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<blockquote data-quote="Gwarok" data-source="post: 7011339" data-attributes="member: 12249"><p>House rules, don't get me started! But clearly I am already so here we go <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /></p><p></p><p>1) Magic Weapons. The simple plus on a magic weapon denotes quality of the weapon, but doesn't make it "magic". A standard smith, with enough time and skill can forge a +3 whatever, although they are so expensive and time consuming that anything past +1 is usually the province of longer lived races like Dwarves and Elves. I always think of the knife "Angrist" from Tolkein's Silmarillion, fashioned by the dwarves. For the "magic" property, the one that allows you to hit ghosts for example, it needs to have something truly magic about it, like it's on fire or something, or holy, or dancing. </p><p></p><p>2) XP. Characters level when I feel they've done something along their line of profession that merits it. Like a warlock performing a ritual for power, or a rogue training with a guild. Generally something that makes it seem like they have pushed the envelope of what they know and earned it. Enough field experience will sometimes be the test, but I don't like my player going out to find the nearest monster they can get XP from if they are close to leveling. Helps motivate the players to chart their own path in the world as they seek to grow and get a consistent theme with their characters running. </p><p></p><p>3) Dragons. I improved the damage on claws, tail and bite to scale with age/size, the fact that a Gargantuan Ancient Dragon had the same base 2D10 bite damage as a large young dragon a fraction of it's size was like a splinter in my brain. Also, they get damage resistance as the get older. Young are resistant to normal weapon damage, Adults are immune, and Ancients are resistant to magic weapon damage unless they are specifically Dragon Slaying. Adult and younger are vulnerable to Dragon Slaying weapons to boot. </p><p></p><p>4) NPC's have a max of 18 on their ability scores unless they are special badass named types. 20's are for heroes. </p><p></p><p>5) Magic, especially divine magic, as a typical caster is very limited among PC races in most civilized settings. Instead, I substitute the ritual feat for a lot of NPC casters, with an emphasis on those types revering tomes of magic and prayer books that allow them to cast those rituals, and expanding the ritual pool. Sorta had Giles in mind, from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Not a spellcaster per se, but give him enough time, the right magic tome and ingredients, and he can do some cool stuff. They have to use a relevant skill DC to actually cast the spell, and if they screw it up, bad things happen. Can't have everyone just waving their hand and turning water into wine, really cheapens the actual prophets I want to move the campaign along. </p><p></p><p>I'm sure I could come remember some more, but those are the big ones.</p><p></p><p>EDIT - Ok, thought of a bunch of stuff to add. </p><p></p><p>6) Hate Psionics, they just don't really exist except for things like Mind Flayers. We already have magic, do we need another explanation for doing crazy stuff? Always seemed more the province of comic book and Sci-Fi genres to me. </p><p></p><p>7) Dragonborn, Tieflings, warforged, and whatever those rock thingies(4th ed I know) as PC races. They are so out there that I just can't imagine how they'd ever be able to walk down the street without being chased by a mob. Dwarves and elves, ok, but even they would raise some eyebrows. This is totally subjective, their continued appearance in so many versions obviously means a lot of people are into them so I don't mean to denigrate anyone else's version of a good time, but that's how it is for me.</p><p></p><p>8) Powerful angels(Planetars, Solars) get a bit of an upgrade. As the agent of their god's will, each one will usually have some sort of extra abilities consonant with their role. The Planetar that is known for visiting punishments on entire cities that have lost the favor of the gods can cast Earthquake or Tsunami at will for instance. The one responsible for revelations to mortals can cast Dream, etc... you get the idea. Solars in particular are each assigned some specific task of relative cosmic importance and get a bit of customization for whatever that task is as well. The chief archangel of a god of war can be sent to cast Foresight upon an entire army for instance, should the gods so deem it right and proper.</p><p></p><p>9) Evil Outsiders and killing them. This is a big one that always made me boggle. Devils for instance can only die in the Nine Hells, where they live? If I was immortal except for one particular zip code, I would make a real point of never, ever visiting that zip code much less making it my base of operations. It would logically mean that Devils spent their entire time rampaging and conquering outside of the Hells, as there is little consequence for dying outside of it, and a great deal of consequence for getting caught slipping on your home turf. I have it so fiends perish permanently in Celestia, and are sometime vulnerable on the Prime as well, such as say Halloween or the campaign equivalent thereof. Taking a page from the Dresden Files, I make certain mystical times of the year or events where fiends can be permanently slain/imprisoned, but there is also the opportunity for them to increase their power or gain access to the mortal realm to further their schemes as rationale for why they would take the risk.</p><p></p><p>10) Wishes. Wishes are for real. Also, they are NOT a player castable spell. The entire spell description is pretty absurd if you ask me. Basically, you can do 8th or lower, pick from a list of pretty cool effects that cripple you for a few days, and even then you have a 1 in 3 chance of just never being able to use it again. Good grief, if you're going to hamstring that way just don't let players use it. The idea of a PC being able to use a wish every day is about as game breaking an idea as any I can think of, unless you do what they did which is put so many caveats on it that it kinda defeats the point. Or go the sick bastard "Monkey Paw" route which I've always thought is pretty silly and frankly forces and encourages a DM to do something they should never do. Horrifically bone the PC's with pretty much no upper limit on the consequences while intentionally perverting whatever it is they ask for. That being said, if somehow my PC's ever get on the good side of a Djinn noble and have access to this, I'm going to let them make their wish and deal with the consequences. They want ALL the gold in the world, they got it and all the headaches that come from it. They want to be ruler of the Nine Hells, likewise.