Homebrew Rules - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Homebrew Rules

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
drizztrocks
Apr 13, 2008 13:57:56 Heres some homebrew rules that I use at my home games.

Swordfighting Skill {Dex}
You are adept at the art of fighting with a sword.
Rule: When Swordfighting with an opponent, your DM will set a SF DC for you to parry or attack back. You roll 1d20 and add your swordfighting and dexterity bonus when swordfighting. Whatever you rolled the opponent must get past or take full damage from the weapon. Swordfighting can be performed with any blade.

Health Track:

+2 Hitpoints ENERGIZED: +1 bonus on all attack rolls, skill checks and class abilities.
normal hitpoints HEALTHY: no penalties or bonuses for anything
-2 Hitpoints DAZED: -1 penalty on all attack rolls and skill checks
-6 Hitpoints INJURED: -3 penalty on all attack rolls, saves and skill checks, and you lose 1 hitpoint every four rounds due to bleeding.
-8 Hitpoints DISABLED: -5 penalty on all attack rolls, saves, skill checks and you lose 1 hitpoint every two rounds due to bleeding.

Characters with less then 8 hitpoints:

A character with only four hitpoints has only two health conditions: HEALTHY and DISABLED.

A character with 6 hp only has three: Healthy, Injured and Disabled.

Other ways of Healing using the healing skill.

BANDAGE: DC 13 You stop all bleeding effects from one wound. {must have some cloth or leather}

CLENCH TEETH: DC 15 You clench your teeth and push on, putting you up one step on the health track for one round. At the end of the turn you must make a Fort save of 16 or higher or be reduced one condition less then you were before you used CLENCH TEETH. If you were at Disabled, you unconsious.
#2
morandirnailo
Apr 14, 2008 2:02:52 I don't understand the Health Track at all. PCs, even low-level ones, are going to have way more than 8 HP (unless you're a 1st-level Wizard with a low Con of course), and most hits are going to do more than 8 points of damage. An 18 Str Half-orc Barbarian 1 does an average of 14 points of damage with a greatsword while raging; higher-level characters can dish out hundreds of points of damage. With your system, pretty much any successful hit will take a charcter from healty to Disabled. Are you using an alternate HP system?

Mor
#3
robbypants
Apr 21, 2008 9:05:47 Is sword fighting being used instead of attack rolls, or does the attacher choose which they want to use?

I'd recommend against using a skill for attack rolls. While your max ranks are capped by level, similarly to BAB, it's a lot easier to pump your score with things like the Skill Focus feat and skill boosting magic items. It's very easy to get a huge gap in skill between two characters of similar level, and you're forced to set a DC that is either rediculously easy for one to attain, or downright impossible for the other to attain.
#4
drizztrocks
May 10, 2008 23:16:19 As for the health track, I have given up on it. It is utterly broken.

The swordfighting skill is used when the player wants to. It represents the sword duels from great action movies and such, where heroes like Zorro, Legolos, Will Turner ad Drizzt dish it out in awesome sword fights. This all started when in 2E one of my PCs got into a fight, and he expected to swordfight with the enemy, and I had to come up with a system fast.
#5
Krusk
May 11, 2008 0:35:19 Why can't people not using a blade use the swordfighting skill.

What about the guy with the giant maul, who batters his opponents blade harmlessly aside. Or the monk, who nimbly steps aside, as you try an overhand power attack?

don't see why it should just be swords only.

-as for your health thing, yeah ok concept, but if you want to keep it check out starwars saga and consider that for ideas.
#6
drizztrocks
May 11, 2008 11:42:45 I originally got the Health Track from Star Wars Saga Edition, but I find it unnescesarily complicated to keep track of it. Oh well.

