|
| 8 people marked this as a favorite. |
I've made a list of house rules, but my computer died and now I am left with nothing. Because, GENIUS, I made no backups.
So, any interesting house rules for Pathfinder would be welcome. I remember three:
- Instead of standard incemental bab, a character will get to make two attacks at a -2 penalty at BAB +6, the penalty will be reduced to -1 at Bab +11 and will be completely gone at BAB +16
- Each character can only be brought back as many times as is his initial constitution bonus. A creature with 11 con or less cannot be brought back to life by anything short of miracle or wish. If a constitution bonus changes permanently (inherent bonuses, not items) the number of ressurections goes up. Breath of life does not count as bringing back
- In a ritual which must take place at a site significant to the deity being petitioned, the caster may bring a dead companion back to life. The caster and target must share permanent negative levels equal to the level of the target.
I recommend using a google doc or some other form of cloud-based storage.
Not only do you not have to worry about backups, you can view it from anywhere (phone even) and you can share the doc with people here on the forum to get critiques. I do it all the time!
| 5 people marked this as a favorite. |
One we use and really like is that flanked is a condition. Thus if an opponent is flanked by any two opponents, they are treated as being flanked by anyone that attacks them. This makes sneak attack better, and encourages teamwork.
We also allow double, triple, and quadruple flanks. The attack bonus increases by +2 for each level. This usually benefits the players quite a bit as it is easier to achieve multiple flanks on larger-sized opponents.
|
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
HP average: If a character levels up he may choose betwen rolling and taking the average number of HP (rounded up). So a character with a d8 hit die may choose between picking 5 hp or rolling a d8 - though a 1 may be rerolled. So basically he has the choise between 5 or 2-8 hp.
Our sorcerer always rolls, the rest usually picks the average.
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
The big one for me is the three session rule. Basically, you have three sessions to field test your character. The idea being that what seems good on paper might not actually be fun.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
My GM has quite a few house rules. Most I''m okay with, some I hate, and some I like.
Some of the ones I like include:
*Critical successes and failures for skill checks. Not instant win crits, however. Rather, a 20 is treated as if you rolled a 30, while a 1 is treated as if you rolled a -10. Prevents the "jump to the moon 5% of the time" problem.
*Keen and critical enchantments provide a reduced bonus, but stack. Rather than doubling threat range, such abilities increase the threat range by 1. I believe we have something similar for anything that enhances crit multipliers. (Weapon base stats are unaffected.)
*I forget the specifics, but he standardized the rules on temporary hit points and bleed effects. I'll have to look them up again to remind myself.
*Druid healing magic works a little different. Instead of the Cure X wounds line of spells, they cast rejuvenates. Substitute D8s for D4s, divide the bonus by half, and have it take effect for three rounds. It provides an interesting tactical choice in that druids heal more, but it's less effective in combat. (And in-combat healing is still very much a thing in our groups.) This rule I admit is probably not balanced for standard PF play, but it works well with us.
| 5 people marked this as a favorite. |
I take a creature's movement speed and divide by 5 to get a modifier for a d20 roll. Opposed rolls are then used to resolve chases.
| 3 people marked this as a favorite. |
We combine climb, swim and jump into one skill called athletics
| 3 people marked this as a favorite. |
only 1 summon spell active at a time per caster.
| 3 people marked this as a favorite. |
Reworked firearms so they're no longer touch attacks, only misfire if broken, and apply Dexterity mod to damage as an innate feature. Gunslinger was changed to compensate. Fast muskets is gone, but now the Musket Master gets Vital Strike feats for free to emphasize two-handed firearms as single-shot burst weapons.
Monk has a full BAB and d10 HD.
Crafting rules are simplified and work more like magic item creation.
You don't need magic item creation feats to create or modify magic items.
All characters receive Weapon Finesse and Power Attack for free if they meet the prerequisites.
Exotic weapon proficiency is a trait, not a feat.
Being "denied your Dexterity bonus to AC" is renamed to the flat-footed condition. I think even SKR is doing this in his new Five Moons game, except he's calling it "distracted."
