Our Campaign's 3rd Edition House Rules & Custom Additions

Previous House Rules for 2nd Edition


Contents


Role-Playing Experience

The following house rule was rescinded starting with the 27 Dec 2002 session: Starting with the Fri 15 Feb 2002 playing session, for each session having no award for challenge-based experience (i.e. no die rolls or overcoming of specific CR-rated events or encounters), each player who participates in role-playing accrues 50XP per character level. This participation has to be a meaningful participation in at least one scene of the session; a "bit part" of just a few lines does not qualify for this reward. If there is even one CR-based event occurring in the session, then only the normal XP as derived from the Dungeon Master's Guide is awarded.
The DM stated this rule during the 23 Feb 2002 session.

and replaced with the following:

Starting with the Fri 27 Dec 2002 playing session, for each session having no award for challenge-based experience) (i.e. no CR-rated challenges to overcome and just role-playing), each player who participates in role-playing accrues XP equivalent to one CR 1 challenge. Use Table 7-1 in the DMG to look up an individual's XP award for CR 1 by his or her character level, then divide that by 4 (4 is the standard party size the DMG-writers based their table on). In all cases, round up to the next highest integer after dividing. The table in the DMG does not give rewards for CR 1 for character levels past 8th. In this case, use the following table:
Character
Level
CR 1 XP Award
(before dividing)
9169
10125
11104
1275
1361
1444
1536
1625
1720
1815
1912
208
217
225
234
243
252
262
27+1

For character races having non-zero Level Adjustments (for Effective Character Levels), the Level Adjustments are actually one less than the FRCS book rules them to be. For example, in this campaign: the aasimar, genasi and tieflings have Level Adjustment 0; the drow and duregar have Level Adjustment +1; the svirfneblin have Level Adjustment +2.
The DM made this ruling on 20 June 2002.


Combat

Combat between armed forces larger than an adventuring are resolved by the Mass Combat System.


Wounds & Healing

Chosen Healing
The Chosen of Mystra can regenerate at 1 point per 10 minutes normally, or 1 point per minute if they are actively using their silver fire to heal themselves. Furthermore, a non-killing mortal wound will automatically activate the silver fire in its healing mode unless the Chosen wills it to not do so.


Skills

Specialized Skills
The following changes and additions have been made to the specialized skills of Craft, Knowledge and Profession


Spells & Magic

Gaining Wizard Spells
On page 54 of the Player's Handbook, second column, it states: "Each time the wizard achieves a new level, she gains two new spells of any level or levels that she can cast (according to her new level)." This rule is rescinded. There are only three ways a wizard may gain new spells:

  • The wizard may find scrolls and spellbooks while adventuring from which to learn spells.
  • The wizard may buy scrolls or access to spellbooks from other wizards.
  • The wizard may research spells herself using the rules below.
If none of these three happen, the wizard gets no new spells regardless of how many levels she gains.

