Suggested houserules (3.5)

[xanaphia]

I am planning to start a new campaign. What house rules should I use?

Our games are usually mainly RP based but with occasional combat. I would rather fighters not be useless. Any ideas?

[Tsotha-lanti]

House rules are, by definition, created by a specific group to change the game to suit their style, usually by addressing specific perceived problems. It is therefore impossible to answer your question, at least on the information you have provided.

[supermrjmt]

Our DM likes to have clerics spontaniously cast their domain spells rather than cure/inflict ones. It makes clerics more unique.

[RebelRogue]

Basically, you probably don't need any! Most real-life parties really don't encounter the problems so intensely magnified by many people on this forum.

Our DM likes to have clerics spontaniously cast their domain spells rather than cure/inflict ones. It makes clerics more unique.

Well, there's a Feat for that if you really want it...
Edit: Or is there? I think it read it the other way around. Anyway, that sounds like a power boost the cleric doesn't really need!

[KKL]

Houserule: Replace Fighters with Warblades.

But really, I don't have houserules, aside from "2+Int skill points become 4+int"

[The_JJ]

But she said suggested. Let's be helpful and not quibble over gaming terminology.



... What? You want me to help? I don't really do 3.5 in RL.

[Tsotha-lanti]

But she said suggested. Let's be helpful and not quibble over gaming terminology.

Suggesting house rules for problems the group may not have is not really sensible.

If this were RuneQuest, I'd have at ton of suggestions (since the Booke of Tentacles rules for shamanism and wizardry, for instance, are strictly superior to the ones in the rulebook), but it's a different kind of beast.

[Chineselegolas]

Monks are proficient with their unarmed strikes
Don't do Diplomacy by the book
Druids have to take a variant that gives up one of their abilities

[thegurullamen]

For tomes of houserules, look into Paizo's Pathfinder or FaxCelestis' d20Rebirth (in the homebrew section). The latter is incomplete, but what is done looks nice.

Unearthed Arcana's another tome-y route, but I'm sure you've looked into it already. (IF not, look at the supplemental or optional rules section of the http://www.d20srd.org .)

Really, those cover the majority of the houserules I've encountered, but other examples are

-Warblade/Swordsage/Crusader replace the Fighter/Monk/Paladin respectively
-Sorcerers can Quicken spells
-rewriting the Summon Monster/Nature's Ally selections
-NO BOOK OF EXALTED DEEDS/VILE DARKNESS

[Curmudgeon]

Here's what I use. The first 3 fix obvious rules goofs, the following 4 are for convenience, and the last 2 for realism.

1. Monks are proficient with their unarmed strikes.
2. Each ranged shot of a full attack provokes an attack of opportunity. (The actual rule says no full attacks provoke AoOs, without distinguishing between melee and ranged attacks.)
3. Feather Fall, redefined as an immediate action spell, can be cast while flat-footed.
4. All level 0 spells are cast spontaneously.
5. Apply Rapid Reload and Manyshot to slings (to a maximum of 4 bullets in the sling pouch).
6. Feats and item properties that work with heavy crossbows work the same with great crossbows (Races of Stone).
7. Make massive damage saves only when the amount also exceeds half your remaining hit points.
8. Falling damage caps at a maximum of 50d6 (actual terminal velocity).
9. You can split an actual move around a non-moving move action, such as walk to a door, open it, and continue through. (Or walk and chew gum at the same time. )

[supermrjmt]

For tomes of houserules, look into Paizo's Pathfinder or FaxCelestis' d20Rebirth (in the homebrew section). The latter is incomplete, but what is done looks nice.

Unearthed Arcana's another tome-y route, but I'm sure you've looked into it already. (IF not, look at the supplemental or optional rules section of the http://www.d20srd.org .)

Really, those cover the majority of the houserules I've encountered, but other examples are

-Warblade/Swordsage/Crusader replace the Fighter/Monk/Paladin respectively
-Sorcerers can Quicken spells
-rewriting the Summon Monster/Nature's Ally selections
-NO BOOK OF EXALTED DEEDS/VILE DARKNESS

The PH2 gives you the option to do that in place of a familiar.

[Innis Cabal]

Get rid of Death from Massive Damage. Its an awful way of dealing with truama.

At the start of play, 50 HP will outright kill you. Late play it bogs the game down to a point its just obscene.

[Curmudgeon]

The PH2 gives you the option to do that in place of a familiar.

Not exactly. You gain the ability to apply metamagic rapidly 3 + Int bonus times per day. That works with all metamagic feats, and isn't the same as generally allowing Quicken Spell to always work.

Sorcerers should just take Rapid Metamagic and be done with it, IMO.

[ericgrau]

I am planning to start a new campaign. What house rules should I use?

Our games are usually mainly RP based but with occasional combat. I would rather fighters not be useless. Any ideas?

Like Tsotha-lanti said, the best are none or else by your preference.

Beware of someone who blanketly says something major should always be changed. I hear about trouble-free games all the time with both fighters and casters. Most problems seem to be in theory, and are the exception not the rule. The best thing you can do is stick to core and allow all non-core material on a case-by-case basis. That's where most serious problems come from.

