House Rules
Many of these are by Ken-do-nim (of the Dragonsfoot.org Forums), edited by jaseclimb7, tweaked by me. Some are my own and some I stole...er...borrowed from other sources, namely the Castles & Crusades Players Handbook. And...these are up for discussion, change, addition, etc. Remember: this is OUR game!
Races and Class Options:
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Dwarf: Dwarves hail from the depths of the earth, and have lived there for ages beyond count. Much like the stone they resemble, dwarves possess great fortitude and an indomitable will of granite. Dwarves feel bound by codes of honor that obligate them to kin and kingdom. Dwarves are meticulous and patient. All possess an expert's attention to detail, and granite determination, regardless of the undertaking at hand. Their expertise in the crafting of metal is without equal in the world, and their steadfastness in battle is as certain as a mountain is strong; they are also adept in crafting stone. The dwarven personality stems from a sense of duty, loyalty and just compensation enforced by centuries of tradition.
Racial Traits: Deepvision 120' - can see in total darkness with no light source at all.
Class Options: Cleric, Fighter, Thief
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Elf: An ancient and timeless race, Elves embody the grace and beauty of the natural world. A long life gives them a deep degree of patience and the opportunity to acquire a vast knowledge of the world and its history. Elves relish beauty, both natural and crafted, and are masters at gardening, animal husbandry, metalworking, and arcane studies. Their love for beauty and the desire to shape the world brings elves their greatest joy and greatest sorrow. Their timeless vision allows them to see both the beauty and the tragedy in all things. This gives their personality a fatalistic tone, being uneasy with death and what it entails.
Racial Traits: Twilight Vision - Even under starlight, moonlight or torchlight, Elves have exceedingly good vision. They can distinguish color and detail for up to one mile when they are outdoors.
Class Options: Cleric, Fighter, Magic-User, Thief
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Gnome: Closely bonded to nature and its essence, Gnomes are partial to forests and mountains, but can be found living just about anywhere. Often associated with pranks and mischief, Gnomes tend to be more interested in relaxation and mirth, being famous for their songs, dances, drinks, speeches, and various forms of entertainment. Very curious by nature, Gnomes are forever tinkering or traveling to learn new things, meticulously crafting items from wood or stone or cloth.
Racial Traits:
Enhanced Hearing > Gnomes have keen ears, often likened to those of a fox. As such, Gnomes have a 25% chance to detect noises.
Spell Use > Gnomes have the innate ability to cast three (3) Cantrips each day. (See page 30 of UA for the list.)
Class Options: Cleric, Fighter, Illusionist, Thief
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Half-Elf: Intelligent, perceptive, and quick witted, Half-Elves blend into most societies quite well. Due to their mixed lineage, they exhibit an almost supernatural degree of empathy, giving them an uncanny understanding of people. Their lineage determines their personality and their life span is long, often leading them to have the same fatalistic view of the world like Elves have. Half-Elves tend to wander but harbor few prejudices for other races. They make steadfast adventuring companions.
Class Options: Cleric, Druid, Fighter, Magic-User, Ranger, Thief
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Halfling: Generally an agrarian people, Halflings prefer open pastures and lush farmlands to cities and other places crowded with tall folk. Meticulous and prosperous, Halflings enjoy good food, relaxation, and a quiet life. They are jovial, friendly and hospitable, yet preferring their own culture over others. Halflings work diligently on their farms, houses, and gardens, and are adept at baking and brewing. Few are adventurers, but those few are stout companions who show little fear in the face of danger.
Racial Traits: Duskvision - with their large, piercing eyes, Halflings can see in starlight and moonlight just as a human can at dusk.
Class Options: Druid, Fighter, Thief
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Half-Orc: Existing on the edge of society is the norm for Half-Orcs. Most have an unpleasant demeanor, and some are repulsive and even hideous to behold. Unsavory and contentious individuals, Half-Orcs have few friends or allies. However, this social stigma combined with the militant aggressiveness of their Orc heritage produces a nearly fearless warrior and relentless foe. Half-Orcs are unswervingly loyal to those they trust and in whom they place their faith. On the other hand, to those who break that faith, Half-Orcs have an undying enmity and no effort will be spared in righting a wrong and taking revenge upon their enemies. Half-Orcs can be both a friend and companion of immense value or a foe of terrible power.
Racial Traits: Enhanced Sense of Smell - This ability allows Half-Orcs to detect the presence, but not the specific location, of creatures within 30 feet or within 60 feet if the creature is upwind. Strong scents can be detected at twice those ranges. If a Half-Orc becomes familiar with an individual, he can learn the individual's scent and recognize it.
Class Options: Cleric, Fighter, Thief
Classes:
Bard
> Armor allowed: Leather, Leather Coat, Padded. May also use a Buckler Shield w/o penalty.
Cleric
> Healing spells add 1 hit point per level of the cleric.
> May use the favored weapon of their deity regardless of class restrictions.
> Turn undead - max range 60 feet.
