House Rulebook Design & Sample HR Book Template

Emirikol

Adventurer

• Nov 28, 2005

• #1

I'm curious as to how you all set up your house rulebooks.

Mine have been set up as follows for the past 15 years:
1. Cover with art, title, world and version (date)
2. Ground rules for gaming at my house (bring food, don't be late, call if you can't make it, etc)
3. World/campaign locality background
4. House rules by PHB chapter (e.g. choose a homeland first, ability scores, races, etc.)
5. Appendix on the gods, etc.
6. Appendix: world map
7. Artwork is sprinkled liberally throughout. I use GOOGLE to find images and then imbed them.

What have you found that works the best? Also, what have you found works best for getting players up to speed in going over your house rules?

Jh

 

Attachments

• houserulebookgeneric.doc

  114 KB · Views: 181

Last edited: Oct 29, 2006

log in or register to remove this ad

Emirikol

Adventurer

• Nov 28, 2005

• #2

I was going to attach my house rulebook, however the file is too large. If anyone wants it, just email me.

jh

 

Man in the Funny Hat

Hero

• Nov 28, 2005

• #3

Don't have a currently collated version - I generally keep it filed in seperate sections. I generally would make it available on my website but it's just as easy to simply print them up as needed. The purpose is first and foremost just Communication. I want to let the players know where I'm coming from on commonly encountered issues as well as provide basic campaign information both regarding rules used and information about the setting/in-game world, and also notes for those few areas where Core Rules are deviated from, added to or omitted (which really isn't much).

The shorter I can keep it the better as it is more likely to be read, remembered and referred to later as a source of useful/important information.

 

B

Baron Opal

First Post

• Nov 28, 2005

• #4

My house rule book is about 8 pages long. Title page, one page of house rules (stat rolling, hero points, null levels), two pages on major faiths, four pages on the major city-states and guilds. I am hoping to have some mappage sketched out in Campaign Cartographer, but I'm still learning that program. (I shall triumph, and all will gaze in awe!)

 

Angel Tarragon

Dawn Dragon

• Nov 28, 2005

• #5

Emirikol said:

7. Artwork is sprinkled liberally throughout. I use GOOGLE to find images and then imbed them.

Click to expand...

You imbed images? How is that different between copying and pasting them into the document?

 

Nyaricus

First Post

• Nov 28, 2005

• #6

Emirikol said:

I was going to attach my house rulebook, however the file is too large. If anyone wants it, just email me.

Click to expand...

Could you please send me a copy - I'd be very much interested in seeing what you do for your campaign setting, since i am trying to make my own house rulebook right now for an upcoming campaign in my own world. I will actually be playing in it for the first time, so i am so psyched

Just . . .some guidelines like the ones you propose are/would be so helpful!

Thanks in advance!

email> Nyaricus@hotmail.com

 

Last edited: Nov 28, 2005

M

magic_gathering2001

First Post

• Nov 28, 2005

• #7

I want a copy of the rulebook

Nyaricus said:

Could you please send me a copy - I'd be very much interested in seeing what you do for your campaign setting, since i am trying to make my own house rulebook right now for an upcoming campaign in my own world. I will actually be playing in it for the first time, so i am so psyched

Click to expand...

and I want yours when its done

magic_gathering2001@yahoo.com

 

Nyaricus

First Post

• Nov 28, 2005

• #8

neat! I didn't know i had a fan

Tolkien-esqe, low magic, real-world inspired medieval fantasy up you ally? i can hook you up

I am compiling notes for this rulebook, should have it out by the end of december, at least a rough version. Just a word doc, but hey, it works. [Which reminds me that i need to buy MS word)

later peeps.

 

the Jester

Legend

• Nov 29, 2005

• #9

Mine is roughly 400 pages, each section a different color, divided by tabs. There is a clear vinyl cover over a marble cardstock cover that says "Players Guide to Cydra v. 3.5.2 by James Sutherland". The back cover is a marroon vinyl and the whole thing is coil bound (like a spiral notebook but the coil is black plastic).

Lil pieces of art and one full-page map are in the current version.

The sections are:

1. Cydra Overview
2. Races
3. Base Classes
4. Feats
5. Equipment
6. Prestige Classes
7. Religion
8. Spells
9. Epic

 

Dog Moon

Adventurer

• Nov 29, 2005

• #10

Originally posted by the Jester
Mine is roughly 400 pages, each section a different color, divided by tabs. There is a clear vinyl cover over a marble cardstock cover that says "Players Guide to Cydra v. 3.5.2 by James Sutherland". The back cover is a marroon vinyl and the whole thing is coil bound (like a spiral notebook but the coil is black plastic).

Lil pieces of art and one full-page map are in the current version.

The sections are:

1. Cydra Overview
2. Races
3. Base Classes
4. Feats
5. Equipment
6. Prestige Classes
7. Religion
8. Spells
9. Epic

Click to expand...

Holy crap! That's a lot of work...

I just have my home rules in a long list separated into similar subjects. Nothing special about mine at all, though it is in .html format instead of .doc or .pdf or anything. It's in my personal little website except it can only be accessed through my own computer. It isn't fancy, but works well enough for my uses.