Variant Rules from different sources

Got a few variant rules from different soruces converted to D&D I gonna try out for my campaign. Alignment is thrown out the window (and replaced by Allegencies) and I'm still working on Reputation (which I'll throw up soon). Also, does anyone have any ideas on how Allegencies affect alignment-based spells seeing there won't be any alignment? Other then that... comments, ideas, &/or suggestions?

Allegiances
A character may have up to three allegiances, listed in order from most important to least important. These allegiances are indications of what the character values in life, and may encompass people, organizations, or ideals. A character may have no allegiances (being either a free spirit or a lone wolf) or may change allegiances as he or she goes through life. Also, just because the character fits into a certain category of people doesn’t mean the character has to have that category as an allegiance. If the character acts in a way that is detrimental to his or her allegiance, the GM may choose to strip the character of that allegiance (and all its benefits) and assign an allegiance more suitable to those actions.

Pledging Allegiance
A hero’s allegiance can take the form of loyalty to a person, to an organization, to a belief system, to a nation, or to an ethical or moral philosophy. In general, a character can discard an allegiance at any time, but may only gain a new allegiance after attaining a new level. Having an allegiance implies having sufficient intelligence and wisdom to make a moral or ethical choice. As a result, a character must have Intelligence and Wisdom scores of 3 or higher in order to select allegiances.

Allegiances include, but are not limited to, the following examples:
Person or Group: This includes a leader or superior, a family, a group of linked individuals (such as a band of adventurers or a cell of secret agents), or a discrete unit within a larger organization (such as members of the character’s squad or platoon, or individuals whose safety the character is responsible for).
Organization: This may be a company or corporation, a gathering of like-minded individuals, a fraternal brotherhood, a secret society, a branch of the armed forces, a local, state, or national government, a university, an employer, or an otherwise established authority.
Nation: This may or may not be the nation that the hero currently resides in. It may be where the individual was born, or where the hero resides after emigrating to a new home.
Belief System: This is usually a particular faith or religion, but can also be a specific philosophy or school of thought. Belief systems could also include political beliefs or philosophical outlooks.
Ethical Philosophy: This describes how one feels about order, as represented by law and chaos. An individual with a lawful outlook tends to tell the truth, keep his or her word, respect authority, and honor tradition, and he or she expects others to do likewise. An individual with a chaotic outlook tends to follow his or her instincts and whims, favor new ideas and experiences, and behave in a subjective and open manner in dealings with others.
Moral Philosophy: This describes one’s attitude toward others, as represented by good and evil. An individual with a good allegiance tends to protect innocent life. This belief implies altruism, respect for life, and a concern for the dignity of other creatures. An evil allegiance shows a willingness to hurt, oppress, and kill others, and to debase or destroy innocent life.

Allegiances and Influence
An allegiance can create an empathic bond with others of the same allegiance. With the GM’s permission, the character gains a +2 circumstance bonus on Charisma-based skill checks when dealing with someone of the same allegiance—as long as the character has had some interaction with the other character to discover the connections and bring the bonus into play.

Corruption
Almost all characters in fantasy stories are capable of being corrupted if they face sufficiently servere challenges to their integrity. Indeed, many begin with no integrity whatsoever, and seem to seek out self-corruption. Even those with stringent codes of honor may fall from their principled stance, usually without any hope of regaining it.

This is because the worldview portrayed in such stories is essentially bleak. There are no cosmic forces for "Good." Even the supposedly good gods, such as Pelor, may be no more than creations of the priesthood. The only good is that which is to be found in a few human beings of high moral standing, though even they are far scarcer than the self-serving or actively evil humans who make up the majority of ordinary people and great heros and villains alike.

On the other hand, "Evil" exists in a very real and concrete manner. Dark forces are always afoot. The foul sorcerous knowledge of evil priests and the vile demons they conjure up are far more powerful than any magics or defensive prayers their supposedly "Good" counterparts might have access to. Many folk, who might otherwise be mortal, take the first steps on the road to damnation when they realize that even if they behave virtuously, there is no paradise in the next life, no guarantee of salvation; they might as well take what they can now.

Corruption is a more serious problem for spellcasters than most other characters. Not only does their research typically cause them to make more saves against corruption than most adventurers, but even those who successfully avoid being corrupted have a tendency to grow madder and madder as they gain more and more unnatural knowledge.

