Post by DM on Jul 13, 2014 11:19:54 GMT
Here are the current House Rules. If they change at any time, I will update this thread accordingly.
Now includes the Teleport changes. Apologies for the delay!
HOUSE RULES 23/8/19
Here are the current House Rules. If they change at any time, I will update this thread accordingly.
Recent Changes - Vorpal Weapons, Cross Class Skill Points (redacted), Environment Damage
Here are the current House Rules. If they change at any time, I will update this thread accordingly.
There are a couple of changes since last time - Unaware characters, "pressed" condition, and Advantage in combat.
HOUSE RULES
ABSENCE: When a player cannot make a session, his character becomes ‘part of the scenery’ and will only be involved in the group’s activities if it is a life or death situation or one important to the unfolding scenario.
ACTION POINTS: Every 3d6 table hours (rolled secretly by the DM) each character is allocated d3 Action Points. Points not spent at this time are not carried over. If the player rolls a 1, they may take a gamble and reroll d3-1 and must abide by the new roll even if it is zero. These points can be used to side-step a problem with a little creative thinking from the player. These points can allow you to perform actions you normally couldn’t accomplish in order to save a life, avoid a trap, emulate a feat you don’t have or qualify for, add or subtract 1 from a d20 roll or take a re-roll, turn a fumble into a critical or even to take an action out of turn. Present your proposed action creatively and imaginatively and the DM will decide on an appropriate roll or check to accomplish it and inform you of the results. Use them wisely and in the spirit they are intended.
ADVANTAGE (optional): At any time during a round when a character takes damage from a melee attack, they are classed as Pressed. The character taking damage must take a five foot step away from the enemy (diagonally or straight but not to the side) immediately as a swift action as they are put on the defensive.
This does not count against their normal free five foot step allowance and is counted as a five foot step in regards to all attacks of opportunity and movement rules. If the terrain or circumstances prevents a five foot step, it is counted as a movement action and provokes as normal and counts against the character’s movement for that round. If something prevents movement altogether, no movement can be made.
The combatant with the advantage must be within 1 size category of the opponent being pressed. Therefore, a medium creature can press a large creature but not a huge or larger sized creature.
AID ANOTHER: The character aiding another gives a bonus equal to +2 and another +1 per five ranks or base attack they possess beyond five so a character with 10 ranks/BA would provide a +3 bonus and +4 at 15 ranks/BA.
AIMING: Per round of aiming allows a cumulative +1 circumstance bonus to missile attacks within range up to +3 maximum.
ALIGNMENT CHANGES: The character makes the alignment not the other way round. If a character’s story arc involves an alignment change, no XP penalties are required.
ARMOUR SIZE: Armour is constructed for specific CON and STR as well as size category. To wear a found suit of armour without need of adjustment, both statistics must be within 2 points of the CON/STR the armour was constructed for and the same size category.
EXECUTION KILL (optional): At any time that a character is at another character's mercy, (a crossbow against a head, a dagger against a throat etc) and a withheld action is taken, a deadly hit can be delivered that automatically hits, scores an automatic critical and maximum damage (this could cause massive damage also).
A victim can attempt to avoid the attack with an Escape Artist check made against the attacker’s attack roll.
BUFFS: If a character has a defence provided by a spell or item, it is the player’s responsibility to inform the DM at the appropriate time. If the player has forgotten to indicate a particular defence, it will only be retrospectively acknowledged in a life or death situation or if it is before the enemy has acted.
CARRYING OTHER CHARACTERS/BULKY ITEMS: A character can carry a up to a medium or heavy load but must use both hands. A character can carry a light load and can do so with one hand. The encumbrance penalties for carrying medium and heavy loads apply.
CONCENTRATION CHECKS: A natural 1 on any concentration check is always a fail.
CONSULTING RULE BOOKS : If you wish to check on a rule or consult a book during play, you must inform the DM of what you are checking and why. Only the PHB and like books are allowed without the expressed permission of the DM.
CONSULTING RULE BOOKS : Unless the situation is a dire one where PC death is probable, the DM shall have final say on all rules. Certain decisions can be reversed outside of game time if the DM feels it is warranted.
DEALING NON LETHAL DAMAGE: If a character is opting to deal non-lethal damage with a lethal weapon, the damage dice is ALWAYS d6 bludgeoning (as per a club) with a x2 critical modifier no matter what the usual critical range of the weapon. On a critical hit, the damage is ALWAYS lethal. This indicates an accidental lethal hit. Weapon specific feats such as improved critical, specialization and the like are STILL APPLIED as the character is assumed to have trained in all aspects of their particular weapon.
DICE: All dice must land flat on a solid surface in plain view.
DIPLOMACY: Diplomacy checks are rolled after the player has role played the discussion with the NPC to the satisfaction of the DM.
DISAGREEMENTS: Player disagreements will be settled by party vote after 15 minutes maximum debate. If an accord cannot be reached by this time, the DM will make the decision.
DM APPROVAL: Spells/classes/feats etc chosen from any non-core products must first be approved by the DM. If they are to be used by a player, and no hard copy of the reference book is owned, hard copies MUST be printed from the soft copy and kept with the character sheets.
