Ingenious & Game-expanding Houserules

[Ferghis]

It thus far has proven to be very, very effective for a couple reasons. First... it makes falling to 0 have actual consequences... and thus the group's tactics have changed quite a bit. The so-called "ranged" characters now no longer just sit back pew-pewing without a care in the world while their fellow melee characters take attack after attack after attack... because they know that if they don't occasionally jump in and peel off some of the monsters... their melee friends will fall to 0, suffer wounds, and thus end up not having many HP after the fight with which to continue adventuring. So it behooves them to absorb some attacks themselves to forestall their melee brethren from falling unconscious whenever possible. Otherwise... their adventuring grinds to a halt while everyone waits for the melee attackers to recover from their wounds. The wizard realizes that "taking one for the team" and actually getting hit occasionally only helps them all in the long run... because him suffering 15 HP in damage (which will be recovered during a Short Rest) has less long-term consequences than making the Fighter take it, him fall below 0, and now the party has to wait for recovery (or else continue on, but now their tank is not at full strength.)

I'm glad to hear that this has worked so well for you. I've been very reluctant to impact HP in long-term, since I fear it would have much greater impact on the front-line characters ability to contribute. I've been working on some alternative penalties (such as -1 speed, a penalty to one defense, lowering your maximum surges, etc.). I can how lowering max HP is effective in a highly collaborative party. I've seen groups that, whether out of RP or simple disinclination, characters tend to ponder "party effectiveness" much less. My concern is with those groups, in which the the fighter now always starts at bloodied value HP, and therefore keeps the healer on a very short leash. For those characters, this can spiral pretty quickly.

 

[Ferghis]

I also use the 13th Age Escalation die, amongst other house rules. But since you wanted house rules that really expanded the game, I focused on the biggest house rule I use.

I think the escalation die is an ingenious and game-changing houserule, and, at least in my book, worthy of this thread. Since I've learned of it, I've been tempted to require a certain value on the die before allowing daily powers, as well as having some events (stunned, dominated, and unconscious status, creatures such as dragons, and so on) raise the die.

 

[DEFCON 1]

My concern is with those groups, in which the the fighter now always starts at bloodied value HP, and therefore keeps the healer on a very short leash. For those characters, this can spiral pretty quickly.

It definitely can spiral quickly, which is why I've found it to be a net positive. In my previous campaign, I had an archery ranger and a wizard, both of which would immediately say "Well, I'm dead!" just as soon as a monster engaged them in hand-to-hand combat. They thought that since they fought at range... as soon as that couldn't happen they might as well just give up. And that attitude constantly annoyed the crap out of me, because in both cases... they maybe fell below 0 HP less than three times each in the whole 3 year campaign.

So this was part of the attitude I wanted to curb in this new game-- the idea that if you fight at range that is all you do, with no thought given to your fellow melee combatants who are taking all the attacks, and immediately throwing up your hands in defeat should you get engaged. Because ranged attackers are usually just as strong as many other PCs in hit points and AC, and they really should get used to the idea of doing both ranged and melee when the moment is right. Forcing them to find that right moment by making the consequences so dire when they just wimp out and don't... has been a godsend thus far.

 

[Balesir]

Some nice ideas already: encounter powers recharging on a standard action is intriguing; if I were to include persistent wounds I think I would use the disease track for penalties to Attack and/or Defences and/or skill rolls rather than a hit point cap, but it's an interesting concept.

My own contribution concerns magic items. I really like 4E's split between magic items as a party build resource and artifacts as DM controlled "world elements", but I did get a bit fed up during the earlier levels with the way any cash is far better hoarded to buy "proper (i.e. permanent) magic items" than used for anything else.

My solution is to split out "residuum" as the "raw stuff" of magic items; making a magic item needs its full value in residuum - no other substance will do. You can add in other, mundane elements for colour (slalmander blood for the flame tongue sword, etc.), but the full value in residuum is non-negotiable. Disenchant rituals give full value in residuum, not just 20% or whatever, so there is a "law of conservation of residuum" - it doesn't go away, but the politics of where and how it is created/mined might be a nice, world-specific plot hook.

Money is still needed for the rituals used to enchant, disenchant, move and change enchantments and so on - and maybe also for the "blueprints" needed to make specific magic items. In some circumstances residuum might even be available for sale - at whatever exchange rate fits the game.

Money can meanwhile also be used for other rituals, consumables, gear that gives bonuses to skill rolls (one-off, like bribes and disguise materials, or persistent, like climbing kits and so on), castles or other bases.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

Perhaps not game expanding, but I've always found my house rule for Hero Points to be handy to add to any game:

- PCs start the game with 3 Hero Points, and gain one additional for each level gained.
- A Hero Point can be spent to guarantee success on a roll (treat as a natural 20 for the purposes of special effects like critical hits), OR to guarantee failure on an opponent's roll (treat as a natural 1 where that matters).
- A Hero Point can be expended to stabilize a dying character.

It may help to know that I run the style of game where I roll in the open and pull no punches. Despite that, players have used their Hero Points to pull off some pretty dramatic moments.

 

[Wednesday Boy]

I also use the 13th Age Escalation die, amongst other house rules. But since you wanted house rules that really expanded the game, I focused on the biggest house rule I use.

What is the Escalation Die?

 

[Ferghis]

What is the Escalation Die?

I haven't read the original, so I might have some of this wrong, but it's a large d6 placed in the middle of the table at the beginning of every encounter. It usually starts at 1, and is increased by 1 at the start of every round, but some events can make it start higher, or increase it more quickly. The [value - 1] is added to all PC and some monster attacks. As far as I can make out, it has three immediate effects:

1. It increases the speed of "mop up."
2. It delays (and therefore spreads out) the use of important powers and nova-ing in general (players wait for a bit of a bonus), thereby making combats a little more cinematic.
3. It advises players of the stakes of the situation: if the DM announces the escalation die starts at 3, it's probably a very tough fight, and they should harness their resources accordingly.

All in all, a very simple houserule that achieves several good effects.

 

[Wednesday Boy]

Thanks! (Can someone cover me? Ferghis has apparently been so sagely that I must spread some XP around before I can.)

 

[Dragonblade]

What is the Escalation Die?

Ferghis is close. Per the 13th Age rules, its a big d6 you set out starting in round 2 of any combat. Essentially the value of the die in round 1 is zero. From there, the die starts at 1 and goes up 1 every round thereafter. All PCs add the value of the die to their attack rolls. In 13th Age, some monsters, like dragons, also get to use the die, but mostly its for PCs. Also some character and monster abilities can trigger or are unlocked when the die is a certain value.

It works really well in my 4e game to help eliminate grind and anti-climactic misses, especially in the later rounds of combat. It also encourages players to wait a bit before unloading their dailies when its more dramatically appropriate and they have a higher chance to hit. As opposed to simply going nova in the first round.

I like it a lot. Whenever I DM 4e from now on, I intend to use it. And my next campaign after my current 4e game wraps up will likely be full on 13th Age. Its my personal favorite of all the d20 variants out there.

 

[Ferghis]

Putting the die out in the second round is more straightforward than putting it out on the first and subtracting one. I knew I had something wrong.

Thanks! (Can someone cover me? Ferghis has apparently been so sagely that I must spread some XP around before I can.)

You're gonna make me blush... But you already xp'd me for the first post of the thread.