Hello.
I haven't actually game-mastered before. But I was wondering.
What are some examples of house rules? What are some house rules you use? When is it okay not to enforce a rule? If I allow someone else not to follow a rule, do I have to do that for everyone?
Is this best to post here, or in advice?
Thanks. Have a good day.
I would probably post in the Advice forum; you can use the Flag option on your post and click the "Wrong Forum" option to have it moved.
But to answer your questions :)
"What are some examples of house rules?"
There are so many of 'em, heh. A house rule can be anything from barring people from playing certain classes to ignoring rules that you don't like, to coming up with new rules 'whole cloth' for your game.
For instance: You normally automatically succeed on an attack roll or saving throw if you roll a natural 20; you always fail those rolls on a natural 1. Some people don't make those auto-successes or failures because they don't feel it makes sense that a 1st level character always has a 5% chance to hit a 500th level god, or that a 15th level character has a 5% chance to always miss.
Another example: If you roll a natural 20 on an attack roll, it's always a critical threat. Some people also use a rule that if you roll another natural 20 on your confirmation check, then you continue to roll confirmation checks, and each additional 20 increases the critical modifier. Sso if you're using a x2 critical weapon and roll a nat 20 on your attack roll, then roll another nat 20 to confirm, and then roll another nat 20, you'd actually do x3 damage instead.
"What are some house rules you use?"
Depends on the group. In the last game I ran, one of the characters played an archer; normally when you shoot an arrow, the arrow is assumed to be destroyed, but I allowed him to roll percentiles after each combat and recover a certain number of arrows.
In low-level games, I also generally make any healing potion 'equal' in level to the characters heal a minimum of half the total amount. So a Potion of Cure Light Wounds (1d8+1) will always heal a minimum of 5 points of damage. By 'equal in level' I mean equal to the level of the healing spell the group's healer could cast.
"When is it okay not to enforce a rule? If I allow someone else not to follow a rule, do I have to do that for everyone?"
Consistency is always a good idea. I don't like changing rules in the middle of a game. You should never enforce (or fail to enforce) a rule that penalizes (or aids) one player but then refuse to enforce it for a different player.
When in doubt, ask the group. You obviously make the final call but if you've got a house rule that you think is causing problems in the game, ask the group politely if they would mind if you changed it or dropped it entirely. But if possible do this before a session (or after the end of a session and before the next one).
Hello.
I haven't actually game-mastered before. But I was wondering.
What are some examples of house rules? What are some house rules you use?
House rules are exteremely varied. They can be anything form 'Everyone gets weapon finesse and power attack for free', to game changing sets of house rules like my Magic Item Replacement Rules.
If you havent game mastered before, dont house rule yet. Play the game. See what works for you and your group and what doesnt. As you gain experience, you can house rule to 'tweak' the game in a manor that will let your group have more fun.
When is it okay not to enforce a rule?
As a DM, whenever you think it is interfering with the game and the fun you and your group wish to have. This is really a style choice more then anything else. I for instance, and all for house ruling, but I prefer to have my rules written down in front of me, and those rules followed.
If I allow someone else not to follow a rule, do I have to do that for everyone?
Generally yes. Its not really fair to play favorites or be inconsisten. For instance, if the barbarian roles low on his hit die roll at 3rd level, and you let him reroll it. You should let the rogue doe the same if he rolls poorly at 4th level. Inconsistent enforcement of the rules usually leads to hard feelings and disagreements at the table which you usually want to avoid.
Is this best to post here, or in advice?
Specific rules questions should go here, this post should have gone in advice.
Apart from what Xaratheus said above, I would like to add that if it's your first time as a game master, you should probably not use any house rules, and keep to low levels.
There's a heck of a lot of rules to keep track of as GM, and the game is quite delicately balanced; though balance isn't perfect, it's quite good at low levels and is very easily upset by houserules, especially if one makes house rules without the experience necessary to predict the effect of them.
But apply rules consistently, whether they are house rules or not; not applying them consistently can very easily lead to favoritism (or appear as favoritism).
I must also second Xaratheus advice: "When in doubt, ask the group.".
And if you have to err, err on the side that's most beneficial to the players. If an encounter becomes unnecessarily easy due to misunderstandings, there's no big deal, there'll be a new encounter soon enough. If it becomes a total party kill, that's kind of a big deal.
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I haven't actually game-mastered before. But I was wondering.
What are some examples of house rules? What are some house rules you use? When is it okay not to enforce a rule? If I allow someone else not to follow a rule, do I have to do that for everyone?
For a starting GM, stick to the published rules as best you can. Once you understand how things work, and what things don't quite do what you want, then start thinking about house rules. (And, as others have said, involve your players int hat discussion!)
That said, the best "house rule of thumb" for a starting GM is, "We'll do it this way for now, and we'll investigate further after the session." Don't stop the flow of the game to get the rule "just right", unless it's an issue of (character) life or death -- go with your best-guess interpretation during the game, and figure out the "right" way to do it for next time.
Some of my house rules are simply hold-overs from earlier versions of rules.
Example: I use the v3.5 rule that Armor Check Penalty (ACP) is doubled for the Swim skill.
Some of my house rules are for my own versimilitude.
Example: I rule that armor spikes (of any size) have no reach.
Some of my house rules are to discourage some behavior I don't like.
Example: I disliked people spending hero points with the reasoning that they had as many as they could keep and were about to earn another so they'd spend them on crazy stuff. So I house-ruled the cap on how many hero points you could carry away.