal only, however, when used from a spell slot at least 2 levels higher than it's base level its target changes to creature touched (after metamagic is applied, so a silent fly spell with the creature touched desire from it would take a 6th level slot).

Arcane Focus
A wing feather from any bird.


Teleport

Conjuration (Teleportation)
Level: Sor/Wiz 5, Travel 5
Components: V
Casting Time: 2 rounds (*this might change to 3 rounds soon)
Range: Personal and touch
Target: You and touched objects or other touched willing creatures
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None and Will negates (object)
Spell Resistance: No and Yes (object)

This spell instantly transports you to a designated destination within 500 miles on the same plane as you are currently. You can bring along objects as long as long as their weight doesn’t exceed your maximum load. You may also bring one additional willing creature (carrying gear or objects up to its maximum load) per two caster levels. All creatures to be transported must be in contact with one another, and at least one of those creatures must be in contact with you. As with all spells where the range is personal and the target is you, you need not make a saving throw, nor is spell resistance applicable to you. Only objects held or in use (attended) by another person receive saving throws and spell resistance.

In order to teleport to a location, you must have visited that location in the past and retain a memory of doing such, even if the memory is as weak as a minor figment from your childhood. Creatures traveling with you do not have such limitations.

You arrive on a stable surface within 10 feet for every mile you decide to teleport away from the intended location, in a random direction, if the location is in excess of 20 miles away.


Time Stop

Transmutation (Time)
Level: Beguiler 9 (only)
Components: V
Casting Time: 1 round
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 3 rounds (apparent time); see text

This spell seems to make time cease to flow for everyone but you. In fact, you increase the rate of time encasing you so greatly that all other creatures seem frozen, though they are actually still moving at their normal speeds. You are free to act for 3 rounds of this apparent time. Normal and magical fire, cold, gas, and the like can still harm you. While the time stop is in effect, other creatures are invulnerable to your attacks and spells; you cannot target such creatures with any attack or spell. A spell that affects an area and has a duration longer than the remaining duration of the time stop have their normal effects on other creatures once the time stop ends. Most spellcasters use the additional time to improve their defenses, summon allies, or flee from combat.

You cannot move or harm items held, carried, or worn by a creature stuck in normal time, but you can affect any item that is not in another creature’s possession.

You are undetectable while time stop lasts. You cannot enter an area protected by an antimagic field while under the effect of time stop.

Spells with the time descriptor automatically fail when attempting to effect a creature with a spell with the time description already in effect upon them.


Dimension Door

Conjuration (Teleportation)
Level: Brd 4, Sor/Wiz 4, Travel 4
Components: V
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Target: You and touched objects or other touched willing creatures
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None and Will negates (object)
Spell Resistance: No and Yes (object)

You instantly transfer yourself from your current location to any other spot within range. You always arrive at exactly the spot desired—whether by simply visualizing the area or by stating direction. After using this spell, you can’t take any other actions until your next turn. You can bring along objects as long as their weight doesn’t exceed your maximum load. You may also bring one additional willing Medium or smaller creature (carrying gear or objects up to its maximum load) or its equivalent per three caster levels. A Large creature counts as two Medium creatures, a Huge creature counts as two Large creatures, and so forth. All creatures to be transported must be in contact with one another, and at least one of those creatures must be in contact with you.

If you arrive in a place that is already occupied by a solid body, you and each creature traveling with you take 1d6 points of damage and are shunted to a random open space on a suitable surface within 100 feet of the intended location.

If there is no free space within 100 feet, you and each creature traveling with you take an additional 2d6 points of damage and are shunted to a free space within 1,000 feet. If there is no free space within 1,000 feet, you and each creature traveling with you take an additional 4d6 points of damage and the spell simply fails.


Feats
Dodge [General]
Prerequisite: Dex 13
Benefit: You gain a +1 dodge bonus to AC and an additional +4 dodge bonus to Armor Class against attacks of opportunity caused when you move out of or within a threatened area.
A condition that makes you lose your Dexterity bonus to Armor Class (if any) also makes you lose dodge bonuses. Also, dodge bonuses stack with each other, unlike most other types of bonuses.
Special: A fighter may select Dodge as one of his fighter bonus feats.
Special: This feat accounts for both Dodge and Mobility for prerequisites.


Toughness [General]
Benefit: You gain an additional hit point per hit die including hit die you may gain later.


Skills
Disable Device/Open Lock
The effects of open lock is folded in to disable device. Open lock no longer exists, otherwise.

Note: Uses Int as the modifier.


Other
Replaced Resistance

Characters have an automatic resistance bonus to all saves based on their ECL, as follows: (Items don't give resistance bonuses)
{table]ECL|Bonus
3|+1
6|+2
8|+3
10|+4
12|+5[/table]

Replaced Enhancement Bonuses

At each ECL, starting at 3rd, characters gain an enhancement point that they may spend or keep later. Once spent, however, they can't change their choice. Beginning at 11th level, characters gain two enhancement points per level.
These points can be used to add an enhancement bonus to a stat, and increases based on what you are increasing that bonus to. Each bonus level requires the previous level, and thus, the total points compound. (A +4 total bonus would cost 1+1+2+2, or 6 total).

{table]Bonus|Cost
+1|1
+2|1
+3|2
+4|2
+5|3
+6|3[/table]

Wealth should be assumed to be adjusted down for these two alternatives.


+ Experience buffer.
http://wiki.faxcelestis.net/index.php?title=Experience_Buffer
(This is going to change the most, as it finally has begun to be used in my main campaign)
Addition on to the experience buffer:
The buffer disappears over time, this allows item creation spellcasters to exist who don't need to adventure in order to make stuff.

+ Mechanically Fluffy
http://wiki.faxcelestis.net/index.php?title=Mechanically_Fluffy
This has worked out quite well. Using all the variants on that page.


Beyond this, I use a lot of homebrewed stuff.

