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Message: <blockquote data-quote="nothing to see here" data-source="post: 1524637" data-attributes="member: 16432">The 9 House Rules we Love (and use)I've kept meaning to post to this threat...finally got around to it (if anybody's still paying attention)HOUSE RULES:1. BONUS FEAT at FIRST LEVEL: All PC's (And NPC's) gain a bonus feat at first level -- chosen from a 'background feat' list, combining a race, region, and occupation list of options.  We're also using the variant that, for every three feats chosen from this list...the character receives a fourth, bonus feat (though this variant only exists in theory as no PC has used it yet).2. ACTION POINTS AND CHARISMA: Since we run a low magic campaign we use Action Points.  However -- our campaign is Action Point Intensive -- meaning that you get more, and they do more.  All the AP variants from UA are used.  Furthermore at higher levels you can use more than one AP per round.  However the rather than 5 + 1/2 your character level AP per level, each character gets AP equal to their Character level + CHA modifier (min 1) each level.  This provides more Action Points particularly at higher levels, and gives a meaningful mechanical edge to those chacters who invest in a high Charisma score. 3. FAVOURED CLASSES: Don't use them.  Too restrictive both from a campaign flexiblity paradigm and flies in the face of 'options, not restrictions (don't use multiclass restrictions for Paladins and monks for the same reason).  To make up for the mechanical advantage that humans and half-evles would lose -- these races (an anyother previous 'no favoured' class race) gain bonus Action Ponts (see item 2 above) per pevel.  (1 bonus AP at levels 1-5, 2 bonus at 6-10, 3 bonus at 11-15, 4 bonus at 16-20, and 5 bonus at all epic levels...should we ever get that far).4. GRITTY DAMAGE RULES: This is probably my favourite house rule of the bunch.As appealing as WP/VP or Grim and Grityt rules sets are -- I find they deviate a little too much from the core.  Two sets of rules I like are Bastion Press' 'Torn Asunder' and the Massive Damage threshold rules from d20 Modern (repeated in UA).  What we've done is combine the rules...You have a massive damage threshold equal to your CON -- but when exceeded rather than make a Fort Save at DC 15 to avoid dying, you make a save that, if failed, you apply to the CH tables in Torn Asunder (only instead of damage readt the tables as degree of failed save).  For every two points of damage above your threshold, the save DC increases by 1.  5. MERGE FIGHTING DEFENSIVELY AND TOTAL DEFENSE:  When you choose to fight defensively you gain an additional +1 to AC for every attack you give up, plus a bonus +1 to AC if you give up all of your attacks.  Mechanically this is very similar to the rules as is, only it gives multiple attack chacters an additional oomph for sacrificing strikes.  I also allow combat Expertise to be used as Move Equivalent Action to better differentiate the two defensive measures.6.  ARMOUR AS DC -- SPECIAL VARIANT:  I like this system -- it reduces the impact of heavy armour on our campaign (intentionally).  When a strike MISSES an oponent, yet falls within the range of his/her combined Armour/Natural Armour bonus -- you role 1d12 and add the total they missed by...you subtract this from normal damage done, and apply the remainder as subdual damage.  An extra roll, true, but it adds to the feel of feeling the hit, even when your armour stops it.7. DEFENSIVE BONUSES -- HOUSE VARIANT:  Every character class gets a defense bonus at set levels.  Just imagine an additiona column on each class chart...the bonus equals the base classes (BAB + REF save)/4.  Essentially for every 4 base combined points of BAB and REF save -- the class grants an AC bonus of one.  Like BAB this applies to all classes, and partial results aren't ported between classes.8. EXPLODING d20s:  Not literally.  But treating all rolls of 20 as +20 (roll again) and rolls of 1 as -20 (roll again) as opposed to traditional automatic successes and failures.   Also for ever 10 points of bonus above +20 you roll an additional d20 instead (so a +30 bonus becomes a 2d20 +20 bonus).9. MAJOR SUCCESSES: If you beat a DC by 10 or more, the DM should give you something extra for doing what you're doing particulary well.  On attack rolls for instance, the attacker gets to do an additiona 1d4 points of damage, and his opponent usually must either make a REF save to avoid being knocked prone, or a FORT save to avoid being stunnded for one round (or some other additional check, depending on the circumstance of the attack).In the same vein failures by more than 10 are particular bad as well.  For damaging spells, for instance, a failure on your save by 10 or more ensures extra damage equal to 1d4 + the number of damage dice is done.10.  OTHERS:  We use other minor variants as well.  Alignment's role is weakened though not discarded (only recent behaviour strongly representative of an alignment colours an aura applicably).  Many of the feats are slightly tweaked.  We use variants of the bloodline rules in UA (with powered down adaptations of Midnight's heroic paths as options) as well as some of the wapon group feats and metamagic variants (to name a few).  Firearms are more common place and ressurection and teleportation spells are nerfed a little.  Alternate classes from both Arcana Unearthed and Unearthed Arcana are encouraged...as are the political rules in Dynasties and Demagogues -- and Fields of Blood.  but those are issues for another day.</blockquote>

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