Chimera Campaign House Rules

The current Dungeons and Dragons rules are pretty good, but I just can not leave any rules set alone for long. On this page I will try to record all the customizations I am using for my current D&D game. If I forgot any, please let me know at plm@snow.org.
 

Table Rules

Nonattending Players:

Group Cohesion

Player Characters Planning

Character Creation

Appearance: According to the PH, "Charisma measures a character's force of personality, persuasiveness, personal magnetism, ability to lead, and physical attractiveness." Looking at the stats for some monsters, like the Medusa (Cha. 15) and Mind Flayer (Cha. 17), I have to disagree with the PH. Charisma is unrelated to physical attractiveness. Instead, physical appearance can (and should be) chosen by the character. Your character can be as attractive or hideous as you like, as long as you are not trying to get some special advantage. Even then I might allow it if you can make up a good, balancing story explaining your looks. Also keep in mind that being very attractive has drawbacks: being regarded as just a pretty face, being conspicuous, and attracting the wrong sorts of attention.

Old school players might enjoy giving their characters a Comeliness ability score. Just assign a score between 3 and 18. For simplicity, assume that this score is according to human norms. See Unearthed Arcana for ideas, but do not expect any fascinate-like powers.

Races: Nearly anything goes. Humans can belong to any of the sub-races of Greyhawk (Oeridian, Sueloise, etc.) Unless otherwise specified, humans are assumed to be mixed-blood. Monster races are allowed if you can afford the monster levels and if the character will fit in with the other player characters.

Prestige Classes: Please check with me before joining a Prestige Class. There are some I don't like, and a lot that require special roleplaying first. If you think your character might like to get a Prestige Class later, let me know so I can weave it into the story.

Literacy: Literacy is relatively rare. Therefore, all classes are like Barbarians, in that they must pay two (2) skill points to be able to read and write. Buying Literacy once normally lets you read and write all languages you can speak. Wizards get Literacy for free. Paying one (1) skill point can make a character semi-literate: can sign her name, sound out words slowly, etc.

Creating Characters Above 1st-Level: New or replacement characters in the ongoing campaign get a number of experience points just sufficient to put them at the median level of the current player character group without multi-classing penalties or points spent in making magic items or casting spells. Starting wealth is as listed in the table on p. 43 of the DMG. Buying magic items with starting wealth is normal, but I reserve veto power on your shopping list.

Optional Rules

DMG p. 22, Monsters as Races: Allowed.
DMG p. 40, 1st-Level Multiclass Characters: Allowed.
DMG p. 41, Learning Skills and Feats: basically in use. See Advancing Levels under Rules Changes below.
DMG p. 41, Learning New Spells: See Advancing Levels under Rules Changes below. Finding and paying trainers is not usually necessary. Sorcerors don't make deals with patrons to get spells; the power is in their blood. Researching original spells works as described on p. 42.
DMG p. 42, Gaining Class Abilities: Not used.
DMG p. 42, General Downtime: Not used.
DMG p. 42, Gaining Fixed Hit Points: This is an allowed option.
DMG p. 64, Automatic Hits and Misses: not used.
DMG p. 64, Defense Roll: not used.
DMG p. 64, Instant Kill: not used.
DMG p. 64, Softer Critical Hits: not used.
DMG p. 65, Critical Misses: not used, but see below.
DMG p. 65, Firing into a Crowd: not used.
DMG p. 66, Clobbered: not used.
DMG p. 66, Death from Massive Damage Based on Size: In use.
DMG p. 66, Damage to Specific Areas: Used when I remember it. Basically the DM's Best Friend rules anyway (see p. 90).
DMG p. 91, Skills with Different Abilities. In use.
DMG p. 92, Critical Success or Failure: In use. This is a change to what I did before.
DMG p. 94, Saves with Different Abilities: In use.
DMG p. 96, Spell Roll: not used.
DMG p. 96, Power Components: In use.
DMG p. 96, Summoning Individual Monsters: not used.
DMG p. 113, falling always includes subdual damage: not used.
DMG p. 142, Upkeep: In use.
DMG p. 167, Faster or Slower Experience: not used, but seriously considering.
DMG p. 168, Free-Form Experience: not used, but seriously considering.
DMG p. 168, Story Awards: In use.

