Feedback and Suggestions for my Homebrew House Rules

[Truth Seeker]

Hi everyone, I am intending to implement some House Rules for my next Homebrew Campaign. Those rules may seem complex and long, although I hope that the actual implementation will not be that difficult once everyone has fully & correctly understood the rules changes. I'd like to get your feedback and suggestions before I test the rules during actual gameplay.

Here are some of the key concepts being proposed :
- Magic is rare and spell-casting is limited for adventurers
- PCs are heroes thanks to their own abilities instead of heavily relying on magic items
- Avoiding to be hit is more efficiently achieved through dodge rather than armor
- Armor and encumbrance both reduce Dodge bonuses and have more impact on some Str/Dex based skills
- Skills proficiency primarily comes from education and experience; other bonus are capped
- Bonus skill ranks may also come from Dex/Str/Cha instead of just Int
- The level of attention to use a skill and the circumstances will heavily affect the chances of success
- Diplomacy is affected by the level of the target
- Initiative scales the same way as Reflexes
- Multiple non-iterative attacks can be done during a standard action
- Loss of hp acquired at Level 1 generate wounds while other hp represent more superficial bruises, grazes, muscular stress
- Identifying magic items requires longer study time and investment

Here are the detailed House rules on Google Docs : House Rules

Many thanks in advance for your constructive comments !

[GM 1990]

Truth Seeker wrote:

Hi everyone, I am intending to implement some House Rules for my next Homebrew Campaign. Those rules may seem complex and long, although I hope that the actual implementation will not be that difficult once everyone has fully & correctly understood the rules changes. I'd like to get your feedback and suggestions before I test the rules during actual gameplay.

Here are some of the key concepts being proposed :
- Magic is rare and spell-casting is limited for adventurers
- PCs are heroes thanks to their own abilities instead of heavily relying on magic items
- Avoiding to be hit is more efficiently achieved through dodge rather than armor
- Armor and encumbrance both reduce Dodge bonuses and have more impact on some Str/Dex based skills
- Skills proficiency primarily comes from education and experience; other bonus are capped
- Bonus skill ranks may also come from Dex/Str/Cha instead of just Int
- The level of attention to use a skill and the circumstances will heavily affect the chances of success
- Diplomacy is affected by the level of the target
- Initiative scales the same way as Reflexes
- Multiple non-iterative attacks can be done during a standard action
- Loss of hp acquired at Level 1 generate wounds while other hp represent more superficial bruises, grazes, muscular stress
- Identifying magic items requires longer study time and investment

Here are the detailed House rules on Google Docs : House Rules

Many thanks in advance for your constructive comments !

Just quick couple notes while I have time.

1. Recommend you use the auto bonus progression from unchained, with the +2 level for gaining bonuses, it'll help players keep up with the CR ability on monsters.

2. HP from 1st level for wounds. I like it in theory, and used something similar in 1E. however, in practice, this only comes into game play in the early few levels. Take a fighter as example - with Avg Con and even taking hit point for FCB, you'll have around 13 HP. After about 6th the damage being dished out on a hit is going to take someone from 20 to 0 in one hit. From time to time they'll land between 13 and 1 allowing you to use that flavor description of wounds. but you might get more mileage out of the idea of wounds by just describing those that do "above avg" damage or high amounts of damage.

3. Str/Dex bonus to skill ranks. That's a very interesting idea and would give your martials a boost - it would take a little more book work, but I would limit those bonus ranks to skills that match the ability.