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You might want to check out the Hero Points rules from the APG.
My house rules:
1. Counter-spelling is an immediate action, but it burns your standard action for the coming turn.
2. "Knocking on Heaven's Door" - if a PC is outright killed in one round, his allies have one round to revive him before he kicks the bucket for good.
Hmm house rules..
We use a d10 for initiative.
We use a crit fumble table.
We don't use counter spelling at all actually. I'm not sure why. My players have just never been interested in it so I don't have my villains use it.
I can't say i've made changes to make things easier for new players or guest GMs. But generally if I have a group of new players I introduce the "extra" rules slowly. For example CMD, CMB. I won't use a monster that has Special attacks that use these rules until the players are comfortable with the standard dice rolls.
One of the best pieces of advise I can give as a experienced DM is make the players look things up. If they want to cast a spell make hem read it. Even thought you know the answer, if you just spout it off, chances are they won't remember next time and will become lazy just relying on you as the rules source.
If you make them look it up by feigning ignorance they will remember it far better.
I'll echo Gorbacz on the APG. It's a pretty good book. Some of the classes are a little more forced into a niche, to me anyway, then the core classes. That's not a bad thing at all. They just seem to appeal to smaller subsets of players.
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2. "Knocking on Heaven's Door" - if a PC is outright killed in one round, his allies have one round to revive him before he kicks the bucket for good.
Pretty much what I do as well.
Spell Resistance can be dropped as a free action, but must be raised with a standard action. So, the opposite of RAW.
All PC hit dice are maxed.
Regarding Action Points:
We have been using action points (eberron style) during our last two campaigns. We came to the conclusion that they were either overpowered or totally useless - half of the party burned them like fireworks, the other half still had all of them when they levelled up.
This time we take a different approach. In my campaign, I'll be using PF hero points (because it is going to be a Kingmaker campaign), while the other GM is cancelling them altogether. I think that hero points are more balanced, because you have much less of them and have to be careful when to spend them, and at the same time they're more versatile.
So I'm getting back to gaming after finishing school. I'm slated to run some Pathfinder for some friends who don't know the rules well. I don't really know the rules well anymore.
I wanted to ask you all, what are the changes to the Rules As Written that are most common? Do you, personally, house rule anything? What changes can make the game move a little faster for newbies and Lazy GM's?
Oh, and I specifically want to ask if anyone's had any success with any kind of Action Dice / FATE point mechanic with this system.
Thanks!
>WBM
-NoFairFights
In games run by my other DMs we use critical hit decks and fumble decks. You can hit yourself on a natural 1. If you then "confirm" with a follow-up roll, that is not hit the opponent after all, you hit yourself and have to draw a fumble card. Also, one of my DMs does not allow to teleport out of a grapple under any circumstance.
In my games I stick to the rules as much as possible, i.e. do not use the rules from above. However, for character creation I have the following rule: First hit die is maxed, then every following one is at least half the class' hit die. For example, a second level fighter has - without CON bonuses, feats etc. - at least 15 HP. So if the player rolled a 1 it's 5, if he rolled an 8 it's 8. This avoids the occasional "I play a fighter but rolled 2s and 3s for 9 levels, and your wizard has more HPs because you always rolled 4s or 5s" which has happened more than once :-)
Thanks for the input everyone!
While I've got you all here to discuss with...what options for character building do you use most often? Since I'd like to run the 'Price of Immortality' in a kind of *big* fashion, I thought I'd let them do the character build at the "High Fantasy" (20points) level.
Thoughts on that?
>WBM
-NoFairFights
I allow two traits for the start and 15 point-buy. Everything has to be according to the core rules. APG, UM, and soon UC will be allowed but subject to review. So far I have allowed everything, though. We have avoided campaign-specific feats and traits so far since most of my players are not very good with English.
In the last campaign, I allowed 20 point-buy, though, to give MAD classes a little help. In the end nobody opted to play one of those, so it didn't matter. However, I do scale up the encounters a bit to match the increased power level (max HPs, "intelligent" teamwork, better but not unfair spell selection, advanced template or such).
We don't confirm natural 20s. Nothing ruins your day faster than rolling a natural 20 and not confirming it with a 1.
Do you, personally, house rule anything? What changes can make the game move a little faster for newbies and Lazy GM's?
I'm always houseruling things from one campaign to another, depending on the setting. Sometimes the game no longer resembles a D&D offshoot, which is fine by me (and probably blasphemy to high fantasy purists). Recent additions have really expanded the global houserule list that I've come to depend on.