For the fighter do make sure you give appropriate WBL with a mix of +X gear (not just one strong item, as this will give less bang for the buck). To keep him interesing/fun, check out the rules on combat modifiers, readied actions (to disrupt the caster for example ) special attacks (sometimes even if you don't have the feat), dungeon features and environment/terrain features. That'll help strategy, and strategy is fun. Try kneeling (+2 AC) behind cover (+4 AC) and firing arrows at range before closing to melee, for example. If the opponent doesn't do the same, he'll quickly find pain. Standing still out in the open and hitting stuff isn't just boring, it's often bad strategy too.

[Innis Cabal]

Not exactly. You gain the ability to apply metamagic rapidly 3 + Int bonus times per day. That works with all metamagic feats, and isn't the same as generally allowing Quicken Spell to always work.

Sorcerers should just take Rapid Metamagic and be done with it, IMO.

They shouldn't have to take a feat to be a just OK class imo. That should be house ruled as a Level 1 ability of the same name. The PH2 option is an insult to the class in and of itself.

Its not even close to game breaking. So your Sorcerer can quicken spells! OH NO, he's still got less options then wizards. If you ask me, the rules should be switched. Wizards can't quicken cause casting the reworded spell takes longer to cast.

[Curmudgeon]

OH NO, he's still got less options then wizards.

I'm sure you meant to write "fewer" in place of "less". Right?

A Sorcerer who can -- on the fly -- decide to throw any of their metamagic feats into their spell mix seems to me to have more options than Wizards, who are stuck with whatever metamagic choices they happened to prepare for the day.

Also, it's never a good idea on these boards to use Wizards as your standard of comparison "to be a just OK class". That type of statement necessitates increasing your fire insurance coverage.

[Grail]

A real simple one that I use for HP.
1s on d6 become 2.
1s and 2s on d8 become 3.
1s, 2s and 3s on d10 become 4.
1s, 2s, 3s and 4s on d12 become 5.

Reduces the chance of losing out and rolling well below average, which for combat monkeys is important. At low levels especially, this becomes vital.

[Innis Cabal]

No, I didn't, I meant to write The Wizard.

And I didn't call Wizard an "O.K" class. I called the sorcerer class just O.K. For the record, I still think most of the UBER class's are only uber in theory, since most sane DM's have the power of the NO Stick(tm).

But back on topic.

Your telling me a sorcerer with fewer spell options then the wizard casting two of his six spells for lets say...level 3(Lets say he casts two fireballs)....today, tommorow and next week has -more options then the wizard who can cast two fireballs today, tommorow he gets to cast a Prismatic Wall and Flesh to Stone and next week he gets to cast one magic missle and a wail of the banshee. None of this is subject to how things actually work in the rules, its all really just the point that no matter how many spells a sorcerer can dump his meta-magics on, the wizard can dump them on the same spells today and change them tommorow.

But lets look at this from a fluff perspective to? A sorcerer's magic is in his blood, altering a spell from that should be second nature, it shouldn't even make him bat an eyelash once he's practiced it enough.

But a wizard has to -change- the spell. You can only get better through practice, and even then, every morning you have to sribe the spell differently then it is normally.

So what does that leave us. Well, again sorcerer should be able to meta on the fly, it's not all that unbalancing and would make them different then a watered down wizard. But a wizard? Oh boy. This just opens up alot of feats and maybe some "Balance" to the wizard. Wizards take longer to memorize their metamagic spells and because they are longer to say, full round action to cast a spell, so no quickens. You can make feats to get read of these.

[Devils_Advocate]

The problem with wizards and sorcerers and metamagic is those darned metamagic rods. Wizards normally can't apply metamagic on the fly at all, but the rods let them do it for no increase in casting time. Sorcerers can normally apply metamagic on the fly with an increased casting time... and the rods also let them apply metamagic on the fly with an increased casting time. The justification given for this is that sorcerers need longer to apply metamagic to their spells.

Does anyone else see a problem with that reasoning? It's like barring wizards and sorcerers from using helms of teleportation, because a wizard or sorcerer has to expend a spell slot to teleport...

My suggested solution: Ban metamagic rods. Casters are powerful enough without them. Failing that, limit their use to spontaneous casters. As it is, they let prepared casters horn in on spontaneous casters' rightful turf.

Edit: Banning the Quicken Spell feat probably makes the game more balanced at high levels, too. While we're at it, ban Natural Spell too if you're not changing the Druid.

[thegurullamen]

(Looks up.)

What hath I wrought?

Enough Sor/Wiz bickering.

Back on the REAL topic, look at the early sections of the PHBII for some good alternative class features.

Another minor houserule is that you can take a +2/+2 skill feat (like Acrobatic or Stealthy) but apply the bonuses to any two feats of your choosing. There's a joke thread about this somewhere, but it's not a bad idea overall.

Unless you take ADD or Holy Diver. Or Sneaky Surgeon.

