House rules changes and non-changes

[dalamb]

Whenever I change a house rule in a nontrivial way, I post it here after making an edit to the rules. Since I announced the game in the initial “interest check,” to date I have changed the following:

• 2*(character level)+1 character creation points instead of 1.5*level+2, plus a better example.

• Filled in the following sections:

  • Fighting and BAB

  • Extraordinary Abilities from Skills

  • (new) Levelling-up Changes

  • Changes to Classes

• Removed the 1-point cost for additional classes, but kept it for templates.

[dalamb]

1. Revised Gestalt rules: you can now take classes that advance two progressions at once, like Mystic Theurge, but they occupy both sides of the gestalt (thus giving you extra class features, but no more progression than taking two classes in parallel in the normal way).

2. Base point buy is 25.

3. Freedom is no longer on the Escape Artist spell list; it was too high to fit the current scheme.

4. Clarified that spellthief pays for spell levels they can cast directly, not the level they can steal.

5. I’ve significantly revised the “extraordinary skills” system to require spending a character point per ability score to establish the “skill slots” pool for all focused skills based on that ability score. See the revised rules. The list of spells for each skill will evolve as I peruse the Spell Compendium; it just has SRD spells at the moment.

6. I’ve revised the defence bonus rules (well, starting using my own instead of those from Unearthed Arcana). It’s now based either on BAB or ranks in Tumble (if you have skill focus in the latter).

[dalamb]

House rule changes as of 2024-02-21 12:00

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I forgot to post these yesterday.

1. The crafting reserve size is set according to wealth by level, not the increased funds available through spending character points.

2. The extraordinary skills rules are simplified to just cost two character points for access to the skills associated with one specific ability score; they do not need to have skill focus anymore, but they do have to be trained.

3. Skill Focus in Climb and Swim give associated movement speeds based on skill ranks.

4. For half-celestial, the base template for a character without racial hit dice costs +2 level adjustment as in Book of Exalted Deeds, page27. If you want access to the spell-like abilities, they cost the same as access to extraordinary skills (currently two character points). This might be too generous, or the extraordinary skills might be too cheap, but this is what we’re going with for now.

[dalamb]

Changes as of 2024-02-23 14:25

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1. I’ve adopted Mike Mearls’ update to the Hexblade from Complete Warrior.

2. Knowledge skills can be useful in combat.

3. I’ve added Lore skills and extra skill points to pay for them.

[dalamb]

Changes as of 204-02-24 12:35

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1. Environment series (Frostburn, Sandstorm, Stormwrack) added to the allowed sources.

[dalamb]

2024-03-05 13:06

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1. Wildling clasps and armour, and Natural Spell, work with all forms of shape changing (including lycanthropy) except Baleful Polymorph, not just wild shape. I haven’t yet figured out where to put this in the house rules.

2. There are now rules for pets.

3. Weapons of Wanton Destruction are now only those that are both area affect and lethal damage (found in the Laws of War post). As a consequence, “overflow” of non-lethal damage no longer converts to lethal damage.

4. Rule change requests denied:

   1. No intelligent items. It adds a complication I don't have the energy to deal with at this point in reviving my old campaigns.

   2. There is no dex-to-damage aside from the CAdv Crossbow Sniper feat.

   3. Spellcasters must still use Dex for ranged attacks and Str for melee (unranged touch) attacks with their spells.

5. Monster PCs with innate spellcasting, like Lammasu with 7^th level cleric spells, are problematic because the cost of their spellcasting is built into their LA, and LA buyoff is much easier in this campaign than in others. It is unfair both to require full 3-CP-per-level spellcasting cost and to keep the original LA as the only cost. I have spent a long time thinking about this and we are running out of time for making a decision, so I have decided to punt by asking players to switch to alternative character concepts for this campaign. Monsters with innate spellcasting with zero LA are acceptable. Monsters with a limited collection of SLAs remain undecided.

6. I am postponing any attempt to add additional “bonus class features” to Generic classes because time is running out and other things are more central to some people’s character concepts.

