Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Gadren 05-13-07, 02:24 PM	I plan on running a new campaign soon, and will implement the following house rules. I thought what you guys thought first. Do you think any of these rules create any major balance problems? I am aware that the "exchange options" for half-elves and half-orcs give much more than they take, but this is because both of those races could use the boost. HOUSE RULES: Courtesy: 1. Feats, Classes, etc. from outside PHB must be cleared with the DM first. If you later announce that you are using some spell or something that you never cleared with me, you will immediately lose 500 xp, and not be able to benefit from that spell, ability, etc that session. 2. If your character is taking a prestige class, you should let the DM know well in advance (at least 1 level or a couple of adventures beforehand) so he can arrange for you character to take steps towards that class in-game, so it’s not like, “Wow, I killed an orc and suddenly I’m accepted into the Knighthood of the Chalice!” If you don't, you will likely find that you no longer meet the prerequisites of your desired class. 3. You cannot use any material if you do not own the book, or at least have a print-out of the said material. You cannot borrow the book from me, because I might not bring it to every session, nor may you "borrow" books off the store shelf, they don't like that. For example, if you want to play a wood elf dervish, you must own your own copy of the Monster Manual and Complete Warrior or bring a print out of wood elf stats and Dervish stats, or you cannot use your character. You can borrow books from other players if they so choose, but I will nix that to if it becomes a problem. This even applies to Summon Monster spells. Have the stats of the creatures you plan on summoning on hand ahead of time, I will not constantly flip back and forth in my manual for your stats while trying to run an encounter, and if we have to wait more than five minutes for you to look up the stats of your monster, your monster loses its action. Ability Scores: 1. Instead of rolling your ability scores choose from one of the following arrays: Array Choice 1: 18, 16, 14, 12, 11, 9 Array Choice 2: 19, 14, 14, 12, 8, 8 Array Choice 3: 15, 15, 15, 14, 14, 14 Array Choice 4: 18, 18, 13, 12, 9, 8 Please note your array choice on your character sheet. Races: 1. All races from the Player’s Handbook get “exchange options” at creation, allowing them to gain a specific racial benefit in exchange for a racial penalty: - Humans may gain a +1 to two ability scores of their choice in exchange for giving up the human bonus feat. - Half-Elves may gain a bonus feat in exchange for both a –1 penalty on fortitude saves and a permanent –2 to max hit points. - Half-Elves may gain a +2 to dexterity in exchange for either a –2 penalty to constitution or strength, or a -1 to both. -Half-Orcs may lose either their –2 to charisma or their –2 to intelligence in exchange for telling the DM what a nice guy he is. -Half-Orcs may gain a bonus feat chosen from the fighter list in exchange for also gaining the "light sensitivity" special quality as described in the "orc" entry in the monster manual. - Female half-elves, halflings, and humans may choose to gain a +2 to charisma in exchange for a –2 penalty to strength. Sorcery runs strongest in women of human and halfling blood in the campaign. -Elves may take a –2 penalty to strength in exchange for either a +2 to intelligence or a +2 to wisdom. -Dwarves may lose their –2 to charisma in exchange for a –2 to dexterity. -Halflings may have a base land speed of 30 feet in exchange for a permanent –1 to hit point rolls at levels 2-5. -Gnomes may gain a +2 to intelligence in exchange for a –2 to wisdom. Variant races from the monster manual (such as wood elves) are available, but cannot benefit from these options. 2. Hobgoblins are a common PC race, but their stats are different than those listed in the Monster Manual. (+2 con, -2 cha, darkvision, +4 move silently, +3 reflex saves, +1 attack rolls vs. elves, exotic double-weapons treated as martial weapons, favored class: fighter) They do not have +1 ECL. Campaign Note: Most hobgoblins that adventure with other races are from the Kingdom of Tronos, a kingdom aligned as L6N (See alignment, below), that has become more civilized due to its pragmatic leader's open trade policies since 698 CY. It should be noted that calling a Tronian Hobgoblin a "savage" is the equivalent of using a racial slur, as far as they are concerned. 3. Kobolds are a common PC race, but their stats are different than those listed in the Monster Manual. (-2 str, +2 dex, -2 con, small size, land speed 30, 60 ft darkvision, +2 on craft (trap making), craft (gunsmithing), profession (miner), and search, +1 natural armor, +1 to attack rolls with firearms, proficient with muskets, may wield firearms as if medium-sized creatures, favored class: sorcerer.) Campaign Note: When blackpowder was discovered in 722 CY, kobolds were greatly intrigued. They displayed an intense fascination with the stuff, and soon muskets were to the kobolds like bows were to the elves. They learned to fire guns built for larger races (indeed, many males obsess over who owns the biggest gun, sometimes carrying even larger weapons then they could ever practically use) and put many rescources into learning the art of gunsmithing. Now, kobolds are slightly more common and accepted in major cities, their race having earned some respect as gunsmiths. 4. Aasimar and Tieflings PCs gain a bonus feat, like humans. Tieflings do no take a penalty to charisma. Both races are still +1 LA. 5. Sylvan Pixies are the descendents of wood elves and pixies commonly found in the forests of Vyalia. Sylvan Pixie PCs have stats as a Pixie character in the Monster Manual, except as follow: -They lose spell-resistance, damage reduction, and their Greater Invisibility ability. -Their type is fey, but they are treated as both fey and (elf) humanoids in regards to what spells and abilities effect them, or are effective against them (such as charm person or Resist Nature's Lure) -Their ability score adjustments are changed to -2 str, -2 con, +4 dex, +2 wis, +2 cha. -Their spell-like abilities are changed to: 3/day: invisibility; 1/day: dancing lights, detect evil, detect law, entangle, enlarge person (self only), reduce person (self only). -They gain immunity to magical sleep effects. -They gain proficiency with the longsword, rapier, longbow, and shortbow (including composite bows). -A sylvan pixie who passes with 5 feet of a secret or concealed door is entitled to a search check as if she was actively looking for it. -Their favored class changes to Ranger. -Their Level Adjustment is lowered to +2 Campaign Note: In the great orc invasion of 642 CY, the fey of Vyalia were hit hard, particularly the Stargaze Pixies. When the invasion was finally beaten back by the elven Treeshield Clan, Lady Ceria Stargaze married Lord Aust Treeshield, and the Stargaze family was absorbed into the clan. Since then, pixie-elf couplings have become fairly common in that region, producing many so-called "sylvan pixies." 6. Gnomes have two favored classes: Illusionist and Bard. Gnome illusionists only have to choose one prohibited school. 7. Races with level adjustments may use the variant level adjustment reduction rules from Unearthed Arcana. ( http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/races/reducingLevelAdjustments.htm ) Classes: 1. Rangers that use the non-magic variant from Complete Warrior gain Toughness as a bonus feat at 4th, 8th, 11th, and 14th level, in addition to the normal bonuses from the class. This does not apply to the ranger variant from Complete Champion, though both variants are refered to as "foresters". (On your character sheet, write Forester W. (for Complete Warrior) or Forester C. (for Complete Champion), instead of ranger.) You may not multiclass as a "forester"/ranger. 2. This is a low-psionics game, and all psionics must be tempered by ki. Psionics are allowed, but you may not take levels in any psionic class without at least one level in monk and 4 ranks in concentration. The exception are soul knives, though they still train in the same monasteries. 3. Monks and Paladins can multiclass like any other class as long as they stick to their alignments and codes of honor. (Paladins could multiclass into fighter, but not into barbarian, for example.) 4. Better Bards: Every three levels (3rd, 6th, 9th, 12th, 15th, and 18th), bards get to choose a special ability from the following list: Bardic Music Feat: The bard may gain a bonus Bardic Music Feat that he meets the prerequisites for. This ability can be chosen multiple times. Sneak Attack: The bard gets +1d6 sneak attack, as a rogue. This ability can be chosen up to three times. Arcane Spell: The bard can add any one arcane spell (from any class list) to his spell's known, though it cannot be of a higher level than his highest level spell known. This can be taken multiple times. Divine Spell: The bard can add any one divine spell to his spell's known, though it must be at least one level lower than his highest level spell known. He casts it as an arcane bard spell. This can be taken multiple times. Psionic Power: Must have 6 ranks in concentration. The bard can add any one psionic power to his spell's known, as a spell of the power's level. It must be at least one level lower than his highest level spell known. He casts it as an arcane bard spell, and it is always treated as if augmented to the max by a manifester 3 levels lower (minimum 1) than the bard's caster level. This can be taken twice. Uncanny Dodge:The bard gains uncanny dodge, as a 2nd level barbarian. This ability can only be chosen once. Favored Enemy:The bard gains a favored enemy as if a level 1 ranger. This ability may only be chosen once. Still Mind: The bard gains the Still Mind ability as if a level 3 monk. This ability can only be chosen once. Evasion: Must be bard 6 or higher. The bard gets evasion, as a rogue. This ability can only be chosen once. Aura of Courage: Must be bard 6 or higher. The bard gains Aura of Courage, as a 3rd level paladin. This ability may only be chosen once. Trackless Step: Must be a bard 9 or higher: The bard gain the Trackless Step ability as if a level 3 druid. This ability may only be taken once. Weapon Specialization: Must be a bard 12 or higher. The bard gains the Weapon Specialization feat with one weapon of his choice, even if he doesn't meet the prerequisites. This ability may only be chosen once. 5. Better Fighters: Fighters gain a +1 to all attack and weapon damage rolls at level 5, 10, 15, and 20. 6. Better Sorcerers:Sorcerers gain a bonus metamagic feat at levels 5, 10, 15, and 20. 7. Better Monks: Monk gains a +1 to all attack rolls at levels 5, 9, 13, and 17. 8. The Witch variant spell list on page 175 of the DMG is available; however, "witches" automatically know all spells on her spell list. Plus, at every even-numbered level, the witch may add a spell to her list from the universal school, the enchantment school, the adept spell list, or the druid spell list. "Witches" are considered sorcerers for all other purposes. Alignment 1. Monks do not have to be lawful. 2. Bards can be whatever alignment they damn well please. 3. Alignment is measured in degrees from 1-10, indicated by a number after each alignment letter. For example, a LG character that is devoted to good much more than law (but still fairly lawful) might be expressed as G7L3. Typically, only creatures with an alignment subtype (such as angels, devils, etc.) can have an alignment of 9 or 10. If your alignment is 7+ on an axis, you gain the following adjustments: You are considered to have that alignment as a subtype. The cost of metamagic feats applied to spells with your alignment subtype have their cost reduced by 1. Spells of the opposing alignment subtype do an extra 1d6 pts. of nonlethal damage to you per spell level, even if that spell didn't originally do damage. Weapons aligned against you (such as holy, axiomatic, etc.) do an extra +3 damage. Skills: 1. You can use your strength score for intimidate instead of charisma if you so choose. 2. If you have ranks in certain craft skills, you automatically have an equal amount of ranks in the appropriate profession. (Craft (alchemy) à Profession (alchemist)) This is ruled on a case by case basis. Equipment: 1. Poison does not take effect until 1 round after it is administered. (If the target realizes he/she was poisoned, this gives him a chance to quaff anti-toxin to help counter it.) Even if you make the save, you are still sickened for a number of minutes = 5 x (DC – S – 5), where S is the difference between the actual successful saving throw rolled and the poison’s save DC. (It should be noted that the sickened effect can be shortened to 0 minutes with a high enough save.) If you are poisoned between making your first and second save against another poison attempt, your saves vs. poison suffer a –2 per save you are waiting to make. 2. Certain weapons can be considered different weapons for different size categories, as per the Weapon Equivalencies Variant on page 27 of the DMG. 3. Range increments increase or decrease with size (based on the size of the weapon for projectile-firing weapons and on the size of the thrower for thrown weapons): (Fine x ¼, Tiny & Diminutive x ½, Large & Huge x 2, Gargantuan x 3, Colossal x 4) 4. The year is 765 CY on the Oerth calendar. This means that Renaissance Technology is available (including weapons) from pg. 145. They perform as listed, except firearms are considered martial weapons, and always have a -4 to attack and +4 to damage (similiar to power attack). Add pistol to the rogue, beguiler, and bard weapon proficiency list. Note: Blackpowder is extremely dangerous in fiery conditions. Treat a small keg as a Necklace of Fireballs with only one 2d6 bead remaining, and a small keg as a type I Necklace of Fireballs, for the purposes of what happens when exposed to fire damage. 5. Legacy Items: By paying experience, you can reduce or negate the personal costs of your legacy item, as follows: - Attack Penalty: For every 600 experience you pay, you permanently reduce the attack penalty of your legacy item by 1. - Skill Check Penalty: For every 1000 experience you pay, you permanently reduce the penalty to all skill checks caused by your legacy item by 1. - Saving Throw Penalty: For every 200 experience you pay, you permanently reduce the legacy penalty to one of your saving throws (reflex, fort., or will) by 1. If you are reducing a penalty to all saving throws, this cost is 600. - Caster/Manifester Level Penalty: For every 2500 experience you pay, you permanently reduce the legacy penalty to your caster or manifester level by 1. - Hit Point Loss: For every 200 experience you pay, you permanently reduce the hit point loss caused by your legacy item by 1. - Power Point Loss: For every 400 experience you pay, you permanently reduce the power point loss caused by your legacy item by 1. - Lost Spell Slots: You may regain lost spell slots by paying experience appropriate to the lost slot: 1st level: 100 xp; 2nd level: 300 xp; 3rd level: 700 xp; 4th level: 1200 xp; 5th level: 1800 xp; 6th level: 2600 xp; 7th level: 3800 xp; 8th level: 4800 xp; 9th level: 6200 xp This experience sacrifice is in all other ways identical to the way experience is spent for item creation. 6. Weapon special abilities that simply add damage, (flaming, frost, shocking burst, collision, etc.) as well as certain other abilities (ask if interested) may be placed on the same weapon multiple times, up to four times, and stack. Double applications are called "improved", triple are "greater", and quadruple are "supreme." For example, a +1 greasword with 4x icy burst would be called a +1 greatsword of supreme icy burst, would be priced as a +9 weapon, would deal an extra 4d6 frost damage on each hit, and an extra 4d10 frost damage on a critical hit. Spellcasting: 1. Animate Objects is a Wizard/Sorcerer spell in addition to being a Cleric spell. 2. Bards, sorcerers, witches, and wilders have the option of taking the Spell Roll Variant for their DCs, as described on page 36 of the DMG. This choice is made at 1st level, and cannot be changed later. Female half-elves, halflings, and humans who took the +2 charisma option in rule 1 may roll 2d10 instead of d20. 3. Enlarge person and reduce person change weight by a factor of 4, not 8. 4. Detect good/evil/chaos/law spells have no alignment subtype. Therefore, good-aligned clerics are not prohibitted from casting detect good, lawful characers may cast detect law, etc.
queenfange 05-13-07, 02:42 PM	I'm not a big rules guru, but I have a few thoughts... I'd let gnome characters choose bard or illusionist as their favored class; don't let them have both. Hobgoblins I'd give +2 to Reflex for instead of +3. Remove the array with 20; it's too overpowered to have a starting PC with +5; they might be bad at a few things, but the five bonus spells or huge amount of damage and attack bonus (spellcaster and fighter respectively) could really unbalance things.
