What were your 2e houserules?
PolletteIrieska
First Post
The only house rules that I really remember were the crits. My DM at the time had a whole list of nasty things that could happen when you got a crit or a crit fumble. As I rolled a lot of 1s, I got very familiar with the crit fumble list. :/
Voadam
Legend
Tough to remember.
I mixed in a lot of 1e and basic stuff, the party was mostly 1e drow and grugach, including 2 assassins. I never got the 2e DMG, I just copied the level limits and xp rules out of a friends and used my 1e DMG for magic items.
I allowed a PC to keep playing as a wight after he was killed by one. It was the inspiration for the barrow wight template I wrote in the 3e Penumbra Fantasy Bestiary.
I put in psionic and berserking drugs from GURPS cyberpunk.
I translated Ars Magica, MERP, Spell Lore, and World of Darkness Sorcerer spells to 2e. I allowed 1e spells to be used.
I tailored a bunch of things to individual characters, such as classes.
I mostly used the 2e rules fairly straightforwardly but opened up the classes and magic to allow more stuff.
I used cumulative falling damage so 10' = 1d6, 20' = 1d6+2d6, 30' = 1d6+2d6+3d6, etc.
I never used massive damage saves.
I mixed in a lot of 1e and basic stuff, the party was mostly 1e drow and grugach, including 2 assassins. I never got the 2e DMG, I just copied the level limits and xp rules out of a friends and used my 1e DMG for magic items.
I allowed a PC to keep playing as a wight after he was killed by one. It was the inspiration for the barrow wight template I wrote in the 3e Penumbra Fantasy Bestiary.
I put in psionic and berserking drugs from GURPS cyberpunk.
I translated Ars Magica, MERP, Spell Lore, and World of Darkness Sorcerer spells to 2e. I allowed 1e spells to be used.
I tailored a bunch of things to individual characters, such as classes.
I mostly used the 2e rules fairly straightforwardly but opened up the classes and magic to allow more stuff.
I used cumulative falling damage so 10' = 1d6, 20' = 1d6+2d6, 30' = 1d6+2d6+3d6, etc.
I never used massive damage saves.
TerraDave
5ever, or until 2024
delericho said:
It sounds all too familiar.
The absolute madness. And the amazing patience of my players.
Never got back to core. It was Player-Optioned at the end.
I was so happy with 3rd edition: it simplified everything for me so much! It took me a while to figure out why people where saying that it was more complicated and rules heavier.
Fifth Element
Legend
Wow. There's a memory-straining question.
Gave mages bonus spells based on Int (equivalent to cleric's bonus spells based on Wis).
Deleted exceptional Strength to keep it in line with other abilities.
Deleted level drains, giving wraiths etc the ability to do Strength damage instead.
Deleted gnomes and added a bunch of homebrew classes.
Probably a few more I'm forgetting. I'm sure I experimented with critical hits and fumbles for a time.
Gave mages bonus spells based on Int (equivalent to cleric's bonus spells based on Wis).
Deleted exceptional Strength to keep it in line with other abilities.
Deleted level drains, giving wraiths etc the ability to do Strength damage instead.
Deleted gnomes and added a bunch of homebrew classes.
Probably a few more I'm forgetting. I'm sure I experimented with critical hits and fumbles for a time.
TerraDave
5ever, or until 2024
Hmm, know that I think about it, my more reasonable changes:
--boosted theives. Obviously too weak (and each following addition--from what we know, has/will also boosted them beside renaming them).
--gave wizards ways to cast spells when they normally would have run out (again, forward looking)
--actually ditched halflings instead of gnomes. And kept them out for 3rd ed.
--didn't give XP for gold, but ended up giving massive "role-play" XP just to keep things crawling along.
--allowed demi-humans to duel class, and humans to multi-class (and in fact had the human fighter/rogue and the elf who was first a cleric, then a wizard).
