Our house rule Addendums

dazzah

Mongoose
Though in case of interest to anyone, I would post my house rules I use with my group which work really well, although there is considerable more housekeeping for the GM to do during combat. (But I enjoy all that sadly, the more complex and realistic the better)
It does seem to work relly well, esp as my group like to have quite define roles that differential each of them.

I also use several new spells divine play main part, but 1 character is heavily into sorcery.

Rules Addendum

Encumberance Skill Penalty

All activities involving DEX (except Drive and Combat skills inc Unarmed) are made with ENC penalty (skill -ENC).
(A fully plated knight carrying several sackfuls of equipment cannot be as stealthy or agile as a unencumbered person, and therefore is at a penalty with climbing, stealth, dodging etc.)

Fatigue
Encumbered players rules remain same, however :-
A player cannot recover Fatigue easily when in rigid armour. Time to recover fatigue is base rate +SR penalty for armour in hours. If a player chooses to sleep in Armour they will never be able to improve their fatigue beyond winded.

Starting CA
Slight change meaning humans cannot get more than 3 CA from characteristics alone.
0-7 = 1 CA
8-14 = 2CA
15-20 =3CA
+6 = +1CA

COMBAT

Combat Parrying

If the parry weapon is same size or larger than attacking the damage is reduced by twice the AP of the defending weapon, if damage gets through, the parrying weapon takes 1HP damage.

If the parry weapon is one size less – the damage is rolled and half the damage automatically gets through to the target, the other half of the damage is reduced by the AP value of the defending weapon, and the parrying weapon takes 1HP damage.

Declared Parry/Evade – A player who declares on his SR he is parrying an attacker gain a defensive stance benefiting +10% to parry/evade skill from any form of attacks from that attacker until the players next SR.

Mounted combat
Bonus % as attacking from above. Large shields and above cannot be used whilst mounted.
Mounted targets – if opposite side HL rolled than the animal not the rider took the blow.

Combat with skills/Evade over 100%
A player with a base combat skill of over 100% can forgo finesse and skill and increase the number of combat actions with that weapon with speed. A player with combat skill over 100% can elect at the beginning of each CR to apply a -40% penalty to their skill and receive an additional CA lasting that CR only. For weapon skills over 100% the additional CA must be weapon specific. The same rule applies to evade skill over 100% which must be used to evade.

Combat Manoeuvres (Clarification)
Bypass Parry - The attacker treats the parrying weapon as though it is one size less.

Enhance Parry – The attacker treats the parrying weapon as though it is one size larger, and the parrying weapon takes no damage regardless.

Risposte – 1H or 2H weapons. 1H Defender creates an opening he can immediately exploit. Can attack with any equipped weapon.

Wind Opponent – Attack/Defence – Targets must make a fatigue roll at end of the current CR. Once target has made fatigue roll (regardless of outcome) he returns to normal CON CA before the next fatigue roll needs be made.

Regain footing (Evade) – Next CA can be used to attack.

Combat Actions
Weapon and Shield / 2 weapon combat receive an additional CA each round only whilst they can freely use each arm. Weapon and Shield must use both weapon and shield in each CR, otherwise they lose the additional CA. ie entangled, pinned or immobilized arm will all lose the additional CA until they can freely use their arm again. Also they must use both weapons in a CR to receive the additional CA - if they have 2 CA and gain 1 for sword and shield, they cannot attack 3 times with sword, and not use any CA to defend with shield. They could attack 3 times twice with sword and once with shield however.

Spell users need a free hand to cast spells therefore players holding a weapon or shield in each hand cannot cast any spells unless they unequip or drop one of their weapons/shield.

2 Handed Weapons Users
2H weapon users gains additional ½ STR when calculating level on damage modifier table as long as they are used with 2 hands. They confer no additional CA.

Magic users with Staff or similar users may hold their staff with one hand when not attacking or defending with it to free a hand to cast spells etc.

If one arm is immobilised a user of 2H weapon can use it as 1H weapon in desperation. However they lose the additional DM bonus and furthermore the STR req to use is increased by 100% and so a further skill penalty may apply.

Heroic Abilities

Blood Potency
Requirements POW 16, Resilience 90%
Hero Points 10
Duration Single spell cast
When you invoke this ability the spell you are casting has its Magnitude increased by half-again (rounded up). Immediately after the spell is cast, you lose one level of Fatigue.

Speed Casting
Requirements INT 15 or higher, Sorcery (Grimore) skill at 90% or higher
Hero Points 10
Duration Single spell cast
Master of your chosen Grimore allows you to cast spells within that Grimore at 1CA less, to a Minimum of 1 CA.

