What house rules do you use?
- Thread starter CRGreathouse
- Start date
I believe that the metamagic feats are more than balanced by the spell level increase to use them, this does give sorcerers a power boost.
While I have been using the caster level stacking rule since we started playing 3rd edition, I only have one character that might eventually make use of it. He is a ranger 2/wizard 9 (caster level 9) and is planning on picking up two more levels of ranger, which will give him a caster level of 11.
While I have been using the caster level stacking rule since we started playing 3rd edition, I only have one character that might eventually make use of it. He is a ranger 2/wizard 9 (caster level 9) and is planning on picking up two more levels of ranger, which will give him a caster level of 11.
Crothian said:
Crothian
First Post
That does give spellcasters a lot of versitility. What metamagic feats do you allow?
Does this also apply to NPCs? Have you used any NPC cleric/mages to see how they work?
Did you think spellcaster were eek that they needed inproved or are you just trying to entice players to play one?
The house rules are very interesting. I'm alweays curious on what made people make the changes they did.
Does this also apply to NPCs? Have you used any NPC cleric/mages to see how they work?
Did you think spellcaster were eek that they needed inproved or are you just trying to entice players to play one?
The house rules are very interesting. I'm alweays curious on what made people make the changes they did.
GuardianLurker
Adventurer
Top 5 are :
- Divorcing life-energy from competence; energy drains attack life-ene
- Single-form performance, with special feat for bards.
- My own alt.ranger
- Re-worked spellbook costs
- Semi-spontaneous casting for wizards and priests
[/list=1]
drowdude
First Post
Tonguez said:
Kewl. I did something similar in my world.
The short version is that a charismatic 1/2 orc with *REALLY* good genetics who called himself Kro gathered other 1/2 orcs under his banner. They bred true (with some enhancements made to the genetic-mix courtesy of a powerful necromancer-chick that Kro was allied with
). Once they established themselves they basically went all-genocidal on their orcish forefathers..... Grummsh favored the Kro over the orcs in these battles as he saw in them the potential to succeed where his original creations had failed
Then they managed to oust a major dwarven city and take it as their own....
(the dwarves were of course sacrificed in a bizarre rituals dedicated to Grummsh and the dark goddess the necromancer worships...)
The race took the name of it's founder as it's own... the Kro.
Sorry for babbling on like that
I'll go get some sleep now.................................
Last edited:
I am up to 5 pages of house rules now (not counting revised item creation). Sigh. But, still better than the 10 pages of 2E house rules.
Here is my list of the five I consider to be the most important. Some of the details are left out.
1) If you go to -10 hits or lower, another character can save your life if you are brought up to -9 or higher within one round.
2) AoO Immunities are removed from the game. Basically, Tumble, Cast Defensively, Spring Attack, etc. use their roll (attack roll in the case of Spring Attack) to set a DC for a Reflex save by the opponent to still get the AoO.
3) I use hexes, so area affect spell radius' do not include the center hex.
4) Firing missiles through covering characters or into melee can result in a re-roll to accidentally hit a different target.
5) All spell casters have the same levels for Cure spells. In other words, Cure Light Wounds is always a first level spell. Cure Moderate Wounds is always a second level spell, etc.
I also like my rule that automatically adds +1 to Spot on levels 1, 4, etc., +1 to Listen on levels 2, 5, etc., and +1 to Sense Motive on levels 3, 6, etc. I really think high level characters should automatically learn some level of awareness, just like even the least combat capable of them learn some level of BAB.
Here is my list of the five I consider to be the most important. Some of the details are left out.
1) If you go to -10 hits or lower, another character can save your life if you are brought up to -9 or higher within one round.
2) AoO Immunities are removed from the game. Basically, Tumble, Cast Defensively, Spring Attack, etc. use their roll (attack roll in the case of Spring Attack) to set a DC for a Reflex save by the opponent to still get the AoO.
3) I use hexes, so area affect spell radius' do not include the center hex.
4) Firing missiles through covering characters or into melee can result in a re-roll to accidentally hit a different target.
5) All spell casters have the same levels for Cure spells. In other words, Cure Light Wounds is always a first level spell. Cure Moderate Wounds is always a second level spell, etc.
I also like my rule that automatically adds +1 to Spot on levels 1, 4, etc., +1 to Listen on levels 2, 5, etc., and +1 to Sense Motive on levels 3, 6, etc. I really think high level characters should automatically learn some level of awareness, just like even the least combat capable of them learn some level of BAB.
sepulchrave
First Post
I run a by-the-book tabletop campaign and a tweaked-beyond recognition PBEM game. Some house rules for the PBEM game are:
1. Removed all core classes and replaced them with campaign specific classes suitable for a Dark-Age game.
All fighters are members of the aristocracy and have access to lots of aristocrat class skills. They get a limited selection of weapon proficiencies and no heavy armour proficiency (heavy armour doesn't exist).
All druids are sedentary, female nature priestesses. They retain druidic abilities, but get a d4, poor BAB, 8 skill points per level and 3 good saves as well as Monk-style AC progression - representing divine protection and all that.
