[3.5]Contemplating some house rules

[Tehnar]

Recently I was throwing some ideas around in my head so if you could comment, I would much appreciate it.

1) All characters and monster gain extra hp at first level/HD. Monsters have +10hp, characters with class levels gain hp depending on the hit die of their first character level d4=8, d6=10, d8=12, d10=15, d12=18. All spells and spell like abilities that don't primarily deal damage get a -2 penalty to their DC. Has anyone used this kind of system? What was it like?

2) Metamagic feats and CL raisers (above character level/HD) are forbidden. Note: I dont really have a problem with casters dominating my games. Im just wondering what kind of impact this houserule would have on the game. Lets please not evoke another debate of the type "wizard=god".

3) All spells cast in while wildshaped (courtesy of natural spell) have increased casting times. 1 standard action ==> 1 round, 1 round==>1 round +1 standard, swift==>move. Also dont have a problem with druids but if i ever implement house rule 2) I would probably implement this as well.

[Curmudgeon]

You're going to have some unintended consequences. For instance you'll be favoring spell resistance by leaving that alone but reducing spell saves. And the CL limit will favor multiclass casters like Mystic Theurges. So you'll still have a game dominated by spellcasting, just a bit different.

[Another_Poet]

Save DCs are actually pretty low without metamagic so I'd leave them alone, especially if you're not overhauling the whole castign system.

Extra HPs sound good.

Denying metamagic feats sounds fine, it shouldn't cause too many problems.

The wildshaped thing sounds like a small bandaid on a very big problem. Your best bet is to give the druid his/her choice of Animal Companion or Wildshape, but not both.

[Saph]

2) and 3) are reasonable enough - metamagic doesn't add much to the game, so you aren't losing a huge amount by taking it out, and Druids can manage fine with the altered rules. These won't have any major effect.

1) would change the balance of the game quite a bit, though. In particular, 1 HD monsters like goblins and kobolds would become WAY tougher, while single large monsters would become relatively weaker (because they'd benefit less from the HP increase). Not that that's necessarily bad, but it'd shake up tactics a bit.

- Saph

[valadil]

Those rules seem fair, balance wise, but I wouldn't want to play a caster. Without metamagic I don't find casters interesting.

Would the -2 DCs apply to bards? Their DCs are already gimped due to their decreased spell levels.

How about instead of -2 DCs to all non damaging spells its -2 to all schools outside of the caster's speciality, with bards, sorcs, and clerics picking a speciality (although it wouldn't get the wizard specialization bonuses).

[Tehnar]

Yes increasing hp to all will make kobolds and goblins and the like more a bit more deadly. Solo monsters and higher level PCs probably wont feel the change. If I decide to use this I will probably have to be more careful with lower level parties. From what I remember of my readthrough of pathfinder beta they have a optional rule like that. So I was wondering has anyone had semi extensive experience with increased hp all around.

Hmm what I never had is a problem with druid animal companions. Usually they die very quickly due to low AC and saves. Keeping buffs on them (via share spells) is in my experience very hard and often unpractical. As soon as a mosnter shows up with damage reduction they get the short end of the stick. Note: we play mostly core so I may not be aware of all the options.

Likewise a wildshaped druid in some forms is really powerfull melee combatant, but his usually low AC forces him to make a run for it very soon. Druids are also very vulnerable to dispell.


Edit as to not double post:
Did not think about bards, thanks for pointing that out. A bonus to their enchantment spells to negate the penalty perhaps?

[Vinotaur]

Well that CL rule effectively negates several things:

1) Wild Mages suck more.
2) Orange Ioun Stones cease to exist.
3) Beads of Karma the same.
4) Heirophant and Archmage lose an option.
5) Lots of Domain powers need revising, especially all the alignment ones.
6) The Sorcerer/Wizard class from complete Mage loses 1/4th of it's class features.

Of course, this basically makes SR superawesome, such a Monk wearing an item from MIC ignores 75% of all spells allowing SR, instead of maybe 50 if he's lucky. And monsters, well your Wizards are going to have to spec for no SR spells.