Corruption Saves
Any time a character comes into contact with a demon, evil god, or an unusually powerful and corrupt sorcerer (except in the context of actively attacking them, or fleeing from them in terror), he must make a corruption save. This is a Will saving throw.
• Certain magical artifacts and sorcerous pratices can also force corruption saves.
• All corruption saves are made against a DC set by the entity, sorcerer, or object's power.
• A character's current Corruption is applied as a circumstance penalty to all corruption saves. Once you start on the steady slope towards corruption, it is more difficult to stop.
• A character who successfully makes a save against corruption need not usually make another save due to the presense of the same creature the same day. However, if he has close, peaceful contact with the creature, the Game Master may call for another corruption save every hour.

Consequences of Failure
Each time your character fails a Corruption save, you gain 1 point of Corruption. There are further effects which will not be immediately obvious to the character which the Game Master may only know about.

Corruption Effects
A character's current Curruption is applied as a penalty to all Charisma-based skill checks when dealing with another character who has a Code of Honor. A character's current Curruption is appiled as a bonus to all Charisma-based skill checks when dealing with another character who has at least as many Curruption points as him, or when dealing witha demon, evil god or similiar powerful entity of evil. Curruption is also applied as a bonus to all Intimidate checks.

Furthermore, Curruption has additionally effects as follows:

Corruption Effects
1-2 Troubled
3-4 Disturbed
5-6 Detached
7-9 Corrupt
10+ Lost

Hero Points
Sometimes, a character commits a selfless act or a brave deed that one can only call “heroic.” In such a case, the DM should award the character a hero point. A mage that jumps down into a pit full of vipers to heal a dying friend, even though he knows he’ll take damage from the fall and risks death from the snake’s venom, is a real hero. Hero points are a reward for that kind of valiant action. Hero points can be used at the player’s discretion to perform amazing— often otherwise impossible—actions.

Awarding Hero Points
The most important thing to remember about hero points is that awarding them to PCs, or not awarding them, is totally up to the DM. Some characters may never earn even a single hero point, while others, over the course of the campaign, may earn many. Some whole campaigns may never use hero points, while in others they are common. The DM is encouraged to be parsimonious with them. Hero points should be awarded at the end or beginning of a game session, when experience points are dispersed. Characters with the Born Hero feat should, if they act at all appropriately, earn at least 1 hero point per level. Still, the exact rewards are up to the DM. A character should never earn a hero point performing an action in which he uses a hero point.

Using Hero Points
On his turn, before determining the success or failure of an action, a player can announce that he is using a hero point to help accomplish the action. Normally, the hero point adds a bonus of +10 to the action, if the roll of a d20 dictates its success or failure. However, there are exceptions:

Destiny: You can at any time spend one or more Hero Points, with the agreement of the Game Master, to alter the world in some minor way. Essentially, this allows you the player to have some input into the story, over and above the actions of your character. this change must be one that is plausible, minor, and not overwhelmingly beneficial to the player characters. It may well assist them to accomplish their goals, but they must still accomplish those goals by their own strength and wits, not simply by spending Hero Points!

For example, a character captured by the law and imprisoned might spend a Hero Point to have a chance at escape - comrade or slave-girl smuggling him in a dagger, or a drunken guard, or the discovery of a loose chunk of granite with which to smash open his ankle-chain - not have his escape handed to him on a plate by a sorcerer magically putting all the guards to sleep and bursting his door open.

Another option for this use of a Hero Point is to alter your own character in some minor way, by revealing a new facet to his past. This might include knowing a language that he did not know before, which is useful in his current situation - or having a contact in the area from his previous dealings in the region.

One good use of Destiny is when the players are at a dead end in an adventure - perhaps they have missed some crucial clue, or failed to puzzle out where to go next. A single Hero Point in this case is usually enough for the Game Master to offer some kind of in-game hint - preferably this will not be so blatant as to have a friendly non-player character tell them the answer outright, but something more along the lines of the background information often given out in stories. For example, a dream could reveal a vision of the past history of the creature and places crucial to the plot; or an ancient scroll could be uncovered that, with a Decipher Script check and a bit of logic, could provide a hint as to where to look next. The Game Master will be more likely to accept proposed uses of Destiny which could plausibly relate to a character's own future destiny.