You can grapple a target bigger than you. It doesn't immobilize the target, but this allows you to climb up on them Shadow of Colossus style.
You can retrain for free with GM permission as long as your character concept remains the same. One player did this beautifully. He made an ifrit monk, but couldn't handle the Wisdom penalty. So, I let him retrain as a suli. His character spent her whole life thinking she's an ifrit, but learned that she's a suli and that her mother lied about her heritage.
| 3 people marked this as a favorite. |
Ooh, forgot two others:
* Borrowed from 4th edition: You have a choice of either/or two stats for your saves. That is, you can use Strength or Constitution for your Fortitude saves, Dexterity or Intelligence for your Reflex saves, and Wisdom or Charisma for your Willpower saves.
* All Weapon Focus, Specialization, and related feats are based on the Fighter weapon groups, not individual weapons.
| 9 people marked this as a favorite. |
I constantly find myself tinkering with house rules. Currently, I have a combined house rules and supplement document that is 35 pages. I'll happily send it to any who want to take a look, but some of my favorites:
-I use a "Heroic Progression" table that integrates the bonuses from the 'big 6' magic items into level advancement. The one I use is a slight modification of this one.
-I also use Rich Burlew's diplomacy rewrite. It's a thing of beauty.
-I use Justin Alexander's rewrite of the death and dying rules. The big thing it does is get rid of resurrection spells without actually making the game more lethal.
-Evil Lincoln's Strain-Injury mechanic. I find it an elegant way of handling the wand of cure light issue, and pretty much eliminates the "let's sleep in the dungeon because we're out of healing" trope.
-A weapon group proficiency rule based on this one. I've rearranged some of the weapon groups and use them as the same groups for a fighter's weapon training.
-I use a more complex language system with three levels of language competency, and languages based on nationality rather than race. Of all the house rules I use, this (to answer your original question) has been my absolute favorite.
-I've rolled jump, climb and swim into a single Athletics (Str) skill. Tumble and Balance remain part of Acrobatics.
-Diplomacy and Perception have been added to some class' list of class skills. Every class that had 2+ Int skill points per level gets 4+ Int skill points instead. This has been really great for giving more players the ability to do things outside of combat.
-I use a supplemental Truename magic mechanic that is designed to be added to any spellcasting class. I've posted the rule previously here.
-I use a crit table of my own design that my players get a kick out of. I wrote it when I was planning a steampunk game that would feature steamwork prosthetics, so the nastier effects feature losing limbs and organs. The table only gets used for a roll of natural 20. Normal enemies don't get to use it, but "named" enemies do.
-Paladins and Antipaladins detect ORDER and CHAOS respectively, which is less about how you act, and more about where your spirit is aligned in a cosmic sense. This cosmic alignment is separate from the good/evil/law/chaos moral alignment, and a typical human has no cosmic alignment at all. The practical benefit is that paladins aren't able to pick a burglar out of a crowd, or even necessarily a mundane murderer, but demons and evil cultists still raise all the right flags. It means Paladins aren't traffic cops, but can still do the demon slaying, undead hunting action that they should.
I have a few house rules that I really like, though none are super major adjustments or anything.
- Roll d12 for Initiative rather than d20
- Spell Resistance raising/lowering is reversed (i.e. it's a free action to drop, standard to raise)
- 1 bonus feat at level 1, must be one of the feats that grants a bonus to two skills (alertness, persuasive, etc)
and in games where I have 3 or fewer players, I also implement this houserule
- Cure spells are automatically maximized out of combat, must be rolled during combat
Bonus healing and max bonus healing on all "Cure" line spells are doubled.
I.E. CLW is maxed at 1d8 +10 at level 5.
Eliminate all "Cure, Mass" spells except "Cure Critical, Mass" and pull it to spell level 5.
Spell Level 6 offers Heal, lesser
Spell Level 7 offers Heal
Spell Level 8 offers Heal, Greater
Spell Level 9 offers Heal, Mass
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Absolute Favorite: No AoOs for movement or combat maneuvers. Getting up from prone still provokes.
