My revised DS house rules. Analysis??

[Storyteller01]

It's mostly for Dragon Star. What do you think?

 

[HellHound]

First comment:

Rule 43 doesn't indicate what progressions are for what classes. Further, if a character multiclasses in a class with a poor defense bonus, his or her defense bonus actually goes DOWN by one for multiclassing.

I have general issues with Improved Weapon Finesse, especially in Dragonstar or other settings where ranged weapons and thus Dex is already of primary importance. This further reduces the Strength stat to be a dump stat for everyone, including would-be tank fighters.

Rule 26 - I'm assuming the bonded weapon is treated as the ancestral daisho of a samurai, right?

What are Dragon Aspect and Dragon Blooded from - why not include the stats for these in the house rules?

 

[Storyteller01]

First comment:

Rule 43 doesn't indicate what progressions are for what classes. Further, if a character multiclasses in a class with a poor defense bonus, his or her defense bonus actually goes DOWN by one for multiclassing.

I have general issues with Improved Weapon Finesse, especially in Dragonstar or other settings where ranged weapons and thus Dex is already of primary importance. This further reduces the Strength stat to be a dump stat for everyone, including would-be tank fighters.

Rule 26 - I'm assuming the bonded weapon is treated as the ancestral daisho of a samurai, right?

What are Dragon Aspect and Dragon Blooded from - why not include the stats for these in the house rules?

AC bonus is based on your BaB (Best, Average, Poor). Poor BaB gets the poor AC. Sorry 'bout that. I'll have to work on the second, but no, it doesn't go down.

As for the feat, having Str as a dump stat isn't too much of an issue for me . Tank fighters (melee anyway) become obsolete against ranged attacks doing 2d8 to 3d8 in damage. It gets worse when the combat takes place at ranges of 300 - 500 feet. Melee fighter just sits there...

The tanks I've seen are literal tanks: High Str to carry mounted rocket packs, light machne guns on stabilizers, etc. It gets worse when/if they find Power Armor (Str 16 - 25 and speeds between 30 and 40, depending on the suit in question).


Rule 26: If that's the route the player chooses. I have a number of publications with a variety of options. They pick what fits their character. I just got lazy.

Dragon Aspect and Draon Blooded are in MGP's Dragon Magic. They're powered down variations of the Half Dragon. The first gets the AC bonus, HD bonus, and another small ability. The second gains the bonus AC, bonus HD adjustment, fear ability, and another small ability. Got lazy again.

 

[HellHound]

As for the feat, having Str as a dump stat isn't too much of an issue for me . Tank fighters (melee anyway) become obsolete against ranged attacks doing 2d8 to 3d8 in damage. It gets worse when the combat takes place at ranges of 300 - 500 feet. Melee fighter just sits there...

All this goes on to make that feat more than good, but a necessity. If the feat becomes required for a character, then it is probably too good, IMO.

 

[AdmundfortGeographer]

If the feat becomes required for a character, then it is probably too good, IMO.

Or it should just be built in as a class feature.

 

[Storyteller01]

All this goes on to make that feat more than good, but a necessity. If the feat becomes required for a character, then it is probably too good, IMO.

Not nessecarily (my defense, not a b*&^% session. Still open to new ideas ).

It only works for light weapons, and weapons that you've taken the W.Fin. feat with (Operating on 3.0 rules: you can't finesse a ranged weapon).

It works well with boarding parties or bodyguards that use close quarters combat or TWF. POwer attckers are still viable but they both face the same problem:

The minimum ranged weapon attack does 1d10 (even the longbow is now a compound bow doing 1d12+4 with modern arrows). By the time you get within melee combat range, either type of fighter has taken massive damage unless they are wearing huge amounts of armor, and that still isn't a guarantee.


If you going to be a melee monkey, either option is viable, but neither has a real advantage. Light weapons do minimal damage even with the new feat, and lots of armor reduces the Dex AC bonus. Even with the AC being rolled, odds are in favor of the fighter of equivalent level with a ranged weapon. Both have to go though weapons doing 1d10 to 5d6 at 100 to 300 feet w/o penalty.

The game system is designed to REALLY make use of the cover rules, unless your wearing high-end power armor (10,000 to 2.5 mill in cash if you have it ).


Here's my revised rules set.

 

[Storyteller01]

Bump... (never done that before...)