Thoughts on my House Rules (please reply)

[Virtue]

These are the house rules for a game that is starting next month please let me know what you think

House Rules

Background Skills
Characters start out with an extra 3 ranks of any single Knowledge, Craft, or Profession skill, or 2 ranks of any two such skills, if desired. These extra allocations work with the character’s background to help flesh out the PC.

Hit Points
Characters start first level with max hit points any time a character rolls new hit points they can take half of the max dice roll instead of rolling the dice, players can also roll for themselves and if they don’t like there roll have the DM roll for them.

Hit Dice Change
Hit dice will now directly tied to your base attack bonus progression (barbarians are the exception)
Slow Base Attack D6s
Standard Base Attack D8s
Fast Base Attack D10s

Extra Feats
Characters gain an extra feat at every even level (ex 2, 4, 6) these must be non combat feats. Non combat feats are feats that do no effect combat directly (ex Skill Focus, Item Creation Feat) any feat in question must be discussed with the DM prior to taking the feat.

Move Silently and Hide now Sneak
In these rules, Move Silently and Hide are combined into one skill, called Sneak. When ever you are trying to use either Move Silently or Hide, or both the skills you roll a sneak check. The DCs are the same as Move Silently and Hide. This skill costs two skill ranks per rank.

Spot and Listen now Perception
In these rules, Spot and Listen are combined into one skill, called Perception. When ever you are trying to use either Spot of Listen or both you roll a Perception check. The DCs are the same as Spot and Listen. This skill costs two skill ranks per rank.

Toughness
Benefit: You gain +3 hit points plus 1 hit point per Hit Die. Every time you gain a level or gain Hit Dice, you gain +1 hit points

Wizards Familiar
Wizards may choose not to take a familiar and get a bonus feat (only at first level)

Wizards Scribe Scroll
Wizards may choose not to take scribe scroll and get a bonus feat (only at first level)

Cleric Weapon Proficiency
Clerics gain proficiency in their Deity's Favored Weapon at first level.

Dodge (General, Fighter)
Prerequisite: Dex 13
Benefit: You receive a +1 dodge bonus to your Armor Class (Not just against one enemy) a condition that makes you lose your Dexterity bonus to your Armor Class also makes you lose your dodge bonuses. Also dodge bonuses stack with each other

Drawing an Item
Any character who can draw a weapon as a part of a move can draw anything reasonable (a wand, potion, etc.) as a part of move

Critical Fumbles
If a character rolls a 1 on an attack roll and fails to confirm the character will consult there roll to this chart
20 No effect
19-15 Loses all attacks for the rest of the round
14-10 Loses all attacks for the rest of the round and falls prone
9-6 Loses all attacks for the rest of the round and falls prone and drops weapon
5-2 Loses all attacks for the rest of the round and falls prone and drops weapon and does max Weapon damage and all modifiers to your self, and do sunder damage to your weapon
1 Loses all attacks for the rest of the round and falls prone and drops weapon and does A critical hit to your self and do double sunder damage on your weapon

Disabled, Dying, and Dead
Characters no longer necessarily die at –10 hit points, as in the Core Rules, Instead, If the character’s hit points drop to a negative number lower than 10 plus there Constitution modifier, the character is dead. A character also can die from taking massive damage or after suffering ability damage or drain that reduces his Constitution to 0

Instant Death
If a character rolls 3 20s in a row on an attack the victim of the attack dies instantly. If a character rolls 3 1s in a row on an attack the attacker dies. (Character must be vulnerable to instant death)

Fumbled Saving throws
If a character rolls a 1 on a saving throw and the character takes double damage or effect from the spell

Zero Level Spells
Spell casters can prepare a number of cantrips, or 0-level spells, each day. They can cast these spells at will as a spell-like ability. The number of cantrips a spell caster can prepare each day is the number of Zero level spells they can usually cast. Cantrips are treated like any other spell cast by the wizard in terms of duration and other variables based on level.
Spell Changes that go along with this rule, Replacing Cause Minor Wounds and Cure Minor Wounds

Bleed
School necromancy; Level cleric 0, Druid 0
Casting
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S
Effect
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft. /2 levels)
Target one living creature
Duration instantaneous
Saving Throw: Will negates; Spell Resistance: yes
Description
You cause a living creature that is below 0 hit points, but stabilized, to resume dying. Upon casting this spell, you target a living creature that has –1 or fewer hit points. That creature begins dying, taking 1 point of damage per round. The creature can be stabilized later normally. This spell causes a creature that is dying to take 1 point of damage.