Gaishin 05-13-07, 02:51 PM	Overall, they don't look too bad. Though the racial idea's are interesting I am wondering if a min/maxer could heavily abuse it. And like the other poster said, be careful with the 20. If a character has a +2 to a stat it could easily be 22 at character creation. If everyone is able to keep track of the game changes (perhaps have a few copies printed out for people to check over whenever) then they could be the beginnings of a great campaign.
Onikani 05-13-07, 03:05 PM	i third the option that says get rid of that stat block with the 20... unless you make it human only :)
Nexis 05-13-07, 03:11 PM	Those all seem ok, except for the Psion + Monk one. The idea is kind of cool, but your forcing people to take a class that is, arguably, one of the worst in the game just to advance in the class they want. I think that if you’re going to penalize Psion’s, do it to Mage types also, or not at all.
Optimized_Commoner 05-13-07, 03:15 PM	This belongs in the unearthed arcana and house rules section (http://boards1.wizards.com/forumdisplay.php?f=480). However it's not there and people have already responded, so I'll join in. Just remember that next time. 1. You cut off in the middle of the half-orc exchange options. Why +1 to everything? D&D attributes work in the even numbers usually. Female attribute modifiers always rub me the wrong way, but you've made them optional, so fine. Whatever. But seriously, +2 to charisma? Why? (reminds me of the 6th Presence excellency: Cleavage, joke we used to make for exalted). Halflings: This is unbalanced because no one in their right mind wouldn't pick this. Elves: One of the main reasons the core races don't have bonuses to intelligence, wisdom and charisma is because these are spellcasting attributes. Expect a lot of elvish spellcasters (which isn't exactly a bad thing). But it does unbalance them a little. 2. Looks fine. 3. Yep, fair enough, I think they deserve a little bit more and toughness is a nice if nothingy feat. (I'm already picturing playing a full speed-halfling magic-less ranger in your game). 4. Favoured classes are a minor enough mechanic, I see no problem with this addition. 5. I assume those arrays are point-equal, I'm not bothering to do the calculation. If so, then fine. 6. Less a house rule, more a matter of basic courtesy and common sense. 7. Nice way of limiting psi, adds an interesting flavour to the world. Prevents psionicists from getting 9th level powers pre-epic, you realize this right? 8. Fair enough, I'd abolish the alignment restriction personally, but that's just a matter of taste. 9. Bad idea, I don't think you have a good idea of what charisma is. 10. Good idea, I like it. 11. Why? 12. Stupid idea, you're encouraging team splits and boring "I sit and meditate" downtime. This doth not a good campaign make. 13. Thumbs up. 14. Ah, someone else agrees with me. 15. Again, courtesy and common sense more than a house rule. 16. Nice change, not necessarily realistic but it'll make for better gameplay. 17. Why? 18. I'd advise a case by case basis rather than a general rule. This seems open to abuse and some weird situations. Edit: Oh, for rule 7 you should have monk levels give bonus PP.
Gadren 05-13-07, 05:01 PM	This belongs in the unearthed arcana and house rules section (http://boards1.wizards.com/forumdisplay.php?f=480). However it's not there and people have already responded, so I'll join in. Just remember that next time. 1. You cut off in the middle of the half-orc exchange options. Why +1 to everything? D&D attributes work in the even numbers usually.1. Oops! Thanks for pointing out the orc mistake. I'll rectify it. The +1's are typos too. Female attribute modifiers always rub me the wrong way, but you've made them optional, so fine. Whatever. But seriously, +2 to charisma? Why? (reminds me of the 6th Presence excellency: Cleavage, joke we used to make for exalted). Well I made it optional because I know how upset people can get about it. If you really want an in depth explanation with statistics, lab findings and what not, I will, but the simple explanation is that male's testosterone give them an advantage in strength, however women have an advantage is social situation because their brains are adapted to process social situations primarily through the neocortex volume, which is more efficient than males which tend to use more subcortical units in such situations. Halflings: This is unbalanced because no one in their right mind wouldn't pick this.I don't think no one, but you might be right. Still I want the speed option for halflings in my campaign. What exchange would you suggest? Elves: One of the main reasons the core races don't have bonuses to intelligence, wisdom and charisma is because these are spellcasting attributes. Expect a lot of elvish spellcasters (which isn't exactly a bad thing). But it does unbalance them a little. Well, Gray Elves get a bonus to intelligence, and they've never seemed to unbalance things too much in my experiences. I wanted to encourage more elven wizards and druids for flavor reasons. 2. Looks fine. 2. Cool. It should be noted for other posters that I'm aware those aren't actually the MM stats. They are adjusted to make Hobs a LA +0 race. 5. I assume those arrays are point-equal, I'm not bothering to do the calculation. If so, then fine. 5. They are close. The one with the 20 is far shorter on points than the one with 15/14s 6. Less a house rule, more a matter of basic courtesy and common sense. 6. Yeah, well when I hand this out I wanted to make sure everyone was reminded of it. 7. Nice way of limiting psi, adds an interesting flavour to the world. Prevents psionicists from getting 9th level powers pre-epic, you realize this right? 7. I realize it. I want psionics to exist but be overshadowed by magic. Also, the ki flavor makes psi seem more mystical than scifi. 8. Fair enough, I'd abolish the alignment restriction personally, but that's just a matter of taste. 8. I don't think its a good idea to abolish alignment restrictions on paladins. 9. Bad idea, I don't think you have a good idea of what charisma is. 9. I do. However, it seems to me the half-orc barbarian shouldn't be completely overshadowed by the half elf bard when trying to make an intimidate check. 11. Why? Because in my DMing experience thus far, poisons are laughable. I wanted to make them a bit more of a threat. 12. Stupid idea, you're encouraging team splits and boring "I sit and meditate" downtime. This doth not a good campaign make. 12. Note that only applies on non-adventuring days. The monk just has to keep in shape during "down time", he still can do other things. Two hours of practice is no biggy. 13. Thumbs up. 13. I never understood why bards had that restriction to begin with. 14. Ah, someone else agrees with me. 14. Seriously, why wasn't it this way to begin with? 16. Nice change, not necessarily realistic but it'll make for better gameplay. 16. Just makes my life easier. 17. Why? 17. Well, when someone doesn't act very appropriate to their alignment, I can shift it down in increments. Instead of immediately going from LG to NG, The character might slip from L5G5 to L3G5. Just gives the players a better idea of what's going on. 18. I'd advise a case by case basis rather than a general rule. This seems open to abuse and some weird situations. 18. How so? I just think its laughable that a titan can't throw a dagger farther than sprite. Edit: Oh, for rule 7 you should have monk levels give bonus PP. Maybe.
Zarith 05-13-07, 05:15 PM	I will only comment on a few... HOUSE RULES: 5. Instead of rolling your ability scores choose from one of the following arrays: Array Choice 1: 18, 16, 14, 12, 10, 8 Array Choice 2: 20, 14, 14, 12, 8, 8 Array Choice 3: 15, 15, 15, 14, 14, 14 Array Choice 4: 18, 18, 12, 12, 8, 8 Please note your array choice on your character sheet. 9. You can use your strength score for intimidate instead of charisma if you so choose. 5. Don't see anything wrong with it, other then what has already been mentioned, but why not just use a point buy? 9. I use a house rule that says you can add a negative modifier to an intimidation check (it's treated as if it were a + for this purpose). Sometimes I think being ugly can be intimidating in and of itself.
Gadren 05-13-07, 05:50 PM	I will only comment on a few... 5. Don't see anything wrong with it, other then what has already been mentioned, but why not just use a point buy? Because for some reason, whenever I use point buy, people get confused. It seems pretty simple to me, but half my players always do it wrong. Choosing from arrays makes life much easier.
Optimized_Commoner 05-13-07, 06:15 PM	If you really want an in depth explanation with statistics, lab findings and what not, I will, but the simple explanation is that male's testosterone give them an advantage in strength, however women have an advantage is social situation because their brains are adapted to process social situations primarily through the neocortex volume, which is more efficient than males which tend to use more subcortical units in such situations. Well firstly cough up the peer-reviewed reports proving this degree of gender bimorphism or I don't believe you. Secondly, an increased usage of the neocortex as opposed to subcortical units (on average) has no guarantee of increased efficiency. While it is common practise to hail the almighty neocortex as the bringer of light and reason, function spans across the entire brain. I question any study which draws upon the active regions of the brain during any particular pattern of behaviour to determine "superiority" in any field. Something that kind of test and study isn't even supposed to determine, modern neuropsychology is mostly based on assessing damage and these sorts of tests are used to determine the likely results of brain damage moreso than the functioning of a healthy brain. In other words I want substantiation beyond "look at the pretty lights on this map of the brain". Third, I want to see a study proving that this is a genuine hormonally induced change entirely based upon a person's gender and not the neurological view of societally induced behaviours and learned responses drawing upon the frontal lobe's ability to surpress emotional reaction and hormonal cycles. Since I consider the second scenario to be a far more likely explanation of these results (occam's razor et al), in the absence of proof to the contrary I'll be forced to favour the second scenario. Fourthly, I want to see studies based on psychological assessment rather than neurological "fact" which demonstrate an actual difference in testing capability within the field determined by standards determined before the test was administered. Fifthly, I'd like these results to have been duplicated by seperate teams working independently with standard blind trials. Finally, the reports you send me I'll be running past a neuropsychologist and I'll base my final assessment on their opinion. (I live with one, so it's convenient). Basically I'm saying you've made a huge claim here and I'm going to need some really good and solid science here, not some shonky report using bad science, but I am willing to be challenged on this one. ... Phewf, sorry psychology is a subject of great interest to me so you unleashed a bit of a barrage there, but moving along to D&D rules. Still I want the speed option for halflings in my campaign. What exchange would you suggest? Not sure. The speed factor is one of the major limiters in playing a halfling so it'd have to be good I think. Well, Gray Elves get a bonus to intelligence, and they've never seemed to unbalance things too much in my experiences. I wanted to encourage more elven wizards and druids for flavor reasons. I've never been a fan of that gray elf +2 int, but I don't think there's anything hugely wrong with this. You know and understand the consequences, just beware that you are deliberately unbalancing a race for flavour reasons. This could have dire consequences (que spooky music), but again, I think you know what you're doing. 7. I realize it. I want psionics to exist but be overshadowed by magic. Also, the ki flavor makes psi seem more mystical than scifi. Yep, I think this is fine. You obviously may cop some flack from people wanting to play psionicists (and you have deliberately nerfed the class in some ways) but I think it works. 8. I don't think its a good idea to abolish alignment restrictions on paladins. No, I really musn't have been paying attention when I read that one first time around. 9. I do. However, it seems to me the half-orc barbarian shouldn't be completely overshadowed by the half elf bard when trying to make an intimidate check. Then they should take the intimidating rage feat or have a high charisma and buy ranks in intimidate (not like it's cross-class for barbarians and they get decent skill ranks). Yes the high charisma character should overshadow the low charisma character because it's a charisma based skill. A low charisma barbarian can not manipulate people in any way. It's not just done by flexing your muscles, or outsmarting them, or perceiving their character weaknesses (because you really can make an argument for int or wis if you're opening the door to strength), it's done by doing those things in a way which will specifically have an effect on the person standing in front of you. There is a way to use strength to intimidate a person. Hit them. There is a way to use charisma to intimidate people. The intimidate skill. 18. How so? I just think its laughable that a titan can't throw a dagger farther than sprite. Well, the point of the matter is who can throw it further accurately. Anyway, I'm not scrapping this thought, just saying that instead of saying "everything in this category gets this benefit" you should go through and adjust each of the figures personally. 99% of the time you'll use what you've got planned but some things just won't make sense (I assume, this is how such changes normally work).
Zarith 05-13-07, 06:48 PM	Because for some reason, whenever I use point buy, people get confused. It seems pretty simple to me, but half my players always do it wrong. Choosing from arrays makes life much easier. LOL, I hate to say it, but I know what your saying.
Redclock_the_Untimely 05-14-07, 03:20 AM	11. I thought this way about poisons too, until last week when I almost had to make 5 DC24 fort saves in one round with a level 8 sorcerer. What we were fighting was supposed to be a cr10 straight out of the module. Thankfully my DM said the fact that he dropped me to zero hp was enough and the poison was unnecessary at that point. I guess your houserule is fine as long as you don't ever use it for overkill. :P
Kraleck 05-14-07, 08:27 AM	I plan on running a new campaign soon, and will implement the following house rules. I thought what you guys thought first. Do you think any of these rules create any major balance problems? HOUSE RULES: *snip* 9. You can use your strength score for intimidate instead of charisma if you so choose. *snip* I'd change this to granting half your strength bonus (if any) to Intimidate checks. Some interesting house rules overall. Not good or bad ideas, just interesting.