Instinctive Evasion
Requirements INT 15 Evasion 90% or higher.
Hero Points 20
Duration - 1CR
With supreme agility he dodges attacks in the blink of an eye.
During the players Evades this round, each successful evade cost the player no CA, although they must have a CA available to be able to utilise this ability, and they are subjected to same evade restrictions. (eg cannot attack on the next CA)

Divine Spells
Divine spells should be considered powerful magics and therefore have some reduced effect even if resistance roll is successful by the spells target. (eg ½ damage for damage spells, Fear resisted target becomes demoralize for 1D3 CR)

Sorcery Intensity
Spell effect is based on base grimore skill and temporary bonuses do not increase the effect only the chance of successful casting the spell.

New Sorcery spells

Stupefaction
Autonomous, Resist Persistence.

This spell affects all creatures with sentient intelligence. It does not affect Fixed INT creature that rely on instinct or creature with no INT.
Each 10% Grimore can affect up to 3 INT of creature. The entire INT of the creature must be affected or the spell will have no effect. If successful the creature stops what it is doing and becomes a babbling idiot for the duration. The target is still aware of his surroundings but no longer reacts to them or knows who or what their purpose is. They will not attack or cast spells, however they will defend themselves if attacked. (The attack would get a +20% surprised bonus) They have a chance of breaking the spell each attack with an unopposed persistence roll.


Encumber
Autonomous, Resist Resilience.

This spell causes the target to feel more weighted down and becomes less agile. They may suffer serious penalties due to this encumberance. For each 10% skill the target incurs a +3 ENC and equivalent of +3 AP for calculation of SR and movement. (This does not provide any actual bonus to armour) Also if the target total ENC exceeds their STR+SIZ they will suffer the appropriate encumbrance penalty. The targets SR may also be altered and should be recalculated.

Freeze/Burn Autonomous, Resist Resilience

These are 2 separate spells, that are learnt separately, they are only listed together here for ease. If used to cause injury, Freeze causing cold damage and the Burn fire damage. Although they work the same way, natural immunities of the target might prove one to be effective whilst the other useless. It has 2 different effects the caster can apply when casting the spell
1) The caster can cool or heat a 3 cubic meter or 6 SIZ area for each 10% skill up to either arctic cold or desert heat. This will do no damage but could cause exposure rolls.
2) Alternatively the caster can concentrate the heat/cold and use it inflict intense burn damage on those not protected against such. Every 20% of skill inflicts 1D4 damage to a single RHL. Natural armour only offers protects against the damage but spells protection like counter magic shield may stop the effect. This damage is applied once regardless of duration.

Magic Missile Concentration, Resist Evade/Shield Parry

This is effectively a clever alteration of animate spell. It creates a visible arrow like missile out of any material the caster has to hand. The arrow is tangible and physical in every context. The size and damage of the missile depends on the skill of the caster with the spell. A successful cast merely makes the arrow appear and no other spell can be cast upon this spell to boost it. (eg multimissile)
The caster can cause it to launch itself at his enemy by mere thought on his next CA. Its damage is equivocal to table below per 10% Grimore, and is otherwise ruled as any standard missile attack with the skill chance to hit being equal to grimore skill. The size of the missile is small, but can be increased in size each 10% grimore up to Huge in lieu of utilising each 10% grimore skill to calculate damage. (eg a sorcerer with 65% grimore can cast a small missile at 1D10 damage, or large missile at 1D8)

The caster can also spend CA to aim and modifiers apply as any missile weapon. Note that if manipulated to be cast against multiple targets the chance to hit each target is the final modified grimore skill divided by number of targets. (It requires a great deal of skill to control multiple missiles at the same time.)

No DM is applied to the damage and certain CMs can be used as ranged weapon. If the missile impales it only remains in the wound whilst the sorcerer continues to concentrate, if he chooses to fire another arrow the previous arrow disintegrates. A missile can be fired again and again whilst the caster continues to concentrate. It takes 1CA of concentration to prepare another missile prior to next attack.

The missile range is equal to the spell range and targets must be within the spells area of effect and direct view of the caster. All armour that deflects physical damage will protect the target. Also any resistances that block physical damage also will apply. Magical defences will not protect the target from the missile but dispel magic could be cast at the caster to dispel the spell.

Magic Missile - Grimore skill damage table
1%-10% 1D3 61-70% 1D10
11-20% 1D3+1 71-80% 1D10+1
21-30% 1D6 81-90% 2D6
31-40% 1D6+1 91-100% 2D6+1
41-50% 1D8 101-120% 3D6
51-60% 1D8+1 121-140% 4D6

Holdfast
As core book but additionally When used offensively on a living being/creature to hold it to the spot; if the target fails persistence roll it cannot move or Evade, and suffers at a -20% penalty to attacks, parries and other appropriate physical skill tests.

