House Rules (D&D)

[shasodnarb]

CHARACTER CREATION
- Ability Score: bonus +1 to any single ability score
- Skill: bonus +2 to any skill, does not have to be trained

LEVEL ADVANCEMENT
- Hit Points: add constitution modifier to hit points gained each level

LANGUAGES
- There are four levels of language knowledge (expressed as verbal/written):
- 3 points: advanced, scholarly command of language, foreign accent disappears
- 2 points: fluent, although distinct accent remains if not primary language
- 1 point: basic, able to communicate general concepts with difficulty
- 0 point: minimal, unable to effectively understand or communicate

At creation, characters have a primary language at value (2/1) and a secondary language at (1/0). Additional points are based on intelligence and may be spent on additional languages or improving existing ones. At level, these points are equal to 1 per intelligence modifier. Excess points carry over.

For level advancement, 1 point is gained per 2 intelligence modifier, rounded down, and excess points carry over.

TURN ORGANIZATION
- The gaming turn is divided into two phases and proceeds through each phase according to initiative order. A standard action may be taken in either phase, in which case the move action is taken in the other phase. A minor action may be taken in either phase, as can free actions. Additional actions taken due to action points may occur during either phase and do not otherwise affect the sequence of actions.

HIT POINTS, HEALING, AND DAMAGE EFFECTS
- Each character has location hit point values in addition to their total hit point value.
- The locations are (10) head, (9) l arm, (8) r arm, (6-7) chest, (5) midsection, (3-4) l leg, and (1-2) r leg.
- The chest hit points are 2/3 of the total hit points and the other locations are each 1/3, rounded down.

- Total hit points are healed by all means. Location hit points are healed by all means except healing surges or second wind, etc.
- The natural healing rate per day equals the constitution modifier, rounded down, minimum of 1. Natural healing heals the total hit points first, then location hit points.
- The number of healing surges is reduced by half, rounded down, for all characters.

- A DC 10 heal check stops minor bleeding, DC 15 downgrades major to minor, and DC 20 downgrades severe to major. Critical hits increase the DC by 5 each. Each heal/downgrade takes 1 std action.

- Various penalties can be incurred by characters who take sufficient damage, either against their total hit points or to their location hit points. These penalties begin at 50% damage. A standard saving throw is taken to determine the effect as indicated below. If unsuccessful, a saving throw is taken every subsequent round to reduce the effect. However, saving throws must thereafter be taken each time damage is incurred.

50% HP • SAVE SUCCESSFUL • SAVE FAILED
- Total • -2 all rolls & defenses • -5 all rolls & defenses
- Head • dazed • stunned
- Attack Arm • uncoordinated • plus weakened
- Defend Arm • exposed • disadvantaged
- Chest • disadvantaged • helpless
- Midsection • disadvantaged • restrained
- One Leg • slowed • prone
- Both Legs • immobilized • restrained

ATTACKS AND DEFENSES
- Two-Handed Weapon: strength modifier is x1.5 for damage, rounded down
- Off-Hand Weapon: strength modifier is x0.5 for damage, rounded down

- Open-Ended Rolling: if a 20 or 1 is rolled, an additional dice is rolled and added/subtracted to the total. A natural or 20 or 1 doesn't automatically hit or miss.

- Critical Hits: if a 20 or greater is rolled, another roll is needed to determine if the hit is a critical. If this second roll hits, the attack is a critical hit. Critical hits inflict maximum damage and also cause bleeding. The bleeding drains total hit points. One critical hit causes minor bleeding (1/rnd). Two critical hits increase this to major bleeding (1d3/rnd). Three critical hits increase this to severe bleeding (1d6/rnd). Subsequent critical hits increase this by 1d6 damage each.

- Fumble: if 1 or less is rolled, another roll is required to determine if the miss is a fumble. Fumbles result in the loss of the current action, the loss of any sustained abilities, and the inability to act in the next phase. Action points can still be used, however.