For convenience and "well it just makes sense!" reasons:
- Wizards do not need spellbooks. Every spell is memorized, but the wizard must still pay any costs associated with adding new spells. Spellbooks can still be used and are easier to copy spells into, but a caster that stores their spells in such a way cannot memorize while dependent on a spellbook. This was done mostly because the idea of a powerful master of the arcane being vulnerable without a spellbook is absurd. Additionally, this means no more juggling multiple spellbooks; they're only one hundred pages each and spells are a page per spell level.
- Full casters add their class level to ranged touch attacks.
- I use the spell recharge variant from Unearthed Arcana. If dealing with newer players, I just double the spell slots available after modifiers are applied. This is because I hate vancian magic in all it's forms. This is far too limited when the fighter can swing away and not worry about fatigue.
- Cantrips and orisons have no components, use only a move action and can be cast while grappled (concentration check required). Seriously, a standard action for a level zero spell? Not on my watch.
- Sorcerer's bloodline per diem abilities are either doubled or trippled (the per-day use, not the effects) dependent on the campaign setting. [/i]The vancian filth struck again, hitting the new and improved Pathfinder sorcerer class with it's weak per-day nonsense.[/i]
- A witch's familiar can hide in their master's body as an immediate action (immediate for familiar, the witch is still allowed to act on the next turn), but emerging from the witch requires a full round (the witch can take no other actions during the separation). For flavor and a way to help protect the witch's familiar.
- Certain spells such as wish, miracle, resurrection, etc. have unusual limits and requirements (varying from campaign to campaign) to emphasize the significance of such spells.
- Eschew materials covers up to 25 gold instead of just 1 gold piece. Material components, for the most part, are something that I really dislike about this magic system.
- Summoner's eidolon(s) exists beyond its master's death, anchored to its masters corpse on the Ethereal plane, remaining bound for years until it either fades away or is taken away.
- Mindless undead are commanded mentally instead of verbally (ignore the irony).
Those are just some global houserules to give you an idea.
You might want to check out the Hero Points rules from the APG.
My house rules:
1. Counter-spelling is an immediate action, but it burns your standard action for the coming turn.
I used to run with a similar rule, but now with Ultimate Magic, I just let them have a dueling counterspell in normal combat, but with a -10 to the roll. It is less reliable than an actual counterspell, and can be combined with a normal readied action to counterspell when facing multiple mages.
New rule I am trying out.
Expanded rule of 20. If you roll a 20 on any roll where 20 isn't an auto-success(basically ability and skill checks), roll a 1d6 and add it to the result.
Expanded rule of 1. if you roll a 1 on any roll when 1 isn't an automatic failure, roll 1d6 and subtract it.
Basically my attempts to make rolling a 1 and 20 on skills checks mean something. It also makes I a little bit harder to get into the I always suceed range.
We also use a house rules that when crafting, you can get someone else to cast the necessary spells for you.
If you confirm a crit with a natural 20, then you do max damage.
Hmm house rules..
We use a d10 for initiative.
I'll bite. Why?
Now feats and ability score has twice as much effect on initiative as it did before and you're more likely to have a tie. I don't see the problem you're trying to solve.
Hmm house rules..
We use a d10 for initiative.I'll bite. Why?
Now feats and ability score has twice as much effect on initiative as it did before and you're more likely to have a tie. I don't see the problem you're trying to solve.
I'll take a guess that the 1-20 range means that you die roll matters way more than your bonuses.
22 dex, improved initiative with reactionary is a +12 to initiative. To get that I have to be very focused on having good initiative. Event when a guy with a 8 dex who rolls a natural 20 will beat me if I roll a 5.
In 3.5 we had a guy who went this route. He made a character that was designed to win initiative. It became a running joke in that campaign that the better you initiative modifier, the worse you will roll. He had a +10 or better initiative modifier, but due to poor rolls, I am not sure that he ever won initiative.
At my table we confirm fumbles since we use the fumble deck.
You can stand up as a full round action without provoking.
We ignore the rule that forces a fort save if you take 50 points of damage.
I know there are others, but I can't remember them right now.
At my table, we allow crafting of multiple scrolls/potions in one day, up to 1000 gp of value. The RAW is one scroll or potion per day. It allows us to take a rest day to prep a few scrolls/research/check rumors, and then head back into the dungeon. Without it, we'd have the same number of scrolls, just a lot more downtime.
I might reduce it to 500 gp when I return to the table as GM in the fall.
Hmm house rules..
We use a d10 for initiative.I'll bite. Why?