Frosty
2008-09-19, 04:47 PM
The list of banned spells is very...extensive :smalleek:

Saph
2008-09-19, 05:19 PM
The list of banned spells is very...extensive :smalleek:

No kidding. Sweetrein, I know what you're trying to do, but are there any useful spells that you haven't banned?

- Saph

Reinboom
2008-09-19, 05:45 PM
No kidding. Sweetrein, I know what you're trying to do, but are there any useful spells that you haven't banned?

- Saph

Haste, Slow, Benign Transposition, Invisibility, Greater Invisibility, Ruin Delvar's Fortune, Scrying...

also, Fly, Teleport, and Dimension Door are only modified.

So, yes.



Also, over half that list was created in order to protect my players. Batman-esque sorcerer "BBEG" give the players even a larger headache than he is already giving them if many of them existed.

Eldariel
2008-09-19, 05:55 PM
Dunno. Staples like Sleep, Color Spray, Web, Obscuring Mist, Walls, Charms, Holds, etc. seem to still be around. There's enough depth in a Wizard's toolbox to live with restrictions like that. In fact, if I wasn't going to just rewrite everything, my bannings would probably look similar.

Reinboom
2008-09-19, 05:58 PM
Dunno. Staples like Sleep, Color Spray, Web, Obscuring Mist, Walls, Charms, Holds, etc. seem to still be around. There's enough depth in a Wizard's toolbox to live with restrictions like that. In fact, if I wasn't going to just rewrite everything, my bannings would probably look similar.

That's banned too. :smalltongue:

Eldariel
2008-09-19, 06:00 PM
That's banned too. :smalltongue:

Ok, so I mean Sorcerer's toolbox. Actually, with so many spells banned, Sorcerer is just as good as a Wizard would be (except one level behind :P) since there aren't that many spells per level you'd want anyways ;)

Curmudgeon
2008-09-19, 06:44 PM
Falling damage caps at 50d6, because you don't reach terminal velocity until you fall about 500'.

Level 0 spells are always cast spontaneously.

Rapid Reload and Manyshot also apply to slings.

Feats and weapon special abilities that mention heavy crossbows can also be used with great crossbows, though great crossbows remain exotic weapons.

Split actual movement around a non-moving move action. Example: move 15' to a door, open it, and then go through the doorway that same round using the rest of your movement. (Or walk and chew gum at the same time. :smallwink:)

You can cast Feather Fall, redefined as an immediate action spell in Complete Arcane, when flat-footed.

sonofzeal
2008-09-19, 07:18 PM
That's banned too. :smalltongue:
....as are Cleric, Druid, and Archivist. Who exactly is doing healing in your group? o.0 Seriously, I hope you have homebrew content to make up for it...

In general, I disagree with the philosophy of rampant bannings. I think judicious tweaking of options available works way better. For example, what makes Wizards so powerful is their vast access to their spell list. By removing the ability to add extra spells to their spellbook, you bring them back into line. They still get 2 new spells every level, same as Psions, but now have to pick those spells more carefully and aren't as insanely flexible in always having the right spell for the right situation. I could also see adding a limit on total number of spells that can be cast in a day (maybe Int mod +2) if you think they're still too good.

Similarly, rather than ban Clerics, just turn them all into Cloistered Clerics (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#clericVariantCloistere dCleric), and alter Divine Power so it only raises BAB by one step. If you then remove DMM (and all other metamagic-cost-reduction techniques, both arcane and divine, because they're all ludicrous), then Clerics become a totally reasonable class that fulfills the buffer/healer/antiundead roll well without stepping on too many toes.

Zeful
2008-09-19, 09:20 PM
Let's see my house rules.
1.)Material from books I don't own are banned, even if they are part of the SRD. This ban is only lifted should I receive ownership the book in question, and approve of it's contents.
2.)I may approve any feat, spell(or power), ability, or class from books I have banned should it fit the campaign or I like it.
3.)All enemies will be of similar level of optimization as the party.
3b.)If one character is very highly optimized, while the rest are not, expect to be in situations where many of your class features are useless (wizards will have their spellbooks stolen, repeatedly, uberchargers will face rust monsters etc.)
4.) Causality is in place. There will be consequences for the players actions, all of them. They will not all be bad, and will be logical.
4b.)Enemies evolve. Use one tactic over and over again, and you will find it to stop working eventually.
4c.)Playing as a monster race means you will be run out of town more often than not, or attacked, based on the community in question's view of your race (Drow should never go near a Elven city for example).
4d.)Attempting to break my campaign only pisses me off, it does not make you look cool or endear you any friends IC or OOC. Go ahead, do the candle of invocation Solar summoning trick. Make my day:smallbiggrin:.

Those are the general ones.

drengnikrafe
2008-09-19, 10:06 PM
1. Total rewrite of the magic system (unfinished).
2. If it makes sense, you can probably do it.
3. No roleplaying bonuses. If you roleplay poorly, you get kicked out. Instead, 1.5x normal exp.
4. Come up with something new, we'll playtest it in the next campaign (just in case someone in the party doesn't like the way something works).
5. You can invent feats, they just have to be balanced.
6. Skills have been rewritten. Now they fall into categories. I.E. Interaction Category: Contains Diplomacy, Sense Motive, Bluff. Knowledge: Contains all knowledge. Categories can have as many as half the maximum number of points of a particular skill, and go up at even levels. (I.E. At first level, you can have 2 points in interaction, and 2 in SE, Bluff, and Diplomacy, for a total cost of 8 points to have 4 in all of them, then at 2nd level, you can put additional points into the categories, and at 3rd into specific skills, and at 4th into the categories....).
6b. What skills you are "good at" is reliant upon how you spend you "skill mastery points" at first level. You choose which skills are class skills. Some come more naturally (It costs more SMP to gain Disable Device as a Wizard then it does as a Rogue. Rogues get more points, ect).
7. New Stat System based upon points. You get 6 points, which you can destribute as you wish. 0 points on a stat makes the roll 3d6, 1 point makes it 2d6 + 6, 2 points makes it 2d4 + 10, and 3 makes it 1d6/2 (round down) + 15. Leftover points can be used to increase these numbers. 3-7 means +3 for one point, 8-14 is +2, 15-17 is +1, and 18 is +0. You can then put your numbers on that stats you choose. Alternatively, you can take 7 points, but you roll the stats in order, and that's where the numbers stay.
8. Feat Trees. Feats on lower tiers get better as you take feats on upper tiers. For Example, now every time you take a feat based on Toughness or Dodge you get an additional +3 HP or +1 AC (Respectively).

