love this one: "Each +1 enhancement bonus on a weapon only overcomes 5 points of DR/magic, the all or nothing rule doesn't feel right to me."
Here are some house rules I use in my games:
-Character generator: I used 15 pb, and I am switching to 17 or 18 for next time have not decided yet.
-Alignment: the character chose a background according to campaign settings and an alignment. Dungeon Master has right to change it according to character behave (characters caring only for rewards, killing everything just caring for personal xp and coins... move towards evil!). The Dungeon Master should give some hints about the conduct of the player changing his alignment for him to be aware.
-2 consecutive 20 rolls mean threat for instant death: if the third roll is a successful hit, the enemy instantly dies.
-Power Attack can be used on thrown ranged weapon (such as javelins) to increase damage and viceversa Deadly Aim can be used with piercing weapons such as short swords and rapiers to increase damage (prerequisite for this last option is the weapon finesse feat).
-You can use Manyshot with a crossbow (you need to make a small modify on the crossbow).
-Create water creates only the amount wrote on the book in total per day, divided in how many casting the Character wants.
-I have a different point of view on richness of character according to level, and tend to have much poorer Characters and NPCs in my campaigns.
All this arguing over whether low or high point buy is bad and wrong is the reason why the Standard 4d6 method is greatly superior.
Discuss.
Every game of 3.0+ I have played with whatever dice you wish, I roll like the right hand of a luck god. In 7 or 8 games, I've always had the best Stats. In EVERY game, the GM watched me roll with his (and one her) dice. They all wound up intimidated be my character, regardless of how I played. One finally asked me to create a new character because mine was simply too powerful. You guessed it, an even more powerful set of attributes. with two 18s, I played my first monk in decades. I now ban them from my game.
Every game of 3.0+ I have played with whatever dice you wish, I roll like the right hand of a luck god. In 7 or 8 games, I've always had the best Stats. In EVERY game, the GM watched me roll with his (and one her) dice. They all wound up intimidated be my character, regardless of how I played. One finally asked me to create a new character because mine was simply too powerful. You guessed it, an even more powerful set of attributes. with two 18s, I played my first monk in decades. I now ban them from my game.All this arguing over whether low or high point buy is bad and wrong is the reason why the Standard 4d6 method is greatly superior.
Discuss.
With two 18s and I assume 16/14 or above on your other stats you could've done just as well with any other class.
Banning Monks is a horrible kneejerk reaction.
My DM, in one game, uses exploding dice for firearms.Wait, does that mean characters in the game load exploding dice into their guns, or do the dice he rolls for firearm attacks explode after being rolled?
"Exploding dice" generally refers to a roll where if you're rolling, for instance, 1d10, if it comes up as a 10, you keep that, and then roll another d10. If THAT comes up a 10, you'd roll another, and so on. It's a standard rule for a lot of games where skill checks generally just go by the highest result of an individual die (like Shadowrun), and in this case it's a throwback to the rules for firearms in AD&D.
Banning Monks is a horrible kneejerk reaction.
Normally, I would agree, in principle. I actually banned monks from my game in the late 70s and was convinced to give them a 'second chance'. Skimming through the other posts, I realized that our GM went with the 'D10/full BAB' school and that helped/allowed my character to dominate combat.
The character had 17S, 18D, 16C, 15I, 18W, 13C before the +2 floater and another +2 for being a level 10. I took a 'no weapons' oath so I could do damage with naught but my self. And I did have fun.
I don't mind monks in a Eastern campaign, having played a baboon monk in a pre-Kung-Fu Panda game, just not in my game...argh! I HAVE to let in one archetype as an Elven option due to its fitting perfectly. Hope it's not that damn camel nose...
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
"Exploding dice" generally refers to a roll where if you're rolling, for instance, 1d10, if it comes up as a 10, you keep that, and then roll another d10. If THAT comes up a 10, you'd roll another, and so on. It's a standard rule for a lot of games where skill checks generally just go by the highest result of an individual die (like Shadowrun), and in this case it's a throwback to the rules for firearms in AD&D.My DM, in one game, uses exploding dice for firearms.Wait, does that mean characters in the game load exploding dice into their guns, or do the dice he rolls for firearm attacks explode after being rolled?
My next pistol in your campaign will only do 1d1 damage....
: )
Firearms hit normal AC, not touch, regardless of range. That said, the one Deed that lets you hit touch beyond your first range increment is changed to allow you to hit touch AC when in the first range increment.
@BBT: I have a Samurai Player who uses dice where the numbers look like Kanji...
In fact, only dice with clear numbers are allowed.
No odd symbols, or alternate languages.
Everyone at the table must be able to read, and understand the numbers on your dice.
His they are easy to read it is just the way they are carved fits the brush strokes of the Kanji and that is it.
I vary stats by how high-powered I want the game to be but usually just give everyone a 16, 15, 14, 13, 12, 10 to play with. Makes for a more robust group without one person rolling higher than another and point buy, while I see the value in it, hurts my head some to keep track of. Math is not my friend which is ironic given how much of it is needed for games like this usually.
