GM Notebook Essentials #8: House Rules
Every game has them, but they are different for each GM. They can be big or small, common or just your specialty. They can be something you like because it’s cool or just necessary do to an issue you have with a specific rule.
They are house rules. Specific game rules that are different from the Core Rules but are available/enforced in your game.
They may be common options from the Dungeon Master’s Guide or Unearthed Arcana (variant armor class roll or taint scores), or options from alternative d20 rulebooks like Arcana Evolved (hero points or the opposed tumble skill rule), or something old (the weapon size rules from 3.0) or even something new to your game (the dodge feat gives a continuous +1 bonus, no more “use it or lose it”).
Whatever, it’s changes to the rules that exist at your table. What better place to accumulate all this divergent information spread through many books? I think you know the answer by now…
Time to roll up the sleeves and type up those rules into a document. If you are lucky, you can find some on PDF or websites and paste them into the document. But most likely, you have to put some time into typing them out. It will be worth it. This will serve multiple functions:
1. You will have everything at your fingertips, easy to find and rule on.
2. You will be able to print multiple copies to give to your players so they have access to your house rules. This is important. Nothing will frustrate a player like new rules they don’t understand or forget about. If you give them a copy, then they can learn it and look at it when they need to.
3. Edit. Sometimes new rules just don’t work in play as well as they look on paper. Just add/change/delete the house rule on your document and print.
House rules are fun and can individualize a game. They serve to fix particular details you may not like about the edition you play. Finally, they allow you to customize your game and give it a unique flavor all its own.
As an example, here is a short list of a few I have used on and off. This list is no were near complete or covers all the options available, and is provided just as an example and to hopefully inspire you:
1. The Dodge Feat gives a continuous +1 dodge bonus to AC except in circumstances where the player would lose his dexterity bonus.
2. The Skill Focus Feat gives a +3 bonus to a skill (3.0 house rule).
3. Players start play with 1 hero point at 1st level. Players may earn more hero points for good roleplaying or completing a story/adventure. No player can have more hero points than 3 plus their Charisma modifier (negatives do reduce the maximum). A player may spend a hero point at any time before an action is resolved (the affects given) to add +10 to a D20 roll or a +10 to their AC or spell DC.
4. A naturally rolled “1” on a D20 roll to hit is a critical failure. Another roll is made to confirm the failure. If the second roll would result in a miss then the player “slips” or botches his attack in some way and provokes an AoO from his opponent.
5. Feats and Prestige classes from books X, Y, and Z will be allowed as SOP. The GM must review anything else for approval.
6. All complaints on rules and adventures must be hand written and mailed to the official R&D department of Nightcloak’s campaign world. The address is ### XXX, GR, MI, #####.
As a side note on that last one. When I did do this, it was an address for one of the other player’s home addresses. He liked to give me some fun grief over a few of the adventures so I decided to turn the tables. We had a lot fun with this little joke – including the player showing up one week with fake “complaint letters” the he supposedly “received in the mail”.
In essence, the notebook is designed to make your life easier by organizing all the little details that can slow play down. This part not only does that, but also allows you to make the campaign your campaign by giving you the opportunity to personalize the rules a little. The rules can do as much to create a “tone” or “feel” to adventures as much as and flavor text.
You want a horror based game. Try implementing the madness rules.
You like action/high adventure. Action Points may fit the bill.
You want magic to be more prevalent. The rituals from Mystic secrets may be a nice touch.
You are going to run a “dark age” campaign. Cut the treasure awards in half (and adjust the CR of monsters at higher levels up – this one is tough to pull off but still fun).
The point is, let the rules to help you develop the campaign world. Or as one poster says it best, the rules serve the game. And when you do this, make your own mini-guide and place it in the notebook so it is available at a glance.
