House Rule Opinions

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SmootRK
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Re: House Rule Opinions

Post by SmootRK »

I use a pretty extensive set of House Rules, designed primarily to expand character options (races, classes, spells, etc.) and my particular choice of character generation is an Array of scores, arranged as desired. This allows every player to tailor a character that is exactly what they would like to play (although I increase race minimums, so sometimes building just the right character requires some hard choices).

The document can be found in this thread: viewtopic.php?f=19&t=537

Perhaps you can get ideas there... bearing in mind, that the document is always a work in progress and probably never going to be actually finished.
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Hywaywolf
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Re: House Rule Opinions

Post by Hywaywolf »

I like both artikids and metro's methods. I like 4d6 drop lowest, but I don't have to have it. I am a firm believer in dropping 1's on CharGen and HP roles, and placing roles where you want them so you can create the class you want. As a player I wouldn't stop Metro from letting me add half my con, but it would make my PC way to strong. BTW with a con of 16 that hp range would be 11-18 when you add in the con bonus, unless you do not allow the con bonus at chargen. It would also give a thief w/ 16 con 11-14 hp. Thats a pretty tough thief :)

The idea that monsters will have 3/4HD hp is intriguing, but in my mind it lets the players know exactly how many HP the creature they are fighting has. The questions, "should I run? Are they almost dead?" as a lot of suspense to the game.

I also like adding the class-options supplements (Combat Options, MU options, Thief Options and Cleric Options). I don't know much about Backgrounds and specialties so have no opinion on those.
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Metroknight
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Re: House Rule Opinions

Post by Metroknight »

no con bonus on the initial hp. it is strictly half con and a HD roll for the class.

The thief would have half the con and a d6(correct die?) roll. With the example that would make it base 8 + 1d6 (correct die?)which would range 9 - 14. That is tough thief but I'm rather rough on my group also. I had a thief take 2d6 from a spiked pit trap and then they ran into monsters. The thief was down to 2 hp and was concerned about his character dieing. I was using the 0 or less hp death saves saves with each -# being a penality on the roll. It makes them think twice about combat.

most of the players end up put 12-14 in their cons which give them a base 6 or 7 then you add their roll in. I don't recommend this method to use if you have a minmaxer in the group and don't use the smootrk option of upsizing the HD for specific races either.

That is just the default. As a GM I get to modify the monsters HP if I chose but it gives the character knowledge that "hey, this creature is rather tough, should we risk taking it on or should we try to avoid it" type of encounter.

It works for me but for others YMMV.
Last edited by Metroknight on Thu Apr 18, 2013 10:11 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Hywaywolf
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Re: House Rule Opinions

Post by Hywaywolf »

Another way to beef up HP without making all classes essentially the same in HP is to give max HD along with the normal HD role.

assuming no con bonus and dropping 1s...
Fighter: 10-16
Cleric: 8-12
Thief: 6-8
MU: 6-8

And if that isn't enough for the players then they can place their high roles in Con to make them better.

(Haha, thats a lot of edits from the first time i read it :))

BTW, isn't the thief 1d4 not 1d6?
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Joe the Rat
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Re: House Rule Opinions

Post by Joe the Rat »

DSmaster21 wrote:They mostly felt that having these weapons that seem to have no discernible difference to them ie axes vs. swords. (Longsword, Mace, Quarterstaff, Battle Axe all deal 1d6 and no one uses the Axe and Mace because they are functionally the same as the LS and QS but weigh more.) I am still trying to figure out a system for making different weapons behave differently any ideas would be awesome.
Stats are covered, so let me address this one: That's the idea. You can pick a "cool" weapon without having to worry about it being more or less "optimal." There isn't a best weapon, so pick whatever fits your character. Also, the heavier axe and mace are less expensive - important when you are on a budget.

It also helps if the players can step back from the game stats and think about the object being represented, because your weapons can be used for more than inflicting 1dx of damage. The quarterstaff is arguably the worst weapon in the game. A two handed weapon that does the job of a warhammer. It's also a six foot pole. What can you do with a six foot pole? Anything you could do with a ten foot pole, only without playing Three Stooges with your party while carrying it. Or maybe you go with the warhammer over shortsword. In addition to dealing damage, it's a hammer. Those iron spikes don't drive themselves into the walls. (What, you could use the back of a handaxe or battle-axe that way? That means you've thought about whether your axe is single or double-bit. Good job!) Your handaxe is probably a decent hatchet, and your battle axe is much better at breaking down doors than a longsword would be. A good longsword, in its sheath, is a three foot ladder. A spear or polearm... or quarterstaff... can hold up a tent.

On top of all this, these weapons mean something. A sword is very much a military weapon, it probably marks the wielder as a soldier, professional, aristocrat, or very dangerous person. Wielding a mace is almost universally the sign of being a cleric. A quarterstaff suggests a simple or less offensive opponent, or someone who is incredibly dangerous in a fight (particularly if he is small, old, wrinkly, and smiling). A dwarf without an iconic axe or warhammer is an odd looking fellow (or the player actually read some literature).

If you need to give them some mechanical crunch, you are looking at -hit/+damage, +to hit vs. armor types, damage modifiers vs. specific creature types (which is covered by the creature write-ups), and variant damage dice.
Lets tackle the last one for a second. For Medium weapons (1d8 damage), the simplest options are 1d8, 1d6+1 (same average, narrower range - a slightly more consistent weapon), and 2d4 (slightly higher average, but less likely to score very high or very low damages - a very consistent weapon).

Another approach might be to play with max hit/damage bonuses - you can only apply so much Strength bonus to hit, or to damage, depending on the weapon. Swords only get up to +2 to damage (lighter weapon, limited penetration), axes only get +2 to hit, but full damage bonuses (heavier and slower, but good penetration). Blunt weapons we leave alone, since Clerics have enough issues.... or you make them capped at +2/+2. Note this is based on what your attribute gives you: BAB, item enchantments, weapon specializations, etc., have their full normal effects. Yes, this effectively nerfs weapons for high-attribute players, but they're the ones asking for variety. Nobody said that had to mean improvement. You're just trying to keep things balanced.
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DSmaster21
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Re: House Rule Opinions

Post by DSmaster21 »

Maliki wrote:I don't like the d20 for stats, it just creates characters with stats that are too varied for my tastes. The 3d6 method pushes everything towards the middle (or average), things that fall outside of the "average" range either higher or lower makes the character memorable.

I do think the 24d6 is a idea worth trying at least.
The idea was to make them special without making them overly special.
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SmootRK
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Re: House Rule Opinions

Post by SmootRK »

DSmaster21 wrote:
Maliki wrote:I don't like the d20 for stats, it just creates characters with stats that are too varied for my tastes. The 3d6 method pushes everything towards the middle (or average), things that fall outside of the "average" range either higher or lower makes the character memorable.

I do think the 24d6 is a idea worth trying at least.
The idea was to make them special without making them overly special.
Characters become Special through overcoming challenges, interesting interactions between each other and the world, and through growth.... these are the features that will be memorable by the players in the longer term and why they truly become invested in their characters and care about them.

Not, because of the bonuses/modifiers they get when one rolls up the character. These might give a small boost at the beginning, but in the longer term, these qualities are fleeting compared to the real attachments developed because of playing the game itself.
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DSmaster21
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Re: House Rule Opinions

Post by DSmaster21 »

Hywaywolf wrote:The problem here is that they are choosing weapons to get the best stats like this is just a game. In old school you choose the weapon that fits the type of character you are playing. Hell, many people give their characters crazy flaws that jeopardise their life quite often just because its fun to play a character that way.

I sometimes find myself doing the same thing, choose a weapon simply because of the stats, but I try to keep that to a minimum. I mean, its a story we are writing, but I don't want to die in it either.
I had the idea to use bonuses to make them different. Club, hammers and axes get +1 damage and -1 to hit but it is rather rough and still needs work.
DSmaster21
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Re: House Rule Opinions

Post by DSmaster21 »

SmootRK wrote:
DSmaster21 wrote:
Maliki wrote:I don't like the d20 for stats, it just creates characters with stats that are too varied for my tastes. The 3d6 method pushes everything towards the middle (or average), things that fall outside of the "average" range either higher or lower makes the character memorable.

I do think the 24d6 is a idea worth trying at least.
The idea was to make them special without making them overly special.
Characters become Special through overcoming challenges, interesting interactions between each other and the world, and through growth.... these are the features that will be memorable by the players in the longer term and why they truly become invested in their characters and care about them.

Not, because of the bonuses/modifiers they get when one rolls up the character. These might give a small boost at the beginning, but in the longer term, these qualities are fleeting compared to the real attachments developed because of playing the game itself.
That was the idea behind it. They will become memorable not because he is amazingly strong but that strength will help them be attached (not invested) early on.
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SmootRK
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Re: House Rule Opinions

Post by SmootRK »

My idea on getting beginning characters 'invested' is to increase diversity of characters, and not necessarily increase bonuses to characters. I find that you are trying to give something that ultimately does not work and does not necessarily promote this 'getting invested' with characters. You might just consider starting the characters at 2nd level if it is toughening them up for game that is really the goal.

Nobody is going to remember how, at first level I got a +1 with axes, over something like "at first level, we stumbled into an Ogre's lair by mistake and had to turn and run screaming like little girls. We got the better of them in the end, as by second level we had better equipment and a few henchmen, that helped us make them Ogres pay for chasing us."
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