ravenheart
Explorer
I've been working on a couple of houserules for my current/upcoming campaign, but I'm a bit worried about some balance issues etc. I appreciate your input!
House rule #1:
[sblock]UNIQUE CHARACTER ABILITIES
Each character participating in the game is granted a unique ability dependant on their character concept and background, allowing them to gain a relative advantage for a small sacrifice. The advantage is generally a bonus to certain skills or checks, circumstantial modifiers to attacks or defences, or even an entirely new option for the character. The advantage is usually gained by spending a healing surge or two during a short rest, as the ability represents an expenditure of vitality and strenuous mastery of one self. Alternatively the advantage, or a part of it, could be a permanent fixture, a slight change in the characters class features.
Examples:
Character 1: A water- and firesoul (Extra Manifestation at 1st lvl) genasi rogue, growing up in a society with a tyrannical tiefling ruling class and a subjugated drow slave/lower class; learns to fit in by altering their behaviour and appearance while manifesting either elemental aspect.
Unique Character Ability: Two-Faced Charlatan
Benefit: Spend a healing surge after a short rest. Instead of gaining the usual benefits of a healing surge, you take on either a drow or a tiefling aspect, dependant on which elemental manifestation you have adopted. If you manifest watersoul, you gain a +2 bonus to Streetwise and a +2 bonus to Bluff checks while passing off being disguised as a drow. If you manifest firesoul, you gain a +2 bonus to Diplomacy and a +2 bonus to Bluff checks while passing off being disguised as a tiefling. The aspects last until your next short or extended rest.
Character 2: An eladrin wizard (Expanded Spellbook at 1st lvl), suffering from amnesia and a body covered in strange tattoos; discovers that he can create magical effects innately by activating these tattoos, and that by concentrating, he can manipulate the patterns of his body.
Unique Character Ability: Tattooed Mage
Benefit: Spend two healing surges after a short rest. Instead of gaining the usual benefits of these healing surges, you can rearrange the pattern of spells on your body. Switch one of the utility spell which you have prepared with another you know of that level.
Special: Instead of having a spellbook, you store your daily and utility spells as part of a great tattooed pattern that covers your entire body. You still need a ritual book to store your rituals.
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[/FONT]NOTE: These abilities have been tailor-made to fit two of my players, the first one more of an actor, the other tends to go for versatility. I'm mostly interested if they seem balanced in regards to each other, and perhaps someone could help me come up with concepts for the rest of my players (Human Starlock, Human RQ Paladin, Elven Beastmaster and Half-Elf Bravura Warlord)?
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House rule #2:
[sblock]DRAMATIC TWIST
Sometimes a group of adventurers might get stuck. To avoid this a character may, once per day, elect to create a dramatic twist. A dramatic twist is a tool suited for social encounters, non-combat skill challenges or when facing difficulties while exploring. A dramatic twist allows a character to remember something essential to the situation, receive an important clue or come to a startling conclusion. A dramatic twist is similar to a saving throw; a roll lower than 10 indicates a failure, which means the character can’t come up with anything clever. A success on the other hand suggests that the character somehow overcomes the odds or unravels the secrets. A success could improve an NPC’s general attitude, grant a small bonus to a certain skill for the rest of the encounter, or simply give a suitable answer when facing a choice or a mystery. For more advanced options, one could grant a bonus or a penalty to the check depending on how the character motivates his reasoning or how it correlates to his character concept and/or background.
Examples:
Slowly a hint of recognition appears in the merchants eyes. “I knew you looked familiar! You’re the ones that saved my donkey from those goblins! Of course you can have a discount!” (NPC attitude improved by one step)
As the battered ranger barges through the double-doors of the throne room, lightning flashes in the distance and a roll of thunder accompanies his determined foot-steps. (+2 to Intimidate until the end of the encounter)
The halfling ponders the meaning of the mysterious riddle, and as sure as the sun rises in the east, the answer has been staring him in the face all this time. (Learn the answer to the riddle, or at least get a hefty hint)
NOTE: All references to LotR aside, I thought of creating this rule to alleviate the need of rail-roading by handing it out to the players in the form of a game-mechanic. Maybe it's a bit silly, but I thought it might be interesting ! [/sblock]
House rule #1:
[sblock]UNIQUE CHARACTER ABILITIES
Each character participating in the game is granted a unique ability dependant on their character concept and background, allowing them to gain a relative advantage for a small sacrifice. The advantage is generally a bonus to certain skills or checks, circumstantial modifiers to attacks or defences, or even an entirely new option for the character. The advantage is usually gained by spending a healing surge or two during a short rest, as the ability represents an expenditure of vitality and strenuous mastery of one self. Alternatively the advantage, or a part of it, could be a permanent fixture, a slight change in the characters class features.
