CRGreathouse
Community Supporter
Rav said:
No, this system favors the high-HD classes.
Die / Increase over average
d4 / 20.0%
d6 / 21.4%
d8 / 22.2%
d10 / 22.7%
d12 / 23.1%
What house rules do you use?
- Thread starter CRGreathouse
- Start date
No, this system favors the high-HD classes.
Die / Increase over average
d4 / 20.0%
d6 / 21.4%
d8 / 22.2%
d10 / 22.7%
d12 / 23.1%
Ravellion
serves Gnome Master
Ah. I was thinkin along the line of d4 on average gets 75% of it's HD, while d12 gets on average 66.66% of it's HD. So even though the increase is higher for the high HD classes, it's still a bigger effect for the low HD classes. If this doesn't make sense, a real world analogy would be the fact that economic growth and income growth in 3rd world countries (d12) is higher than in 1st world countries (d4), yet 1st world countries just get far more use of their income growth, and actually get more income increase than the 3rd world, even though their percentage growth is lower.CRGreathouse said:
Rav
CRGreathouse
Community Supporter
Rav: I've made a list of several HD rolling methods and their averages, then checked to see how strongly each system supports low vs. high hit point results. It's imperfect, as I just took the covariance, but I think it's good enough.
Positive numbers mean the system helps high-HD; 0 means it supports all equally; negative numbers mean the system helps low-HD more than high-HD (%age wise).
Max hp: 24%
Living City (75%, round down): 20%
Rav's system: 13%
DMG: 12%
Better of two: 5%
Take DM roll if you don't like yours: 3%
True average: 0%
Living Grayhawk (50%, round up): -12%
Positive numbers mean the system helps high-HD; 0 means it supports all equally; negative numbers mean the system helps low-HD more than high-HD (%age wise).
Max hp: 24%
Living City (75%, round down): 20%
Rav's system: 13%
DMG: 12%
Better of two: 5%
Take DM roll if you don't like yours: 3%
True average: 0%
Living Grayhawk (50%, round up): -12%
CCamfield
First Post
Well, my campaign is still in its infancy (as well as me as a GM) but:
1 - Skill Focus +3, players can propose a feat giving +2 to 2 skills if they can convince me & give it a good name
2 - Heal skill can heal HPs = recipient's level, to limit of recently taken damage (from previous fight or situation, e.g. a trap). DC 15 +/- recipient's Con modifier. Limited to once per damage situation, so you can't be healed this way both in combat and after it. I haven't decided whether this requires supplies or if supplies like the healing kit just give a bonus.
3 - Sean K. Reynold's more lenient dying rule
4 - No Clerics, Paladins, Druids, or Monks. Guerilla, Myrmidon, and Mercenary Ranger (replacing standard Ranger) from AEG's Mercenaries available, and the Elementalist from Occult Lore.
1 - Skill Focus +3, players can propose a feat giving +2 to 2 skills if they can convince me & give it a good name
2 - Heal skill can heal HPs = recipient's level, to limit of recently taken damage (from previous fight or situation, e.g. a trap). DC 15 +/- recipient's Con modifier. Limited to once per damage situation, so you can't be healed this way both in combat and after it. I haven't decided whether this requires supplies or if supplies like the healing kit just give a bonus.
3 - Sean K. Reynold's more lenient dying rule
4 - No Clerics, Paladins, Druids, or Monks. Guerilla, Myrmidon, and Mercenary Ranger (replacing standard Ranger) from AEG's Mercenaries available, and the Elementalist from Occult Lore.
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Cbas10
First Post
We have tinkered with a lot of house rules in my group, and here is what I have settled upon in my game:
(few of these rules do anything with numbers and other crunchy bits, as I get really tired of twinking and min/maxing the rules to the point that feels like powergaming)
1) Skill Focus provides two actual ranks of a skill, allowing a character to gain all benefits from a higher number of ranks than usual. (i.e. 1st level Bards may Inspire Competence, and characters might qualify for Prestige Classes earlier.)
2) Prestige Classes are not attainable by only meeting the game stat requirements; this is not a video game. Plot and role-playing developments are required. (i.e. You are a half-elf trying to be a Bladesinger? Read the Dragonlance novels and remember how much life sucked for Tanis as he tried to ingratiate himself into elven society.)
3) Don't bring your non-WotC feats, prestige classes, creatures, equipment, spells, etc to my Greyhawk game. There is certainly some good stuff out there, but there is a lot of crap, too. Instead of wasting my time trying to sort through the good and the bad, I stick to the basics. Besides, character concepts depend on good ideas, not a certain set of numbers and feats.
4) Power Components. I try to be very lenient with power components for casting spells and creating magical items. I strongly encourage spellcasters to take Item Creation Feats, because there are no Walmart MagicShoppes, and fandom/forgotten items of magical power are simply REALLY freakin rare! While major villains might have an item or two, you may very well expend more resources than you are gaining. Sure, sometimes you might be able to purchase one from an NPC, but he will charge at least 2-3 times the given "book price" because he ALSO knows how rare magical items are. Therefore, I try to provide plenty of opportunities for finding proper power components and "Item Formulas" so players may still work for and attain magical items at approximately the same standard rate the game is sorta balanced for.