That's all I can think of at the moment. But, we've still rebuilding this and that, and PTing this and that... we don't call it "D&D 3.x" anymore, we call it "D&D 3.7125", or something like that. Whatever the fraction equivelent of "D&D 61/16ths" is.

quillbreaker
2008-09-19, 10:24 PM
3.5 critical miss rule:

If you roll a 1, roll a second attack roll to "confirm" the critical miss. If you miss on the confirmation roll, you provoke an attack of opportunity from any creature who would normally be able to reach you to make one.

Tequila Sunrise
2008-09-19, 10:50 PM
You want house rules? Well if you haven't been inundated already with more house rules than you can fit in the Vatican library, check out my Library of Unearthed Arcana (http://lucasbuchanan.com/Dungeons%20&%20Dragons). Inside you'll find:

My Epic Level Handbook for 3e: Because I made the mistake of DMing an epic game by RAW, and don't want others to suffer the same fate.

My Spell Book for alternative 3e Magic: Because spells can be balanced, simple and consistent.

My Manual of Monster Creation for 3e: Because the MM guidelines are laughable at best.

My Tome of House Rules for 3e: Because for every problem you might have with 3e's often arbitrary, unbalanced and complicated rules, there's a simple, balanced and intuitive solution.

My Book of Heroic Might for 4e: Because alignment doesn't have to be the confusing, bicker-causing game breaking mechanic that so many gamers are so afraid of that the game designers surgically sliced out of the new edition.

My Tome of House Rules for 4e: Because no matter how much better the newest edition is, there're always ways to improve it.

RAW? What's raw? My fingers are raw from writing all those house rules. :smalltongue: Hope that helps,
TS

Tequila Sunrise
2008-09-19, 10:58 PM
Falling damage caps at 50d6, because you don't reach terminal velocity until you fall about 500'.
If my character falls 505', does that mean he takes no damage? :smallamused:

TS, Asmodeus' Advocate

Eldariel
2008-09-19, 11:10 PM
Tequila: Damn, you should advertise your work more! While I disagree with some of the stuff (Epic mostly - I like the idea of Epic Spellcasting, Epic Maneuvers, Epic Psionics and so on; I just feel the implementation was off - in my view, over level 20 characters should be nearly deities already), that's an awesome bunch of work you've got there and it's obvious it took a non-trivial amount of work to compile.

Dentarthur
2008-09-20, 12:45 AM
My 4e house rules (in progress):

Any PHB or MM race is playable. Certain races may not be warmly welcomed into the average village. :D

Tieflings can get +2 Con instead of +2 Int, player's choice. Makes sense for infernal-pact Warlocks.

You don't lose unspent action points when you rest.

You don't have to roll saving throws against death when you're out of HP. You just remain unconscious until somebody heals you. Only way you can really die is if the entire party dies, or they abandon you, or for some reason the badguys hit you when you're down.

Reinboom
2008-09-20, 01:11 AM
....as are Cleric, Druid, and Archivist. Who exactly is doing healing in your group? o.0 Seriously, I hope you have homebrew content to make up for it...

In general, I disagree with the philosophy of rampant bannings. I think judicious tweaking of options available works way better. For example, what makes Wizards so powerful is their vast access to their spell list. By removing the ability to add extra spells to their spellbook, you bring them back into line. They still get 2 new spells every level, same as Psions, but now have to pick those spells more carefully and aren't as insanely flexible in always having the right spell for the right situation. I could also see adding a limit on total number of spells that can be cast in a day (maybe Int mod +2) if you think they're still too good.

Similarly, rather than ban Clerics, just turn them all into Cloistered Clerics (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#clericVariantCloistere dCleric), and alter Divine Power so it only raises BAB by one step. If you then remove DMM (and all other metamagic-cost-reduction techniques, both arcane and divine, because they're all ludicrous), then Clerics become a totally reasonable class that fulfills the buffer/healer/antiundead roll well without stepping on too many toes.

Spirit Shaman (tweaked incredibly...), Bards, Favored Souls, and Dragon Shamans (who have also been tweaked to be a bit better) all heal decently.
What's the problem here? :smalltongue:
Also, I don't just take out the vancian spellcasters because of power (though that is significant), I like keeping in line what which characters can do what. I try to plan everything; having something change daily really throws me off.

This is, as I said, a two way thing. My NPCs are abusive, and they act very much like opposing PCs.

Tequila Sunrise
2008-09-20, 07:08 AM
Tequila: Damn, you should advertise your work more! While I disagree with some of the stuff (Epic mostly - I like the idea of Epic Spellcasting, Epic Maneuvers, Epic Psionics and so on; I just feel the implementation was off - in my view, over level 20 characters should be nearly deities already), that's an awesome bunch of work you've got there and it's obvious it took a non-trivial amount of work to compile.
Thanks for the glowing praise! Every once in a while I start a thread called I'M THE KING OF HOUSE RULES!!! so that others can bask in the radiance of my house ruling genius, but all I ever get from those threads are rotten tomatoes thrown my way. I wonder why? :smallwink:

TS

brant167
2008-09-20, 07:34 AM
1) No cheese brought to the table, the people I play with don't make broken characters but when a new guy comes along with a divine metamagic cleric or the like I ask him nicely to remake the character.

