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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Drifter Bob" data-source="post: 1627410" data-attributes="member: 17723">Our house rules are pretty extensive at this point.  Combat A lot of my players have been ex military, and martial artists and / or historical fencers, so combat modificatoins are probably the most radical.  It's sort of our own version of a grim and gritty system.  There are a lot of options and potential outcomes, but combat actually goes faster than with the core rules, perhaps because there is less arithmetic to do.<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> Hit points max out at 3x Constitution</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> AC is broken down into damage reduction for armor (or natural armor) and a defense roll.  The defense mod is Base Attack plus Dex bonus.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> Every weapon has an attack bonus and a defense bonus.  The former is essentially based on reach.  The latter is handled like a shield.  </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> If a Defense roll beats an Attack roll by ten or more, the defender gets a 'free' counterattack as an A of O</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> if the Defense roll and Attack roll are equal, the weapon has struck the defending weapon (if any) and damaged it.  This way weapons get broken once in a while. </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> The DR for armor varies by attack type.  It's a fixed factor for natural armor.  </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> You can optionally bypass armor to avoid the damage reduction, for a To Hit Penalty.  Easy for light armor very hard for full (Cap a Pie or Natural Armor)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">There is a different critical hit system based on attack type, (IMO is simpler).  This includes Impalement rules for arrows and some missile weapons </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">There are a lot of new combat Feats based on real fighting dynamics.  Some of these (like sidestep and counterstroke) are in the Primer.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> A few ridiculous feats like Cleave and Manyshot were eliminated.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> Naturally, there is a different weapon list, based on the actual weapons really used in Europe and parts of Asia during the pre-firearms era.  No two ended weapons.  No 10 lbs swords.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> The available weapon and armor also vary according to the time period of the campaign, broken down into a bronze age [pre 1,000 BC], Classical (greek and roman) Medieval (dark ages through 14th century) Renaissance (14th -16th century) and enlightenment period (16th century on out).  That way in each era you have a slightly more manegable (smaller) list of available kit.</li> </ul>Magic we use the spell failure / success rules from the Primer of Practical Magic (c).  All spells can succeed or fail and can also have extraordinary success or failure, normaly based on a spellcraft check.  We also use the extended list of cantrips and spells from the Primer , (c) and also Magic of Faeurun (c) and a few other books.  Not all magic items can be manufactured.  Familiars are gained from a spell as in the old days.We also allow spellcraft checks to identify items and such.I'd like to make a more radical modification to the spell system but haven't had the time to really think it through. Class and Race We have included some Classes from The Complete Warrior (C) and some races from Monsters of Faeurun (c) (Genasi, in particular)  We use some classes from Celtic World (c) by Avalanche Press.AlignmentAlignment detection spells only work on supernatural creatures.  We have talked about adding another layer of variation to the alignment system but haven't done so yet.Feats and Skills All classes get a Feat every 2 levels.  We use some Feats and Skills from Celtic World (c) by Avalanche Press. Experience Xp cost is doubled after 5th level. OtherNo multiclassing penalties or restrictions.  I encourage multiclassing because it makes the characters less immensely powerful while giving them more options.We have drawn up a Charisma modifier rule based on personal grooming, value of clothing worn, and quality of weapons and armor carried (in some circumstances) but it hasn't been implemented yet.We have also been fooling around with a morale rule but haven't tried that out yet either.  We discuss the rules after every session (while trying not to argue about them too much during the actual game) and modifications if any, are suggested then and tinkered with.  Our house rules have been pretty stable for a while now though.DB</blockquote>

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