ENVIRONMENT DAMAGE: Non-lethal damage taken from any kind of exposure (severe cold etc) is Constitution Damage as opposed to HP. Lethal damage is still dealt to HPs as per written.
FALLING: Falling damage is now 1d6 per 10’ fallen cumulative (20’ = 3d6, 30’=6d6 etc) so falling becomes much more dangerous as it should be.
FAMILIARS: A tiny or smaller familiar is always assumed to be tucked away inside the mage's robes, pocket, cage or bag. In this situation, the familiar is assumed to be out of danger and not required to make saving throws for area effects unless targeted specifically. However, the familiar cannot make listen, spot or search checks while in this position. Small and larger familiars do not have this option and are always ‘out’.
FEAT PROGRESSION (optional): A feat is gained every even character class level, so every two levels not three.
FIRING INTO MELEE: The character can opt to forgo the usual -4 penalty for firing into melee (assuming they are lacking the precise shot feat) however, if they miss the intended target, they must roll a d8 for scatter effect to see if the missile has struck a character adjacent to the target. If the original attack is over their flatfooted AC, they have hit that character instead.
GEAR : A character can carry 8 tiny 4 small, 2 medium and 2 large weapons (weight allowance permitting). A character can forgo one weapon for an extra weapon in any other size category smaller.
GEAR : A character can carry up to 500 coins due to bulk (assuming they can carry the weight).
GEAR [c]: Any equipment that has or has not been allocated should be written on ONE character sheet. This is the character that is carrying the equipment until it is either sold or passed to another character. Unique items should be written down IN ONE PLACE to avoid duplication.
GEAR [d]: If a piece of equipment is not written down anywhere then it is lost.
HP: All HP rolls are to be witnessed by the DM and 1’s are re-rolled. If the character is at a place of rest and out of danger, they can roll two dice and take the better result.
IMPROVED GRAPPLE: This feat no longer requires Dexterity 13 to qualify for.
IN CHARACTER : All discussions should remain in character as much as possible and character names should be used at all times when in character. Levels are referred to as ‘circles of power’ when in character.
IN CHARACTER : If the DM tells a player something that is only for his/her character, the rest of the group are not privy to that information unless said player opts to tell them in character.
KNOCKED OUT: An UNAWARE foe can be knocked out with a non lethal blow. The foe must make a fort save equal to 10 + damage or be knocked out for as many rounds as they failed the save by. An unaware character is one that cannot see the character or is not aware of their immediate presence. A flat footed character is not necessarily unaware though an unaware character is usually flat footed.
L/A BUY OFF: The optional rule from Players Handbook 2 is permitted.
LEVEL UP: A character can only level up when well rested, out of danger and somewhere appropriate to the class they wish to take. The character must train for one day per character level being taken for at least 8 hours per day to successfully level up if they have found someone willing to train them. A teacher must be at least one level higher than the PC. If no teacher is available, the process takes three times as long.
MAGIC ITEM CONSTRUCTION: Magic item construction times are given in hours not days.
MASSIVE DAMAGE: Per 5hp’s over 50 taken in any single blow adds an additional +1 to the DC of the Fort save (i.e. 55=16, 60=17, 65=18 etc).
METAGAMING: severely frowned upon. Real world knowledge (including rules) versus character knowledge should be considered carefully.
MOBILE PHONES: Please avoid using your mobile phone while at the table, it is distracting and your attention should be on the game and the actions of the other characters. Obviously, incoming calls from family and for emergencies are ok.
QUESTIONS: Wait until it is your initiative/turn to ask a complex question or to declare your action.
RAISING THE DEAD : Generally, a character that is the subject of any raising magic must be of the same alignments as the clerics that serve the respective god of the cleric casting the spell and/or be in good standing with that God/Temple. Good Standing generally means that the subject to be raised has performed no ill against the temple or faith in question. Each case is judged on its own merits as to whether the god in question would grant the subject life.
RAISING THE DEAD : When a character is resurrected/raised the player loses xp as indicated in the relevant spell but must also chose a statistic to reduce by 1 point. True Resurrection is the exception to this where the character can chose whether to lose the xp or take the -1 penalty on a statistic. The cost on the mind, body and soul of returning to life is a great one.
RANGE: A character can throw or fire a ranged weapon up to one extra range category for every +1 bonus of strength they possess at the normal penalties.
RECHARGING WANDS: To determine the cost for recharging, just divide the full market price for the item by its maximum number of charges. For example, a wand of fireballs that has a caster level of 5th holds 50 charges and costs 11,250 gp. That means a single charge costs 225 gp. To recharge the wand, one needs access to a fireball spell and the Craft Wand feat. Adding a single charge costs 112 gp, 5 sp and 9 XP (1/25th of base price)
It takes a full uninterrupted hour to recharge a wand and only one spell is required.
SHUFFLE: Two adjacent friendly characters can switch position (squares) as a free action if both characters agree to the switch. This can happen on either of the character’s initiatives and is classed as a five foot step from the first character but not the second (the second character retains their five foot step for when it is their turn). A character refusing to shuffle cannot be forced to. Primarily used in narrow corridors, this does not provoke an attack of opportunity and can be performed only once per round by both characters.
