Here's the house rules I want to try in my next campaign:
[sblock] Change to To-Hit formula
Normally you determine your attack bonus this way:
Primary Ability Score + ½ level + Weapon Proficiency + Enhancement + Feat
I propose the following change:
5 + ½ Level + Weapon Proficiency + Enhancement + Non-Expertise Feat
+1 at levels 5, 11, 15, 21, 25.
Damage for an attack still depends on the primary score of the power used (such as 1[W]+Dex for a ranged basic attack).
Power Stunts
Some times you want to do something very cool, that fits in line with your character’s theme, but there isn’t a rule for it. Such as a druid causing roots to spring out of the side of a cliff, aiding in climbing, or a Priest of Moradin causing a cave in to halt the retreat of enemies.
To do this, you must spend an Action Point + a Healing Surge. This gives you the opportunity to do something badass. You still have to roll an attack or skill check (whichever better represents it). A normal Power Stunt is on par with the power of an Encounter power. You may also modify an Encounter power – making it effect more targets, etc. A modified Encounter power can be no more powerful than a Daily. A Daily can be modified, but it must be within reason (and my have drawbacks). What’s kosher is up to DM.
Exploding Skills
Normally, a skill roll looks like this:
1d20 + Trained (which means +5) + ½ level + Ability Score + Race + Feat + Misc.
Instead, here is what I’d like to try.
Untrained Skill: 3d6 + Ability Score + ½ level + Race + Feat + Misc
Trained Skill: 4d6 + Ability Score + ½ level + Race + Feat + Misc
Skill Focus feat grants +1d6 to roll.
If you roll a 6, you add the result and re-roll the die. If you roll another 6, you add it in and re-roll again, until you no longer get a 6.
Misc
Milestones (Which are necessary to gain Action Points) are not related to every two fights, but occur when something significant is achieved. Such as stopping an enemy’s ritual mid battle, or removing unhallowed ground, etc. Other opportunities for gaining Action Points will occur.
At level 1, everyone receives a free racial feat.
Against Solo Monsters, Stun = Loss of a Standard Action, Daze = Loss of a minor.
Sure Strike/Careful Attack – Add following. Effect: You gain a +2 on the next attack you make.
Crafting will be handled with a skill challenge.[/sblock]
The consequence of these rules, I'm thinking, is that I would treat the PCs as one level higher than they are, in terms of determing XP budges (so an average encounter for a 1st level group is a 2nd level encounter). But I'm not sure about that, because their HP and attacks may not equate. On the other hand, I want to try and kill them.
I will say that treating Sure Strike/Careful Attack as an attack vs. ref that can be used as a Basic attack is a very tempting change. But I like my version for the simple fact that it provides a built-in strategy of using the AW before you use an Encounter/Daily.
Another tempting thought is treating an Encounter power that misses as having a recharge of 6. But that may be too much.
[sblock] Change to To-Hit formula
Normally you determine your attack bonus this way:
Primary Ability Score + ½ level + Weapon Proficiency + Enhancement + Feat
I propose the following change:
5 + ½ Level + Weapon Proficiency + Enhancement + Non-Expertise Feat
+1 at levels 5, 11, 15, 21, 25.
Damage for an attack still depends on the primary score of the power used (such as 1[W]+Dex for a ranged basic attack).
Power Stunts
Some times you want to do something very cool, that fits in line with your character’s theme, but there isn’t a rule for it. Such as a druid causing roots to spring out of the side of a cliff, aiding in climbing, or a Priest of Moradin causing a cave in to halt the retreat of enemies.
To do this, you must spend an Action Point + a Healing Surge. This gives you the opportunity to do something badass. You still have to roll an attack or skill check (whichever better represents it). A normal Power Stunt is on par with the power of an Encounter power. You may also modify an Encounter power – making it effect more targets, etc. A modified Encounter power can be no more powerful than a Daily. A Daily can be modified, but it must be within reason (and my have drawbacks). What’s kosher is up to DM.
Exploding Skills
Normally, a skill roll looks like this:
1d20 + Trained (which means +5) + ½ level + Ability Score + Race + Feat + Misc.
Instead, here is what I’d like to try.
Untrained Skill: 3d6 + Ability Score + ½ level + Race + Feat + Misc
Trained Skill: 4d6 + Ability Score + ½ level + Race + Feat + Misc
Skill Focus feat grants +1d6 to roll.
If you roll a 6, you add the result and re-roll the die. If you roll another 6, you add it in and re-roll again, until you no longer get a 6.
Misc
Milestones (Which are necessary to gain Action Points) are not related to every two fights, but occur when something significant is achieved. Such as stopping an enemy’s ritual mid battle, or removing unhallowed ground, etc. Other opportunities for gaining Action Points will occur.
At level 1, everyone receives a free racial feat.
Against Solo Monsters, Stun = Loss of a Standard Action, Daze = Loss of a minor.
Sure Strike/Careful Attack – Add following. Effect: You gain a +2 on the next attack you make.
Crafting will be handled with a skill challenge.[/sblock]
The consequence of these rules, I'm thinking, is that I would treat the PCs as one level higher than they are, in terms of determing XP budges (so an average encounter for a 1st level group is a 2nd level encounter). But I'm not sure about that, because their HP and attacks may not equate. On the other hand, I want to try and kill them.
I will say that treating Sure Strike/Careful Attack as an attack vs. ref that can be used as a Basic attack is a very tempting change. But I like my version for the simple fact that it provides a built-in strategy of using the AW before you use an Encounter/Daily.
Another tempting thought is treating an Encounter power that misses as having a recharge of 6. But that may be too much.
