House Rules

This page contains the house rules in Historia that modify that base system of Savage Worlds. Each house rule includes a design note explaining its goal, the rules as written (RAW), and the possible impact of the change.

### **System Changes**

#### Simple Encumbrance

Load Limit is defined in significant items rather than in pounds, but otherwise follows the normal encumbrance rules. A significant item is one that weighs roughly more than 14 pounds, and you can carry a number of such items equal to half your Strength without penalty (i.e., 2 significant items with Strength d4, 3 significant items with Strength d6, etc). The Brawny Edge increases your Load Limit in significant items by 1½ times (rounded up).

Particularly heavy items may count as two or more significant items; divide their weight (in lb) by 20 and round to the nearest whole number to determine how many items they count as. At the GM's discretion, multiple small items can be collectively classified as a significant item.

**Goal:** This rule makes encumbrance far easier to track, as most characters will be able to carry only 2-4 significant items without incurring a penalty.

**Impact:** This greatly reduces the bookkeeping for tracking encumbrance.

#### Mundane Diversity

During character creation, if you don't take an Arcane Background then you may instead start with one Edge of any rank (excluding Legendary Edges). This Edge isn't free, and you must still meet all other requirements, but you can ignore the rank requirement for that one Edge. You can still take an Arcane Background later on with normal advances, but not until you've reached the same rank as the above Edge.

**Goal:** This rule provides an incentive and reward for players who don't feel that an Arcane Background fits their character concept. It also adds an incentive for investing in Edges during character creation, which is important because character diversity in Savage Worlds is primarily handled through Edges.

**Impact:** This rule makes non-spellcasters more appealing and diverse.

### **Skill Changes**

#### Skills Redefined

* **The following skills have been removed:**
	+ **Boating, Driving**

The skills above have been removed during to a combination of obsolesce in the current campaign setting and redundant bloating of the player skills. The **Piloting** skill will now cover the operation of all non-natural vehicles (such as boats, carriages) while the **Riding** skill will cover any form of natural mount.

* **The following skills have been changed:**
	+ **Electronics, Hacking**

The skill **Engineering** will replace Electronics. Electronics allows a hero to operate complex or specialized non-magical devices such as the industrial machines or siege weapons. Mundane devices common to the setting don’t require Engineering. Common Knowledge suffices if a roll is required at all. Fixing any type of mundane device uses the Repair instead, although repairing complex machines is still limited by whichever skill is lowest.

The skill **Disable Device** will replace Hacking. **Disable Device** allows a hero to disable non-magical contraptions. Use of this skill will require some sort of specialized tool or the user will suffer a penalty (-1 to -4) depending on the difficulty of the task. A hero may use this skill to disable some magical effects although it is also limited by the hero's **Occult** skill and any relevant materials (subject to GM's discretion).

### **Edge Changes**

#### Altered Edges

* **The following edges have been modified:**
	+ **Block, Improved Block, Combat Reflexes**

##### **Block**

In addition to the normal benefits of this Edge, you gain +1 Parry when using the Defensive Stance.

##### **Improved Block**

In addition to the normal benefits of this Edge, you gain +2 Parry when using the Defensive Stance.

##### **Combat Reflexes**

In addition to the normal benefits of this Edge, you can make free attacks while Shaken.

#### New Offensive (Combat) Edges

* **The following edges have been added:**
	+ **Combat Archery, Lunge, Power Attack, Precise Shot, Rapid Reload**

You're not considered an Unarmed Defender when wielding a bow, nor does the bow give you the normal -1 Parry penalty for improvised weapons. You can make Shooting attacks with your bow against adjacent opponents (although the TN is still their Parry). You may also use your bow to make a free Shooting attack against opponents who withdraw from combat, or in combination with Edges such as First Strike and Counterattack.

You gain +1 reach while using Powerful Stance or Offensive Stance.

When you get a raise on your Fighting roll, you may roll Strength (maximum of d12) instead of a d6 for the bonus damage. This only applies when using a melee weapon two-handed.

You no longer use the Innocent Bystander rules when making ranged attacks, and halve any penalties from cover (rounded down, in your favour).

You’re able to reload ranged weapons as a free action (although this doesn’t change the rules against repeating actions).

#### New Defensive (Combat) Edges

* **The following edges have been added:**
	+ **Mobile Interjection**

You can perform a run action when it's not your turn, as long as you're not Shaken, but doing so causes you to immediately become Shaken. If you're attempting to interrupt someone else's action, you must beat them on an opposed Agility roll: if you fail, you don't run until after they've finished their turn. If you use this option to withdraw from combat, your enemies still receive free attacks as normal.
In addition, if you only move 1” on your own turn, then you don’t provoke any free attacks if that 1” movement results in you withdrawing from combat.

#### New Magic (Combat) Edges

* **The following edges have been added:**
	+ **Reactive Spellcasting**

When you gain a free attack against an opponent withdrawing from combat, or from First Strike or Counterattack, you may substitute it for an offensive power. You cannot use area-effect powers in this way, and the power can only target the one individual against whom you get a free attack.

### **Combat Changes**

#### Multi-attack

* **The following edges have been removed:**
	+ **Frenzy, Improved Frenzy**

Although you cannot perform duplicate attacks separately, you may choose to perform them as a *Multi-attack* – each additional attack adds one Trait die and a -2 penalty (which is treated as a multi-action penalty). For example, a double attack with a weapon would involve rolling two Fighting dice and one Wild Die with a -2 penalty, a triple shot with a bow would involve three Shooting dice and one Wild Die with a -4 penalty, and so on.

Multi-attack cannot be combined with, or be used in the same round as, any other action that involves rolling multiple trait dice.

* The edge **Multiattack** have been added.

The hero has trained to attack swiftly with her weapon. When performing a Multiattack, reduce the penalty on the associated trait by 1. This edge can be taken once per rank, to a maximum of 4 times for each particular trait.

**Goal:** The idea is to merge Frenzy and Improved Frenzy into a standard tactical option available to everyone, and then provide generic Edges for enhancing it.

**Impact:** This rule provides the players with more tactical options.

#### Combat Stances

* The rules for the following have been removed:
	+ **Wild Attack, Defend**

Wild Attack and Defence have been replaced by combat stances. At the beginning of your turn, before making any rolls, you may choose a fighting stance. These modifiers can only apply to non-magical attacks (Melee, Ranged & Throwing) and last until the beginning of your following turn.

* **Powerful stance:** Inflict +2 damage, or +4 if you hit with a raise. Parry reduced by 2.
* **Offensive stance:** Gain +2 to Fighting (or Shooting/Athletics) rolls. Parry reduced by 2.
* **Defensive stance:** Gain +2 Parry but can only perform one other action this round (including free actions such as movement), and if the other action requires a roll it is made at -2. You also gain a +2 bonus to Agility trait rolls to avoid harmful effects.

**Goal:** This rule splits up Wild Attack, and merges Defend and Full Defense together, resulting in three viable tactical options.

**Impact:** Stances offer the players more tactical choice, and streamline the defensive options.