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I have an insane amount of house rules.
The more major ones I have listed here.
Races. - HALF ORC
Half orcs get +2 to any physical stat
+4 racial bonus on Intimidate. Half-orcs are naturally brusque and use that to their advantage.
+4 racial bonus on Survival. Having been outcasts, half-orcs know how to fend for themselves.
Half elves get +2 to any mental stat.
Extra feat at 1st level
Human - Extra 4 skill points at 1st level and extra one each level and extra feat.
New Stats - Luck - and Comeliness and Sanity they are set and cannot be re arranged.
Sanity is 5 X wisdom.
Comeliness adjustment is added or subtracted from first impressions, by the DM.
Elves + 2 Half elves +1 Half orcs -4
Classes. Classes are as Pathfinder with these exceptions.
Wizards cannot get Eschew Materials.
Wizards can cast any spell in their book and don’t need to memorize certain ones.
Wizards and Sorcerers get 0 level spells as per 3.5 which are used up.
Wizards and Sorcerers get 3 cantrips from 1st ed per day.
Sorcerers can change out spells each time they go up a level.
Wizards do not get free spells on going up a level.
We use the XP cost for magic items and certain spells, but casters get an essence pool of 100 xp per level everytime they go up a level to use for these costs.
Metamagic feats cost more spell slots, instead of having to be memorized at a higher level.
Priests can cast any spells on their list without having to memorize certain ones.
Wizards can choose, staff, powers or skills instead of a familiar.
Spells cast within the last 12 hours count against the total for the day.
A caster can try to cast a lower or higher level spell by combining spell slots.
An ability check of 10 + Level of spell trying to make does it.
Failure wastes the slots.
New Rules for teleporting and scrying.
Any failure to cast a spell triggers a wild surge.
New Rules for casting scrolls.
Skills.
I use the expanded diplomacy rules and give a bonus of +1-+6 depending on the players roleplaying.
Skills points are as 3.5 with these exceptions.
You can only go half as high in a cross class skill but it doesn’t cost double ranks.
Climb and swim is in with Athletics.
Escape artist in with Acrobatics.
We use an altered weapon focus, specialization and Mastery system.
We use attack vrs armor types, expanded weapon and armor lists and slightly adjusted damages
for weapons.
Spells or elemental damage or poison critical hits on a 20 or a 1 on a save.
We use a huge and bizarre critical hit and miss system, a natural 20 automatically confirms for players.
Fighting styles.
Fighting defensibly. - 4 to hit + 2 AC.
Fighting wildly -4 to hit +2 to damage.
Fighting riskily -4 to AC + 2 to hit.
Fighting trickily -4 to damage + 2 to hit.
Extravagant Living
Gold may be wasted on senseless activities in exchange for experience points. 5 gp may be wasted for every 1 x.p. gained. to a maximum of 200 xp gain X level This rule allows encourages players to rid themselves of excess wealth without spending it on character power escalation. Typical activities are,smoking black lotus, gambling, having lavish parties, buying useless trinkets, making bad bargains, etc.
The NOOOOOOOOOOO !
Once per in game day, a players is allowed to use a NO.
This allows a reroll with a + 4. Or can be used to avoid something horrible by rolling 7 or higher.
The HERO POINT.
Ths is awarded to players who perform heroic deeds, usually at great personal risk.
These encourage players to take risks often with spectacular results.
They are usually awarded at the end of a massive quest for the side of good, where there have been trials of great magnitude.
A HERO POINT allows the player to accomplish the impossible.
Perform multiple actions at once, dive free of instant death, or break the rules in some way
or automatically hit with a maximum damage confirmed critical.
There is always a chance of failure or reward with using up a hero point.
When the Hero point is used a d20 is rolled. On a 1 critical failure occurs.
On a 20 the hero point is not used up.
LUCK.
The luck stat goes up 1 point every 3 levels and is rolled like any normal stat at the start but cannot be arranged. Luck heals up at 1 per day.
How luck is used.
Example. Goth Goth has 14 luck (+2) he rolls 19 with his stick of whacking! He needs that 20 , so he decides to use his luck. He makes a luck check and rolls a 10. With his + 2 this brings the total to 12. A 12 is a +1 adjustment so thats enough to pull of his 20 and slam in with the crit.
Luck can be used for skills, saves and to increase or decrease damage. It can only be used in important situations at the Dms discretion. Not for craft checks or learning spell checks, but mostly only in adventuring mode.
Making a luck roll uses one luck.
Rolling a 1 on a luck check uses 3 luck and results in spectacular failure.
Mixing potions creates strange and sometimes deadly effects, but most potions last 40 + 10 - 40 minutes.
Massive Damage. Character Level x 2 + con score. Is the threshold. DC 15 fort save. + 2 per every 10 damage over. Failure drops the character to -1.
Stabilizing checks are % = to Con score.
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Suffice it to say , playing in my campaign is more akin to falling and screaming.