No Wizards, Paladins, Clerics or Monks. Sorcerers get a few groovy extra abilities and extra spells. Barbarians and Rogues are pretty much unchanged. Alt. Ranger, of course. Bards are completely revamped and cool. Adepts are powered up into a PC class, but greatly modified.
2. Base Defense Bonus, roughly based on the Reflex save. Cover bonus for shields (small +2, large +4). Helms provide an AC bonus. All of this goes toward covering the light armour only and next-to-zero magic items situation.
3. 95% of published monsters don't exist. Many remaining monsters (Elves, Trolls, Goblins) have been RECLAIMED FOR FAERIE. They are immortal, become invisible at will, cast spells, are vulnerable to iron and live in castles or holes protected by permanent mirage arcana effects in isolated areas, well away from mortals. Other monsters are very traditional, folklorish types: werewolves, dragons, giants, sprites etc.
4. No anthropomorphic deities. Animal Totems and Nature Spirits only.
5. No dungeons. Dungeons are STUPID.
1. Removed all core classes and replaced them with campaign specific classes suitable for a Dark-Age game.
All fighters are members of the aristocracy and have access to lots of aristocrat class skills. They get a limited selection of weapon proficiencies and no heavy armour proficiency (heavy armour doesn't exist).
All druids are sedentary, female nature priestesses. They retain druidic abilities, but get a d4, poor BAB, 8 skill points per level and 3 good saves as well as Monk-style AC progression - representing divine protection and all that.
No Wizards, Paladins, Clerics or Monks. Sorcerers get a few groovy extra abilities and extra spells. Barbarians and Rogues are pretty much unchanged. Alt. Ranger, of course. Bards are completely revamped and cool. Adepts are powered up into a PC class, but greatly modified.
2. Base Defense Bonus, roughly based on the Reflex save. Cover bonus for shields (small +2, large +4). Helms provide an AC bonus. All of this goes toward covering the light armour only and next-to-zero magic items situation.
3. 95% of published monsters don't exist. Many remaining monsters (Elves, Trolls, Goblins) have been RECLAIMED FOR FAERIE. They are immortal, become invisible at will, cast spells, are vulnerable to iron and live in castles or holes protected by permanent mirage arcana effects in isolated areas, well away from mortals. Other monsters are very traditional, folklorish types: werewolves, dragons, giants, sprites etc.
4. No anthropomorphic deities. Animal Totems and Nature Spirits only.
5. No dungeons. Dungeons are STUPID.
Virago
First Post
My current campaign is very by-the-book, with minor changes, in no particular order. Note that I run a low-medium level campaign with not much cash for players.
0) Skill Focus -- unchanged
1) Shield provides no actual cover.
2) When rolling hit points, a player may opt to re-roll once, but must take the reroll. This has led to some 1's (snicker).
3) In a critical hit only the dice multiply, not the bonuses. Too randomly deadly to PCs otherwise.
4) Reduced spell scribing costs of course.
5) Favored-class choices for non-humans (one-time choice), humans and half-elves can choose whatever class is most beneficial to them and switch that around.
6) Unarmed characters threaten -- but then, this is not a house rule
7) Minor fumble rules on a 1 followed by a 1-5 on a second d20 roll. Second roll determines severity of fumble based on my whim.
8) No alchemical items. No locked gauntlets. There are double-crossbows. There are double-weapons and spiked chains but subject to much laughter.
9) Harm has not come up yet, but it'll involve a save of course.
10) Two characters can fight from the same square. Both of them lose Dex bonus to AC, and may only attack with piercing type attacks or else be at a -4. Possible feat to allay the negative to hit.
I'm considering starting a new campaign with much more extensive house rules... might as well make up a whole new system, though, because I'm not entirely fond of d20...
I'm very curious about running a campaign with rules more like the Star Wars rules: a defense bonus that scales up with level, Vitality/Wound points, etc.
0) Skill Focus -- unchanged
1) Shield provides no actual cover.
2) When rolling hit points, a player may opt to re-roll once, but must take the reroll. This has led to some 1's (snicker).
3) In a critical hit only the dice multiply, not the bonuses. Too randomly deadly to PCs otherwise.
4) Reduced spell scribing costs of course.
5) Favored-class choices for non-humans (one-time choice), humans and half-elves can choose whatever class is most beneficial to them and switch that around.
6) Unarmed characters threaten -- but then, this is not a house rule
7) Minor fumble rules on a 1 followed by a 1-5 on a second d20 roll. Second roll determines severity of fumble based on my whim.
8) No alchemical items. No locked gauntlets. There are double-crossbows. There are double-weapons and spiked chains but subject to much laughter.
9) Harm has not come up yet, but it'll involve a save of course.
10) Two characters can fight from the same square. Both of them lose Dex bonus to AC, and may only attack with piercing type attacks or else be at a -4. Possible feat to allay the negative to hit.
I'm considering starting a new campaign with much more extensive house rules... might as well make up a whole new system, though, because I'm not entirely fond of d20...
I'm very curious about running a campaign with rules more like the Star Wars rules: a defense bonus that scales up with level, Vitality/Wound points, etc.
Similar Threads
