Ways You Simplify Your D&D Game?

[delericho]

Hang out with fourteen friends and attempt to have more than one round of combat.

I actually don't mind OoC chatter, provided it's not directed at the GM or the active player. Even with these rules, players burn more action points interrupting the flow of the game than actually taking actions.

Ah, it seems you need to be fairly strict about your rules, just to stay sane.

Actually, what I wrote was rather harsh. Sorry.

 

[Keeper of Secrets]

One of the major things I do is not totally stat out bad guys. If I need to have a higher level orc or something, I am not going to go through all the work of creating an orc class, then advancing him. I will just say 'well, he's got 4 levels higher, +4 higher BAB, an AC of 19, etc. It would simply take too much prep work to worry about a dude who is possibly going o be killed in 4 rounds.

One trick I do is force people to pay gold when they level to represent training. My own rule is 100 x the level you are attaining. It keeps my PCs pretty poor and I am starting to regret that decision as this is the first game I have run where 5th level characters can barely afford to stay in the inn.

 

[JoeBlank]

All told, I've got a two page houserule document that lays everything out and makes for a very simple game that's somewhere between the two systems. My prep time is greatly reduced and I can use pre-stated NPCs from... ANY VERSION of D&D. How cool is that?

Can you share? I'd love to see this, although I think you covered it pretty well in your post.

 

[JoeBlank]

The same guy who runs M&M has Blue Rose as well. For now, I think we're not secure enough with our manliness to play a game entitled "romantic fantasy" (get some girls who want to join the game, though, and it would probably change in a hurry).

M&M is sure great, though. I haven't heard of True20- is that also Green Ronin?

True20 is the game mechanic behind Blue Rose, so both are from Green Ronin. True20 is only available in pdf. Pick it up over at RPGnow.com, and you can play using the True20 rules without the stigma of "romantic fantasy."

 

[diaglo]

True20 is the game mechanic behind Blue Rose, so both are from Green Ronin. True20 is only available in pdf. Pick it up over at RPGnow.com, and you can play using the True20 rules without the stigma of "romantic fantasy."

coming from the guy who ambushed the BBEGal while she was getting reeady to take a bath.

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

Seconded!

Almost everything I'd do to simplify D&D is there. I gleefully celebrate the end of Attacks of Opportunity!

C&C

 

[scadgrad]

Can you share? I'd love to see this, although I think you covered it pretty well in your post.

And here it 'tis...

 

[RangerWickett]

Initiative is handled as follows:

All PCs roll initiative. DM rolls init for each main NPC or group of NPCs. Whichever PC rolls highest goes first if no NPC beat him. Initiative goes in a circle around the table, trying to keep a similar progression from highest to lowest based on dice rolls, with NPCs going at appropriate intervals between PCs. Thus, instead of hopping from one side of the table to another, you just go in a circle. Much easier, and helps players avoid being skipped. Also, players are expected to help the DM not forget to have NPCs take their actions if the NPC goes right before or right after the player.

 

[iwatt]

Dodge gives a flat +1 bonus to AC against all creatures.

Off-hand attacks get full strength bonus.

Take 10 is assumed for all skill checks except those in combat.

Power attacking monsters have two settings, APAATT or normal.

Rangers and Paladins have Lev-3 caster level, the same for their Animal companion and Turn Undead abilities. I like unified mechanics, and since they get these abilities at 4th level, it seems easier this way. (Also empowers the abilities somewhat and gives them more reasons to stick to a class).

Those are my simplifying house rules.

All other house rulesd are quite more complicated.

 

[RFisher]

http://home.flash.net/~brenfrow/dd/dd-box.htm

Yeah, but I gotta have this one too. All I need in 128 pages. (& it could be less if they were combined & the redundancies removed.)

In 3e we usually don't pay much attention to encumbrance or living expenses (mainly food) except in unusual circumstances. (e.g. Carry loads of treasure out of the dungeon or surviving a desert.)

For my PCs, I usually try to just pick a number of skills equal to my skill points/level to keep things simple. (Although, I like to initially put a single rank in any class skill that can't be used untrained, so that complicates things a bit.) I very seldom multiclass.

I try to have all my possible ACs, attack boni, & damage prefigured on my character record so I just have to pick the right line for the current situation. To speed up play, I roll attack & damage & multiple attacks all at once as much as possible.