Jack Daniel
dice-universe.blogspot.com
~¤~ JD's Revised House Rules ~¤~
Described herein is the revamped, revised, and recompiled version of my d20 D&D conversion for high adventure role-playing. Using the system of HP, MP, and feats of desperation contained herein assumes the use of a wad of other rules described hereafter, some of which (like armor with mortal damage reduction) are required for balance, while others (like the alternate monk) are just there for yuks. Of course, they can be adapted to fit any campaign with a little work. Before we can dive into the feats of desperation, though, we have to take a look at the system that powers them, the HP/MP system.
The HP/MP System
HP works pretty much like it always did; roll your hit dice, write it down, you know the drill. The difference is, now your hit points only represent your luck and skill at turning blows and dodging bullets. Your “tough as nails” factor is measured by a second point pool, your mortal points. While hit points are based on a character’s level and Constitution modifier, mortal points are based on one’s Constitution score and size:
Fine: Con ÷ 8
Diminutive: Con ÷ 4
Tiny: Con ÷ 2
Small: Con
Medium: Con
Large: Con
Huge: Con × 2
Gargantuan: Con × 4
Colossal: Con × 8
Undead and Constructs, since they lack Constitution scores, have no MP and are simply destroyed when their HP reaches 0. As for everyone else, having your HP reach 0 carries a number of effects:
Healing: Healing effects vary depending on the type of spell or power in question. Polymorph and other percentage effects restore the exact same percentage of MP as HP. Psionic healing powers usually let you choose between a few dice of HP, or a few points of ability damage. Consider MP damage ability damage for the purpose of psionic healing. Clerical cure spells heal mortal and hit point damage alike, as follows:
Critical Hits: All damage from a critical hit bypasses hit points and directly damages mortal points. To that end, weapons no longer have a multiplier associated with them. Instead, reduce the multiplier by 2 and raise the weapon’s damage die that number of steps. The threat ranges remain the same, but the multipliers are changed as follows:
Armor and Defense: Finally, in order to offset the fact that critical hits and combat in general are suddenly very, very deadly, the d20 systems for class-based Defense bonuses and armor that helps reduce mortal damage have been added. They are described below along with the system of feats of desperation.
Feats of Desperation
All characters have available to them six feats of desperation, in the form of die bonuses that are keyed to each ability score. The feats of desperation, and some examples of what they can modify, are given below:
Might: Attack rolls, strength checks, Swim/Climb/Jump checks
Agility: AC, reflex saves, dexterity ability and skill checks, initiative rolls
Stamina: Fortitude saves, constitution checks, Concentration checks
Genius: Intelligence ability and skill checks, wizard spell DCs
Perception: Wisdom ability and skill checks, Will saves, cleric and druid spell DCs
Charm: Charisma ability and skill checks, bard and sorcerer spell DCs
All characters begin with die bonuses of +1d4 in all six categores, and they get the bonus by spending action points. Action points represent a character's ability to influence fate, and they are earned at a rate of 1d4+1 per level. Gaining levels is the only way to replenish one's supply of action points; once spent, AP are gone for good.
At every 4th character level, when standard characters get stat increases, these rules grant desperation die bonuses. You can raise one of your desperation dice one step at levels 4, 8, 12, 16, and 20.
Monsters have AP equal to half their hit dice, and one die increase per five HD.
Example: A 4th level fighter prefers feats of might to everything else, so he decides to raise that feat to +1d6. All his other desperation dice are +1d4. Now whenever the fighter wants to, he can spend one of his reserve action points to grant himself a desperation bonus equal to 1d4 on most rolls, and 1d6 on strength-modified d20 rolls, like melee attacks.
Described herein is the revamped, revised, and recompiled version of my d20 D&D conversion for high adventure role-playing. Using the system of HP, MP, and feats of desperation contained herein assumes the use of a wad of other rules described hereafter, some of which (like armor with mortal damage reduction) are required for balance, while others (like the alternate monk) are just there for yuks. Of course, they can be adapted to fit any campaign with a little work. Before we can dive into the feats of desperation, though, we have to take a look at the system that powers them, the HP/MP system.