And here's the new swordfighting skill:

Swordfighting
Swords and axes clash on the battlefeild, the monk blocks the evil cleric's mace with a parry of her arm-all these things are availible with the swordfighting skill. Despite the name, any melee weapon, including a monk's hands, legs and arms, can be used for it. Swordfighting is initiated by one person attacking the other with a melee weapon. The person being attacked can choose to parry by rolling a d20 dice and adding their Swordfighting modifier. If the roll ends up higher then the attacker's attack roll, then he succsesfully blocks it. If he doesn't, the weapon does normal damage to him. Another choice with this skill is immediatly after blocking another's blow, you may attack them, and then they try to block it, and it keeps going on and on.

Sorry if the wording for this is to confusing...
#7
realms_walker
May 12, 2008 18:03:33
And here's the new swordfighting skill:

Swordfighting
Swords and axes clash on the battlefeild, the monk blocks the evil cleric's mace with a parry of her arm-all these things are availible with the swordfighting skill. Despite the name, any melee weapon, including a monk's hands, legs and arms, can be used for it. Swordfighting is initiated by one person attacking the other with a melee weapon. The person being attacked can choose to parry by rolling a d20 dice and adding their Swordfighting modifier. If the roll ends up higher then the attacker's attack roll, then he succsesfully blocks it. If he doesn't, the weapon does normal damage to him. Another choice with this skill is immediatly after blocking another's blow, you may attack them, and then they try to block it, and it keeps going on and on.

Sorry if the wording for this is to confusing...

