Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 leonkennedy Dec 30, 2008 12:00:57	We are gearing up to play 2nd edition AD&D in our area, and we have a list of house rules that we used years ago. As the times have changed, so have our thoughts on things. We wanted to get the opinions of the community on whether or not our house rules were too strict, too loose, if they would work, it not, etc. So here goes (and I apologize for the length in advance): Races Not Allowed 1. Fremlins. +1 or better weapons are needed to hit Fremlins, and therefore monster encounters must be updated to include magic weapons to account for this. This puts the party at a disadvantage. 2. Wemics. A 1st level Wemic warrior, specialized, with 2 weapon style gets 9 attacks every 2 rounds. This gives the party a huge advantage, and monster encounters need to be updated to account for the human ginsu machine. 3. Saurials. Either everyone is a saurial, or nobody is. Saurials cannot learn any languages, including sign, and cannot understand anybody without the aid of magic. Kinda hard to be an adventurer if you cannot communicate. Magic Users 1. All magic users must choose a school of magic. You are an apprentice to a mage, and he teaches you certain spells, etc. There are no such things as non-specialized mages. 2. Read Magic and Detect Magic are automatically known and in the player's spell book. These are fundamentals of magic. 3. Mages can read magic without the use of the spell any spell or writing that is from their chosen school. 4. Mages can read magic without the use of the spell any spell or writing from any other school (except opposition schools) where the mage who scribed it is the same or lower level. 5. Mages can read magic on any spells (except opposition schools) with the use of the spell. 6. Mages may not use the spell to read spells/writings from the opposition school UNLESS the mage makes a successful Spellcraft check first. 7. Mages start with 10 spells in their books: - Read and Detect Magic - 1 guaranteed from their school - 7 spells randomly determined from the available schools (except opposition) 8. Mages automatically get 1 new spell added to their spell books from their chosen school when they gain the ability to cast a new spell level. 9. Spells are considered to be 1 page per level in a spell book. Example: Magic missile is 1 page (1st level spell), while Fireball is 3 pages (3rd level spell). 10. Wizards may NEVER read priest magic - even with the Read Magic spell. Priests 1. Priests may NEVER read wizardly magic - even with a priests version of Read Magic. This is because priests don't have it in them to read wizardly magic. 2. Priests may only read priest magic with the priest version of Read Magic. 3. Priests use Legends & Lore to determine deity that they serve. And yes, I do make them follow the Duties of Priests section. Memorization/Praying 1. The number of spells that the charts indicate per spell level are the number of spells that a mage/priest can have memorized at any one given time, and this is not the total number per day that can be cast. 2. Should a mage/priest wish to regain spells that have been cast, the mage/priest must spend 15 minutes per spell level praying/studying/meditating/whatever to gain a spell back. Example: Magic Missile would be 15 minutes, while fireball is 45 minutes. 3. Random encounter checks are done every hour spent memorizing. Memorization/praying must be continuous, uninterrupted time. If you lose it with 1 minute to go, you have to start all over for that spell. Experience 1. No experience will be granted for having a high prime requisite score. 2. The following experience point bonuses are above and beyond experience given at the end of a gaming session, and are the reason for # 1 above: - Fighters/Warrior classes receive 10 experience points per hit die of creature/enemy overcome (killed, subdued, etc.) - Thieves receive 50 experience points for every successful thieving skill check in a beneficial situation (so, you wouldn't get it for picking every pocket in town, but for finding and removing the trap on the treasure chest you'd get 100) - Mages/Priests receive 50 experience points for every spell cast in a beneficial situation Miscellaneous 1. I don't like encumbrance, and will not force players to keep track of it at all times. I do, however, use spot encumbrance checks (never in combat, and always at the beginning of the evening). Some players DO fall over and must remove stuff. And yes, some pack animals will die because of this. It happens. 2. I don't like rations, and will not force players to account for every single meal that need to eat. Unless, of course, they are in an environment that specifically focuses on this. 3. I don't like to keep track of time, and will not force any of the other players to do so. I will, however, tell players when I feel that a significant amount of time has passed and that they need to consider resting. 4. I am not a cartographer, and I don't expect any of the players to be either. In the absence of maps I use intelligence checks to see if the players know where they are and where they are going. 5. No evil, no chaotic neutral for alignment. You are here to work together, not against each other. I think I covered just about everything. Please let me know what you all think of this, and please be honest. I want to make the game as interesting as possible, and I am trying only to make it balanced and fair. Your input will make this better for me and my players. Thanks to all for responding!
#2 vebrandsson Dec 30, 2008 12:55:56	As someone who still DMs 2e campaigns this all looks good to me. I use some simular rules myself save the requirement for specialists (but I greatly limit standard mages list of spells availiable). The only thing I have to correct you on is the Saurials, not only can they learn sign languages if they wanted they are only barred from humanoid languages, so they can learn one of the draconic languages as well as a selection of other languages that let them communicate. Now given the explanation as to why they can't learn humanoid languages I realize that is full of holes but if you want to use them it works. Or you can always use the CBoH suggestion of giving them a quick simple magic item that simply allows them to speak common and do nothing more. I just like Saurials thats the only reason I bring it up.
#3 dulsi Dec 30, 2008 13:22:27	Saurials can learn to understand other languages. They just lack the ability to make the necessary audible sounds for the humanoid languages. They can still write. Dragonbait understands common I believe. (I had a lot of fun with my Saurial cleric in a 2E game. He got very frustrated with the immoral party.) But I can perfect understand banning them due to language difficulties.
#4 tequila_sunrise Dec 30, 2008 14:20:34	Or you could, ya know, simply rule that saurials can learn languages just like everyone else. Saurials are just lizardmen of a more advanced breed, and yet they're inexplicably unable to speak the same languages. But what do I know, I prefer my rules quick and simple. TS
#5 leonkennedy Jan 05, 2009 10:55:41	I appreciate all of the opinions, and it's good to know that some of these rules are actually used by more than just our group. However, I need to point out something about Saurials. The Complete Humanoids states: "Languages. Saurials cannot speak any human or humanoid language. Their voices are pitched too high for humans to hear, though the olfactory portion of their own language can be detected. They emit scents which carry their emotions, and these can be interpreted by humans familiar with saurials. Those saurials who are PC adventurers usually have some magical item that allows them to communicate with their non-saurial companions." According to the above, Saurials can't SPEAK any human or humanoid language. A previous poster indicated that the Draconian languages could be learned, but aren't those also humanoid languages? And I disagree that sign and writing can be learned as it is nearly impossible to learn how to write/sign a language if you cannot speak it (save for Helen Keller, but I digress). I like the idea of allowing the magic item, but in my world magic items are very rare, and giving at least 1 member of the party a magic item to start (even if that item only allows communication). Unfortunately, this item would also allow non-saurial pcs to communicate with anyone/anything, and therefore would constitute an over-balance. If I say that the item is only usable by saurials, then one player has a magic item in a world where magic items are rare, and that isn't fair to the rest of the players. I could, however, just say that Saurials can learn common and only common, which would alleviate this. Thoughts?
#6 vebrandsson Jan 05, 2009 19:50:58	Dragons are not humanoids, that goes with out saying, and in good old 2e there are more dragon languages than you can shake a stick at, so by definition a saurial can learn it, and nothing prevents a normal humanoid form learning it, so in theory it could be used as a mediary language to bridge the communication gap even though admittedly it wouldn't make much metagame sense it can be done. However as I said, an amulet that simply allows its wearer to speak common (and no other language) wouldn't "overbalance" I don't think