[dalamb]

2024-03-05 18:41

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1. Two-weapon fighting still has the basic penalties for fighting with two weapons from the table in the SRD. However, Improved Two-Weapon Fighting does not add a -5 penalty, and Greater Two-Weapon Fighting does not add the -10 penalty, to be consistent with iterated attacks.

2. Secondary natural attacks do not get the -5 penalty, and thus Multiattack is unneccessary. Monsters with multi-attack will get some other feat to replace it.

3. Monk bonus feats have changed.

4. I now allow some feats from unlisted sources. I will generally consider feats but not spells or items from unlisted sources, but feel free to ask.

[dalamb]

2024-03-07 10:34

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1. All monsters with Toughness now get Improved Toughness instead, and any prerequisite of “Toughness” becomes “Improved Toughness.” Improved Toughness is now 2 HP plus another 1 HP per level, so is never worse than Toughness.

2. Warlock invocations now cost 2 cp per “category:” least, lesser, greater, dark.

3. A feat restricted to another class costs 1 CP instead of two – but it is still true that “Fighter Level 4*n” feats are now based on BAB 4*n instead.

[dalamb]

2024-03-07 10:49

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1. Power Attack is now free at BAB +1 like Weapon Finesse.

2. Dodge is now valid against all opponents, and gives a +1 + (BAB/4 rounded down) dodge bonus to AC.

3. Point Blank Shot now gives Precise Shot and Improved Precise Shot when you meet the prerequisites. I will consider other changes if folks make more suggestions.

[dalamb]

2024-03-07 12:32

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Rule changes:

1. Power Attack is now free at BAB +1 like Weapon Finesse.

2. Dodge is now valid against all opponents, and gives a +1 + (BAB/4 rounded down) dodge bonus to AC.

3. Point Blank Shot now gives Precise Shot and Improved Precise Shot when you meet the prerequisites. I will consider other changes if folks make more suggestions.

4. It costs two CP for each “category” of warlock invocation: least, lesser, greater, dark.

5. TWF extra attacks get full BAB but also the normal RAW penalties for fighting with two weapons.

6. The revision to the Knowledge skills stacks with Knowledge devotion.

Results of other rules discussions:

1. Expeditious Dodge won’t be in the free progressive feat rules, but others are still under consideration.

2. I won’t be changing the alignment rules, and thus neither relaxing the rules for class requirements nor the “always alignment X” rules for monsters.

3. I don’t plan to change how progressive feats work; in particular I won’t be implementing the suggestion that you be able to choose some instead of getting a predefined package. I am still considering some suggestions of additional feat chains and even a few new feats or feats imported from unlisted sources.

4. I won’t be adding Stormwrack’s Unarmed Strike progression with Clever Wrestling and Toothed Blow to the progressive feat chain, but remember you do get get a free Stormwrack feat.

5. Ranged attacks just get the normal +1 for height advantage.

6. Research for "new" spells (those not in any of the listed sources) are part of a character's Wealth By Level. Normal spells are assumed to have been acquired at no cost.

[dalamb]

2024-03-12 09:55 (from character threads)

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1. Any spell that applies to a construct, whether to repair or to damage, can be used for or against objects.
2. If you are doing pre-game crafting, you can presume anything with a racial or class or level requirement was done for you by an NPC as long as there is a plausible role-playing reason for them not to charge you full price. This doesn't have to be a big deal; maybe they are one of your contacts or previous adventuring friends. But it would be hard to justify an orc prerequisite for a dwarf character.

[dalamb]

2024-03-13 12:40

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The following feat descriptions have changed:

• Shield Specialization (PHB II) gives +1 AC, and increases by an additional +1 for every 5 BAB (thus 2 at BAB 5, 3 at 10, etc.). It applies to all forms of shield bonus, such as Two Weapon Defence, but does not stack if you have multiple sources of shield bonus.

• Subdual Substitution applies to all forms of lethal magical damage.

• Weapon Focus: Weapon Specialization, Greater Weapon Focus, Greater Weapon Specialization.

  1. The restriction “fighter level 4*n” is replaced by “BAB 5*n”

  2. All feats in the progression apply to three weapons, chosen at the time of taking Weapon Finesse.