Potato Weasel 05-14-07, 08:47 AM	My main problem would be the poison rules, +2 to all dc's is bad enough, but making characters sickened regardless is really overkill, especially since it makes the second save +4 to its dc. Being sickened for basically the entire fight is a -huge- penalty, and makes even a low level snake a threat in a high level fight. Think about it, if this is the way it works, everyone is going to want a poison using class or a something else that can make opponents poisoned, as even if its an extremely low level effect, say tiny viper venom with its ridiculously low save dc, your still making the other person take a minus two to everything regardless of how high his save is. If your going to do this, you'll have to increase the CR of every poison using monster and villain, as well as increase the cost of purchasable poisons significantly.
pres_man 05-14-07, 09:22 AM	- Humans may gain a +1 to an ability score of their choice in exchange for giving up the human bonus feat. Not overpowering. - Half-Elves may gain a bonus feat in exchange for both a –1 penalty on fortitude saves and a permanent –2 to max hit points. Again, not a big deal, since I doubt anyone would do it. - Half-Elves may gain a +2 to dexterity in exchange for either a –2 penalty to constitution or strength. Interesting, though at that point, why not just play an elf? -Half-Orcs may lose either their –2 to charisma or their –2 to intelligence in exchange for taking a –1 penalty to will saves against illusions. Me, I just dump the cha penalty entirely. A hit to INT for a race destined usually to be short on skills anyway is enough. Also, I tend to view half-orc sorcerers as pretty cool. -Half-Orcs may gain a bonus feat chosen from the fighter list in exchange for also gaining the "light blindness" special quality as described in the "orc" entry in the monster manual. I find the "light blindness" thing is just a pain to keep track of for PCs. - Female half-elves, halflings, and humans may choose to gain either a +2 to dexterity or a +2 to charisma in exchange for a –2 penalty to strength. Kind of corny. Let them place scores as they seem appropriate. I would suggest this type of thing is better for NPCs then for PCs. Also why not some matching choice for males? -Elves may take a –2 penalty to strength in exchange for either a +2 to intelligence or a +2 to wisdom. I would make it chr instead of wis myself, but elves have favored class (bard) in my games. -Dwarves may lose their –2 to charisma in exchange for a –2 to dexterity. You actually try to balance abilities with the overpowered dwarf race! How dare thee! ;) That's fine. -Halflings may have a base land speed of 30 feet in exchange for a permanent –2 to max hit points. Not remotely balanced. Speed is huge for halflings. I'd make them give up their +1 to saves. -Gnomes may gain a +2 to intelligence in exchange for a –2 to wisdom. Whatever. Frankly, I find a lot of these complicated when making a character. Sometimes you can give players too many options, as you learned from the point-buy thing. 2. Hobgoblins are a PC race. (+2 con, -2 cha, +4 move silently, +3 reflex saves, double-weapons treated as martial weapons, favored class: fighter) I would let them treat the double-sword as martial only, if you were to give them any. Give them a +1 reflex saves and +1 attack versus elves. 3. Rangers that use the non-magic variant from Complete Warrior gain Toughness as a bonus feat at 4th level. Toughness is crap, so not overpowered. 4. Gnomes have two favored classes: Illusionist and Bard I'd dump bard, it is dumb for gnomes. And I'd make it just wizard, illusionist being the most common type for gnomes. 5. Instead of rolling your ability scores choose from one of the following arrays: Yeah, I'd drop the 20 one. 7. This is a low-psionics game, and all psionics must be tempered by ki. Psionics are allowed, but you must have one level of monk for every 3 levels of a psionic class you take. Sure, whatever. I don't play with psionics, so I got no clue on this. 8. Monks and Paladins can multiclass like any other class as long as they stick to their alignments and codes of honor. (They could multiclass into fighter, but not into barbarian, for example.) I do the same. 9. You can use your strength score for intimidate instead of charisma if you so choose. A bit lame, but whatever. 10. If you have ranks in certain craft skills, you automatically have an equal amount of ranks in the appropriate profession. (Craft (alchemy) à Profession (alchemist)) Sounds like a confusion between the two skills. 11. Poison DC’s are all increased by 2. Even if you make the save, you are still sickened for a number of minutes = 5 x (DC – S), where S is the difference between the actual successful saving throw rolled and the poison’s save DC. If you are poisoned between making your first and second save against another poison attempt, your saves vs. poison suffer a –2 per save you are waiting to make. Overly confusing. But if you as the DM want to keep track of all that, more power to you. 12. Monks do not have to be lawful. (After all, one can possess the discipline necessary for the arts and still be a rebel at the same time.) However, any day that a monk does not adventure, he must either spend two hours practicing, or an extra six hours in meditation, or suffer experience penalties. This seems strange with #8. Since now monks CAN multiclass with barbarians. 13. Bards can be whatever alignment they damn well please. Paladin bards, got to love it. Why bother with the alignment restrictions at all? 14. Animate Objects is a Wizard/Sorcerer spell in addition to being a Cleric spell. That does seem really strange that it is not already. Hmmm. 15. If your character is taking a prestige class, you should let the DM know well in advance (at least 1 level or a couple of adventures beforehand) so he can arrange for you character to take steps towards that class in-game, so it’s not like, “Wow, I killed an orc and suddenly I’m accepted into the Knighthood of the Chalice!” Good rule of thumb, sure. Some PrC are not that devoted to organizations, and most that are have a requirement to join. So yeah, they should say something to you and then have you do anything if necessary. 16. Certain weapons can be considered different weapons for different size categories. This will be determined on a case-by-case basis. Some examples would be, that a human can wield a halfling-sized longsword as if it were a human-sized shortsword, and a halfling could wield a human-sized shortbow as if it were a halfling-sized longbow. (Thus eliminating –2 “wrong size” penalty.) Sure, why not. If you can get your hands on a 3rd edition PHB, that might be helpful for you to convert somethings. 17. Alignment is measured in degrees from 1-10, indicated by a number after each alignment letter. For example, a LG character that is devoted to good much more than law (but still fairly lawful) might be expressed as G7L3. Typically, only creatures with an alignment subtype (such as angels, devils, etc.) can have an alignment of 9 or 10. Seems tedious, but again, this seems more like something the DM is going to have to deal with then the players. 18. Range increments increase or decrease with size (based on the size of the weapon for projectile-firing weapons and on the size of the thrower for thrown weapons): (Fine x ¼, Tiny & Diminutive x ½, Large & Huge x 2, Gargantuan x 3, Colossal x 4) I have no problem with the idea per say. If you compare the shortbow, the longbow, and the greatbow, you see size does make a difference. Though I think your sizes are a bit too much. I would make it more of a 20% increase or decrease per size, or maybe just a flat 20' per size.
Kaligrad 05-14-07, 10:56 AM	I plan on running a new campaign soon, and will implement the following house rules. I thought what you guys thought first. Do you think any of these rules create any major balance problems? HOUSE RULES: Half-Orcs may gain a bonus feat chosen from the fighter list in exchange for also gaining the "light blindness" special quality as described in the "orc" entry in the monster manual. I'd just give this to them. Those poor guys get jack for abilities. 5. Instead of rolling your ability scores choose from one of the following arrays: Array Choice 1: 18, 16, 14, 12, 10, 8 Array Choice 2: 20, 14, 14, 12, 8, 8 Array Choice 3: 15, 15, 15, 14, 14, 14 Array Choice 4: 18, 18, 12, 12, 8, 8 Please note your array choice on your character sheet. Aside from the "no handing of 20" stated already, I'd replace it with at least one more array without 8's. Like array 1 with two 14's or 12's. I know I personally have always wanted to steer clear of the sets with penalties pre-attached. 7. This is a low-psionics game, and all psionics must be tempered by ki. Psionics are allowed, but you must have one level of monk for every 3 levels of a psionic class you take. This seems to unnecessarily hobble psi characters. Better to simply restrict access to certain psionic classes, and have just about no support for psionic items, training, etc. Some good ideas, otherwise.
Puggins 05-14-07, 12:27 PM	HOUSE RULES: 1. All races from the Player’s Handbook get “exchange options” at creation, allowing them to gain a specific racial benefit in exchange for a racial penalty: - Humans may gain a +1 to an ability score of their choice in exchange for giving up the human bonus feat. - Half-Elves may gain a bonus feat in exchange for both a –1 penalty on fortitude saves and a permanent –2 to max hit points. - Half-Elves may gain a +2 to dexterity in exchange for either a –2 penalty to constitution or strength. -Half-Orcs may lose either their –2 to charisma or their –2 to intelligence in exchange for taking a –1 penalty to will saves against illusions. -Half-Orcs may gain a bonus feat chosen from the fighter list in exchange for also gaining the "light blindness" special quality as described in the "orc" entry in the monster manual. - Female half-elves, halflings, and humans may choose to gain either a +2 to dexterity or a +2 to charisma in exchange for a –2 penalty to strength. -Elves may take a –2 penalty to strength in exchange for either a +2 to intelligence or a +2 to wisdom. -Dwarves may lose their –2 to charisma in exchange for a –2 to dexterity. -Halflings may have a base land speed of 30 feet in exchange for a permanent –2 to max hit points. -Gnomes may gain a +2 to intelligence in exchange for a –2 to wisdom. I'd be wary of the elf and gnome +int changes, making them the default wizards of the world. Neither drawback (-2 str or -2 wis) is very painful compared to the huge boon that +2 int is for a wizard. They won't unbalance the game, but such "no-brainer" race choices go against the grain. 2. Hobgoblins are a PC race. (+2 con, -2 cha, +4 move silently, +3 reflex saves, double-weapons treated as martial weapons, favored class: fighter) As someone mentioned, +3 is a bit weird. But it isn't THAT weird. This looks fine, if a bit underpowered. 5. Instead of rolling your ability scores choose from one of the following arrays: Array Choice 1: 18, 16, 14, 12, 10, 8 Array Choice 2: 20, 14, 14, 12, 8, 8 Array Choice 3: 15, 15, 15, 14, 14, 14 Array Choice 4: 18, 18, 12, 12, 8, 8 Please note your array choice on your character sheet. The first choice is 38 points while the last 3 are 40 points (assuming 20 = 24 points). I see nothing wrong with it, though, since it's probably the best of the options for most character choices. This is a good ten points above my taste, but I never judge taste. 7. This is a low-psionics game, and all psionics must be tempered by ki. Psionics are allowed, but you must have one level of monk for every 3 levels of a psionic class you take. There's nothing innately powerful about psionics to warrant such a limiting house rule, but if you want to make psionics rare and exotic, then this is the way to do it. I wouldn't expact any psionic characters aside from Fists of Zuoken and maybe some esoteric psychic warrior builds. 16. Certain weapons can be considered different weapons for different size categories. This will be determined on a case-by-case basis. Some examples would be, that a human can wield a halfling-sized longsword as if it were a human-sized shortsword, and a halfling could wield a human-sized shortbow as if it were a halfling-sized longbow. (Thus eliminating –2 “wrong size” penalty.) Though I don't object to this rule, the specific example you gave is one of the examples that are usually given to prohibit what you are doing. Short swords are stabbing weapons (piercing damage) while longswords are swinging weapons (slashing damage). The function very differently, and a halfling longsword would be subpar as a shortsword for a human. Regardless, I don't think it's a big deal either way. 17. Alignment is measured in degrees from 1-10, indicated by a number after each alignment letter. For example, a LG character that is devoted to good much more than law (but still fairly lawful) might be expressed as G7L3. Typically, only creatures with an alignment subtype (such as angels, devils, etc.) can have an alignment of 9 or 10. Ack, looks like an awful lot of paperwork. If you don't mind doing the extra work, then it sounds like a cool concept. I'm too lazy to even think abotu stuff like this. 18. Range increments increase or decrease with size (based on the size of the weapon for projectile-firing weapons and on the size of the thrower for thrown weapons): (Fine x ¼, Tiny & Diminutive x ½, Large & Huge x 2, Gargantuan x 3, Colossal x 4) Note that there's no inherent reason for ranges to increase like this. I know that intuitively it would appear to make sense, but keep in mind that larger missiles weigh much, much more than their normal counterparts, thus requiring a lot more force to match the same range, never mind longer ranges. The normal effective range for a ballista was 450 yards or so, while a crossbow had a range of about 375 yards, despite being a much smaller device. The ballista did a lot more damage though.
northern_bear 05-14-07, 01:28 PM	I see very few problems, and many of them are actually very good rules that I would use myself, or have used before. The only potential issues I see are in ability scores. Are these before or after racial adjustments? Note also that these ability scores are extremely high powered, you will need to take that into consideration in setting challenges for the party. Some of the racial substitutions for ability scores look a bit too good to be true. Especially if it is an option. They could provide some pretty huge min max benefits. Half Orc Paladin takes a -1 to saves vs illusions, and in exchange gets +2 charisma, which gives him +1 to ALL his saves. Plus skill bonuses, turning checks, etc. Halflings, plus 10 feet to speed, in exchange for -2 hit points? Sign me up. Plus 10 feet to speed is much better than any feat that is commonly available. And -2 hit points? That's almost irrelevant. Expect every gnome who plays any class other than a druid or cleric to take the +2 int and -2 wisdom. Int is generally a more useful stat for most characters. Half elf +2 dex and -2 str? A no brainer for any non-melee character.
mattdusty 05-15-07, 04:32 PM	Ack, looks like an awful lot of paperwork. If you don't mind doing the extra work, then it sounds like a cool concept. I'm too lazy to even think abotu stuff like this. We've been using this alignment system for a couple of years now and it's hardly any extra work at all. Though we have a description for each number as well. It helps the players decide HOW lawful they should be for example....an L3 simply respects authority figures; whereas an L9 fears individuality to the point of self destruction. A G1 person doesn't like to see bad things happen to people whereas a G9 person would sacrifice himself to protect someone else. Of course they're just general statements and can easily be changed; like the player who is a G1 suddenly steps in front of a puppy to save it from an orc's axe would probably go up to a G5 or even a G6. the only other game mechanic that would come into play would be the smite evil/good/law/chaos or detect evil/good, ect.... A 1 would be treated as neutral, 2-3 is considered 'low' and smite damage is halved, 4-8 is considered 'normal', and 9-10 is considered outsider/fanatic level and smite damage is always doubled....so yes...in my games, paladin's smite evil deals double their already extra damage to fiends.
Kaligrad 05-15-07, 08:05 PM	Of course they're just general statements and can easily be changed; like the player who is a G1 suddenly steps in front of a puppy to save it from an orc's axe would probably go up to a G5 or even a G6. Seems like it ought to be the other way around. Anyone would step in front of a helpless creature to save it; taking a hit for someone who you don't know but is otherwise completely normal would actually be a more good act.
The White Sorcerer 05-15-07, 08:20 PM	I think that if you’re going to penalize Psion’s, do it to Mage types also, or not at all. Why? It's a low-psionics game, not a low-magic game.
danielinthewolvesden 05-15-07, 09:31 PM	I plan on running a new campaign soon, and will implement the following house rules. I thought what you guys thought first. Do you think any of these rules create any major balance problems? There is a forum just for lists of house rules. This ain't it.