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Gwarok, post: 7011339, member: 12249"] House rules, don't get me started! But clearly I am already so here we go :) 1) Magic Weapons. The simple plus on a magic weapon denotes quality of the weapon, but doesn't make it "magic". A standard smith, with enough time and skill can forge a +3 whatever, although they are so expensive and time consuming that anything past +1 is usually the province of longer lived races like Dwarves and Elves. I always think of the knife "Angrist" from Tolkein's Silmarillion, fashioned by the dwarves. For the "magic" property, the one that allows you to hit ghosts for example, it needs to have something truly magic about it, like it's on fire or something, or holy, or dancing. 2) XP. Characters level when I feel they've done something along their line of profession that merits it. Like a warlock performing a ritual for power, or a rogue training with a guild. Generally something that makes it seem like they have pushed the envelope of what they know and earned it. Enough field experience will sometimes be the test, but I don't like my player going out to find the nearest monster they can get XP from if they are close to leveling. Helps motivate the players to chart their own path in the world as they seek to grow and get a consistent theme with their characters running. 3) Dragons. I improved the damage on claws, tail and bite to scale with age/size, the fact that a Gargantuan Ancient Dragon had the same base 2D10 bite damage as a large young dragon a fraction of it's size was like a splinter in my brain. Also, they get damage resistance as the get older. Young are resistant to normal weapon damage, Adults are immune, and Ancients are resistant to magic weapon damage unless they are specifically Dragon Slaying. Adult and younger are vulnerable to Dragon Slaying weapons to boot. 4) NPC's have a max of 18 on their ability scores unless they are special badass named types. 20's are for heroes. 5) Magic, especially divine magic, as a typical caster is very limited among PC races in most civilized settings. Instead, I substitute the ritual feat for a lot of NPC casters, with an emphasis on those types revering tomes of magic and prayer books that allow them to cast those rituals, and expanding the ritual pool. Sorta had Giles in mind, from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Not a spellcaster per se, but give him enough time, the right magic tome and ingredients, and he can do some cool stuff. They have to use a relevant skill DC to actually cast the spell, and if they screw it up, bad things happen. Can't have everyone just waving their hand and turning water into wine, really cheapens the actual prophets I want to move the campaign along. I'm sure I could come remember some more, but those are the big ones. EDIT - Ok, thought of a bunch of stuff to add. 6) Hate Psionics, they just don't really exist except for things like Mind Flayers. We already have magic, do we need another explanation for doing crazy stuff? Always seemed more the province of comic book and Sci-Fi genres to me. 7) Dragonborn, Tieflings, warforged, and whatever those rock thingies(4th ed I know) as PC races. They are so out there that I just can't imagine how they'd ever be able to walk down the street without being chased by a mob. Dwarves and elves, ok, but even they would raise some eyebrows. This is totally subjective, their continued appearance in so many versions obviously means a lot of people are into them so I don't mean to denigrate anyone else's version of a good time, but that's how it is for me. 8) Powerful angels(Planetars, Solars) get a bit of an upgrade. As the agent of their god's will, each one will usually have some sort of extra abilities consonant with their role. The Planetar that is known for visiting punishments on entire cities that have lost the favor of the gods can cast Earthquake or Tsunami at will for instance. The one responsible for revelations to mortals can cast Dream, etc... you get the idea. Solars in particular are each assigned some specific task of relative cosmic importance and get a bit of customization for whatever that task is as well. The chief archangel of a god of war can be sent to cast Foresight upon an entire army for instance, should the gods so deem it right and proper. 9) Evil Outsiders and killing them. This is a big one that always made me boggle. Devils for instance can only die in the Nine Hells, where they live? If I was immortal except for one particular zip code, I would make a real point of never, ever visiting that zip code much less making it my base of operations. It would logically mean that Devils spent their entire time rampaging and conquering outside of the Hells, as there is little consequence for dying outside of it, and a great deal of consequence for getting caught slipping on your home turf. I have it so fiends perish permanently in Celestia, and are sometime vulnerable on the Prime as well, such as say Halloween or the campaign equivalent thereof. Taking a page from the Dresden Files, I make certain mystical times of the year or events where fiends can be permanently slain/imprisoned, but there is also the opportunity for them to increase their power or gain access to the mortal realm to further their schemes as rationale for why they would take the risk. 10) Wishes. Wishes are for real. Also, they are NOT a player castable spell. The entire spell description is pretty absurd if you ask me. Basically, you can do 8th or lower, pick from a list of pretty cool effects that cripple you for a few days, and even then you have a 1 in 3 chance of just never being able to use it again. Good grief, if you're going to hamstring that way just don't let players use it. The idea of a PC being able to use a wish every day is about as game breaking an idea as any I can think of, unless you do what they did which is put so many caveats on it that it kinda defeats the point. Or go the sick bastard "Monkey Paw" route which I've always thought is pretty silly and frankly forces and encourages a DM to do something they should never do. Horrifically bone the PC's with pretty much no upper limit on the consequences while intentionally perverting whatever it is they ask for. That being said, if somehow my PC's ever get on the good side of a Djinn noble and have access to this, I'm going to let them make their wish and deal with the consequences. They want ALL the gold in the world, they got it and all the headaches that come from it. They want to be ruler of the Nine Hells, likewise. [/QUOTE]
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