House Rules
To me in D&D rules are very important. I find it misleading and a little off beat when people on the message boards talk about changing rules casually. The rules of a game, any game not just d20, represents to physics of that world. In the d20 System rules are made simple so that games flow faster, this simplicity can often take away a certain feel of realism in the game, and often people try and compensate by adding elements that often in the end bog the game down.
This is very bad, because it players loose interest quickly, and more often than not the DM looses track of all the changes to his rules and inconsistances end up destroying the integrity of the world.
Now don't get me wrong I am all for adding and changing rules to give the game a certain feel. d20 is the easiest system I have found where you can do this and I am often thinking of ways to improve the overall feeling of my games. However, when making new rules or even tweaking existing ones there are a couple of guidelines that will help you alot.
1) Make the rule affect PCs and NPCs the same. If the characters suffer from damaged armor, then NPCs in damaged armor should have the same problems.
2) Make the new rule simple and quick. Its okay to have additional math, fractions and precentages are barely used in d20, but they are often the best calculate costs of items, but too much math can really make things difficult.
3) Don't have something snuff out vital character traits, unless it is a VERY good reason. This often happens with the Evasion ability that Monk, Rogues, and Rangers use. New DMs often try to snuff this ability out which most likely kills the character. If you are trying to challenge a character don't challenge then against their strong points. A fireball against a rogue isn't going to hurt him much and its kinda wrong to take his ability just to get your way, instead try something else... like mind control or poisons.
4) Remember that your rules set the presidence for the game. If a thrown turnup does more damage than an arrow, expect your players to grow turnups to use instead of arrows. If your rule can some how be duplicated by a player, chances are they will duplicate it.
This is just my 2 cp...
This is very bad, because it players loose interest quickly, and more often than not the DM looses track of all the changes to his rules and inconsistances end up destroying the integrity of the world.
Now don't get me wrong I am all for adding and changing rules to give the game a certain feel. d20 is the easiest system I have found where you can do this and I am often thinking of ways to improve the overall feeling of my games. However, when making new rules or even tweaking existing ones there are a couple of guidelines that will help you alot.
1) Make the rule affect PCs and NPCs the same. If the characters suffer from damaged armor, then NPCs in damaged armor should have the same problems.
2) Make the new rule simple and quick. Its okay to have additional math, fractions and precentages are barely used in d20, but they are often the best calculate costs of items, but too much math can really make things difficult.
3) Don't have something snuff out vital character traits, unless it is a VERY good reason. This often happens with the Evasion ability that Monk, Rogues, and Rangers use. New DMs often try to snuff this ability out which most likely kills the character. If you are trying to challenge a character don't challenge then against their strong points. A fireball against a rogue isn't going to hurt him much and its kinda wrong to take his ability just to get your way, instead try something else... like mind control or poisons.
4) Remember that your rules set the presidence for the game. If a thrown turnup does more damage than an arrow, expect your players to grow turnups to use instead of arrows. If your rule can some how be duplicated by a player, chances are they will duplicate it.
This is just my 2 cp...
posted by Forced Evolution at
9:40 PM
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