WizO_Autumn 05-15-07, 11:22 PM	Moved to the...surprise!... House Rules Board! Enjoy :)
On_the_wings_of_TPK 05-16-07, 02:33 AM	1. races - Humans may gain a +1 to an ability score of their choice in exchange for giving up the human bonus feat. You'd have to be an extra special kind of stupid to actually do this. especially given the some of the other rules your using, more on that later. - Half-Elves may gain a bonus feat in exchange for both a –1 penalty on fortitude saves and a permanent –2 to max hit points. Not play a human? - Half-Elves may gain a +2 to dexterity in exchange for either a –2 penalty to constitution or strength. Why not play an elf? -Half-Orcs may lose either their –2 to charisma or their –2 to intelligence in exchange for taking a –1 penalty to will saves against illusions. Sure whatever. they didn't gainmuch before, and this generally doesn't help them much. The classes that are typically played by them have low will saves, another -1 on top of that prolly isn't going to make too much of difference. -Half-Orcs may gain a bonus feat chosen from the fighter list in exchange for also gaining the "light sensitivity" special quality as described in the "orc" entry in the monster manual. A bit of pain to keep track of, but assuming I felt like playing the typical melee smashing half-orc, this would work out well. Expect a lot of half-orc barbarians with power attack, and extra rage or cleave. - Female half-elves, halflings, and humans may choose to gain either a +2 to dexterity or a +2 to charisma in exchange for a –2 penalty to strength. This is really sexist, and a tad bit offensive. As a player i would advise you to get a life, and G/F, then leave your game. -Elves may take a –2 penalty to strength in exchange for either a +2 to intelligence or a +2 to wisdom. the int is already covered in the monster manual, their called grey elves. The +2 to wisdom is kinda cool, good for devine casters. Expect a lot of elvin druids, and clerics. -Dwarves may lose their –2 to charisma in exchange for a –2 to dexterity.meh -Halflings may have a base land speed of 30 feet in exchange for a permanent –2 to max hit points. You'd have to be a grade A moron not to take this. -Gnomes may gain a +2 to intelligence in exchange for a –2 to wisdom. Gnome illiusit just got a hole lot better. 2. Hobgoblins are a PC race. (+2 con, -2 cha, +4 move silently, +3 reflex saves, double-weapons treated as martial weapons, favored class: fighter) Whats wrong witht he Mon man stats? 3. Rangers that use the non-magic variant from Complete Warrior gain Toughness as a bonus feat at 4th level. i don't see it being too much of a problem. 4. Gnomes have two favored classes: Illusionist and Bard I guess if you feel like enforcing multiclassing penalties. I generally don't btoher with them. 5. Instead of rolling your ability scores choose from one of the following arrays: Array Choice 1: 18, 16, 14, 12, 10, 8 Array Choice 2: 20, 14, 14, 12, 8, 8 Array Choice 3: 15, 15, 15, 14, 14, 14 Array Choice 4: 18, 18, 12, 12, 8, 8 Please note your array choice on your character sheet. You realise that 2 and 4 are the odviouse best chioces out of those right? And do you really want your casters to have a 22 in their primary casting stat at level one? Or the raging half orc barbarian swing his great ax at +8 dealing 2d6 + 14? Yaa definately taking cleave over extra rage... 6. Feats, Classes, etc. from outside PHB must be cleared with the DM first. Shouldn't need to be stated. 7. This is a low-psionics game, and all psionics must be tempered by ki. Psionics are allowed, but you must have one level of monk for every 3 levels of a psionic class you take. Quoth the wife, "Thats retarded." I have to argree with her, i don't see the reason for this. 8. Monks and Paladins can multiclass like any other class as long as they stick to their alignments and codes of honor. (They could multiclass into fighter, but not into barbarian, for example.) If you want. 9. You can use your strength score for intimidate instead of charisma if you so choose.This only demonstrats that you niether understand how intimadate, nor chramis work. Ruling it this way is essentially allowing, "My thug big scary man smash you if you don't give thug information!" 10. If you have ranks in certain craft skills, you automatically have an equal amount of ranks in the appropriate profession. (Craft (alchemy) à Profession (alchemist)) everyone loves extra skill pionts, and free gold in amounts that irralevant! 11. Poison DC’s are all increased by 2. Even if you make the save, you are still sickened for a number of minutes = 5 x (DC – S), where S is the difference between the actual successful saving throw rolled and the poison’s save DC. If you are poisoned between making your first and second save against another poison attempt, your saves vs. poison suffer a –2 per save you are waiting to make. If you need this then you aren't using the right piosons. 12. Monks do not have to be lawful. (After all, one can possess the discipline necessary for the arts and still be a rebel at the same time.) However, any day that a monk does not adventure, he must either spend two hours practicing, or an extra six hours in meditation, or suffer experience penalties. Kinda contradictory if you think about. Also XP penalties suck further reread the alignment section in your PHB. This not only makes no sense at all, but is a wee bit contradictory if you think about it. Even Chuck Noris takes a day off. 13. Bards can be whatever alignment they damn well please. Amen! 14. Animate Objects is a Wizard/Sorcerer spell in addition to being a Cleric spell. I was not aware that it was not an arcane spell already...huh go figure. 15. If your character is taking a prestige class, you should let the DM know well in advance (at least 1 level or a couple of adventures beforehand) so he can arrange for you character to take steps towards that class in-game, so it’s not like, “Wow, I killed an orc and suddenly I’m accepted into the Knighthood of the Chalice!” If you have to state this explicitly then your problally gaming with the wrong people. 16. Certain weapons can be considered different weapons for different size categories. This will be determined on a case-by-case basis. Some examples would be, that a human can wield a halfling-sized longsword as if it were a human-sized shortsword, and a halfling could wield a human-sized shortbow as if it were a halfling-sized longbow. (Thus eliminating –2 “wrong size” penalty.) So your saying that my weapon that deals d6 slashing, and crits on a 19-20 is either a small longsowrd, or medium short sword. Kinda piontless, but ok. 17. Alignment is measured in degrees from 1-10, indicated by a number after each alignment letter. For example, a LG character that is devoted to good much more than law (but still fairly lawful) might be expressed as G7L3. Typically, only creatures with an alignment subtype (such as angels, devils, etc.) can have an alignment of 9 or 10. I didn't think that alignment could get anymore complicated...I was wrong...wow, just wow. 18. Range increments increase or decrease with size (based on the size of the weapon for projectile-firing weapons and on the size of the thrower for thrown weapons): (Fine x ¼, Tiny & Diminutive x ½, Large & Huge x 2, Gargantuan x 3, Colossal x 4) Even more unnessesary book keeping. Yaa sounds like fun! Most of these aren't nessesary. Some are over powered, others under. a couple just shouldn't have to be said, and for the love of palour why are you gipping the monk? Has it been kicked in the crotch enough?
Deekin 05-16-07, 03:40 AM	7. This is a low-psionics game, and all psionics must be tempered by ki. Psionics are allowed, but you must have one level of monk for every 3 levels of a psionic class you take. This is something I have a problem with. What does self-control have to do with being a wilder- a psion with very little control. This nerfs the soulkinfe to the point of un-playability. Looking at the monk class, what does moving fast, being able to fight unarmed, and slowing your falls have to due with shattering your oppents will, reducing them to gibbering madness? Seeing the future? Setting things on fire via concentration? Folding both space and time? Tranforming your self into a monster? Creating something out of your imagination? It doen't fit well mechanicly or flavor wise. I realize it. I want psionics to exist but be overshadowed by magic. Also, the ki flavor makes psi seem more mystical than scifi. Psionic isn't that much stronger than magic in my experiance, just diffrent. And as for flavor- Justifications for Psionics in Fantasy (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=837045) is an excelent read.
Dungeonrenter 05-16-07, 08:35 AM	1. I might suggest looking into unearthed arcana and allowing people things like bloodlines or something like that. It might make this seem a little less arbitrary to your players. In general I think the idea is sound eough, but it will increase book keeping. - Humans -I would never give up a fear for a +1 to an ability score. If you don't move an ability score at least 2 points then it was a worthless trade. I bet nobody will use this. - Half-Elves - I usually play that half elves can have either +1 skill point a level or 1 bonus feat at first level (they get half the elf stuff, why not half the human stuff?) making the feat come only with a fortitude penalty doesn't seem like a trade most people will be willing to make. Espeically if they are playing fighter type classes that would want the feat the most. The stat upgrade is fine. -Half-Orcs -1 to saves against illusions for adding in effect 1 skill point a level? I think you will find this is always taken. - Female half-elves, halflings, and humans --only do this if there is some reason to inforce a gender inequality in your game. Anamorphism is small amoungst humans and dnd passes this on to humanoids. -Elves -EVERY caster will take this and have +2 and +2 caster stat. -Dwarves -this is fine, its been done before. -Halflings -Again, why not take this? Two hit points for 30 feet of movment is going to be huge. HIgh hit point characters will take it, low hit point characters who don't move much will probably not. -Gnomes -This is fine assuming it does not stack with their regular racial. 2. Hobgoblins - This race still does not have enough going for it. It needs low light vision at the very least. 3. Rangers -Sure 4. Gnomes - sure, but this will mean that you will have a crapload of gnome wizards because you gave them +2 intellegence as well. 5. Instead of rolling your ability scores choose from one of the following arrays: Array Choice 1: 18, 16, 14, 12, 10, 8 -ok Array Choice 2: 20, 14, 14, 12, 8, 8 - wouldn't allow non humans to have this array. Or maybe say that the 20 MUST be where your +2 was allocated. Array Choice 3: 15, 15, 15, 14, 14, 14 -I would make this have 16 and two 12s. NOt having one stat at 16 is frustrating to play. Also this is the closest thing you have to a "no penalty" scheme. Array Choice 4: 18, 18, 12, 12, 8, 8 -Don't let people with two racial stat modifiers use this array Elf wizard with (6-20-6-20-12-12) - This is a wizard with a 15 AC. 6. Feats, Classes, etc. from outside PHB must be cleared with the DM first. -ok, but assuming you players actually own sourcebooks you will be donig this all the time. I have a similar rule, but what tempers this in my game is what I call "munchkin detante" You have to clear your character with the other players before you sit down. 7. -This is fine, but you have limited psionic characters to only one sterotypical way to be played. Thats fine, but dont' be surprised if the guy who plays a psion is a wandering carradine wanttobe. 8. -Fine, if you let people play classes from phb II and from the "complete" books you probably won't have any paladins anyway. 9. -I would be wary of this. I wouldn't let this just always be the case. If you ar using this to make people be shaken in combat and not really anywhere else thats fine. However, if you are using intimidate instead of diplomacy or bluff then maybe you should rethink this. The ability to be a menace or to threaten violoence is not the same thing as intimidating someone and causing fear. 10. --This is good for playres but realize that it means that the better alchemist you are the better you are at the pracice of selling potions and elixers. I work in engineering. Trust me, the better an engineer you are does not make people good at marketing. 11. -The cumulative -2 to keep being poisoned is really bad. The other part is going to make monsters with poison signifcantly more challenging. I hope you were going to add encounter difficulty when using poison. 12. --So, in exchange for not having to have an aligment that says that order and self disipline are part of their motivation, monks have to practice instead? Seems to me like you have gotten rid of one silly nearly meaningless rule in exchange for an equally silly rule that will never come into play. 13. -Sure, alignment restrictions are silly anyway. There mechanical effect is negligable. Also most people who play a class with an aligment restriction are attrachted to the trappings and image of the class. They will play the class to its alignment restriction anyway. Alignment restrictions are usually more of a way for dms to punish players who play in grey areas of alignment while playing classes with alignment restrictions. For instance lets say you play a paladin who is a member of some policing body in the campaign world. He has a duty to "seek justice" just how much of a vigilante can he be? If he knows somebody is guilty, beyond a doubt, can he act in such a way as to punish the wicked? What if the paladin knows that in a fair trial the guy will get off, but his guilt has been proven absolutely to the paladin. Finally, consider this instance of vigilantism to what the descritpion of LG says. Pretty much an LG character can commit genocide as long as he does so against foes who are known to be evil. So, to recap: LG says genocide is conditionally acceptable, but being a vigilante is not. Anyway, let people play the alignments they want. 14. Dind't even realize it wasn't on the list. This must be oversight. Its a simple magical power. 15. Ok, sounds good. However, don't be to rough on people. Don't deny a guy the knight of the chalice just because you don't like the guy or like the knight of the chalice. If people can't play what sounds fun they will go somewhere else where they can. However, its not unreasonable to want to know the players goals. 16. This rule sounds good, and can be played with but it will create nightmares for you some day. One day you will have a human fighter wielding a halfling greatsword who becomes enlarged. If its important to you change it, but if it doesn't happen within two or three sessions I wouldn't worry about it. 17. Whats the differance between good 4 and good 5? Is there anything mechanical to this? What happens if evil 1 picks up a holy sword? Do they take less damage? I don't see a reason to do this unless there is something mechanical that goes with it. 18. -could mean a lot of book keeping. Have fun with your game. However, I would really consider which of these rules is really important to you. Which ones will make the game more FUN. I would ditch the ones that are done out of a sense of "completeness" and only retain those that you think make the game fun.
Mrakvampire 05-17-07, 02:29 AM	- Female half-elves, halflings, and humans --only do this if there is some reason to inforce a gender inequality in your game. Anamorphism is small amoungst humans and dnd passes this on to humanoids. Oh, com'on... I'm not a sexist, but it is a fact, that females a weaker than males. And I do not understand your "feminist protest". Someone attempted to use (optionaly in fact) a house rule, that was already used in popular CRPG (Arcanum), and in fact is logical. What's the problem - I simply do not understand. You want to argue, that females are not weaker than males? Try to read books and not be a victim of propaganda. We are not equal, and it is great, I think. Nature created genders to be not equal, males have their strong sides, females have their strong sides as well.
