House Rules Revisited

[JmOz]

We have not had a thread around here about House rules in a while, so whynot have a thread to share them

 

One of mine:

 

AE/Range/etc is based on the base power not the total Active Points

[Dust Raven]

Re: House Rules Revisited

 

Dramatic Pushing: During times when a massive extra effort is required, a character may Push a Power by more than 10 Active Points. Do do so requires an EGO Roll. If successful, the Power is Pushed an extra 5 points per point the roll was made by. If the roll fails, the Power is still Pushed by 10 Active Points. However, after the Power is used (one Phase maximum for continuous Powers unless additional EGO Rolls are made), the Power is automatically Drained by the total Active Points Pushed by, including the first 10, and recover normally as per the rules for Drain. This Drain effect occurs even if the EGO Roll fails.

[Lord Mhoram]

Re: House Rules Revisited

 

Mine deals with skill levels. To me a level is a level is a level. So I merge Skill levels, Combat Skill levels and penalty skill levels into one thing. The way I run it makes single weapon/ single attack skill levels cheaper, and obviates the need for most limitations on said levels.

 

It works thusly:

 

A single 10 point level can be used for anything.

 

A single 8 point level is either All Skills or All Combat.

Skill costs below that are 5, 3, 2, 1.5, 1

 

Combat skill levels apply to OCV, DCV, Damage, Range, HtH or Ego combat.

Skill levels apply to raising skill rolls in any situation.

 

Droppping a level to only apply to one catagory drops the cost to the next lowest level. So a HtH combat level drops to 5. A level in HtH OCV would be 3. A level in Dex skills would be 5.

Making the level only apply to ridding penalites drops said skill level down another level. Making the level apply to only a specific penalty drops is down 2 levels.

 

Now this pretty much follows the books, but with my structure in place you can do things that aren't allowed in the rules. For example - 2 levels HtH combat (5 pt) Damage only (dropping them to 3 points each) gives you 2 levels to add damage to any HtH combat manuever - effectively MDC for everyman manuevers too at a cost of 6 pts. Seems reasonable to me.

 

Given I would put a big Yield sign next to this, because of the greater flexibility and greater chance for abuse due to cheaper single levels, I haven't had any problems with it. And when I came up with the system, I tried to "reverse engineer" so that all the legal skill levels fit under the system. The place where they don't is down at the 2 / 1.5 / 1 pt skill levels. But those bear GM watching anyway.

[Supreme Serpent]

Re: House Rules Revisited

 

Something I recently house ruled was on movethrough "followup". By the book, the attacker can choose to ride along with the knockback, no matter how far that is. Didn't make sense to me, so I house ruled that the max you could ride along is up to the remainder of your movement. (ie if you have 15" flight and spend 12" getting to the target, the most you can travel along is another 3", even if the KB was 30")

 

Being able to dramatically increase your speed (not SPD) by move-throughing strategically placed opponents ("Hmm...I'll move my full 15" to this guy, and move through...7"KB, great, now I can move 15" to that guy, move through him...oh good roll, 10" KB...now I can get to X two phases earlier!") didn't seem like it fit with my admittedly limited grasp of how physics works.

[Lucius]

Re: House Rules Revisited

 

Something I recently house ruled was on movethrough "followup". By the book, the attacker can choose to ride along with the knockback, no matter how far that is. Didn't make sense to me, so I house ruled that the max you could ride along is up to the remainder of your movement. (ie if you have 15" flight and spend 12" getting to the target, the most you can travel along is another 3", even if the KB was 30")

 

Being able to dramatically increase your speed (not SPD) by move-throughing strategically placed opponents ("Hmm...I'll move my full 15" to this guy, and move through...7"KB, great, now I can move 15" to that guy, move through him...oh good roll, 10" KB...now I can get to X two phases earlier!") didn't seem like it fit with my admittedly limited grasp of how physics works.

 

Then again, knockback doesn't fit with my (also limited) grasp of how physics works.

 

Lucius Alexander

 

The palindromedary is chewing it over

[JmOz]

Re: House Rules Revisited

 

Okay, I have to admit, part of the reason for this thread is to list make a list of my own house rules (and steal yours when I like them 8-) ). So here is the current sheet (after going through 5th edition, next I will be going through the Faq's)

 

 

General House Rules:

 

Character Guidelines: Character guidelines are guidelines, a character can be outside the guidelines with GM permission.

 

Characteristics

 

MD: Mental Defense is a Figured Characteristic (MD: Ego/5, NCM 8)

 

HCM: Human Character Maxima, this is the Maximum a character can have their Characteristics at without it counting as a power. The value is equal to NCM times 1.5.

 

Skills

 

Power Skill & Inventor: Inventor is to be considered a type of power skill, all power skills permit a minor VPP like effect based on FX. This minor VPP can be used to do things out of combat, the GM will decide if the desired effect is reasonable. It will often take a long time to get the effect done (representing lengthy rituals, time in the lab, etc…)

Example: A character with a Magic Skill roll might be able to exorcise a spirit through a long and tiring ritual.