[Paramour Pink]

Fluffy feats and skill points.
Giant's Diplomacy Variant.
Monks being given full BAB.

Those are the houserules that I've come across and like so far.

[PinkysBrain]

Since you mention fighter I assume it's a core only game (otherwise why make a pure fighter?).

You can always make up the difference with powerful custom magic items with spell abilities ... with some exceptions the standard magic items with spell abilities in D&D tend to be a bit meh because they all take standard actions. Sure they can still be powerful but they don't tend to synergize with the character's own abilities, rather they replace them. Swift activation suits the fighter much better (boots of speed are one of the rare examples of a good spell ability item).

Since it's a RP game I assume the players won't mind if you occasionally skip the random loot table and throw them some custom loot which specifically suits their characters.

PS. I agree with simply banning metamagic rods.

[Tempest Fennac]

These are the houserules which I use: http://mydndgame.com/?action=campaign-view&campaign=203 (I also ban BoED and BoVD due to hating the fluff in those books). I'd probably let Monks have full BAB as well.

[The Antigamer]

I like combining Jump Climb and swim into athletics to free up skill points. Oh, and having a once a class skill, always a class skill policy. I'm also considering giving each PC 4 + int skill points each round just to spend on knowledge skills.

[Telonius]

Some of my standard houserules:

Weapon Finesse does not have any prerequisites.
Natural Spell does not exist.
Monks get full BAB.
Sorcerers get free Eschew Materials.
Bards and Barbarians can be lawful; Monks can be chaotic; add the Freedom, Tyranny, and Slaughter Paladin variants.
Each adventurer is issued a Handy Haversack free of charge.
Vorpal weapons don't exist, unless I'm sending you against the Jabberwocky (which will be an epic-level foe).

There are other random little ones, but those are the most mechanically important.

[Epinephrine]

Some of our house rules:

No Wildshape druids - shapeshift, the UA variants, etc.

Tumbling has a DC of 12+ the opponent's reflex save, must be rolled against each foe. Without this characters with decent dex and tumble don't ever take an AoO, from mid levels onward.

Casting Defensively likewise has a DC of 12+opponents Reflex save+spell level, and must be rolled against each foe. Without this the concentration checks become pretty much automatic for casters (DC 15+spell level when you've got at least level+3 as a modifier?). Choosing to stand in front of an armed enemy to cast is risky.

The ability requirements for feats are pretty optional. For most combat feats I allow the player's combat stat to substitute for the required stat.
i.e., Power Attack, which requires 13 Strength could be taken with a 13 Dex if one had Weapon Finesse, or with a 13 Wisdom if one had Inutive Attack.
Logic being roughly -
Strength = substitute accuracy for power
Dexterity = try for more difficult shot to weak spot
Wisdom = take a gamble based on understanding your foe's movement, try to use his movement against him

I don't see much point in most of the ability requirements anyway. You don't have to be that superior an intellect to learn how to disarm a foe or trip them, for example - or to practice fighting defensively - yet all these require 13 Int.

[Triaxx]

Skill Focus may be taken as a +3 bonus for a class skill, or to make a cross class skill into a class skill.
All weapons are one die larger than stated, with Great Axes becoming 2d8 weapons.

[Sir Giacomo]

I am planning to start a new campaign. What house rules should I use?

Our games are usually mainly RP based but with occasional combat. I would rather fighters not be useless. Any ideas?

I think for a start you can get by without houserules - in RP based campaigns you may wish to play without the diplomacy skill, though.
When combats start to become one-sided and/or boring, you can check whether it's because the characters are too weak/strong, or if there is any particular rule that bothers you. Then just leave that out.

Since you say "occasional combat", it could mean that only once every session (or even rarer) or once per gaming day there is a combat. This greatly favours classes that have a limited amount of power per day - like spellcasters. So you could think about either reducing their spells per level or that they can only recover them 1/week to reflect the frequency of combat in your game.

- Giacomo

[Murphy80]

- all skills cost 1 skill point (max ranks still apply)
- half orc have a -2 (chr or int), players choice

Here's what I use. The first 3 fix obvious rules goofs...

1. Monks are proficient with their unarmed strikes.
2. Each ranged shot of a full attack provokes an attack of opportunity. (The actual rule says no full attacks provoke AoOs, without distinguishing between melee and ranged attacks.)

Why isn't a humanoid prof with it's unarmed attack? Where does it say a dog is prof with it's bite? It's not listed in the dog entry.

Check out this thread, it turns into a discussion on ranged full attacks and AoO;
http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=1120580

[Curmudgeon]

Tumbling has a DC of 12+ the opponent's reflex save, must be rolled against each foe. Without this characters with decent dex and tumble don't ever take an AoO, from mid levels onward.

Generally these are the characters with low AC and HP, so why is it a bad thing that they don't take AoOs from movement? There are plenty of ways (Karmic Strike and Robilar's Gambit feats, Thicket of Blades stance) to generate AoOs even with awesome Tumble skills, so I'm wondering why you see the need for this house rule?