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My house rules document, looking for input


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Hi Calypso, I have just done a readthrough of your house rules and here are my first impressions.

Races:
Humans only receive 1 bonus skill point at 1st level. That sucks.
Elven weapon familiarity. Sucks to be an Elven Wizard.
Half-Orcs are ugly and brutish. Keep the -2 Cha, drop the skill penalties.

Only 3/4 of max hit points at 1st level. Do you hate your players?

Fractional save bonuses. Ok, it already exists as a variant rule in Unearthed Arcana.

Divine caster spell lists. The extra two spells per level may be taken from D&D supplements, right?

Class changes: If your players find them fun and interesting, congratulations.

Spending XP for magic item crafting. There is a variant rule in Unearthed Arcana with Craft Points.

Turn Undead. There is a Destroy Undead variant rule in Complete Divine.

Raise Dead spell change. Do you hate your players?
 

Khuxan

First Post
Hi Calypso

I can't download the file. Would you be able to email it to me at billbrowne AT optusnet DOT com DOT au

Thanks
 

Li Shenron

Legend
Evil comments from me too! :D

- Humans: if your purpose is to add the extra class skill without changing balance, it'd be easier to not give any skill point (giving 1 sounds odd)

- Elves: the effect is to give 1 free prof to Bards, 2 free prof to Rogues, and 4 free prof to Clerics and Sorcerers. An odd choice (for ex. why bumping Clerics and not Wizards), so check if this is what you really wanted to achieve with this HR

- Fractional ST/BAB: why complicating, when you can use the normal fractional bonuses?

- Sorcerer special abilities: I think there are too many that reduce the cost of metamagic, that if used together could be easily abused; Armored Spellcasting doesn't explain if the slots/day are lost permanently or only when you wear armor (but what if you put the armor on in the evening?).

- Class abilities (general): well you're practically boosting everyone here, are you trying to make the game easier to play or will you boost the adventures and monsters as well? [ Otherwise most of these are pretty cool unique abilities! especially the idea of differentiating Wizards (crafting, counterspelling, familiars) from Sorcerers (battle magic, metamagic) -> all of these sound like feats, did you find them somewhere or wrote them on your own?]
 

Li Shenron

Legend
edit: now I see the big picture of changing the skill system... you remove the x4 at 1st level but you basically give a +3 in all the class skills and make cross-class skills cost the same. That's a pretty big boost, which I usually disagree with for skills, but I suppose it will be fine.
 

eamon

Explorer
First off: It's too long. I'm positive you can get the same experience without modifying so heavily. Many of your house rules have very little impact; they're nothing more that minor differences. Consider that each house rule has a cost; they reduce predictability (everything is balanced with core rules in mind and new rules might upset the balance when used in combination with your rules), and they increase the cost of learning all the modifications. Rules which are more complex that the rules which they replace are especially questionable.

For instance; you use fractional base attack bonuses: realize, however, that this means specifically that many classes' first level has received a significant boost. Level dipping in character optimization is already a good strategy often, and the "cost", say, of one level in "that class you want" has now decreased significantly. Fractional bonuses sound fairer, but ask yourself if that's really what you want, and why you need the additional balance issues it makes.

You use fractional bonuses, but now you're not really improving the situation by just replacing one table with another. Why not actually seriously really USE fractional bonuses instead of just another lookup table? It's not making anything simpler.

The divine casters spell list isn't clearly described.

Clerics are too powerful - they were powerful, but your modifications significantly up their power (esp. the spontaneous version...!).

The wizards penalty for losing a familiar should not be greater as his level increases. As written, a familar is something you want to get rid of a soon as possible. Given how familiars work in game (namely mostly as roleplaying devices) this means that you're waiting until they make a stupid mistake and it dies. In any case, what's the point of the new rules surrounding familiars?

Improved toughness is called "improved" but does not require toughness as prerequisite.

Half-elves and humans are less powerful in this variant because they lose their multiclassing advantage. You may want to give them something in return, esp. the half-elves which are underpowered anyhow.

I like my Death&Dying variant better :D. OK sorry, I had too! http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=199228

I don't see a house rule concerning character ability generation, which you want to add, just to be complete.

All in all, pretty nice house rules, but simply too many, for a too vague benefit. If you're sure this is actually going to increase your player's enjoyment of the game, then sure, go ahead. But I think most of it are minor balance tweaks that aren't really important enough to include. What you could do, is try to make two documents: One with real changes, and try to keep it to an absolute minimum, and another with extra character options, and try and place as many of your changes into that. That way, people can choose what level of investment into your rules they want. Many of your class modifications and even things like fractional increases to BAB and saves could be made optional to the player. As an added benefit, you can then see how important people really find those alternative rules (as in, if they aren't much more powerful, how many people choose to use the alternative?)
 

Sadrik

First Post
It might be nice to know what books you are allowing in these house rules.

I like your skill change. Very simple and elegant. class skills get you +3 other ones get you no +3.

Races all look fine.

For HD, it might make sense to go 3, 4.5, 6, 7.5, 9- you are after all using fractional Saves and BAB.

Swaping around the casting stat seems fine. However charisma will likely never be selected.

Barbarians are fine
No Bard changes?
Clerics are more powerful
Druids no big change
Fighter is fine
Monk- weaker?, can they multi-class freely?
Paladin- sure if you like it, turn them into a knight even more than they already are.
Ranger- nice change less finiky with their bonuses
Rogues- sure
Sorcerer- I like the changes.
Wizard- ok.

Use magic device- why?

All level losses are -2 con? They should be that is what I do in my game however they are not permanent losses.
 


calypso15

Explorer
Alisair Longreach said:
Hi Calypso, I have just done a readthrough of your house rules and here are my first impressions.

Races:
Humans only receive 1 bonus skill point at 1st level. That sucks.
Elven weapon familiarity. Sucks to be an Elven Wizard.
Half-Orcs are ugly and brutish. Keep the -2 Cha, drop the skill penalties.
-Ah, but humans receive an extra class skill, which gives them a +3 bonus to any skill of their choice. The net result is identical.
-I considered that it hurts Elven wizards. And I'm okay with that. :D
-No one ever plays half-orc. I wanted to offer some sort of incentive. What would you suggest?

Only 3/4 of max hit points at 1st level. Do you hate your players?
:p It starts out a bit weaker, but is, on average the same by level 2 and becomes progressively stronger.

Fractional save bonuses. Ok, it already exists as a variant rule in Unearthed Arcana.
I'll have to check that out. I'm a bit unhappy with the execution of mine, as it's rather clunky.

Divine caster spell lists. The extra two spells per level may be taken from D&D supplements, right?
Yep, that's the idea. I'll have to make that a bit more clear.

Spending XP for magic item crafting. There is a variant rule in Unearthed Arcana with Craft Points.
I'll give it a look. Though I'm relatively happy with my change.

Raise Dead spell change. Do you hate your players?
Nope, I just hate resurrection magic. I find the threat of death is too weak with such prevalent (for adventurers) resurrection magic.
 


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