My ever-growing list of House Rules [Archive] - Wizards Community

My ever-growing list of House Rules [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
OneWinged4ngel
08-29-06, 07:15 PM It seems some people like my house rules... to the point that one DM even adopted them in his game (to my surprise when I found out). This being the case... I've decided to post them up here. Enjoy!
(Note: This is reposted from the online chat gaming community I play on: The Tangled Web (http://www.thetangledweb.net/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=1328). I'll usually keep this updated, but that one may be *more* updated.)

Recent Edits:

-Changed Zil Upbringing to allow a choice of three skills, adding Gather Information as a choice.
-Changed Hobgoblins to have a choice between Constitution or Dexterity, instead of taking Constitution.
-Changed name of Tumble+Balance to 'Acrobatics'
-Altar of Resurrection rule edited
-Added link to Signature Cantrips, and added rule about Material components.

GENERAL

-Hit dice are rolled for each level. However, characters may reroll hit dice that are lower than half the maximum for their die. E.g. Wizards reroll 1s, rogues rerolls 1s and 2s, rangers reroll 1s, 2s, and 3s, fighters reroll 1s, 2s, 3s, and 4s, and barbarians reroll 1s, 2s, 3s, 4s, and 5s. This way, no one gets screwed on hp, but no one really gets favored more by the odds.

-Certain Skills are combined into one skill for the purpouse of taking ranks. This includes...
Open Lock + Disable Device = Disable Device --(Disable Device can already, technically, disable locks, as they are a device. Jamming a lock's even given as an example action Open Lock is something of a legacy skill that no longer really fits, and many d20 system games have done away with the skill for a good reason. Way back, Rogues used to have a "Find/disable traps" skill and an "Open Lock" skill. Now, however, Find/Disable traps has been split into Search and Disable Device, and Disable Device has been expanded to include much more than traps (Really any mechanical or magical device). Open Lock just doesn't make sense anymore.)
Use Rope + Sleight of Hand = Sleight of Hand --(No one wants to take ranks in Use Rope... really. Sleight of Hand isn't all too much more popular, and Sleight of Hand artists are typically able to use ropes effectively)
Tumble + Balance = Acrobatics --(It never seemed to make sense that someone who could somersault over your head wouldn't have to master some good balance... or that someone training in balance wouldn't be mastering some sort of acrobatics)
These changes should help open up skill selection for people.

All these skills still gain bonuses from items and such as if they were seperate skills. You just get the ranks for them together. Rules for usage are all the same.

-Open Lock gains the new ability to "scrub" a lock open as a standard action (as opposed to a Full Round Action), at a -10 to the roll. This is a real ability skilled lockpicks can use to open locks in about 1 second, but it takes a good deal of skill.

-I use K's fix for Undead templates and Polymorph from the Tome of Necromancy and Tome of Fiends, respectively (These excellent articles are posted on the Classes boards)

-Those Darn Floaty Shields that everyone knows and doesn't really love aren't going to be there in my game. The designers even came out and said in an article (on Wizards) that animated shields were a problem, and something they never should have done. The enchantment essentially negates the trade-off between the choice of a two-handed weapon or sword and board, as if the idea that two-handed weapons were superior isn't prevalent enough already without allowing people to have a shield floating around and both hands free for your greataxe.

EBERRON SPECIFIC HOUSE RULES

-Clerics of the Silver Flame and Adepts of the Silver Flame gain proficiency with Bows, even without the War Domain. Clerics receive Weapon Focus: Longbow as a result from the War Domain.

-Paper in Eberron is more cheaply produced and readily available than in other D&D settings, and as such does not outstrip an average worker's salary in cost. Eberron has advanced enough to have efficient paper production. As a result, you can get 10 sheets of paper per 1cp, or 100 for 1sp. Higher quality paper costs 1cp per sheet.

Subscriptions to newspapers typically cost only a couple gp per year, as detailed in Sharn: City of Towers. This change follows logically from that source, and the idea that newspapers can be available to an average citizen.

-Printing Presses in Eberron are created through the efficient use of magic. A cantrip spell called Amanuesis (From Spell Compendium) which copies text combined with a simple magic item that prints to pages allows the creation of printing presses.