Now feats and ability score has twice as much effect on initiative as it did before and you're more likely to have a tie. I don't see the problem you're trying to solve.
I'll take a guess that the 1-20 range means that you die roll matters way more than your bonuses.
22 dex, improved initiative with reactionary is a +12 to initiative. To get that I have to be very focused on having good initiative. Event when a guy with a 8 dex who rolls a natural 20 will beat me if I roll a 5.
In 3.5 we had a guy who went this route. He made a character that was designed to win initiative. It became a running joke in that campaign that the better you initiative modifier, the worse you will roll. He had a +10 or better initiative modifier, but due to poor rolls, I am not sure that he ever won initiative.
Yes that is pretty much the train of thought. If you take something like improved initiative it should matter. d20 is just too big a spread. Initiative should be more reflective of your abilities and training then random luck. That's the thought behind it anyway.
The other part is that's what we used in 2 ed. :)Oh and Someone else reminded me of another house rule, We don't confirm crits either. It just steals your thunder and slows down combat.
I rolled a 20! ahhh but did you really, roll again and let's see.. wait what?
I'm not sure if this is a house rule, a hold over or what but 20s are not auto successes on skill checks at my table either.
20s count as a roll of 30 for the purpose of calculating success.
1s count as -10.
Helps curb out auto-success and failure.
No need to confirm a crit. As such, any class features/feats involving critical threats are changed or removed entirely. It's an unnecessary roll in my opinion. As someone said upthread, nothing sucks more than rolling a 20, then rolling a 1 for your confirmation. Also, it's a rule that was put in during a time when I had 11 players, and we needed ways to cut down on to cut down on time. Used it ever since.
Attacks of Opportunity don't exist if the group is larger than 5 players. Once again, time-management thing.
Ability scores are rolled: 5d6, drop the 2 lowest, reroll any scores below 10. These are heroes, dammit.
Ammo is (usually) not kept track of. It is only kept track of in situations where you would not be able to re-equip easily (i.e. stranded in the middle of a desert).
These are just the most common ones. If the group consists of mostly new players, a lot more gets thrown out the window until they can handle the complexities of the system. Optional systems may be used depending on the campaign (hero/action points, gestalt characters etc.).
No need to confirm a crit. As such, any class features/feats involving critical threats are changed or removed entirely. It's an unnecessary roll in my opinion. As someone said upthread, nothing sucks more than rolling a 20, then rolling a 1 for your confirmation. Also, it's a rule that was put in during a time when I had 11 players, and we needed ways to cut down on to cut down on time. Used it ever since.
Normally, I would agree with how much a 20 followed by a 1 sucks, but our DM has a bad habit of doing that when rolling against the players, so we like that rule.
Oh, just thought of another easy one.
When you level up, roll twice for your HP, and take the highest.
Do you, personally, house rule anything? What changes can make the game move a little faster for newbies and Lazy GM's?I'm always houseruling things from one campaign to another, depending on the setting. Sometimes the game no longer resembles a D&D offshoot, which is fine by me (and probably blasphemy to high fantasy purists). Recent additions have really expanded the global houserule list that I've come to depend on.
For convenience and "well it just makes sense!" reasons:
- Wizards do not need spellbooks. Every spell is memorized, but the wizard must still pay any costs associated with adding new spells. Spellbooks can still be used and are easier to copy spells into, but a caster that stores their spells in such a way cannot memorize while dependent on a spellbook. This was done mostly because the idea of a powerful master of the arcane being vulnerable without a spellbook is absurd. Additionally, this means no more juggling multiple spellbooks; they're only one hundred pages each and spells are a page per spell level.
- Full casters add their class level to ranged touch attacks.
- I use the spell recharge variant from Unearthed Arcana. If dealing with newer players, I just double the spell slots available after modifiers are applied. This is because I hate vancian magic in all it's forms. This is far too limited when the fighter can swing away and not worry about fatigue.
- Cantrips and orisons have no components, use only a move action and can be cast while grappled (concentration check required). Seriously, a standard action for a level zero spell? Not on my watch.
- Sorcerer's bloodline per diem abilities are either doubled or trippled (the per-day use, not the effects) dependent on the campaign setting. [/i]The vancian filth struck again, hitting the new and improved Pathfinder sorcerer class with it's weak per-day nonsense.[/i]
- A witch's familiar can hide in their master's body as an immediate action...
Holy crapping CRAP, dude! These don't "just make sense" I would NEVER play by these rules unless you've done TWICE as much to beef up non-casters. The reason a witch or wizard shouldn't be invincible, as a "powerful master of the arcane," is not only that the game should have some SEMBLANCE of balance, but also that your characters are still mortal (or at least fallible,) and need weaknesses, or else they are indistinguishable from gods. PCs should not be gods. At least not until the campaign ends.
