Bite-sized houserules [Archive] - Wizards Community

Bite-sized houserules [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Doopliss
12-18-05, 01:08 PM I figured it might be a good idea to have one of these, as similar threads always become a treasure trove for DMs. Nice, small houserules are easy to put into a game and can fix a surprising amount of problems.

As for mine, have a pre-set sense motive DC(20 or 25, most likely) during delicate social situations to get a 'hunch' if someone is speaking the truth. You get the opposite hunch that you would on a success if you miss a sense motive by 15, consider rolling sense motive checks in secret. This way, the players can't instantly metagame with the knowledge that, if it requires a sense motive, it's a lie, and 'hunches,' are just hunches..
danielinthewolvesden
12-18-05, 01:38 PM There is a forum just for Houserules. This isn't it. Sorry.
AlanBruce
12-18-05, 01:45 PM I have my own house rule for character generation. If the player is dissatisfied with his first rolled character, they may reroll again. However, for the next 3 levels, their XP will have a 10% penalty. The players don't seem to mind, except that one rerolled 3 times. And each reroll carries a cumulative 10% xp penalty.
Doopliss
12-18-05, 07:27 PM oh, wasn't thinking...doh...
imperialjunkie
12-18-05, 07:56 PM There is a forum just for Houserules. This isn't it. Sorry.
Man, do you have any idea how many threads here belong elsewhere? It's pretty funny. This one (What's a DM to do?) tends to get a lot of traffic so it gets a hodge-podge of topics.

That said, the main houserule I use is Action Points. I don't run Eberron, but I liked their use of Action Points so I adopted it. Makes for less dead PCs, which makes for a happier group.
olshanski_home
12-18-05, 08:18 PM As for mine, have a pre-set sense motive DC(20 or 25, most likely) during delicate social situations to get a 'hunch' if someone is speaking the truth.Before using house rules, I prefer to look at the players handbook and see if the rule already exists. In this case, I'd look under the Skills section and see what the players handbook has to say about sense motive:
SENSE MOTIVE (WIS)
Check: A successful check lets you avoid being bluffed (see the Bluff skill). You can also use this skill to determine when “something is up” (that is, something odd is going on) or to assess someone’s trustworthiness.
Hunch (DC 20): This use of the skill involves making a gut assessment of the social situation. You can get the feeling from another’s behavior that something is wrong, such as when you’re talking to an impostor. Alternatively, you can get the feeling that someone is trustworthy.

As for my own bite-sized houserule:
I rule that you cannot cleave or great cleave during your own attack of opportunity. This is to prevent the old "bag o rats" trick.
Zetakya
12-18-05, 08:33 PM I houserule that PCs with positive INT modifiers may, during character creation (and only during character creation) choose to take a skill and treat it for all purposes as a class skill instead of taking an additional language.
olshanski_home
12-18-05, 08:55 PM I houserule that PCs with positive INT modifiers may, during character creation (and only during character creation) choose to take a skill and treat it for all purposes as a class skill instead of taking an additional language.So, every wizard in your game has tumble and escape artist as class skills?
ChaoticGood
12-18-05, 10:46 PM No, no, no, olshanski...they're smart... They choose Hide and Move Silently!

Actually, I kind of like that house rule. I regularly score 14 to 16 Int on those "what would your D&D stats be?" quizzes, but I am absolutely terrible at foreign languages. I speak decent German, but that's after six and a half years of study! I also know a little bit of Spanish and Koine Greek, but I certainly wouldn't say I speak those languages. So that house rule makes sense to me.

My own contribution: We have a roll-off with the DM to determine hit points each level. The DM rolls in secret, and we must choose our own roll, or his. Naturally, you only choose the DMs roll if your own is exceptionally low, such as a 1 or 2.
MinusInnocence
12-19-05, 12:52 AM After rolling initiative, in reverse-count we declare our actions for the first round of combat. So, Jimmy - 19, Stan - 13, Goblins - 21, Pete - 8, Pete would declare first. Then Stan, then Jimmy, so the DM (running the goblins, obviously) can base his decision off what everyone else seems to be preparing. This only applies during the first round of combat.

A special dilemma comes up when using this houserule: what if what you declared is no longer a viable action? In this case, consider instituting an Initiative Count penalty, perhaps -5. So, if Stan's action no longer makes sense (maybe Jimmy killed the goblin Stan was targeting), he drops to 8, tying with Pete; the one with the higher Dexterity goes first. I'm considering dropping this house rule because of complications like this.

When rolling a natural 1 on the Initiative check, you are effectively Dazed for the entire round. Since this is the first round, however, you are also treated as being flat-footed (because you haven't acted yet).
Talonz
12-19-05, 01:02 AM This way, the players can't instantly metagame with the knowledge that, if it requires a sense motive, it's a lie, and 'hunches,' are just hunches..

Have your players record 5 columns of d20 rolls on a sheet of paper, along with their character name and relevant skill mods for any 'hidden' die rolls you want made for them. As the game progresses, you can use that sheet for whatever you want, without them knowing. Or even more likely, with them knowing, but not knowing what the dieroll was.
MinusInnocence
12-19-05, 05:28 AM On the topic of players assuming the worst when you roll dice: it's not really a houserule but I roll dice all the time. Most of the time this has nothing at all to do with the game, I'm just rolling dice. They don't know any better, I'm using a Screen! I have an index card for each PC with all of the relevant skill bonuses, their BAB, saves, etc.