Spell Effects

Spell Research
The Researching New Spells section of Tome and Blood (p. 81) is to be disregarded, and the following rules used in their place.
Resources Required
  • An arcane libraray worth at least 10,000 gp.
  • A quiet, comfortable and well-lit place in which to work.
Time Required
The time required to research a given spell is 96 hours per level of the spell being researched. There are some additional rules as well:
  • At least four hours must be spent in each day of research.
  • Days off can only be taken one at a time without penalty. If two or more consecutive days off are taken, each day after the first will cause the mage to lose 16 hours of completed research time because he will lose track of where he is.
  • At least three consecutive days must be worked between days off, i.e. the mage cannot take off more than one day in four. without losing progress in the same was as described above.
  • For the entire time of the research, from start to finish, the researcher may not fight or engage in any other physically or mentally demanding task. Each time the researcher engages in such activity then tries to return to the research, he must make a Concentration check against a DC of 10 + the spell level of the spell being researched or lose 8 hours of work per 5 points or portion thereof he fails by. For example, if he fails by 1-5 points, he loses 8 hours. If he fails by 6-10 points, he loses 16 hours. If he rolls a critical failure (a natural 1 on the d20 roll), the entire research is disrupted and he must start over from scratch. This applies for even momentary disruptions of work. If the disruption causes a break of more than one day from work, penalties for that stack with this penalty.
  • Since the researcher must focus his mental energies on his research, he cannot cast other spells without disrupting his research. If the researcher casts an arcane spell (whether prepared or not) he will lose 1 hour per spell point he casts. The spell point increases due to metamagicked spells also count against this. Spell-like abilities or spells cast with the Innate Spell feat do not count for this.
If the spell being researched is based on an existing spell that the researcher already knows, it will save some research time.
  • If the spell being researched is an enhancement of an existing spell, i.e. it is of a higher level than the existing spell, the the normal research time for that new spell is decreased by half the time it would take to research the existing spell it is based on. For example, a mage is researching a fourth level spell that is an enhancement of a first level spell. The research time will be the time required for a fourth level spell minus half the time required for a first level spell.
  • If the spell being researched is a reduced version of an existing higher-level spell, the research time will be half that of the normal time required for the spell being researched.
If the wizard has the Research Prodigy feat, research only requires one half the time. This halving is after all calculations listed above have been done.
Chance for Success
The character must roll a Spellcraft check with a DC of 10 + twice the level of spell researched. If the wizard has the Research Prodigy feat a bonus of +1 is added to the roll. If the roll fails the caster may spend another 48 hours re-examining his research notes to try to find what went wrong then roll another check. If the second check fails the caster may re-examine his notes one more time for 48 hours before making his third check. If the third check fails, the spell cannot be created.
Experience Gained
100 XP per level of spell researched.

Magical Item Creation
The Dungeon Master's Guide calls for an expenditure of 1 XP per 25 gp of base value (usually the same as the market value) for each magic item created. This rule is rescinded and replaced with the following rule.

A character will suffer temporary Constitution ability damage when creating a magical item due to the portion of his power and life energy he uses to create the magical item. The number of Constitution points lost is calculated as follows: take the square root of the base gp value of the item, divide it by 60, round up, and multiply by 2. If the item has an XP cost in addition to one 25th the base cost, then this XP cost is multiplied by 25 and added to the base cost. For example, the cost to create a +5 Manual of Bodily Health is 6,250 gp + 25,500 XP. The net gp value is 6,250 + (25,500 * 25) = 643,750, which the Constitution formula is applied to which results in 28 temporary CON ability damage points. Note that the character's hit points, Fortitude saving throw, and Concentration skill modifier may all be affected by this loss. The character also cannot begin magical item creation so long as he has any temporary ability damage.
The character may recover this temporary ability damage as per the rules on page 129 of the Player's Handbook. Temporary ability damage due to magical item creation cannot be restored with a cleric's Restoration spell (of any variety - greater, middle or lesser) for the same reason that Resurrection-type spells will not work on someone whose soul wishes to remain physically dead. The caster is knowingly and willingly surrendering a part of his life energy to the item he has created. He wants that vital energy to be gone from him, so his will permanently severs the connection between himself and the energy that was once part of him. He doesn't want the energy back, because taking it back would drain the item he just created. Therefore, just as in the analogous case of raising the dead, no cleric and no restoration spell (of any variety - greater, middle or lesser) can ever bring back that energy the item creator doesn't want back. [Optionally, the willing surrender of life energy might justify an extended recovery time, if the DM wishes to make item creation more difficult. The ability damage might take double, triple, or any other suitable multiple of the standard book rate.]
No character may create a magical item if the temporary Constitution damage would reduce his constitution to 0 points. This means that there are some items a given caster with a less than excellent Constitution may not create, and that there are even some items that no single caster can create. House rules for cooperative magic item creation will be forthcoming.

A character does gain experience for the successful creation of a magical item. The character gains experience equal to one 25th of the base value of the magical item created.