2) Players are expected to bring some form of character history to the table.
-2a) This history can not be a complete rip off of another character. I had a player bring Lu Kang's wiki bibliography with Lu Kang's name substituted for his characters name...only once.

3) Fortification works differently in my games; basically I assign different levels of "fortification" to a monster and these levels coincide with a confirm critical roll. Light Fortification: +4 to confirm crit, Medium Fortification +8 to confirm crit, and heavy fortification +12 to confirm crit. A zombie would have a light fortification while a stone golem would have a heavy. It works out really well.

4) Sneak attack/sudden strikes 75% damage to light fortification, 50% to medium and 25% to heavy.

5) Pounce only gives a additional attack after a charge, not a full attack.

6) Spontaneous have eschew material components for their casting.(How else is a sorc going to learn he can cast fire ball. Its not like there is a lot of bat guano lying around a Halflings tent.)

7) No immunities in my games. Immunities just give a character/npc a +5 against the save. This does not include elemental immunity.

8) Instead of diplomacy I use negotiation. If a character wants to be diplomatic he needs to think it out...not just leave it all up to a dice roll.

9) If a person wants to play a prc that’s not already introduced in the game they have to write up a place for that organization in the game. (I have about 40 homemade classes for the world I have been working on for a few years and prefer players to take those classes because they actually fit into the setting.)

Curmudgeon
2008-09-20, 12:51 PM
Falling damage caps at 50d6, because you don't reach terminal velocity until you fall about 500'.
If my character falls 505', does that mean he takes no damage? :smallamused: Are you having a comprehension malfunction? From Dictionary.com (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/cap):
cap -noun
9. a maximum limit, as one set by law or agreement on prices, wages, spending, etc., during a certain period of time; ceiling: a 9 percent cap on pay increases for this year.
Falling Damage: The basic rule is simple: 1d6 points of damage per 10 feet fallen If you fall 505', or any other distance greater than 500', you take 50d6 damage.

Tequila Sunrise
2008-09-20, 03:48 PM
Are you having a comprehension malfunction?

No, I'm having a humor malfunction. I thought it would be funny to take your application of real world logic to the game's rules one step further. (I actually wasn't trying to mock you or anything, as I appreciate having a relatively realistic ruleset.) Actually the most realistic way to deal with falling damage would be to use one die, and just increase the die size as distance increases. So at 10' you would take 1d4 damage and at 500' you would take 1d100 damage. Anyway, whatever, the joke obviously wasn't funny. :smallsmile:

TS

Heliomance
2008-09-20, 03:58 PM
7) No immunities in my games. Immunities just give a character/npc a +5 against the save. This does not include elemental immunity.

What about constructs and undead? Are they still vulnerable to poison, despite not having a metabolism?


8) Instead of diplomacy I use negotiation. If a character wants to be diplomatic he needs to think it out...not just leave it all up to a dice roll.


The trouble with that is that it gimps non-diplomatic players. I don't have to have bulging muscles to play my 18-str barbarian, why should I have to be able to think up good arguments on the fly to play my 18-cha bard?

Diamondeye
2008-09-20, 04:15 PM
Awesome thread! :smallsmile:

Here are mine

1: Rule 0 governs all other rules. As such "RAW" does not exist. You can assume that what is written is the way it works, but if I say otherwise, "you didn't already houserule it, so that's how it is" is going to put you on thin ice. I'll listen to your position, but it had better pass the common sense test, and raising your voice to me means you're gone. (Never actually had to enforce the last part, and I don't tell people that, but I refuse to have bullies in my game groups)
2: Races: Usually I do Forgotten Realms, so races from the FR book are allowed, although the MM version of the wood elf is used. Alternate races from Stormwrack, Sandstorm and Frostburn are allowed. Races from other sources such as "Races of Stone" will be permitted on a one-for-one basis, and will be looked at carefully for exploitive build combinations, especially if it fills the same basic role as another party member. Some ECLs are reduced. Anything presented only in an MM is more than likely prohibited
2a: Half-elves get the 4 skill points at level 1 and 1 per level that humans get (not the bonus feat)
3: Banned Base classes: Warlock, Scout, Hexblade, Spellthief, Dragon Shaman, and anything with an oriental theme is banned.
4: Banned PrCs: All PrCs must be reviewed prior to use. The following are banned out of hand, however: Iot7fV, Green Star Adept, Drunken Master, Hulking Hurler, Incantantrix (or however its spelled), and anything oriental themed, except Shadow Sun Ninja, since there's already so few MA PrCs.
5: Class alterations
a. PrC alterations are on an as-needed basis; as such the player may propse them
b. varients of base classes from the SrD, Unearthed Arcana, etc will generally be approved prior to use, but you have to check.
c. Fighters gain their bonus feats on odd levels rather than even; so it goes 1,3,5 etc rather than 1,2,4. This reduces fighter dipping, but theres another reason which will be more obvious with a below HR
d. Rangers have three fighting styles: If they choose 2-weapon, they gain the three feats at the specified levels, plus the associated two-weapon defense for each one. If they choose archery, they get the three specified feats plus Point Blank Shot at level 2, Far Shot at level 6, and Improved Rapid Shot at level 11. If they choose balanced, they get both fighting progressions specified in the PHB, but not the additional feats described here. Heavy armor inflicts its skill penalty on attack rolls involving any of these feats if the Ranger wears it.
c. Rangers gain d10 HD and medium armor proficiency
d. Monks are almost completely reworked; I'm omitting the details for brevity. They lose the MC restriction
e. Paladins lose the MC restriction
d. Bards lose alighnment restriction. They may switch their longsword proficiency for another 1-handed martial weapon if they wish (i.e. scimitar)
f. Rogues gain sneak attack damage only with their first attack (first attack from each hand if TWF) automatically on a given creature, and only if it is unsuspecting. If they attack and, by some means lose the attention of the target they can re-attack and get the bonus damage again. In either case, the flanking bonus to hit is doubled, and gained regardless of whether there is anyone else to flank with or not (more like a 1E/2E backstab). If the rogue is flanking they gain their sneak attack damage only on a critical threat (regardless of whether it is confirmed or not) and only the normal flanking attack bonus. In no case will bonus damage be given against crit-immune targets, but they may gain the double bonus to hit against such targets
g. Sorcerers, and all other spontaneous casters gain one additional spell known per level, due to the large number of non-core spells available. Most other spontaneous casters may pick class-appropriate spells from other spell lists as well, subject to DM approval (mandatory at the time of selection)
h. Druids never gain the ability to turn into plants or elementals; animal forms are all that is available. Animal companions and animal forms are limited to regular animals; i.e. those that are found in the real world. Any animal with a special template or semi-real world form (i.e. dire) is automatically considered 2 HD larger than it actually is for both purposes.

