VITO's D&D 3.5 HOUSERULES V1
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VITO's D&D 3.5 HOUSERULES v1 This document compiles my favorite houserules collected from the internet as well as a few of my own design for purposes of providing a more satisfying experience with the D&D 3.5 rules set. I have used many of these rules while GM'ing a short campaign in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, and a couple of one-shots in Seoul, South Korea. I hope to run a 3.5 campaign again in the future. Special thanks goes out to my players for being so patient with me, and with /tg/ for looking over this document. Permitted Materials All classes from the Player's Handbook are banned (races, feats, and items from the PHB are still allowed.) Materials from the following sources are permitted: • Magic Item Compendium • Expanded Psionics Handbook • Magic of Incarnum • Tome of Battle • Tome of Magic** • Dragon Magic • Lords of Madness • Complete Warrior • Player's Handbook II • Heroes of Horror*** • Races of Stone • Races of Destiny • Races of the Wild • Dungeonscape • Mind's Eye web expansions (with DM approval) **Use the unofficial errata for the Shadowcaster class ***The Archivist class is banned Hidden Talent The Hidden Talent feat is permitted. Psi-Crystals Psi-crystals advance as constructs, and may take feats at level 1 and at every 3rd level. If your psi-crystal is destroyed, you gain a new one when you gain a level. Transparency Psionics-Magic transparency and Magic-Incarnum transparency rules are in effect. Sworsage Adaptation The Unarmed Swordsage is permitted; the Arcane Swordsage is banned. Soulknife/Soulborn Gestalt The Soulknife and Soulborn classes may be combined using the gestalt rules from Unearthed Arcana. Psychic Rogues Psychic Rogues from the Mind's Eye article are allowed. Add Psicraft to the Psychic Rogue's skill list Level Adjustment Do not apply the normal rules of level adjustment. Level adjustment instead determines the race's ability score budget. Ability Scores Point buy rules are used for ability score determination. Your point budget is determined by your race's level adjustment: LA +0 32 points LA +1 25 points LA +2 18 points LA +3 10 points LA +4 0 points Ability Score Increases Increase two of your ability scores instead of one at every fourth level. Thri-Kreen Thri-Kreen start with only one level of monstrous humanoid, providing a 1d8 hit die, a base attack bonus of +1, and base saving throw bonuses of Fort +0, Ref +3, and Will +3. Favored Classes Ignore rules for racial favored classes and multiclass penalties. Hit Points Player character's add their Constitution score instead of their Constitution bonus to their first hit die. Saving Throws You may add half your Constitution modifier to Fortitude instead of your full Constitution modifier. If you do, add half your Strength modifier to Fortitude as well. Likewise, you may add half your Dexterity and Intelligence modifiers to Reflex instead of your full Dexterity modifier, and you may add half your Wisdom and Charisma modifiers to will instead of your full Wisdom modifier. Remember to round down! Averaged modifiers to your saving throws increases complexity, but helps to alleviate the problem of MAD, so remember: Fortitude: +CON, or +(CON+STR)/2 Reflex: +DEX, or +(DEX+INT)/2 Will: +WIS, or +(WIS+CHA)/2 Manifester/Meldshaper/Initiator Levels The initiator level rule in Tome of Battle applies to manifester levels and meldshaper levels. If you have a manifester level granted to you by a class, add half your non-manifester class levels to it. For example, if you have two levels in Psychic Warrior and four levels in Swordsage, then your total manifester level would be +4 (+2 from the two levels in Psychic Warrior, and +2 from the four levels in Swordsage). Likewise, if you have a meldshaper level granted to you by a class, add half your non- meldshaper class levels to it. Skills All skills, including cross-class skills, have a maximum skill rank equal to your character level. You get a +3 bonus to all class skills that you have at least one skill rank in. Once a skill becomes a class skill for you, it is always a class skill for you. Transparency Knowledge (Psionics) and Knowledge (Arcana) are considered identical. Psicraft and Spellcraft are considered identical. City Dweller Alternate Class Feature You are permitted to swap the following skills from your class skill list: Ride ► Tumble Handle Animal ► Sense Motive Survival ► Gather Information Profession Skill Characters with at least one rank in Profession start with four weeks of pay at character creation in addition to their starting gold (one week of pay is equal to half the result of a Profession skill check vs. DC 0 in gold. Take 10 on this check.) Craft Skill Always take 10 on