House Rules from my Crusade.
Posted: Sun Aug 23, 2009 12:17 am
These are a mix of original and modified hous rules I found around the web.
If you see something of yours here, let me know and I will give you credit for them
GENERAL
Initiative is rolled as individuals using 1d20 + Dex Bonus + Character Level, Monsters substitute level with hit dice.
Fate points; Each character starts with 1d4 Fate Points. See below.
Roleplayer of the night (as voted by peers) gets extra Fate Point as well as a 10% bonus to their XP.
Experience is calculated at 100xp per hit die of opponents defeated.
At 4th level all players may add +1 to the attribute of their choice.
Skills are added to the game, see section below.
CHARACTER GENERATION
Characters are created by me with a short bio and rp notes for the player to use. If a player does not like or is not connecting to their character they may request a new one and provide input as to what they are looking for.
All starting characters get max hit points at first and second level.
Attribute bonus for 19 is +4, 20 is +5
Clerics
Clerics get a one time bonus of their Wisdom bonus as spells per-day. This bonus never increases or decreases unless their Wisdom does.
Clerics do not memorize spells, they pray for them at the time they need them.
Will be introducing Spell Domains by God.
Weapon and armor restrictions as imposed by their religion, not class.
Fighters
Are considered basic thug soldiers with stats as per book.
Instead of Combat Dominance at 4th level they receive Cleave as per 3.5
Wizards
Wizards get a one time bonus of their Intelligence bonus as spells perday. This bonus never increases or decreases unless their Intelligence does.
Wizards have a list of memorized spells that they cast via Spells Per Say slots. Memorized spells are determined by Int and max number of spells per level chart from AD&D 2nd Edition.
May give up a spell to cast counterspell against opposing spellcaster. See spell casting rules below.
Start with Read Magic, Detect Magic, 1 offensive spell and 1 other spell at 1st level. All other spells must be acquired from books or scrolls. (EDIT: They get their full allotment of 0 level spells though, my bad)
Dwarves
Get a bump to next highest die regardless of class to a maximum of d12. A Dwarven mage would have a d6 hit die instead of a d4.
Halflings
Are called Hobbits in my world. Screw the Tolkien Estate.
New Classes
Defender. Others may be added later.
COMBAT
20s and 1s are criticals. Each situation varies as to what happens.
Shield Defense
Shields offer no AC bonus but instead on a Siege Check (modified by type) the defender can block one successful attack per round.
Bonus to Dexterity Siege Check
Buckler - +1
Small Shield - +2
Medium Shield (Kite Shield) - +3
Large Shields (Tower Shields) - +4
DEATH AND DYING
At 0 hp characters are unconscious. They can then go to negative their Con before being beyond the pale.
Defensive Bonus for Castles & Crusades
In the standard rules, a characters skill at attacking gets better as he goes up in levelbut not so his skill at avoiding attacks. Characters rely on armor and an ever-growing collection of magic items to protect them in combat. But what about campaigns in which its not common or appropriate for characters to go everywhere in full plate?
The following tables provide a progressive increase in defensive abilities for characters as they climb in levels. These bonuses are added to the Armor Class in and out of armor, plus any magic or Dexterity bonus.
This does make for a slightly tougher PC but better represents cinematic combat and heroes.
Monk, Illusionist, Rogue and Wizard (A); Assassin, Bard and Ranger (B); Barbarian and Druid (C); Cleric, Defender, Fighter, Knight and Paladin (D)
Level A B C D
1 +0 +0 +1 +1
2 +0 +1 +1 +1
3 +1 +1 +2 +2
4 +1 +2 +2 +2
5 +1 +2 +3 +3
6 +2 +3 +3 +3
7 +2 +3 +4 +4
8 +2 +3 +4 +4
9 +3 +4 +5 +5
10 +3 +4 +5 +5
11 +3 +4 +5 +6
12 +4 +5 +6 +6
Fate Points
Bounce Back That hit just put you down to negative 5 hit points! The Cleric out of healing spells? By spending a Fate Point, you are able to immediately heal your maximum hit die or level (whichever is higher) in damage.
Heroic Surge Need to get that ogre before he gets the mage? Want to try and stop the High Priest of Unglederk from activating the ancient clockwork device? By expending a Fate Point you are able to take a extra action immediately and with no multiple action penalty.