Examples:
Character 1: A water- and firesoul (Extra Manifestation at 1st lvl) genasi rogue, growing up in a society with a tyrannical tiefling ruling class and a subjugated drow slave/lower class; learns to fit in by altering their behaviour and appearance while manifesting either elemental aspect.
Unique Character Ability: Two-Faced Charlatan
Benefit: Spend a healing surge after a short rest. Instead of gaining the usual benefits of a healing surge, you take on either a drow or a tiefling aspect, dependant on which elemental manifestation you have adopted. If you manifest watersoul, you gain a +2 bonus to Streetwise and a +2 bonus to Bluff checks while passing off being disguised as a drow. If you manifest firesoul, you gain a +2 bonus to Diplomacy and a +2 bonus to Bluff checks while passing off being disguised as a tiefling. The aspects last until your next short or extended rest.
Character 2: An eladrin wizard (Expanded Spellbook at 1st lvl), suffering from amnesia and a body covered in strange tattoos; discovers that he can create magical effects innately by activating these tattoos, and that by concentrating, he can manipulate the patterns of his body.
Unique Character Ability: Tattooed Mage
Benefit: Spend two healing surges after a short rest. Instead of gaining the usual benefits of these healing surges, you can rearrange the pattern of spells on your body. Switch one of the utility spell which you have prepared with another you know of that level.
Special: Instead of having a spellbook, you store your daily and utility spells as part of a great tattooed pattern that covers your entire body. You still need a ritual book to store your rituals.
[FONT="]
[/FONT]NOTE: These abilities have been tailor-made to fit two of my players, the first one more of an actor, the other tends to go for versatility. I'm mostly interested if they seem balanced in regards to each other, and perhaps someone could help me come up with concepts for the rest of my players (Human Starlock, Human RQ Paladin, Elven Beastmaster and Half-Elf Bravura Warlord)?
[/sblock]House rule #2:
[sblock]DRAMATIC TWIST
Sometimes a group of adventurers might get stuck. To avoid this a character may, once per day, elect to create a dramatic twist. A dramatic twist is a tool suited for social encounters, non-combat skill challenges or when facing difficulties while exploring. A dramatic twist allows a character to remember something essential to the situation, receive an important clue or come to a startling conclusion. A dramatic twist is similar to a saving throw; a roll lower than 10 indicates a failure, which means the character can’t come up with anything clever. A success on the other hand suggests that the character somehow overcomes the odds or unravels the secrets. A success could improve an NPC’s general attitude, grant a small bonus to a certain skill for the rest of the encounter, or simply give a suitable answer when facing a choice or a mystery. For more advanced options, one could grant a bonus or a penalty to the check depending on how the character motivates his reasoning or how it correlates to his character concept and/or background.
Examples:
Slowly a hint of recognition appears in the merchants eyes. “I knew you looked familiar! You’re the ones that saved my donkey from those goblins! Of course you can have a discount!” (NPC attitude improved by one step)
As the battered ranger barges through the double-doors of the throne room, lightning flashes in the distance and a roll of thunder accompanies his determined foot-steps. (+2 to Intimidate until the end of the encounter)
The halfling ponders the meaning of the mysterious riddle, and as sure as the sun rises in the east, the answer has been staring him in the face all this time. (Learn the answer to the riddle, or at least get a hefty hint)
NOTE: All references to LotR aside, I thought of creating this rule to alleviate the need of rail-roading by handing it out to the players in the form of a game-mechanic. Maybe it's a bit silly, but I thought it might be interesting !
[/sblock]