The HP/MP System
HP works pretty much like it always did; roll your hit dice, write it down, you know the drill. The difference is, now your hit points only represent your luck and skill at turning blows and dodging bullets. Your “tough as nails” factor is measured by a second point pool, your mortal points. While hit points are based on a character’s level and Constitution modifier, mortal points are based on one’s Constitution score and size:
Fine: Con ÷ 8
Diminutive: Con ÷ 4
Tiny: Con ÷ 2
Small: Con
Medium: Con
Large: Con
Huge: Con × 2
Gargantuan: Con × 4
Colossal: Con × 8
Undead and Constructs, since they lack Constitution scores, have no MP and are simply destroyed when their HP reaches 0. As for everyone else, having your HP reach 0 carries a number of effects:
- You are fatigued, suffering a –2 penalty to Strength and Dexterity and unable to run or charge.
- You must make an immediate Fortitude save vs. DC 10 or be rendered unconscious for 2d6 rounds.
- Any further damage you take is applied to your mortal points. Critical hits are an exception: if you are critically hit with 0 HP, your MP drops to 0 automatically.
- You have to make an immediate Fortitude save vs. DC 10, and if you fail, you die right then and there. If you roll a 20, natural or otherwise, you stabilize.
- If you made the save but didn’t stabilize, you have to make another save in one hour, this time at DC 11. You stabilize on a natural 20 or a total of 21 or higher. Failure means you die.
- For every hour that passes you have to continue making fortitude saves at +1 DC until you fail and die, or beat the DC by 10 or more (or roll a natural 20) and stabilize.
Healing: Healing effects vary depending on the type of spell or power in question. Polymorph and other percentage effects restore the exact same percentage of MP as HP. Psionic healing powers usually let you choose between a few dice of HP, or a few points of ability damage. Consider MP damage ability damage for the purpose of psionic healing. Clerical cure spells heal mortal and hit point damage alike, as follows:
- Cure Minor Wounds cannot restore mortal damage.
- Cure Light Wounds heals 1d4+1 MP.
- Cure Moderate Wounds restores 1d6+2 MP.
- Cure Serious Wounds restores 1d8+4 MP.
- Cure Critical Wounds restores 2d6+6 MP.
- Heal restores 2d3+1 MP.
Critical Hits: All damage from a critical hit bypasses hit points and directly damages mortal points. To that end, weapons no longer have a multiplier associated with them. Instead, reduce the multiplier by 2 and raise the weapon’s damage die that number of steps. The threat ranges remain the same, but the multipliers are changed as follows:
- x2 weapons have no special critical attribute, and simply deal their damage to mortal points when they critically hit.
- x3 weapons raise their damage die one step, so a waraxe (1d10 damage) deals 1d12 mortal damage on a critical hit.
- x4 weapons raise their damage die two steps, so a scythe (2d4 damage) deals 2d8 mortal damage on a critical hit.
- Subdual attacks that critically hit never deal mortal damage. Instead, they deal knockout damage, a new damage category that replaces much of the effects of subdual damage. If your total subdaul damage exceeds your HP, you're staggered; if your total knockout damage exceeds your MP, you're out cold. Other than that, the two damage types are identical.
Armor and Defense: Finally, in order to offset the fact that critical hits and combat in general are suddenly very, very deadly, the d20 systems for class-based Defense bonuses and armor that helps reduce mortal damage have been added. They are described below along with the system of feats of desperation.
Feats of Desperation
All characters have available to them six feats of desperation, in the form of die bonuses that are keyed to each ability score. The feats of desperation, and some examples of what they can modify, are given below:
Might: Attack rolls, strength checks, Swim/Climb/Jump checks
Agility: AC, reflex saves, dexterity ability and skill checks, initiative rolls
Stamina: Fortitude saves, constitution checks, Concentration checks
Genius: Intelligence ability and skill checks, wizard spell DCs
Perception: Wisdom ability and skill checks, Will saves, cleric and druid spell DCs
Charm: Charisma ability and skill checks, bard and sorcerer spell DCs
All characters begin with die bonuses of +1d4 in all six categores, and they get the bonus by spending action points. Action points represent a character's ability to influence fate, and they are earned at a rate of 1d4+1 per level. Gaining levels is the only way to replenish one's supply of action points; once spent, AP are gone for good.
At every 4th character level, when standard characters get stat increases, these rules grant desperation die bonuses. You can raise one of your desperation dice one step at levels 4, 8, 12, 16, and 20.
Monsters have AP equal to half their hit dice, and one die increase per five HD.
Example: A 4th level fighter prefers feats of might to everything else, so he decides to raise that feat to +1d6. All his other desperation dice are +1d4. Now whenever the fighter wants to, he can spend one of his reserve action points to grant himself a desperation bonus equal to 1d4 on most rolls, and 1d6 on strength-modified d20 rolls, like melee attacks.
Last edited:
