Show us your Conan-D20 houserules

[Enlightened]

For those who are using D20 for your campaigns, what sorts of houserules have you implimented? And if possible, please explain why you felt the need to add it.

I'm interested in seeing any houserule you might have, no matter how small.

 

[Csmallo]

Barbarian versatility does not apply to exotic bows. It is one thing to pick up a sword, axe, club or whatever from a different culture and swing it or even throw it. It is something else entirely to pick up a weapon that takes years of practice to use effectively and use it by instinct. "Blood rage" can let you swing that exotic greatsword, it can't give you the breath control and muscle memory to use an aimed weapon like a bow.

 

[thulsa]

For those who are using D20 for your campaigns, what sorts of houserules have you implimented? And if possible, please explain why you felt the need to add it.

http://hyboria.xoth.net/rules/house_rules_conan_ogl.htm

- thulsa

 

[Krushnak]

Skills:
Hide+ Move Silently= Stealth
Spot+Listen= Awareness
Jump+Climb+Swim= Athletics
Balance+ Tumble= Acrobatics

Sorcery:
Effective scholar lvl for spell duration and effects is now calculated based off of MAB and CHA bonus. For every point of MAB you get 2 effective scholar lvls and for every point of CHA bonus you get 1 effective scholar lvls. Makes multiclassed scholars more effective with the spells they know while not taking away the power of a pure scholar.

Marksmanship: prereq= farshot, wpn focus with a bow and Awareness 4 ranks . aslong as you are using a bow you have wpn focus in you ignore the penalties of 1 range increment per 4 ranks of awareness you have. Each time you take wpn focus in a new bow this feat applies to that bow.

Combat Maneouvers:
Ranged Finesse: prereqs: precise shot.
aslong as you aren’t currently suffering any negative penalties to your attack roll(eg. Range, rapid shot, weather etc.) then if you beat your targets DV by its DR then you bypass it entirely.

Marksmanship and the change to Ranged Finesse were done to power up Ranged combat but not make it over-powered. The change with sorcery was to help sorcerers multiclass more effectively. The skill changes are something ive always felt D20 needed especially for D&d where basically every class has only 2 skill points, also helps to encourage people to put points in things they may not normally consider ie. professions and scoial skills for fighter classes.

 

[Clovenhoof]

We have engine-related and setting-related houserules, the latter owed to the fact that we don't play in the Hyborian Age and thus some adjustments to the equipment list are in order. So I'm just posting the engine-related houserules here:

* Character Creation: Point Buy
Why: because big power disparaties within the group (as risked by random generation) are cause of frustration and boredom.

* Merged Skills: a number of skills have been merged, similar to the way Pathfinder does, i.e. Spot+Listen = Perception, Hide+Move Silently = Stealth and so forth.
Why: see the various threads on this forum on that topic.

* Combat:
- 5' Steps do not draw Attacks of Opportunity, period.
Why: it doesn't make sense that an action you perform _after_ taking a 5'-step retroactively triggers an AoO for that step.

- Two Weapon Fighting: "Dual Strike" [adding up both weapons' damage to overcome DR] is a combat maneuver, not a feat.
Also, Two-handed weapons damage a bit reduced (e.g. Bardiche 2d8)
Why: to bring TWFer a bit closer to par compared to THFers.

- Power Attack: no double Str bonus for two-handed Power Attack.
Why: it's terribly overpowered and makes all other fighting styles than THPA unviable.

- Ranged Finesse: not a feat. Any Ranged Attack is automatically a Finesse attack, i.e. if the attack roll overcomes Defense+DR, the DR is negated.
Why: Ranged Finesse as written sucks big time and absolutely isn't worth spending a feat on.

- Massive Damage: you drop to "-1HP and dying" (basically not a houserule, just sticking to the 1st Printing rule, which is simply better than the AE or 2E rules).

And for the upcoming campaign, I'm also planning to introduce...
* "Bennies": as a kind of "Fate Point Light", these are small rewards for particularly cool, funny or stylish actions that don't warrant a real Fate Point. They can be used to augment a single roll (by giving a moderate bonus) or reroll a failed check. But they have to be used in the same session they are earned. Can't be saved up. Use em or lose em.

This is all I can think of atm.

 

[Ichabod]

First, I'm having a hard time remembering as we haven't had a meaningful rules discussion in some time.

Second, what is covered under house rules? I have a character with one feat completely made up, one feat adapted from non-Conan d20, and a modified version of the Versatility ability of the barbarian. House rules or just making stuff up that makes sense for the campaign?

We have had a bennie system since day 1. The original idea was to do a writeup of the last session to get a ladybug (reroll). It didn't take long to become a "write about whatever you want that involves the world" system, which has helped immensely with fleshing the world out and giving the characters more depth. Bringing food or doing other services gets spiders (usually, +2 roll). Sometimes, we have a lot of junk food; sometimes a ridiculous amount of real food. These are player rewards and not character rewards.

