New D&D campaign: My house rules list. [Archive] - Wizards Community

New D&D campaign: My house rules list. [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
gkp79
10-16-06, 11:50 AM I am going to be starting up a new Campaign this coming weekend and have come up with a somewhat large list of house rules. Some of them my own design and other ones inspired by house rules I have read about on this board, which I liked well enough to use myself.

The game itself should have 3-4 PC's and I expect it to run from first level into possibly the mid-teens or so.

I found reading through other peoples lists of house rules to be a big help in giving me ideas for what I wanted to do, and as a starting point for some things. So hopefully posting this here can give someone else an idea for their game :)

Any suggestions or comments are welcome!

Basic:
Sorcerers:
-Gain Eschew Materials (PHB pg. 94) as a free bonus feat at level 1.
-Add Diplomacy and Gather Information to the list of Sorcerer class skills.

Hit Points: Max hit points at first level. When hit points are rolled at level-up, if the roll is less than 1/2 of the hit die, then adjust it up to be as if you had rolled 1/2 the die total. For instance, when a cleric levels up and rolls 1d8 for his hit points, if the player rolls a 3 or less, then adjust it to be as if the player had rolled a 4 instead.

Starting stats: Neo-Sapian's table roll
*Table rolls 25d6, drop lowest 7. Each player may then mix and match the 18 remaining dice as they choose to get their desired ability scores (3 dice per ability score). Everyone uses the same initial roll, the difference is just in how they combine dice and place their stats.
*As an alternative, any player who isn't happy with the rolled dice may use a standard 32 point buy to create their character instead.

Skill changes:
All characters receive 4 extra skill points at first level. These points must be spent in a Perform, Craft, Profession, or Knowledge skill, and should help tie into the characters background in some way.

Spot and Listen are universal class skills. If a commoner can do it, anyone can.
Open Lock and Disable Device is merged into one skill (Operate Device).
Move Silently and Hide is merged into one skill (Sneak).
Disguise skill is removed. Its functionality is absorbed into the Forgery skill (for making a disguise) and the Bluff skill (for successfully acting the part).

Metamagic variant:
Using the spontaneous metamagic variant which allows 2 daily uses of your metamagic feat (Unearthed Arcana pg. 152). You don't need to memorize your spells with metamagic effects pre-attached - you can apply it on the fly to a spell without increasing the spells level. However, take note that you still cannot enhance your highest level spells with metamagic. Consult Unearthed Arcana for the specific restrictions.

Action Points:
Action points will be used with function similar to what is listed on page 45 of the Eberron Campaign Setting but with some notable tweaking.
Charisma will be the primary stat used to determine how many action points a character gets each level. This only uses your *inherent* charisma, much like the skill bonus from int only uses your inherent intelligence. Thus, a Cloak of Charisma won't give you more Action Points. This finally gives Charisma some use for everyone, and helps to prevent its use as a dump stat.
Charisma Score: Action Points/lvl
1-6: 1
7-8: 2
9-10: 3
11-12: 4
13-14: 5
15-18: 6
19-24: 7
25+: 8

Things action points can do:
-increase d20 roll by 1d6 (ECS pg. 45)
-reroll a d20 roll
-automatically confirm a critical hit (declare this instead of rolling to confirm)
-negate an opponents critical hit against you (reduces it to a normal hit)
-make an additional attack of opportunity this round beyond your normal maximum limit.
-stabilize
-prevent death from a death effect (such as Coup De Grace, Phantasmal Killer, Power Word: Kill, etc). Such an effect instead reduces the character to being incapacitated at negative hit points, but 1 point away from actually being dead.
-Spend two action points to activate a class feature (ECS pg. 46)

Miscellaneous Things:

Fractional Bonuses: When it comes to multiclassing, or prestige classing, we will be using the fractional base attack bonus and save bonus increases (Unearthed Arcana pg. 73).

Death: Disabled at zero HP. Unconscious and possibly bleeding at negative HP. Character death occurs when the negative HP total is equal to or greater than the characters CON score.

Dodge: The dodge feat grants a +1 dodge bonus to AC against all opponents, instead of only against 1 specified opponent. This is done to speed up combat, and because the dodge feat is rather weak to begin with. This small boost in its power is fine.