Rules Changes

Sorcerers: Sorcerous arcane magic is different than wizardly Arcane magic. To sorcerers, the words and gestures needed to cast a spell come forth intuitively, without the study and preparation that wizards go through to cast the same spell. There are other differences:

• Sorcerers may only learn arcane spells listed in the PH that do not contain proper names (i.e., "Tenser's Floating Disk", "Nystul's Magical Aura"). They may learn other spells only if the spell is on a scroll, in a spell book, or if they do spell research.
• Sorcerers are not required to use material components or foci to cast spells that normally require them. If the spell normally requires a material component for which a gold piece value is given, the sorceror may pay one experience point per five gold pieces of cost for each casting instead. To know what the material component for a spell is, without having access to the spell on a scroll or in a spell book, requires a Spellcraft skill check with a DC of 15 + the spell's level.

What this means in game terms is you go up in level any time the DM says the game is at a stopping point. You gain any benefits of the new level that you could reasonably be assumed to have been developing beforehand. Details about benefits are discussed below. Note that gaining a new class (multiclassing) is somewhat harder, because you may not have been practicing the new abilities much.

This list parallels that on pp 145-146 of the Player's Handbook. It lists a benefit, and whether DM approval is needed to get it on levelling up. asking about "Approval needed" items by email between sessions is ideal!

1) Class Level: No approval needed. Not even with multiclassing. But actual concrete benefits are another matter; read on...
2) Attack Bonus: No approval needed.
3) Base Save: No approval needed.
4) Skill Points: Approval needed to spend skill points. Skills advanced or learned must be ones that you could have been studying; ie, no Ride skill if you have been at sea for the last level. Without background, it takes *about* one week of study per skill point spent.
5) Ability Score: No approval needed.
6) Hit Points: There are 3 options for hit points at each level. Of course, add Constitution bonus with all three methods.
        a) Instead of rolling, just take one-half of the maximum roll. No approval needed.
        b) Roll normally, during a session.
        c) During a session, roll three times. Take the median roll only. So if you rolled a d10 for hit points and rolled 1, 4, and 4, you would get 4 hit points.
7) Feats: Approval needed for new feats. Same sort of thing as with skills: no Mounted Combat if you have been at sea for the last level. Feats take about two weeks each to learn without background.
8) Spells
        a) Spell Capacity: Approval needed only for new spellcasting class. Time to learn varies from weeks to years...
        b) Spells Prepared: If capacity increases, you can only fill the new capacity with prepared spells in the usual way, by resting and preparing.
        c) Arcane Spells Known or in Spellbook: Assuming you have ability to cast them (see (a)), it takes one day of study and experimentation to add each new spell to your repertoire. Otherwise, approval needed only  for new arcane class.
9) Class Features: Approval only needed for features of new class.

Multiclassing: DM approval is required before getting levels in any new class. Many of the classes normally require long apprenticeships and can't be picked up on a whim. Easy to join are Fighter, Sorcerer, and Psion. Very difficult to join include Wizard, Monk, and Barbarian.

Wands: Add 750 gp to the base price of all wands. Thus, for example, a wand of cure light wounds, with caster level 1, costs 1500 gp. A wand of hold person, with cleric caster level 3, costs 5250 gp.

On the other hand, wands can be recharged, even if reduced to zero charges. To recharge a wand requires the Craft Wand feat, a caster level at least equal to the wand's caster level, and the ability to cast the spell contained in the wand. The base cost of adding one charge is spell level multiplied by caster level of the wand multiplied by 15 gp plus any material component. The crafter uses up raw materials costing half of this base price. The XP cost is 1/25 of this base cost plus any XP cost of the spell.