I also often borrow a page from Star Wars Saga and let people start with max HD x3 plus Con modifier so a Fighter with Con 14 starts with 32 HP. It evens out some as levels go on but provides a nice bonus in the beginning.
For HP, I let people roll and if they roll below average (half on an even level, half plus one on an odd) it gets adjusted up to that. If they roll above average, good for them.
These usually make for much more powerful PC's but it also fits the groups play style. They tend to like larger-than-life heroics or deeds rather than a gritty dungeon crawl where if the Wizard sneezes too hard they might burst a lung. Anyways, ideas for fodder if anyone likes.
Every day I work on a new version of an overhaul, currently doing an E6 version. Some of the things that are in all my versions:
- Encumbrance works with 'burden points' equal to Str score.
- Alignment is utterly removed. Only evil and good is for outsiders, who embody the element of evil and good.
- Weapons don't work on a per-weapon-stats basis. A mace isn't always worse than a longsword. Instead, you get a number of proficiencies, and each type of proficiency allows you to 'buy' weapon stats. Yes you can wield clubs with {1d10, 19-20/x2, trip} if you have exotic proficiency. Any weapon works, I just removed fluff from mechanics.
- Clerics gain abilities on even levels to make them less boring and more varied. In the newest version they are spontaneous spellcasters with spells known from their domains (they get 4 domains -> 4 spells known/spell level).
- Trailblazer rules for Full Attack, Wild Shape, Rage.
- Low-BAB Spellcasters get weak combat spells without daily limitations. Stronger than ray of frost or whatever silly cantrips there are, slightly worse than magic missile. If you want to be a spellcaster, you can at least contribute something when you run out, but it will not be the gamechanger spell selection.
- Skill refurbishment: 2d10 instead of 1d20 (I might try 3d6). Larceny, Deception, Athletics, Endurance and Empathy instead of Disable Device, Escape Artist, Bluff, Disguise, Climb, Swim, Sense Motive and Constitution checks. Ride doesn't exist as those skill uses can be subsumed under Handle Animal or Acrobatics.
- Easy peasy conversion to metric/hex-based. Using the universal 'unit/grid section' now. It really isn't as much work as it seems as pretty much all square rules work for hexes.
- Improvement of all the useless rage powers/rogue talents.
- The aforementioned point buy per level thing;
- 25 point buy: my players start to cry if I suggest a lower value. But I'm seeing that the become a lot more powerfull, as I constantly need to rise monsters HP on the fly (see below), or give them a quick boost on the rolls. I really need to start a new campaign with 15 or 20 points;
- Actually my monsters have flutuant HP between the media value on the Bestiaries and their maximum. So they die when I think they contributed to the battle. Rule used because the party are really powerfull;
- EvilLincoln Injury/Strain system: help so much when they have no healer on the group;
- Athletic skill;
- Similar BAB and Save progression from multiples classes are added to calculate it: so a Rogue 1/Alchemist 1 has BAB +1 and Reflex +3, but a Wizard 1/Cleric 1 still has BAB +0;
- Luck Points: 1d4 (1d6 at level 8, and 1d8 at level 15) luck points per session that can be use in 1)Confirming a critical 2)Negating a critical against you 3)Reroll any d20 roll 4)Stabilize 5)3 points to auto-pass a Saving Throw 6)All your remaining points, min 2, to escape death (stay a -Con and stable). Unused points do not carry over to another session. As I don't use a shield, I also receive some points (2d8) to use against them (a relatively big group, not uncommon to have 5 or 6 players, already GMed to 8 players at time).
I constantly need to rise monsters HP on the fly (see below), or give them a quick boost on the rolls.
As an idea, have you considered giving your monsters the 'elite' template that they created for the Warcraft pen and paper RPG? It'd increase their staying power significantly.
I'm trying out the "finessable" as a weapon property automatically added to weapons the feat normally applies to, and having the Weapon Finesse feat allow switching Dex for Str on damage when using a finesseable weapon. It's working good so far.
I adjust the misfire chance on gunslingers to be more like a crit, in other words a roll of 1 is a misfire threat, you reroll with the total misfire value due to gun, ammo, and watnot and if you confirm by rolling below the total, then it's a misfire/explosion.
I don't allow an AoO against a ranged attacker by the target of said attack. Often I ignore the movement based AoO all together, as we don't use minis or grids.
Hp are rolled, take your roll or half whichever is higher.
For stat rolling, I have players roll 4d6, drop lowest, re-roll 1s and 2s. I like to start at level one, and good stats mean I don't have to be as careful. Also reduces the need for an array of stat boosting items later, and means we've never seen any problem with the monk.
I consider the WBL table a suggestion at best.
As far as dwarven women go, I follow the example of Lineage 2. :)
|
Thanks to everyone who has shared their houserules - really helpful as I think about what I'll implement for my own campaigns.
A further question - do you write up a formal "house rules" document for your players (or does your DM) or do you just communicate them as needed to players?
Do you include rules you aren't going to be using (i.e. houserules that for example "ignore AoO due to movement when not using the grid") or is this explicit?
Does your use of house rules vary if you are using an AP or other published (Paizo) module and the full Golarian setting vs if you are using a home campaign setting and campaign?