Stabilize
School conjuration (healing); Level cleric 0, druid 0
Casting
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S
Effect
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft. /2 levels)
Target one living creature
Duration instantaneous
Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless); Spell Resistance: yes (harmless)
Description
You stanch the most grievous wounds of a dying creature. Upon casting this spell, you target a living creature that has –1 or fewer hit points. That creature is automatically stabilized and does not lose any further hit points. If the creature later takes damage, it continues dying normally.

Identifying Magic Items
Characters can use Craft (alchemy) to identify potions at no cost: just a taste. The Difficulty Class is 15 + the item’s caster level.
PCs can attempt to identify any magic item by casting detect magic and making a Knowledge (arcana) check. The Difficulty Class is 20 + the item’s caster level.
These are for a very baseline identification of the item.
This formula, however, is subject to the approval of the DM—he may rule that some items are easier or harder to identify than others. A ring might have secret sigils inscribed on the interior of the band that hint at its true nature, if only you could find them. A +1 sword might be the simplest thing in the world to spot. A staff of power might hide its nature until certain conditions are met. Standard retries of both the Craft and Knowledge checks are not allowed. However, a character who devotes a full day to examining an item may take 20 on the check.

Books in Use
Players Handbook
Dungeon Masters Guide
Monster Manuel
Pathfinder: Rise of the Runelords Player's Guide
Pathfinder Chronicles: Campaign Setting (OGL) Hardcover
The players before the game starts will pick 2.5 books per PC to be shared amongst the group
[D][/D]

 

[Foxen]

Concerning Instant Death, why when an attacker rolls 3 1's in a row results in his death? Seems, well, kinda weird. I have had players roll multiple fumbles in a row, losing almost all his weapons etc., but death?

The only time I had a 3 1's in a row death was when the PCs were snatching piglets out of a pigpen...and when mother sow made 3 fumbled attacks...she had a heart attack and died...thus enraging the local farmers even more.

Just wondering.

Fox

 

[Virtue]

With the 3 20s instant death rule there has to the down side and the down side is at the same odds if you roll 3 1s in a row you die

 

[Arkhandus]

Hit Dice Change
Hit dice will now directly tied to your base attack bonus progression (barbarians are the exception)
Slow Base Attack D6s
Standard Base Attack D8s
Fast Base Attack D10s

Well, this beefs up Bards, Rangers, Rogues, Sorcerers, and Wizards, before even counting any non-core classes or any prestige classes..... This is kinda overkill for the first three in 3.5, though I haven't read the Pathfinder stuff yet so I don't know if that somehow weakens them (doubtful). And I don't even know if you're using the Pathfinder rules instead of the standard 3.5 D&D rules, so I'm not sure if these houserules even belong in the General RPG Discussion forum instead of the 3e House Rules forum.

This makes Fighters and Paladins even less useful/appealing than before, compared to Rangers, and makes Monks even weaker than they already were before (compared to Rangers, Rogues, Bards, and other previously second-tier melee classes). The fragility of Sorcerers and Wizards is supposed to make up for their raw power, though the uberness of Clerics and Druids in 3.5 makes that kind of moot.

Extra Feats
Characters gain an extra feat at every even level (ex 2, 4, 6) these must be non combat feats. Non combat feats are feats that do no effect combat directly (ex Skill Focus, Item Creation Feat) any feat in question must be discussed with the DM prior to taking the feat.

This isn't bad, but there are rather few non-combat-related feats and it really depends on how you define non-combat feats (do Endurance or Run count? Track? Alertness? What about metamagic feats, like Extend Spell, Silent Spell, Still Spell, etc.?). It does remove part of the opportunity cost of Item Creation feats, though.

Move Silently and Hide now Sneak
In these rules, Move Silently and Hide are combined into one skill, called Sneak. When ever you are trying to use either Move Silently or Hide, or both the skills you roll a sneak check. The DCs are the same as Move Silently and Hide. This skill costs two skill ranks per rank.

Spot and Listen now Perception
In these rules, Spot and Listen are combined into one skill, called Perception. When ever you are trying to use either Spot of Listen or both you roll a Perception check. The DCs are the same as Spot and Listen. This skill costs two skill ranks per rank.

