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Message: <blockquote data-quote="der_kluge" data-source="post: 457467" data-attributes="member: 945">Ok, I'm going to be a fiend here and revive this - the thread that would not die, by posting my newly created house rules.  This is still a work in progress, but I'd appreciate any feedback on them that you may have.  I can post the PrCs if anyone wants to see them.  No, I do not have the minstrel class written up yet, unfortunately. I do not use Experience points. Death occurs at –con.Ability Scores Ability scores are rolled 4d6, re-roll 1s; keep the best 3.Races All the standard PHB races are allowed.  Beyond that, talk to me. Strange hybrid races are allowed.  If you want to play a half-halfling/half-gnome talk to me. The concept of “favored class” is removed I will consider races from the Monster Manual.  If you want to play something like a Dryad Druid, talk to me. Each race takes their language skill (see below) as a class skill, and has 20 ranks in said skill.  So, at first level, a halfling would have "halfling" as a skill, and would have 20 ranks in that skill.Classes Barbarians are unchanged. Bards do not exist as you know them.  I have split the bard class into two separate classes – Minstrel, and archaeologist.  The minstrel has no “bardic knowledge”, but instead gets a new song every level that he can play to produce a magical effect.  The archaeologist is like a hybrid between a rogue and a wizard (with wizard-based casting and 6 skill points per level) and is also a prestige class. A cleric’s “cure” spells (cure moderate wounds, etc.) cures 1d10 hit points instead of 1d8 hit points if it is memorized – if a spell is “hot-swapped” for a cure spell, it cures 1d6 hit points. Clerics are not automatically proficient with Heavy armor.  You may take the heavy armor feat if you desire. Clerics receive 4 skill points per level. Druids receive an additional bonus feat at 1st, 5th, 10th, 15th, and 20th levels to spend however they wish. Druids receive 4 skill points per level. Monks do not exist. Paladins are a prestige class.   Rangers are a prestige class.   Rogues can sneak attack an opponent from any angle – so long as they are not being attacked themselves, and the creature is currently being attacked by someone or something else.  In other words, the rogue doesn’t need to be flanking, but they can not be the current target of the enemy they are trying to sneak attack.  The exception is the ability to sneak attack while the opponent is flat-footed. Sorcerer’s receive a bonus feat at 1st, 5th, 10th, 15th, and 20th level like wizards do. Sorcerers and wizards receive 4 skill points per level. Wizards and sorcerers who do not summon a familiar can choose to take either two bonus feats, or the ability to cast 4 levels of spells per day extra.  This can alter as the level of the character progresses – either 4 extra 1st level spells, 2 extra 2nd level spells, etc.Feats Item creation feats as you know them don’t exist.  If you insist on taking item creation feats, talk to me. Skill Focus either: grants +3 to any one skill, OR grants +2 skill ranks to a skill, allowing you to have more max ranks in a skill than your class would normally allow.  The latter can be used to meet prestige class requirements earlier, for example. Skills like Alertness, that grant +2/+2 to any two skills can be applied to just about combination of skills you want, so long as they make sense.  Handle Animal/Animal Empathy makes sense – Forgery/Diplomacy does not.  These are called “Alertness clone” feats. Toughness grants +1 hit point every level, but has a prerequisite of a Constitution 16+, and it can not be taken multiple times. Weapon finesse applies to scimitars in addition to the weapons listed.Skills There are no skill lists by class.  You choose 10 skills that you consider class skills.  All other skills become cross-class skills.  Exclusive skills can not be chosen unless it is exclusive to your class.   Fighters and barbarians get 2 skill points per level.  All spellcasting classes get 4.  Minstrels, and archaeologists get 6, and rogues still get 8. Alchemy is a required skill for brewing potions.  Talk to me if you want to brew potions.  Bully is a new skill, which is the same as Intimidate, except it is strength-based. The following skills are a special case: Balance, Climb, Jump, Listen, Ride, Spot, and Swim.  These skills are lumped into a special category called “things I learned as a child”.  At first level, you get 4 skill points to spend on these skills and 2 additional skill points every level to spend on these skills.  These skills are always considered class skills for everyone.  You can use your regular skill point allotment to increase skills “you learned as a child” if you desire. Languages are a separate skill.  So, you could have 5 ranks in Elven.  When you speak with an Elf, you will be forced to make an “Elven” skill check.  If you botch it, you might inadvertently tell the Elven prince that his shoes taste like water, instead of asking for safe passage through his land. New Knowledge skills exist centered around monster knowledge.  These are based on the category of monster.  So, knowledge(aberration), or knowledge(undead) would be examples.  Having ranks in such a skill allows you to identify creatures in that category, and to have knowledge about possible weaknesses.Equipment Spiked chains do not exist. Dwarves who are proficient with martial weapons are automatically proficient with the dwarven waraxe. Gnomes who are proficient with martial weapons are automatically proficient with the gnome hooked hammer. Halflings who are proficient with martial weapons are automatically proficient with the halfling kama. The movement rate of hide armor is 30ft./15ft., instead of 20ft./10ft. I use piecemeal armor rules, which means that you could wear part of full-plate armor, or half of a suit of chainmail.  If you want to wear the armor as listed in the PHB, that’s fine, but if you want to wear pieces of armor, talk to me. Be aware that these piecemeal armor rules affect the donning/removing armor table (to your advantage). I use encumbrance rules.  Keep track of how much the gear you are carrying weighs. Vorpal weapons (not that you’ll ever see one) only affect targets 1 size category smaller or larger than the size of the weapon.  You can not lop the head off a titan, with a vorpal sword.  A vorpal greatsword can lop off heads of huge creatures, but a medium-size weapon can not. An arcane spellcaster reduces the arcane spell failure % of armor a number of points equal to the number of unmodified ranks he has in concentration.  Monsters Don’t assume you know anything about any monster.Spells I don’t use spellbook rules – wizards (and archaeologists) apparently have spellbooks, but I don’t expect you to manage things like page size, encumbrance, etc. with regard to the spellbook. Detect magic – There are two versions – Divine and Arcane.  Each version only detects magic of its own type.  So, if a wizard tries to detect divine magic, it will detect nothing. Read magic – like detect magic, read magic reads only divine or arcane magic, depending on who cast it. Summon Monster spells – the duration of this spell lasts as listed + a number of rounds equal to the caster’s primary spellcasting attribute.  So, at first level, for a wizard with an intelligence of 18, the monster summoned would have a duration of 1 + 4 rounds.  This applies to the summon nature’s ally spells as well. Charms – if you attempt to charm a creature that would normally be hostile to you, while it is flat-footed, it does not get a +4 to its save.Clerics Comprehend Languages – clerics no longer get this spell. Divination – clerics no longer get this spell. Tongues – clerics no longer get this spell. Repel vermin – clerics no longer get this spell Insect plague – clerics no longer get this spell Plane shift – only applies the plane that is appropriate to the clerics’ deity. Scrying – clerics no longer get this spell Quest – clerics no longer get this spell Harm – Harm affords a fortitude save at a –4.  If the save fails, the target takes 1d8 damage per caster level, otherwise it takes half.  Harm will never kill a target.  If the amount of damage the target takes reduces it to below zero, the target retains 1d4 hit points. Astral Projection – clerics no longer get this spellWizard/Sorcerers Comprehend Languages – This skill adds +10 to the language skill check for one language for the duration of the casting time.  So, if you encounter an Elf, and a Halfling in a cage, and each only speaks Elven and Halfling, you’d need to cast the spell two times in order to be able to understand them.  And even then, you have to make a skill check (with a +10) in order to decipher what they are saying.  The same applies to their written language.  There are some languages that this spell will not confer. Tongues – this spell adds +10 to your language checks for both speaking and deciphering the language of another creature.  In addition, multiple languages are granted for a single casting.  So, in the above example, you could speak to both the elf and the halfling without casting an additional spell. Permanency – this spell no longer exists. Identify – identify requires no spell component, and takes only 10 minutes to cast.  It reveals the single most powerful function of an item.</blockquote>

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