A short comment on one of your house rules in light of my experience:
Knowledge (monsters): Do not have it. This caused great consternation in my group when I, as DM, did not permit characters to have D&D-style information on unusual creatures which they had never encountered before. "But my check is a 32," they would yell, "it's just not possible that I don't know what immunities and resistances this thing has". Your average 4th level character would know pretty much the strengths and weaknesses of a skeleton or zombie, but not a yuan-ti or elemental. Treat character knowledge of monsters as a "general knowledge" issue. Characters might have special knowledge about particular types of monsters - like druids and rangers would have good knowledge of animals and perhaps some beasts, specialist necromancers and clerics of death would have good knowledge of undead, and Knowledge (the planes) is OK as a substitute for Knowledge (outsiders/elementals).
I have just revamped my House Rules for a new campaign starting this Friday - very much a work in progress, and will be added to substantially as the campaign wears on:
Acknowledgement: This steals lots of great ideas of others I have seen posted on these boards. I gratefully acknowledge these ideas and thank their orginal authors.
HOUSE RULES
SYSTEM REFERENCE DOCUMENT
The System Reference Document for Dungeons & Dragons (
http://www.wizards.com/D20/article.asp?x=srd) will used to clarify any rules presented in Player’s Handbook (‘PH’) about which there is uncertainty, or which have been corrected since the publication of the PH. Otherwise, the following house rules are in effect.
CHARACTER RACES AND CLASSES
Races
The standard races from Chapter Two of PH are modified as follows.
Gnome
Favoured Class: Druid.
Half-Elf
A half-elf is a human who has taken the following feat as their bonus feat at 1st level.
Half-Elf [Initial]
The blood of elves courses through your veins.
Prerequisites: Human race, character must be 1st level.
Benefits: You gain the following benefits as racial benefits:
· Immunity to sleep spells and similar magical effects, and a +2 racial bonus to saving throws against Enchantment spells or effects.
· Low-light Vision.
· +1 racial bonus to Listen, Search and Spot checks.
· Elven blood: Your Humanoid type modifier is (elf). For all special abilities and effects, you are considered to be an elf. For example, you are not affected by a ghoul’s paralysing touch.
· Longevity and fine features: Your starting age and the effect of aging on you are determined by reference to the Half-Elf row on Tables 64 and 65 on p93 of PH. Your height and weight are determined by reference to the Half-Elf row on Table 6-6 on p93 of PH.
Basic classes
The following changes are made to the character classes presented in Chapter Three of PH.
Bard
Bonus Feats: A bard gains a bonus feat every five levels (5th, 10th, 15th etc.). He does not gain a bonus feat at 1st level. The bonus feats available to bards are the following:
· from Song and Silence: Alluring, Charlatan, Disguise Spell, Extra Music, Green Ear, Jack of all Trades, Lingering Song, Multicultural, Obscure Lore, Persuasive, Requiem, Subsonics, Trustworthy.
In all cases, the bard must meet the prerequisites for a feat to take it.
Skill Points: A bard picks up a range of skills as he adventures, but is only truly proficient at a small number of skills. To represent the “jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none” aspect of the bard, change the skill points available to bards as follows:
Skill Points at 1st Level: (4 + Int modifier) ×4.
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 6 + Int modifier.
Druid
The druid class is replaced by the house druid class set out in another document.
Paladin
Spell Progression: Paladins use the following spell progression table in place of Table 3-12, p42 PH:
---- Spells per Day ---- ---- Spells per Day ----
Lvl 1 2 3 4 Lvl 1 2 3 4
4 0 - - - 13 2 1 1 0
5 0 - - - 14 2 2 1 0
6 1 - - - 15 2 2 1 1
7 1 0 - - 16 3 2 2 1
8 1 0 - - 17 3 3 2 1
9 1 1 - - 18 3 3 2 2
10 1 1 0 - 19 3 3 3 2
11 2 1 0 - 20 4 3 3 3
12 2 1 1 -
Ranger
Spell Progression: Rangers use the following spell progression table in place of Table 3-13, p44 PH:
---- Spells per Day ---- ---- Spells per Day ----
Lvl 1 2 3 4 Lvl 1 2 3 4
4 0 - - - 13 2 1 1 0
5 0 - - - 14 2 2 1 0
6 1 - - - 15 2 2 1 1
7 1 0 - - 16 3 2 2 1
8 1 0 - - 17 3 3 2 1
9 1 1 - - 18 3 3 2 2
10 1 1 0 - 19 3 3 3 2
11 2 1 0 - 20 4 3 3 3
12 2 1 1 -
[There are lots of other things you could do with the ranger, but I'm waiting on the revised 3E version, which will no doubt have guidance on how to change those designed using the SRD version of the ranger into the new version.]