I try to have all my house rules available to the players at the start of the campaign. I also allow player input before finalizing them.
I do not include anything I'm not using, because the shorter the list the better. And APs don't seem to cause any issues with my house rules, as most aren't flavor dependent.
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
I've been lurking and picking up ideas, and I think it's important to clearly communicate house rules to players as early as possible, before they make decisions that would be affected by these house rules.
For example, if I want to make an unarmed fighting character, and the GM allows monks to have full BAB, d10 Hit Die, or the ability to use unarmed damage with a gauntlet, cestus or brass knuckles, I want to know that before I decide to make a unarmed specialist fighter or barbarian.
If the GM allows non-LG Paladins, I want to know that before deciding to play an Inquisitor instead.
If the GM uses "Finessable" as a weapon property rather than a feat, I want to know that when deciding whether I want to give my Bard melee competency.
If the GM rules that a +3 weapon doesn't bypass DR/silver, I want to know that before I'm facing down a werewolf with a +3 sword and no silver. So this one doesn't necessarily need to come up at the start of the game, but should be mentioned when the players start buying magic weapons.
I try to bring them up during chargen. I considered making a written list, but I like to try new ideas and approaches sometimes.
I don't run modules or ap, so that's never become an issue. I enjoy creating my own settings and stories, it's my creative outlet. :)
Some of the houserules I have at my table include:
Feat training if you can explain how you're trying to gain the feat I'll probably let it slide but it takes in game time. This allows my players to snag feats that are either flavorful or normally wouldn't see play time. Such as Weapon proficiency with interesting or flavorful weapons, alertness, stealthy. Most of the skill up feats that are just under picked since other feats provide combat capability or a pure power increase.
Whirlwind Attack can be used with Spring Attack. It's always been a pet peeve of mine where you have a feat that's a pre req for something else but they can't be used together. I think I remember a Sage Advice article where it was said you could use both at the same time, but that would be 3.5 and I can't remember where to find it.
I'll allow MOST anything at my table, you want a gun that's fine, but the Golden Rule that we have at my table is if you can do it so can I. It's led to some hilarious moments when the party kept using the same tactic repeatedly of basically baiting their enemy into an area and lighting it up. When I used their tactic against them with an enemy they'd faced repeatedly I wound up killing 1 of them and driving the rest off.
I give bonus racial HP at level 1 from playtest, so frail races get 4, normal get 6 and hardy get 8. It makes people a bit beefier and we like that race has another facet of impact on the game. I really wish that optional rule had carried into the final version of Pathfinder.
I'm sure there are others just can't think of any at the moment.
Houserules in are for PbPs only.
- 3.5 content is usually allowed, converted to PF ruleset as much as possible. My current Kingmaker game was started with a bunch of newbies to the game so it's PF-only, but once I move on to the next game I'll be allowing anything, barring a few overly-cheesy banned things.
-
-
- HP is either or 1d4+CON mod+a specific amount based on hit die total: 8 for d12 classes, 6 for d10, 4 for d8, 2 for d6.
- GM has adjusted some racial info for his setting. Gnomes are now Fey type, Halflings have the [human] subtype instead of [halfling], Dwarves are primarily sailors and have had their racial bonuses and proficiencies changed to reflect this, Kobolds are a standard race and have had their stats brought up to par with the other standard PC races, and a few other changes, including a few custom races. Most races are available in the game with some adjustment, and players wishing to play something not on the GM's list can generally do so if they talk with me in advance and work some things out.
- GM has his own personalized reincarnate table for use in his setting.
- Critical Hit and Critical Fumble decks are in play. Everyone uses both. Critical Fumbles must be confirmed; an unconfirmed Fumble is just a miss.
- Skill Tricks (3.5 Complete Scoundrel) are free and unlimited as long as all prereqs are met.
- Cure spells, raise dead/resurrection, and similar spells are Necromancy, not Conjuration. Reincarnate remains Transmutation.
- Breath of life is now cure deadly wounds and thus available for spont-casting and for cure-casting Oracles to instantly learn. Haven't yet come up with a suitable Negative Energy counterpart.
- (May bring this one into play in future live campaigns, but avoiding it for the current game full of newbies.)
- (May bring this one into play in future live campaigns, but avoiding it for the current game full of newbies.)
- Clerics and other characters with Domains may spont-cast their Domain spells by sacrificing memorized spells, just like Clerics can with Cure/Inflict spells. The Domain spell slot becomes just another available spell slot.
- Spontaneous full casters (IE. Sorcerers and Oracles) are treated as one level higher for purposes of Spells Known and Spells Per Day, except at levels 19 (which is slightly adjusted to make it different from the advanced 18) and 20 (which is unchanged). This brings them on par with prepared casters for spell advancement.
- Anything available to the players is available to the GM. If you don't want something in the game, it must be agreed upon by all players, and then is off the table for everyone involved.
Paizo has dice rolling functions.
On-Topic: I have Skill, Weapon Proficiency, & Racial Feat Slots outside the normal Feat progression.