Dungeonrenter 05-17-07, 08:04 AM	Oh, com'on... I'm not a sexist, but it is a fact, that females a weaker than males. And I do not understand your "feminist protest". Someone attempted to use (optionaly in fact) a house rule, that was already used in popular CRPG (Arcanum), and in fact is logical. What's the problem - I simply do not understand. You want to argue, that females are not weaker than males? Try to read books and not be a victim of propaganda. We are not equal, and it is great, I think. Nature created genders to be not equal, males have their strong sides, females have their strong sides as well. The fact is that compared to the other great apes humans have basically no dimorphism to speak of. A male gorilla is consideribaly stronger, taller, etc comapred to a female gorilla. Indeed it is impossible female gorilla to grow as large as a male, to become as strong etc. However, in humans women who wish can become as strong or stronger than many men. But, the arguement is more bsic than that. There are warrior women, there are plenty of warrior women archtypes. However, if you use this rule you are basically saying that you don't want xena in your game and would prefer to have guenavere. So, my comment has nothing to do with femanism. It has to do with biology. To make it so that the alloweable stat ranges for men and women are different means you are assuming considerable dimorphism. It also has to do with the message you are sending into your game. Also, I think that allowing them dexterity or charisma are not particularly good choices. Assuming you are doing this for realism, then the normal inequality in deadlifting ability between men and women is because of bone density. However, there is no reason for there to be a dexterity differance. There is no evidence that such a thing exists. Addtionally, charisma seems like an odd stat to enchance, it is leadership and speaking ability and women are no more suited to these tasks than men. If you are doing this for "accuracies" sake allow people with a 12 or better charisma to take a feat that is "attractiveness" that gives a +2 modifier when dealing with people of the opposite sex. The real problem in my mind is that it doesn't enhance your heroes any. Mostly what it will do is mean that female elven wizards will have a 22 dex, and a 4 strength. All and all I just don't see a need to enforce a gender inequality that will affect how players choose to play there characters. Why are you pushing female characters in to rogue and wizard jobs? Do you really not want there to be female fighters in your game? Its not mandatory in these house rules, but it seems silly to me to bother.
Holy_Beholder 05-18-07, 10:13 PM	9. You can use your strength score for intimidate instead of charisma if you so choose. No. Allowing negatives is even worse. Flexing your muscles only goes so far, mental tricks are far more effective. As for negative as positive charisma(someone else in this thread) think about it this way. Pitiful ugly low charisma guy:Unng, I gunna hut yu. Small but high charisma guy: Listen now *****. You will tell me what I need to know or I will hunt down and kill everyone in your family. I am going to cut off all the limbs of the little children, and the civilians, and feed them to them when they are starving. I am going to gouge out their eyes, and pull their teeth out of their mouths one at a time. I will make my ugly friend here (gestures toward Pitiful ugly low charisma guy) rape each and every one of the girls and women, even the little babies in their crib. Now tell me what I want" Personally, I would be laughing at guy 1, and be horrified half way through the second. And the second one was edited to keep it relatively clean.
Nathreet 05-18-07, 11:03 PM	Wow... I don't even know where to begin. Here's a list of rules that aren't a problem: Elves may take a –2 penalty to strength in exchange for either a +2 to intelligence or a +2 to wisdom. (only b/c of grey elves, which are questionable but still within the rules) 4. Gnomes have two favored classes: Illusionist and Bard (sure, why not) 6. Feats, Classes, etc. from outside PHB must be cleared with the DM first. (always an excellent idea, check char op boards for reason why) 13. Bards can be whatever alignment they damn well please. (ok, I guess. Doesn't matter so much) 14. Animate Objects is a Wizard/Sorcerer spell in addition to being a Cleric spell. (makes sense) 15. If your character is taking a prestige class, you should let the DM know well in advance (at least 1 level or a couple of adventures beforehand) so he can arrange for you character to take steps towards that class in-game, so it’s not like, “Wow, I killed an orc and suddenly I’m accepted into the Knighthood of the Chalice!” (again, an excellent idea to keep rollplaying from overtaking roleplaying) The rest are just plain problematic. Most of them are unbalanced, leaving one obvious choice for any smart player. Others are trivial, and really just complicate things by being a rule. I think you could ditch all of the other rules and you wouldn't be losing much. It'd also eliminate some potential problems, but really all of these rules are so minor that these problems would also be minor. But hey, if it doesn't confuse your players, it doesn't matter so much. They might be a little more powerful if smart, or a little debilitated if dumb, but it won't break the game. I'm saying most of these rules are bad rules, but not bad enough to destroy anything. It's more a matter of, "Why the heck even bother with them?" Rules #6 and #15 should be standard for any group.
Vaelan 05-19-07, 03:54 PM	I have to say is that you didn't manage to make me think that you're so incredibly stupid that criticism would be lost on you. Very few people posting a list of houserules manage that. -Halflings may have a base land speed of 30 feet in exchange for a permanent –2 to max hit points. Unearthed Arcana has a Trait that gives you +10 to your land speed and -1 hp/die, so a simple -2 seems a bit inappropriate. I would probably trade the speed for their luck bonus to saving throws and bonus to ranged attacks. - Female half-elves, halflings, and humans may choose to gain either a +2 to dexterity or a +2 to charisma in exchange for a –2 penalty to strength. Considered in poor taste by many, myself included, but it isn't terribly offensive. -Elves may take a –2 penalty to strength in exchange for either a +2 to intelligence or a +2 to wisdom. In conjunction with an array that includes a 20? 5. Instead of rolling your ability scores choose from one of the following arrays: Array Choice 1: 18, 16, 14, 12, 10, 8 Array Choice 2: 20, 14, 14, 12, 8, 8 Array Choice 3: 15, 15, 15, 14, 14, 14 Array Choice 4: 18, 18, 12, 12, 8, 8 Please note your array choice on your character sheet. First of all, the 20. I don't like it, but there are options available that mirror everything I don't like about it, so it isn't that terrible. Second, the arrays seem a little inconsistent. Compare Arrays 2 and 4 to Array 1. Array 2 has you upgrading an 18 to a 20 at the cost of changing a 16 to a 14 and a 10 to an 8. Array 4 has you upgrading a 16 to an 18 at the cost of changing a 14 to a 12 and a 10 to an 8. Array 3 then proceeds to acknowledge that high scores are worth more than low scores. 7. This is a low-psionics game, and all psionics must be tempered by ki. Psionics are allowed, but you must have one level of monk for every 3 levels of a psionic class you take. Ardent + Practiced Manifester = Ardent 15 / Monk 5 with ninth-level powers. Something to look out for, I suppose. 9. You can use your strength score for intimidate instead of charisma if you so choose. A circumstance modifier contingent upon a show of Strength is a better fit.
zzo38 05-20-07, 01:46 AM	1. All races from the Player’s Handbook get “exchange options” at creation, allowing them to gain a specific racial benefit in exchange for a racial penalty: - Humans may gain a +1 to an ability score of their choice in exchange for giving up the human bonus feat. - Half-Elves may gain a bonus feat in exchange for both a –1 penalty on fortitude saves and a permanent –2 to max hit points. - Half-Elves may gain a +2 to dexterity in exchange for either a –2 penalty to constitution or strength. -Half-Orcs may lose either their –2 to charisma or their –2 to intelligence in exchange for taking a –1 penalty to will saves against illusions. -Half-Orcs may gain a bonus feat chosen from the fighter list in exchange for also gaining the "light sensitivity" special quality as described in the "orc" entry in the monster manual. - Female half-elves, halflings, and humans may choose to gain either a +2 to dexterity or a +2 to charisma in exchange for a –2 penalty to strength. -Elves may take a –2 penalty to strength in exchange for either a +2 to intelligence or a +2 to wisdom. -Dwarves may lose their –2 to charisma in exchange for a –2 to dexterity. -Halflings may have a base land speed of 30 feet in exchange for a permanent –2 to max hit points. -Gnomes may gain a +2 to intelligence in exchange for a –2 to wisdom. 2. Hobgoblins are a PC race. (+2 con, -2 cha, +4 move silently, +3 reflex saves, double-weapons treated as martial weapons, favored class: fighter) 3. Rangers that use the non-magic variant from Complete Warrior gain Toughness as a bonus feat at 4th level. 4. Gnomes have two favored classes: Illusionist and Bard #1-4 are fine. 5. Instead of rolling your ability scores choose from one of the following arrays: Array Choice 1: 18, 16, 14, 12, 10, 8 Array Choice 2: 20, 14, 14, 12, 8, 8 Array Choice 3: 15, 15, 15, 14, 14, 14 Array Choice 4: 18, 18, 12, 12, 8, 8 Please note your array choice on your character sheet. #5 is fine except array 2, because it has a 20 in it. 6. Feats, Classes, etc. from outside PHB must be cleared with the DM first. #6 is good. 7. This is a low-psionics game, and all psionics must be tempered by ki. Psionics are allowed, but you must have one level of monk for every 3 levels of a psionic class you take. If you want a low-psionics game, OK, you can use this rules. 8. Monks and Paladins can multiclass like any other class as long as they stick to their alignments and codes of honor. (They could multiclass into fighter, but not into barbarian, for example.) I guess this is OK. 9. You can use your strength score for intimidate instead of charisma if you so choose. Shouldn't it depend on the circumstances? Maybe you should be able to use strength only in some circumstances 10. If you have ranks in certain craft skills, you automatically have an equal amount of ranks in the appropriate profession. (Craft (alchemy) à Profession (alchemist)) I don't know if there are corresponding craft/profession skills, but if so, OK. 11. Poison DC’s are all increased by 2. Even if you make the save, you are still sickened for a number of minutes = 5 x (DC – S), where S is the difference between the actual successful saving throw rolled and the poison’s save DC. If you are poisoned between making your first and second save against another poison attempt, your saves vs. poison suffer a –2 per save you are waiting to make. OK you can do that if you like 12. Monks do not have to be lawful. (After all, one can possess the discipline necessary for the arts and still be a rebel at the same time.) However, any day that a monk does not adventure, he must either spend two hours practicing, or an extra six hours in meditation, or suffer experience penalties. 13. Bards can be whatever alignment they damn well please. OK! 14. Animate Objects is a Wizard/Sorcerer spell in addition to being a Cleric spell. Yes, I agree with you! 15. If your character is taking a prestige class, you should let the DM know well in advance (at least 1 level or a couple of adventures beforehand) so he can arrange for you character to take steps towards that class in-game, so it’s not like, “Wow, I killed an orc and suddenly I’m accepted into the Knighthood of the Chalice!” OK, that makes sense. 16. Certain weapons can be considered different weapons for different size categories. This will be determined on a case-by-case basis. Some examples would be, that a human can wield a halfling-sized longsword as if it were a human-sized shortsword, and a halfling could wield a human-sized shortbow as if it were a halfling-sized longbow. (Thus eliminating –2 “wrong size” penalty.) OK, I think there are examples in the book. 17. Alignment is measured in degrees from 1-10, indicated by a number after each alignment letter. For example, a LG character that is devoted to good much more than law (but still fairly lawful) might be expressed as G7L3. Typically, only creatures with an alignment subtype (such as angels, devils, etc.) can have an alignment of 9 or 10. I like that. What about N alignment degrees? Does that exist? 18. Range increments increase or decrease with size (based on the size of the weapon for projectile-firing weapons and on the size of the thrower for thrown weapons): (Fine x ¼, Tiny & Diminutive x ½, Large & Huge x 2, Gargantuan x 3, Colossal x 4) OK, do that if you want
Midrealm_DM 05-21-07, 04:22 PM	Do you think any of these rules create any major balance problems? Many I think are 'minor' balance problems, that may have to be tweaked a little as play progresses. So I will only address those that I feel are off from the start. 1. All races from the Player’s Handbook get “exchange options” at creation, allowing them to gain a specific racial benefit in exchange for a racial penalty: Many of these seem cumbersome, and some players may not even bother considering them. A different option might be to allow a player to take a 'racial penalty' from a list (available to all races) and a racial benefit from a second list. These would have to be selected at 1st level. All-in-all most of them seem fairly well balanced. -Half-Orcs may lose either their –2 to charisma or their –2 to intelligence in exchange for taking a –1 penalty to will saves against illusions. -Half-Orcs may gain a bonus feat chosen from the fighter list in exchange for also gaining the "light sensitivity" special quality as described in the "orc" entry in the monster manual. Both of these are dependant on the DM to make them effective. If you don't use alot of illusions in your campaign, or if most of the adventures take place in underground, dark settings, these two basically grant a benefit for almost no disadvantage. Just pointing out, that if your player's select one of these two, you need to make sure to take exploit it on occasionain. - Half-Elves may gain a +2 to dexterity in exchange for either a –2 penalty to constitution or strength. - Female half-elves, halflings, and humans may choose to gain either a +2 to dexterity or a +2 to charisma in exchange for a –2 penalty to strength. Can a player only take one option? Otherwise, you can have a female 1/2 elf with +4 to dex. -Halflings may have a base land speed of 30 feet in exchange for a permanent –2 to max hit points. Personally I think this is overpowered. There is a feat (I forget from which book) that grants +5 to movement, and another (Toughness) that grants +3 hp. So It is safe to assume 5 movement is worth 3 hp at least. You are allowing double the movement increase fro about 1/2 the penalty. I would think +5 move for -3 hp (or maybe -1 Con), or +10 move for -2 Con on at least -1 hp / level. 2. Hobgoblins are a PC race. (+2 con, -2 cha, +4 move silently, +3 reflex saves, double-weapons treated as martial weapons, favored class: fighter) Why the change from the Monster Manual version? (+2 Con, +2 Dex), Base Speed 30, Darkvision 60, +4 Move Silent, Auto Lang Common, Goblin; Bonus Lang Draconic, Dwarven, Infernal, Giant, Orc. Favored Class- Fighter; Level Adjustment +1 I think your version is balanced fairly well, except the double-weapons and +3 reflex saves. If you want them to use a double-weapon as a martial weapon, I would suggest choosing a single specific double weapon (such as dire flail, or two-bladed sword). The +3 Reflex saves seems way powerful, especially on top of +2 Dex. The Lightning Reflexes feat only adds +2, so I'd put it at +2 max, If even that high. 5. Instead of rolling your ability scores choose from one of the following arrays: Array Choice 1: 18, 16, 14, 12, 10, 8 Array Choice 2: 20, 14, 14, 12, 8, 8 Array Choice 3: 15, 15, 15, 14, 14, 14 Array Choice 4: 18, 18, 12, 12, 8, 8 Array Choice 1: 38 point buy; Array Choice 2: 40 point buy Array Choice 3: 42 point buy; Array Choice 4: 40 point buy Holy $#!+ Umm I guess they are fairly balanced with each other, but seem very high overall. If you are running a high powered campaing I guess its ok. I used a 32 point buy in my campaign and wish I had gone lower. I will say this, monks with alot of high stats are more powerful than you might think. And some of your other rules make monks more powerful already. 