Other Good Ones:
* Channel Energy always both heals and harms as appropriate to the affected creature. Only affects HP damage/healing, not variant channel extra effects.
* Everyone gets +2 skill points per level/HD (minimum 2 instead of minimum 1).
* Metamagic usage does not require higher level spell slot (except Heighten). However, you do treat it as the higher level for concentration, all concentration DCs go up by +5 per metamagic feat applied, and you must still be able to cast spells of what would normally be its modified level.
* Spellbook scribing costs are stupid and book-keepy. Just buy a scroll and say you copied the spell.
* All combat maeneuvers that force movement remove the rules text prohibiting moving the foe into a dangerous square. If you want to reposition someone off of a cliff then do it; it's their fault for not doing it first.
* Everyone gets Eschew Materials for free. No-one tracks components anyway.
* The Demoralize action from Intimidate is a fear effect, and bonuses on saves versus fear increase the DC to be hit.
Others that I will run for my next game:
* Power Attack, Deadly Aim, Weapon Finesse, Agile Maneuvers, Combat Expertise, and Point-Blank Shot are all free feats, even if you don't meet the prerequisites. Abilities that modify either Combat Expertise or Fighting Defensively modify both (but only one or the other if using both at once).
* Taking TWFing gives you ITWF at BAB+11 and GTWF at BAB+16 for free.
* Taking Vital Strike gives you Imp. Vital Strike at BAB+11 and G. Vital Strike at BAB+16 for free.
* Improved Powerful Manuever: Grants all Improved ___ Manuever feats that require Power Attack.
* Improved Deft Maneuver: Grants all Improved ___ Maneuver feats that require Combat Expertise.
* Any feat requiring Weapon Focus (directly or indirectly) applies to all weapons for which you have weapon focus, not just one weapon.
* Custom Feat: Improved Weapon Finesse: Requires weapon focus in a finessable weapon. Can add dex to damage in place of strength for finessable weapons, but only if wielded in one hand with no other weapon and not using a shield (other than buckler).
* Custom Feat (requires metamagic house rule): Improved Metamagic: Reduce the metamagic adjustment of one metamagic feat by 1 (minimum 0), but only for the purposes of determining whether you can apply it. For example, concentration DCs remain based on the normal adjustment. Must be able to cast at least a 1st level spell with the chosen metamagic feat as a prerequisite.
* All Arcane Spell failure from armor reduced by 10%.
* Special materials that reduce ASF always have a minimum of 0% (a couple have minimum 5%, which is dumb).
* Arcane Armor Training requires no action. If you possess the ability to cast in armor as a class feature, it instead increases the category of armor you may use with that feature by one step.
* The Armor Expert trait only works with armors with which you are proficient.
* Rage powers with entrely passive benefits, such as Energy Resistance, are active even when not raging. Does not apply to Bloodrager abilities or to the rage powers based on them.
* If you like the flavor of an option, but it completely sucks, ask and we'll houserule something that sucks less.
Bastard spears: spears (not longspears) can be used one-handed as a martial weapon.
Lets you simulate phalanxes and hoplite-type spear-n-shield warriors.
I really like that one!
Monks are proficient with monk weapons. Seriously, why waste a feat to get something you should already be proficient in?!
This should honestly be the rule. That's always kinda bugged me.
|
|
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
Monks are proficient with monk weapons. Seriously, why waste a feat to get something you should already be proficient in?!
Ah, yes. A house-rule that seems so much like a core rule I forget that my table house-rules it.
Another couple quick house rules:
* You can always take a trait for "+1 trait bonus to ___ checks and ___ becomes a class skill" for any skill. This is an untyped trait that doesn't block off any other trait selections.
* Custom Combat Trait: Gain proficiency in any one martial weapon. If you are trained in all martial weapons (or later become proficient in all martial weapons), you instead gain proficiency in any one exotic weapon.
one of mine is no negative racial modifiers.
If a player rolls less than half on their hit-dice each level, they can take half.