Feats
1. Two-weapon fighting feats automatically incorporate their corresponding Two-Weapons Defense feat; no additional feat is needed to "buy" the defense; the exception is generalist rangers described above who must buy the defense portion if they want it. The dexterity requirement for all such feats is reduced to 12.
2. Natural Spell is prohibited
3. Quicken, Silent, and Still Spell are prohibited, as are any divine equivalents
4. Any feat or other ability that reduces metamagic costs is prohibited
5. Weapon finesse automatically applies to raipiers and light weapons, although the character may use strength if they wish. If the weapon finesse feat is taken, it allows the character to apply dexterity to attack rolls with one-handed swords, sword-like weapons, and the Elven Courtblade, including the bastard sword if proficient and used one-handed.
6. General feats are gained at level 1 and every even level threafter i.e. 1, 2, 4 rather than 1, 3, 6.

Equipment
1. Bastard Swords do 1d12 damage when used with 2 hands
2. Elven Court Blades do 1d12 damage
3. Banded Mail is medium armor; arcane failure is reduced to 30%, skill check to -5
4. Chain Mail has arcane failure reduced to 25%, skill check reduced to -4
5. Breastplates are heavy armor; skill penalty is increased to -5
6. Splint mail has arcane failure reduced to 30%, dexterity bonus is increased to +2, skill penalty is reduced to -6
7. Half-plate allows a dexterity bonus of +1, arcane failure is reduced to 35%
8. Full plate has a skill check penalty of -7 and arcane failure of 40%
(I'm still tweaking the armor ones a bit)
9. Mithril armor does not reduce armor to a lighter category. It retains all other benefits.

Spells
Banned spells: Miracle/Wish, Limited Wish, Contingency, Celerity
Modified heavily: Time stop(1 round only), mordenkainen's mansion, gate, polymorph/p. any object/shapechange, generally with significantly reduced durations. Most higher-level divinations are less reliable in some way or other.
I haven't bothered to go through all the splatbooks and scrub them. I reserve the right to drop the banhammer instantly on problem spells

General
If you think something is a "win button", it will probably get nerfed very quickly. If it's an infinite loop ability combo like pun-pun, its banned whether I thought of it or not. You get one cycle of the "loop"; when you reach the start point it ceases working. In general, don't bother picking abilities because you think they're unbeatable; if they are they'll be nerfed. (diplomancy is an excellent example. Forget the table; it doesn't exist)

Never try to one-up another character in the party. I'm loose on this one, but generally I look at whether a character is actually trying to one-up another, not just if they're capable of it. If two characters have a rivalry, don't let it become a metagame rivalry of the players.

Never mention "balance". The game is "balanced" when everyone is having fun. On that note, never complain that someone else's character is "suboptimal", "hurting the group", or "brokenly powerful" etc. You can give people build advice but if they decide to build an "underpowered" combo, that's my problem, not yours. As long as they roleplay the character in a way the build supports, it's perfectly fine

By the same token, optomizing and min-maxing within reason is encouraged. I don't mind tough characters; I have more of a safety factor in throwing hard encounters at you.

Don't try the 15-minute adventure routine other than occasionally. I'll make it my mission to cause a TPW if you do. (This one is half-tounge-in-cheek.)

Chronos
2008-09-20, 04:32 PM
One that I'm absolutely certain of:
Any metamagic cost reducers (metamagic rods, sudden metamagics, divine metamagic, etc.) can be used only if you can cast high-enough level spells to cast the spell without the reducers. So, for instance, a cleric with DMM: Persist could use a first-level slot to cast persisted Divine Favor, but not until he's 13th level (because that's when you can first cast a persisted Divine Favor without DMM).

A few others that look like they should work well on paper, but which I haven't seen in a game:
Casting on the defensive is removed from the game. If you're casting a spell in a threatened area, you provoke an AoO. Try to avoid getting into melee in the first place. I'm also considering changing the Concentration DC for getting hit while spellcasting.

A five-foot step can be taken as an immediate action (subject to the usual restrictions on one five-foot step and one swift/immediate action per round). This effectively removes the option of a spellcasting stepping out of the threatened area and then casting a spell: The fighter you just stepped away from can follow you and still threaten.

Shields, in addition to providing their base bonus to AC, also let you add your Dex bonus again, up to a maximum depending on the shield type. Bucklers have no base AC bonus, but the highest potential Dex bonus, while heavier shields have a higher base but lower Dex cap. I ran the numbers on this one once, and it seems to bring sword-and-board up to approximately the same level as two-handed weapon fighting (with an emphasis on defense rather than offense, of course).


Rich's Diplomacy variant, meanwhile, is an improvement, but it still has its quirks. For instance, it makes it impossible for high-level characters untrained in Diplomacy to ever make any deal with each other, since neither one of them will ever agree to a fair deal. Better, I think, to mostly use his rules, but make it an opposed skill check instead of a flat dependence on level to resist it.

brant167
2008-09-20, 05:16 PM
What about constructs and undead? Are they still vulnerable to poison, despite not having a metabolism?


