House Rules

[gazza666]

Just wondering what house rules (if any) people are using in their Birthright campaigns - obviously with the intention of nicking any that sound cool.

In our campaign, we're playing about a century after the standard time period; the Gorgon has recently swept through the continent that comes with the boxed set killing virtually all of the regents and leaving the lands in disarray. We are playing all elves (well, two elves and a half elf), in Erebannien, and we've claimed Calrie, Dhoenel, and Banien's Deep as well; the realm is called "New Erebannien". The half elf is the matriarch (realm and law regent); the two elves are in charge of the guilds and the sources.

These are the house rules we're using:

• All scions are gestalt characters, as per Unearthed Arcana.
• We're not using alignments.
• We're using the expanded wonders house rules that are available at http://home.earthlink.net/~birthright/id11.html
• We're using Monte Cooke's sorcerer and bard from the Book of Eldritch Might 2.
• From the BRCS, we're using the variants that add some druid spells to the arcane lists and the free bodyguard rules from chapter 8.
• We're pretty much allowed to take any feat from a reasonably authorative up to date 3.5 source, but we're (currently) restricted to spells and magic items from the core rules (plus the BRCS), as we've had some issues with some of Monte's in the past, among others.

[Fizz]

I'm using a modified combat system and magic system.

The combat system is a work of my own creation, similar to the Grim'N'Gritty rules. It's intent is to make combat a more serious affair, and more realistic. Armor gives DR, characters have far fewer hit points, etc.

The magic system is based off the magic system used in the Midnight setting (great setting btw). It's a point-based system, so the traditional memorize-forget system is gone. (Thus, i don't have a need of the sorcerer class.)

Both seem to work well.


-Fizz

[akalars]

MAGIC
I use a spell point system. First add all spell levels you can normaly memorize to a pool of spell points (lvl 0 spells = 0.5 point in cost/gain).

To cast a spell you roll spellcraft dc 11 + spell lvl*3.
You can take 10 or 20 in situation were it is not critical to success, but it takes more time to do this.

DICE
We use the sum of 2d10 instead of d20. This is to make the impact of skill larger as 2d10 give results centered around 10 rather then a even distribution of d20

FINANCE
Working on a new finance system... not decided yet.

SKILL TRAINING
It is possible to spend a month training. To increase a skill you need to spend the same amount of months training as the rank you want to achieve.

You can also learn a skill through exposure, but not higher than rank 2.

For instance Bob does not know how to ride. He and his friends is going on a 1 month trip (riding). In the end of that month he has Ride 1. His friend Kåre that already have Riding 2, does not lear anything about riding from this experience. If he wants to learn more he needs to dedicate the month to learning, and is unable to travle or do much of anything else.

[gazza666]

DICE
We use the sum of 2d10 instead of d20. This is to make the impact of skill larger as 2d10 give results centered around 10 rather then a even distribution of d20

Sorry to be pedantic, but technically it centres the results around 11, not 10.

I personally think that 2d10 avoids a lot of the pitfalls of skill use with d20, but on the other hand I can see why they went with d20 as the standard - those to hit rolls are just too ingrained in us old timers.

[Fizz]

I personally think that 2d10 avoids a lot of the pitfalls of skill use with d20, but on the other hand I can see why they went with d20 as the standard - those to hit rolls are just too ingrained in us old timers.

Hmmm, i like that idea of 2d10. Would really cut down on the pure randomness of d20. Would make actions more consistent.

Of course, you could reduce the randomness even more too. 3d8. 4d6. 5d4. Not exactly a 2-20 range but it'd really sharpen than gaussian curve.


-Fizz

[irdeggman]

Hmmm, i like that idea of 2d10. Would really cut down on the pure randomness of d20. Would make actions more consistent.

Of course, you could reduce the randomness even more too. 3d8. 4d6. 5d4. Not exactly a 2-20 range but it'd really sharpen than gaussian curve.


-Fizz

or the 3d6 Bell Curve rolling system prsented in Unearthed Arcana (pg 132) {complete with how to modify threat ranges for weapons).