C&C house rules -- what are yours?

[Turanil]

Another houserule:

Spellcaster do not prepare their spells. Instead, they cast them as 3e sorcerers do. There is however a penalty if the spellcaster doesn't study his spellbook or pray to the gods: First day without having studied / prayed: each spell cast requires to succeed an attribute check (Intelligence for wizards, Wisdom for clerics, etc.), or the spell is failed. Then, each successive day without studying or praying the spellcaster suffers a cumulative -1 on his attribute check to successfully cast spells. Henceforth, spellcasters are more flexible and interesting to play, yet wizards without spellbooks are quickly powerless and faithless clerics are quickly cut off their deity...

 

[Akrasia]

Akrasia (and others), can I take all your houserules and add them to a small document I will create, of houserules for Castle & Crusades?
...

Sure -- go ahead!

(Obviously I can only speak for my own stuff here...)

 

[Frostmarrow]

Sure -- go ahead!

(Obviously I can only speak for my own stuff here...)

It's all right with me too. If anything is unclear don't be afraid to ask.

 

[VorpalBunny]

It's all right with me too. If anything is unclear don't be afraid to ask.

Ditto.

 

[driver8]

One rule that Ive been mulling over, but was made crystal clear to me by a player in my PbP game regards helms.

Helms and coifs dont provide an AC bonus or head protection. Instead, helms provide protection vs critical hits (in my game natural 20s that do double damage). Such hits are treated as normal damage attacks.

Coifs force natural 20 crits to reroll to confirm the attack was successful. If it is, it does critical damage. If not the attack just does normal damage.

KInda similar to a 2e DnD rule, and a favorite rule of mine from the old Baldurs Gate CRPG. It at least gives some benefit for the cost and ENC it puts on the player.

 

[Turanil]

I do like the way multiclassing is handled in D&D 3e/d20. I would like to implement that in C&C. However there is a problem in that experience progression tables in C&C are different for all classes. So I have been considering:

1) multiclass works as in 3e.
2) multiclassed character uses the slowest advancement progression table. (If begins with 1 level of fighter then adds 6 levels of rogue, must nonetheless use the XP chart of fighters. Sounds harsh, but I cannot think of a better idea.)
3) multiclass is allowed only if character has a valid reason to multiclass in the campaign. (If fighter wants to multiclass as a wizard, he must have learned the trade with some mage for quite some time before being able to do it.)

 

[Dragonhelm]

The other option to multiclassing is to add the XP together for the next level of both classes, then once you hit that XP level, you go up in both classes at once.

I've used this in AD&D and it worked fairly well.

 

[Turanil]

Add the XP together for the next level of both classes, then once you hit that XP level, you go up in both classes at once.

Sorry, but I tried to think about it with the charts under my nose and didn't understand how your system works. Can you give examples? It seems like a system of AD&D multiclass, not of D&D 3e multiclass.

 

[Dragonhelm]

Sorry, but I tried to think about it with the charts under my nose and didn't understand how your system works. Can you give examples? It seems like a system of AD&D multiclass, not of D&D 3e multiclass.

It would be akin to AD&D multiclassing.

Since I don't have the C&C PHB in front of me, I'll just make up some numbers for the experience charts.

Let's say you're playing a 1st level wizard/1st level rogue. You wish to advance to 2nd level. Rather than dividing the XP between the classes and averaging things out, you would add the XP it takes to get to 2nd level in both classes together. When you reach that number, then you advance to 2nd level all at once.

So, if it takes 2,000 XP to get to 2nd level wizard, and 1,500 XP to get to 2nd level rogue, you would then add the two together to reach 3,500 XP. When you gain 3,500 XP, you advance to 2nd level in both classes simultaneously.

The only real concern would be the BtH, and I think that you could just take the best of the two.

Hope that makes sense.

 

[Turanil]

I really don't like traditional AD&D multiclassing, as it IMO allows munchkinism until 10th level (my last multiclassed character in AD&D was a cleric-wizard from 1st to 15th level, so I know what I am saying). However, your method as I see it could allow it. Two classes, with best BtH and best hit-dice, and prime and special abilities of the two added together. You climb to next level when you have enough XP for the next level of the two classes that requires the more XP, and at the same time have colected XP for the two classes. That means, you must get XP for the two classes (keeping track of the two progressions apart).

I will see if I can allow this sytem in addition to a regular 3e multiclassing as I suggest.

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Otherwise, as for another houserule:

I was reading yesterday two AD&D complete handbooks that I saw could be used in a C&C campaign (for adventures): Complete Gladiator's Handbook, and Complete Book of Necromancers. I clearly see that I can use kits for at least NPCs.

For PCs: I was considering adding feats (at 1st, 3rd, 6th, 9th, 12th, etc.) levels to add power and customizations, and because I like the idea of feats. However, 90% of 3e feats cannot be added to C&C obviously, they are incompatible IMO. On the other hand, I have seen that many "special advantages" of 2e kits could be turned into "C&C feats". For example I could well see a "nobility" feat: You get a +3 bonus to Charisma checks plus special in-game advantages (such as being allowed into the king's court, request hospitality from other nobles, etc.), but provided you have a castle, a valid nobility title, and relevant luxury equipment, and spends more money than others. This feat could be got at 1st level, but a character who makes a fortune at higher level and becomes a Lord during the course of the adventures could get this "feat".