1d20+14
1d8+6Paizo has dice rolling functions.
On-Topic: I have Skill, Weapon Proficiency, & Racial Feat Slots outside the normal Feat progression.
This sounds cool. Could you elaborate on the rate of gain, and maybe a couple examples?
Every day I work on a new version of an overhaul, currently doing an E6 version. Some of the things that are in all my versions:
- Encumbrance works with 'burden points' equal to Str score.
- Alignment is utterly removed. Only evil and good is for outsiders, who embody the element of evil and good.
- Weapons don't work on a per-weapon-stats basis. A mace isn't always worse than a longsword. Instead, you get a number of proficiencies, and each type of proficiency allows you to 'buy' weapon stats. Yes you can wield clubs with {1d10, 19-20/x2, trip} if you have exotic proficiency. Any weapon works, I just removed fluff from mechanics.
- Clerics gain abilities on even levels to make them less boring and more varied. In the newest version they are spontaneous spellcasters with spells known from their domains (they get 4 domains -> 4 spells known/spell level).
- Trailblazer rules for Full Attack, Wild Shape, Rage.
- Low-BAB Spellcasters get weak combat spells without daily limitations. Stronger than ray of frost or whatever silly cantrips there are, slightly worse than magic missile. If you want to be a spellcaster, you can at least contribute something when you run out, but it will not be the gamechanger spell selection.
- Skill refurbishment: 2d10 instead of 1d20 (I might try 3d6). Larceny, Deception, Athletics, Endurance and Empathy instead of Disable Device, Escape Artist, Bluff, Disguise, Climb, Swim, Sense Motive and Constitution checks. Ride doesn't exist as those skill uses can be subsumed under Handle Animal or Acrobatics.
- Easy peasy conversion to metric/hex-based. Using the universal 'unit/grid section' now. It really isn't as much work as it seems as pretty much all square rules work for hexes.
- Improvement of all the useless rage powers/rogue talents.
I dig your choices. Any chance we can see your improvements to the rage powers/rogue talents?
Can't remember if I mentioned it but our game has a very videogame-y encumbrance system.
Basically you can carry your max weight before becoming encumbered, and gold has no weight. Weight is otherwise calculated the same and armor still carries the "immediate encumbrance" penalties.
So your Fighter/Barbarian/Whatever can still carry more than your Wizard, but your Wizard isn't straining under the weight of his own waterskin.
This sounds cool. Could you elaborate on the rate of gain, and maybe a couple examples?1d20+14
1d8+6Paizo has dice rolling functions.
On-Topic: I have Skill, Weapon Proficiency, & Racial Feat Slots outside the normal Feat progression.
I use 3.5's feat progression for the Skill, Proficiency(not just weapons), and Racial feat lots.
We affectionately refer to the two progressions as Combat and Thematic slots.
I am still deciding if I will allow crafting feats in the Thematic Slots or Add another feat slot progression for them. Maybe even expand Master Craftsman to all skills and give it for Free.
@Rynjin: My group is currently trying something like that. Thought we also have it if your Armour is heavier than the rest of your gear combined then that is all that encumbrances you.
Say our Halfling Magus(Myrmidarch) would normally be encumbered by his Armour and his load yet his combined non-armour gear weighs around 15lbs less than his Armour then he only suffers the negatives from the Armour.
...I dig your choices. Any chance we can see your improvements to the rage powers/rogue talents?
Weren't you the guy who really liked my previous set of houserules? :P Granted I posted them a while back... Most of the talents/powers are in there if you still have the files.
Multiclassing is fixed progression Gestalt-- you pay +2 LA for every base class and +1 LA for every Prestige Class or NPC Class you advance in simultaneously. Prestige Classes are reworked to be 20 levels. You can take an additional archetype for any of your classes for +1 LA.
No, I'm still not quite happy with the way this works.
Clerics and Druids, and Paladins and Rangers, are spontaneous casters. The only prepared casters are Wizard, Witch, and Magus, and they have spontaneous-casting archetypes available to them.
15 point buy. You increase two ability scores every fourth level (one free and one racial) and all ability scores at 6th, 10th, and every fourth level after.
Ritual magic. A lot of spells are replaced with ritual spells. So is magic item creation.
Non-weapon proficiency slots. Each class grants certain skills automatically, and then a number of NWP slots. Each trained skill automatically has max ranks. Untrained skills get a proficiency bonus equal to 1/2 character level. You can buy an additional trained skill with a feat.
Weapon proficiency slots. You gain a number of WP slots based on your class which can be used to purchase weapon group proficiencies, weapon focus, and a limited selection of entry-level combat feats such as Two-Weapon Fighter and Improved Unarmed Strike.
Characters have Aspects and Fate points like in FATE.
Lots of little ±2-±5 bonuses/penalties have been replaced with Advantage/Disadvantage as in the D&D Next playtest.
Full BAB classes, Monks, Magi, and Rogues make iterative attacks at their full BAB and can make a full attack on a standard action. Two Weapon Fighting only grants a single extra attack with extra feats reducing the attack penalty. Monk FoB grants extra attacks at the Monk's normal attack bonus.