- Called Shots: with a basic attack, a player may declare an attempt to strike a specific location and induce an associated penalty on the enemy. A -2 penalty to hit is taken if the player attempts to induce a penalty associated with the Save Successful column. A -5 penalty is taken for the Save Failed column. If hit, the enemy must make a saving throw. If the enemy fails the saving throw, damage is taken in additional to the special effect. If the enemy makes the saving throw, only the damage is taken.

- Damage Reduction: +1 per 2 AC due to armor, including shield
- Total Defense: standard action, gain +2 defenses and +1 damage reduction
- Saving Throws: modified by half the difference in level between attacker and defender, rounded down

[LizardTau]

very interesting i like the critical things and such, it would be very interesting to play

[shasodnarb]

It's a neverending work in progress, of course, and will be updated periodically.

[LizardTau]

do you actaully play a game with those rules? That would be fun i like that if still simple but would make combat interesting and more realisic.

[shasodnarb]

Yep. Although there are a few changes and and additions, we basically only play our games with them.

[LizardTau]

Nice

[Mythweaver]

We strongly believe that a certain amount of realism is required to get the feel for the world we are in. If you have ever been injured or in a fight you quickly realize that you can't just get on your horse tomorrow and chase after that villian. Just imagine getting stabbed, or having your arm broken behind a shield. Then just imagine how long that will take to be strong again let alone pain free.

Alot of you may feel that is will hinder game enjoyment and/or progress but in truth it creates story hooks and a reason to take time out to roleplay. I wouldn't really be happy without these rules in place.

[shasodnarb]

When you think of it, an average wound from getting stabbed by a dagger is 2hp. I'd probably be taking a couple shifts off work.

[Mythweaver]

The cut I had in my throat from surgery was prolly little more than 2hp as well, it was the crit involved that laid me out for a month!

[justice7ca]

I like what you did with the rules here; basically made yourself some "Advanced Dungeons and Dragons 4th Edition", by taking some of the oldschool called shot rules into account.

I'm not sure i fully understand your critical hits though, so say I rolled a 19, i have +6 to hit.. it's over 20 now, does that mean it is a critical? Surely as players level up, their 'to-hit' value increases and would then almost always result in a critical. Or am I wrong here and only 20's are criticals (if you can roll a second successful hit).

One could imagine using this ruleset on monsters would dramatically increase the prep-time for the DM as well, as new monster character sheets would have to be drawn up.

[shasodnarb]

only 20's are criticals (if you can roll a second successful hit)

You're precisely correct. If a 20 is rolled, and the open-ended roll (effectively still the same roll) doesn't bump it down, and the result is sufficient to hit, then it's a hit and a potential critical. Then, an additional roll is done to see if the character would hit. If it would, then the hit is confirmed as a critical. In the case of a feat that improves the crit range to 19-20, then 19+ hits would be potential criticals.

I'll admit, all this (plus monster stuff) sounds like a pain in the butt, but within a few minutes, it's second nature and doesn't impact the length of a combat.

[justice7ca]

I really like the called shots, I have an idea though for simplification

instead of having hit points for each limb; keep the effects as listed but make certain ones harder to hit than others, giving them a DC

So if you want to say, smack someone up side the head with a sword:

D20 + 6 (to hit) VS 16 AC + DC 10 "Called Shot: Head"

Rolls 18, score of 24 VS 16 AC + DC 10 "Called Shot: Head)"

24 (to hit) VS 26 (defense) = Just missed.

If it had hit, the target suffers dazed / stunned .. based on target being bloodied or not, and may take a saving throw for the effect. Save ends.

Cool though, haven't really thought much about house rules in 4th as yet =)

[justice7ca]

reason i thought of that was to remove the need to recreate character sheets for players and monsters...

if you lose all hp to your head, do you die, or just suffer that penalty?

[johnchurchill]

I like some of these. However, some of the "charts" could probably use some simplification so that they don't slow down gameplay. Considering doing some playtesting first before posting these.