Gods & Religions

Chosen of Selūne Template
Posted by Oy of Midworld on the WotC message boards on 16 May 2005 at 03:53.
Accepted as house rule for Crown & Hullack campaign by Mike on Sat 01 July 2006 at 16:49

The Chosen of Selūne

The Chosen of Selūne is a template that can be applied to any humanoid of good alignment whom The Moonmaiden favors, and who, in turn, worships Selūne. The Chosen has all racial and class abilities she possessed before becoming Chosen as well as the following:

Spell-like abilities :
Constant: Protection from Evil, Endure Elements, Comprehend languages
At will: Detect Evil, Detect Law, Know Direction, Fairy Fire, Moonbeam, Moonblade
3/day: Expeditious Retreat, Freedom of Movement, Moonweb, Moon Path, Moonfire, Remove Curse, True Seeing
1/day: Control Weather, Control Winds, Holy Smite, Find the Path, Summon Monster IX (Moon Dog only)
*The spell DC’s are wisdom-based. Caster Level equals ½ HD.

Ability increase: +4 Wis, +6 Cha
Feats: The Chosen of Selūne gains the Endurance feat if she does not already have it.
Immunities (Ex): The Chosen of Selūne is immune to Disease, Disintegration, Poison, and cannot be magically aged.
Veiled Moon's Blessing (Ex): The Chosen of Selūne gains Darkvision 60ft and Low Light Vision if she did not already have them.
Soothe the Beast (Su): The Chosen of Selūne, simply by speaking in a non threatening manner, forces all lycanthropes, in any form, within listening distance, to make a will save (10 + ½ the Chosen's HD + the Chosen’s Charisma modifier) or be effected by a Calm Emotions spell. The target Lycanthropes must make a save each round the Chosen is speaking. If the target lycanthrope fails her save against this ability and she is in animal of half animal form, she automatically reverts to humaniod form and is effectively “calmed.”
Selūne's Boon (Su): The Chosen adds her Charisma modifier as a Sacred bonus to all saves and to caster level checks to beat spell resistance. The Chosen also receives a +5 resistance (or enhancement) bonus against the following: spells and spell-like effects of from the schools of enchantment, illusion, and necromancy; any spells cast with the Shadow Weave; and any spell with the Darkness, Shadow, Law, or Evil descriptors. This may be a bonus to saves or to caster level, depending on the circumstances. This +5 bonus cannot stack with itself.
Moonlight Blessing (Su): When in direct Moonlight (more than 50% lit), the Chosen of Selūne gains spell resistance 25 and Damage Reduction 10/magic and piercing.
Veiled Moon's Vigilance (Su): The time of the new or veiled moon is a time of great danger to all of Selūne's faith; the servants of Shar are most active at these times when the Moonmaiden is "absent". The Chosen knows that Selūne is not truly absent, but veiled, and this is the time of the hiding. During the time of the “veiled moon,” when Selūne is not visible in the sky, her Chosen gains these new special abilities in addition to all others: +10 sacred bonus to all hide, listen, spot, and move silently checks; she gains the Hide in Plain Sight ability, and may cast Silence 3/day as a spell-like ability.
Selūne's Fullness (Su): During the time when Selūne is full, the Chosen casts all healing and evocation spells as if they had been prepared with the empower spell, extend spell, and widen spell feats, at no cost. This ability is only usable between sundown and sunrise, and the chosen can withhold any or all of these feats from a spell, if desired.

Special Ability of Astra and Morgan as Chosen of Mystra
Accepted as house rule for Crown & Hullack campaign by Mike on Sat 23 February 2008 at 15:33

Metamagical Spell Enhancement:

Astra and Morgan both have a special talent involving their silver fire - they can generate an aura of power 30 feet in radius in which the Weave is particularly strong, such that all spells cast by any caster within that area are enhanced by a metamagic feat. If neither of them exert their will to control the aura (which is all the time until the twins learn to control it, after which the twins may choose to suppress it, control it, or leave it uncontrolled), each spell cast within the area has a single randomly selected (from all metamagic feats in any gamebook accepted by the DM, whether the twins have that feat or not) metamagic feat applied to it. If either of them exert their will to control their aura (once they learn how), then they may select any feat they know to apply to every spell cast from within their aura. The level of the spell slot used by the caster is not affected by the aura, making the metamagic feat applied a 'free bonus'. If the caster applied a metamagic feat of her own to her spell different from the feat imposed by the aura, it is unaffected by the aura and functions normally. If the caster applied the same feat the aura provides, then there is no additional effect.