Lets Try That Again That roll didnt quite get the job done and now you look like an idiot? Cant take 10 or 20 on it? By expending a Fate Point you can roll again. If the roll is under 10 add 10 to it, plus all your bonuses so the minimum is 11.
I Have it Right Here Forgot to buy a lantern? Dropped your sword down the gully and have no back up? By expending a Fate Point you have that piece of gear you needed, at the CKs discretion of course.
Inspiration Dont know which way to go? Cant figure out that riddle? By expending a Fate Point you gain a clue or hint at the CKs discretion that can help you.
I Know A Guy! Need help renting a boat? Need a safehouse to lay low? By expanding a Fate Point the CK will give you a local contact who can help. Of course it may be a side adventure just to get to them, CKs discretion of course.
Characters start play with 1d4 Fate Points (+1 per level if not making 1st level characters) and receive and extra one each level they advance.
Also as a side reward the MVP of the night also gets an extra one as a reward (on top of a 10% xp bonus)
Once a Fate Point is spent, it is gone.
Skills
Skills are rated from 1 5 and add to a Siege Check on the parent attribute.
Characters receive 1 Skill Point per level and 5 at character creation (+1 per level if not making 1st level characters).
Edit: Please download the Delving Deeper Skills Systems from BHP for the full list of skills I use. It was my error to post that here as I just copied and pasted the document I give my players.
It's only 75 cents!
Spell Casting
The spellcaster does not 'prepare' spells, but can cast any spell she knows, up to the maximum number of spells of a given level (e.g. first level spells) that she can cast at that class level (e.g. seventh level spellcaster).
So a 7th level wizard can cast 5 zero level spells, 4 first level, 3 second level, 2 third level, and 1 fourth level spell. According to this house rule, she can cast up to any 5 zero level spells that she knows (magic missile, charm person, etc.). She doesn't have to 'prepare' or 'memorize' specific spells ahead of time. However, once she uses up her 5 zero level spell 'slots', that is it for zero level spells for that day -- unless, she wants to expend a higher-level spell 'slot' on a lower level spell (e.g. use one of her 4 first level spell 'slots' to cast a zero level spell). Lower level spell slots cannot be used to cast higher level spells (e.g. a first level spell 'slot' could not be used to cast a second level spell).
There is a onetime bonus for Intelligence modifier. Those bonus spells can be of any level (An 18 Int gives a +3 one time bonus. Those spells can be of any level the caster can cast).
Eventually a Wizards spellbook will have more spells than she can know at one time. How do you decide which spells she has available to cast? This is done by simpley maintaining a active spell list. Check the table below to see how many spells per level the wizard can actively know (this does not replace slots).
If at some point the wizard wishes to change the list, she must either have an available active memorization spot or forget a spell of that level to be replaced with the new spell.
Wizard Known Spells Per Level
Int Max Spells Per Level
1-8 -
9 6
10-12 7
13-14 9
15-16 11
17 14
18 18
19 All
These rules also apply to Clerics, but they do not have a limit to the spells the can know. Clerics are praying for Divine Intervention.
Counterspell (Arcane Only)
A wizard may use his or her arcane knowledge to attempt to neutralize an opponent's spell. This is referred to as a counter-spell or spell duel. To engage in a duel a wizard must be able to see the attacking wizard and he or she must have at least one spell slot, of any level available. Cleric spells cannot be countered. Any condition which would prevent a wizard from casting a spell would likewise prevent the countering of a spell by that wizard.
Compare the level of the countering mage with the attacking wizard and apply the difference as a penalty to the countering mages Siege Check. If the Siege Check succeeds, the spell is countered and both parties have lost that spell slot. If the check fails consult the table below.
d20 Result
1 Unconscious 1d4+1 rounds
2-4 Damage 1d4+1 hit points
5-9 Charmed
10-14 Confusion 1d4+1 rounds
15-17 Suffer effects related to attempted spell*
18-19 Lose all remaining spell slots for the day
20 Feeblemind
*to be determined by referee, results should be flashy and dramatic but damage should not be too severe; otherwise the wizard becomes too penalized by this rules variant
Note that engaging in a counter-spell duel negates any further spell use by both participants for the remainder of that round.
-=-=-=-=-=-=
If we come up with more I will add them
_________________
=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Earth Alpha: Yet another RPG blog!
=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Visit the new BASH Forums!
=-=-=-=-=-=-=
If you see something of yours here, let me know and I will give you credit for them
GENERAL
Initiative is rolled as individuals using 1d20 + Dex Bonus + Character Level, Monsters substitute level with hit dice.
Fate points; Each character starts with 1d4 Fate Points. See below.
Roleplayer of the night (as voted by peers) gets extra Fate Point as well as a 10% bonus to their XP.
Experience is calculated at 100xp per hit die of opponents defeated.
At 4th level all players may add +1 to the attribute of their choice.
Skills are added to the game, see section below.
CHARACTER GENERATION
Characters are created by me with a short bio and rp notes for the player to use. If a player does not like or is not connecting to their character they may request a new one and provide input as to what they are looking for.
All starting characters get max hit points at first and second level.
Attribute bonus for 19 is +4, 20 is +5
Clerics
Clerics get a one time bonus of their Wisdom bonus as spells per-day. This bonus never increases or decreases unless their Wisdom does.
Clerics do not memorize spells, they pray for them at the time they need them.
Will be introducing Spell Domains by God.
Weapon and armor restrictions as imposed by their religion, not class.
Fighters
Are considered basic thug soldiers with stats as per book.
Instead of Combat Dominance at 4th level they receive Cleave as per 3.5
Wizards
Wizards get a one time bonus of their Intelligence bonus as spells perday. This bonus never increases or decreases unless their Intelligence does.
Wizards have a list of memorized spells that they cast via Spells Per Say slots. Memorized spells are determined by Int and max number of spells per level chart from AD&D 2nd Edition.
May give up a spell to cast counterspell against opposing spellcaster. See spell casting rules below.
Start with Read Magic, Detect Magic, 1 offensive spell and 1 other spell at 1st level. All other spells must be acquired from books or scrolls. (EDIT: They get their full allotment of 0 level spells though, my bad)
Dwarves
Get a bump to next highest die regardless of class to a maximum of d12. A Dwarven mage would have a d6 hit die instead of a d4.
Halflings
Are called Hobbits in my world. Screw the Tolkien Estate.
New Classes
Defender. Others may be added later.
COMBAT
20s and 1s are criticals. Each situation varies as to what happens.
Shield Defense
Shields offer no AC bonus but instead on a Siege Check (modified by type) the defender can block one successful attack per round.
Bonus to Dexterity Siege Check
Buckler - +1
Small Shield - +2
Medium Shield (Kite Shield) - +3
Large Shields (Tower Shields) - +4
DEATH AND DYING
At 0 hp characters are unconscious. They can then go to negative their Con before being beyond the pale.
Defensive Bonus for Castles & Crusades
In the standard rules, a characters skill at attacking gets better as he goes up in levelbut not so his skill at avoiding attacks. Characters rely on armor and an ever-growing collection of magic items to protect them in combat. But what about campaigns in which its not common or appropriate for characters to go everywhere in full plate?
The following tables provide a progressive increase in defensive abilities for characters as they climb in levels. These bonuses are added to the Armor Class in and out of armor, plus any magic or Dexterity bonus.
This does make for a slightly tougher PC but better represents cinematic combat and heroes.
Monk, Illusionist, Rogue and Wizard (A); Assassin, Bard and Ranger (B); Barbarian and Druid (C); Cleric, Defender, Fighter, Knight and Paladin (D)
Level A B C D
1 +0 +0 +1 +1
2 +0 +1 +1 +1
3 +1 +1 +2 +2
4 +1 +2 +2 +2
5 +1 +2 +3 +3
6 +2 +3 +3 +3
7 +2 +3 +4 +4
8 +2 +3 +4 +4
9 +3 +4 +5 +5
10 +3 +4 +5 +5
11 +3 +4 +5 +6
12 +4 +5 +6 +6
Fate Points
Bounce Back That hit just put you down to negative 5 hit points! The Cleric out of healing spells? By spending a Fate Point, you are able to immediately heal your maximum hit die or level (whichever is higher) in damage.
Heroic Surge Need to get that ogre before he gets the mage? Want to try and stop the High Priest of Unglederk from activating the ancient clockwork device? By expending a Fate Point you are able to take a extra action immediately and with no multiple action penalty.
Lets Try That Again That roll didnt quite get the job done and now you look like an idiot? Cant take 10 or 20 on it? By expending a Fate Point you can roll again. If the roll is under 10 add 10 to it, plus all your bonuses so the minimum is 11.
I Have it Right Here Forgot to buy a lantern? Dropped your sword down the gully and have no back up? By expending a Fate Point you have that piece of gear you needed, at the CKs discretion of course.
Inspiration Dont know which way to go? Cant figure out that riddle? By expending a Fate Point you gain a clue or hint at the CKs discretion that can help you.
I Know A Guy! Need help renting a boat? Need a safehouse to lay low? By expanding a Fate Point the CK will give you a local contact who can help. Of course it may be a side adventure just to get to them, CKs discretion of course.
Characters start play with 1d4 Fate Points (+1 per level if not making 1st level characters) and receive and extra one each level they advance.
Also as a side reward the MVP of the night also gets an extra one as a reward (on top of a 10% xp bonus)
Once a Fate Point is spent, it is gone.
Skills
Skills are rated from 1 5 and add to a Siege Check on the parent attribute.
Characters receive 1 Skill Point per level and 5 at character creation (+1 per level if not making 1st level characters).
Edit: Please download the Delving Deeper Skills Systems from BHP for the full list of skills I use. It was my error to post that here as I just copied and pasted the document I give my players.
It's only 75 cents!
Spell Casting
The spellcaster does not 'prepare' spells, but can cast any spell she knows, up to the maximum number of spells of a given level (e.g. first level spells) that she can cast at that class level (e.g. seventh level spellcaster).
So a 7th level wizard can cast 5 zero level spells, 4 first level, 3 second level, 2 third level, and 1 fourth level spell. According to this house rule, she can cast up to any 5 zero level spells that she knows (magic missile, charm person, etc.). She doesn't have to 'prepare' or 'memorize' specific spells ahead of time. However, once she uses up her 5 zero level spell 'slots', that is it for zero level spells for that day -- unless, she wants to expend a higher-level spell 'slot' on a lower level spell (e.g. use one of her 4 first level spell 'slots' to cast a zero level spell). Lower level spell slots cannot be used to cast higher level spells (e.g. a first level spell 'slot' could not be used to cast a second level spell).
There is a onetime bonus for Intelligence modifier. Those bonus spells can be of any level (An 18 Int gives a +3 one time bonus. Those spells can be of any level the caster can cast).
Eventually a Wizards spellbook will have more spells than she can know at one time. How do you decide which spells she has available to cast? This is done by simpley maintaining a active spell list. Check the table below to see how many spells per level the wizard can actively know (this does not replace slots).
If at some point the wizard wishes to change the list, she must either have an available active memorization spot or forget a spell of that level to be replaced with the new spell.
Wizard Known Spells Per Level
Int Max Spells Per Level
1-8 -
9 6
10-12 7
13-14 9
15-16 11
17 14
18 18
19 All
These rules also apply to Clerics, but they do not have a limit to the spells the can know. Clerics are praying for Divine Intervention.
Counterspell (Arcane Only)
A wizard may use his or her arcane knowledge to attempt to neutralize an opponent's spell. This is referred to as a counter-spell or spell duel. To engage in a duel a wizard must be able to see the attacking wizard and he or she must have at least one spell slot, of any level available. Cleric spells cannot be countered. Any condition which would prevent a wizard from casting a spell would likewise prevent the countering of a spell by that wizard.
Compare the level of the countering mage with the attacking wizard and apply the difference as a penalty to the countering mages Siege Check. If the Siege Check succeeds, the spell is countered and both parties have lost that spell slot. If the check fails consult the table below.
d20 Result
1 Unconscious 1d4+1 rounds
2-4 Damage 1d4+1 hit points
5-9 Charmed
10-14 Confusion 1d4+1 rounds
15-17 Suffer effects related to attempted spell*
18-19 Lose all remaining spell slots for the day
20 Feeblemind
*to be determined by referee, results should be flashy and dramatic but damage should not be too severe; otherwise the wizard becomes too penalized by this rules variant
Note that engaging in a counter-spell duel negates any further spell use by both participants for the remainder of that round.
-=-=-=-=-=-=
If we come up with more I will add them
_________________
=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Earth Alpha: Yet another RPG blog!
=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Visit the new BASH Forums!
=-=-=-=-=-=-=