The trouble with that is that it gimps non-diplomatic players. I don't have to have bulging muscles to play my 18-str barbarian, why should I have to be able to think up good arguments on the fly to play my 18-cha bard?

Yeah, didn't explain that well enough. If a monster obviously should obviously be immune to something then it is immune. The rule is mostly in place for playing epic games, at that point its almost impossible to affect the players with even the most basic attack. Usually my games involve much more player vs npc with class levels then player vs monster.
Coming up with a argument isn't a given with a high charisma. Charisma determines how well your argument comes through. The negotiation skill is the characters ability to finely tone his/her argument instead of using diplomacy to make it for them. It encourages much more role playing instead of just having a 96 diplomacy check and the player saying, "i eat the most fruit cups so you should worship me" and suddenly having a cult following.
The other benefit of a negotiation skill is that it is dependant on the npc's negotiation roll not a chart that turns someone to poorly defined categories of likeability. Basically taking away the I win button diplomacy has become and turning it into a skill check like hide vs. move silently while still encouraging role playing by rewarding a bonus to the check depending on how well the characters argument is.

Epinephrine
2008-09-20, 05:38 PM
A five-foot step can be taken as an immediate action (subject to the usual restrictions on one five-foot step and one swift/immediate action per round). This effectively removes the option of a spellcasting stepping out of the threatened area and then casting a spell: The fighter you just stepped away from can follow you and still threaten.

I somewhat agree with making it tougher for casters, it's way too easy to cast in melee. Doesn't this make full withdrawals impossible though, or do you modify them as well?

Chronos
2008-09-20, 09:13 PM
Withdrawal is a full-round action, and completely unrelated to the 5-foot step. A wizard can still withdraw, but he can't cast anything until the next turn.

Epinephrine
2008-09-20, 09:35 PM
Withdrawal is a full-round action, and completely unrelated to the 5-foot step. A wizard can still withdraw, but he can't cast anything until the next turn.

Yes, but a full withdrawal only protects you for the first 5 feet. If the enemy can take a 5 foot step as an immediate action, he can follow you 5 feet and get AoO on you. Was just pointing it out.

Chronos
2008-09-20, 09:47 PM
Hm, good point. OK, that needs work.

only1doug
2008-09-21, 07:01 AM
Yes, but a full withdrawal only protects you for the first 5 feet. If the enemy can take a 5 foot step as an immediate action, he can follow you 5 feet and get AoO on you. Was just pointing it out.

Houserule: Full withdrawal protects you for the first 5 feet and against anyone who uses a 5 foot step as an immediate action for the purposes of placing you within their threatened area.

There ya go, Fixed.

Epinephrine
2008-09-21, 08:02 AM
Houserule: Full withdrawal protects you for the first 5 feet and against anyone who uses a 5 foot step as an immediate action for the purposes of placing you within their threatened area.

There ya go, Fixed.

You are fighting, don't take a 5 foot step on your turn. During an ally's turn, they down the foe between them and the BBEG who can now charge at them/fire unobstructed at them, etc. 5 foot immediate action step in the way to prevent/provide cover.

Realise you are in a line with an ally after his turn, setting you up for a nasty lightning bolt/line attack, enemy steps into position to cast it and as an immediate action you step out of the line.

It just seems like it introduces the need for more little houserules, when perhaps it could be fixed by making a foot step when spellcasting trigger AoO instead, or something targetting spellcasters and 5 foot steps while threatened, rather than introducing a whole new mechanism.

Bandededed
2008-09-21, 12:02 PM
A five-foot step can be taken as an immediate action (subject to the usual restrictions on one five-foot step and one swift/immediate action per round). This effectively removes the option of a spellcasting stepping out of the threatened area and then casting a spell: The fighter you just stepped away from can follow you and still threaten.

Is this 5 ft step still unavailable if you have moved in the round previous? I would think not, now that the movement has a cost, but this allows for other, more tactical and possibly broken situations.

The other problem, is if it is unavailable, you (the fighter) probably have to move to get next to the wizard in the first place. Then you can't follow him.


Shields, in addition to providing their base bonus to AC, also let you add your Dex bonus again, up to a maximum depending on the shield type. Bucklers have no base AC bonus, but the highest potential Dex bonus, while heavier shields have a higher base but lower Dex cap. I ran the numbers on this one once, and it seems to bring sword-and-board up to approximately the same level as two-handed weapon fighting (with an emphasis on defense rather than offense, of course).

Nice to be remembered :smallwink:! I'm glad someone is actually using that.


You are fighting, don't take a 5 foot step on your turn. During an ally's turn, they down the foe between them and the BBEG who can now charge at them/fire unobstructed at them, etc. 5 foot immediate action step in the way to prevent/provide cover.

Is there a problem with this use? It'd be a good mechanic to mimic defending an ally, and you do put yourself in danger to do it.


Realise you are in a line with an ally after his turn, setting you up for a nasty lightning bolt/line attack, enemy steps into position to cast it and as an immediate action you step out of the line.

Oh, your enemies always use line attacks? And your fighters can identify spells? Nothing stops the DM from using a Cone instead (they can't get that far away) or even using their immediate 5ft step (if allowed) to get back in line (depending on distance between and other factors)

Eldariel
2008-09-21, 12:09 PM
The problem with immediate 5' steps is that it completely demolishes the whole point of 5-foot steps - the reason they exist in the first place is to close in on creatures with bigger reach without provoking. Suddenly, when you use it for that, they can take a 5' step away from you and deny you your entire attack and you're forced to provoke and attack as a standard action, or stand there while they pound you into submission. Basically, I don't think that rule really makes that much sense - much more efficient to just remove 5' steps entirely, or make them swift actions.

Talanic
2008-09-21, 03:49 PM
Oh, I forgot one.

Bluff: Success on a bluff check convinces the target that YOU believe what you say is true. It does not compel THEM to believe what you say is true.