There are two basic types of printing press-type items.

One copies on a one-to-one basis, or directly produces text from imputted commands [an enchanted pen that writes on its own], called a Sivis Pen, the other transfers one text copy to multiple papers (large-scale printing press). The first type is relatively cheap and sees employ in sivis stations Khoirvare 'round, while the second is more specalized but extremely useful for it's given task.

A Sivis Pen costs 500 galifars.
A large-scale printing press costs 3000 galifars.

-Altar or Resurrection seems to cheapen the rarity of Resurrection in Eberron to me, as it is quite accessible. Right now, I just don't use them, but I may just redesign them a bit, giving some reason why every rich noble or house heir isn't resurrected whenever he meets an unfortunate end. Either I would give an XP cost and make the altars themselves more expensive (and something of relic items of the house, much like an Eye of Aureon is), or I would give some sort of incentive for them to not want to take your money and resurrect you... like the good ol' Marut.

FEATS:

-Zilargo Upbringing
Req: Zilargo Gnome, Level 1
Effect: Pick two skills from a choice of Gather Information, Sense Motive, and Bluff. These are class skills for you. In addition, you gain +2 in one of these skills (Your choice).
Flavour: In the cutthroat political world of shady deals, favors and debts one needs to master the social skills needed to survive.

RACES:

HOBGOBLINS
• +2 Constitution OR Dexterity.
• Medium: As Medium creatures, hobgoblins have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
• Hobgoblin base land speed is 30 feet.
• Darkvision (Ex): Hobgoblins can see in the dark up to 60 feet. Darkvision is black and white only, but it is otherwise like normal sight, and hobgoblins can function just fine with no light at all.
• +2 racial bonus on Move Silently checks.
• +2 racial bonus on Knowledge and Profession checks that are related to war, tactics, and strategy. This includes things like Armorsmithing or Knowledge: History used for information about past battles.
• Automatic Languages: Common and Goblin. Bonus Languages: Draconic, Dwarven, Elven, Giant, Gnoll, Gnome, Halfling and Orc.
-Favored Class: (M) Fighter (F) Bard

LA +0

Note: Effective? You bet. It's one of the upper LA +0s, but it's balanced when you look at the dwarf, shifter, or warforged, I believe. The lack of a penalty generally doesn't matter for balance, much like a dwarf's -2 cha: It's a dump stat from a mechanical point of view, and only really works towards shoehorning them out of say, playing a sorceror, while having no real effect on what they would optimally be suited for.

-Half-Elves gain 1 bonus skill point per level, like humans.

-Half-orcs get a +2 racial bonus to Survival and Intimidate, and +4 to saves to resist disease, and a +2 on morale checks and saving throws against fear. Orcs get the same. Also, half-orcs combine the cunning of humans with the strength of the orcs. They do not suffer a -2 penalty to intelligence.

SPELLS

-Material components are a joke that no one really finds funny. You pretty much recreate spell effects MacGuyver style (such as using powder to see invisibility) and call it magic. If you're not laughing yet, that means it's a bad joke... Plenty of DMs never like to keep track of them, and they just don't make much sense for the sorceror. All negligible cost material components are ignored, and Sorcerors gain the full effects of Eschew Materials at level 1 (And thus may use XP instead of material components). No more carrying around smelly pouches of guano for pyromancers!

-All of my custom spells are allowed: Signature Cantrips (http://www.thetangledweb.net/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=1250)

CLASSES

-Dragonmark Heir

I think that Dragonmarked Heirs should get a class skill based on their dragonmark, based on the bonuses they receive to skills, unless they already have those skills as class skills. Something like, as follows:

Mark of Detection: Spot
Mark of Finding: Search
Mark of Handling: Handle Animal
Mark of Healing: Heal
Mark of Hospitality (Diplomacy is already a Dragonmarked Heir class skill. Hmm...): Knowledge (local)
Mark of Making: Craft
Mark of Passage: Survival
Mark of Scribing: Decipher Script
Mark of Sentinel (Sense Motive already a class skill): Listen
Mark of Shadow (Gather Info too): Disguise
Mark of Storm: Balance
Mark of Warding: Search

This house rule was gotten from somewhere on these boards, but I cannot recall who posted this dragonmarked heir variant. Props to whoever it was... and if I can find out I'll give credit where it's due.