Sadly we can't have it the way it is in the books. Wizard duels are likewise no where near as flashy or epic as they are in novels. The sword system you use is similar to one used in another game system I run(not going to say its name here cause Not sure if its against the rules) and it makes combat last hours and hours. 3.5 combat already has tons of combat rules and systems and to make things play out cinematically you don't need to create rules you just have to roleplay. Instead of coming up with 40 different skills and abilities I just work with my players to make things play out similar in novels. The Rule is simple. If it overbalances a situation it isn't allowed but if a PC wants to for example run at a wall and do a back flip over an opponent who is chasing him I just have him roll a Dex roll and determine the amount of success. If he gets a good enough roll I allow it and if he succeeds it isn't going to adversely effect the game, just ads flavor.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 drizztrocks Apr 13, 2008 13:57:56	Heres some homebrew rules that I use at my home games. Swordfighting Skill {Dex} You are adept at the art of fighting with a sword. Rule: When Swordfighting with an opponent, your DM will set a SF DC for you to parry or attack back. You roll 1d20 and add your swordfighting and dexterity bonus when swordfighting. Whatever you rolled the opponent must get past or take full damage from the weapon. Swordfighting can be performed with any blade. Health Track: +2 Hitpoints ENERGIZED: +1 bonus on all attack rolls, skill checks and class abilities. normal hitpoints HEALTHY: no penalties or bonuses for anything -2 Hitpoints DAZED: -1 penalty on all attack rolls and skill checks -6 Hitpoints INJURED: -3 penalty on all attack rolls, saves and skill checks, and you lose 1 hitpoint every four rounds due to bleeding. -8 Hitpoints DISABLED: -5 penalty on all attack rolls, saves, skill checks and you lose 1 hitpoint every two rounds due to bleeding. Characters with less then 8 hitpoints: A character with only four hitpoints has only two health conditions: HEALTHY and DISABLED. A character with 6 hp only has three: Healthy, Injured and Disabled. Other ways of Healing using the healing skill. BANDAGE: DC 13 You stop all bleeding effects from one wound. {must have some cloth or leather} CLENCH TEETH: DC 15 You clench your teeth and push on, putting you up one step on the health track for one round. At the end of the turn you must make a Fort save of 16 or higher or be reduced one condition less then you were before you used CLENCH TEETH. If you were at Disabled, you unconsious.
#2 morandirnailo Apr 14, 2008 2:02:52	I don't understand the Health Track at all. PCs, even low-level ones, are going to have way more than 8 HP (unless you're a 1st-level Wizard with a low Con of course), and most hits are going to do more than 8 points of damage. An 18 Str Half-orc Barbarian 1 does an average of 14 points of damage with a greatsword while raging; higher-level characters can dish out hundreds of points of damage. With your system, pretty much any successful hit will take a charcter from healty to Disabled. Are you using an alternate HP system? Mor
#3 robbypants Apr 21, 2008 9:05:47	Is sword fighting being used instead of attack rolls, or does the attacher choose which they want to use? I'd recommend against using a skill for attack rolls. While your max ranks are capped by level, similarly to BAB, it's a lot easier to pump your score with things like the Skill Focus feat and skill boosting magic items. It's very easy to get a huge gap in skill between two characters of similar level, and you're forced to set a DC that is either rediculously easy for one to attain, or downright impossible for the other to attain.
#4 drizztrocks May 10, 2008 23:16:19	As for the health track, I have given up on it. It is utterly broken. The swordfighting skill is used when the player wants to. It represents the sword duels from great action movies and such, where heroes like Zorro, Legolos, Will Turner ad Drizzt dish it out in awesome sword fights. This all started when in 2E one of my PCs got into a fight, and he expected to swordfight with the enemy, and I had to come up with a system fast.
#5 Krusk May 11, 2008 0:35:19	Why can't people not using a blade use the swordfighting skill. What about the guy with the giant maul, who batters his opponents blade harmlessly aside. Or the monk, who nimbly steps aside, as you try an overhand power attack? don't see why it should just be swords only. -as for your health thing, yeah ok concept, but if you want to keep it check out starwars saga and consider that for ideas.
#6 drizztrocks May 11, 2008 11:42:45	I originally got the Health Track from Star Wars Saga Edition, but I find it unnescesarily complicated to keep track of it. Oh well. And here's the new swordfighting skill: Swordfighting Swords and axes clash on the battlefeild, the monk blocks the evil cleric's mace with a parry of her arm-all these things are availible with the swordfighting skill. Despite the name, any melee weapon, including a monk's hands, legs and arms, can be used for it. Swordfighting is initiated by one person attacking the other with a melee weapon. The person being attacked can choose to parry by rolling a d20 dice and adding their Swordfighting modifier. If the roll ends up higher then the attacker's attack roll, then he succsesfully blocks it. If he doesn't, the weapon does normal damage to him. Another choice with this skill is immediatly after blocking another's blow, you may attack them, and then they try to block it, and it keeps going on and on. Sorry if the wording for this is to confusing...
#7 realms_walker May 12, 2008 18:03:33	And here's the new swordfighting skill: Swordfighting Swords and axes clash on the battlefeild, the monk blocks the evil cleric's mace with a parry of her arm-all these things are availible with the swordfighting skill. Despite the name, any melee weapon, including a monk's hands, legs and arms, can be used for it. Swordfighting is initiated by one person attacking the other with a melee weapon. The person being attacked can choose to parry by rolling a d20 dice and adding their Swordfighting modifier. If the roll ends up higher then the attacker's attack roll, then he succsesfully blocks it. If he doesn't, the weapon does normal damage to him. Another choice with this skill is immediatly after blocking another's blow, you may attack them, and then they try to block it, and it keeps going on and on. Sorry if the wording for this is to confusing... Sadly we can't have it the way it is in the books. Wizard duels are likewise no where near as flashy or epic as they are in novels. The sword system you use is similar to one used in another game system I run(not going to say its name here cause Not sure if its against the rules) and it makes combat last hours and hours. 3.5 combat already has tons of combat rules and systems and to make things play out cinematically you don't need to create rules you just have to roleplay. Instead of coming up with 40 different skills and abilities I just work with my players to make things play out similar in novels. The Rule is simple. If it overbalances a situation it isn't allowed but if a PC wants to for example run at a wall and do a back flip over an opponent who is chasing him I just have him roll a Dex roll and determine the amount of success. If he gets a good enough roll I allow it and if he succeeds it isn't going to adversely effect the game, just ads flavor.