Note:
I borrowed (stole) some of the custom rules ideas from JadedDM on this site… with his permission of course. Many of his rules are actually very close to how I used to run games, and I can tell he has worked out several kinks that I never ran across/figured a solution to/stopped being lazy enough to fix. I would like to give credit to Jaded for this before I get started (and to keep anyone from teasing me about it later ☺ although good-natured teasing is always fine). Obviously if you have any questions about specifics just ask.
Rules Specific to this campaign/setting:
I will cover these in my next post
General Rules:
Character Generation (choose one)
Method I: 3d6 in order…
JUST KIDDING!!! (I think that would almost count as cruel and unusual…)
Custom Method: roll 3d6 9 times. Keep any 6 sets. They don’t have to be the highest if you don’t want them to be ☺. You can then choose to add 1 (and only 1) point to up to any 3 stats, but you must subtract 1 point from an equal number of other stats. No +/- 2s or 3s.
Racial adjustments can bring a score up to 19, but not below 3 and can be stacked with a previous +1. No starting scores of 20. Ever.
Example:
Bob wants an elf wiz with a high Dex for the AC bonus. He added a point to his roll of 17 for Dex in order to get an 18 prior to the racial adjustment. He then subtracted a point from another stat to balance it. Unfortunately, his con is 3 (I hope he doesn’t plan on getting hit much…) Becoming an elf would bring his Dex up to 19 (no problem), but would drop his con to 2 (yikes); thus it is not allowed…
Solution!
Bob must choose to add a point to Con in order to bring it to 4, so that after he makes his character an elf, the total Con score will be 3. I don’t anticipate this problem ever happening though. The statistics of this roll method make it almost impossible to end up with a 3 in the first place…
Overall Bob chose to apply a +1 to both his Dex and Con scores, meaning he must choose any two other stats to apply a -1 penalty to. He does not have to add 3 +1s, and could easily choose to add 1 or none. For every +1 he applies he must apply a -1.
Use Unseen Servant to roll base stats and link to all 9 rolls. Then let me know what your stats are after the adjustments (choose your 6, apply your adjustments and racial modifiers and just let me know the end result)
No race restrictions for ability scores (you don’t need 8 Cha to play an elf). Likewise there are no level caps for different races. I don’t really do class restrictions for races, but if it is an unusual combination I will ask you to give some reasoning. A Dwarven ranger might want to take the mountains or underground as his primary terrain, but will not be forced to if he wants to choose the forest and can give some character background to support it.
Rerolling Ability Scores
I really don’t think any re-rolls will be necessary with the above system. If the gods of die-rolling lay a curse upon you and give you crap (total points of max 6 sets <=55) then you may go ahead and re-roll it as if that had never happened. You don’t have to, though. Keeping rough stat rolls and role-playing through it is something admire. It makes the characters come to life more.
Height/Weight/Age:
Roll for height. Age and Weight can be chosen within the starting limits. The reasoning here is that a person cannot choose how tall they are, but they can choose how old they are when they start adventuring and can adjust weight with diet/exercise.
Create a physical/behavioral description of your character, along with a background history. At the very least include their reason for adventuring and any significant tragedies/successes in their life.
NWProficiencies:
I use NWPs instead of Secondary Skills. High Intelligence scores give you both the number of languages and bonus NWP slots. You cannot trade a language for another NWP.
Example: A character with an Int of 16 gets to learn 5 languages and picks up 5 NWP points. These can be spent on ancient languages and the like. A character could not sacrifice a language to gain an extra NWP (i.e. taking only 4 languages to get 6 NWP slots is not allowed.)
Starter Spells and Spellbook.
A basic spellbook is free for mages/specialists, but additional ones must be purchased. Bards do not .
A wizard can start with 4 spells, but still has to roll their ’% chance to learn’ for each. A failure to learn a spell frees up that slot again, but the failed spell cannot be re-attempted until another level is gained. (Bob fails to learn magic missile to start, but when he reaches level 2, he can try again.) All wizards start with Read Magic and Detect Magic auto-magically
. Bards do not.
