Daniel D. Fox
Explorer
I am pulling together some of the houserules we've adopted to suit our playstyle and gaming type. In short, it's low magic, high politics, high roleplay where the world is dangerous, no matter what level you are.
Feedback and criticisms welcome. I am always looking for new ideas or modifications to have this work out better.
1 - Scaling Skill System
Meaning, I use the skill tables based on easy, moderate and difficult to dictate if you can scale up the torsion ropes inside of a millhouse, swim againgst the current in the river, hide and sneak around the band of soldiers storming through the city, or bend the ear of a crooked man to spread the right rumors. I have dubbed this the "Oblivion Effect", since levels in my game don't necessarily mean you get better, so much as you become more diverse in what you know. Which leads to my next rule...
2 - Scaling Combat and Social Challenges
Combat is either easy, moderate or hard difficulty based on the player character's average level. Meaning, those level 2 guards at player level 3 will still be a challenge when the players are level 10. They "scale" upward, in a sense, but have a general challenge rating assigned to them (easy, moderate or hard).
Not only that, most (if not all foes) are Minions with exception to "named" or important foes the players face. This helps streamline combat, allows me to use waves of foes and let the players feel heroic while embracing the ideal of the Oblivion Effect. Or, I simply cut their HP into 1/2.
3 - Better material, better arms and armor
Much akin to the Robert E. Howard novels, "adventurers" are the stuff of pulp magazines, and their foes wield dark sorcery. Armor and weapons are not enchanted whatsoever, since magic technically isn't readily available to players. BUT you can get better weapons and armor. This is based on the Mearls code to address low magic games, broken down by material. The attached file outlines not only the bonuses by weapon and additional enhancements, but a truer economic system based on Grain Into Gold.
Additionally, heavier and better armor grants bonus HP. This fixes the issue with a Fighter with high Dex wearing Hide+Shield instead of wearing Scale+Shield, due to the return on investment. This leads to...
4 - No. Healing. Surge. Tracking. Whatsoever.
My players absolulely abhorr having to husband powers, along with managing multiple numbers on their sheet. They want to focus on roleplay and tactics than elsewise. Since we don't use healing surges, this means whenever the Warlord uses his Stand the Fallen power or others that allow a healing surge, players roll a d20 and add their Healing bonus to mend wounds, or can Take 10 + Heal skill (if trained) to mend their wounds with the new general class power Bind Wounds.
5 - Second Wind, Bind Wounds, Sleep power
Second Wind exists, but mends your own HP equal to a d20+Healing bonus, or Take 10 + Healing skill if you're trained. You can do this once an encounter.
Additionally, you can Bind Wounds as an encounter power which does the same thing. However, this can only be done to yourself or an ally once per day. This eliminates the exploit to "heal train" people by each other constantly binding one another. It can be used on anyone, and is standard to all classes. This gives a reason for people to train Heal outside of disease treatment.
Sleep is a daily power available to all classes. I invented this power to eliminate the "extended rest" term from player vocabulary to keep them from breaking immersion. As suggested, it equals a Take 20 and add Healing skill whenever you take an extended rest.
6 - Bloodied!
I am a fan of players acting out their wounds, and treating the in-game world around them in the same respect when gauging how they react in situations that may result in combat. We like a more gritty and realistic game, and so we introduced a modified condition track similar to SWG. Once you're bloodied, you take a -1 to every die roll you make. If you're hit again while bloodied, you take a -2 (cumulative to -6). It takes either Sleep or a Bind Wounds to move up the condition track by one point. If you Sleep for the evening and a trained healer Binds Wounds, you move 3 up the track. It's fast, quick and easy - and since we don't use the Barbarian or other magic-based classes who's powers trigger on the Bloodied condition, we use this to measure serious wounds. This makes the world a bit more believable when it comes to tending wounds, and encourages people to use other options like retreating or parlaying with their enemies (or engineering a social encounter based on a change in disposition).
7 - Death and Dying
When your hit points drop to 0 or fewer, you fall unconscious and are dying. You need to make a saving throw at the end of your turn each round. The result of your saving throw determines low long it takes you to recover. You get three tries; if you fail the third roll, you are dead. An ally can make a moderate difficulty Heal check to give you a +2 bonus to your save as a Standard action.
✦ Successful 1st roll – you immediately recover to 1/4HP and are no longer unconscious. You lose any unused Action Points or powers that are not At-Will until you take a short rest.
✦ Successful 2nd roll - you immediately recover to 1/4HP and are no longer unconscious. You lose any unused Action Points or powers that are not At-Will and are Weakened until you take a short rest.
✦ Successful 3nd roll - you immediately recover to 1/4HP and are no longer unconscious. You lose any unused Action Points or powers that are not At-Will and are Weakened until you take an extended rest.
8 - Flourish
By far, one of my favorite rules (next to #10). If all players during a combat round narrate their actions in concert, a cumulative +1 can be added to damage. This ranges from +1 to +6, depending on how many rounds the players elect to narrate. During skill challenges, it applied to skill checks.
9 - Natural 20 and 1
When you roll a natural 20 during combat, you can instantly refresh any one Power of your choice or gain 1 Action Point. When you roll a natural 1 during combat, all foes have Combat Advantage against you.