Point Blank Shot and Precise Shot are one feat.
If someone in the party plays certain powerful races, other PC's get a +2 to any stat that hasn't already been modified, and 500 GP extra at the start.
Kobold racial modifiers are replaced with -2 Str, +2 Dex, +2 Int.
If you have 5 ranks in Knowledge Engineering, you get Technologist as a bonus feat.
Everyone gets 3 traits in every game, or only 2 plus a campaign trait in an AP.
Healing potions can be used as splash weapons versus Undead.
When using Critical Hit Cards, damage isn't multiplied any further than an ordinary crit. Only the extra effect is gained from a card draw.
When making an Aasimar or Tiefling, you can 'create your own' without taking any additional feats. Roll a 1d4 to see how prominent your heritage is, and roll accordingly on the physical features table. Only these randomly generated 'mutt' planetouched get to roll on the alternate special ability table. Specific heritages come as they are.
The group I usually play in has used "reroll lower than your con modifier on Hit Dice Rolls," that has worked pretty well.
Slightly more complicated and less universally successful was the ability for all casting classes to use metamagic feats spontaneously without raising the spell level by taking one additional round to cast for every level it would normally raise the spell. That has some swingy results, so in the next campaign it was used as a feat instead of a default ability.
one of mine is no negative racial modifiers.
Do humans and their +2 any stat kin get something special too?
Orcs seem like the best race with no negatives.
one of mine is no negative racial modifiers.Do humans and their +2 any stat kin get something special too?
Orcs seem like the best race with no negatives.
orcs were changed to +2 str and wis, goblins +2 dex and con. Half elves/orcs get an added +2 to one of their parents abilitt modifiers(racial bonus doesn't stack so no +4 to anything). Humans get their focused study alt race trait for free(and skkills focus has the added benefit of turning non class skills into class skills).
0th level spells may be case 3+casting mod times per day each. This came about because of player abuse.
Prestidigitation has been split into several new spells. This came about because of the same player's abuse.
I would be curious to know how the player "abused" those cantrips/orisons, if it's something other than finding obnoxious and inappropriate times to use them (like continually turning people's hair different colors for no reason).
Some of my houserules:
1) XP I don't use XP. I arbitrarily level up the PCs, every so often.
2) Hit Points Max HP at lvl 1. At level up roll as normal, but take a minimum of half your hit die if you roll low.
3) A natural 20 is an auto-confirm crit, unless your opponent is 3+ HD more than you. The idea is to make natural 20s more exciting when you're in combat with an opponent that is about your level or lower. (Also, its a throw-back to older editions.)
4) Melee touch attacks: Players may choose to add their DEX modifier or their STR modifier to their attack rolls when making a melee touch attack.
5) Small-sized (or smaller) creatures/players can use their DEX modifier for Climb checks instead of STR. (I hate that a nimble little Halfling has a crap Climb score simply because he's not strong. It makes no sense to me)
I'm thinking of experimenting with the following 2 house rules next time I start a game.
1)O-level damaging spells deal 2 dice sizes higher damage than is listed. (IE a 1d3 would be 1d6). 1-level spells would deal 1 dice size higher damage than is listed. (IE a 1d4 would be 1d6)
2) Simply money conversion idea:
As a means to keep things from getting too far away from the book's prices, but keeping alive the idea of making copper and silver matter a bit more (thus making gold and platinum more exciting), I want to try shifting down all costs by 1 tier. IE If the book says this sword costs 10 gold, it now costs 10 silver. If the book says this oil costs 10 silver, it now costs 10 copper.
Speaking as a veteran table top wargamer of some 20-odd years, you'll find that eyeballing will be insufficient in a vast majority of occasions. Players will (intentionally or not) make poor eyeball movements all the time that end up affecting the game. I would suggest, based on my experience of playing such games (Warhammer 40K, WHFB, Mordheim, Infinity, Dark Age, WM/H, Bolt Action, etc.) that you do your best to keep measuring consistent to avoid contention amongst players.Out of curiosity, will you use a tape measure or ruler for movement, then templates or something to determine if you're in threat range, etc?
