House Rules

[Blackeagle]

I'm not even sure if this counts as a "house rule". The power source, from what I gather, has practically no mechanical significance.

Well, like I said, this stuff is more adapting the rules to the setting than changing the game. Getting rid of those interventionist deities is a fairly big change setting-wise.

Some cleric powers (like healing utility powers and rituals) will probably get transfered over to the arcane classes.

 

[djdaidouji]

Some cleric powers (like healing utility powers and rituals) will probably get transfered over to the arcane classes.

I don't think it would be difficult to make a "White Mage" kind of class. Paladins and Combat-oriented Clerics would become spellsword classes, in a way. That way, you don't take anything out, allowing you to test out the full 4e (minus races, of course.)

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

I have always liked higher powered PCs in my campaign. We all enjoy the extra flair and sense of power, and it allows me to throw more at them at once to make things feel really epic. As such, I am going to house rule that all encounter powers the players have include a "Refresh 6" rule. Once per turn they can roll a d6 and if its a 6 they can refresh one of their expended encounter powers.

I'm also considering adding a similar thing for dailies. Refresh 20 maybe, which can be rolled once after each encounter.

Tell me what you guys think.

You're a dirty power gamer, that's what you are!

I think it should work. Sounds pretty easy to do. PCs will become more powerful, shouldn't be a big problem. I suppose this might make combat a bit more dynamic, since you don't know when you'll be able to reuse your power.

Though I think the "daily refresh" method might require a little too much look and is to unpredicatable. Maybe roll 1d6 for that, too, after each encounter. Be sure to really make it per encounter, not per 5 minutes, since the latter would be pointless...

 

[Dice4Hire]

I have to go with a lot of the posters above, and say no house rules.

However, in all honesty, I have not delved into the Pre-4E free-for-all that has been the last few months with revelations, playtests and the huge amount of work some people have done to compile the game before it is published, so my feeling is less informed perhaps, but I do wntt o see the game as WOTC intended.

However, I am thinking seriouls letting people change characters at will for a while, or have super fast advancement for the first 5-6 levels, and then go back to level 1 for playing the game the regular way.

I must admit I am a bit concerned about my group though. My ftF group has three people plus me, the DM. WE usually play gestalt to coverall roles, and I'm not sure if we can do so in 4E. WE'll ahve to find out!!

 

[Ginnel]

I must admit I am a bit concerned about my group though. My ftF group has three people plus me, the DM. WE usually play gestalt to coverall roles, and I'm not sure if we can do so in 4E. WE'll ahve to find out!!

As far as I've read about 4th ed stuff it seems to support the thinking that you don't need to cover all the roles.

You don't have a cleric or warlord? you can still heal with surges
Don't have a wizard? a fighter with cleave can help make short work of those minions
Don't have a fighter? anyone can get to wear full plate with the correct feats now (as far as I'm aware)
Don't have any spellcasters take the ritual caster feat and get those handy utility powers.

Of course you could always include an NPC/henchman in the party controlled by the players.

 

[Odysseus]

The only mechanic thing I've seen that I would want to house rule is the elven teleport, thats got to go.

 

[Family]

House rules? Back in my day when we ran around playing cops and robbers you didn't just stop and say to the cop "hey let's try it without the helicopters", instead you ran 'cuz you had a bag of money and the cops had Glocks and Tazers.

Ahhh last Thursday when I finally gor enough money for 4e and DDI.

 

[Gort]

You don't have a cleric or warlord? you can still heal with surges
Don't have a wizard? a fighter with cleave can help make short work of those minions
Don't have a fighter? anyone can get to wear full plate with the correct feats now (as far as I'm aware)
Don't have any spellcasters take the ritual caster feat and get those handy utility powers.

From my (admittedly limited) experience, the "defender" role is the most important to fill. Our 3-man party of a rogue, ranger and wizard got quickly beaten up by hobgoblins simply because there was nobody who was comfortable taking a hit.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

The only mechanic thing I've seen that I would want to house rule is the elven teleport, thats got to go.

I can see that... It is an awesome ability, but I can see how it feels a little to world-breaking, in the end. Just need to find a good alternative for it - maybe just make it a shifting power "Eladrin Dance" or something like that...

 

[ebenmckay]

As much as I would like to try the new edition without house rules, I have a couple bouncing around in my head that I'd like to at least playtest.

Action Points: still grant extra actions, but PCs will have the option to instead use them to reroll one check. This is mostly for those poor fools who miss with their daily. I liked this idea until I saw the kensei AP power that granted rerolls. In an effort to not steal the kensei's thunder I'd boost that ability to both grant an extra action AND reroll it once (which is maybe too awesome?)

The half-elf extra power: make the extra at-will, at-will! It makes for a pretty sorry per-encounter power IMO, and seems to make the race less attractive. When I first saw the DDXP warlock with that sorry little Ray of Frost I assumed it was At-Will. Even then the player who tested the warlock barely used this power as it was kinda weak compared to Eldritch Blast and Eyebite. I don't see great balance issues arising from the extra At-Will power actually being At-Will, and it would give level 1 gish characters a decent race to pull it off.

Cosmetic changes:

"Kensei" will now be known as "weapon master". Unnecessary Japanese words are forbidden! Not that I have a problem with Japan, but I have had....words with a Japanophile player who constantly ripped off anime characters when creating PCs. He made Goku from DBZ, Orson from Lodoss War, and the main character from Bleach. All characters looked and acted like their anime equivalent, with only minor spelling changes to their names. I need to stop him from making Narutou before it's too late!

Dragonborn females will NOT have breasts. In fact, they will look and sound exactly like male dragonborn. Only other dragonborn will be able to easily tell their genders. I'm making this change because, well, it sounds like fun (especially when the scaly overmuscled tank with the huge greataxe and the booming voice reveals its name is the draconic equivalent of Susan). Tails will be back too.

Tieflings won't ALL have the exact same demon features. This is a request from one of my players who wants to play a tiefling with actual eyebrows, as well as less overstated horns. Demon features will likely be unique characteristics of individual tiefling clans (some bloodlines will have crazy big horns, some will have smaller tails, some will have red scaly skin, and so on) but all tieflings will still be recognizable as such.