If a caster is within 30 feet of only one of the twins (not both), then the feat granted by the aura must be one would normally increase the spell slot by no more than 3 levels. If the caster is within 30 feet of both twins when casting a spell, then each aura imposes its own feat and the sum of the normal spell slot increase may not exceed 7 levels. (Remember that the bonus feat doesn't increase the spell slot required to cast the spell; the limit just defines which feats may or may not be applied.) When Astra and Morgan are within 30 feet of each other they will enjoy the benefits of both auras.


New 3rd Edition Feats

Research Prodigy [General]
You have exceptional research skills and the capacity to organize information.
Benefit: Exceptional study habits have been ingrained in you throughout your entire education as a youth, and this gives you exceptional skill at organizing information, the processes of experimentation, and problem-solving. When you are researching either magical spells or some more mundane intellectual topic, your research only takes half the usual amount of time required, and you get a +1 bonus to your skill check for success. However, the amount of money required for research (e.g. spell research) remains unchanged because you are still expending the same amount on books and other supplies.
Special: You may only take this feat as a 1st level character.

Eschew Components [Metamagic] This is from Tome and Blood and Magic of Faerun, not a custom feat.
You can cast spells without material components.
Prerequisites: Any other metamagical feat.
Benefit: An eschewed spell can be cast with no material components. Spells without material components or whose material components cost more than 1gp are not affected by this feat. An eschewed spell uses up a spell slot of the spell's normal level, modified by any other metamagical feats.


New Magical Items

Ring of Contraception:
This silver ring is engraved with a complex, abstract pattern of interlocking curves. When any woman wears this ring, she cannot get pregnant. The ring essentially prevents any fertilized egg from implanting itself on her womb. This power requires no command word; simply putting the ring on counts as activation.
Caster Level: 1st
Prerequisites: Forge Ring, Contraception
Market Price: 2,000 gp
Note: As of 1 Tarsakh 1377, there are only thirteen rings of contraception in existence. There was a fourteenth, but it was disenchanted in the Moonshaes. The whereabouts of one of the rings is currently unknown. Eleven of the remaining twelve rings are possessed by: Alynna Obarskyr, Storm Silverhand, Jenni Kalmer-Obarskyr, Heather Dauntinghorn, Annaria Tallman, Rashan Tallman, Jewel Tallman-Obarskyr, Astra Obarskyr, Alysan Obarskyr, Sara Obarskyr, and Adeara. The twelfth ring is a spare in the possession of Alynna. Alynna has eleven more unenchanted silver rings to work on.

Alynnastaff:
Masterwork 6-foot-long staff (1d6+1 damage) made of duskwood from a tree that has been burned in but survived a forest fire. It has the following enhancements and enchantments:

  • Both ends have metal caps fixed to the staff using the Woodmerge spell so they are integral parts of the staff and cannot be pried off;
  • Enchanted as a +5 weapon;
  • Has Alynna's Sure Grip enchanted upon it so the wielder cannot fumble the staff;
  • Has Elron's Speedy Weapon enchanted upon it so the wielder gets one extra attack as a partial action;
  • Has a permanent and constant ability to act as a Spectral Hand spell. The staff wielder can cast a touch spell then bestow it by touching the target with any part of the staff rather than her own hand.
  • Has several gems worked into the wood with the Woodmerge spell so that the gems are integral parts of the staff and cannot be pried off:
    • two small diamonds, one each six inches from each end of the staff, function as a light source equivalent to Daylight activated and deactivated by command word;
    • one large diamond worked entirely inside the staff at its exact center suitable for Contingency and Magic Jar;
    • two sapphires, one each two feet from each end, suitable for storing up to ten levels each as a Ring of Spell Storing.
  • A combination of the natural fire resistance of duskwood, its surviving a forest fire, and further abjuration magic, the staff is itself and imparts to its user immunity from all forms of fire.
Caster Level: 13th
Prerequisites: Craft Staff, Craft Magic Arms and Armor, Energy Immunity, Elron's Speedy Weapon, Imbue Spell Ability, Alynna's Sure Grip, Spectral Hand, Daylight
Market Price: 320,000 gp