When a new spell level is reached (spell lvl 2 at char lvl 3 for a mage, or char lvl 4 for a bard as per PHB), the player gets a ‘freebie’ spell from that new spell level without having to roll to learn it. This spell will be selected by the DM (I’ll probably just roll for it) from a list of 3 to 9 spells the player is interested in. Thus if Bob really wants to get Fireball as a freebie, he should make a shorter list that includes Fireball to increase his chances. Even if he doesn’t get it this way, he can still learn it later.
A specialist can decide to select a new spell of their chosen school OR go for a ‘freebie’ from a different school as mentioned.
A wizards uses the max number of spells/level based on Intelligence. ‘freebies’ count towards this total, spells the character researches/invents on their own do not.
Other Stuff
XP and Leveling
XP is earned at the end of the day, once the character has a chance to reflect on their experiences (even subconsciously).
Group stuff includes accomplishing a quest objective together,
Individual awards may include Defeating monsters 1 on 1 for fighters, successful use of thief skills for rogues, successful casting of spells for mages/priests, etc. Basically I use the guidelines from the DMG.
Leveling doesn’t require training, just a good night’s rest.
Initiative
I typically use individual initiative along with wep/spell/conditional modifiers.
A ranger dual-wielding would tend to hit with their primary weapon first (since the character would favor their primary hand ever so slightly). If the weapon speed of the secondary weapon is quicker or equal to the primary, both attacks happen at once. If the secondary weapon is slower, it is just that small amount later rather than at the end. I can’t for the life of me think of when this would apply, though.
A fighter with multiple attacks due to specialization takes his first normally, and the second at the end of the combat round.
Firing into Melee
Firing into Melee is risky, but I feel that characters will wait and choose their moment carefully to avoid hitting a party member (even evil ones will do this if only to keep from wasting a shot). I don’t like the way the PHB rules are laid out, but the reasoning has merit (everyone is moving around a lot in order to avoid each other’s strikes and to attack) and so there are penalties. Missing due to a penalty will cause the PC to miss wide, and not endanger their allies; except in the case of a fumble. With critical misses, everyone in the area is fair game except the opponent (oddly enough). Penalties are halved when the opponent does not move its body in relation to the PCs (there is still a small penalty because the PCs are still trying to avoid attacks and strike).
Here are the adjustments I will use for a player firing into a melee between a party member and an opponent:
-0 There is no penalty if the opponent is 2 size categories larger than the player (gnome vs ogre).
-1 if the opponent is 1 size category larger.
-2 if they are the same size, or if the opponent is larger and there are 2 party members attacking it.
-4 if the opponent is one size category smaller than the player
Multiple party members engaging in melee (or preparing to backstab) the same opponent will multiply the above penalties to a max of 3x. For example: Bob is out of spells and wants to use his sling to hit the ogre. Three of his party members are engaged in melee with the ogre: A gnome rogue, a human fighter and an elf ranger. Since the ogre is 1 size category larger than both the human fighter and the elven ranger, there is a -1 penalty for each of them. There is no penalty for the gnome since he is 2 size categories smaller. The total penalty for Bob firing at the ogre would be -2. If it were an Orc instead of an ogre the total penalty would be -5 (-2 for the human, -2 for the elf, -1 for the gnome).
Proficiencies and Training:
WPs and NWPs gained upon level advancement must be trained in some way. I will assume your character has been studying up on it for a while and may only need to talk to someone proficient for a few pointers before it ‘clicks’. A player can improve an existing NWP score by spending an additional slot on it. This will amount to a +2 bonus to the ability check and should be noted on the character sheet. Improving an existing NWP requires no training, the character simply gets better.
I won’t force long training times or anything like that. If another party member already has the proficiency, you can pretty much consider this automatic as long as they have the right equipment. (A warrior with the Trident WP trying to teach a Ranger to use one will need to actually have a trident around to show him. If there isn’t one available, the Ranger will have to spend a few minutes playing with a trident once he finds one before the Warrior’s advice sets in) Again, I’ll be reasonable about this. He won’t have to spend an hour playing with his polearm…
If two characters have the same proficiency and want to cooperate on a task, use the higher of the two scores and apply a +2 bonus. A third character will add another +1. No more bonuses will be gained beyond three people. Certain proficiencies may not be adjusted in this way (typically performance-type NWPs).