Push past: This is an additional mechanic that works similarly to Overrun, but with the intent of simply moving past the opponent instead of knocking them down as you move over them. The only difference between Pushing past and Overrunning, is that the opponent does not get the option to attempt to knock you prone if you fail to make it past them with your strength check.

Aid Another: Using the improved Aid Another rules from Complete Adventurer (pg. 96). An aiding character who has at least 5 skill ranks in the ability they are aiding with (or +5 base attack bonus for aiding in combat) has the potential to grant a bonus higher than +2 if their aid success is high enough. For aid results of 20-29 the normal aid bonus is increased by +1 (up to a +3 total). For results of 30-39 an additional +1 is granted (for a total of +4), and so on for even higher Aid Another successes.

If multiple characters are attempting to Aid Another at once, I will usually only allow the best check among them to be the one that counts. No stacking a bunch of +2 aid bonuses together at once.

Turn Undead: I am using a turning undead variant similar to what is found in Complete Divine page 87. Turning causes positive energy damage to all undead within 30’ equal to 1d4 per cleric level.

Armor and Weapons:
Armor Spikes: Armor spikes can only be used to deal extra piercing damage on a successful grapple. They cannot be used to make a regular melee attack.

Spiked Chain: uses stats from the Oriental Adventures "chain" weapon.

Double Weapons: Only the quarterstaff and the Oriental Adventures chain exist as double weapons in my game world. The exotic double weapons from the PHB are just entirely too silly to use.

Animated Shields (DMG pg. 218): This is removed as a standard magic enchantment. Animated Shields devalue the “sword and board” character style because they allow everyone to have the benefits of a shield even while wielding dual weapons or a 2-handed weapon. For balance and character variety reasons it needs to be cut.

Armor DR bonus: The following armors have Damage Reduction in addition to their normal AC.
-Scale mail 2/-
-Chainmail 2/-
-Breastplate 2/-
-Splint mail 3/-
-Banded mail 3/-
-Half plate 3/-
-Full plate 3/-

Adamantium Armor: Adamantium armor increases an armors DR by +1, and it increases its AC by +1.

Mithral Armor: Reduces the armor check penalty of the armor by 3, and increases the maximum dexterity bonus of the armor by +2. Weight reduced to 1/2 normal. The armor still counts as the same type class, however, and has the same movement speed restrictions. For example, Mithral Full plate armor is still heavy armor – it just has the benefits of being lighter and with less check and dexterity penalties.

Feats:
Characters normal feat progression is increased to 1 feat at every odd level, instead of every third level.

Feats that normally improve only a specific weapon (like weapon focus or weapon specialization), instead apply to an entire weapon group (Unearthed Arcana pg. 95) for that character. This improves the functionality of those skills. Exotic weapons are excluded from these weapon groups – they must still be trained individually.

[Diehard]
Prereq: Endurance
Benefit: Diehard feat has all the functionality as listed on page 93 of the Player's Handbook, and in addition allows the character to remain alive at an additional negative hitpoints total equal to his character level. For example, a level 8 character with a constitution score of 14 would remain alive up through -21 hit points. At -22 hit points or lower they would die.

[Heightened Senses]
Prereq: Level 3 Rogue, Scout, Monk, or Ranger
Benefit: +3 to Spot and Listen checks. The Character automatically notices things that others would have to spend time searching for. At all times the character is passively taking 10 on search checks (albeit at a -5 penalty), wherever they go as a free action when not in stressful/distracting situations (like combat or moving at a full run).

[Improved Turn Undead]
Prereq: Ability to turn undead
Benefit: Improves the users turn undead damage from d4's to d6's, and increases the range of their turn undead burst by 10 feet.

[Focused Turning]
Prereq: Ability to turn undead
Benefit: The cleric may spend 2 turn undead attempts to focus his positive energy damage at a single undead target within range. He deals twice normal turning damage against that undead target (Will save for 1/2).

[Light Armor Optimization]
Prereq: Armor Proficiency (light), base attack bonus +1
Benefit: When you are wearing light armor, reduce the armor check penalty of the armor by 1. Due to training in using the flexibility of your light armor to roll with blows and deflect draw cuts, the light armor you wear grants DR 1/- (or the DR of your light armor increases by +1)

[Medium Armor Optimization]
Prereq: Armor Proficiency (medium), base attack bonus +4
Benefit: When you are wearing medium armor, reduce the armor check penalty of the armor by 1. Also, you may ignore the standard speed reduction for wearing medium armor.