Sorcerer
Skills: At 1st level, a sorcerer can choose one skill (including an exclusive skill) which has Charisma as its key ability as a class skill
Multi-classing
The multi-class prohibitions on monks and paladins will not be in effect. Characters will be able to multi-class in similar classes (e.g. barbarian/fighter, bard/rogue). All other multi-class limitations (alignment restrictions, costs for purchasing cross-class skills, XP penalties for significant variations in level, etc.) will be applicable.
SKILLS
The following changes are made to skills set out in Chapter Four of PH.
Tumble (p75)
There is no set DC for avoiding attacks of opportunity when tumbling through threatened or occupied squares. When you attempt to tumble through a threatened square, your AC against attacks of opportunity is the higher of your normal AC or Tumble check plus any dodge bonus to your normal AC. When you attempt to tumble through a square occupied by your opponent, your opponent gains a +10 bonus to its attack roll.
FEATS
Player’s Handbook
The following changes are made to feats set out in Chapter Five of PH.
Combat Casting (p80)
Benefit: You gain a +4 dodge bonus to your AC when attempting to cast on the defensive.
Skill Focus (p85)
Benefit: You gain a +3 bonus on all skill checks for the chosen skill.
COMBAT
Casting on the defensive (p125)
There is no set DC for avoiding attacks of opportunity by casting on the defensive. When you attempt to cast on the defensive, your AC against attacks of opportunity is the higher of your normal AC or your Concentration check plus any dodge bonus to your normal AC (note that the Combat Casting feat grant you a +4 dodge bonus to AC when casting on the defensive). If you are hit while casting on the defensive, you must make a Concentration check equal to 10 + the level of the spell you are attempting to cast in order to succeed in casting the spell.
Turn and rebuke (p139)
Targets: The area of effect of a turn or rebuke attempt is a 60’ cone.
SPELLS
Player’s Handbook
Druids and ability-enhancing spells
The ability-enhancing spells (bull’s strength, cat’s grace, eagle’s splendour, endurance, fox’s cunning, and owl’s wisdom) are 2nd-level druid spells.
Continual flame (p188)
The spell continual flame does not create a flame – it is cast on an existing flame no larger than that produced by a lit torch. The act of casting the spell results in the flame consuming magical energy rather than the medium which it is burning, but the flame continues to radiate heat and consume oxygen as a normal flame of its size, and it can be extinguished as such. Thus, a continual flame cast on a torch will result in the torch burning until it is put out by strong winds, being doused, smothered, or otherwise deprived of oxygen. Since the flame is real, it can be used to damage and ignite things, and it gives off smoke which may be able to be smelled or seen. If the flame is subject to a successful dispel magic, antimagic field, or similar effect, it ceases to consume magical energy, but subsists as a natural flame consuming the medium which it is burning. The spell component is 50gp worth of ruby dust, which is sprinkled over the flame to be made permanent.
Greater Magic Fang (p210)
Duration: 10 minutes/level
Greater Magic Weapon (p210)
Target: One weapon
Duration: 10 minutes/level
Haste (p212)
On the expiry of haste (or its earlier cancellation, e.g. by dispel magic), the affected creature is fatigued (a fatigued creature suffers a –2 penalty to Str and Dex, and cannot run or charge, until it has had 8 hours of complete rest, see p84 DMG).
Improved Invisibility (p217)
Duration: 1 round/level (D).
New spells
Cause Fatigue
Necromancy
Level: Sor/Wiz 2, Clr 2, Drd 2
Components: V,S
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Touch
Target: One creature
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates
Spell Resistance: Yes
The caster can cause a creature to become tired. The victim is fatigued, as described in the Dungeon Master’s Guide. If the victim was already fatigued, it becomes exhausted instead (a fatigued creature suffers a –2 penalty to Str and Dex, and cannot run or charge, until it has had 8 hours of complete rest; an exhausted creature suffers a 6 penalty to Str and Dex, and moves at half speed, until is has had an hour of complete rest, at which time it becomes fatigued). The spell counters, and is countered by, remove fatigue.
Remove Fatigue
Conjuration (Healing)
Level: Clr 1, Drd 1, Pal 1
Components: V,S
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Touch
Target: One creature
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)
The spell revitalises a tired creature. A fatigued creature subject to this spell is no longer fatigued, while an exhausted creature becomes fatigued instead (see Condition Summary at pp83-85 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide for a description of the fatigued and exhausted conditions). The spell counters, and is countered by, cause fatigue.
Cheers, Al'Kelhar