For the next game:
Going to try combat with grid-less maps. Same scale, with round templates, and no more talk of corners of squares and diagonals. It should be more elegant and immersive.For movement: Eyeball it when it doesn't matter, tape measure for when it does.
For threat: For when it's not obvious visually, I plan on using a transparent plastic ruler to check the distance between the bases of figures. (Less than 1", less than 2", etc.)
Another game I have played using [insert your favorite plastic brick building system here] has an unmarked playing field and many players use a set up like the one in this thread on one of the forums pertaining to said game. It could prove immensely useful.
So many. I often make house rules for specific campaigns.
By far my favorite (besides strength for intimidate) is using the Net Libram of Wild Magic, the d10000 chart for surges. It resulted most recently in turning a wyrm green dragon bbeg into a gate to the nearest brothel.
I had to pick I'd say I'd say my favorite is my NPC class called ...NPC. It replaces all of the existing NPC classes with a single 3 level class which generates a large number of character concepts rich and poor, skilled and unskilled, magic and mundane. At fist level they get a background which comes with a skill set and a very small list of feats and abilities appopriate to the concept. At 2nd and 3rd level they can choose a distinction. Each distinction has a background requirement. What they do is represent minor abilities appropriate to the concept that sets them appart from the lower level npcs with similar backgrounds. These range from things like feats, minor abilities, and spell like abilities to things like having contacts , increased fame, and so on.
The major difference is in the way the class stops at lvl 3. So if you wanted a 11th lvl shaman for example, you might make an 11th lvl adept. But with this class you'd make an 11th level druid/NPC or something similar.
--Rich Burlew's Diplomacy rewrite.
Thanks for this recommendation. This fixes my problems with diplomacy.
I also don't allow total cover being under water from attackers outside water surface, because otherwise spear fishing doesn't work and the rule sucks anyway.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Oh man, so many. This is just kind of a rough list I can remember off the top of my head.
In no particular order:
1. Knowledge skills are no longer “trained-only”.
2. Intimidate skill checks use your Str or Cha mod, whichever is higher.
3. Climb skill checks use your Dex or Str mod, whichever is higher.
4. Monks and rogues gain full BAB progression.
5. Monks use d10 hit dice and are automatically proficient with all monk weapons.
6. All classes that normally gain 2+Int mod skill points per level now gain 6+Int mod skill points per level. All other classes gain two additional skill points per level.
7. You may draw a weapon as either part of a move action or as part of an attack action using that weapon.
8. Characters do not need to select an alignment. (We don't use it.)
9. While paladins do not possess an alignment, all paladin characters must possess a code of conduct numbering a minimum of five items. Violation of this code still indicates the paladin falls.
10. Gestalt characters are welcome with GM approval.
11. Gestalt characters gain bonus feats at 1st level, 3rd level, and every three levels thereafter.
12. Use 25 point-buy for character stats.
13. For Reflex saves, use the greater of your Dex or Int; for Will saves, use the greater of your Cha or Wis. Fortitude saves still only use Con.
14. Touch attacks use Dex for attack rolls, not Str.
15. There are standard wands (50 charges over a lifetime) and eternal wands (3/day). These types of wands are the same price.
16. You may take your standard action at any point during your move action. This does not allow you to make more than a single 5-foot step per round.
17. Standing up from prone takes only half your movement.
19. Clerics use Wis for channeling, not Cha.
20. 3rd party content is welcome, but please run it past me first, and I reserve the right to ban it (or anything else, including Paizo material) at will.
21. Dispel magic and similar effects do not, in fact, negate a permanency effect. It only suppresses the effect for 24 hours.
22. Any weapon with the finesse special property uses Dex for attack and damage rolls.
23. The Combat Expertise feat no longer has an Int prerequisite.
I added a few more scoured from this thread, incidentally.
Also, I am curious as well about Bjorn's cantrip abuse.
I have a few ideas HERE
Variant leveling options, making feats more organic, ways to eliminate dungeon monotony