[Heavy Armor Optimization]
Prereq: Armor Proficiency (heavy), Level 6 Fighter Paladin or Knight.
Benefit: When you are wearing heavy armor, reduce the armor check penalty of the armor by 1. Increase the AC Bonus of heavy armor you are wearing by +1 and increase the DR of the heavy armor by +1 also.

Tactical: [Uncanny Barrier Defense]
Prereq: Dodge, Shield Spec, Shield Ward
The following benefits apply only when wielding a light or heavy shield, and only when you can apply your dodge bonus to AC (not flat footed, etc)

Intercepting Ward: When your dodge opponent makes a melee or ranged attack against an ally which is adjacent to you, as an immediate action you may transfer your shield bonus to that ally. This shield bonus only applies against attacks made by your dodge opponent, but it lasts until the beginning of your next turn as long as your ally remains adjacent to you – if your ally moves or is moved so that they are no longer adjacent to you, the bonus disappears. The bonus also applies against touch attacks, as per the Shield Ward feat. This bonus counts as a shield bonus for them so does not stack with any shield bonuses they have already. When you perform this maneuver you lose your own shield bonus to AC until the beginning of your next turn.

Duck and Cover: You apply your shield bonus as a bonus to reflex saves against burst, cone, emanation, and line effects that originate from your dodge opponent.

Improved Shield Defense: When fighting defensively or taking the total defense action you may increase your shields AC bonus by +2 for a duration of 1 round and for as long as you continue to fight defensively or take a total defense action. This bonus stacks with any other bonuses to your shields AC, and it applies to the other shield maneuvers listed here.
Cincinnati
10-18-06, 08:03 PM IMO, there are a lot of feats... and the improved feats seem really powerful... especially the expanded Diehard.
theotherdraxen
10-18-06, 08:50 PM IMO, you might want to break that list up a bit into manageable chunks and post them separately at separate times. I can respond to a couple of house rules, but that list is a little too big to take in all at once. Plus, I can only respond to some of your rules, as I only know so much.

But maybe that's just me.

Lesse here...I have no idea how spells will affect your game, so I'll just skip those.

Hit points, good idea.

Just use point buy or rolling. I tried doing both, and everyone ended up miserable.

Skill changes, fine, though if I were you, I'd just make sure those skills got put to good use instead of giving them free ranks in it. If someone takes perform, make sure that ther are a few nobles and dragons out there that are impressed by a good performance. If someone takes knowledge, have them face creatures where a successful related knowledge check gives good tactical info on. If someone takes profession, make sure that their profession ends up as one of their strengths (ex, I'd let profession cook allow a character to, with the right feat, purify food and cook up unusual creatures).
Also, Listen and Spot, IMO, shouldn't be class skills for everyone. A better rule might be commoners no longer have Listen and Spot on their list of class skills, but can now pick two skills to be class skills. I don't think commoners should be good at listen and spot unless that's their only job.

Action points...good, except characters do need more points at higher levels. That system is good, but I think you should also add 1/2 character level.
I like the other options you have. I'll have to steal them.

Miscellaneous rules are fine...I like Push Past...good call on the aid rule.

Under shields and armor, I only agree with Animated Weapons and Spiked Chains. You can't shoulder-ram someone with armor spikes? I don't happen to find the Orc Double Axe or the two-bladed swords silly (besides, what about the Heroes who used such weapons? See the second point in my sig). Giving armor extra DR just hands extra protection to everyone. That's why UA gives armor 1/2 the AC bonus and 1/2 DR. Adamantium armor is fine, though less useful than it was before. IMO: You've just destroyed the point of Elven Chainmail. Now, light-restricted characters are going to have an even harder time surviving, in addition to the fact that they have less DR than the heavily armored characters.

The feats you have are nice, but Heightened senses is a little overpowered, especially when stacked with Alertness. Since you want to speed things up, just encourage players to take 20. After all, that consumes very little real-time. You can search an entire room for 10 minutes, which will take you about 10 seconds to figure out the math.
Your tactical feat is cool, but with your dodge variant, the first one can't work. There is already a feat that lets you add your Shield to touch AC. The third is fine as is.