These stink. If they're gonna cost twice as many skill points as normal, they may as well remain separate skills, rather than being unusual exceptions to the normal skill rules.

And just because someone has good eyesight doesn't mean their hearing is going to be great as well. I'm nearsighted but fairly alert in general, so in D&D terms I'd have good Listen ranks but few Spot ranks, and maybe Skill Focus (Listen), but definitely, definitely not Skill Focus (Spot). Likewise, just because a kobold is small, that doesn't mean it will make a lot less noise when running through the bushes or something, though it does mean it has a smaller profile for hiding behind stuff. And one reason they're separate skills in D&D is because they have combat applications, and are fairly important sometimes.

Toughness
Benefit: You gain +3 hit points plus 1 hit point per Hit Die. Every time you gain a level or gain Hit Dice, you gain +1 hit points

You need to specify whether or not Toughness can still be taken multiple times. If yes, then it's probably broken in this form.

Wizards Familiar
Wizards may choose not to take a familiar and get a bonus feat (only at first level)

Wizards Scribe Scroll
Wizards may choose not to take scribe scroll and get a bonus feat (only at first level)

These aren't necessarily bad, but they do increase the superiority and versatility of Wizards over Sorcerers, and over most other classes as well (excluding Cleric and Druid of course).

Critical Fumbles
If a character rolls a 1 on an attack roll and fails to confirm the character will consult there roll to this chart
20 No effect
19-15 Loses all attacks for the rest of the round
14-10 Loses all attacks for the rest of the round and falls prone
9-6 Loses all attacks for the rest of the round and falls prone and drops weapon
5-2 Loses all attacks for the rest of the round and falls prone and drops weapon and does max Weapon damage and all modifiers to your self, and do sunder damage to your weapon
1 Loses all attacks for the rest of the round and falls prone and drops weapon and does A critical hit to your self and do double sunder damage on your weapon

Harsh. Statistically speaking, many PCs and NPCs will accidentally kill themselves with their own weapon (or render themselves unconscious and dying in the middle of a fight, easily finished off by a foe) before they reach 3rd level or so, I think. A slight majority will probably survive long enough to reach a sufficient level where the self-crit will just badly maim them and leave them in a bad position during a crucial fight someday.

Instant Death
If a character rolls 3 20s in a row on an attack the victim of the attack dies instantly. If a character rolls 3 1s in a row on an attack the attacker dies. (Character must be vulnerable to instant death)

Ouch. While it would hardly ever happen, somebody's bound to accidentally kill their own PC over the course of a long campaign. And it'll be really pathetic if the Tarrasque or a Balor or Great Wyrm Red Dragon accidentally kills itself in one hit during the climactic battle of a campaign.

Also, something you should remember - the PCs will face a lot more monsters than the the monsters will face PCs. Any given PC may be attacked by a hundred separate monsters by the time they reach 3rd or 4th level, for instance, though many might be lowly kobolds or dire rats or tiny monstrous spiders; and at some point one of the PCs is going to die from a random monster or NPC attacking them, regardless of how pathetic and meek that enemy is.

Fumbled Saving throws
If a character rolls a 1 on a saving throw and the character takes double damage or effect from the spell

Well, normally a natural 1 saving throw is an auto-failure, but this is going to be really harsh sometimes; failing to evade a Fireball or breath weapon from an equal-CR or higher opponent is bad enough...

Zero Level Spells
Spell casters can prepare a number of cantrips, or 0-level spells, each day. They can cast these spells at will as a spell-like ability. The number of cantrips a spell caster can prepare each day is the number of Zero level spells they can usually cast. Cantrips are treated like any other spell cast by the wizard in terms of duration and other variables based on level.

Infinite cantrips/orisons aren't entirely a bad thing, but they do have some impact. Nobody except foolish PCs or poor, unimportant NPCs will ever die of poisoned or diseased food and drink; any NPC of any importance will easily be able to have at least a 1st-level cleric or druid purify his or her meals. Nobody will get lost with a druid in the party, since they can cast an orison to sense direction at will. An apprentice mage or priest can fix most broken or torn clothes, tools, artwork, weapons, and other things around town, which vastly reduces the need for craftsmen in society. Etc. Though at least you already solved the inifinite healing/damage problem with Cure/Inflict Minor Wounds.