9. You can use your strength score for intimidate instead of charisma if you so choose. I'd say no on this one... Keep in mind a failed Intimidate check can mean many things: the target feels he will be harmed/killed anyway, the target makes something up to appease you, etc. So there is more too it than just looking tough. Allowing a PC to break an item (such as a chair, or bend a bar, etc) to gain a +2 bonus would be easier and more accurate. 10. If you have ranks in certain craft skills, you automatically have an equal amount of ranks in the appropriate profession. (Craft (alchemy) à Profession (alchemist)) Errr .. ok... what does Profession (alchemy) do? Generally: Craft skills let you create things, profession lets you do things. If I have a Craft Armor skill, what does Profession Armor do? I can pose as a shield? Usaually if something is a craft it isn't a profession, and vice-versa. Unless you have rules on what the profession skills do, this seems pointless, but harmless. 11. Poison DC’s are all increased by 2. Even if you make the save, you are still sickened for a number of minutes = 5 x (DC – S), where S is the difference between the actual successful saving throw rolled and the poison’s save DC. If you are poisoned between making your first and second save against another poison attempt, your saves vs. poison suffer a –2 per save you are waiting to make. So if a player is stung by 3 Small sized Monstrous Scorpions (CR 1/2) He would save at DC 14 with a -4 penalty (from the two additional stings) This means on average a character would have to have +8 Fort save to succeed an average roll. (A 4th level fighter class with 18 con) With each failed save doing 1d2 con damage, thus decreasing his chance of survival from the next sting. Plus being sickened imposes -2 to saving throws among other things. I think you are overpower poisons, but I would love to play a druid in your campaign, poisons bite rules! 14. Animate Objects is a Wizard/Sorcerer spell in addition to being a Cleric spell. So Arcane caster's now manipulate life forces? Bestowing life on the unliving, An animated object becomes a creature for the duration of the spell. I don't see a problem with this, but I would make it a higher level spell for arcane casters. 16. Certain weapons can be considered different weapons for different size categories. This will be determined on a case-by-case basis. Some examples would be, that a human can wield a halfling-sized longsword as if it were a human-sized shortsword, and a halfling could wield a human-sized shortbow as if it were a halfling-sized longbow. (Thus eliminating –2 “wrong size” penalty.) Your call, but it is mroe than just being the wrong size, imagine a crossbow with a trigger guard designed to fit a halfling's hand. Try to squeeze my big human finger in there would be problematical. Likewise, a halfling longsword may have the same blade length as a human shortsword, but the grip would be too small for my hand. Again not game unblanacing, but an unnecessary change in my view. 17. Alignment is measured in degrees from 1-10, indicated by a number after each alignment letter. For example, a LG character that is devoted to good much more than law (but still fairly lawful) might be expressed as G7L3. Typically, only creatures with an alignment subtype (such as angels, devils, etc.) can have an alignment of 9 or 10. So is a 1 Evil or is it just barely good? Also what effect does this have on the campaign? I use a similar system that ranges from -14 to +14 on each axis. 18. Range increments increase or decrease with size (based on the size of the weapon for projectile-firing weapons and on the size of the thrower for thrown weapons): (Fine x ¼, Tiny & Diminutive x ½, Large & Huge x 2, Gargantuan x 3, Colossal x 4) So a small character gets penalized twice, the damage decreases and he gets shafted on the range? Don't forget a smaller arrow is lighter and a larger arrow is heavier. I would leave ranges alone. Hope that helps
Dungeonrenter 05-24-07, 07:55 AM	Errr .. ok... what does Profession (alchemy) do? Generally: Craft skills let you create things, profession lets you do things. If I have a Craft Armor skill, what does Profession Armor do? I can pose as a shield? Usaually if something is a craft it isn't a profession, and vice-versa. Unless you have rules on what the profession skills do, this seems pointless, but harmless. Just so you know its pretty clear what profession alchemy and profession armorer do according to the players handboodk. Craft is purely your ability to manufacture something. Proffession represents your ability at generating a living from a particular area. So profession "lawyer" inbues you with the knowledge of how to pracice law. HOwever, you would still need diplomacy and knowledge local to represent your skills at courtroom procedure and ability to understand the intent of law. Similary, the "profession" associated with a craft would be the skills at running an alchemy buisness, knowing how to manage inventories, where to go to buy things in bulk, setting prices etc. Armorer would be vey similar. It would be the practice of being an armorer as opposed to the practice of making armor. LIke I siad in my post a while ago, the problem with this is that it means that the better you are at making THINGS the better you are at SELLING those things. It probably doesn't matter, however it also doesn't match reality at all.
Flynnwd 05-24-07, 03:16 PM	If you are worried about the stat generation and how much time it might take up, you might consider something like the following webpage to assist your players and speed things up: Random Stats By Point Buy Value (http://www.geocities.com/flynnwd/downloads/Random_Stats_By_Point_Buy_Value.htm) Hope this helps, Flynn
Gadren 05-25-07, 06:41 AM	Ok, I took much of what you guys said into consideration and redrafted the house rules. Also, I added more house rules.
Flynnwd 05-25-07, 12:17 PM	Ok, I took much of what you guys said into consideration and redrafted the house rules. Also, I added more house rules. Did you want more input on that draft? With Regards, Flynn
Gadren 05-25-07, 02:28 PM	Did you want more input on that draft? With Regards, Flynn Most definately!
Treymordin 05-25-07, 03:48 PM	How have these rules worked out?
jedikuonji 05-25-07, 04:46 PM	No. Allowing negatives is even worse. Flexing your muscles only goes so far, mental tricks are far more effective. As for negative as positive charisma(someone else in this thread) think about it this way. Pitiful ugly low charisma guy:Unng, I gunna hut yu. Small but high charisma guy: Listen now *****. You will tell me what I need to know or I will hunt down and kill everyone in your family. I am going to cut off all the limbs of the little children, and the civilians, and feed them to them when they are starving. I am going to gouge out their eyes, and pull their teeth out of their mouths one at a time. I will make my ugly friend here (gestures toward Pitiful ugly low charisma guy) rape each and every one of the girls and women, even the little babies in their crib. Now tell me what I want" Personally, I would be laughing at guy 1, and be horrified half way through the second. And the second one was edited to keep it relatively clean. Why are you assuming the low charisma person is also a complete idiot? While I agree with the idea that a charismatic person could convince someone that they will peel the flesh off their bones, keep them alive, put the flesh back on, and do it all over again; I don't see how that's any different then a big, burly guy saying "Look, tell me what you know and I won't do this to your leg" and then prodeed to crush a nearby log with his bare hands. Both are rather intimidating but each uses a different approach.
Flynnwd 05-25-07, 04:59 PM	25. Better Monks: Monk gains a +1 to all attack rolls at levels 5, 9, 13, and 17. Ummm, if you throw in a +1 on all attack rolls at level 1, then that's the same as a fighter's BAB progression. (Because you are giving them a +1 to attack on each level where they normally don't get one because of their BAB progression.) May as well just call it the fighter's BAB progression, then. More Later, Flynn
Holy_Beholder 05-25-07, 07:07 PM	Why are you assuming the low charisma person is also a complete idiot? While I agree with the idea that a charismatic person could convince someone that they will peel the flesh off their bones, keep them alive, put the flesh back on, and do it all over again; I don't see how that's any different then a big, burly guy saying "Look, tell me what you know and I won't do this to your leg" and then prodeed to crush a nearby log with his bare hands. Both are rather intimidating but each uses a different approach. The difference is the high charisma person isn't just threatening the guy, he is basically establishing himself as a ruthless killer who doesn't think twice about slaughtering innocents, babies, kittens, and whatever else he feels like. While the low charisma guy has no force of personality and mumbles and has trouble thinking of the right word because he isn't very good in social situations. And the big burly guy would mumble, break something, mumble again, and manage to get across the word leg because he had low charisma. A normal charisma guy could pull off a simple threat like that, but they still only appear to be a thug. Any one who would be affected by something that simple isn't hard to intimidate. Besides, think about it this way: If they are making that threat, then the guy is likely tied up. So whats stopping a low strength character from pulling out a knife and saying "Tell me what I want to know, or you lose the eye"? In combat, simply being strong isn't going to cover you, you need skill. What could happen with that could easily be a "we'll see" followed up by a crossbow bolt. The strength isn't all that important because being when someone is tied up and helpless, anyone can do anything they want. Sure the high strength guy could crush a log, and say your legs next. The low strength guy picks up a hammer first, and does the same thing,
Gadren 05-25-07, 07:24 PM	Ummm, if you throw in a +1 on all attack rolls at level 1, then that's the same as a fighter's BAB progression. (Because you are giving them a +1 to attack on each level where they normally don't get one because of their BAB progression.) May as well just call it the fighter's BAB progression, then. More Later, Flynn Becauses its not a bonus to his base attack. There is a HUGE difference between a bonus to attack rolls and an increase in base attack.
Flynnwd 05-25-07, 08:17 PM	Becauses its not a bonus to his base attack. There is a HUGE difference between a bonus to attack rolls and an increase in base attack. Iterative attacks is about it (oh, and some feat prereqs, but that's about it), which admittedly is huge. Otherwise, it's all just more numbers to throw at the attack roll. No worries. I'm just making suggestions. With Regards, Flynn
Qwicksilver 05-26-07, 02:40 AM	In defense of the Str for Cha change for intimidate. I have been using this recently. I think that intimidation definitely has a element of looking the part and is more connected to how someone is physically. Yes one can be intimidated by a lot of things, power, for example. I could be completely intimidated by the wizard's grasp of primal energies that could burn my soul for eternity, but then he's not guaranteed to have a high cha either. More than almost any of the mind-effecting skills, I think that Indimidate has a big element of looking the part, rather than talking a good game. It is hard to be intimidated by someone smaller, weaker, less imposing than you. Even adversaries that are attack more swiftly than you (ie. a high dex warrior like a rogue), I would say, are less intimidating to be around. A large fully muscle bound brute is already intimidating, even the stupid or ugly ones. In reference to how much charisma it takes to be intimidating, I'd equate this to having "interpersonal" knowledge. Someone with a high charisma, through looks or otherwise, has an intuitive sense of how to get the upper hand when interacting with people. To this end, I would say that being intimidating requires a whole lot less of this kind of knowledge than other, more nuanced skills like diplomacy. It's easy to think "i should break this chair" or "i should threaten this person with the loss of a cherished body part", than how one tries to convince even a shop owner that he should sell his items at half price. It's easier to be intimidating by letting out a primal scream whilst crushing the skull of a recently dispatched foe than trying to tell your girlfriend that that person she saw coming out of your room was not her sister. Simply put, I'd say it requires low charisma to be intimidating, but requires an element of "looking the part". Acting the part is easy. Also: the male/female adjustment scores really is a bit sexist. Allowing them to have more cha. implies that women are always better looking or better spokespeople than men, which is only a matter of perspective. I'd say because, i'm assuming, you're a straight guy, you're taking the point of view that women are more attractive to you than men.
Gadren 05-26-07, 04:48 AM	Also: the male/female adjustment scores really is a bit sexist. Allowing them to have more cha. implies that women are always better looking or better spokespeople than men, which is only a matter of perspective. I'd say because, i'm assuming, you're a straight guy, you're taking the point of view that women are more attractive to you than men. Nope, read the recent addition. They have it because sorcery runs stronger in women of human and halfling blood in the campaign.
Johnny_Angel 05-26-07, 05:33 AM	Just from quickly glancing over everything - the biggest problem I see is that Bards become significantly more powerful. A lot of people seem to be under the impression that the bard class is weak, and they are entitled to their opinion, but -personally- I definately do not share that opinion. Basically, what I'm trying to say is that I feel some of the changes to the bard class make it significantly more powerful.
Johnny_Angel 05-26-07, 05:47 AM	I definately like how you broke down alignment with the alignment points. I do something similar to that when I DM. I don't necessarily have "points," but I generally follow the same sort of logic. Only the alignment based outsiders are completely 100% the alignment that they are; mortals and other beings can be an alignment without being that alignment to the extreme. One obvious exception is perhaps the paladin.
Qwicksilver 05-26-07, 12:27 PM	Nope, read the recent addition. They have it because sorcery runs stronger in women of human and halfling blood in the campaign. Ah I see. Just from quickly glancing over everything - the biggest problem I see is that Bards become significantly more powerful. Yes I gather this also from his bard variant. I first got this impression from glancing over the changes like, "oh here we go, another person who thinks bards are underpowered." Looking closer though, I would not say that it makes them grossly overpowered. I definitely love the bard class, but I think the fact that many of these abilities can only be chosen once limits their abusability. Many of the abilities themselves are smaller additions, trackless step, uncanny dodge, weap. specialization, only one favored enemy, etc. With the exception of sneak attack, which dilutes the flavor of a bard with a rogue, the other abilities don't seem to be particularly bad. The new spell feats are also limited by the fact that number of spells/day does not change. However, if anything, you should do something more than giving a fighter extra BAB in order to rebalance it. It's an interesting fix, i haven't seen people suggesting that a fighter get higher than +1 bab.
Gadren 05-26-07, 01:23 PM	Ah I see. Yes I gather this also from his bard variant. I first got this impression from glancing over the changes like, "oh here we go, another person who thinks bards are underpowered." Looking closer though, I would not say that it makes them grossly overpowered. I definitely love the bard class, but I think the fact that many of these abilities can only be chosen once limits their abusability. Many of the abilities themselves are smaller additions, trackless step, uncanny dodge, weap. specialization, only one favored enemy, etc. With the exception of sneak attack, which dilutes the flavor of a bard with a rogue, the other abilities don't seem to be particularly bad. The new spell feats are also limited by the fact that number of spells/day does not change. However, if anything, you should do something more than giving a fighter extra BAB in order to rebalance it. It's an interesting fix, i haven't seen people suggesting that a fighter get higher than +1 bab. The idea with the bard abilities was to reflect that bards are jack of all trades, and to have all the core classes reflected by at least one ability. Fighters don't get a higher BAB, they just get a bonus to attack and damage. I also plan on writing up more fighter-only feats, which doesn't make fighters more powerful, but at least more interesting.