Encumbrance:
Basic encumbrance applies. Magic armor has an effective weight 10 lbs less than normal for each + to it’s bonus, to a minimum of ‘weightless’. A +2 set of chainmail would weigh 20 lbs less than regular chain. Shields stay the same, weps are ‘faster’ and have 1/bonus pt less in the speed category to a min of 0.
Spell Components/Familiars (Pretty much stole this straight from JadedDM’s rules… thanks!)
Normal components that are cheap and readily available don’t need to be specified. Expensive, rare or significantly large materials the character must have with them. Examples of necessary components are: a silver mirror, black dragon blood, any component with a gp value listed in the spell description, or a 20 square foot piece of cloth.
General components can be bought from a magic-shop and kept in a 'component bag' that costs 1 gp per spell level to refill (a 1st level mage would need to spend 1 gp, a 3rd level mage would need to spend 3 gp, etc.) The component bag must be refilled between adventures (or once a month, whichever comes first).
A ‘find familiar’ scroll can be purchased from most mage shops in my campaigns for 100gp. I will use the familiars table from the Wizard’s Handbook unless the player specifies a general type/terrain they want their familiar to be from (an extra 25 gp for the scroll). Valid types include: birds, small mammals, reptiles. Valid terrains include: underground, forest, desert. The player is not limited to these, but they need get approval. Don’t ask for a bear familiar, it won’t happen… unless it ends up being a koala maybe…
Weapon Type vs Armor Modifiers
These always made a lot more sense to me than generic AC, and I don’t mind the extra work, so I use them. These are listed in the PHB.
Crits on a d20:
Natural 20 always hits (Crit), natural 1 always misses (Fumble).
Crit: roll your damage twice. A crit scored on a creature unable to be permanently damaged by the weapon may stagger or stun them, but won’t result in actual damage. Obviously this doesn’t apply for noncorporeal creatures and non magic weapons. (John hits the Wight with his normal Warhammer, but needs a silver or better weapon to damage it. He rolls a 20 and crits. The Wight is thrown off balance by the attack and loses his action this round)
Fumble: you miss… badly. Weapons may break, become damaged, embedded in a nearby object (door, wall, floor) or you may hit a nearby ally instead.
[New Info]
Crit Confirmation:
-Another bare d20 is rolled (usually by the DM). Anything except a 1 or 20 confirms the previous roll. A 1 or a 20 has specific results (either mitigating or enhancing the result of the first die).
Examples:
-A natural 20 followed by a natl 2 is still a critical hit.
-A natl 1 followed by a natl 19 is still a fumble
-A natl 20 followed by a natl 1 still hits, but does not do extra damage
-A natl 1 followed by a natl 20 still misses, but is not a fumble
-A natl 20 followed by a natl 20 does the damage of a crit (roll damage twice, then add modifiers) and stuns the opponent 1 round
-A natl 1 followed by a natl 1 is a severe fumble. 2 results from my secret fumble table apply. This could result in hitting an ally and breaking or dropping the weapon, etc.
Death's Door (slightly modified)
I feel like this is a good rule, particularly for lower level characters who have fewer hitpoints. It has been modified somewhat to help discourage players from taking ridiculously unnecessary risks.
A player goes unconscious at or below 0 HP. If a player is at 5 hps and is struck by a sword for 7, they drop down to -2 HPs right away without stopping at 0. A player will not be dropped below -7 HP in this way for nearly any reason; and only then in extreme circumstances. Once unconscious, the character can make a Con check at half their normal amount, rounded down. If the check is successful, they stabilize themselves and remain at –HPs until aided. If the check is failed, they begin to lose 1 hp per round (bleeding out). A second Con check is allowed at ¼ of their normal amount (rounded down but never below 1) on the third round they would be bleeding out. Again, success means they stabilize and failure means they continue to bleed out until aided.