Cantrips have already been beefed up to be usable infinite times per day. Also Standard action grease -> move action->spark sounds a little insane. Material components are slightly balancing, but also make sense from a flavor standpoint (How many casters in lore have a whole bunch of miscellaneous crap lying around their den or tower or whatever. Eye of Newt etc.) Casters are already more powerful and better than non-casters even WITH a Vancian system. I'll hazard nobody in your gaming groups plays a fighting type class once they realize how insanely broken your rules are in favor of casters.
It's your game, your players, and your houserules, and I'm not going to have an argument with you, but JESUS man!
Now, on the opposite end of that spectrum. Since casters are just "assumed" to get various material components, I give infinite mundane ranged ammo to everyone. The exception (applying to both material components and ammo) is if they're away from a resupply for over a week. Also, easing up on Exotic Weapon Proficiency rules.
In fact, I have a campaign setting where full-casters exist, but it isn't viable to be one, partly due to suspicion and specialized mage-hunters (Inquisitors are really neat for this. So are certain barbarians and fighters, but maaan inquisitors)
Also, I allow Favored enemy (Arcanist).
It sounds like I lay down a lot of mage hate, but to be fair, that's mostly just in one campaign setting. I actually like Bards, Inquisitors, Magi, Sorcerers, and (some) Clerics.
Oh yeah, I forgot. I don't track material components, non-magical ammunition, or encumbrance.
Lol. I edited my previous post to mention I did just that, but not only did I get ninja'd, I got my edit eaten. XP
Edit:...Huh. There it goes for some reason? Internet fairies?
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Combat Maneuvers only provoke AoO on a failed attempt. Improved X feats still make it so you never provoke.
This is probably the biggest one I use.
Holy crapping CRAP, dude! These don't "just make sense" I would NEVER play by these rules unless you've done TWICE as much to beef up non-casters. The reason a witch or wizard shouldn't be invincible, as a "powerful master of the arcane," is not only that the game should have some SEMBLANCE of balance, but also that your characters are still mortal (or at least fallible,) and need weaknesses, or else they are indistinguishable from gods. PCs should not be gods. At least not until the campaign ends.
Cantrips have already been beefed up to be usable infinite times per day. Also Standard action grease -> move action->spark sounds a little insane. Material components are slightly balancing, but also make sense from a flavor standpoint (How many casters in lore have a whole bunch of miscellaneous crap lying around their den or tower or whatever. Eye of Newt etc.) Casters are already more powerful and better than non-casters even WITH a Vancian system. I'll hazard nobody in your gaming groups plays a fighting type class once they realize how insanely broken your rules are in favor of casters.
It's your game, your players, and your houserules, and I'm not going to have an argument with you, but JESUS man!
Not all of these rules are in effect at once (not unless the whole party is composed of full casters); specifically, the cantrip/orison and doubling effects are mostly for when newer players want to play spellcasters, but feel like they're underpowered. The only rules from the convenience list that are in effect globally (in every game) are the wizard/witch specifics and the spell recharge variant.
I always have my players vote on what houserules they want active during the campaign. Sometimes, they just want to play with godmode on. I've never had a full non-caster group (in seven years of GMing) so I've never bothered to improve the melee classes. Obviously if that changed, new houserules would follow.
Also, when anyone casts grease, they have to make a reflex save to avoid getting hands oiled (a move action to dry). I try to make my magic fairly realistic.
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- Hit Dice are maxed for everyone, PCs & Monsters. I find this makes for fights that last a few turns longer.
- Everyone starts illiterate and must have at least 1 rank in Linguistics to be able to read and write. Also ranks in Linguistics do not grant bonus languages.
- Healing outside of combat is maximized, whether it be from spell, ability or potion.
- Touch spells do not provoke AoO for casting.
- We use the Crit Hit & Fumble decks. Rather than draw multiple cards for a x3 or x4, we just draw one and increase the multiplier of the result by 1 or 2. So if you have a x3 and the card says "normal damage" you still do x2. The GM draws all cards and may redraw if he feels the result makes no sense.
- Ability increases are granted at every even level, but you can't take the same increase twice in a row. (We started with getting 2 increases at every 4 levels, like SWSE, but decided to split them up, so you get either a feat or a ability bump every level.)
- Barbarians/Bards gain 6 + rounds of Rage/Bardic Performance at 1st level and gains 3 rounds per level.