Chronos
2008-09-21, 04:27 PM
The problem with immediate 5' steps is that it completely demolishes the whole point of 5-foot steps - the reason they exist in the first place is to close in on creatures with bigger reach without provoking.I'm not really seeing that... If the monster has reach 5' greater than me, then I can use regular movement to enter his first threatened square, and then I have to wait until the next turn to take my five-foot step (since you can't take one in the same round as regular movement). Sure, I've avoided the AoO, but I've taken a full attack, instead. Plus, the monster can then just take a five-foot on its turn after full-attacking me, and I'm back to where I started. It gets even worse, if the monster's reach is 10' more than mine.

I always figured that the reason for the 5' step was to switch targets in the middle of a full attack. Like, if there are two goblins in a five-foot-wide corridor, after I use my first attack to kill the one in front, I can take a step up to attack the second one.

DigoDragon
2008-09-22, 07:46 AM
Actually the most realistic way to deal with falling damage would be to use one die, and just increase the die size as distance increases. So at 10' you would take 1d4 damage and at 500' you would take 1d100 damage.

So if I fall 500' I might take only 1 point of damage? :smallsmile:
I'm suddenly reminded of the book "Murphy's rules" where it states in D&D 2e a 14th level fighter with average HP can survive a fall from any height.

Thane of Fife
2008-09-22, 08:04 AM
So if I fall 500' I might take only 1 point of damage?

2e Player's Handbook:


People have actually fallen from great heights and survived, albeit very rarely.... Nicholas S. Alkemade actually fell 18,000 feet - almost 3.5 miles - without a parachute and landed uninjured!

Nicholas Alkemade (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nick_Alkemade)

Epinephrine
2008-09-22, 08:31 AM
I agree about the "one die" thing, for falling, but it should be a really big die.

The number of people who survive 50+ foot falls is pretty small. By the time you hit 100 feet the damage die should be something like a d600, so that even average damage is virtually certain to kill any PC. Sure, you could roll low enough for a commoner to survive, but the odds are against it. There you go - roll a d(6*(fall distance/10')^2). That's a d6 for 10', d24 for 20'. d54 for 30', etc. Nice damages of 3.5, 12.5, 27.5 and so on as averages, and it REALLY pays off to make that tumble check to reduce the fall by 10'. Jumping down and a tumble check can reduce fall distance by 20', allowing even regulars to survive 30' drops sometimes (don't forget to modify the damage for softer landing surfaces - you can survive a jump onto grass much better than onto pavement/cobblestones), but realistically you are going to get hurt jumping off the 5th floor of a building, and very few people will survive a 100' drop.

Eldariel
2008-09-22, 09:23 AM
II always figured that the reason for the 5' step was to switch targets in the middle of a full attack. Like, if there are two goblins in a five-foot-wide corridor, after I use my first attack to kill the one in front, I can take a step up to attack the second one.

I don't remember, but it was stated that the reason they exist is to approach larger opponents without trouble. I mean, they move to attack you, then you'd have to provoke an AoO to get in. That was what they wanted to counteract. My opinion? Whole 5' step crap is unnecessary hassle and should be removed from the game (or made into a swift action that provokes an AoO).

sonofzeal
2008-09-22, 10:57 AM
Oh, I forgot one.

Bluff: Success on a bluff check convinces the target that YOU believe what you say is true. It does not compel THEM to believe what you say is true.
Well, yeah. That's why you need to beat their Sense Motive by +50 in order to treat it as "Suggestion". Epic Uses of Bluff ftw!

Curmudgeon
2008-09-22, 03:10 PM
There you go - roll a d(6*(fall distance/10')^2). That's a d6 for 10', d24 for 20'. d54 for 30', etc. You shouldn't square the damage based on distance. One of the things the D&D creators got physically right is to make damage linear with distance. Damage is based on energy transferred on impact, which is proportional to the square of the velocity. Velocity (up until air resistance makes a significant contribution) goes up linearly with time, and consequently as the square root of distance over which you accelerate. Square of a square root = linear correlation between falling distance and energy at impact.

Epinephrine
2008-09-22, 03:32 PM
You shouldn't square the damage based on distance. One of the things the D&D creators got physically right is to make damage linear with distance. Damage is based on energy transferred on impact, which is proportional to the square of the velocity. Velocity (up until air resistance makes a significant contribution) goes up linearly with time, and consequently as the square root of distance over which you accelerate. Square of a square root = linear correlation between falling distance and energy at impact.

I know that potential energy increases linearly with height*, but we're not actually interested in modelling energy/energy transfer, but rather modelling the probability of survival and the amount of damage that is caused to the body, which is non-linear in behaviour. I was trying to get a rapidly diminishing chance of survival that never hits zero. There are nonlinearities at the material level (energy required to cause tears/fractures, etc)as well as at the behavioural level (transition from velocities at which one can control the impact to velocities which exceed our ability to respond and redirect forces).

It's obviously nonlinear, as there are fall distances that simply don't hurt people normally - jumping off small objects. Then very quickly, we hit a velocity at which the average person begins suffering serious injury, though it's a height at which trained athletes can still absorb the impact; following that we get a point at which the energy exceeds the amount that an athletic, trained person can absorb.

The step-wise non-linearities can be well modeled with the jump down/tumble check rules, with the rapidly diminishing chance of survival modeled by the squared term :) The other way to get the small chance of small damage is to increase the number of dice (as the D&D rules do) - this gives a bell-like shape, but the minimum damage rises quickly past the point that a peasant can survive, so going to a single big die allows for the freak falls that some people have - babies falling from 8th floor balconies and surviving.