SMOKING BREAKS: Try not to! Every effort to not leave the table is greatly appreciated.
STATS: All stats are bought on a 25 point buy system OR 4d6, drop lowest and place where you want. It is permitted to roll first and take the points instead if the dice rolls are lower than 25 points..
TELEPORT: All characters part of a teleport spell must roll on the table individually based on their own familiarity with the destination. Familiar and Studied Carefully no longer exist as options. Greater Teleport functions as per normal.
TIREDNESS (optional): A character can perform any strenuous task; fighting, climbing, swimming etc for a number of rounds equal to their CON score. If the character pushes on for longer, a DC15 FORT save (+1 per extra round) is made per round or they become fatigued. They must continue making the saving throws or then become exhausted and take d6 non lethal damage per round of continued strenuous activity.
Generally, any physical activity or full round action will count against Tiredness.
TWO HANDED WEAPONS: A character can use a two handed weapon one handed but takes a -4 penalty to attack rolls and one handed weapon Strength bonus to damage (including power attack bonus damage) is applied.
VISION: Where a character has any vision based special abilities that are ‘ongoing’, such as detect evil or true seeing, the player must declare when he is using the ability. This is an immediate action by the character; otherwise it is assumed the character is using normal vision.
VORPAL WEAPONS: Fortification effects do protect against Vorpal effects unless otherwise stated.
WOUND THRESHOLD (optional): If a character takes damage in a single physical attack (not energy damage) that is greater than their CON score, they must make a FORT save equal to the damage or become staggered. If this happens again before being healed, then they become disabled. Magical healing or a DC20 heal check negates the effect.
Though the end effects are the same, these effects are treated differently to actual staggered and disabled status’ in regards to immunities and protections.
XP AWARDS:: The DM is responsible for awarding XP’s The player is responsible for keeping track of his character’s advancement. For good role playing, an award of up to a maximum of 50xp per character level is the norm. In addition, every player has a pool of five 50xp awards per session that they can award to another player at the table and on the spot for excellent roleplaying. Unused xp are not carried over to the next session. Players should carefully consider the character's personality, situation and current goals when awarding from their pool. The award represents a good effort by the player receiving the reward that has entertained, moved or inspired the rewarding character. Multiple awards from more than one player for the same scene are allowed and the DM can reverse a reward if he feels it is unwarranted.
RETRAINING: As per page 192 of the PHB2, retraining of class features, skills, features, feats and spells (but not languages or levels) are allowed with the addition that each change costs an amount of XP depending on what is being changed as per the following;
Class feature change - 100xp per class level
Skill change – 100xp per rank moved
Feat change – 100xp per class level
Spell change – 100xp per spell level changed
It takes 1 day of training per 100xp being spent.
In addition, a House Rule allows you to switch 1 point of a level gained Ability Score increase for 1000xp.
The retraining chapter from PHB2 is reproduced here for your information and is best dealt with out of game time.
The most basic level of character revision is retraining—that is, adjusting a decision you made earlier in your character’s career by selecting a different legal option. This technique represents the character’s practicing new talents in lieu of honing older ones. In a way, the process is similar to attaining a new level. In keeping with that concept, the retraining option can be chosen only during level advancement.
Six different character aspects (see table below) can be changed through retraining. Each time your character attains a new level, you can select one (and only one) of these options.
For instance, you can’t change a feat selection and your spells known at the same level. Since these options represent two different sessions of retraining, they must occur at different levels.
The decision to retrain must be implemented before any benefits of the newly attained level are applied. For example, if a 10th-level rogue wants to trade her improved evasion class feature for the opportunist class feature, she can do so immediately upon attaining 11th level, before she gains any of the benefits for that level (such as additional hit points, skill points, and so on).
Retraining Options
Character Aspect Effect
Class feature Exchange one class feature option for another
Feat Exchange one feat for another for which you qualify
Skill Trade ranks between two skills
Spell Exchange one spell known for another
CLASS FEATURE RETRAINING
Some class features offer two or more different options, such as the choice of combat style a ranger must make at 2nd level. Class feature retraining allows you to swap out one such option for another. Maybe your ranger would prefer to be an archer instead of a melee fighter, or your cleric feels that the War domain would be a better option than the Law domain. The character remains basically the same, since his class levels haven’t changed, but he’s now highlighting a different aspect of his class.
The Process
Change one class feature option to another legal one. The new option must represent a choice that you could have made at the same level as you made the original choice. Also, the new choice can’t make any of your later choices illegal—though it might automatically change class features acquired later if they are based on the initial choice.
Class features from the Player’s Handbook that are subject to change in this manner are given on Table 8–2.
Class Feature Retraining Options
Class Option
Cleric* Choice of domains (each domain counts as a separate choice)
Neutral cleric Choice to turn or to rebuke undead (can be changed only if deity allows it)
Druid or ranger Choice of animal companion
Fighter, monk, or wizard Choice of bonus feat
Ranger Choice of combat style
Rogue Choice of special ability
Sorcerer or wizard Choice of familiar
Wizard** Choice of school specialization and prohibited schools
*A cleric’s choice of deity can’t be changed by class feature retraining. See the Divine Conversion sidebar for details on how to accomplish this change.
**School specialization and prohibited schools are treated as a single class feature. Thus, a character could change one, two, or even all three choices at the same time.
Example: Upon gaining a new level, a ranger could change the combat style class feature he gained at 2nd level from two-weapon fighting to archery. Thereafter, he would be treated as if he had the Rapid Shot feat instead of the Two-Weapon Fighting feat. If he had at least six levels of ranger before making this change, he would exchange both the Two-Weapon Fighting feat (gained at 2nd level) and the Improved Two-Weapon Fighting feat (gained at 6th level) for the appropriate archery feats, since both of these features are derived from the choice made at 2nd level. However, the ranger couldn’t make this change if he had selected the Two-Weapon Defense feat in the interim, since losing Two-Weapon Fighting means he would no longer meet the prerequisites for that feat.
Example: Upon gaining a new level, a necromancer could change her school specialization to evocation, thus becoming an evoker. At the same time, she could also choose to change her prohibited schools from conjuration and illusion to abjuration and transmutation. Doing so would cause her to lose access to all spells from the newly designated prohibited schools. Even if her spellbook contains one or more such spells, she would lose the ability to prepare and cast them.
Example: Upon gaining a new level, a wizard could choose to specialize in the enchantment school, thereby becoming an enchanter. At the same time, she would have to select two prohibited schools, as normal for a specialist wizard.
Example: Upon gaining a new level, a conjurer could choose to become a wizard. By doing so, she would lose the benefits of specialization. But since she would also lose her prohibited schools, she could then learn spells from those schools as normal.
FEAT RETRAINING
Sometimes a feat choice looks great on paper, but it just doesn’t work for your character in practice. Maybe an early feat choice reflected the character’s personality and style, but a little experience changed his outlook. For instance, you might have selected Improved Initiative for your 1stlevel character because you pictured him as ambitious and a little reckless. But after falling victim to a wight’s touch because he just couldn’t wait until the cleric turned the undead, he decides it’s better to use a little more care in combat, causing you to regret your early feat choice. New supplements, with their wealth of exciting feat options, also provide plenty of reasons to reconsider your earlier feat selections.
The Process
You can exchange one of the feats you previously selected for another feat. If the new feat has prerequisites, not only must your character meet them in his current state, but you must also be able to show that he met them at the time you chose the previous feat. (This isn’t always obvious and sometimes must be drawn from memory so a little negotiating is permitted!)
Example: A 4th-level fighter/1st-level rogue couldn’t trade the Mobility feat he chose at 3rd level for Improved Critical because he doesn’t currently meet a prerequisite for the latter feat (base attack bonus +6). He also couldn’t trade that Mobility feat for Weapon Specialization, even though he currently meets the prerequisite (fi ghter level 4th), because he could not have done so as a 3rd-level character.
SKILL RETRAINING
Some skills that are particularly valuable at lower levels become less useful later on, and vice versa. For example, when everyone in the party is carrying a bag full of antitoxins and potions of cure light wounds, the need for successful Heal checks drops dramatically. Whether your character has skill ranks that aren’t as necessary as they once were, or you just want to adapt her to new challenges, skill retraining provides a simple method of adjusting your character’s capabilities in a small but measurable way.
The Process
Subtract up to 4 skill ranks from one skill and add an equal number of ranks to any one other skill (not including Speak Language). The skill to which you add the ranks must be a class skill for one of your character’s classes, including a class he is about to gain with his current level increase. It doesn’t matter whether the lost ranks were purchased as class skills or as cross-class skills.
Example: You decide to give your 2nd-level ranger a level of the rogue class as his third character level. At this point, he could use the skill retraining option to lose 4 ranks in Handle Animal that he purchased with his ranger skill points and gain 4 ranks in any other ranger or rogue class skill (such as Survival or Disable Device). He couldn’t gain ranks in any skill that isn’t on either the ranger or the rogue class skill list (such as Spellcraft).
SPELL OR POWER RETRAINING
Much like feats, magic spells and psionic powers sometimes look better when you select them than they do after you’ve used them for a while. And when you’re playing a character with a limited number of options (such as a sorcerer or a psychic warrior), every spell or power you choose represents a significant percentage of your character’s overall options. You can’t afford to have dead weight taking up valuable spell slots, so ditch that sleep spell now that the party isn’t facing foes with low Hit Dice anymore and replace it with the niftier 1st-level spell you just found in a recent supplement.
The Process
Exchange up to two currently known spells or psionic powers for other spells or powers. Each new spell or power must be usable by the same class and of the same spell level or power level as the spell or power it replaces.
Special: Bards and sorcerers already have a limited ability to learn new spells in the place of older ones (see page 28 and page 54 of the Player’s Handbook). This method of retraining allows exchanges over and above what their classes already permit.
Example: A sorcerer could change lightning bolt to fly or dispel magic, since all three are 3rd-level sorcerer/wizard spells, but he couldn’t change it to wall of ice (a 4th-level spell) or to cure serious wounds (a cleric spell).
Example: A 5th-level sorcerer advancing to 6th level could use spell retraining to exchange up to two of his known spells (of any level he knows) for others of the same levels. Then he could exchange one 0-level or 1st-level spell for another just as any sorcerer could upon attaining 6th level.
