Houserules

We have a lot of houserules and sometimes it's hard to remember them all. First RTFS: Read The Fucking Spell.

## Allowed Sources

All 1st party books are allowed.

Official web sources, dragon magazine and 2nd party sources are approved only on a case by case basis, subject to DM approval.

## Classes

**Fighter swaps Tower Shield Proficiency for a single Exotic Shield Proficiency**

* A tower shield is an exotic shield, and there was only one exotic shield when the game was released. It lets fighters choose their fighting style more carefully.

**Ranger's Animal Companion progression is [druid level-3] instead of [druid level/2]**

* The ranger, a class expected to be able to deal with melee combat, has an animal companion who is very weak at higher levels (while the druid's is still ok, especially with the druid's powerful magic). Having the ranger's animal companion be only -3 means that at low levels there is little difference, and the animal is more resilient at higher level. This mirrors the Paladin's Turn Undead progression, which is [cleric level-3].

**Monk can be replaced by Unchained Monk**

* You cannot choose feats that don't exist in 3.5, you cannot choose archetypes. Bonuses to CMD become bonuses to all special attacks (bullrush, grapple, trip, etc...)

## Races

**Half Orcs have the following stats:**

* +2 Strength, –2 charisma
* Humanoid (Orc).
* Medium: As Medium creatures, half-orcs have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.

* Half-orc base land speed is 30 feet.
* 4 extra skill points at 1st level and 1 extra skill point at each additional level.
* Intimidate bonus based of strength.
* Darkvision: Half-orcs (and orcs) can see in the dark up to 60 feet. Darkvision is black and white only, but it is otherwise like normal sight, and half-orcs can function just fine with no light at all.

* Weapon Familiarity: Half-orcs may treat the orc double-axe as a martial weapon, instead of an exotic weapon.
* Familiarity: For all effects related to race, a half-orc is considered both an orc and a human.
* Automatic Languages: Common and Orc. Bonus Languages: Draconic, Giant, Gnoll, Goblin, and Abyssal.
* Level Adjustment: +0.

**Half Elves have the following stats:**

* -2 Constitution

* Humanoid (Elf).

* Medium: As Medium creatures, half-elves have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.

* Half-elf base land speed is 30 feet.

* 1 extra feat at 1st level

* +2 racial bonus on saving throws against sleep and enchantment spells or effects.

* Low-Light Vision: A half-elf can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. She retains the ability to distinguish colour and detail under these conditions.

* +1 racial bonus on Listen, Search, and Spot checks.

* +1 racial bonus on Diplomacy and Gather Information checks. This bonus only applies when talking to elves and humans, and does not apply when half-elves are viewed with distrust.

* Weapon Proficiency: Elves are automatically proficient with the longsword, rapier, longbow, shortbow, composite longbow and composite shortbow.

* Familiarity: For all effects related to race, a half-elf is considered both an elf and a human (determine via coin flip if there is conflict).

* Automatic Languages: Common and Elven. Bonus Languages: Any (other than secret languages).

* Level Adjustment: +0.

## Skills

**Gather Information can be used as a check for searching in books, papers, and libraries, but you swap the charisma bonus for your intelligence bonus.**

* It gives a skill that doesn't see much play more value.

**Iaijutsu Focus is maybe banned? Or at least don't abuse it.**

**Social Encounters -Test**

* First to 3 opposed successes, using social skills (Diplomacy, Sense Motive, Bluff, Intimidate, Gather Information, etc)
* Magic/Feats/Skill Tricks can be used to bypass/affect some/all rolls, as applicable.

## Items

**Whips threaten within their range.**

* Whips are really weak, and they have convoluted rules. This makes them a bit better.

**Ignore the crafting time rules to create mundane items. Let the DM decide.**

* Brehaut was toying with an idea that we sort of agreed upon which the time to craft an item is [price of base materials in silver/skill modifier/2] hours. We've sort of forgotten it since the DM could just decide how long it would take.

**The Sonic weapon enchantment deals 1d6 damage.**

## Other

**If you roll below average rolls for your HP, roll again until it's above average**

* Example: a d8 has an average result of 4.5. If you roll a 4, re-roll. If you roll a 5+, keep it.

**Classes with d4 hit dice roll max hp for their hp rolls.**

* Because they are squishy (especially Azreal)

**Favoured classes and multiclass xp penalties are no longer a thing**

* Who has time for that?

**Rolling a 20, followed by another 20, followed by a hit is an instant kill**

* DMs have the option to deny this outcome if it's against a powerful enemy or boss monster (like Death Knights... Rick).

**Making an attack roll and rolling a Nat 1 followed by a miss, provokes a fumble effect.**

* Because randomness is funny.

**Making an attack roll and obtaining a Nat 1, followed by a Nat 1 and a miss, ends your turn. This is in addition to the Fumble effect.**

* Since attack rolls have a small chance to instantly kill their opponent, they also have a small chance of ending your turn early.

**Aid Another checks on skills require a result of 15+ to grant a bonus (+2). Obtaining 9 or below on the check inflicts a penalty (-2) instead.**

* Sometimes you try to help people, and that ends up making it worse.

## Variant Rules

We use the fractional dice rules for base attack bonus, fortitude, reflex, and will saves.

 Medium
 Good

## Rule Clarifications

Sometimes rules aren't clear, and there is no clear consensus on the internet. Here is a list of DM rulings on vague subjects.

* Targeted Dispel Magic dispels spells one after the other (not all instantly).
* Leadership has to make sense. Your second character won't necessarily be allowed in combat.

## Potential Rules

#### **Replace Fighter with Pathfinder Fighter**

* Any feats/weapons that are listed in Pathfinder but not in 3.5 do not get ported over. Favoured Races and Archetypes are not ported over. CMD does not exist, so powers that affect CMD instead affect all special attack types (sunder, bullrush, grapple, etc...), unless specified (so a ability that grants you +2 to CMD instead gives you +2 to all special attack types).
* Main bonuses are fighters are more resistant to fear, are better than other classes at wearing armour, and have more options to diversify beyond simply "hit it again". Probably about as powerful as a barbarian now.

#### **Language Learning Rules**

Languages Have 4 Levels [Not Known, Conversational, Fluent, Academic]

To increase a Step in a Language requires 6 Successes in a DC 15/20/25 of a Speak Language Check (d20+Int+Speak Language Ranks)

Start with Common, Racial [eg. Elven], Class [Eg. Druidic] + [Starting Int Bonus] languages. Start with Fluent in all Languages you start with, But may ask to start at other Levels.

* Not Known - Cannot speak a Language. Can recognise it with a Speak Language Check.
* Conversational - Can carry a basic Conversation, but not well, and are obviously not a native speaker.
* Fluent - Speak like a Native, but not in a legal/ academic setting.
* Academic- All the Words are yours to command. Amaze your friends with that one perfect word!