New Rules!!! :)

[Taren Seeker]

Arcanis:
Bloodline abilities and how they interact (social status)
Gods without alignment that can have "good" and "bad" aspects. More of a Crom feel rather than D&D standard.
They have actually managed to make flintlocks interesting and worthwhile, though a bow still has advantages.

 

[Terwox]

to Scribble -- if you like alternate rules so much, go buy unearthed arcana right now! whole book of alt. rules. It's currently 60% off at Amazon, as well.

 

[Scribble]

to Scribble -- if you like alternate rules so much, go buy unearthed arcana right now! whole book of alt. rules. It's currently 60% off at Amazon, as well.

While I have been meaning to pick that book up, what I mean is more optional rules, not nessessarily alternate rules.

Meaning they just kind of add into the game as opossed to changing the way soemthing is done. For instance the ritual magic from the Relics and Rituals book. It doesn't change the way magic is cast in the game, it just adds a new element.

 

[Laman Stahros]

While I have been meaning to pick that book up, what I mean is more optional rules, not nessessarily alternate rules.

Meaning they just kind of add into the game as opossed to changing the way soemthing is done. For instance the ritual magic from the Relics and Rituals book. It doesn't change the way magic is cast in the game, it just adds a new element.

Unearthed Arcana contains a number of optional rules as well as the alternate rules.

Examples would be Bloodlines, Racial Paragon Classes, Item Familiars (my fav), Contacts, and others.

 

[GlassJaw]

I love new optional rules

Ehh, I'm not sure I agree but it also depends on what your definition of "rules" is. If you mean more PrC's, spells, magic items, classes, etc, then no, I hate new rules.

If you mean a book like Grim Tales, that totally turns D&D and d20 upside down, then yeah, I love new rules. No single tome has changed my game as much as GT. GT is more than just new "rules", it's pretty much a completely different way to think about D&D and d20. (I actually think my heralding of Grim Tales is getting a little obnoxious sorry Wulf!)

I also just got my hands on Chaositech. Wow! I ignored it for a while but I was looking for some kind of twist to the homebrew I'm working on (Grim Tales) and I found it! Chaositech is twisted. Again, it's more than just "stuff". It really takes your game in a completely different direction.

 

[DMH]

The Enchiridion of Elided Enduements of the Expanse has the synergy class (boiled down it is xp for feats). From ST Cooley.

The Enchiridion of Treasures and Objects D'Art has better crafting and economy rules than the SRD. Plus innate magic of materials.

Toxicant from Mad Kaiser has many real world poisons and more realistic effects of being poisoned.

Torn Asunder has critical effects. Arms and Armor has armor as DR.

Oathbound/Faeries have prestige races.

Crime and Punishment and Dynasties and Demagogues (both from Atlas) have interesting rules variants.

 

[Psion]

These things sound intriging just from the name... Anyone care to shed a little light on what they are?

Wulf put his Ley line rules were free on line, last I knew:
http://www.badaxegames.com/mm/pdf/hohf_elves_ley_lines.pdf

Second World Sourcebook:
Bindings system: The book has a number of classes called wardens that receive "binding slots". To make a long story short, basically they enchant themselves to gain spell like abilities. (Incidentally, SWS also has an influence system that replaces treasure with influence.)
d20 modern adaptation: if you ever want to use d20 modern and D&D side by side, the book goes to painstaking lengths to identify differences between the systems and provides options for bridging the gaps.

FFG Path books:
Legendary Classes: Classes with strict requirements, including three quests. The classes are all 5 level classes. They give you a list of abilities, but how potent each ability is determined by which level you take it at, leaving the player with some interesting choices. It's an interesting mechanic.
I think this one has an online sample too:
http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/pdf/llpots.pdf

 

[Scribble]

Ehh, I'm not sure I agree but it also depends on what your definition of "rules" is. If you mean more PrC's, spells, magic items, classes, etc, then no, I hate new rules.

I'm kind of with you on that one. I get bored of everyyyy book that comes out these days just being more feats, prestige classes, and spells.

Not that I dislike those things, options are great.... But I like to see when people come up with soemthing totally new. It doesn't have to be game shattering. Like the drinking rules in Fairs Tournaments and taverns. Just a new mechanic that wasn't covered in the game. It's not going to cause a huge change if you intro them. In fact, you can probably slide them into the game rather easily. But they're new (or they were when they came out) and cover an area not covered before...

See what I mean?

Legendary Classes: Classes with strict requirements, including three quests. The classes are all 5 level classes. They give you a list of abilities, but how potent each ability is determined by which level you take it at, leaving the player with some interesting choices. It's an interesting mechanic.

This sounds pretty cool actually. I'm going to have to check out that sample sometime soon. It sounds almost like what was intended for Prestige classes, but with some built in guards (the quests).

UA has rules for handling status right? For some reason in all of my years DMing status always evades me I'm not sure why, but I have a hard time determing when people should have "heard of" the characters and their deeds... I've always meant to house rule up some sort of system, but never get around to it.

 

[Voadam]

For epic feeling rituals I prefer the ones from Twin Crowns Campaign Setting and the follow ups from Living Imagination.

 

[Psion]

For epic feeling rituals I prefer the ones from Twin Crowns Campaign Setting and the follow ups from Living Imagination.

If anyone intends to use these that is not playing the Twin Crowns settings MUST use their Spellbound book instead of the form that exists in any of their other books. The suggestions for alternative ritual components are much more campaign neutral -- and for that matter, more flavorful.

(Still, I am an R&R ritual person myself. The R&R ritual rules make metamagic feats less useless.)