-Exorcist of the Silver Flame

A Paladin Exorcist of the Silver Flame can't Exorcise anything... in fact, it seems to assume you have the Exorcism ability as a cleric, from the Exorcism domain. This makes paladin Exorcists very sad, since they're not actually Exorcists.

I propose that Exorcist of the Silver Flame gain the Exorcism domain special ability at level 1, with the ability based on their character level.

___________

Any feedback would be appreciated :)

More will be added as it comes up.
Jodjod
08-30-06, 02:55 AM A lot of this makes perfect sense. Just a suggestion here...but consider renaming Tumble and Disable Device. It would save confusion and would be a helpful reminder to people that the skills have been altered.

Suggestions:-
Acrobatics (Dex) - combination of Balance and Tumble
Operate Device (Dex) - combination of Disable Device and Open Lock
OneWinged4ngel
08-30-06, 04:27 AM A lot of this makes perfect sense. Just a suggestion here...but consider renaming Tumble and Disable Device. It would save confusion and would be a helpful reminder to people that the skills have been altered.

Suggestions:-
Acrobatics (Dex) - combination of Balance and Tumble
Operate Device (Dex) - combination of Disable Device and Open Lock

Thanks for the feedback! I don't see why Disable Device needs to be changed, though Acrobatics makes sense. The whole reason I'm melding Disable Device and Open Lock (as many other systems already have) is because Open Lock doesn't make sense as a seperate ability anyways! Locks count as devices, and picking a lock doesn't usually fall under "operate" so much as disabling the lock's ability to... be locked. ;)

___

I want to expand the Decipher Script skill some, to extend to cryptology. You can write codes, take them apart, and your skill at this can help you get the gist of unfamiliar text in general. Also, I'm considering limiting Comprehend Languages somehow so that you can't read ancient languages... perhaps so that you might actually want to have a guy with Decipher Script around when you go to the ancient giant ruins in Xen'drik and find their strange runic carvings. As it is now, it basically makes what is already an underutilized ability obsolete with a level 1 spell.

Thoughts?