We've talked about using the simplified AoO rules but have never remembered to do so; personally, I hate having to think about what does and what doesn't produce AoOs. I've created NPCs who use a modified system for first level skill ranks since the RAW is insipid. We used for some sessions years ago sanity rules a la CoC as the GM wanted to attack the players in ways that weren't just physical.

We have a Fate Point system where each character has specific things that trigger getting FPs. While having little to do with 2e's system, the idea was also to differentiate the characters more and motivate them some. I think the concept is great. The execution ... in a year of playing with the rule, they've never triggered for me, which reminds me that I need to check with the GM on a possibility of one of them doing so from last session.

We were using Torn Asunder for a while, but it became too much accounting. We can swap out feats on a case by case basis. Using TA was the only reason I took Weapon Focus, dropping TA made it as useless as it normally is.

Once upon a time, we had varying XP rewards but that got to be too much of a hassle. Now, we only have them when people don't show up for sessions or go out of their way to do nothing during sessions. Flaking gets zero to a quarter XP. Notice or good cause is normally half XP. Also, playing a NPC rather than a PC normally results in less XP; I did that for a year as my character was split (abandoned) from the party.

We don't use either reputation system in the books. Rep is determined at each new location based on feel and/or randomness.

We were using for a while a system where XP would be given out at the end of a story (usually every other session) and you could choose a crappy feat after those sessions where XP weren't given out. I really liked that - there are so many feats a player would never choose that would give the character more variety and more depth. But, it was being abused. Oddly enough, Improved Feint, Fleet Footed, and Iron Will don't make my list of feats no one would ever choose.

A lot of added accounting mechanics have been used at one time or another but don't get regular use do to lack of time or interest, e.g. attack = parry -> sunder.

 

[Demetrio]

Soldiers get 4 skill points per level as their base because every class gets 'bonus' feats (and soldiers get a raw deal with formations and officer feats as they're a bit crap compared to say Versatility or Light Footed) and 2/level leaves them shortchanged.

Power Attack does not double for two handed weapons. Becasue that is simply ridiculously overpowering them. We're toying with the idea of nerfing Power Attack a little bit more.

Point buy. Characters get 96 points. Up to 14 costs 1 point per point, stat of 15 costs 16 points, stat of 16 costs 18 points, stat of 17 costs 21 points, stat of 18 costs 24 points. This gives quite high base stats but as we only play with GM and two players (and don't use the extra skills/feats for solo/duo play rules) it seems about right and isn't in excess of what a lucky chap could roll on the d10+8 heroic system anyway. My character started as 10 14 14 18 18 10 (non sorcerous scholar later classing into soldier).

Start at level 4. Because we're meant to be playing heroes.

Level cap is 12. Because that gives heroic yet just about sustainable play. Any higher and stuff seems to get out of hand somewhat.

Ranged Finesse exacty like Clovenhoof.

 

[Brisco]

I am currently allowing Borders to substitute Combat Style for Animal Ally to allow for the Marc Singer type of “Beastmaster” character. This was in addition to allowing Wild Empathy as a general feat anybody could use. The Handle Animal skill already works well to create a Beastmaster character, so these were just icing on the cake.

My players managed to sneak in some of the Chain-mail Bikini rules when I was in a good mood. As a result, there are one or two beautiful characters who boost their Dodge Defence with their Cha modifier, provided they are at least scantly clad. We all agree it’s stupid, but the novelty hasn’t worn off yet.

The Golden Rule is, whatever players can do, the NPC’s will do. This worked better than expected against potential abuses.

Cheers,
Brisco.

 

[kintire]

The five minute breather: If you take a five minute breather you recover all hit points, provided you were not at 0 or below.

Why: With no magical healing a single lucky crit can remove a character from a scenario, especially a time limited one. Its no fun for one player to be sitting around while everyone else is storming the temple. Also, you can have a sries of serious fights that the PCs might lose without having to have a two week break between each.

Power attack damage does not double for two handed weapons. Its overpowered.

No Massive Damage.

Why: Again, it overpowers the two handed weapon, because their high point damage is better at triggering MD saves than one handers. I don't see the need anyway. With damage at the Conan levels, the HP tick down quite fast enough without them.

I haven't merged the skills because I feel this penalises the Temptress and the Thief, whose high skill points are the main draw. I haven't previous been using the dual strike as a combat maneuver instead of a feat, but I am now!

 

[Spectator]

The five minute breather: If you take a five minute breather you recover all hit points, provided you were not at 0 or below.

