My Three Favourite House Rules

Long time no post. Life, work, other priorities.

But I am still playing. 

Kids D&D using B (Mentzer) and X (Cook) is where I am at.

But rather than leave my blog site forever up and running with a fairly random last post I would rather leave my favourite 3 house rules on my home page. So here they are.

Rule Number 1 No dump stat. EVERY ability score counts for EVERY character

Intelligence gives XP bonus / penalty  (I don't use prime requisites but do use class minimums). "You catch on quick, you must be pretty smart," applies to every character.

Ability Score	XP Adjustments
3	-15%
4+5	-10%
6-8	-5%
9-12	No adjustment
13-15	+5%
16-17	+10%
18	+15%

Based on this post.

Wisdom bonus gives saving throw bonus / penalty to ALL saving throws.

Wisdom is will power and fate (do the god's love you or hate you).

Ability Score	Saving Throw Adjustments
3	-3
4+5	-2
6-8	-1
9-12	No adjustment
13-15	+1
16-17	+2
18	+3

Based on this post.

Charisma gives bonus / penalty to starting gold. How much do people care for you and want to help you survive as an adventurer.

Ability Score	Adjustments to starting gold pieces
3	0 (rags, what you wear is all you have)
4+5	10-60gp (1d6)
6-8	20-120gp (2d6)
9-12	30-180gp (3d6) No adjustment
13-15	40-240 gp (4d6)
16-17	50-300gp (5d6)
18	60-360gp (6d6)

Rule Number 2 Poison made simple

Poison does damage over time. If player fails their saving throw: Roll for damage, roll for time, start the poison. Simple and anxiety inducing for players. 

Slow poison even has a role now. 

I generally roll 1d4 for damage and 1d6 per HD of the poisoning creature for rounds of damage ie I emphasise time over immediate damage.

eg 3 on d4 then 4 on d6

"You lose three hit points damage as the poison courses through your body, what do you want to do?"

"Wait"

"You lose another three hit points"

"Take healing potion"

"You gain 5 hit points but lose another three hit points from the damage"

"I've got no more healing!"

"You lose another three hit points"

"I'm down to 1 hit point!"

"The poison seems to have stopped."

Based on this post.

Rule Number 3 Mounts have to make a morale check to enter dangerous situations 

It makes high morale mounts very important and makes mounted combat unpredictable.

Mounts must pass a morale check to enter dangerous situations, eg combat, jumping a chasm etc. I check start of every round in combat.

If failed the mount and its rider will take no action that round (as the mount bucks, repositions etc), except for the option to flee from combat at maximum movement. A mounts morale can be modified by expensive training or if the character has animal handling ability modifiers (non-weapon proficiency or the like), but no mount should have a modified morale of 12, unless magically induced eg paladin's war horse. Makes a +1 moral horse worth purchasing and worth naming.

Based on this post.