*and hence kinetic energy at impact as well. This assumes a large planet like the earth - obviously when you get into smaller masses attracting each other it doesn't work as well to treat them as points, etc. We're assuming a constant acceleration, which really only works if the distance from the gravitational center is sufficiently large compared to the distances fallen. See, I know my physics too :smallbiggrin:

Curmudgeon
2008-09-22, 03:45 PM
we're not actually interested in modelling energy/energy transfer, but rather modelling the probability of survival and the amount of damage that is caused to the body, which is non-linear in behaviour. Then you need to junk the entire hit point system, because the chance of surviving a single sword thrust is pretty low, too. It's just bizarre to have unrealistic modeling of survivability in all other respects, but make falling as dangerous as in real life. Make that change and suddenly height becomes a huge tactical advantage instead of a mere +1 bonus for being on higher ground. Enemies will stage ambushes to bull rush opponents off small cliffs, or into wells. Large flying creatures that can grapple opponents and then drop them will have insta-kills. Reverse Gravity becomes likely death with no save rather than a battlefield control spell. Feather Fall becomes more important than Haste.

Epinephrine
2008-09-22, 03:52 PM
Then you need to junk the entire hit point system, because the chance of surviving a single sword thrust is pretty low, too. It's just bizarre to have unrealistic modeling of survivability in all other respects, but make falling as dangerous as in real life. Make that change and suddenly height becomes a huge tactical advantage instead of a mere +1 bonus for being on higher ground. Enemies will stage ambushes to bull rush opponents off small cliffs, or into wells. Large flying creatures that can grapple opponents and then drop them will have insta-kills. Reverse Gravity becomes likely death with no save rather than a battlefield control spell. Feather Fall becomes more important than Haste.

Well, I always took the HP system to be a measure of experience in combat, etc. While it may affect your toughness to some extent in dealing with falls, it may be thought of as knowing how to fight/fall, etc. We don't describe a sword hit that deals 8 damage to a 200 HP barbarian as a thrust to the gut, but rather a nick, a blow that glanced off a parry and caused a small wound.

I guess I have trouble seeing how anyone can benefit that much from experience when it comes to big falls. Sure, you might know a bit about surviving a fall, and maybe you can take a 20 or 30 foot fall better than most - but if you fall a long way the only way you survive is chance. The HP model that allows tough guys to repeatedly bungie jump with no bungie is (in my mind) a ludicrous system anyway. 20d6 damage cap is 70 damage or so. A 200 hit point fighter can climb to the top of a 500 foot clif, BASE jump off with no chute, climb back up and try again - and still likely walk it off.

I agree though that it does increase the deadliness of falls, though I think in a pretty reasonable way.

Prometheus
2008-09-22, 04:12 PM
-Everyone starts with Quick Draw, except those who use it as part of bizarre builds (who need to take it) and those who need it as a requirement (an alternate feat is selected as the requirement)
-Touch spells have critical successes and failure
-If you take a Skill Focus in a skill, it is forever a class skill
-Special abilities that grant sneak attacks against creatures not ordinarily subject to sneak attacks impart relevant status effects rather than damage (i.e. slow or confuse an undead, reduce the hardness of a construct, stun an ooze)
-A monk may make any number of stunning fist attempts per round as he/she wishes (they don't stack), and may choose to receive an additional full-attack against a creature instead of a stun (on a successful stun).
-there exists superior catapults and ballistas that do more damage
-lots of homebrew, including everything of Vorpal Tribble

Curmudgeon
2008-09-22, 04:29 PM
Well, I always took the HP system to be a measure of experience in combat, etc. But that's not the case in certain circumstances, such as being on the receiving end of a coup de grace. Assuming usual Fortitude saves it will take over a dozen coup de grace hits with a dagger to kill the 200 HP Barbarian, but 1 or 2 to end the life of a 1st level character. Experience in combat doesn't help when you're unconscious and naked -- yet the hit point system still keeps you alive.

You're talking about remodeling a major portion of the game, and that's fine if it's what you intend. It would make some things really interesting, such as a Favored Soul casting Antimagic Field and bringing death to all opponents using magical flight -- flying just above the plummeting enemy to keep them in the AMF radius, and pulling up at 10' altitude just as a bloody smear is created on the ground. And you could kill dragons easily by forcing them into stalls. Your change would make fear of heights a requirement rather than a phobia.

Personally, I'll stick with my simple 50d6 instead of 20d6 falling damage cap house rule. It makes long falls generally deadly without a major revamp of the system.

Epinephrine
2008-09-22, 05:05 PM
Personally, I'll stick with my simple 50d6 instead of 20d6 falling damage cap house rule. It makes long falls generally deadly without a major revamp of the system.

Fair enough, I was just suggesting a possibility. My love of the GURPS system's deadliness is likely biasing my perspective :)

sonofzeal
2008-09-22, 07:16 PM
-Touch spells have critical successes and failure
Already true, more or less. Any spell with an attack roll (touch or otherwise) is a "weapon-like spell" and can critical or fumble, and can carry Sneak Attack or other nifty things like that.


-A monk may make any number of stunning fist attempts per round as he/she wishes (they don't stack)
Also already true. Stunning Fist is something you can add on top of any melee attack. You're only limited by #/day.

Epinephrine
2008-09-22, 07:23 PM
Also already true. Stunning Fist is something you can add on top of any melee attack. You're only limited by #/day.

Not by RAW -


You may attempt a stunning attack once per day for every four levels you have attained (but see Special), and no more than once per round.

The Special points out that monks have more stunning fist attacks, but doesn't remove the limit of once per round.

sonofzeal
2008-09-22, 07:49 PM
Not by RAW -

The Special points out that monks have more stunning fist attacks, but doesn't remove the limit of once per round.
Ah, my mistake. Carry on. :smallcool:

Yahzi
2008-09-22, 08:44 PM
I've tried a lot of houserules, but the only one I am throughly happy with is:

Max hitpoints. for every level, for everyone (including monsters).

Also, of course, just winging Diplomacy and Leadership. Really, anything you make up on the spot is going to be less game-breaking, inconsistent, or stupid than the existing rules.