Fate: A character can use a hero point to make something work in a way the rules normally do not allow. This requires careful DM adjudication. For example, a spellcaster could use a hero point to cast a special version of a spell that turned a foe to glass for only one hour (instead of permanently) or that could be undone only by some specific requirement (the touch of three honest priests or exposure to the light of heaven, for example). An unfettered might try to use a hero point not only to disarm a foe but to send the weapon sailing into the hand of a nearby ally. The DM should still apply all normal circumstance modifiers to the PC’s action. Actions using hero points can still fail. The object of hero points, more than anything else, is to represent the role of wild luck and karma in overcoming logical circumstance penalties to extremely difficult actions. They make the nearly impossible somewhat more possible— but still not a sure thing.

Left For Dead: In fantasy settings, characters become unconcious when reduced to -1 hit point, and die when reduced to a negative number equal to their Constitution score. However, when a character hit points reach the negative number for their character to die by any means, he may spend 1 Hero Point to avoid being killed outright. He instead is "left for dead." A character who is left for dead appears dead to a casual examination, though he still has a chance of recovering, particuarly if quickly attended by a character with the Heal skill. If he is healed of at least 1 point of damage within one hour of being left for dead, either with the Heal skill or by some magical or other means, he is considered to be stable and at the negative he's currently at. If he is not healed, he must make a Fortitude save (DC 20) after one hour. If successful, he stabilises himself and is at the negative he's currently was at. If he fails, he finally and irrevocably dead - whether or not he has any Hero Points left.

Lucky: Lady Luck must be on your side, because you have exceptionally good fortune. By spending one Hero Point, you may reroll any one roll that you have just made. You must take the result of the reroll, even if it's worse than the original roll.

Mighty Blow: Rather than rolling the damage dice on any successful physical melee hit, you can elect to declare a Mighty Blow, at the cost of 1 Hero Point. A Mighty Blow always deals maximum possible damage. This includes bonus damage, such as that rolled for sneak attacks. A primitive or standard quality weapon always shatters irreparably when used to deliver a Mighty Blow. Even a magical weapon used to deliver a Mighty Blow has 20% less chance per bonus enhancemnt point of snapping in two, but if it does, it will usually be possible to use the broken weapon as an improvised weapon - it will not be completely destroyed.

Quick: If a character uses a hero point to act when it is not his turn, he can take a single standard action out of the normal initiative sequence with no special bonuses. He then returns to his normal initiative count.

Repentance: you spend one or more Hero Points to leave behind your old, evil life, and make an effort to start afresh. Each Hero Point spent in this way removes one point of Corruption.

Hero Points for NPCS
DMs can also give hero points to NPCs. They may even wish to invert the concept and award “villain points” to characters who perform exceedingly villainous deeds. A hero point makes an NPC opponent far more dangerous. DMs should consider granting an experience point bonus of +50 percent for defeating an opponent with a hero (or villain) point.

Hero Points for Characters Above 1st Level
If the needs of the game require that a player create a character above 1st level, the character may have already earned a hero point in his career. Assume that there is a 10 percent chance per level that a character has a hero point when created. If above 10th level, he has 1 hero point and has a 10 percent chance per level above 10th to have another. If the character has the Born Hero feat, he starts with a hero point, and has a 10 percent chance per level to have another. If he has the Born Hero talent and is above 10th level, he starts with 2 hero points and has a 10 percent chance per level above 10th to have another.

Dramatic Uses of Hero Points
The DM might want encourage the use of hero points in dramatic ways rather than mundane ways. A mundane use of a hero point might be:
• Using it to help make a simple attack roll.
• Using it to help make a simple skill check.
• Using it to help make sure a spell succeeds.

Dramatic ways of using a hero point include the following:
• Attacking a foe by swinging across a great hall on a rope attached to a chandelier.
• Firing an arrow (or throwing one’s sword) to cut the bonds of a bound ally in the middle of a fight.
• Popping open a lock in the middle of combat by banging on it just right.

Encourage players to use hero points to attempt actions seen in a movie or read about in a story. The DM is justified in secretly increasing the bonus offered by the hero point if the player chooses to use it in an interesting, fun, and dramatic matter.