Gadren 05-26-07, 02:00 PM	Just from quickly glancing over everything - the biggest problem I see is that Bards become significantly more powerful. A lot of people seem to be under the impression that the bard class is weak, and they are entitled to their opinion, but -personally- I definately do not share that opinion. Basically, what I'm trying to say is that I feel some of the changes to the bard class make it significantly more powerful. Well there's really only one change per say, just multiple options. Which options do you feel make it too powerful? I was aiming just to give it tidbits from the other classes, but just tidbits, to represent that bards truly are jacks of all trades. It's not so much that *I* think bards are weak, its that my players usually do. These options just give the bard some versatility, but he still isn't as powerful at any one thing as other classes, and overall I don't think these changes will make bards out-shine any other class.
Azar 05-26-07, 02:39 PM	I'll weigh in on these rules - I can say right off the bat that I'm impressed by the revision. Courtesty:... These present some nice ground rules for your DM-Player contract. Just make sure all players are well aware of you expectations Ability Scores: 1. Instead of rolling your ability scores choose from one of the following arrays: Array Choice 1: 18, 16, 14, 12, 11, 9 Array Choice 2: 19, 14, 14, 12, 8, 8 Array Choice 3: 15, 15, 15, 14, 14, 14 Array Choice 4: 18, 18, 13, 12, 9, 8 I'd like to know what circumstances prompted you to use pre-generated arrays. I wouldn't really know what impact high-powered attributes like these would have on the campaign - I rarely use anything higher then 28. Races: - Humans may gain a +1 to two ability scores of their choice in exchange for giving up the human bonus feat. I'd personally stick with convention and try to avoid odd ability score adjustments. A human using Array Choice 4 could have two 19's right off the bat - which seems to undermine Array Choice 2 (Seeing how you've estimated a 19 worth more then 4 points). I'd make a human give up both his bonus feat and bonus skill points for a single +2 to any ability score. Notice that a feat like Prodigal Spellcaster - when combined with a human's skill points - simulates +2 to Intelligence. Also, according to the Epic rules (A dubious source, of course) +1 to a single ability score is worth an epic feat - make of that what you will. - Half-Elves may gain a bonus feat in exchange for both a –1 penalty on fortitude saves and a permanent –2 to max hit points. For minor adjustments and tweaks such as these I'd suggest you take a look at the Flaw system from Unearthed Arcana. Supposedly, a bonus feat is worth 1 Hit Point/Hit Die, and even that seems a little generous. In the long run 2 HP is negligable and definately worth the exchange. Its hard to balance something like this because it assumes that feats are balanced with one another, which I can't believe. - Half-Elves may gain a +2 to dexterity in exchange for either a –2 penalty to constitution or strength, or a -1 to both. Once again, I'd avoid odd ability score adjustments out of convention - among other things - because they can have their impact decimated/magnified by applying them to odd ability scores (Granted, when using pre-generated arrays this becomes less of a concern). -Half-Orcs may lose either their –2 to charisma or their –2 to intelligence in exchange for taking a –1 penalty to will saves against illusions.- This seems an odd adjustment - naturally Half-Orcs are just as resistant to illusions and enchantments as your average man. Honestly, I'd think it balanced to just cut the penalty to Charisma altogether (Keep the penalty to Int, these guys on average are preety dumb). [B]-Half-Orcs may gain a bonus feat chosen from the fighter list in exchange for also gaining the "light sensitivity" special quality as described in the "orc" entry in the monster manual. This once again reminds me of the Flaw system - the penalties garnered for a bonus feat are only balanced if the penalty is constantly present - I'd disallow this in any game in which darkness is a predominant feature (The problem is this creates inconsistency). - Female half-elves, halflings, and humans may choose to gain a +2 to charisma in exchange for a –2 penalty to strength. Sorcery runs strongest in women of human and halfling blood in the campaign. Having relegated this to a setting-specific change really supports it. There are two problems I have with this: -Even though ability score adjustments are balanced when taken in pairs this doesn't mean that any number of ability adjustments applied to the character retains balance. Also, this can create some very over-focused characters. -This is well and dandy for humans, but halflings are stuck with a whopping -4 penalty to Strength - the prominent dump stat for most casters! The problem is - when combined with the pre-generated arrays it can really shoe-horn your players. Unless you want your halfling sorceresses to be encumbered under the weight of their familiar (Or any Macguffin) I'd turn this into a setting specific feat - one that allows a character to be considered to have a Charisma of two points higher when determining bonus spells per day and spell save DC's. Elves may take a –2 penalty to strength in exchange for either a +2 to intelligence or a +2 to wisdom. I'd allow elves to instead substitute their +2 to Dexterity for a +2 to Intelligence/Wisdom. This just keeps their stats streamlined with fewer racial modifiers to account for later in the game. -Dwarves may lose their –2 to charisma in exchange for a –2 to dexterity. I've seen this variant somewhere, and the developer who presented it suggested that -2 Dexterity could be worth +4 to Constitution, but I'm lacking for a source. -Halflings may have a base land speed of 30 feet in exchange for a permanent –1 to hit point rolls at levels 2-5. I'd just have this replace their +1 to all Saving Throws and their +1 to Attack Rolls with thrown weapons and slings. -Gnomes may gain a +2 to intelligence in exchange for a –2 to wisdom. As with the elves, I'd have this presented as a choice between the +2 Constitution and the +2 Intelligence. 2. Hobgoblins are a PC race, but their stats are different than those listed in the monster manual. (+2 con, -2 cha, darkvision, +4 move silently, +3 reflex saves, +1 attack rolls vs. elves, exotic double-weapons treated as martial weapons, favored class: fighter) They do not have +1 ECL. I'd drop the bonus to Move Silently to +2 and add in a +2 racial bonus on Hide checks. I'd personally drop the +3 to Reflex saves down to +2 and for Weapon Familiarity: I'd choose a few specific weapons to represent their culture (Why are hobgoblins trained in the use of the Orc Double Axe?). 3.Gnomes have two favored classes: Illusionist and Bard. Gnome illusionists only have to choose one prohibited school. This is fine, though I'd be warry of relieving the pressures of specializing - Illusion is no mere contender among the schools of magic. Classes: 1. Rangers that use the non-magic variant from Complete Warrior gain Toughness as a bonus feat at 4th, 8th, 11th, and 14th level, in addition to the normal bonuses from the class. This does not apply to the ranger variant from Complete Champion, though both variants are refered to as "foresters". (On your character sheet, write Forester W. (for Complete Warrior) or Forester C. (for Complete Champion), instead of ranger.) Why not just increase the Hit Dice of Rangers to d10? On average this has the same effect while avoiding the use of Improved Toughness. 2.This is a low-psionics game, and all psionics must be tempered by ki. Psionics are allowed, but you may not take levels in any psionic class without at least one level in monk and 4 ranks in concentration. The exception are soul knives, though they still train in the same monasteries. Personally I'd just layer the Psionic classes with Ki flavor instead of forcing class restrictions on them. 3.Monks and Paladins can multiclass like any other class as long as they stick to their alignments and codes of honor. (Paladins could multiclass into fighter, but not into barbarian, for example.) Normally, this is worth a feat - perhaps you could limit the classes they can multiclass into depending upon what orders they're part of? (Much like in Forgotten Realms) 4. Better Bards: Every three levels (3rd, 6th, 9th, 12th, 15th, and 18th), bards get to choose a special ability from the following list: ... Psionic Power: The bard can add any one psionic power to his spell's known, as a spell of the power's level. It must be at least one level lower than his highest level spell known. He casts it as an arcane bard spell, and it is always treated as if augmented to the max by a manifester 3 levels lower (minimum 1) than the bard's caster level. This can be taken twice. ... Weapon Specialization: Must be a bard 12 or higher. The bard gains the Weapon Specialization feat with one weapon of his choice, even if he doesn't meet the prerequisites. This ability may only be chosen once. I really like this idea, though I don't think bards are in any danger of being underpowered - rather, I find the "Jack-of-all-Trades" aspect of it interesting. I'd delay the progression a bit - every 4 levels instead of every 3 - and I'd also remove the ability to gain a Psionic Power or Weapon Specialization. The access to psionic powers doesn't gel with your previous restriction requiring all manifesters to have a level in monk. Also, personally I feel that no class besides fighter should have access to fighter only feats at any time - its like stealing an iconic class ability from any of the other classes. 5. Better Fighters: Fighters gain a +1 to all attack and weapon damage rolls at level 5, 10, 15, and 20. I'm not sure if this really addresses the weaknesses the fighter class has - instead I'd give the class a wider selection of class skills and more skill points at each level. 6. Better Sorcerers:Sorcerers gain a bonus metamagic feat at levels 5, 10, 15, and 20. Eh, I'd delay this progression to every 6th level instead as to avoid stepping on the wizard's toes. 7. Better Monks: Monk gains a +1 to all attack rolls at levels 5, 9, 13, and 17. I'm not sure if monks require such a boost in high powered games such as this - monks suffer from MAD but when playing with ~40 Point Buy MAD is rarely an issue. Alignment... I like all these changes :D Skills: 1. You can use your strength score for intimidate instead of charisma if you so choose. I object to this - you can only get so far throwing your bulk around. Intimidate is more about being able to find the crack in your foe's resolve: its more about manuvering them into corner socially then it is about flexing - remember, intimidate is rarely about freaking someone out and more about coercing them into working for you. At the most, I'd allow a Strength check (DC 15) to grant a +2 circumstance bonus on your Intimidate check. 2. If you have ranks in certain craft skills, you automatically have an equal amount of ranks in the appropriate profession. (Craft (alchemy) à Profession (alchemist)) This is ruled on a case by case basis. I'd say that Synergy bonuses would be a better way to go - Craft allows you to sit down and belt out a Longsword, while Profession represents being able to deal with people, stoke the furnaces, work the bellows, etc. They're definately closely related but their not explicitly tied to one another. Also, this creates precedence for a lot of other skills - should Handle Animal grant Profession(animal trainer)? What about combinations of skills? If I have 5 ranks in Balance, Jump, and Tumble do I gain subsequent ranks in Profession(acrobat)? 1. Poison DC’s... This is very nasty and mean - poison should always be a danger but its not a fun danger. In fact it sucks to lose 8 Dex from one encounter with a monstrous spider - that can put an adventurer out of work for a whole week, and in the business of adventuring time is usually of the essence! Though, this does penalize using your physical stats for dumping - imagine our poor halfling sorceress with her mighty 5 Strength contending with a couple small monstrous spiders! :D 2. Certain weapons can be considered different weapons for different size categories, as per the Weapon Equivalencies Variant on page 27 of the DMG. As mentioned before - equipment designed for smaller creatures doesn't translate perfectly (The crossbow ambiguity is a great example of this). 3. Range increments increase or decrease with size (based on the size of the weapon for projectile-firing weapons and on the size of the thrower for thrown weapons): (Fine x ¼, Tiny & Diminutive x ½, Large & Huge x 2, Gargantuan x 3, Colossal x 4) I wouldn't mess with range increments like this - it messes with the world. For example, a Hill Giant with Far Shot now has a half-mile range on his throwing rocks! 4. Renaissance Technology... I'm a big fan of Age of Reason settings - awesome! :D 1. Animate Objects is a Wizard/Sorcerer spell in addition to being a Cleric spell. I really like this change! All in all, most of these house-rules are fine. Good job! :D
Qwicksilver 05-26-07, 04:01 PM	Oh, I'd make it higher BAB instead of attack/damage for a fighter. Gives them a slight advantage in that arena compared to, say, a barbarian who gets the equivalent of higher attack/damage with their rage ability. If you give them higher BAB, they can pump up their ac or their damage with power attack in more varied ways than a barb. would. Plus their grapple goes up, which is always a good thing. I'd also introduce more skill points and more skills available for a fighter. As a fighter, I often found that I'd have to pump up both my AC with Combat Exp. and power attack with my bab given. This was to offset the lack of the massive hp buffer that a barb. gets. I found that, next to my barb. teammate, i did much less damage and survived about the same amount of the time, making the barb a more effective frontline fighter. Look around for some of the fighter variants, there are a lot of them in the classes board, many introduce the concept of giving a fighter a unique class ability, rather than feats, that define his role apart from the barb. or the paly. or the ranger, etc.