Blast
Autonomous, Resist Evade + Resilience

As Deus Vault book but damage is 1D6 to RHL every 20% grimore. The target may choose to evade the blast completely and if successful takes no damage, but if hit or elects not to can also resist with Resilience, even if he succeeds resisting he still takes ½ damage to that HL. All physical armour protects against the damage, and countermagic or spell resist magic may stop the spell.

Lightning Charge
Concentration, Resist Resilience (at time of damage application)

The sorcerer causes particles around the target to gather charge and then unleash there devastating electrical energy upon the victim.

This spell does multiple D6 electrical damage to 1 or more RHL of the target after a period of time dependant on the strength of the spell and the sorcerers skill.
The sorcerer chooses how much damage they wish the charge to inflict up to 6 damage every 10% of their grimore skill. The damage chosen should be in multiple of 6 for ease and the sorcerer must also decide how many HL this will be divided between at this time.
Once successfully cast the sorcerer must continue to concentrate for subsequent CAs to charge the electrical damage up to the max damage initially chosen at which point the damage is rolled and applied if the target fails the opposed roll.
The charge rate is staggered starting at 1D2 up to 20% of grimore skill per CA, 1D4 20-40%, 1D6 41-60%, 1D8 61-80%, 1D10 81-100%, then +1 every 20% skill over 100%.
When applied the damage is rolled in D6s with the number of D6 rolled being the number of dice required for the maximum outcome to equal the chosen damage. The damage is divided equally over the number of HL decided at time of casting.

The damage ignores all armour but any spell protection applies as Wrack spell. If the victim moves out of the spell range before the spell damage is applied, the spell has no effect and dissipates. The magician can cause the electrical charge to unleash at any time when concentrating during charging for reduced damage. In this case every full 6 points of charge currently applied will do 1D3 damage.

Eg Fredrick the Apprentice is venturing in sandy dunes looking for a Root Bane plant for his tutor. He suddenly spots 2 heavily armed orcs with scimitar and shields advancing on his position from 30m. The GM rules they will reach him after 2 Combat rounds.
He has Lightning Charge as one of his favourite spells and so has a Grimore(Lightning Charge) of 62% and Manipulation of 46%. He has 3CA per round. He immediately declared he is starting to cast Lightning charge for a max 12 points of damage. He will aim for 1Hit Location hoping to immobilse them before they reach him. He states he applying 2 point manipulation in Range and 1 point in Targets so to affect both orcs.( He doesn`t expect orcs to have any magical defence, but if given more time would have applied 2 points into magnitude.) Therefore it will take 3 full CA to cast. He rolls a 08 - The spell is cast at the very end of the first round. The next round Fredrick concentrates charging the lightning. Electrical energy sparks and crackles around each orc as they continue to advance and near his position.
The charge will affect the orcs once the charged to 12. His first CA (1D8) charges 7 points, and second CA another 6 which now exceeds 12. The GM states just as the orcs are only a few metres a bright flash of electricity bolts flash through the air.
The orcs has Resilience of 42%. One rolls 22 and wins the opposed test and the other 79 and fails.
One orc is hit by the lightning for 8 (2d6) damage to his 19 (head) the GM states he fails his resilience roll and drops to the ground unconscious. The other orc unaffected by the spell continues to advance.
Still faced with an heavily armed orc, Fredrick states his 3rd CA beginning to retreat. As he has not yet been closed upon by the orc, Fredrick does not have to disengaged even though the orc has reached him. He would be subject to attack as he flees if the orcs initiative allows it to act first. The orc however lets Fredrick flee as he turns instead to inspect his fallen comrade

Rock Storm
Concentration, Resist Evade/Parry

The caster pulls her hand back, then thrusts it forward as though throwing a rock. Though she had nothing in her hand, a flurry of stones fill the air.

This spell bounces harmlessly from armoured knights and scaly monsters, but crushes unarmoured targets with ease. Once cast on the next SR rocks fall from the sky onto a fixed area defined by the caster over a 3m cubic area. If cast on a target the storm moves with that target centre most.
They continue to fall as long as the caster concentrates.
The caster must be in the open and have access to some form of earth/rock to manipulate.
The caster can apply that each 10% Grimore skill Rock Storm does a combination of :-
1 damage per 10% grimore skill (applied as a die roll as Wrack) or
Affects an additional area of 3m2 per 10% grimore skill (depending on spacing it is reasonable to rule a combat ready advancing group would be 2m apart)
The damage is applied to 3 random hit locations on the targets who are completely within the affected area every SR. Targets can use evade skill until they move themselves out of the area of effect. Shields can be lifted up to protect but would not protect then against any other attacks, a medium shield reduced the affected area to 2 RHL, a large 1RHL, and a huge shield would stop all damage. Large targets not wholly in the affected area naturally will have fewer HL affected. This spells targets all including their casters allies. This damage is purely physical; armour applies against it.
 
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