House Rules for an upcoming PbP

[Ferrix]

So, I've been working on developing a campaign starting from the ground up via a set of rules which create a specific feel for the game.

I'm looking for some feedback before I get to the stage of starting the game however and any help would be appreciated.

You can find the ruleset here.

 

[DanMcS]

So, I've been working on developing a campaign starting from the ground up via a set of rules which create a specific feel for the game.

You shouldn't start tinkering with the way bonuses work unless you want to create an accounting headache. I'm referring to "Improved Dodge" specifically. Maybe make it 1 point of dodge per 5 levels instead of 4, then you don't have to have the whacky stacking rule exception, but it still comes out the same over 20 levels. Might want to give that one a prereq involving ranks in acrobatics, or whatever you called your tumble-aggregate skill.

Generally speaking, your skill changes will make everyone tend to have ranks in acrobatics, athletics, perception, and sneak, since they're so much more useful than any other skill. Why take ranks in a knowledge or craft or perform, which only applies to one thing, when you can take ranks of the uberskills? Similarly, few will learn languages since you penalize it so heavily. If that's what you want to encourage and discourage, you're fine, if not you've got some unintended consequences there.

 

[Ferrix]

You shouldn't start tinkering with the way bonuses work unless you want to create an accounting headache. I'm referring to "Improved Dodge" specifically. Maybe make it 1 point of dodge per 5 levels instead of 4, then you don't have to have the whacky stacking rule exception, but it still comes out the same over 20 levels. Might want to give that one a prereq involving ranks in acrobatics, or whatever you called your tumble-aggregate skill.

Good idea on ranks in Acrobatics. I was thinking about that, I guess that'll work fine too.

Generally speaking, your skill changes will make everyone tend to have ranks in acrobatics, athletics, perception, and sneak, since they're so much more useful than any other skill. Why take ranks in a knowledge or craft or perform, which only applies to one thing, when you can take ranks of the uberskills? Similarly, few will learn languages since you penalize it so heavily. If that's what you want to encourage and discourage, you're fine, if not you've got some unintended consequences there.

I figured as much, it was sort of a snap decision to compress some of the skills thus I went too far.

Acrobatics now is Tumble + Balance. Escape Artist is it's own skill again.

Athletics is now Jump + Climb. Swim is again it's own skill.

Dropped the rough language rules.