Gadren 05-26-07, 09:10 PM	I'll weigh in on these rules - I can say right off the bat that I'm impressed by the revision. Thanks! These present some nice ground rules for your DM-Player contract. Just make sure all players are well aware of you expectations Which is why they're at the top of the list. I'd like to know what circumstances prompted you to use pre-generated arrays. I wouldn't really know what impact high-powered attributes like these would have on the campaign - I rarely use anything higher then 28. Whenever I run, it seems certain players always roll high for ability scores (myself included when I'm a player - my last character I rolled 18, 17, 16, 15, 15, 12 with standard rolling method), while others always roll low (my friend Justin usually has to reroll stats about 4 times just to get an average of 10+.) I tried using point-buy before, but it confused half the players, and the high-rollers seemed dissapointed by the "low" scores they got. So, I took the elite array used for NPCs and boosted it a bit, then made three variants with close overall values. For minor adjustments and tweaks such as these I'd suggest you take a look at the Flaw system from Unearthed Arcana. Supposedly, a bonus feat is worth 1 Hit Point/Hit Die, and even that seems a little generous. In the long run 2 HP is negligable and definately worth the exchange. Its hard to balance something like this because it assumes that feats are balanced with one another, which I can't believe. Once again, I'd avoid odd ability score adjustments out of convention - among other things - because they can have their impact decimated/magnified by applying them to odd ability scores (Granted, when using pre-generated arrays this becomes less of a concern). - This seems an odd adjustment - naturally Half-Orcs are just as resistant to illusions and enchantments as your average man. Honestly, I'd think it balanced to just cut the penalty to Charisma altogether (Keep the penalty to Int, these guys on average are preety dumb). This once again reminds me of the Flaw system - the penalties garnered for a bonus feat are only balanced if the penalty is constantly present - I'd disallow this in any game in which darkness is a predominant feature (The problem is this creates inconsistency). Keep in mind that I was just plain generous with half-elves and half-orcs because they really get hosed stat-wise. Having relegated this to a setting-specific change really supports it. There are two problems I have with this: -Even though ability score adjustments are balanced when taken in pairs this doesn't mean that any number of ability adjustments applied to the character retains balance. Also, this can create some very over-focused characters. -This is well and dandy for humans, but halflings are stuck with a whopping -4 penalty to Strength - the prominent dump stat for most casters! The problem is - when combined with the pre-generated arrays it can really shoe-horn your players. Unless you want your halfling sorceresses to be encumbered under the weight of their familiar (Or any Macguffin) I'd turn this into a setting specific feat - one that allows a character to be considered to have a Charisma of two points higher when determining bonus spells per day and spell save DC's. Well it is an option. The halfling women don't *have to take that -2 to strength. Just depends how badly they want more charisma. I'd drop the bonus to Move Silently to +2 and add in a +2 racial bonus on Hide checks. I'd personally drop the +3 to Reflex saves down to +2 and for [B]Weapon Familiarity: I'd choose a few specific weapons to represent their culture (Why are hobgoblins trained in the use of the Orc Double Axe?). Why drop the bonuses, they are already kind of weak compared to other races. And its not that they train specifically with the Orc Double Axe (though just because it has "orc" in the name doesn't mean they're the only ones who thought of it), but favor a double-headed weapon fighting style in general (Two-Bladed Sword, Orc Double Axe, Latajangs, etc.) This is fine, though I'd be warry of relieving the pressures of specializing - Illusion is no mere contender among the schools of magic. I'm only relieving the pressure on gnome illusionists to encourage them more. There's a reason I didn't set their favored class as just "wizard." Why not just increase the Hit Dice of Rangers to d10? On average this has the same effect while avoiding the use of Improved Toughness. Well, because if someone is cherry-picking ranger then they'd go with the forest variant every time instead. The levels that they get toughness are the levels normal rangers would learn a new level of spells. I really like this idea, though I don't think bards are in any danger of being underpowered - rather, I find the "Jack-of-all-Trades" aspect of it interesting. I'd delay the progression a bit - every 4 levels instead of every 3 - and I'd also remove the ability to gain a Psionic Power or Weapon Specialization. The access to psionic powers doesn't gel with your previous restriction requiring all manifesters to have a level in monk. Also, personally I feel that no class besides fighter should have access to fighter only feats at any time - its like stealing an iconic class ability from any of the other classes. I wanted to give bards an option from each of the core classes. And they don't get to "steal" weapon specialization until 12th level. I'm a big fan of Age of Reason settings - awesome! :D I really like this change! All in all, most of these house-rules are fine. Good job! :D Thanks!
Gadren 05-30-07, 06:31 PM	Thankyou so much for all your input people! Any thoughts on the latest changes? (Added a couple entries to the equipment and races section, amoung other things.)
Gadren 09-28-07, 03:14 AM	Update: So, we're up to level 11 now, and so far so good.
Misterfido 09-28-07, 04:38 AM	My opinion comes in form of definition. Negative Reinforcement, noun: psychological reinforcement by removal of an unpleasant stimulus when a desired response occurs Positive Reinforcement, noun: the offering of desirable effects or consequences for a behavior with the intention of increasing the chance of that behavior being repeated in the future Your rules make me think of negative reinforcement. You penalize players for not following your whims and desires and worrying you about unbalancing the game. Not a bad system, I have similar rules but they take the background to positive reinforcement of my other rules. The thing that worries me about your rules is that when I read them, I start to get a headache. Halflings, +2 here, -1 here, speed bonus, hobgoblins are not hobgoblins... I can't imagine staring at that rule sheet and comparing it to the PHB or MM or whatever to figure out what's going on. This worries me because this is also negative reinforcement... encouraging me to not be creative, because being creative makes me clash against your rules, because I never know when I forgot a rule and you're going to attack me with XP drain or whatever. Summary of what I'm trying to say: Simplify, simplify, simplify, and reward your players for being good, and only punish when they're really, really bad (like being *******s at the game). Ah well. That's just me.
FoxmanFX 09-28-07, 04:30 PM	Ability Scores: 1. Instead of rolling your ability scores choose from one of the following arrays: Array Choice 1: 18, 16, 14, 12, 11, 9 Array Choice 2: 19, 14, 14, 12, 8, 8 Array Choice 3: 15, 15, 15, 14, 14, 14 Array Choice 4: 18, 18, 13, 12, 9, 8 Please note your array choice on your character sheet. I like the idea of pre-generated point-buy array’s I think I will introduce them into my campaign *yoink*. It’s been mentioned before that 20 is too high – I see you changed it to a 19. Good, but seriously I would recommend sticking to what you could normally buy with a point buy system. Min/maxing will ensue otherwise. I would recommend a set of 6 choices for an array set BTW. People have commented that 40 seems a little high – I tend to run more epic scope (even at level 1) type games and always run with a 45. Go with what works ;) 1. All races from the Player’s Handbook get “exchange options” at creation, allowing them to gain a specific racial benefit in exchange for a racial penalty: Not needed but whatever floats yer boat :) - Humans may gain a +1 to two ability scores of their choice in exchange for giving up the human bonus feat. BAD – do NOT give out +1/-1 to ability scores – min/maxing ensues! There is a reason all bonuses are +/- even numbers. If I were wanting to ‘min/max’ I would take a human and array 3 and have 2 16’s. - Half-Elves may gain a bonus feat in exchange for both a –1 penalty on fortitude saves and a permanent –2 to max hit points. Weird – but works I guess. personally I would use some other mechanic - check out Unearthed Arcana's Flaw's system. - Half-Elves may gain a +2 to dexterity in exchange for either a –2 penalty to constitution or strength, or a -1 to both. Again do not give out +1/-1 ability scores! Unbalanced! -Half-Orcs may lose either their –2 to charisma or their –2 to intelligence in exchange for telling the DM what a nice guy he is. Ummmmm really the +2 str bonus is a HUGE deal – that’s why both were penalized. Maybe drop the CHA penalty at best? But there should be a trade off! Use the 1st level feat slot to remove the -2 penalty, or take a -1 to all Cha based skills instead of the -2 to cha… -Half-Orcs may gain a bonus feat chosen from the fighter list in exchange for also gaining the "light sensitivity" special quality as described in the "orc" entry in the monster manual. Works – depends on how much the game is played in the light. - Female half-elves, halflings, and humans may choose to gain a +2 to charisma in exchange for a –2 penalty to strength. Sorcery runs strongest in women of human and halfling blood in the campaign. Option = good, forcing someone to take it would be bad. I don’t have an issue with it. In fact hell open it up to both sexes (laugh!). -Elves may take a –2 penalty to strength in exchange for either a +2 to intelligence or a +2 to wisdom. Balanced -Dwarves may lose their –2 to charisma in exchange for a –2 to dexterity. Balanced -Halflings may have a base land speed of 30 feet in exchange for a permanent –1 to hit point rolls at levels 2-5. Not balanced - seriously add a racial feat for halflings – only halfings can take it (Quick foot – gain barbarian fast movement ability – wouldn’t stack if it was a halfling barbarian) -Gnomes may gain a +2 to intelligence in exchange for a –2 to wisdom. Balanced 2. Hobgoblins are a common PC race, but their stats are different than those listed in the Monster Manual. (+2 con, -2 cha, darkvision, +4 move silently, +3 reflex saves, +1 attack rolls vs. elves, exotic double-weapons treated as martial weapons, favored class: fighter) They do not have +1 ECL. Why move silently and reflex saves – that’s HUGE and worth a +1ECL right there. Again choose 1 or 2 double weapons not all. It’s the “Hobgoblin Double-sword” – kinda like the “Orc double-axe”. 3. Kobolds are a common PC race, but their stats are different than those listed in the Monster Manual. (-2 str, +2 dex, -2 con, small size, land speed 30, 60 ft darkvision, +2 on craft (trap making), craft (gunsmithing), profession (miner), and search, +1 natural armor, +1 to attack rolls with firearms, proficient with muskets, may wield firearms as if medium-sized creatures, favored class: sorcerer.) mostly flavor – seems balanced. 4. Aasimar and Tieflings PCs gain a bonus feat, like humans. Tieflings do no take a penalty to charisma. Both races are still +1 LA. Works 5. Sylvan Pixies are the descendents of wood elves and pixies commonly found in the forests of Vyalia. Sylvan Pixie PCs have stats as a Pixie character in the Monster Manual, except as follow: -They lose spell-resistance, damage reduction, and their Greater Invisibility ability. -Their type is fey, but they are treated as both fey and (elf) humanoids in regards to what spells and abilities effect them, or are effective against them (such as charm person or Resist Nature's Lure) -Their ability score adjustments are changed to -2 str, -2 con, +4 dex, +2 wis, +2 cha. -Their spell-like abilities are changed to: 3/day: invisibility; 1/day: dancing lights, detect evil, detect law, entangle, enlarge person (self only), reduce person (self only). -They gain immunity to magical sleep effects. -They gain proficiency with the longsword, rapier, longbow, and shortbow (including composite bows). -A sylvan pixie who passes with 5 feet of a secret or concealed door is entitled to a search check as if she was actively looking for it. -Their favored class changes to Ranger. -Their Level Adjustment is lowered to +2 I like this idea – I may yoink it. Half elf/pixe’s very cool. - Might do it different but seems ok. 6. Gnomes have two favored classes: Illusionist and Bard. Gnome illusionists only have to choose one prohibited school. Nothing wrong with this – I removed the favored class restrictions from my campaign – nothing blew up or got dumb 7. Races with level adjustments may use the variant level adjustment reduction rules from Unearthed Arcana. ( http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/races/reducingLevelAdjustments.htm ) Good idea – works well. Classes: 1. Rangers ... Can’t comment, no idea – bonus hp from toughness not over balancing. 2. ... psionics ... I don’t do psionics at all so no comment. 3. Monks and Paladins can multiclass like any other class as long as they stick to their alignments and codes of honor. (Paladins could multiclass into fighter, but not into barbarian, for example.) I do this in my campaign – looks good. 4. Better Bards: Every three levels (3rd, 6th, 9th, 12th, 15th, and 18th), bards get to choose a special ability from the following list: No comment – I’m not sure if its balanced or not. Good to see bards with a little more umph. 5. Better Fighters: Fighters gain a +1 to all attack and weapon damage rolls at level 5, 10, 15, and 20. They get better at hitting – that’s not the problem with fighters – they need more to DO rather that hitting things better. I use the following house rule: Combat Focus (Ex): At 5th level the fighter gains a +2 bonus on all checks or opposed rolls for: Bull Rush, Disarm, Feint, Grapple, Mounted Combat, Overrun, Sunder, and Trip. This bonus increases by +1 for every 5 levels (10th, 15th, 20th) 6. Better Sorcerers: Sorcerers gain a bonus metamagic feat at levels 5, 10, 15, and 20. I do this AND give them Eschew Materials at level 1 7. Better Monks: Monk gains a +1 to all attack rolls at levels 5, 9, 13, and 17. I don’t think they really need any more. Your call of course. 8. The Witch variant ... Interesting – I’d have to play test it to comment. Alignment 1. Monks do not have to be lawful. BAD – do not combine with barbarians! AT MOST any non-chaotic. 2. Bards can be whatever alignment they damn well please. No big deal. Works fine. 3. Alignment is measured in degrees from 1-10, ... Interesting – I may *yoink* this! Skills: 1. You can use your strength score for intimidate instead of charisma if you so choose. A lot of people may not realize this – but this is core. I don’t have my PHB handy to quote the page, but in the book it offers a suggestion of using different abilities for skills under certain circumstances. 2. If you have ranks in certain craft skills, you automatically have an equal amount of ranks in the appropriate profession. (Craft (alchemy) à Profession (alchemist)) This is ruled on a case by case basis. Generally an Alchemist is someone with ranks of Craft (alchemy). There isn’t a profession of alchemist. All professions and crafts fall under the same rule of thumb. Equipment: 1. Poison does not take effect until 1 round after it is administered. (If the target realizes he/she was poisoned, this gives him a chance to quaff anti-toxin to help counter it.) Even if you make the save, you are still sickened for a number of minutes = 5 x (DC – S – 5), where S is the difference between the actual successful saving throw rolled and the poison’s save DC. (It should be noted that the sickened effect can be shortened to 0 minutes with a high enough save.) If you are poisoned between making your first and second save against another poison attempt, your saves vs. poison suffer a –2 per save you are waiting to make. Complex – and harsh. I don’t think all poisons should make you feel sick. Some yes – others no. 2. Certain weapons can be considered different weapons for different size categories, as per the Weapon Equivalencies Variant on page 27 of the DMG. Works good. 3. Range increments increase or decrease with size (based on the size of the weapon for projectile-firing weapons and on the size of the thrower for thrown weapons): (Fine x ¼, Tiny & Diminutive x ½, Large & Huge x 2, Gargantuan x 3, Colossal x 4) I might suggest a simpler system? Dim and smaller = 1/2, S/M/L= normal, Huge and bigger = x2 KISS = good! 4. … firearms … I don’t like/use firearms – so no comment. 5. Legacy Items: I don’t use legacy items so no comment. 6. Weapon special abilities that simply add damage, (flaming, frost, shocking burst, collision, etc.) as well as certain other abilities (ask if interested) may be placed on the same weapon multiple times, up to four times, and stack. Double applications are called "improved", triple are "greater", and quadruple are "supreme." For example, a +1 greasword with 4x icy burst would be called a +1 greatsword of supreme icy burst, would be priced as a +9 weapon, would deal an extra 4d6 frost damage on each hit, and an extra 4d10 frost damage on a critical hit. Very cool! I like it! *Yoink* Spellcasting: 1. Animate Objects is a Wizard/Sorcerer spell in addition to being a Cleric spell. Works. 2. Bards, sorcerers, witches, and wilders have the option of taking the Spell Roll Variant for their DCs, as described on page 36 of the DMG. This choice is made at 1st level, and cannot be changed later. Female half-elves, halflings, and humans who took the +2 charisma option in rule 1 may roll 2d10 instead of d20. Haven’t used this system, no comment. 3. Enlarge person and reduce person change weight by a factor of 4, not 8. I use x6. a 30 lb halfling or goblin weighs 120lbs at medium under your system, 240 lbs under core and 180lbs under x6 – I think x6 is the best one to go with (IMHO of couse ;)). 4. Detect good/evil/chaos/law spells have no alignment subtype. Therefore, good-aligned clerics are not prohibitted from casting detect good, lawful characers may cast detect law, etc. Balanced – but how do you handle when detect law is on the chaos domain? check out the "post your house rules" thread also in this forum!