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
OneWinged4ngel 08-29-06, 07:15 PM	It seems some people like my house rules... to the point that one DM even adopted them in his game (to my surprise when I found out). This being the case... I've decided to post them up here. Enjoy! (Note: This is reposted from the online chat gaming community I play on: The Tangled Web (http://www.thetangledweb.net/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=1328). I'll usually keep this updated, but that one may be more updated.) Recent Edits: -Changed Zil Upbringing to allow a choice of three skills, adding Gather Information as a choice. -Changed Hobgoblins to have a choice between Constitution or Dexterity, instead of taking Constitution. -Changed name of Tumble+Balance to 'Acrobatics' -Altar of Resurrection rule edited -Added link to Signature Cantrips, and added rule about Material components. GENERAL -Hit dice are rolled for each level. However, characters may reroll hit dice that are lower than half the maximum for their die. E.g. Wizards reroll 1s, rogues rerolls 1s and 2s, rangers reroll 1s, 2s, and 3s, fighters reroll 1s, 2s, 3s, and 4s, and barbarians reroll 1s, 2s, 3s, 4s, and 5s. This way, no one gets screwed on hp, but no one really gets favored more by the odds. -Certain Skills are combined into one skill for the purpouse of taking ranks. This includes... Open Lock + Disable Device = Disable Device --(Disable Device can already, technically, disable locks, as they are a device. Jamming a lock's even given as an example action Open Lock is something of a legacy skill that no longer really fits, and many d20 system games have done away with the skill for a good reason. Way back, Rogues used to have a "Find/disable traps" skill and an "Open Lock" skill. Now, however, Find/Disable traps has been split into Search and Disable Device, and Disable Device has been expanded to include much more than traps (Really any mechanical or magical device). Open Lock just doesn't make sense anymore.) Use Rope + Sleight of Hand = Sleight of Hand --(No one wants to take ranks in Use Rope... really. Sleight of Hand isn't all too much more popular, and Sleight of Hand artists are typically able to use ropes effectively) Tumble + Balance = Acrobatics --(It never seemed to make sense that someone who could somersault over your head wouldn't have to master some good balance... or that someone training in balance wouldn't be mastering some sort of acrobatics) These changes should help open up skill selection for people. All these skills still gain bonuses from items and such as if they were seperate skills. You just get the ranks for them together. Rules for usage are all the same. -Open Lock gains the new ability to "scrub" a lock open as a standard action (as opposed to a Full Round Action), at a -10 to the roll. This is a real ability skilled lockpicks can use to open locks in about 1 second, but it takes a good deal of skill. -I use K's fix for Undead templates and Polymorph from the Tome of Necromancy and Tome of Fiends, respectively (These excellent articles are posted on the Classes boards) -Those Darn Floaty Shields that everyone knows and doesn't really love aren't going to be there in my game. The designers even came out and said in an article (on Wizards) that animated shields were a problem, and something they never should have done. The enchantment essentially negates the trade-off between the choice of a two-handed weapon or sword and board, as if the idea that two-handed weapons were superior isn't prevalent enough already without allowing people to have a shield floating around and both hands free for your greataxe. EBERRON SPECIFIC HOUSE RULES -Clerics of the Silver Flame and Adepts of the Silver Flame gain proficiency with Bows, even without the War Domain. Clerics receive Weapon Focus: Longbow as a result from the War Domain. -Paper in Eberron is more cheaply produced and readily available than in other D&D settings, and as such does not outstrip an average worker's salary in cost. Eberron has advanced enough to have efficient paper production. As a result, you can get 10 sheets of paper per 1cp, or 100 for 1sp. Higher quality paper costs 1cp per sheet. Subscriptions to newspapers typically cost only a couple gp per year, as detailed in Sharn: City of Towers. This change follows logically from that source, and the idea that newspapers can be available to an average citizen. -Printing Presses in Eberron are created through the efficient use of magic. A cantrip spell called Amanuesis (From Spell Compendium) which copies text combined with a simple magic item that prints to pages allows the creation of printing presses. There are two basic types of printing press-type items. One copies on a one-to-one basis, or directly produces text from imputted commands [an enchanted pen that writes on its own], called a Sivis Pen, the other transfers one text copy to multiple papers (large-scale printing press). The first type is relatively cheap and sees employ in sivis stations Khoirvare 'round, while the second is more specalized but extremely useful for it's given task. A Sivis Pen costs 500 galifars. A large-scale printing press costs 3000 galifars. -Altar or Resurrection seems to cheapen the rarity of Resurrection in Eberron to me, as it is quite accessible. Right now, I just don't use them, but I may just redesign them a bit, giving some reason why every rich noble or house heir isn't resurrected whenever he meets an unfortunate end. Either I would give an XP cost and make the altars themselves more expensive (and something of relic items of the house, much like an Eye of Aureon is), or I would give some sort of incentive for them to not want to take your money and resurrect you... like the good ol' Marut. FEATS: -Zilargo Upbringing Req: Zilargo Gnome, Level 1 Effect: Pick two skills from a choice of Gather Information, Sense Motive, and Bluff. These are class skills for you. In addition, you gain +2 in one of these skills (Your choice). Flavour: In the cutthroat political world of shady deals, favors and debts one needs to master the social skills needed to survive. RACES: HOBGOBLINS • +2 Constitution OR Dexterity. • Medium: As Medium creatures, hobgoblins have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size. • Hobgoblin base land speed is 30 feet. • Darkvision (Ex): Hobgoblins can see in the dark up to 60 feet. Darkvision is black and white only, but it is otherwise like normal sight, and hobgoblins can function just fine with no light at all. • +2 racial bonus on Move Silently checks. • +2 racial bonus on Knowledge and Profession checks that are related to war, tactics, and strategy. This includes things like Armorsmithing or Knowledge: History used for information about past battles. • Automatic Languages: Common and Goblin. Bonus Languages: Draconic, Dwarven, Elven, Giant, Gnoll, Gnome, Halfling and Orc. -Favored Class: (M) Fighter (F) Bard LA +0 Note: Effective? You bet. It's one of the upper LA +0s, but it's balanced when you look at the dwarf, shifter, or warforged, I believe. The lack of a penalty generally doesn't matter for balance, much like a dwarf's -2 cha: It's a dump stat from a mechanical point of view, and only really works towards shoehorning them out of say, playing a sorceror, while having no real effect on what they would optimally be suited for. -Half-Elves gain 1 bonus skill point per level, like humans. -Half-orcs get a +2 racial bonus to Survival and Intimidate, and +4 to saves to resist disease, and a +2 on morale checks and saving throws against fear. Orcs get the same. Also, half-orcs combine the cunning of humans with the strength of the orcs. They do not suffer a -2 penalty to intelligence. SPELLS -Material components are a joke that no one really finds funny. You pretty much recreate spell effects MacGuyver style (such as using powder to see invisibility) and call it magic. If you're not laughing yet, that means it's a bad joke... Plenty of DMs never like to keep track of them, and they just don't make much sense for the sorceror. All negligible cost material components are ignored, and Sorcerors gain the full effects of Eschew Materials at level 1 (And thus may use XP instead of material components). No more carrying around smelly pouches of guano for pyromancers! -All of my custom spells are allowed: Signature Cantrips (http://www.thetangledweb.net/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=1250) CLASSES -Dragonmark Heir I think that Dragonmarked Heirs should get a class skill based on their dragonmark, based on the bonuses they receive to skills, unless they already have those skills as class skills. Something like, as follows: Mark of Detection: Spot Mark of Finding: Search Mark of Handling: Handle Animal Mark of Healing: Heal Mark of Hospitality (Diplomacy is already a Dragonmarked Heir class skill. Hmm...): Knowledge (local) Mark of Making: Craft Mark of Passage: Survival Mark of Scribing: Decipher Script Mark of Sentinel (Sense Motive already a class skill): Listen Mark of Shadow (Gather Info too): Disguise Mark of Storm: Balance Mark of Warding: Search This house rule was gotten from somewhere on these boards, but I cannot recall who posted this dragonmarked heir variant. Props to whoever it was... and if I can find out I'll give credit where it's due. -Exorcist of the Silver Flame A Paladin Exorcist of the Silver Flame can't Exorcise anything... in fact, it seems to assume you have the Exorcism ability as a cleric, from the Exorcism domain. This makes paladin Exorcists very sad, since they're not actually Exorcists. I propose that Exorcist of the Silver Flame gain the Exorcism domain special ability at level 1, with the ability based on their character level. ___________ Any feedback would be appreciated :) More will be added as it comes up.
Jodjod 08-30-06, 02:55 AM	A lot of this makes perfect sense. Just a suggestion here...but consider renaming Tumble and Disable Device. It would save confusion and would be a helpful reminder to people that the skills have been altered. Suggestions:- Acrobatics (Dex) - combination of Balance and Tumble Operate Device (Dex) - combination of Disable Device and Open Lock
OneWinged4ngel 08-30-06, 04:27 AM	A lot of this makes perfect sense. Just a suggestion here...but consider renaming Tumble and Disable Device. It would save confusion and would be a helpful reminder to people that the skills have been altered. Suggestions:- Acrobatics (Dex) - combination of Balance and Tumble Operate Device (Dex) - combination of Disable Device and Open Lock Thanks for the feedback! I don't see why Disable Device needs to be changed, though Acrobatics makes sense. The whole reason I'm melding Disable Device and Open Lock (as many other systems already have) is because Open Lock doesn't make sense as a seperate ability anyways! Locks count as devices, and picking a lock doesn't usually fall under "operate" so much as disabling the lock's ability to... be locked. ;) ___ I want to expand the Decipher Script skill some, to extend to cryptology. You can write codes, take them apart, and your skill at this can help you get the gist of unfamiliar text in general. Also, I'm considering limiting Comprehend Languages somehow so that you can't read ancient languages... perhaps so that you might actually want to have a guy with Decipher Script around when you go to the ancient giant ruins in Xen'drik and find their strange runic carvings. As it is now, it basically makes what is already an underutilized ability obsolete with a level 1 spell. Thoughts?