Stonereaver:
The Stonereaver is a +5 dwarven battleaxe that cannot be fumbled and has the limb-severing ability of a Sword of Sharpness. In addition, three times a day the wielder can call upon the axe to shatter stone which it strikes as per the Shatterstone spell. Also, if the axe is used against stone normally and fails a save for breaking, the axe will automatically call upon the Shatterstone ability if any uses for that day are left to avoid the breakage.
Caster Level: 11th
Prerequisites: Magic Arms and Armor, Alynna's Sharp Blade (3/Keen Edge?), Object Contingency, Shatterstone, Alynna's Sure Grip
Market Price: 302,310 gp


New Creatures:

VRAXA (Work in progress)
Small Magical Beast (Mammal)
Hit Dice: 4d10+8 (30 hp)
Initiative: +1 (Dex)
Speed: 15 ft., Climb 15 ft., Swim 10 ft.
AC: 13 (+1 size, +1 Dex, +1 natural)
Attacks: bite
Damage: 1d3 bite
Face/Reach: 5 ft by 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks:
Improved Grab (Ex)
Constrict (Ex) 1d8+2
Electricity (Sp) 4d6
Special Qualities:
Electricity Immunity (Ex)
Scent (Ex)
Invisibility (Su) (once per day)
Teleport (Su) (3 times/day)
Saves: Fort +6, Ref +2, Will +3
Abilities: Str 14, Dex 13, Con 14, Int 2, Wis 14, Cha 10
Skills: Balance +10, Climb +10, Hide +6, Listen +9, Move Silently +2, Sense Motive +7
Feats: Alertness (+2 to Listen and Spot checks, included in Listen skill modifier above)


Climate/Terrain: Temperate plains and forests.
Organization: Single up to family prides of 12-18 members
Challenge Rating: 8
Treasure: none
Alignment: usually good
Advancement

      A vraxa is a snake-like herbivorous mammal native to the world of Menaria. They have naturally adapted to the high-mana nature of the world in both attack and defense, are very curious, and protective of those they like.
      Adult specimens are on average 8 feet long and 4 inches thick at mid body, with the head 5 to 6 inches wide and the tail narrowing to less than an inch, and average about 43 pounds in weight. They are covered with soft but thick fur, males always being white and females being almost any single color except white.
      Vraxa have no appendages such as arms or legs, and move as a snake does. Vraxa normally live from 40 to 50 years.
      Vraxa are naturally found in any number from single up to prides of up to 4-6 adults and typically 12-24 children. On occasions where more than two prides encounter each other, they mingle in a friendly manner then move on. Vraxa females are fertile only once per five years, approximately, and bear live young after a gestation of a couple of months, usually 3 or 4 per litter but on rare occasions up to 12 per litter.
      Vraxa are very curious and will explore their surroundings as completely as they can. Vraxa can make very friendly and protective pets or even familiars to humanoids, but humanoids cannot make them pets. It is the vraxa who picks a humanoid companion rather than the other way around. A vraxa who selects a humanoid as a companion will preferentially stay close to her rather than rejoining its own kind. Usually, once a vraxa picks a companion it will not allow another vraxa near it's companion. Rarely, though, two vraxa may pick the same humanoid as a companion. A vraxa who has chosen a companion enjoys physical contact, especially wrapping itself around its companion, and enjoys being stroked or petted. When a vraxa is in physical contact and feeling happy and safe, it will purr, coo, and give off vibrations that often tend to produce a mild arousal in the humanoid, relieve anxiety, or deaden mild pain or discomfort.
      Vraxa make good guards and watchers because of their skills and feats. They often sense approaching danger before a companion does, and can sense the motives and intents of others fairly accurately.
Skills: Vraxa receive a +4 racial bonus to Hide, Listen and Sense Motive checks and a +8 racial bonus to Balance checks. They can use either their Strength or Dexterity modifier for Climb checks, whichever is better.