Reputation
Adventurers must rely not only on their own skills over and above expensive equipment or magical weaponary. their experience and combat prowess are paramount, through their reputation can also be of enormous benefit. A character's reputation, though, is always with him - even when his is a penniless wanderer or captured prisoner.

The following rules provide a mechanic to reflect the effects of reputation in day-to-day situations. These rules should never be regarded as a substitute for roleplaying but can make minor encounters run much more smoothly.

Reputation works a little like the Charisma ability score. It helps characters influence situations through the use of skills such as Bluff, Intimidate and Gather Information, as well as recruit mercenaries and followers effectively. Also provided are rules that allow the nature of a character's reputation to affect the way it may be used. For example, a lowly street thug known for his bloodthirsty behaviour is likely to find a much different response when negotiating with another thief than with a virtuous priest of Pelor. This section also permits characters to cultivate a different Reputation in several different cities or nations.

While Reputation works much like an ability score, it rises and falls frquently, often after each scenario a character completes. Reputation measures how well-known a character is among the general population of a region or town. A high Reputation means that many people have heard impressive things about the character, such as his exploits in escaping the law or the character's exploits or have heard terrible things about him, such as his propensity to murder innocents at whim or his defeat at the hands of a lone peasent. However, Reputation is not always an honest assessment of a character's skills or exploits. As word travels of his accomplishments, some bending of the truth takes place as rumors builds upon rumor. Despite this, unless someone deliberately spreads misleading lies, a character's Reputation is largely based on actual actions.

A character applies Reputation to:
• Attempts to influence others with skills such as Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, and Gather Information.
• Attempts to see if a person knows who the character is.
• As a bonus to your Leadership score with the Leadership feat.

Generating Reputation
A character's base Reputation score equals to his character level plus his Charisma modifier, though it can never drop below 1. Thus, each time a character gains a level, his Reputation usually goes up by one, though a low level character with a negative Charisma modifier may have to work hard before his Reputation can increase above 1.

Actions a character undertakes also modify his Reputation. Defeating enemies, otherthrowing tyrants, slaying evil sorcerers and completing other difficult or heroic tasks all help boost a character's Reputation. On the other hand, a character who temporarily retries from adventuring or who departs to a distant city or world for many years loses Reputation. Truly legendary characters may have their stories continue to live on as popular songs and myths, but the exploits of most fade with time.

The following table summaries the actions that can change a character's Reputation. It does not cover every possible action in a campign, but should give Game Masters and players a good starting point for judging how a rate a character's most important actions.

Using Reputation
A character's reputation can be a tremendous asset among mercenaries, nomads, and thieves. When a person is encountered for the first time, make a Reputation check to determine if he has heard of the character's exploits. To make a Reputation check, roll 1d20 and add the character's Reputation score. If this matches or equals the check's DC, the person has heard of the character. The standard DC for a Reputation check is 25.

If a person has heard of the character, he may use his Reputation score to provide a bonus when using the following skills; Bluff, Intimidate, Perform and Gather Information. The bonus gained from Reputation is based on its overall score and is shown on the table below. Generally, any skill used in social situations may use Reputation as a bonus, so long as the character is known to those he is trying to impress.


At the Game Master's discretion, the penalty to Disguise Checks in the above table is applied whenever the character disguises himself in a location where he is well-known. It may be reduced if he is popularly believed to be dead or far away.

Reputation By Location
Reputation is attached not only to a character, but also to a place. An outlaw famous in one town for defeating a hated inquisitor may be completely unknown in another, where word of the inquisitor never reached. When making a Reputation check, the DC is determined by where the character currently is and his Reputation may not travel with him if he goes further afield. If a character travels to an area where he has not been before, consult the table below to determine any modifiers to his Reputation.

Distance Travelled: This is the physical distance from the nearest area where the character has built up a Reputation.

Temporary Reputation Check DC: The DC of Reputation checks for the first month a character spends in a new area. Over time, news of his arrival and knowledge of his actions spreads enough to return to the standard DC 25.

Reputation Modifier: Determine a character's Reputation for a new area by applying this modifer to his Reputation score in the original area.


The Nature Of Reputation
Not everyone has the same kind of reputation. A notorious and successful assassin meets with quite different reactions from a popular priest who is willing to help anyone, believer or not. The Game Master may assign one of the following Reputation types to each character. Players are allowed to select the nature of their own character's Reputation, though the Game Master has the option to force them to change this nature if the player does not live up to it.