- Leveling takes place after resting for the night.
- We use Hero Points; but rather than the bonuses to rolls or the re-roll option, we use the re-roll from Mutants & Masterminds, where on the re-roll a result of 1-10 is treated as an 11-20.
- (Still in playtest.) Clerics & Druids keep spellbooks and gain known spells as a Wizard. Paladins & Rangers cast spontaneously from any spell on their list.
- (Still in playtest.) Supernatural attacks granted by Domains, Bloodlines, Schools, etc gain +1 die of damage at levels 5, 10, 15, & 20. (Honestly, I love these in concept, but I've never seen them get used after around 8th level.)
- Combat Maneuvers only provoke AoO on a failed attempt. Improved X feats still make it so you never provoke. (Stealing this from Merkatz as it's better than how I was handling it.)
- stuff about hp
- Everyone starts illiterate and must have at least 1 rank in Linguistics to be able to read and write. Also ranks in Linguistics do not grant bonus languages.
If they put points into linguistics after that first one, what do they get in return? Do they speak common just a little better?
home rules:
d20 roll of 1= -10
d20 roll of 20= 30
vital strike + spring attack works
no material components
character creation:
4d6 6 times, twice. Pick the better set of 6. NOT the best 6 out of those 12 rolls.
Max hp at first, then when you level DM and you roll, pick the better of the 2.
Wizards get 5+int skillpoints per level
If you chose a prestige class that allows for example, evasion, and the base class has already that ability, then said ability becomes improved evasion. Other examples are uncanny dodge to improved uncanny dodge, etc.
STR or DEX can be used when determining CMB, but not both.
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Oh yeah, I forgot. I don't track material components, non-magical ammunition, or encumbrance.
I don't track non-costy components, except for the occasional "you wake up tied and naked" situations.
I go with encumbrance at lower levels, and I pretty much ditch resolving it somewhere around level 10. It's part of my "Congratulations, You're Epic Heroes Now" initiative, which means also that I tend to be anal with random encounters early on, and tone them down later.
I like to make my players feel how their power-up changes the world for them, and so far I think it works. :)
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If they put points into linguistics after that first one, what do they get in return? Do they speak common just a little better?- Everyone starts illiterate and must have at least 1 rank in Linguistics to be able to read and write. Also ranks in Linguistics do not grant bonus languages.
Linguistics covers much more than the number of languages you speak. It's also used for making forged letters, deciphering codes, understanding languages you don't already speak, etc.
I still grant bonus starting languages based on race, class and Intelligence mod.
If they put points into linguistics after that first one, what do they get in return? Do they speak common just a little better?- Everyone starts illiterate and must have at least 1 rank in Linguistics to be able to read and write. Also ranks in Linguistics do not grant bonus languages.
Linguistics covers much more than the number of languages you speak. It's also used for making forged letters, deciphering codes, understanding languages you don't already speak, etc.
I still grant bonus starting languages based on race, class and Intelligence mod.
Well, let's say I wanted to learn Dwarvish (god only knows why, maybe I need to piss off the elf) how would I learn it? At higher levels of course.
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If they put points into linguistics after that first one, what do they get in return? Do they speak common just a little better?- Everyone starts illiterate and must have at least 1 rank in Linguistics to be able to read and write. Also ranks in Linguistics do not grant bonus languages.
Linguistics covers much more than the number of languages you speak. It's also used for making forged letters, deciphering codes, understanding languages you don't already speak, etc.
I still grant bonus starting languages based on race, class and Intelligence mod.
Well, let's say I wanted to learn Dwarvish (god only knows why, maybe I need to piss off the elf) how would I learn it? At higher levels of course.
Yes and all you would have to do is find someone to teach you it and make a Linguistics roll. Rather than wait until you level and spend precious skill points on it.
Yes and all you would have to do is find someone to teach you it and make a Linguistics roll. Rather than wait until you level and spend precious skill points on it.If they put points into linguistics after that first one, what do they get in return? Do they speak common just a little better?- Everyone starts illiterate and must have at least 1 rank in Linguistics to be able to read and write. Also ranks in Linguistics do not grant bonus languages.
Linguistics covers much more than the number of languages you speak. It's also used for making forged letters, deciphering codes, understanding languages you don't already speak, etc.
I still grant bonus starting languages based on race, class and Intelligence mod.
Well, let's say I wanted to learn Dwarvish (god only knows why, maybe I need to piss off the elf) how would I learn it? At higher levels of course.
Ok...that works for me. Thanks. Makes the rogue talent polyglot even more interesting.