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Homebrew rules

DM Badger

Member
It would be interesting to find out what rules folks have tweaked to run their campaigns. I will go first with one of mine.

One of them is hidden death rolls. When established players hear this, they are often deeply dissatisfied with the idea. Here is why i did it. When a party member goes down unconscious, most of the time the party fight on regardless think that they have 3 death saves so the first round should be fine. Game mechanics wise this makes complete sense. Role-play wise its majorly bad for in game relationships. It conveys from one character to the other character [not player to player mind] you and your situation are just not important to me right now.

Hidden death roles create a greater sense of urgency in getting the fallen member at the very least stabilised before continuing the fight, ensuring that they live to fight another day. It stops a hu8ge amount of complacency withing the party about someone going unconscious. Once this has happened a number of times in the campaign players actually thank me for this as they realise it creates a greater immersion into the session, story and campaign.
 

JochenL

CL Byte Sprite
Staff member
Adamantium WoA
Wizard of Story
Wizard of Combat
Gamer Lifestyle
Borderland Explorer
To be honest, I play mostly RAW. There is just one fix I usually apply to GURPS Strength to Damage conversion:

Thrust Damage = ST / 3
Swing Damage = ST / 2
Drop Fractions

Every full 4 points give you 1d
For remaining points:

1 = +1
2 = +2
3 = +1d-1

Example ST 10:
Thrust=3.3 --> 3 --> 1d-1
Swing=5 --> 5 --> 1d+1

Example ST 21:
Thrust=7 --> 7 --> 2d-1
Swing=10.5 --> 10 --> 2d+2
 

DM Badger

Member
what a cool idea I have seen something like this in DCC where you roll on spells on a higher roll makes it more effective.

I have never thought of applying that to combat!
 
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DM Badger

Member
Okay another homebrew rule I have. General principle now rather than specific.
When a player or the party approach me as the DM asking for a rule to be implemented like flanking for an example. I tell them I will think on it.
Of course, I already have my answer but then the next session I respond with good idea but [and here is the general principle],

"if you can do it the monsters can too."

This usually has players deciding that a rule that they thought was going to give them a significant advantage in the game really isn't worth employing now. They change their minds.

Now bear in mind I am not being mean, I have genuinely decided that yes flanking would work well like that and am happy to put it into play. Just players recognize that the monsters would get significantly more opportunities than they would.

I have now learned to ask my players the following question for any kind of tricky rule, [the lastest being the crusher feat from tasha's]

"yes sure as long as you are content for the appropriate monsters to be also use the same feat."

It has helped me so many times to divide the players looking to play the system and get distinct advantages over the enemines for ROLLplay rather than the guys geniuinely looking for greater interactive and immersiveness [is that a word] for better roleplay.

hope it helps.
 

JochenL

CL Byte Sprite
Staff member
Adamantium WoA
Wizard of Story
Wizard of Combat
Gamer Lifestyle
Borderland Explorer
I remember another rule to encourage more descriptive combat:

"Get +1 to your (attack or other action) roll if you describe your actions in detail."

This should prevent "I hit them" :roll-dice: "Thirteen, a hit" :roll-dice: "Six damage".
 

DM Badger

Member
Okay here is another. Once I know that I either have experienced players or players that have been in my campaigns for a while, I implement a combat rule.

I ask players to plan ahead with two potential moves. That way if one of the planned moves has been taken you still have a move left.

If that fails to speed up what someoen is doing on their turn I introduce the second rule [this second rule was taken from dm lair I think]. After 90 seconds of indecision they take the auto dodge move.

I have tried this across all 5 of my virtual tables and the most any one person has auto dodged has been twice. They are now more organised on their turn and have at least thought about what they will do on their combat turn.
 
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