What were your 2e houserules?

[Achan hiArusa]

These are some of the house rules I used (though not all of them got implemented and not all of them were used in the same game, except once and that game lasted two sessions):

* I used the Basic D&D ability table. Fighter types got an initial +1d6 to their strength.
* I used the Assassin and the Monk and the Half-orc. The Assassin got the poisoning ability of the Athasian Bard.
* Bards got some druid spells added to their spell list and limited shapechanging.
* Fighters got 6 WPs starting out and got an additional one every 1/2 levels, they got the smash maneuver from Basic D&D and were allowed to buy martial arts maneuvers from 1st Edition Oriental Adventures (along with the monk). Their additional attacks per round went up every five levels and capped out at 4 attacks per round.
* I used a version of Basic D&D weapon mastery.
* When Skills & Powers came out, I used the skill system in there instead. I also allowed characters 15 points to customize themselves with up to -10 points in flaws (the few there were) instead of letting them run amok with the system. Humans could have 25 points to customize themselves.
* No level limits, no restricted classes. Also demihumans got the saving throw bonuses that their Basic D&D counterparts got at high level (basically the equivelent of Evasion or Mettle).
* Halflings and Gnomes used the next lower hit die for their class.
* Also when I heard about the sorceror, I created a class that used the spell point system from Spells and Magic. However, he had half the number of spells know per level and had half as many spell points as a wizard had if he had used the spell point system.
* I cut down on the number of powers the Psion had known to that of the Psion in the Dragon #100.
* I used Spell Prefixes from White Wolf Magazine #9 and some of the options from Spells & Magic modified for a Slot based system instead of Point based.
* I used Runemagic from Giantcraft and The Complete Vikings Handbook, but made it a classeless system using proficiency slots.
* I allowed Barbarians from the Complete Barbarian Handbook and Berserkers from the Complete Vikings Handbook.
* I used Half-ogres.

 

[Contrarian]

I never changed a single damn rule in my 2E games. I don't like changing rules -- it undermines the idea that we're all playing the same game, and makes it hard for players to changes DMs.

I had to add things, though, usually as a response to something dumb and/or crazy my players did. My last 2E campaign (a Spelljammer campaign) ended up with rules for throwing people as weapons, and some disturbingly-historical rules for torture. Man, that bunch of players was bent.

 

[wingsandsword]

I never changed a single damn rule in my 2E games. I don't like changing rules -- it undermines the idea that we're all playing the same game, and makes it hard for players to changes DMs.

The thing is, we aren't all playing the same game. It's all called "Dungeons and Dragons", and even if we limit that to "Second Edition Advanced Dungeons and Dragons" it's still not all playing the same game.

There are many editions and versions of D&D, and back in the 2e era even within official rules there were so many variants and options (between Complete Handbooks, setting books, the Option Books, ect.) that no two DM's would run the same set of rules even sticking to the RAW (there were so many optional rules even in the core).

Even within the rules as written, there is so much room for interpretation (especially with how poorly worded some parts of 2e were) that no two DM's would run the game the exact same way. Before the modern era of web based errata, with only the monthly Sage Advice column from Dragon in our mailboxes and armloads of poorly written or blatantly broken official rules, house rules were the only way to keep things in check.

As for the idea of house rules making it hard to change games, then wouldn't different editions, different d20 games, and different role playing games as a whole do that? Back in the 2e era I was quite used to having to essentially re-learn the game with each and every DM I played under since no two had the same set of house rules and some almost completely re-wrote the system, while some just had a few areas they modified or tweaked.

 

[Contrarian]

some almost completely re-wrote the system

I would have told those guys, "Dude, I bought the damned rulebooks for a reason," and left to play with somebody who actually used them. I have better things to do that keep relearning a game I already know better than most people.

The tweakers, I usually just roll my eyes and put up with it, even though most tweaks are just replacing arbitrariness with arbitrariness. If those DMs were as brilliant as they think they are, they'd be working at a game company, not hanging around the game store or the game club.

 

[Piratecat]

The tweakers, I usually just roll my eyes and put up with it, even though most tweaks are just replacing arbitrariness with arbitrariness. If those DMs were as brilliant as they think they are, they'd be working at a game company, not hanging around the game store or the game club.

This may not be the thread for you. It's cool if you don't care for house rules - lots of people don't - but this thread is about the house rules people used. Swinging by just to complain verges on threadcrapping, and we'd rather not have that.

Back on topic!

 

[Mishihari Lord]

I had tons of them, but I can only remember a few.

DM rolls all damage. This started when I misunderstood how the game was played, but my players liked it so we kept it.

Critical hits

Critical misses

An initiative system very similar to Exalted, using weapon speed and casting time as ticks.

A few custom classes.

An additional magic system.

All clerics were specialty clerics, with varied philosophies, spell lists, and abilities. I think I made up clerics for 20 different gods.

 

[Votan]

It depended on the era. My least successful; experiences with house rules were critical hit charts that did maiming. Sounded like a good idea but made melee characters nearly unplayable.

I also saw a lot of wizards able to cast whatever spells they knew instead of needing to memorize them. This tended to be too strong in most cases. But we often got rid of tracking cheap material components.

These were the ones that come to mind fast, at least.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

The only one I can remember offhand is one I frequently used in 1Ed- no racial level limits.