Druid
> Druids may be Neutral Good, Neutral, or (in the case of NPC's) Neutral Evil.
> Healing spells add 1 hit point per level of the druid.
> Druids may use the favored weapon of their deity regardless of class restrictions.
> Armor allowed: Leather, Leather Coat, Hide; may also use a small wooden shield w/o penalty.
> When a druid changes form (into a bird, reptile, or mammal), he/she retains the ability to speak; however, he/she cannot cast spells while in animal form.
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Spell casting option: Since druids are elemental in nature, I believe they are "in touch" with the primal forces of their deity. Thus, they may gain bonus spells for high wisdom like clerics do OR they may forgo the bonus spells for being allowed to cast ANY spell from the druid spell list as needed. This means they would not have to prepare for spells ahead of time and may cast spells from the druid list per their class limitations.
Fighter
> Weapon Specialization as per
Unearthed Arcana. May only specialize in one weapon and they are not allowed to double specialize.
Illusionist
> Minimum requirements: Intelligence 13, Dexterity 13
> Read Magic is a class ability and usable at will.
> May cast Cantrips per rules in
Unearthed Arcana.
> Weapons allowed: club, dagger, dart, knife, staff; although many illusionists view most weapons as vulgar and may refuse to use them at all!
> +1 on saves to illusion spells and effects.
> Very adept at detecting illusions/deceptions/concealed items (including doors). This ability increases in levels:
1st Level: 10% chance of spotting a concealed door or illusion effect.
4th Level: 15% chance of spotting a concealed door or illusion effect.
8th Level: 25% chance of spotting a concealed door or illusion effect.
12th Level: 50% chance of spotting a concealed door or illusion effect.
> Bonus spells: With a high intelligence score, an illusionist gains bonus spells per this chart:
- Intelligence 13-15 = 1 extra 1st level spell.
- Intelligence 16-17 = 1 extra 2nd level spell.
- Intelligence 18+ = 1 extra 3rd level spell.
Magic-users
> Read Magic is a class ability and usable at will.
> May cast Cantrips per rules in
Unearthed Arcana.
> Weapons allowed: club, dagger, dart, knife, staff.
> Elven magic-users may wear elven chainmail (if available) with no penalty to spellcasting.
> Bonus spells: With a high intelligence score, a magic-user gains bonus spells per this chart:
- Intelligence 13-15 = 1 extra 1st level spell.
- Intelligence 16-17 = 1 extra 2nd level spell.
- Intelligence 18+ = 1 extra 3rd level spell.
Monk
> Monks gain their Dexterity bonus to AC.
> Magic Items: The 5 magic item limit does not pertain to one use items such as potions and scrolls or magical arrows, bolts, darts, etc.
> Combat:
1/Monks attack on the Cleric table and save on the Thief table. (Typo that was never fixed in any of the printings of the PHB.)
2/ Ranged weapons benefit from the monk's weapon damage bonus.
3/ May replace any open hand attack with a kick. Kicking is less accurate but more powerful than striking, incurring a -1 penalty to hit for a +1 bonus to damage. Kicking otherwise conforms to open hand attacking in all respects. A monk may use a kick as an off-hand attack even when both hands are full, such as when using a polearm. Note that when a monk has 3 attacks in a round, at least one of those must be a kick. A monk with 4 attacks uses both hands and both feet. Hands must be kept free to deliver open hand attacks.
4/ A monk is free to use an open hand attack as an off-hand weapon when the primary attack is an actual weapon.
*Here is another option for the Monk - it is a copy of the article from DRAGON Magazine issue 53: http://www.dragonsfoot.org/for...c.php?f=1&t=8688
Paladin
> Paladins may begin play with a Charisma of 15 or higher.
> Paladins are not entitled to bonus spells due to high wisdom.
> Paladins cannot dual-class. If a paladin character wants to start over with a new class, the paladin class abilities are lost. Likewise the paladin class cannot be chosen as a second career.
> Paladin casting level starts at 1 at the level at which they acquire spells (9), and increments by 1 for each level thereafter to a maximum of 9 (at 17th).
Ranger
> Armor allowed: Chain Shirt, Leather, Leather Coat, Padded, Studded Leather.
> Rangers may only cast
druidic spells; they are not in tune with the arcane. They also benefit from the druid option of casting spells w/o preparation (see above).
> Rangers have limited healing abilities regulated to wounds and certain natural poisons. Under their care, the victim heals faster and has a greater chance of recovering from being poisoned. Note the following chart:
Levels Healing Poison
1-4 Doubled 20% to identify and treat
5-8 Tripled 30% to identify and treat
9+ Quadrupled 50% to identify and treat
Any thoughts about Animal Companions and Favored Enemies?
Thief
> Armor allowed: Leather, Leather Coat, Padded. May also use a Buckler Shield w/o penalty to their thieving abilities.
> Thieves may not use two-handed weapons.
This message was last edited by the GM at 10:46, Wed 29 June 2011.