Once a player reaches -10HP they are dead and must be raised. All it takes to stabilize a character who is bleeding out is for another to spend 1 round to stop the bleeding. No check is necessary. Any healing magic will bring them up to 1 hp. Successful use of a healing proficiency will bring them back up by the number it succeeds by, but not beyond +1 hp.
Example: Bob the elven mage has an abysmal constitution (Con 3), and only 2 hps. He is struck by an enemy sheaf arrow for 8 dmg and goes unconscious. He is now at -6HPs, and rolls a Con check at ½ to stabilize (rounded down from 1.5 this is only 1). He begins to bleed out. At the end of the next round he will be at -7, then -8 at the end of the round after that. At the start of the third round he will get another check at ¼ of his constitution rounded down (this would be 0.75, but the check cannot be below 1 so he rolls for a 1). Again he fails, and continues to bleed out so he ends the round at -9. The party Ranger has the healing NWP and makes a NWP check, beating his needed score by 7 (His NWP score is 14 and he rolls a 7). Bob is not only stabilized, but brought back up to -2HPs.
Terrain
Terrain affects movement and tracking. The guidelines in the PHB are used.
Supplement Rules
I will allow almost anything from the following handbooks:
Paladin, Ranger, Wizard, Druid, Thief, Bard, Dwarves, Gnomes & Halflings, Elves, Humanoids.
The only major exception to the above is the use of Kits. I do allow kits, but you’ll have to let me know which one you are interested in before I approve it.
No more than 1 kit per character. Multi-class characters can only take specifically multi-class kits, sorry. This means a Fighter/Thief could not take a normal Fighter or Thief kit, but could take a kit described as being only for Fighter/Thieves. Their attentions are too divided by multi-classing to go with a single class kit.
The Complete Fighter's Handbook
Offhand weapon use, kneeling and sitting, range and initiative, ambidexterity, fighting style specialization, martial arts, punching/wrestling specialization, disarming, grabbing, holding, pinning, pulling/tripping, sapping, shield punching and rushing, recovery of temporary damage, darkness modifiers, unstable ground, mounted combat, bone and stone weaponry, high quality racial armor, and piecemeal armor.
The Cure Moderate Wounds spell is available.
Forum/Posting Rules
Present tense with some limited future tense when describing what your character plans to do next (short term plans only please)
Internal monologue is good. It helps me understand the characters, their motivations and desires. A little extra might be good at first as you are establishing your character/getting to know them. I have been guilty of overdoing it for my characters in the past, so I won’t be too hard on anyone with this.
I would like everyone to post at least every 3 days. If your character is waiting on something to happen or information from the DM, don’t worry about this time limit too much. Characters may be temporarily NPC’d after this time and won’t be very active/interesting when not under player control. It would take a significant amount of time before I convert a character to a permanent NPC. More likely they would just drift away from the party. Reclamation is possible, but the character may have spent the time away from the party in enemy prison.
NEW: Use Unseen Servant for rolls, campaign ID 352
Additional Considerations
One of the main advantages of playing by forum is that characters and their actions can be treated more individually. For instance, the other characters wouldn’t necessarily know if a party member is in grave peril. Suddenly their ‘ninja sense’ starts tingling and their character chooses that exact moment to go check on their friend. I realize that many experienced players can truly keep character knowledge a sacred thing, but the temptation is always there.
I want to try to separate that out without having to build a separate thread for each character, so most things will be public, but I ask you to please do your best to keep character knowledge in mind. For certain things (someone goes on an extended task alone) I may open a new thread; for others (thief finds a small stash without the rest of the party around and I’m not sure he wants to share) I will consider sending a PM and letting the player choose whether or not to divulge the discovery. However, party members may notice if the rogue begins using a new piece of equipment they have never seen before or suddenly has enough money to throw it around like water… People aren’t stupid, and their characters won’t be either.
I’m kind of experimenting with this for now, so let me know if you like/dislike this idea in general.
If anyone has further suggestions about how to keep certain things separate, I’d love to hear them!