Qingong Mystic is the standard Monk class from which all archetypes deviate.
Most of the houserules we use have already been stated by others. The most relevant one though it's that stat enhancers do not exist (belt, headband, manuals and whatever). Instead, you get one ability increase every two level, in addition to the one you get every four level. At levels 4th, 8th and so on you have to choose two different stats to enhance.
This result in slightly worse stats (in particular for casters, who would go for the +6 headband right away), but the wealth by level chart do not change.
Pets get only 1 point every 2 level (no double points every 4), since they generally get far less gear than PCs in the average game (I also thought about letting the player decide to allocate freely the additional points between PC and pet but decided against it).
The overall result is to have more iconic objects in the game. Also, cat's grace, bull's strenght and the other spells which enhance stats remain relevants longer.
For the same reason other two houserules exists: cloak (clasp) of resistance, amulet of natural armor and ring of protection are all slotless (this way you don't have to die orribly just because you liked a cloak of the manta ray).
Finally, for every +1 in a weapon or armor, a special property must be bought (so that weapons and armors too are a bit more iconic).
We are currently trying these houserules for the first time in two campaigns (my kingmaker one, just started, and a custom one, which will start next week). So far the only issue is a greater amount of homeworks in keeping track of the treasure, since I can't get it straight out of the adventure path.
Since I think the overall result is to have slightly stronger PCs (especially low-mid levels, we rarely go over lev 12, never above 15), we are using 15 points buy instead of the usual 20.
My House rules are:
- Worn Armor and Clothing counts only half for encumbrance
- Mules, Donkeys ans some other small mounts can be ridden by medium riders but cound as having at least medium load when doing so
- Mules use the same stats as ponys but trade the run feat for the 3pp feat pack mule (I found no mule stats from paizo)
- No Dhampirs. I don't like them and think they often are a burden for other PCs.
- No stealing from other PCs or the party. Just because you are a rogue doesn't mean you may take extra stuff from the loot.
- For reincarnate I use the normal table but set the original race instead of the human entry (exchanging them if possible) because human is the most likely result. For outsiders I might change more to add other outsiders instead of humanoid races.
I know what you mean about Dhampirs, but instead of banning I'd probably let them to take a reverse Necromantic Affinity or give an alternate racial to replace Negative Energy Affinity; maybe Undead Resistances and Resist Level Drain for it?
But why bother? There are so many races to chose from, it doesn't have to be the dhampir.
I allow all the other races from the advances races book except the dhampir (which I don't like fluff wise in addition to the problems they cause) so why should I bother making house rules to make something playable that I dispise.
Others ban guns because they don't like them and the idea of doing so seems to be accepted.
|
|
The rule i always play is no crazy Class changes / Prestige Classes without Rping from your character and a talk with me beforehand.
For printed / homemade campaigns (excluding pathfinder society) I try to stop the whole "i'm going to dip into this class for 2 levels so i and get this ability" (aka optimization) and try to focus it more on it being your character; what would they do?
Example : The fighter wants to dip into an arcane caster next level.
If he wanted to become a wizard he'd have to rp that he approaches the party wizard / gets taught the basic's from tutors while in a town and continues his lessons each day. As he got closer to leveling if he wanted to try a few spells out i'd let him (rolling a % dice to see if it failed / mishap / succeeded) etc.
However if he wanted to dip into sorcerer during play i would hint that the fighter is slowly accessing his dormant arcane powers. So at first it could just be a "ping" that he notices a magical aura for a second or two (as if using detect magic). As he gets closer to leveling he's powers would begin to show more and more (depending on the bloodline he chosen) to the point that maybe when he's close to leveling and really in a pickle, surrounded by monsters his powers burst forth and he unleashes one of his spells he's going to take at next level.
One of my players a while back played a rogue and over the course of about 3 levels he underwent a change of heart when the villan of the campaign turned out to be a his best friend - a trusted npc that has stabbed them in the back (unknown to the PC's he had died and his body now hosted a demon). He rp'd his character becoming less jokey / laid back and become more responsible and mature with a bleaker outlook on things. He stopped taking rogue levels and picked up 2 fighter levels and finally became a paladin. Then later in the campaign when he and the party found out his best friend was actually just a host for something beyond this realm he rp'd his character "going a bit nuts" and clearly breaking his paladin's code of conduct. He dipped back into rouge for a level before Rping a brilliant scene at a temple where he begged for forgiveness and asked how he could atone for his sins.
It's one of my fondest GM memories.
|
I just have a few house rules I use.
1st.) Natural 1 and 20's on skill and ability checks. If you roll a natural 20 on a skill or ability check you get a +10 to the result. If you roll a natural 1 you get a -10 to the result. Anyone can get lucky or even someone who is the best at something can screw up from time to time.
2nd.) If you take Leadership as a Feat I make the NPC and level it.
3rd.) When crafting no taking 10 on the craft checks. You have to always roll for it.
My house rules:
If there is a disagreement, we side with the GM during the fight and discuss it later when it won't bog down combat.
Non-boss monsters in non=boss fights cannot critical fail/hit.