Books in Use
The players before the game starts will pick 2.5 books per PC to be shared amongst the group

What the heck? 2.5 books per PC? Shouldn't it just be 2 per PC or something? And that's still a lot of books to allow, if you're meaning to restrict the number of books used for your own sanity and ease of DMing. 1 or 2 extra books per PC would be better if you're going to restrict it like that.

 

[Urbannen]

Background Skills
Characters start out with an extra 3 ranks of any single Knowledge, Craft, or Profession skill, or 2 ranks of any two such skills, if desired. These extra allocations work with the character’s background to help flesh out the PC.

Do you mean ranks or skill points? In other words, could a character get higher than the maximum number of ranks? That's a bit messy.

What I have done in my campaign is give all PCs an additional 8 skill points at 1st level and +2 every level afterwards. The problem is that 3E has too many skills and not enough skill points available to characters. Period.

It doesn't necessarily stand to reason that an adventurer is going to have a background in these kinds of skills. I have to think that someone training as a fighter plans to make a living as an expert in martial affairs, likewise for the other classes. Another option is to make these kind of skills relevant to your game, encouraging players to take them. Or just give your players more skill points, and some players will be more inclined to take "background" skills. Knowledge skills are very popular in my game since they give the PCs a chance to identify monsters.

Extra Feats
Characters gain an extra feat at every even level (ex 2, 4, 6) these must be non combat feats. Non combat feats are feats that do no effect combat directly (ex Skill Focus, Item Creation Feat) any feat in question must be discussed with the DM prior to taking the feat

I don't see a need for this. Yeah, there are feats like Investigator that no one but a specialist NPC is going to take. So what? These feats are substandard almost on purpose. What will happen if you do this is that the PCs will be running around with higher-than-normal skill checks. You may not run the skill system strictly, but if you do, it may cause balance issues. If you make an effort to challenge the characters out of combat, then these feats will be valuable enough for characters to consider taking. The one player in my game who took Craft Magic Arms and Armor is glad of it.

The way you encourage players to take "out of combat" feats and skills is to make those feats and skills useful in your campaign.

Wizards Familiar
Wizards may choose not to take a familiar and get a bonus feat (only at first level)

Wizards Scribe Scroll
Wizards may choose not to take scribe scroll and get a bonus feat (only at first level)

Do you mean a wizard bonus feat or a general feat? If it's a wizard bonus feat, it will have to be a meta-magic feat, since 1st level wizards don't have a high enough caster level to take item creation feats. Is that the idea? If it's a general feat, this option is too powerful.

Cleric Weapon Proficiency
Clerics gain proficiency in their Deity's Favored Weapon at first level.

This is only good if the deity's favored weapon is a Martial Weapon. You have to do something for cleric's whose deity's favored weapon is a Simple Weapon. Maybe Weapon Focus? That would certainly encourage the cleric to use that weapon.

Critical Fumbles

Critical Fumbles are only fun for the DM and the players not affected by them. If your players want it, I guess so.

 

[Aus_Snow]

Critical Fumbles are only fun for the DM and the players not affected by them.

False. Or - to be a bit less blunt about it - not universally true.

I've used them heaps of times, with various systems, and they've been a blast. For all involved. This is as GM or as a player, btw.

It's the kind of sweeping statement one might see a lot of on internet forums. Often, it'll be met with something like: 'Huh? Not every player wants everything to be easy all the time, to be coddled like an infant or whatever.' You see how it can go. . .

Another case of 'YMMVAOD'.

 

[Virtue]

Often, it'll be met with something like: 'Huh? Not every player wants everything to be easy all the time, to be coddled like an infant or whatever.' You see how it can go. . .
.

Thats the point of this rule if there is not a threat of death then why play at all

 

[Virtue]

Well, this beefs up Bards, Rangers, Rogues, Sorcerers, and Wizards, before even counting any non-core classes or any prestige classes..... This is kinda overkill for the first three in 3.5, though I haven't read the Pathfinder stuff yet so I don't know if that somehow weakens them (doubtful). And I don't even know if you're using the Pathfinder rules instead of the standard 3.5 D&D rules, so I'm not sure if these houserules even belong in the General RPG Discussion forum instead of the 3e House Rules forum.

This makes Fighters and Paladins even less useful/appealing than before, compared to Rangers, and makes Monks even weaker than they already were before (compared to Rangers, Rogues, Bards, and other previously second-tier melee classes). The fragility of Sorcerers and Wizards is supposed to make up for their raw power, though the uberness of Clerics and Druids in 3.5 makes that kind of moot.