Preface all that with an IMO. I'm not here to offend you, just to give you my own two cents.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
gkp79 10-16-06, 11:50 AM	I am going to be starting up a new Campaign this coming weekend and have come up with a somewhat large list of house rules. Some of them my own design and other ones inspired by house rules I have read about on this board, which I liked well enough to use myself. The game itself should have 3-4 PC's and I expect it to run from first level into possibly the mid-teens or so. I found reading through other peoples lists of house rules to be a big help in giving me ideas for what I wanted to do, and as a starting point for some things. So hopefully posting this here can give someone else an idea for their game :) Any suggestions or comments are welcome! Basic: Sorcerers: -Gain Eschew Materials (PHB pg. 94) as a free bonus feat at level 1. -Add Diplomacy and Gather Information to the list of Sorcerer class skills. Hit Points: Max hit points at first level. When hit points are rolled at level-up, if the roll is less than 1/2 of the hit die, then adjust it up to be as if you had rolled 1/2 the die total. For instance, when a cleric levels up and rolls 1d8 for his hit points, if the player rolls a 3 or less, then adjust it to be as if the player had rolled a 4 instead. Starting stats: Neo-Sapian's table roll Table rolls 25d6, drop lowest 7. Each player may then mix and match the 18 remaining dice as they choose to get their desired ability scores (3 dice per ability score). Everyone uses the same initial roll, the difference is just in how they combine dice and place their stats. As an alternative, any player who isn't happy with the rolled dice may use a standard 32 point buy to create their character instead. Skill changes: All characters receive 4 extra skill points at first level. These points must be spent in a Perform, Craft, Profession, or Knowledge skill, and should help tie into the characters background in some way. Spot and Listen are universal class skills. If a commoner can do it, anyone can. Open Lock and Disable Device is merged into one skill (Operate Device). Move Silently and Hide is merged into one skill (Sneak). Disguise skill is removed. Its functionality is absorbed into the Forgery skill (for making a disguise) and the Bluff skill (for successfully acting the part). Metamagic variant: Using the spontaneous metamagic variant which allows 2 daily uses of your metamagic feat (Unearthed Arcana pg. 152). You don't need to memorize your spells with metamagic effects pre-attached - you can apply it on the fly to a spell without increasing the spells level. However, take note that you still cannot enhance your highest level spells with metamagic. Consult Unearthed Arcana for the specific restrictions. Action Points: Action points will be used with function similar to what is listed on page 45 of the Eberron Campaign Setting but with some notable tweaking. Charisma will be the primary stat used to determine how many action points a character gets each level. This only uses your inherent charisma, much like the skill bonus from int only uses your inherent intelligence. Thus, a Cloak of Charisma won't give you more Action Points. This finally gives Charisma some use for everyone, and helps to prevent its use as a dump stat. Charisma Score: Action Points/lvl 1-6: 1 7-8: 2 9-10: 3 11-12: 4 13-14: 5 15-18: 6 19-24: 7 25+: 8 Things action points can do: -increase d20 roll by 1d6 (ECS pg. 45) -reroll a d20 roll -automatically confirm a critical hit (declare this instead of rolling to confirm) -negate an opponents critical hit against you (reduces it to a normal hit) -make an additional attack of opportunity this round beyond your normal maximum limit. -stabilize -prevent death from a death effect (such as Coup De Grace, Phantasmal Killer, Power Word: Kill, etc). Such an effect instead reduces the character to being incapacitated at negative hit points, but 1 point away from actually being dead. -Spend two action points to activate a class feature (ECS pg. 46) Miscellaneous Things: Fractional Bonuses: When it comes to multiclassing, or prestige classing, we will be using the fractional base attack bonus and save bonus increases (Unearthed Arcana pg. 73). Death: Disabled at zero HP. Unconscious and possibly bleeding at negative HP. Character death occurs when the negative HP total is equal to or greater than the characters CON score. Dodge: The dodge feat grants a +1 dodge bonus to AC against all opponents, instead of only against 1 specified opponent. This is done to speed up combat, and because the dodge feat is rather weak to begin with. This small boost in its power is fine. Push past: This is an additional mechanic that works similarly to Overrun, but with the intent of simply moving past the opponent instead of knocking them down as you move over them. The