Now includes the Teleport changes. Apologies for the delay!
HOUSE RULES 23/8/19
Here are the current House Rules. If they change at any time, I will update this thread accordingly.
Recent Changes - Vorpal Weapons, Cross Class Skill Points (redacted), Environment Damage
Here are the current House Rules. If they change at any time, I will update this thread accordingly.
There are a couple of changes since last time - Unaware characters, "pressed" condition, and Advantage in combat.
HOUSE RULES
ABSENCE: When a player cannot make a session, his character becomes ‘part of the scenery’ and will only be involved in the group’s activities if it is a life or death situation or one important to the unfolding scenario.
ACTION POINTS: Every 3d6 table hours (rolled secretly by the DM) each character is allocated d3 Action Points. Points not spent at this time are not carried over. If the player rolls a 1, they may take a gamble and reroll d3-1 and must abide by the new roll even if it is zero. These points can be used to side-step a problem with a little creative thinking from the player. These points can allow you to perform actions you normally couldn’t accomplish in order to save a life, avoid a trap, emulate a feat you don’t have or qualify for, add or subtract 1 from a d20 roll or take a re-roll, turn a fumble into a critical or even to take an action out of turn. Present your proposed action creatively and imaginatively and the DM will decide on an appropriate roll or check to accomplish it and inform you of the results. Use them wisely and in the spirit they are intended.
ADVANTAGE (optional): At any time during a round when a character takes damage from a melee attack, they are classed as Pressed. The character taking damage must take a five foot step away from the enemy (diagonally or straight but not to the side) immediately as a swift action as they are put on the defensive.
This does not count against their normal free five foot step allowance and is counted as a five foot step in regards to all attacks of opportunity and movement rules. If the terrain or circumstances prevents a five foot step, it is counted as a movement action and provokes as normal and counts against the character’s movement for that round. If something prevents movement altogether, no movement can be made.
The combatant with the advantage must be within 1 size category of the opponent being pressed. Therefore, a medium creature can press a large creature but not a huge or larger sized creature.
AID ANOTHER: The character aiding another gives a bonus equal to +2 and another +1 per five ranks or base attack they possess beyond five so a character with 10 ranks/BA would provide a +3 bonus and +4 at 15 ranks/BA.
AIMING: Per round of aiming allows a cumulative +1 circumstance bonus to missile attacks within range up to +3 maximum.
ALIGNMENT CHANGES: The character makes the alignment not the other way round. If a character’s story arc involves an alignment change, no XP penalties are required.
ARMOUR SIZE: Armour is constructed for specific CON and STR as well as size category. To wear a found suit of armour without need of adjustment, both statistics must be within 2 points of the CON/STR the armour was constructed for and the same size category.
EXECUTION KILL (optional): At any time that a character is at another character's mercy, (a crossbow against a head, a dagger against a throat etc) and a withheld action is taken, a deadly hit can be delivered that automatically hits, scores an automatic critical and maximum damage (this could cause massive damage also).
A victim can attempt to avoid the attack with an Escape Artist check made against the attacker’s attack roll.
BUFFS: If a character has a defence provided by a spell or item, it is the player’s responsibility to inform the DM at the appropriate time. If the player has forgotten to indicate a particular defence, it will only be retrospectively acknowledged in a life or death situation or if it is before the enemy has acted.
CARRYING OTHER CHARACTERS/BULKY ITEMS: A character can carry a up to a medium or heavy load but must use both hands. A character can carry a light load and can do so with one hand. The encumbrance penalties for carrying medium and heavy loads apply.
CONCENTRATION CHECKS: A natural 1 on any concentration check is always a fail.
CONSULTING RULE BOOKS : If you wish to check on a rule or consult a book during play, you must inform the DM of what you are checking and why. Only the PHB and like books are allowed without the expressed permission of the DM.
CONSULTING RULE BOOKS : Unless the situation is a dire one where PC death is probable, the DM shall have final say on all rules. Certain decisions can be reversed outside of game time if the DM feels it is warranted.
DEALING NON LETHAL DAMAGE: If a character is opting to deal non-lethal damage with a lethal weapon, the damage dice is ALWAYS d6 bludgeoning (as per a club) with a x2 critical modifier no matter what the usual critical range of the weapon. On a critical hit, the damage is ALWAYS lethal. This indicates an accidental lethal hit. Weapon specific feats such as improved critical, specialization and the like are STILL APPLIED as the character is assumed to have trained in all aspects of their particular weapon.
DICE: All dice must land flat on a solid surface in plain view.
DIPLOMACY: Diplomacy checks are rolled after the player has role played the discussion with the NPC to the satisfaction of the DM.
DISAGREEMENTS: Player disagreements will be settled by party vote after 15 minutes maximum debate. If an accord cannot be reached by this time, the DM will make the decision.
DM APPROVAL: Spells/classes/feats etc chosen from any non-core products must first be approved by the DM. If they are to be used by a player, and no hard copy of the reference book is owned, hard copies MUST be printed from the soft copy and kept with the character sheets.
ENVIRONMENT DAMAGE: Non-lethal damage taken from any kind of exposure (severe cold etc) is Constitution Damage as opposed to HP. Lethal damage is still dealt to HPs as per written.
FALLING: Falling damage is now 1d6 per 10’ fallen cumulative (20’ = 3d6, 30’=6d6 etc) so falling becomes much more dangerous as it should be.
FAMILIARS: A tiny or smaller familiar is always assumed to be tucked away inside the mage's robes, pocket, cage or bag. In this situation, the familiar is assumed to be out of danger and not required to make saving throws for area effects unless targeted specifically. However, the familiar cannot make listen, spot or search checks while in this position. Small and larger familiars do not have this option and are always ‘out’.
FEAT PROGRESSION (optional): A feat is gained every even character class level, so every two levels not three.
FIRING INTO MELEE: The character can opt to forgo the usual -4 penalty for firing into melee (assuming they are lacking the precise shot feat) however, if they miss the intended target, they must roll a d8 for scatter effect to see if the missile has struck a character adjacent to the target. If the original attack is over their flatfooted AC, they have hit that character instead.
GEAR : A character can carry 8 tiny 4 small, 2 medium and 2 large weapons (weight allowance permitting). A character can forgo one weapon for an extra weapon in any other size category smaller.
GEAR : A character can carry up to 500 coins due to bulk (assuming they can carry the weight).
GEAR [c]: Any equipment that has or has not been allocated should be written on ONE character sheet. This is the character that is carrying the equipment until it is either sold or passed to another character. Unique items should be written down IN ONE PLACE to avoid duplication.
GEAR [d]: If a piece of equipment is not written down anywhere then it is lost.
HP: All HP rolls are to be witnessed by the DM and 1’s are re-rolled. If the character is at a place of rest and out of danger, they can roll two dice and take the better result.
IMPROVED GRAPPLE: This feat no longer requires Dexterity 13 to qualify for.
IN CHARACTER : All discussions should remain in character as much as possible and character names should be used at all times when in character. Levels are referred to as ‘circles of power’ when in character.
IN CHARACTER : If the DM tells a player something that is only for his/her character, the rest of the group are not privy to that information unless said player opts to tell them in character.
KNOCKED OUT: An UNAWARE foe can be knocked out with a non lethal blow. The foe must make a fort save equal to 10 + damage or be knocked out for as many rounds as they failed the save by. An unaware character is one that cannot see the character or is not aware of their immediate presence. A flat footed character is not necessarily unaware though an unaware character is usually flat footed.
L/A BUY OFF: The optional rule from Players Handbook 2 is permitted.
LEVEL UP: A character can only level up when well rested, out of danger and somewhere appropriate to the class they wish to take. The character must train for one day per character level being taken for at least 8 hours per day to successfully level up if they have found someone willing to train them. A teacher must be at least one level higher than the PC. If no teacher is available, the process takes three times as long.
MAGIC ITEM CONSTRUCTION: Magic item construction times are given in hours not days.
MASSIVE DAMAGE: Per 5hp’s over 50 taken in any single blow adds an additional +1 to the DC of the Fort save (i.e. 55=16, 60=17, 65=18 etc).
METAGAMING: severely frowned upon. Real world knowledge (including rules) versus character knowledge should be considered carefully.
MOBILE PHONES: Please avoid using your mobile phone while at the table, it is distracting and your attention should be on the game and the actions of the other characters. Obviously, incoming calls from family and for emergencies are ok.
QUESTIONS: Wait until it is your initiative/turn to ask a complex question or to declare your action.
RAISING THE DEAD : Generally, a character that is the subject of any raising magic must be of the same alignments as the clerics that serve the respective god of the cleric casting the spell and/or be in good standing with that God/Temple. Good Standing generally means that the subject to be raised has performed no ill against the temple or faith in question. Each case is judged on its own merits as to whether the god in question would grant the subject life.
RAISING THE DEAD : When a character is resurrected/raised the player loses xp as indicated in the relevant spell but must also chose a statistic to reduce by 1 point. True Resurrection is the exception to this where the character can chose whether to lose the xp or take the -1 penalty on a statistic. The cost on the mind, body and soul of returning to life is a great one.
RANGE: A character can throw or fire a ranged weapon up to one extra range category for every +1 bonus of strength they possess at the normal penalties.
RECHARGING WANDS: To determine the cost for recharging, just divide the full market price for the item by its maximum number of charges. For example, a wand of fireballs that has a caster level of 5th holds 50 charges and costs 11,250 gp. That means a single charge costs 225 gp. To recharge the wand, one needs access to a fireball spell and the Craft Wand feat. Adding a single charge costs 112 gp, 5 sp and 9 XP (1/25th of base price)
It takes a full uninterrupted hour to recharge a wand and only one spell is required.
SHUFFLE: Two adjacent friendly characters can switch position (squares) as a free action if both characters agree to the switch. This can happen on either of the character’s initiatives and is classed as a five foot step from the first character but not the second (the second character retains their five foot step for when it is their turn). A character refusing to shuffle cannot be forced to. Primarily used in narrow corridors, this does not provoke an attack of opportunity and can be performed only once per round by both characters.
SMOKING BREAKS: Try not to! Every effort to not leave the table is greatly appreciated.
STATS: All stats are bought on a 25 point buy system OR 4d6, drop lowest and place where you want. It is permitted to roll first and take the points instead if the dice rolls are lower than 25 points..
TELEPORT: All characters part of a teleport spell must roll on the table individually based on their own familiarity with the destination. Familiar and Studied Carefully no longer exist as options. Greater Teleport functions as per normal.
TIREDNESS (optional): A character can perform any strenuous task; fighting, climbing, swimming etc for a number of rounds equal to their CON score. If the character pushes on for longer, a DC15 FORT save (+1 per extra round) is made per round or they become fatigued. They must continue making the saving throws or then become exhausted and take d6 non lethal damage per round of continued strenuous activity.
Generally, any physical activity or full round action will count against Tiredness.
TWO HANDED WEAPONS: A character can use a two handed weapon one handed but takes a -4 penalty to attack rolls and one handed weapon Strength bonus to damage (including power attack bonus damage) is applied.
VISION: Where a character has any vision based special abilities that are ‘ongoing’, such as detect evil or true seeing, the player must declare when he is using the ability. This is an immediate action by the character; otherwise it is assumed the character is using normal vision.
VORPAL WEAPONS: Fortification effects do protect against Vorpal effects unless otherwise stated.
WOUND THRESHOLD (optional): If a character takes damage in a single physical attack (not energy damage) that is greater than their CON score, they must make a FORT save equal to the damage or become staggered. If this happens again before being healed, then they become disabled. Magical healing or a DC20 heal check negates the effect.
Though the end effects are the same, these effects are treated differently to actual staggered and disabled status’ in regards to immunities and protections.
XP AWARDS:: The DM is responsible for awarding XP’s The player is responsible for keeping track of his character’s advancement. For good role playing, an award of up to a maximum of 50xp per character level is the norm. In addition, every player has a pool of five 50xp awards per session that they can award to another player at the table and on the spot for excellent roleplaying. Unused xp are not carried over to the next session. Players should carefully consider the character's personality, situation and current goals when awarding from their pool. The award represents a good effort by the player receiving the reward that has entertained, moved or inspired the rewarding character. Multiple awards from more than one player for the same scene are allowed and the DM can reverse a reward if he feels it is unwarranted.
RETRAINING: As per page 192 of the PHB2, retraining of class features, skills, features, feats and spells (but not languages or levels) are allowed with the addition that each change costs an amount of XP depending on what is being changed as per the following;
Class feature change - 100xp per class level
Skill change – 100xp per rank moved
Feat change – 100xp per class level
Spell change – 100xp per spell level changed
It takes 1 day of training per 100xp being spent.
In addition, a House Rule allows you to switch 1 point of a level gained Ability Score increase for 1000xp.
The retraining chapter from PHB2 is reproduced here for your information and is best dealt with out of game time.
The most basic level of character revision is retraining—that is, adjusting a decision you made earlier in your character’s career by selecting a different legal option. This technique represents the character’s practicing new talents in lieu of honing older ones. In a way, the process is similar to attaining a new level. In keeping with that concept, the retraining option can be chosen only during level advancement.
Six different character aspects (see table below) can be changed through retraining. Each time your character attains a new level, you can select one (and only one) of these options.
For instance, you can’t change a feat selection and your spells known at the same level. Since these options represent two different sessions of retraining, they must occur at different levels.
The decision to retrain must be implemented before any benefits of the newly attained level are applied. For example, if a 10th-level rogue wants to trade her improved evasion class feature for the opportunist class feature, she can do so immediately upon attaining 11th level, before she gains any of the benefits for that level (such as additional hit points, skill points, and so on).
Retraining Options
Character Aspect Effect
Class feature Exchange one class feature option for another
Feat Exchange one feat for another for which you qualify
Skill Trade ranks between two skills
Spell Exchange one spell known for another
CLASS FEATURE RETRAINING
Some class features offer two or more different options, such as the choice of combat style a ranger must make at 2nd level. Class feature retraining allows you to swap out one such option for another. Maybe your ranger would prefer to be an archer instead of a melee fighter, or your cleric feels that the War domain would be a better option than the Law domain. The character remains basically the same, since his class levels haven’t changed, but he’s now highlighting a different aspect of his class.
The Process
Change one class feature option to another legal one. The new option must represent a choice that you could have made at the same level as you made the original choice. Also, the new choice can’t make any of your later choices illegal—though it might automatically change class features acquired later if they are based on the initial choice.
Class features from the Player’s Handbook that are subject to change in this manner are given on Table 8–2.
Class Feature Retraining Options
Class Option
Cleric* Choice of domains (each domain counts as a separate choice)
Neutral cleric Choice to turn or to rebuke undead (can be changed only if deity allows it)
Druid or ranger Choice of animal companion
Fighter, monk, or wizard Choice of bonus feat
Ranger Choice of combat style
Rogue Choice of special ability
Sorcerer or wizard Choice of familiar
Wizard** Choice of school specialization and prohibited schools
*A cleric’s choice of deity can’t be changed by class feature retraining. See the Divine Conversion sidebar for details on how to accomplish this change.
**School specialization and prohibited schools are treated as a single class feature. Thus, a character could change one, two, or even all three choices at the same time.
Example: Upon gaining a new level, a ranger could change the combat style class feature he gained at 2nd level from two-weapon fighting to archery. Thereafter, he would be treated as if he had the Rapid Shot feat instead of the Two-Weapon Fighting feat. If he had at least six levels of ranger before making this change, he would exchange both the Two-Weapon Fighting feat (gained at 2nd level) and the Improved Two-Weapon Fighting feat (gained at 6th level) for the appropriate archery feats, since both of these features are derived from the choice made at 2nd level. However, the ranger couldn’t make this change if he had selected the Two-Weapon Defense feat in the interim, since losing Two-Weapon Fighting means he would no longer meet the prerequisites for that feat.
Example: Upon gaining a new level, a necromancer could change her school specialization to evocation, thus becoming an evoker. At the same time, she could also choose to change her prohibited schools from conjuration and illusion to abjuration and transmutation. Doing so would cause her to lose access to all spells from the newly designated prohibited schools. Even if her spellbook contains one or more such spells, she would lose the ability to prepare and cast them.
Example: Upon gaining a new level, a wizard could choose to specialize in the enchantment school, thereby becoming an enchanter. At the same time, she would have to select two prohibited schools, as normal for a specialist wizard.
Example: Upon gaining a new level, a conjurer could choose to become a wizard. By doing so, she would lose the benefits of specialization. But since she would also lose her prohibited schools, she could then learn spells from those schools as normal.
FEAT RETRAINING
Sometimes a feat choice looks great on paper, but it just doesn’t work for your character in practice. Maybe an early feat choice reflected the character’s personality and style, but a little experience changed his outlook. For instance, you might have selected Improved Initiative for your 1stlevel character because you pictured him as ambitious and a little reckless. But after falling victim to a wight’s touch because he just couldn’t wait until the cleric turned the undead, he decides it’s better to use a little more care in combat, causing you to regret your early feat choice. New supplements, with their wealth of exciting feat options, also provide plenty of reasons to reconsider your earlier feat selections.
The Process
You can exchange one of the feats you previously selected for another feat. If the new feat has prerequisites, not only must your character meet them in his current state, but you must also be able to show that he met them at the time you chose the previous feat. (This isn’t always obvious and sometimes must be drawn from memory so a little negotiating is permitted!)
Example: A 4th-level fighter/1st-level rogue couldn’t trade the Mobility feat he chose at 3rd level for Improved Critical because he doesn’t currently meet a prerequisite for the latter feat (base attack bonus +6). He also couldn’t trade that Mobility feat for Weapon Specialization, even though he currently meets the prerequisite (fi ghter level 4th), because he could not have done so as a 3rd-level character.
SKILL RETRAINING
Some skills that are particularly valuable at lower levels become less useful later on, and vice versa. For example, when everyone in the party is carrying a bag full of antitoxins and potions of cure light wounds, the need for successful Heal checks drops dramatically. Whether your character has skill ranks that aren’t as necessary as they once were, or you just want to adapt her to new challenges, skill retraining provides a simple method of adjusting your character’s capabilities in a small but measurable way.
The Process
Subtract up to 4 skill ranks from one skill and add an equal number of ranks to any one other skill (not including Speak Language). The skill to which you add the ranks must be a class skill for one of your character’s classes, including a class he is about to gain with his current level increase. It doesn’t matter whether the lost ranks were purchased as class skills or as cross-class skills.
Example: You decide to give your 2nd-level ranger a level of the rogue class as his third character level. At this point, he could use the skill retraining option to lose 4 ranks in Handle Animal that he purchased with his ranger skill points and gain 4 ranks in any other ranger or rogue class skill (such as Survival or Disable Device). He couldn’t gain ranks in any skill that isn’t on either the ranger or the rogue class skill list (such as Spellcraft).
SPELL OR POWER RETRAINING
Much like feats, magic spells and psionic powers sometimes look better when you select them than they do after you’ve used them for a while. And when you’re playing a character with a limited number of options (such as a sorcerer or a psychic warrior), every spell or power you choose represents a significant percentage of your character’s overall options. You can’t afford to have dead weight taking up valuable spell slots, so ditch that sleep spell now that the party isn’t facing foes with low Hit Dice anymore and replace it with the niftier 1st-level spell you just found in a recent supplement.
The Process
Exchange up to two currently known spells or psionic powers for other spells or powers. Each new spell or power must be usable by the same class and of the same spell level or power level as the spell or power it replaces.
Special: Bards and sorcerers already have a limited ability to learn new spells in the place of older ones (see page 28 and page 54 of the Player’s Handbook). This method of retraining allows exchanges over and above what their classes already permit.
Example: A sorcerer could change lightning bolt to fly or dispel magic, since all three are 3rd-level sorcerer/wizard spells, but he couldn’t change it to wall of ice (a 4th-level spell) or to cure serious wounds (a cleric spell).
Example: A 5th-level sorcerer advancing to 6th level could use spell retraining to exchange up to two of his known spells (of any level he knows) for others of the same levels. Then he could exchange one 0-level or 1st-level spell for another just as any sorcerer could upon attaining 6th level.