This isn't bad, but there are rather few non-combat-related feats and it really depends on how you define non-combat feats (do Endurance or Run count? Track? Alertness? What about metamagic feats, like Extend Spell, Silent Spell, Still Spell, etc.?). It does remove part of the opportunity cost of Item Creation feats, though.

These stink. If they're gonna cost twice as many skill points as normal, they may as well remain separate skills, rather than being unusual exceptions to the normal skill rules.

And just because someone has good eyesight doesn't mean their hearing is going to be great as well. I'm nearsighted but fairly alert in general, so in D&D terms I'd have good Listen ranks but few Spot ranks, and maybe Skill Focus (Listen), but definitely, definitely not Skill Focus (Spot). Likewise, just because a kobold is small, that doesn't mean it will make a lot less noise when running through the bushes or something, though it does mean it has a smaller profile for hiding behind stuff. And one reason they're separate skills in D&D is because they have combat applications, and are fairly important sometimes.

You need to specify whether or not Toughness can still be taken multiple times. If yes, then it's probably broken in this form.

These aren't necessarily bad, but they do increase the superiority and versatility of Wizards over Sorcerers, and over most other classes as well (excluding Cleric and Druid of course).

Harsh. Statistically speaking, many PCs and NPCs will accidentally kill themselves with their own weapon (or render themselves unconscious and dying in the middle of a fight, easily finished off by a foe) before they reach 3rd level or so, I think. A slight majority will probably survive long enough to reach a sufficient level where the self-crit will just badly maim them and leave them in a bad position during a crucial fight someday.

Ouch. While it would hardly ever happen, somebody's bound to accidentally kill their own PC over the course of a long campaign. And it'll be really pathetic if the Tarrasque or a Balor or Great Wyrm Red Dragon accidentally kills itself in one hit during the climactic battle of a campaign.

Also, something you should remember - the PCs will face a lot more monsters than the the monsters will face PCs. Any given PC may be attacked by a hundred separate monsters by the time they reach 3rd or 4th level, for instance, though many might be lowly kobolds or dire rats or tiny monstrous spiders; and at some point one of the PCs is going to die from a random monster or NPC attacking them, regardless of how pathetic and meek that enemy is.

Well, normally a natural 1 saving throw is an auto-failure, but this is going to be really harsh sometimes; failing to evade a Fireball or breath weapon from an equal-CR or higher opponent is bad enough...

Infinite cantrips/orisons aren't entirely a bad thing, but they do have some impact. Nobody except foolish PCs or poor, unimportant NPCs will ever die of poisoned or diseased food and drink; any NPC of any importance will easily be able to have at least a 1st-level cleric or druid purify his or her meals. Nobody will get lost with a druid in the party, since they can cast an orison to sense direction at will. An apprentice mage or priest can fix most broken or torn clothes, tools, artwork, weapons, and other things around town, which vastly reduces the need for craftsmen in society. Etc. Though at least you already solved the inifinite healing/damage problem with Cure/Inflict Minor Wounds.

What the heck? 2.5 books per PC? Shouldn't it just be 2 per PC or something? And that's still a lot of books to allow, if you're meaning to restrict the number of books used for your own sanity and ease of DMing. 1 or 2 extra books per PC would be better if you're going to restrict it like that.

Well if you read the what is this RPG general disscussion now used for Sticky it said house rules thats why i put them here

The Sneak and Perception rules is just to cut down dice rolling in all truth to speed up game play we have 6 or more players in most games

Non Combat Feats will be listed once the books are choosen

The fumbles rules are there to make every character know theres always a chance you can die

The book rule why i selected 2.5 instead of just 2 is more for my entertainment on the first game night when they have to discuss and argue over how they are going to select the books that come out of the .5 books

 

[Storminator]

I love Bleed.

Instant death will kill PCs, and give them no comparable benefit in return. In one campaign my players begged my to use that rule, and I refused. But every time I rolled a 2nd 20 on a confirmation, I asked them if they wanted to start using it. By 5th level, it would have killed 3 PCs and one goblin.

I would simply use 1 skill point per rank for Sneak and Perception. As your "Background Skills" rule indicates, there aren't enough skill points to go around already and this frees up a few more.

PS