only difference between Pushing past and Overrunning, is that the opponent does not get the option to attempt to knock you prone if you fail to make it past them with your strength check. Aid Another: Using the improved Aid Another rules from Complete Adventurer (pg. 96). An aiding character who has at least 5 skill ranks in the ability they are aiding with (or +5 base attack bonus for aiding in combat) has the potential to grant a bonus higher than +2 if their aid success is high enough. For aid results of 20-29 the normal aid bonus is increased by +1 (up to a +3 total). For results of 30-39 an additional +1 is granted (for a total of +4), and so on for even higher Aid Another successes. If multiple characters are attempting to Aid Another at once, I will usually only allow the best check among them to be the one that counts. No stacking a bunch of +2 aid bonuses together at once. Turn Undead: I am using a turning undead variant similar to what is found in Complete Divine page 87. Turning causes positive energy damage to all undead within 30’ equal to 1d4 per cleric level. Armor and Weapons: Armor Spikes: Armor spikes can only be used to deal extra piercing damage on a successful grapple. They cannot be used to make a regular melee attack. Spiked Chain: uses stats from the Oriental Adventures "chain" weapon. Double Weapons: Only the quarterstaff and the Oriental Adventures chain exist as double weapons in my game world. The exotic double weapons from the PHB are just entirely too silly to use. Animated Shields (DMG pg. 218): This is removed as a standard magic enchantment. Animated Shields devalue the “sword and board” character style because they allow everyone to have the benefits of a shield even while wielding dual weapons or a 2-handed weapon. For balance and character variety reasons it needs to be cut. Armor DR bonus: The following armors have Damage Reduction in addition to their normal AC. -Scale mail 2/- -Chainmail 2/- -Breastplate 2/- -Splint mail 3/- -Banded mail 3/- -Half plate 3/- -Full plate 3/- Adamantium Armor: Adamantium armor increases an armors DR by +1, and it increases its AC by +1. Mithral Armor: Reduces the armor check penalty of the armor by 3, and increases the maximum dexterity bonus of the armor by +2. Weight reduced to 1/2 normal. The armor still counts as the same type class, however, and has the same movement speed restrictions. For example, Mithral Full plate armor is still heavy armor – it just has the benefits of being lighter and with less check and dexterity penalties. Feats: Characters normal feat progression is increased to 1 feat at every odd level, instead of every third level. Feats that normally improve only a specific weapon (like weapon focus or weapon specialization), instead apply to an entire weapon group (Unearthed Arcana pg. 95) for that character. This improves the functionality of those skills. Exotic weapons are excluded from these weapon groups – they must still be trained individually. [Diehard] Prereq: Endurance Benefit: Diehard feat has all the functionality as listed on page 93 of the Player's Handbook, and in addition allows the character to remain alive at an additional negative hitpoints total equal to his character level. For example, a level 8 character with a constitution score of 14 would remain alive up through -21 hit points. At -22 hit points or lower they would die. [Heightened Senses] Prereq: Level 3 Rogue, Scout, Monk, or Ranger Benefit: +3 to Spot and Listen checks. The Character automatically notices things that others would have to spend time searching for. At all times the character is passively taking 10 on search checks (albeit at a -5 penalty), wherever they go as a free action when not in stressful/distracting situations (like combat or moving at a full run). [Improved Turn Undead] Prereq: Ability to turn undead Benefit: Improves the users turn undead damage from d4's to d6's, and increases the range of their turn undead burst by 10 feet. [Focused Turning] Prereq: Ability to turn undead Benefit: The cleric may spend 2 turn undead attempts to focus his positive energy damage at a single undead target within range. He deals twice normal turning damage against that undead target (Will save for 1/2). [Light Armor Optimization] Prereq: Armor Proficiency (light), base attack bonus +1 Benefit: When you are wearing light armor, reduce the armor check penalty of the armor by 1. Due to training in using the flexibility of your light armor to roll with blows and deflect draw cuts, the light armor you wear grants DR 1/- (or the DR of your light armor increases by +1) [Medium Armor Optimization] Prereq: Armor Proficiency (medium), base attack bonus +4 Benefit: When you are wearing medium armor, reduce the armor check penalty of the armor by 1. Also, you may ignore the standard speed reduction for wearing medium armor. [Heavy Armor Optimization] Prereq: Armor Proficiency (heavy), Level 6 Fighter Paladin or Knight. Benefit: When you are wearing heavy armor, reduce the armor check penalty of the armor by 1. Increase the AC Bonus of heavy armor you are wearing by +1 and increase the DR of the heavy armor by +1 also. Tactical: [Uncanny Barrier Defense] Prereq: Dodge, Shield Spec, Shield Ward The following benefits apply only when wielding a light or heavy shield, and only when you can apply your dodge bonus to AC (not flat footed, etc) Intercepting Ward: When your dodge opponent makes a melee or ranged attack against an ally which is adjacent to you, as an immediate action you may transfer your shield bonus to that ally. This shield bonus only applies against attacks made by your dodge opponent, but it lasts until the beginning of your next turn as long as your ally remains adjacent to you – if your ally moves or is moved so that they are no longer adjacent to you, the bonus disappears. The bonus also applies against touch attacks, as per the Shield Ward feat. This bonus counts as a shield bonus for them so does not stack with any shield bonuses they have already. When you perform this maneuver you lose your own shield bonus to AC until the beginning of your next turn. Duck and Cover: You apply your shield bonus as a bonus to reflex saves against burst, cone, emanation, and line effects that originate from your dodge opponent. Improved Shield Defense: When fighting defensively or taking the total defense action you may increase your shields AC bonus by +2 for a duration of 1 round and for as long as you continue to fight defensively or take a total defense action. This bonus stacks with any other bonuses to your shields AC, and it applies to the other shield maneuvers listed here.
Cincinnati 10-18-06, 08:03 PM	IMO, there are a lot of feats... and the improved feats seem really powerful... especially the expanded Diehard.
theotherdraxen 10-18-06, 08:50 PM	IMO, you might want to break that list up a bit into manageable chunks and post them separately at separate times. I can respond to a couple of house rules, but that list is a little too big to take in all at once. Plus, I can only respond to some of your rules, as I only know so much. But maybe that's just me. Lesse here...I have no idea how spells will affect your game, so I'll just skip those. Hit points, good idea. Just use point buy or rolling. I tried doing both, and everyone ended up miserable. Skill changes, fine, though if I were you, I'd just make sure those skills got put to good use instead of giving them free ranks in it. If someone takes perform, make sure that ther are a few nobles and dragons out there that are impressed by a good performance. If someone takes knowledge, have them face creatures where a successful related knowledge check gives good tactical info on. If someone takes profession, make sure that their profession ends up as one of their strengths (ex, I'd let profession cook allow a character to, with the right feat, purify food and cook up unusual creatures). Also, Listen and Spot, IMO, shouldn't be class skills for everyone. A better rule might be commoners no longer have Listen and Spot on their list of class skills, but can now pick two skills to be class skills. I don't think commoners should be good at listen and spot unless that's their only job. Action points...good, except characters do need more points at higher levels. That system is good, but I think you should also add 1/2 character level. I like the other options you have. I'll have to steal them. Miscellaneous rules are fine...I like Push Past...good call on the aid rule. Under shields and armor, I only agree with Animated Weapons and Spiked Chains. You can't shoulder-ram someone with armor spikes? I don't happen to find the Orc Double Axe or the two-bladed swords silly (besides, what about the Heroes who used such weapons? See the second point in my sig). Giving armor extra DR just hands extra protection to everyone. That's why UA gives armor 1/2 the AC bonus and 1/2 DR. Adamantium armor is fine, though less useful than it was before. IMO: You've just destroyed the point of Elven Chainmail. Now, light-restricted characters are going to have an even harder time surviving, in addition to the fact that they have less DR than the heavily armored characters. The feats you have are nice, but Heightened senses is a little overpowered, especially when stacked with Alertness. Since you want to speed things up, just encourage players to take 20. After all, that consumes very little real-time. You can search an entire room for 10 minutes, which will take you about 10 seconds to figure out the math. Your tactical feat is cool, but with your dodge variant, the first one can't work. There is already a feat that lets you add your Shield to touch AC. The third is fine as is. Preface all that with an IMO. I'm not here to offend you, just to give you my own two cents.