10 -Tasty Treats!
If you bring snacks that everyone can share with to the game, results in +20% EXP per session
Feedback and criticisms welcome. I am always looking for new ideas or modifications to have this work out better.
1 - Scaling Skill System
Meaning, I use the skill tables based on easy, moderate and difficult to dictate if you can scale up the torsion ropes inside of a millhouse, swim againgst the current in the river, hide and sneak around the band of soldiers storming through the city, or bend the ear of a crooked man to spread the right rumors. I have dubbed this the "Oblivion Effect", since levels in my game don't necessarily mean you get better, so much as you become more diverse in what you know. Which leads to my next rule...
2 - Scaling Combat and Social Challenges
Combat is either easy, moderate or hard difficulty based on the player character's average level. Meaning, those level 2 guards at player level 3 will still be a challenge when the players are level 10. They "scale" upward, in a sense, but have a general challenge rating assigned to them (easy, moderate or hard).
Not only that, most (if not all foes) are Minions with exception to "named" or important foes the players face. This helps streamline combat, allows me to use waves of foes and let the players feel heroic while embracing the ideal of the Oblivion Effect. Or, I simply cut their HP into 1/2.
3 - Better material, better arms and armor
Much akin to the Robert E. Howard novels, "adventurers" are the stuff of pulp magazines, and their foes wield dark sorcery. Armor and weapons are not enchanted whatsoever, since magic technically isn't readily available to players. BUT you can get better weapons and armor. This is based on the Mearls code to address low magic games, broken down by material. The attached file outlines not only the bonuses by weapon and additional enhancements, but a truer economic system based on Grain Into Gold.
Additionally, heavier and better armor grants bonus HP. This fixes the issue with a Fighter with high Dex wearing Hide+Shield instead of wearing Scale+Shield, due to the return on investment. This leads to...
4 - No. Healing. Surge. Tracking. Whatsoever.
My players absolulely abhorr having to husband powers, along with managing multiple numbers on their sheet. They want to focus on roleplay and tactics than elsewise. Since we don't use healing surges, this means whenever the Warlord uses his Stand the Fallen power or others that allow a healing surge, players roll a d20 and add their Healing bonus to mend wounds, or can Take 10 + Heal skill (if trained) to mend their wounds with the new general class power Bind Wounds.
5 - Second Wind, Bind Wounds, Sleep power
Second Wind exists, but mends your own HP equal to a d20+Healing bonus, or Take 10 + Healing skill if you're trained. You can do this once an encounter.
Additionally, you can Bind Wounds as an encounter power which does the same thing. However, this can only be done to yourself or an ally once per day. This eliminates the exploit to "heal train" people by each other constantly binding one another. It can be used on anyone, and is standard to all classes. This gives a reason for people to train Heal outside of disease treatment.
Sleep is a daily power available to all classes. I invented this power to eliminate the "extended rest" term from player vocabulary to keep them from breaking immersion. As suggested, it equals a Take 20 and add Healing skill whenever you take an extended rest.
6 - Bloodied!
I am a fan of players acting out their wounds, and treating the in-game world around them in the same respect when gauging how they react in situations that may result in combat. We like a more gritty and realistic game, and so we introduced a modified condition track similar to SWG. Once you're bloodied, you take a -1 to every die roll you make. If you're hit again while bloodied, you take a -2 (cumulative to -6). It takes either Sleep or a Bind Wounds to move up the condition track by one point. If you Sleep for the evening and a trained healer Binds Wounds, you move 3 up the track. It's fast, quick and easy - and since we don't use the Barbarian or other magic-based classes who's powers trigger on the Bloodied condition, we use this to measure serious wounds. This makes the world a bit more believable when it comes to tending wounds, and encourages people to use other options like retreating or parlaying with their enemies (or engineering a social encounter based on a change in disposition).
7 - Death and Dying
When your hit points drop to 0 or fewer, you fall unconscious and are dying. You need to make a saving throw at the end of your turn each round. The result of your saving throw determines low long it takes you to recover. You get three tries; if you fail the third roll, you are dead. An ally can make a moderate difficulty Heal check to give you a +2 bonus to your save as a Standard action.
✦ Successful 1st roll – you immediately recover to 1/4HP and are no longer unconscious. You lose any unused Action Points or powers that are not At-Will until you take a short rest.
✦ Successful 2nd roll - you immediately recover to 1/4HP and are no longer unconscious. You lose any unused Action Points or powers that are not At-Will and are Weakened until you take a short rest.
✦ Successful 3nd roll - you immediately recover to 1/4HP and are no longer unconscious. You lose any unused Action Points or powers that are not At-Will and are Weakened until you take an extended rest.
8 - Flourish
By far, one of my favorite rules (next to #10). If all players during a combat round narrate their actions in concert, a cumulative +1 can be added to damage. This ranges from +1 to +6, depending on how many rounds the players elect to narrate. During skill challenges, it applied to skill checks.
9 - Natural 20 and 1
When you roll a natural 20 during combat, you can instantly refresh any one Power of your choice or gain 1 Action Point. When you roll a natural 1 during combat, all foes have Combat Advantage against you.
10 -Tasty Treats!
If you bring snacks that everyone can share with to the game, results in +20% EXP per session