--critical fumbles using novelty die
--a perception score (hey, also forward looking, but also obvious)
And those I don't regrett. These I did, or at least changed back:
--armor as damage reduction
--defense and damage bonuses from leveling (though it was not a bad idea, implementation only so so)
--using bunch o' subraces (which continued into 3rd ed)
--way to much "official" rulage coming in from various sources.
--boosted theives. Obviously too weak (and each following addition--from what we know, has/will also boosted them beside renaming them).
--gave wizards ways to cast spells when they normally would have run out (again, forward looking)
--actually ditched halflings instead of gnomes. And kept them out for 3rd ed.
--didn't give XP for gold, but ended up giving massive "role-play" XP just to keep things crawling along.
--allowed demi-humans to duel class, and humans to multi-class (and in fact had the human fighter/rogue and the elf who was first a cleric, then a wizard).
--critical fumbles using novelty die
--a perception score (hey, also forward looking, but also obvious)
And those I don't regrett. These I did, or at least changed back:
--armor as damage reduction
--defense and damage bonuses from leveling (though it was not a bad idea, implementation only so so)
--using bunch o' subraces (which continued into 3rd ed)
--way to much "official" rulage coming in from various sources.
glass
(he, him)
I know. Why do think I haven't posted mine yet!Fifth Element said:
Anyway, I recall we removed level limits and gave humans something nifty to compensate. +1 to any one ability score and the ability to multi-class. There was a definite list of allowed combination (as was the way in 2e) but we gave them a bigger list than anyone in the game apart from half-elves. I don't think we banned dual-classing but nobody ever used it anyway.
I'm sure there must have been others but I can't remember any more right now.
We went Players Option after that came out too.
glass.
I don't have my 2e house rules at hand. Those I remember include the following:
Con bonus: Anyone with the appropriate Con bonus received the +3 or higher hit point bonus
Perception ability score from Dragon
Humans +2 to one ability score
Non-humans: no level limits
Clerics were all speciality Priests based on deities from the homebrew setting
Druids were based on environments. They also didn't need to fight to advance.
Magic Users received bonus spells based on Int similar to cleric bonus spells
Specialist Wizards: choices include Dimensionalists, Elementalists, Alchememists, Artificers, Shadow Mage, Sound Mage
Additional Classes
Barbarian: From David Howery's Dragon Article: "Tracking Down the Barbarian"
Cavalier: From David Howery's Dragon Article: "Corrected Cavalier"
Witch: from Mayfair Games Role Aids: Witches
Kits: several from various Complete Handbooks
Non-Weapon Proficiencies: Included several new proficiencies from from various Complete Books.
Multiclassing: Humans could multiclass
Weapon Groups from Complete Fighter's Handbook
Critical hits Method 2 from PO: Combat and Tactics
Spell Points from PO: Spells and Magic for Wizards and Specialist Wizards
Con bonus: Anyone with the appropriate Con bonus received the +3 or higher hit point bonus
Perception ability score from Dragon
Humans +2 to one ability score
Non-humans: no level limits
Clerics were all speciality Priests based on deities from the homebrew setting
Druids were based on environments. They also didn't need to fight to advance.
Magic Users received bonus spells based on Int similar to cleric bonus spells
Specialist Wizards: choices include Dimensionalists, Elementalists, Alchememists, Artificers, Shadow Mage, Sound Mage
Additional Classes
Barbarian: From David Howery's Dragon Article: "Tracking Down the Barbarian"
Cavalier: From David Howery's Dragon Article: "Corrected Cavalier"
Witch: from Mayfair Games Role Aids: Witches
Kits: several from various Complete Handbooks
Non-Weapon Proficiencies: Included several new proficiencies from from various Complete Books.
Multiclassing: Humans could multiclass
Weapon Groups from Complete Fighter's Handbook
Critical hits Method 2 from PO: Combat and Tactics
Spell Points from PO: Spells and Magic for Wizards and Specialist Wizards
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