Why: With no magical healing a single lucky crit can remove a character from a scenario, especially a time limited one. Its no fun for one player to be sitting around while everyone else is storming the temple. Also, you can have a sries of serious fights that the PCs might lose without having to have a two week break between each.


Wow I reallly like this, but I would knock it back to 1/2 HP due to some level of fatigue setting in.

 

[Edhel]

Our house rules aka Acheronian Edition.

That covers most of it, I guess.

 

[Teriudin]

Power Attack bonus damage can't go above your BAB - so somewhat nerfing the 2-hander.

 

[treeplanter]

Power attack: Maximum -5/+5 like combat expertise. Apply x 1.5 for 2 handed weapon (maybe it's still unbalanced). Add to Armor percing also.
Well I think like everybody I've found power attack was overpowered

Armor: -1d4 DR on 20 damages blow BEFORE damage reduction.

Point blank shot: +1 AP at point blank.

Noble: 6 skill points per level instead of 4.
Noble is weaker than the 4 brute squad in combat, and that fine with me. However, he should have plenty of skill to represent is high education and court play hence the upgrade.

Quick draw: +1 to initiative in addition.

Skill focus: +3 to the skill, and you may take 10 (as the per rogue ability skill mastery)

Massive damage: Trigger is 20 + Fortitude saving throw instead of 20 (thus it's pretty hard to one-shot kill a high level character).

Also will try in our next game reducing every armor DR and every AP by two, to speed up combat. I found the armor DR to be a bit high.

Of course we use point a buy system. I don't use Exp point. Waste of time (it have always been)

Now I think I'll apply the barbarian versatility don't apply to exotic Bow, really like that and it make sense. I also like the ranged finesse as a combat manoevre.

 

[Hervé]

I found the armor DR to be a bit high.

That's true. I also myself find armor a bit overpowered. Low damaging classes really have an hard time with it, and the penalty for wearing one aren't dissuasive enough. In my game, I tend to accentuate the bulk of armor as much as I can. There no way an adventurer could bear a metal armor under the burning sun of the Kharamun desert without boiling on the spot. Same about swimming in chainmail. For me it's rather like walking on the bottom of the sea.

 

[Clovenhoof]

Some more add-ons since I last posted in this thread:

Special Attacks:
a single-roll Combat Maneuver System based on Pathfinder replaces the convoluted standard rules.
CMB = Str + BAB + Size + Feat +d20 vs. Opponent's CMB +15.

I'm very happy with the new system as it speeds up the game a lot.


Healing:
* First Aid: a successful Heal check DC15 immediately restores a number of HP equal to the Heal skill bonus to a character who was not below 0HP.
* A good night's rest is sufficient to trigger the normal natural HP recovery (3+CON+Level).

 

[Ethan the Red]

By Crom I love a good joke!

Some lose rules on fumbles...

1) Based on the four page comic called "By Crom I love a good joke!" (If you haven't read it it is pretty funny.. basically Conan is fighting a villain to rescue a girl; the villain spits insults charges Conan, sliping he, falls on his own spear. Conan spends a whole page laughing and concludes "By Crom I love a good joke!")

Effect- Anytime anyone (including GM) fumbles a player can yell "By Crom I love a good joke!" and can collect a resource pool of re roll dice which cannot be spent on fumbles. Loosely enforced, but adds some fun to the game.

2) In mass combat I (as GM) often equate fumbles with foot soldiers as "instant death" for cenematic purpose. (i.e. any of 8 Kushite raiders attacking a mounted PC are trampled to death or similar when they fumble...) Again loosely enforced, but used to add flavor.

 

[Axerules]

Two-handed weapons are indeed overpowered, so: PA X 1.5 for 2H. Bardiche and Greatsword do 2d8 damage, Tulwar 2d6.


IMO armors are also too powerful:
Not a "house" rule: use of the optional minimal damage rule (every hit does at least one point of damage).

By the RAW, armors are supposed to be damaged only when MD is taken (20+ damage suffered). This is lame. Does a dead man care if his protection is destroyed? In my games armors lose 1D4 DR each time the wearer suffers 15 damage (that is, after DR was taken into account).

I also like the Parry optional rule: when an attack does exactly the Parry score, the shield or weapon used for Parrying is hit and damaged instead of the oppponent.

With those two latest rules, weapons, shields and armors are more susceptible to be destroyed during a fight. I like it, it provokes a lot of fun and vivid descriptions. Also, the reliance on gear is (slightly) diminished.


I've also changed several feats with too limited use into Combat Maneuvers, changed the prerequisites or weakened several feats who were overpowered IMO (not those from the core book, but some from the various supplements). I've eliminated those who were useless or too weak and not adaptable into combat maneuvers.

I've also -slightly- boosted or lessened some races and classes, for a better balance AND respect of the original stories. Those modifications were only a little touch here and there.