I have only rarely played with people who take weight into consideration - unless it is real obvious like 'shrink a boulder, toss at goblin, unshrink boulder, squish'.
There are three playable classes that get SR - we are not allowed to acquire the SR if we play the three classes.
RPG Superstar 2015 Top 16, RPG Superstar 2013 Top 16
|
I differentiate between house rules and table rules. I keep my House Rules and Tables Rules lists posted on my campaign website's wiki. Here are the ones I'm currently using in my Carrion Crown campaign, minus a few that are specific to use of the website:
House Rules
Ability Scores: 20 point buy. See Table: Ability Score Costs.
Fixed Hit Points: Max hit points at first level. Every level after first, gain hit points equal to half your hit die + 1, plus any applicable modifiers for Con, Toughness, etc. d12 = 7, d10 = 6, d8 = 5, d6 = 4.
Starting Wealth: Starting wealth for all classes is 200 gp. The On the Payroll Campaign Trait increases your starting wealth if you want to start with more money.
Experience and Levels: Carrion Crown uses the medium experience track. Characters will never advance experience levels during a session; all advancement will take place in between sessions.
Allowed Sources: See the list of [Source Material].
Harrow Points: See [Harrow Points: Cards of Fate].
Traits: Select 1 trait from the list of Carrion Crown [Campaign Traits] and 1 other trait.
Bastard Spears: Spears (not longspears) can be used 1-handed as a martial weapon.
Gibs: If you reduce an enemy from positive hp to –Con hp in a single hit, or if you fell an enemy with a critical hit, you may describe in as much gory detail as you like the gruesome manner of your foe’s demise.
Vital Strike: Vital Strike, Improved Vital Strike, and Greater Vital Strike work with Spring Attack, Shot on the Run, and charges.
Critical Successes and Failures: For attack rolls, normal critical hit rules apply. I do not use fumble rules for attack rolls of 1: you just miss. For skill and ability checks, a roll of 20 is not an automatic success and a roll of 1 is not an automatic failure. If you roll a natural 20, it counts as if you had rolled a 30 on the d20. If you roll a natural 1, it counts as if you had rolled a -10. For saving throws, a roll of 20 automatically succeeds and a roll of 1 automatically fails.
Table Rules
What's the difference between House Rules and Table Rules? House rules are rules within the game. House rules include special rules for things like character creation and advancement. Table rules are rules about the game. They are guidelines for play that help the group run smoother and, hopefully, everyone have more fun.
Mood: In a gothic horror campaign like the Carrion Crown Adventure Path, maintaining the right mood is critically important. Have you ever sat through a horror movie in which someone in the theater kept cracking jokes? It kind of ruined the experience, didn't it? Horror adventures are much the same. You don't have to be wrist-slittingly somber at all times--but please keep the mood in the back of your mind and don't spoil the fun for other players by breaking the mood inappropriately.
Initiative: Know what you are doing before your turn comes up in the initiative order. That implies paying attention to the fight when it’s not your turn so you know what is going on. Declare your action at the beginning of your turn. A combat round is only 6 seconds, so if you take too long to declare an action, I will start counting down. If you haven’t declared an action before the countdown ends, you delay by default and can reenter the initiative order after anyone else's turn. Think fast! I will be more lenient if you are the first one to act in combat.
Attack and Damage Rolls: To speed combats, please roll your attack and damage dice together, using same colored dice for each attack. If you have multiple attacks due to a feat or high base attack bonus, indicate beforehand which attack bonus applies to which color dice, then roll them all at once.
Spells, Special Attacks, Special Abilities: If you are casting a spell, using a special ability, performing a combat maneuver, or doing some other special attack or action, please have the rulebook open to the relevant page (or have the rule pulled up on d20pfsrd.com) when your turn comes up in the initiative order. Again, I will be more lenient if you are the first one to act in combat.
Talking in Combat: Speaking is a free action. Free actions can only be taken when it is your turn. That means that in combat, you can only talk to your fellow party members when it is your turn—no instantly formulating ten minutes’ worth of tactics in 6 seconds worth of combat. I enforce this rule strictly. However, you are permitted and encouraged to help other players with rules questions, etc. The telepathy special ability and spells such as telepathic bond allow instantaneous communication, even when it is not your turn, and can therefore be used to circumvent this restriction.
Electronics: Laptops and tablet PCs are welcome at the table for game use--but please don't let them be a distraction to yourself or other players. Players are highly encouraged to make use of d20pfsrd.com as a rules reference.
Dice Etiquette: Please roll the dice where everyone can see them and don't handle them again until they're read. Reroll leaners and dice that land off the table. Don't roll dice into any area in which there are miniatures.
Miniature Etiquette: We use miniatures that people have spent hours painting. Please don't do anything that could damage the minis. In particular, don't pick up more than one mini in your hand unless you can do it without them touching. Or else it will really turn into a horror game as the GM goes homicidally insane.
Forgot a couple.
- True Neutral deities can provide divine magic for characters of any alignment. They're essentially the exception to the one-step rule.
- Personal spells can be crafted into potions. You can already do the same thing for the same cost with CWI, no sense in making it unavailable to potion-brewers I say.