5) Holistic's Fading Suns d20 has the concept of "Social Feats." I took it a bit further, allowing characters to use these "feats" to represent Guild Memberships, Reputations, Nobility, Church Ordination, Military Ranks, and other concepts that deal with lifestyle and occupation more than combat crunchiness. These are gained at 1st level and once every 5 levels after that. However, characters may "purchase" a Social feat for 500XP/character level (providing, of course, that plot and role-playing warrant it). I focus on these Social Feats to give better depth to characters, showing that many of them have occupations, responsibilities, etc. There is nothing more boring or insipid than the generic "homeless, wandering, treasure-grubbing, jobless-loser adventurer."
(few of these rules do anything with numbers and other crunchy bits, as I get really tired of twinking and min/maxing the rules to the point that feels like powergaming)
1) Skill Focus provides two actual ranks of a skill, allowing a character to gain all benefits from a higher number of ranks than usual. (i.e. 1st level Bards may Inspire Competence, and characters might qualify for Prestige Classes earlier.)
2) Prestige Classes are not attainable by only meeting the game stat requirements; this is not a video game. Plot and role-playing developments are required. (i.e. You are a half-elf trying to be a Bladesinger? Read the Dragonlance novels and remember how much life sucked for Tanis as he tried to ingratiate himself into elven society.)
3) Don't bring your non-WotC feats, prestige classes, creatures, equipment, spells, etc to my Greyhawk game. There is certainly some good stuff out there, but there is a lot of crap, too. Instead of wasting my time trying to sort through the good and the bad, I stick to the basics. Besides, character concepts depend on good ideas, not a certain set of numbers and feats.
4) Power Components. I try to be very lenient with power components for casting spells and creating magical items. I strongly encourage spellcasters to take Item Creation Feats, because there are no Walmart MagicShoppes, and fandom/forgotten items of magical power are simply REALLY freakin rare! While major villains might have an item or two, you may very well expend more resources than you are gaining. Sure, sometimes you might be able to purchase one from an NPC, but he will charge at least 2-3 times the given "book price" because he ALSO knows how rare magical items are. Therefore, I try to provide plenty of opportunities for finding proper power components and "Item Formulas" so players may still work for and attain magical items at approximately the same standard rate the game is sorta balanced for.
5) Holistic's Fading Suns d20 has the concept of "Social Feats." I took it a bit further, allowing characters to use these "feats" to represent Guild Memberships, Reputations, Nobility, Church Ordination, Military Ranks, and other concepts that deal with lifestyle and occupation more than combat crunchiness. These are gained at 1st level and once every 5 levels after that. However, characters may "purchase" a Social feat for 500XP/character level (providing, of course, that plot and role-playing warrant it). I focus on these Social Feats to give better depth to characters, showing that many of them have occupations, responsibilities, etc. There is nothing more boring or insipid than the generic "homeless, wandering, treasure-grubbing, jobless-loser adventurer."
EarthsShadow
First Post
Cbas10 said:
This sounds intriguing...could you explain what 'item formulas' are?
Cbas10
First Post
Regarding the item formulas, there really is not a game mechanic for it. More of a plot device for giving characters an idea of what sort of Power Components would be needed for certain magical items. Of course, as stated in the DMG, power components are only useful for alleviating the XP cost of creating a magical item.
For example, lets say the character wanted to make a set of armor that provided protection from fire. Many ways exist, but one possible method of making armor helpful against fire is to have the armor made from red dragon scales. Without any other power components, I would say that the character in question would have enough "naturally magical material" in order to make +1 fire resistance full plate. Actually, I'd allow the armor to be much higher than just a +1...they would be killing a Great Wyrm in order to get a Medium sized set of Full Plate! Want to add in something like Invulnerability? Then the character would have to rivet the armor together with metal smelted from an Iron Golem which had been breathed upon by a Red Dragon. Yep, if you want an item that combines effects and has multiple special abilities, the power components would need to be related, too.
Needless to say, etire quests can spring up when a character wants to make a single item. Never a shortage of things to plan for and meddle around with.
Of course, players have the option of ignoring the power components option and just spend that precious experience point cost...
(Additionally, I encourage players to get creative with what sort of power components could act as XP replacements when creating items or casting certain spells. I have no problem rewarding players for some thought and creativity)
For example, lets say the character wanted to make a set of armor that provided protection from fire. Many ways exist, but one possible method of making armor helpful against fire is to have the armor made from red dragon scales. Without any other power components, I would say that the character in question would have enough "naturally magical material" in order to make +1 fire resistance full plate. Actually, I'd allow the armor to be much higher than just a +1...they would be killing a Great Wyrm in order to get a Medium sized set of Full Plate! Want to add in something like Invulnerability? Then the character would have to rivet the armor together with metal smelted from an Iron Golem which had been breathed upon by a Red Dragon. Yep, if you want an item that combines effects and has multiple special abilities, the power components would need to be related, too.
Needless to say, etire quests can spring up when a character wants to make a single item. Never a shortage of things to plan for and meddle around with.
Of course, players have the option of ignoring the power components option and just spend that precious experience point cost...
(Additionally, I encourage players to get creative with what sort of power components could act as XP replacements when creating items or casting certain spells. I have no problem rewarding players for some thought and creativity)
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