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Message: <blockquote data-quote="aboyd" data-source="post: 4623760" data-attributes="member: 44797">Here are my house rules.  I managed to get each one down to just a sentence or two.  You'll see a lot of it is based upon topics here @ EnWorld over the last year.  I tried to solve the 15-minute workday by giving casters more low-level spells; I tried to beef up fighters at later levels by giving them a few extra feats; I tried to fix the issues with low-light denying sneak attacks.<ol> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Players get 3 minutes for their turn, regardless of how many characters/critters they have to play, so consider that before going overboard.  Anything you cannot get to within the time limit will delay action until the next round.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">I'm ruling falling damage to be bludgeoning damage (or piercing, if falling onto spikes).  Thus DR does apply.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">In my game, 24 hours awake = 8 hours forced march. See page 164 of the Player's Handbook.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Any dimensional portal inside of another does not cause catastrophe, but does stop working. This means a Handy Haversack will not open while inside a Rope Trick spell.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Characters can perform strenuous activity for as many rounds as they have points of Constitution. In other words, someone with a 14 Con can fight/swim/run as normal for 14 rounds. Once you reach your limit, you are temporarily fatigued. If you keep going, you can hit your limit a 2nd time and become temporarily exhausted.  These temporary conditions can be reduced (from exhausted to fatigued, or from fatigued to normal) with one minute (10 rounds) of prone rest.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Regarding Shield Bash, you cannot disorient a giant by bashing his toe.  Bashes need to hit an area responsible for cognition (the brain) or perception (the eyes for most, ears or sonar for some).</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">We do not use the death by massive damage rule (which is, if you take 50+ hit points of damage from a single attack, then you must save or die).</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Quick Draw applies to anything stored in a container made for ready reach.  This includes things like scrolls or flasks. The container cannot be concealed.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Acid flasks, smokesticks, holy water, tanglefoot bags, alchemist's fire, and thunderstones can all be thrown without preparation at full BAB.  You'll probably need Quick Draw and a bandoleer to pull 'em out fast enough, though.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Hiding works like (short-lived) invisibility.  A hidden rogue denies the target his Dex Mod to AC (he's flat-footed against the hiding rogue).  Thus, a sneak attack is possible.  You may try to re-hide after an attack, but it's at -20.  See page 76 of the Player's Handbook.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">In a surprise round, people are flat-footed until they get a chance to attack.  Rogues can sneak attack the flat-footed.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">A bard can only have one song in play at any given time.  There are feats in Complete Adventurer & Complete Warrior that allow for songs to be combined.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">For creating magic items, I <a href="http://www.enworld.org/forum/d-d-3rd-edition-rules/243724-character-wealth-confusion-2.html" target="_blank">disallow the cost reduction rule</a>.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Craft (alchemy) can normally only be used by spellcasters, but if you make something that does not radiate magic and in fact is not magical (such as an acid flask), there is no need to be a spellcaster.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">My game uses <a href="http://www.outshine.com/blog/2008/08/dungeons-dragons-3t-revised-bonus-spells.php" target="_blank">revised bonus spell chart</a> which provides extra low-level spells.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Wizards and Sorcerers use the Paladin's companion rules for the consequences of the death/dismissal of a familiar.  This means no XP loss, but spells have the 30-day attack & damage penalties.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">With Ebon Eyes, a person in an area of shadowy illumination sees as if it were daylight, which removes the miss chance that low-light conditions normally cause in combat.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Barbarians are born, not made.  You can't take a level of barbarian unless your first level was in it.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">As per <a href="http://www.enworld.org/forum/d-d-3rd-edition-rules/243724-character-wealth-confusion.html" target="_blank">this thread</a>, when you create a new character, the most you can spend on any one item is half your gold.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">In my game, the smithing skills (blacksmith, metalworking, armorsmith, weaponsmith) are all rolled into blacksmith.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">When creating a new character, use the 32 point buy method for your stats.  HeroForge shows the point buy value as you assign stats, plus there are <a href="http://yellowrex.com/tools/pbcalc.php" target="_blank">online tools</a> to do it also.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Critical hits do not require confirmation rolls.  Things are just deadly.  Watch out.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Fighter bonus feats are awarded at any level that a normal feat is not awarded. (Levels 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11, 13, 14, 16, 17, 19, 20).  By level 20, this gives 3 more feats than normal.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Normally, rogues get special abilities at every level except level 14 and 20.  I've decided to fill level 14 with low-light vision, which should help their ability to sneak attack.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">The Dragon Shaman's Fast Healing aura does not auto-stabilize.  It's just accelerated natural healing.  With natural healing of any speed, if you are bleeding out when you're unconscious, you have to roll a 10% chance to stabilize.</li> </ol>I'm thinking about taking Metalworking out of #20.  I think it's more for jewelry, although I'm not clear on all their distinctions.I have about 5 or 10 other house rules that I could not boil down to a few words.  I might post those later.Let me know if you see any glaring, game-breaking holes.  <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /></blockquote>

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