Each nature dictates how a character may use his Reputation score. A Reputation's nature determines which skill checks it may be used as bonus to. In all cases, people must recognise a character in order for his Reputation score to aplly in a situation, as detailed aboved.

Brave: The character is known for his inflinching and steadfast demeanour in the face of danger. He has faced down many powerful enemies and defeated them not only with skill at arms but also indomitable spirit. The character may apply his Reputation bonus to Bluff and Intimidate checks when dealing with others.

Coward: When danger calls, the character runs in the opposite direction. He is known for his flighty nature and tendency to shirk from chanllenges. few respect him, and his Reputation makes it difficult for him to deal with others. If he is recognised, his Reputation bonus automatically counts as a penalty to any Intimidate checks when dealing with others. However, he may use it as a bonus to Bluff and Gather Information checks as others tend to underestimate him, and he can take advantage of that when lying or trying to extract information from them.

Cruel: The character inflicts pain upon others for little reason and is known for his sadistic and capricious nature. Those who recognise the character will attempt to avoid him, for his name commonly arouses fear and loathing in others. He may apply his Reputation bonus to Bluff and Intimidate checks when dealing with others. He may only apply his Reputation bonus to Intimidate checks when dealing with authority figures.

Honest: The character is thought to always keep his word, and is known not only as a hero of the people but also as a person who adheres to a strict code of honor. Whether this is truely the case is irrelevant so long as he maintains his public persona. The character may apply his Reputation bonus to Bluff, Sense Motive and Gather Information checks. People trust him and are easily swayed by his words or eager to help him out.

Talented: The character is known as an expert in his field; a gifted scholar or powerful warrior, for example. His exploits are well-known, but his talent and ability mark him as a legend in the making. The character may apply his Reputation modifier to Bluff and Profession checks when dealing with others. As an acknowledge expert, his advice and work are both highly valued.

Trickster: When the character moves through a room, everyone pauses to check their purses. He is known as a shifty and sneaky scoundrel. When the character's Reputation precedes him, apply it as a penalty to Bluff checks when dealing with others, as people expect him to lie about everything anyway. On the other hand, his exploits make others somewhat nervous, allowing him to use his Reputation as a bonus to Intimidate and Gather Information checks.

Villian: The character inspires fear and dread in others because of the ruthless goals he pursues. His methods may not be brutal, but he is known as someone best not crossed. The character may apply his Reputation bonus to all Bluff, Intimidate and Gather Information checks when dealing with others.

Aliases
Some thieves and outlaws use false names, either out of personal preference or sheer necessity. An alias is a persona invented to cover a true identity. It must include a name and disguise that separates it from a character's real nature.

An alias acquires its own Reputation, generated separately from a character's true identity. When travelling under an alias, any bonuses earned to Reputation apply only to the alias' Reputation score. If a character gains a level because of actions taken while under his alias, or if he earned the majority of the experience points needed for a level while using, his alias earns the Reputation bonus. Thus, while a character's true personality is barely known by anyone, his alias could be the leading villian (or hero) in the city.

If a character's alias is ever revealed, the higher of his own and his alias' Reputation becomes his true Reputation score. In addition, he gains half of his lower score as a one-time bonus to his new Reputation, reflecting the uproar and intrest surrounding the revelation of his identity. However, the character only modifies his Reputation score in this way if the general populace learns of his alias - if only a few close friends or a very limited number of people are in on the secret, his alias is secure.

Aliases work best as a roleplaying tool. The heroic outlaw who dons a disguise and struggles against a corrupt and autocratic tyrant, or a common thief desperately trying to keep his activities hidden from the local lords or police are two examples of how they may be used. They add depth to a character's background, and supplies some intresting roleplaying opportunities. If a player feels an alias is appropriate to his character, he should consult with the Game Master about adopting one.


* An enemy supplies this bonus only if it is a dangerous threat in an area or is well-known amongst the people of the area. A character also gain these bonuses for defeating foes while being witnessed by large groups of people. Furthermore, the defeat should be single-handed.

** This penalty applies for each three month time period spent inactive. See below for rules on how Reputation falls over time.

*** This bonus applies once - a character who keeps on apparently dying and returning will soon become a commonplace, no longer worthy of tales and gossip.