- On that note, 8 hours a day is still the maximum crafting time, but beyond that I've removed restrictions on crafting amounts. So if you can craft three items in less than 8 hours, you can craft three items a day. This mainly just considers low-level items and potions, but it hasn't broken anything yet.
Let's see, house rules... House rules...
- Encumbrance for equipment is ignored.
- Encumbrance rules are not generally referenced for lifting heavy objects. Players are expected to not act as though their character could lift something that would be too heavy for their character.
- Chaotic Evil is forbidden.
- Lawful Evil and Neutral Evil alignments are discouraged, and not allowed at all if you can't cooperate with the party.
- Chaotic Neutral follows the same restrictions as Lawful Evil and Neutral Evil.
- Gunslingers, Summoners, and anyone with overly complex rules involved in their class/archetype are allowed, but must be discussed prior to the beginning of the campaign.
- Words of Power are allowed, but must be discussed prior to the beginning of the campaign.
- (Most) Prestige classes are allowed, but must be discussed prior to the beginning of the campaign (this rule is more lenient towards PrCs that don't have specific social or societal requirements).
- Excessive crafting is allowed, but must be discussed prior to the beginning of the campaign. (Wizards and Alchemists crafting scrolls and potions respectively get more leeway on this issue, and are encouraged to make use of the crafting feats their class provides to them.)
- Most situations that require repetitive fly or swim checks are ignored, and run without rolling checks (i.e. I don't care that you're making an aerial turn greater than 90 degrees, or that you want to hover. Rolling for every mundane instance of movement slows down the game).
- PvP, unless it has been agreed upon by every member of the party long enough in advance for the GM to have thoroughly prepared the plot consequences, is not allowed.
- PCs are occasionally allowed to level up early. If they would reach a new level early in a session, I will inform them that they should level up their character before the session begins rather than having to stop the game to level.
- Pathfinder Society exists, but PFS characters are for PFS games, not for home games (personal preference, I find PFS uninteresting and limiting).
- If you forget to prepare your spells in advance, then your character didn't prepare any spells for the day. (I recommend having a default list of spells that are generally prepared on any normal day, to avoid such mishaps).
- Genuine mistakes may occasionally be undone if caught immediately and easy to rectify. Mistakes that would require rewinding combat are acknowledged, but combat is not generally rewound (too much work).
- It should be kept in mind that despite the attitude she displays, the GM does not actively attempt to kill PCs. All campaigns are run with a belief that they are a suitable but fair challenge.
- Throwing dice at the GM will result in character death in the most uncomfortable and unavoidable ways possible. Such characters are likely to be taunted with perceived success over GM wrath before being brutally killed and replaced with a pre-generated neutral good PC.
|
|
My House Rules will vary by campaign, and I prepare a Campaign Guide much like Paizo that lays out all one needs to know, including race or class restrictions.
Ability Scores: 15-point buy or "buy-roll" method.
The "buy-roll" method is a throwback to the days of rolling the dice, where every wizard didn't have a STR 8, but allows enough control to build a viable character in today's system. Players have 5 points (6 for high fantasy, 7 for epic) to "buy" a roll for a particular attribute as below, which on average result in scores slightly over the standard array with some variety (e.g. a wizard with 13 STR) but without the pure optimization of point-buy.
Type A: 3 points, 15+1d6 (round down), avg 16.5
Type B: 2 points, 10+2d4, avg 15
Type C: 1 point, 6 + 2d6, avg 13
Type D: 0 point (free), 3d6, avg 10.5
One can also hold points in "reserve," to boost a rolled score as follows:
3-7, +3
8-12, +2
13-16, +1
17-18, no boost
Rules exist for the unlikely extreme roller, whether lucky or unlucky.
Hit Points: Max at 1st for players. After that, roll for hit points. Reroll based on hit dice: 1d6, reroll 1s; 1d8/1d10, reroll 1s & 2s; 1d12 reroll 1s, 2s, & 3s.
Alignment: Non-evil. Not going to get into the lengthy discussion why.
Skills & Feats: Players may compare knowledge and crafting to avoid overlap. Feats from Core Rulebook and APG only, unless prior approval. Leadership Feat as written is banned. Once again not going to get into the lengthy discussion why.
Hero Points: Modified. Each level have 1 use of a hero point. Can use to (1) avoid death for you or animal companion (familiar, etc.), within reason, instead sinking to stabilized negative hit points or (2) force immediate reroll of a d20 with +8 to you or your animal companion , +4 to an ally, or +0 to a foe. This can be used after the result (hit/miss, success/failure) but not after damage dice or other effects are applied.
Healing: In an environment where 8-hour bed-rest is possible, maximum effect to healing spells and items.
Spells: (borrowed from a prior post but like it), Core Rulebook and APG spells only. Spells from other core supplements are considered rarer and must be researched or found. Clerics must perform rituals costing the same as research to open up new spells or, no more than once per level, petition their god to grant a spell.
Clerics may (from Dragonlance 3.5) opt out of spontaneous cure/inflict casting and instead be able to spontaneously cast from their domain spell of each level instead. The player will lose the extra domain slot but in return has the choice of two spells from which to spontaneously draw.
