Some Houserules for EtCR

[Dusk Eclipse]

I just got my grubby mits on a copy of Expedition to Castle Ravenloft and I am dying to run it; but before that I want to ask the playground to peruse some houserules that I am thinking on implementing.

Right now the list is not complete (as I left my notebook with the notes at school) and I will edit this post when I can.

Please note that many of them might increase the power level of the game, as a rule of thumb assume that is the purpose but if something feels REALLY of, please tell me.

Skill Related:

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• All classes get an extra 2 skill points (2+int becomes 4+int, 4+int becomes 6 +int and so on)
• Skill tricks in complete scoundrel can be used at willl with a cooldown of 1d3 rounds
• Move silenty and Hide Rolled into stealth
• Listen and spot rolled into perception
• Disable Device and Open lock rolled into Disable device
• Use of The Giant's Diplomacy rules
  

Classes:

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• Martial Adept classes (both official and homebrewed) are recomended
• Ranger is separated into two classes, Sublime Way Ranger(using normal FE progression), Mystic Ranger from Dragon
• Fighters Full atack routine penalties caps at BAB -5 (if fighter had bab 20 his itteratives would look like this: +20/+15/+15/+15
• Warblade can select fighter only bonus feats with his own bonues feats
• Specialist Casters (Beguiler, Dread Necromancer, Warmage) are encouraged instead of normal wizards (BTW I need suggestions for the magic schools that arent covered here)
• Sorcerers get eschew materials as a bonus feat at level 1 and rapid metamagic as a bonus feat at level 5
• Monk is banned use unarmed swordsage instead (if you MUST play a monk I will try to track down a good fix for you)

Feats:

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• Feats like stealthy, nimble fingers et al, now make the skill a class skill for all levels
• TWF tree is rolled into one scaling feat, ditto for TWD
• Non spellcasters can use Devotion feats 3/day (and can take extra turning to increase the number of uses per day)
• Feats are gained at level 1 and at every even level (2,4,6....)

Sources

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• All official WotC books allowe
• 3rth party allowed on case by case basis (though Hyperconcious has green light from the start)
• Setting specific stuff in other setting will be considered
• Dragon Magazine on case by case basis

Variants Used:

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• Weapon Groups are used
• Chain Variant is allowed (for example a feat rogue trading his 2 and 6 level feats for dungeoncrasher)
• Lay Buy off
• Non standard environmental variants and races of elemental plane will be considered on case by case basis
• Spell touched feats allowed
• Traits allowed
• Due the increased number of feats flaws are banned

And that is all for now, I may come up with more later or on the subsequent days.
So thoughts on them?

[herrhauptmann]

As a general rule to any ravenloft game, I'd say Radiant Servant and other super-turners should be banned. Really loses the 'horror' feel of the game when your cleric in the middle of castle ravenloft, can make even Lord Strahd turn and run like a chicken on fire.

Everybody getting a dozen feats, I think that really ruins the fighter, even with the attack sequence changes.
Perhaps for a partial monk change (not near enough), let his fists scale at the same rate as weapon enlargements. d6, 2d6, 3d6, 4d6, etc.

[Kylarra]

I really think you mean spot+listen -> perception and/or move silently + hide -> stealth, not move silently + hide -> perception.

[Dusk Eclipse]

As a general rule to any ravenloft game, I'd say Radiant Servant and other super-turners should be banned. Really loses the 'horror' feel of the game when your cleric in the middle of castle ravenloft, can make even Lord Strahd turn and run like a chicken on fire.

Everybody getting a dozen feats, I think that really ruins the fighter, even with the attack sequence changes.
Perhaps for a partial monk change (not near enough), let his fists scale at the same rate as weapon enlargements. d6, 2d6, 3d6, 4d6, etc.

I am trying to discourage playing core melee classes so the increased numbers of feats kinda works the way I want to.

As for the monk, as I said Unarmed Swordsage is much more stronger and I don't think I will have to track down one of the inumerable monk fixes, or at least I hope that

I really think you mean spot+listen -> perception and/or move silently + hide -> stealth, not move silently + hide -> perception.

:facepalm: you are right, thanks for the heads up, editing in a moment

[Curmudgeon]

You've just roughly doubled skills at the low end, but only boosted them 25% for Rogues/Scouts/other skill-focused classes. So what you've done is taken away much of the advantage of the skillful classes.

I suggest instead a 50% increase over the standard number. 2 + INT becomes 3 + INT, and 8 + INT becomes 12 + INT. It gives everybody more skill points but preserves the balance.

[Tyndmyr]

I like them. I don't say this often for house rules, but most of those are balanced, clean up minor annoying issues, and just make sense.