Recharging wands to near or beyond 50 charges is risky. For every charge beyond 40 added, the percent chance of a mishap is the new number of charges minus 40. Mishap means the wand is destroyed, and unpredictable magic lashes out at the charger, usually related to the spell the wand carries. NPC wand chargers usually insist on an identify to discern the number of charges in an unknown wand before charging, and will not go beyond 40 charges.

Melee Touch Attacks: Instead of adding Strength bonus for melee touch attacks, Dexterity bonus can be used.

Running: When the run action is used, a character can move up to four times base speed in a straight line in a single round. (Only x3 with Heavy load or heavy armor, only x1 if fatigued, x5 with the Run feat.) This can lead to rather static chase scenes. As an option, a runner may attempt to go faster, with the risk of stumbling slightly and going slower. To do so, add Strength or Dexterity modifier to any appropriate skill ranks. Use Strength if going uphill or on flat ground, like a road or beach. Use Dexterity if on terrain where agility is a factor, like forests or crowded city streets. If mounted, use the mounts ability score. Appropriate skill ranks would be Wilderness Lore in a forest, Balance on treacherous footing, Concentration if distracted, Jump if leaps are required. Always use Handle Animal if driving an animal pulled vehicle, and always use Ride if mounted. Look up the rolled result and add the distance shown to distance travelled that round.

Psychometabolism: Psionics Handbook modification. To determine a psionicist's effective Strength (EStr) ability score with respect to the Psychometabolism discipline, do not use any modifier to actual Strength that was applied because of the size of the psionicist's race. For example, halflings normally subtract two from Strength; add two to Estr for halfling use of psychometabolism. Hill giant characters normally add 14 to Strength, so subtract 14 from hill giants' EStr. EStr normally only affects bonus power points for Egoist Psions, prerequisites for psionic feats, and making Id Insinuation attacks. Magic/psionic changes in size do not affect EStr.

Use Psionic Device Skill: Psionics Handbook modification. Ranks in Use Magic Device can be used as ranks in Use Psionic Device, stacking for using psionic devices if both skills are possessed. Ranks in Use Psionic Device do not count when using magic devices.

"Psionic" Creature Template: Psionics Handbook modification. It is unlikely that player characters will get to use the psionic template on pp 139 - 140 of the PsiH.

Hydrodynamics: You probably do not care, but I use GURPS Vehicles (1st ed) to determine boat and ship performance characteristics rather than the DMG p. 150.

New Rules

Knowledge (Monsters, Type) Skills: These cover knowledge of the sorts of creatures found in the Monster Manual, and the knowledge includes the sorts of details found in the MM. Skill checks for common monsters are easier than for very rare monsters. Rangers add their favored enemy bonus to Knowledge (Monsters) checks about their favored enemy. All Knowledge (Monsters) skills are class skills for Bards and Wizards, cross-class skills for other classes, except as noted below.

• Knowledge (Monsters, Natural): Class skill for Druids. Covers monsters that play a decent role in a good ecosystem. No Undead, Outsiders, or the like.
• Knowledge (Monsters, Undead): Class skill for Clerics. Covers Undead monsters.
• Knowledge (The Planes): note that this pre-existing skill already includes knowledge of Outsiders.
• Make your own: pick any type: Aberration, Animal, Beast, etc. or Terrain: Aquatic, Desert, Forest, etc.

You do not get a Fumble Save if the DM decides conditions are unusually dangerous, like fighting on the edge of a cliff or shooting into melee. He will often signal such conditions by saying "Don't Roll a One!", but he doesn't have to. In such circumstances, you might not get any roll or you might get something like a DC 20 Reflex save to grab the cliff edge as you slip off into space.

Fighting in Tight Spaces: Tunnels and corridors are rated by the largest creature that can use the tunnel without penalty. Creatures cannot use tunnels two sizes smaller than they are. If in a tunnel one size smaller, opponents get +2 to hit them and their base move speed is halved. They get a penalty to hit based on the type of weapon used:
 

Weapon Size (relative to wielder)	Swung Weapons	Thrusting Weapons (including bows and crossbows)
Two Sizes smaller	0	0
One Size smaller	-1	0
Same Size	-4	0
One Size larger	-20	-2

Nullified Rules