Gameplay: When players get into multiple attacks, roll the dice before their turn to save time. Players are on the honesty system, so if they roll all 20s but it would make more sense to bandange a dying friend, you lose those rolls. If you roll all 1s and it makes sense that you'd attack, you man up and take your lumps. This saves a LOT of time and works because my players are trustworthy to make it work.
Critical Hit deck: "normal" is a normal crit, x2 is one die higher, and so forth. Otherwise, kept the same.
Oh!
I almost forgot my favorite house rule. If the party is within 500 EXP of leveling when the session ends, it's assumed we've leveled.
Lets everybody level their characters during the week so we can just jump right in once the session starts, maybe bar rolling HP or some last minute GM advice. You at least have time to get all your options on the table.
On the inside of my GM screen, I have written:
"Don't be a dick"
"Everyone has fun"
Beyond those two, my rules come and go in my head. I've never written them down, but I'll give a thumbs up or down to players as things go. The question is a little broad anyway.
Some that come to mind:
- Rule 0: I present the game, I make all final rulings. I will almost always rule in favor of the player, and player agency is very important to me as is your having a good time so relax.
- Rule 1: Everyone is here to have a good time, so don't pester, harass, annoy, vex, bother or irritate other players. Your character can do it to THEIR characters, but don't do it to the players. Engaging in serious PvP is a transgression unless it's part of the story.
- Rule 2: Don't metagame. Play your character, don't play the rules, and don't play me.
- Rule 3: No matter how powerful and well-prepared you think you are, the world is still much bigger than you and there are always consequences for your actions.
- Rule 4: I control all NPC's, this includes your familiars, followers, cohorts, animal companions and summoned creatures. Again, relax. I won't put them in jeopardy unless it's part of the story.
- Rule 5: This is not a videogame. Be prepared for ups and downs, disappointment and victories, setbacks and discoveries. You are a character IN the world, and you should play your character as a person who has hopes dreams and aspirations, not as a "build". If your character is too weird or unstable, villagers may want to burn them at the stake.
On the inside of my GM screen, I have written:
"Don't be a dick"
"Everyone has fun"
Beyond those two, my rules come and go in my head. I've never written them down, but I'll give a thumbs up or down to players as things go. The question is a little broad anyway.
Some that come to mind:
- Rule 0: I present the game, I make all final rulings. I will almost always rule in favor of the player, and player agency is very important to me as is your having a good time so relax.- Rule 1: Everyone is here to have a good time, so don't pester, harass, annoy, vex, bother or irritate other players. Your character can do it to THEIR characters, but don't do it to the players. Engaging in serious PvP is a transgression unless it's part of the story.
- Rule 2: Don't metagame. Play your character, don't play the rules, and don't play me.
- Rule 3: No matter how powerful and well-prepared you think you are, the world is still much bigger than you and there are always consequences for your actions.
- Rule 4: I control all NPC's, this includes your familiars, followers, cohorts, animal companions and summoned creatures. Again, relax. I won't put them in jeopardy unless it's part of the story.
- Rule 5: This is not a videogame. Be prepared for ups and downs, disappointment and victories, setbacks and discoveries. You are a character IN the world, and you should play your character as a person who has hopes dreams and aspirations, not as a "build". If your character is too weird or unstable, villagers may want to burn them at the stake.
This is the best little set of "good game" rules I've seen.
My group usually frowns on anything made by 3rd party and any major house rules unless the campaign is specifically designed around it (like a gestalt campaign.) That being said we do have a couple house rules:
* Starting stats is 3 sets of 4D6 drop lowest and reroll 1s and 2s. This USUALLY makes sure that everyone has most stats 12 or higher and usually at least one 18 (typical stats look like 18,16,15,14,12,14 before racial bonuses). This makes everyone slightly heroic but usually nothing completely insane and allows people to not HAVE to buy stat boosting items (and makes spell DCs actually work!)
* Three 20s can result in instant kill at DMs prerogative.
* PvP is allowed but you better have a REALLY good reason.
* Most evil alignment are usually not allowed but exceptions can be made depending on the character.
* No massive dipping builds (2x/3y/3z/2a style). If you are going to do a 1-2 lvl dip into something you better have a good fluff reason.
* Six words a turn except your own. With a typical 4 man party that means you can say 18 words outside of your turn in 6 seconds....any more and you are just metagaming.
- Rule 4: I control all NPC's, this includes your familiars, followers, cohorts, animal companions and summoned creatures. Again, relax. I won't put them in jeopardy unless it's part of the story.
* Six words a turn except your own. With a typical 4 man party that means you can say 18 words outside of your turn in 6 seconds....any more and you are just metagaming.
Just out of curiosity, how did these two rules come to be? Yes I realize you're different people.
Especially yours Phrofet. I can see how it makes sense rules-wise, but isn't having what is essentially an utterly silent game kind of awkward/boring? I find most of the more interesting parts of our sessions come from random things said by the players.
Though I'm not one of those who dislikes metagaming like many seem to, so that may have something to do with it.