Craft skill checks. Craft (Alchemy) is available to everyone. Diplomacy Skill Use the Diplomacy houserules from The Alexandrian. Weapon Damage All weapons that deal d10 damage deal d12 damage instead. Step up damage dice for weapons you are proficient with by one step for every four character levels you have. Use the following progression for damage steps: 1d3►1d4►1d6►1d8►1d12►2d8►2d12►4d8►8d8►8d12►16d8►16d12 You can choose to deal a weapon's average damage instead of rolling the dice, but you must make that decision before rolling. Critical Hits You automatically confirm critical hits on a natural 20. Roll for critical hit confirmation only when you threaten on a roll other than natural 20. When you confirm a critical hit, your first damage die is maximized. Grappling Skip the part of step 3 in the grappling rules where you make an opposed grapple check. If you can hit your target with a melee touch attack without being interrupted by an opportunity attack, then you are now grappling. Any bonuses you would add to an opposed grapple check are instead added to your touch attack. Any bonuses your target would add to an opposed grapple check are instead added to their touch AC. Two-Weapon Fighting You do not need to use a full-round action to use additional attacks granted by two-weapon fighting; you can attack with both of your weapons as a standard action. Weapons & Armor Helmets Helmets cost 5 gp by themselves, but are included for free with every suit of armor that costs at least 10 gp. Helmets need not be constructed from the same material as the rest of the armor, and may be enchanted separately. Helmets grant a +0 armor bonus to AC, plus a +2 bonus to AC against critical hit confirmations. Helmets impose a -1 armor check penalty to Spot and Listen checks. Armor Spikes Armor spikes are retractable as a free action. Shields All shields add their bonus to touch AC. Bastard Swords You can use the Weapon Finesse feat to apply your Dexterity modifier instead of your Strength to attack rolls with a bastard sword, even though it isn't a light weapon for you. Composite Longbows The base cost of the composite longbow is 75 gp, and each point of Strength added adds only +25 gp to its cost. Guns Guns use stats adapted from crossbows with the following changes: • Damage is increased by one step • Critical hit multiplier is x3 instead of x2 • Range is halved • Ammunition is twice as expensive New Items Zener Cards (20 gp) This deck of cards has five suits: yellow circle, red cross, blue waves, black square, and green star. Characters trained in psicraft can draw and interpret a spread of three cards from this deck. Doing so grants a +2 bonus to Psicraft checks to identify psionic powers, materials, or unusual effects. Resonance Bell (40 gp) This bell is designed to synchronize its psychoharmonics with dorjes. Ringing a resonance bell grants a +2 bonus to Use Psionic checks to use dorjes. Meditation Beads (50 gp) This string of beads marked with geomantic runes confers a +2 bonus to Concentration checks. Dorje Bracer (300 gp) As a wand bracer from Dungeonscape, but for psionic dorjes instead of wands. Dorje Chamber (+100 gp) As a wand chamber from Dungeonscape, but for psionic dorjes instead of wands. Flaws You may take up to three flaws selected from Unearthed Arcana or the following list at character creation. If you do, you gain that many additional feats. Former Thrall Effect: Choose any creature to be your special charge. You suffer a -1 penalty to attack rolls and saving throws while you are more than 30 feet away from your special charge. You may change your special charge once per month. Insomnia Prerequisite: You must need to sleep. Effect: When you attempt to rest, make a Fortitude save or Autohypnosis check vs. DC 15. Failure prevents you from resting for the next 24 hours. Nightmare Prerequisite: You must need to sleep. Effect: When you attempt to rest, make a Will save or Autohypnosis check vs. DC 15. Failure prevents you from resting for the next 24 hours. Alcoholic Prerequisite: You must need to drink and sleep. Effect: You must imbibe an alcoholic beverage to gain the benefits of a rest. Druidic Geas Effect: You cannot use powers, psi-like abilities, or supernatural abilities while you are wearing metal armor. Divine Geas Effect: You cannot use powers, psi-like abilities, or supernatural abilities unless you are holding or wearing a divine focus. Chivalric Geas Effect: You cannot use powers, psi-like abilities, or supernatural abilities unless your alignment is Lawful Good. Foreigner Effect: You do not gain Common as an automatic language. New Feats Discipline Weapon Group Prequisite: One martial maneuver from any discipline Effect: When you gain this feat, choose one discipline from which you've learned a martial maneuver.