The relevant skills for this purpose are things like Listen, Spot, Sense Motive, Forgery, Use Rope, etc. Things the character wouldn't immediately realize he failed the check on. Clearly, they can roll stuff like Climb or Jump themselves - they either succeeded or they didn't, there's no big secret there. But sometimes when they Bluff, an NPC can see right through the lie but not say anything, so as to trap the hero later on.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Doopliss 12-18-05, 01:08 PM	I figured it might be a good idea to have one of these, as similar threads always become a treasure trove for DMs. Nice, small houserules are easy to put into a game and can fix a surprising amount of problems. As for mine, have a pre-set sense motive DC(20 or 25, most likely) during delicate social situations to get a 'hunch' if someone is speaking the truth. You get the opposite hunch that you would on a success if you miss a sense motive by 15, consider rolling sense motive checks in secret. This way, the players can't instantly metagame with the knowledge that, if it requires a sense motive, it's a lie, and 'hunches,' are just hunches..
danielinthewolvesden 12-18-05, 01:38 PM	There is a forum just for Houserules. This isn't it. Sorry.
AlanBruce 12-18-05, 01:45 PM	I have my own house rule for character generation. If the player is dissatisfied with his first rolled character, they may reroll again. However, for the next 3 levels, their XP will have a 10% penalty. The players don't seem to mind, except that one rerolled 3 times. And each reroll carries a cumulative 10% xp penalty.
Doopliss 12-18-05, 07:27 PM	oh, wasn't thinking...doh...
imperialjunkie 12-18-05, 07:56 PM	There is a forum just for Houserules. This isn't it. Sorry. Man, do you have any idea how many threads here belong elsewhere? It's pretty funny. This one (What's a DM to do?) tends to get a lot of traffic so it gets a hodge-podge of topics. That said, the main houserule I use is Action Points. I don't run Eberron, but I liked their use of Action Points so I adopted it. Makes for less dead PCs, which makes for a happier group.
olshanski_home 12-18-05, 08:18 PM	As for mine, have a pre-set sense motive DC(20 or 25, most likely) during delicate social situations to get a 'hunch' if someone is speaking the truth.Before using house rules, I prefer to look at the players handbook and see if the rule already exists. In this case, I'd look under the Skills section and see what the players handbook has to say about sense motive: SENSE MOTIVE (WIS) Check: A successful check lets you avoid being bluffed (see the Bluff skill). You can also use this skill to determine when “something is up” (that is, something odd is going on) or to assess someone’s trustworthiness. Hunch (DC 20): This use of the skill involves making a gut assessment of the social situation. You can get the feeling from another’s behavior that something is wrong, such as when you’re talking to an impostor. Alternatively, you can get the feeling that someone is trustworthy. As for my own bite-sized houserule: I rule that you cannot cleave or great cleave during your own attack of opportunity. This is to prevent the old "bag o rats" trick.
Zetakya 12-18-05, 08:33 PM	I houserule that PCs with positive INT modifiers may, during character creation (and only during character creation) choose to take a skill and treat it for all purposes as a class skill instead of taking an additional language.
olshanski_home 12-18-05, 08:55 PM	I houserule that PCs with positive INT modifiers may, during character creation (and only during character creation) choose to take a skill and treat it for all purposes as a class skill instead of taking an additional language.So, every wizard in your game has tumble and escape artist as class skills?
ChaoticGood 12-18-05, 10:46 PM	No, no, no, olshanski...they're smart... They choose Hide and Move Silently! Actually, I kind of like that house rule. I regularly score 14 to 16 Int on those "what would your D&D stats be?" quizzes, but I am absolutely terrible at foreign languages. I speak decent German, but that's after six and a half years of study! I also know a little bit of Spanish and Koine Greek, but I certainly wouldn't say I speak those languages. So that house rule makes sense to me. My own contribution: We have a roll-off with the DM to determine hit points each level. The DM rolls in secret, and we must choose our own roll, or his. Naturally, you only choose the DMs roll if your own is exceptionally low, such as a 1 or 2.
MinusInnocence 12-19-05, 12:52 AM	After rolling initiative, in reverse-count we declare our actions for the first round of combat. So, Jimmy - 19, Stan - 13, Goblins - 21, Pete - 8, Pete would declare first. Then Stan, then Jimmy, so the DM (running the goblins, obviously) can base his decision off what everyone else seems to be preparing. This only applies during the first round of combat. A special dilemma comes up when using this houserule: what if what you declared is no longer a viable action? In this case, consider instituting an Initiative Count penalty, perhaps -5. So, if Stan's action no longer makes sense (maybe Jimmy killed the goblin Stan was targeting), he drops to 8, tying with Pete; the one with the higher Dexterity goes first. I'm considering dropping this house rule because of complications like this. When rolling a natural 1 on the Initiative check, you are effectively Dazed for the entire round. Since this is the first round, however, you are also treated as being flat-footed (because you haven't acted yet).
Talonz 12-19-05, 01:02 AM	This way, the players can't instantly metagame with the knowledge that, if it requires a sense motive, it's a lie, and 'hunches,' are just hunches.. Have your players record 5 columns of d20 rolls on a sheet of paper, along with their character name and relevant skill mods for any 'hidden' die rolls you want made for them. As the game progresses, you can use that sheet for whatever you want, without them knowing. Or even more likely, with them knowing, but not knowing what the dieroll was.
MinusInnocence 12-19-05, 05:28 AM	On the topic of players assuming the worst when you roll dice: it's not really a houserule but I roll dice all the time. Most of the time this has nothing at all to do with the game, I'm just rolling dice. They don't know any better, I'm using a Screen! I have an index card for each PC with all of the relevant skill bonuses, their BAB, saves, etc. The relevant skills for this purpose are things like Listen, Spot, Sense Motive, Forgery, Use Rope, etc. Things the character wouldn't immediately realize he failed the check on. Clearly, they can roll stuff like Climb or Jump themselves - they either succeeded or they didn't, there's no big secret there. But sometimes when they Bluff, an NPC can see right through the lie but not say anything, so as to trap the hero later on.