COMBAT
Vraxa have no natural weapons, thus no forms of natural attack other than their bite. They have the flat teeth of an herbivore.
Special Attacks
      Vraxa have two forms of special attack. First they can wrap around a target and constrict it for 1d8+2 points per round if they achieve a touch attack on the creature. Second, they can release up to three electrical attacks per day. These electrical attacks are similar to the Wizard spell Lightning Bolt, except it does only 4d6 damage.
Special Qualities
      A vraxa is immune to electrical energies. This is necessary, since they are capable of an electrical attack similar to a lightning bolt. A vraxa has the scent ability to sense food and other creatures around them. A vraxa has the ability, when it fears for its own life, to turn itself invisible once per day. A vraxa has the ability to teleport itself to another location within line of site and not more than 100 feet away three times per day. A vraxa will use a teleport during combat, to get to a place containing food (e.g. farther up in a tree) that it couldn't reach by crawling, or simply to satisfy curiosity or find a better resting place.


Miscellaneous Additional Rules:

Cost of Land:
One acre = 43,560 sq.ft.

One acre of land in a rural area costs on average 100 gp.
This means a plot of land 50' × 100' would cost about 11.48 gp.

One acre of land in an urban area costs on average 500 gp.
This means a plot of land 50' × 100' would cost about 57.39 gp.

Living Expenses:
Cost of Living for various classes:
According to
3rd Ed. D&D DMG:
       According to
Our Own 2nd Ed. House Rule:
Class Cost (gp/month)   Class Cost (gp/month)


Self-Sufficient 2  
Meager 5  
Poor 12   Poor 10
Common 45   Common 30
Good 100   Good 100
Extravagant 200   Luxurious 300
  Lordly 1000


Note: All categories assume maintaining only one residence.
Wealthier people may own more than one home.
For Extravagant/Luxurious and Lordly categories,
add 50% for each additional household.

Cost For Maintaining An Armed Force:
      The pay a government gives its regular armed forces should range from meager for the lowliest recruit to well into the Good category for the most senior leaders. The base pay for the lowest ranks does not need to provide them with all the necessities of life, because the government itself takes care of housing, feeding and equipping them. This means that much of the money soldiers make may be used for discretionary rather than necessary purposes, so a recruit earning a "meager" wage is not as bad as it first seems, and does not put the recruit at nearly the economic hardship that the same pay would put an adventurer or private citizen in. Since there are a great many more low-ranking soldiers than high, the average pay will be much closer to the lower-rank pay than the higher-rank. A safe assumption is that the average pay for a soldier will be the cost for a Poor lifestyle. Besides paying the soldiers, the government must also pay for the food, housing, training, and equipping of an army. Noble houses that maintain a standing force in a similar fashion to the Crown may also pay similarly.
Rule: To calculate the overall monthly expense of the army, multiply the total number of soldiers of all ranks in the army by the cost for a "poor" upkeep, then double that.

      Mercernaries engage in warmaking for their own profit, and usually provide for their own upkeep. Because of this, mercenaries will expect to be paid at least a class category higher than government troops. This means the average mercenary soldier will be paid the cost for a "common" upkeep. Even though mercenaries provide their own basic upkeep, there are still additional mission-specific expenses the client will have to pay but these extra expenses are not nearly as high as those the Crown must pay.
Rule: To calculate the overall monthly expense of a hireling mercenary force, multiply the total number of mercenaries of all ranks in the force by the cost for a "common" upkeep, then add 25% to that.