 

Skill levels: 3 point skill levels can be used for “Tight Groups†of skills, such as all Sciences, or all stealth skills, etc…

 

Everyman Skills: More a note than a rule, each one should include a Vehicle skill (Combat Driving, Combat Piloting, and Riding) & teamwork, both on 8-

 

Talents

 

Additional Talents: Find Weakness, Lack of Weakness, and Luck should be considered Talents.

 

Lightning Reflexes: is effected by NCM & HCM, it is combined with dexterity to determine its value for comparison purposes

 

Luck: The first option under “other ways of using luck†will be the standard, in addition a character can use a luck point to take a recovery, or spend a luck point to give another character one luck point (The other character must be within range of the luck character). Furthermore the character can use a luck point for +2 on any one skill roll or +1 to a CV for a single round. Finally the character can use luck points to change the local environment, this option may cost more luck points depending on the size of the change (A character grabbing an acid vial to throw at an attacker in a lab would be worth one, a meteor coming out of the heavens to smack an opponent would be worth a lot more. Luck cannot take the charges limitation, if it takes the independent the character does not regenerate luck at the end of the adventure

 

Powers

 

Inherent Powers: The following powers default to inherent, Armor: Damage Reduction, Damage Resistance, Enhanced Senses, Extra Limbs, Flash Defense, Knock back Resistance, Life support, Power Defense. Any of these powers can be made persistent with a -0 limitation

 

Range: Is based on base points, not Active points, this includes areas for AE’s and explosions

Adjustment Powers

Variable effects: The base level is one characteristic or Special effect of a power (Such as Blasts of fire), not anyone power

 

Mental Powers

Class of Mind: Each Campaign will have different classes of minds, check with the GM first on what they will be

 

Does not provide Mental Awareness: Is not an appropriate limitation, take a physical disadvantage worth 5 points of No Mental Awareness

 

Movement Powers

Megascale movement: Rapid Senses can be used to offset the penalty for perception with Megascale movement. It takes 3 levels of rapid to offset the first level of megascale, one level of rapid per level of megascale after the first

 

Size Powers:

Naturally different characters: Either the piecemeal or the power buy (remember Inherent) is appropriate for characters of unusual size or mass, specific campaigns may have a preference

 

Advantages

 

Damage Shield: Does not need Continuous. However if the power uses the AF advantage, or any attack that does not apply vs. normal defenses, or mental powers (But see below) it will require an additional +1 advantage.

 

Mental Damage Shields: A Mental damage shield does not require the +1 advantage outlined above for using mental powers, a mental Damage shield can be set up using any power bought with BOECV

 

Usable on Others: Useable simultaneous is removed; you may choose to use the power on yourself as one of the “othersâ€

 

 

Limitations

 

Always on: as a -1/4 limitation you can take Costs End to turn off

 

Charges: the Max advantage of charges is equal to the power being built with 0 end. Continuous charges counts as uncontrollable, recoverable, clips and fuel charges count as a +0 advantage, Boostable a +1/2 for this calculation

 

Focus: Applicability: Limited Universal: Based on Special effects a limited group may use a foci (ex. all Star Knights can use there armor thanks to nanites in there blood)

 

Variable Limitations: Foci is an appropriate limitation, but most should be Personal foci

 

Power Frameworks

 

Shared Limitation: A character may take a limitation equal to half the limitation value of the least limited slot in a frame work (rounded down) on the primary part of the framework. This limitation does not flow down to the limitations of the individual slots of the framework

 

Multipower

Difficult to change slots: A Multipower that has limited ability to change slots should take the limitation on the slots only

 

Variable Power Pool

 

These should be restricted to only experienced players

 

Max Point lim: The Max points should be calculated based on the Var Lim limitation to get a value of this limitation.

 

All VPP’s need a basic F/X, this is not a limitation

 

Disadvantages

 

NCM: Running, leaping, swimming bought as powers are not affected as NCM

 

Unluck: A character with unluck rolls at the beginning of the adventure, the GM gets to use the unluck points as per the luck rules above

 

Combat Maneuvers

 

Move by, Grab-By, Move Trough’s can be combined

 

Meta-Rules

 

Meta Rule 6: Should read: The simplist way to build a power is the most appropriate

 

Heroic House Rules

 

Package Deals: Species Based Package Deals affect NCM (a species with higher Dex has a higher max Dex under NCM) this is for both positive and negative stat adjustments. This is only for package deals dealing with the species of the character, not the culture or profession.

 

Super Heroic House Rules

 

Skills

 

WF: It is appropriate for a character to buy this skill, while not needed for personal equipment, if the character picks up a weapon in play he will need a familiarity with it to use it without the -3 modifier

 

Perks:

 

Fringe Benefit: Membership can be used to represent a super team, depending on the number of points placed in it will get the team a base and vehicle, com systems, etc. These will be used as an enabling device not combat (So the Super jet can take the team to Tokyo, but not help them fight Godzilla). The GM is responsible for designing what the team gets, and is encouraged to include disadvantages.

 

Endurance

 

Pushing: For every point an ego roll is made by add +5 character points to the push

[Lord Mhoram]

Re: House Rules Revisited

 

Well, if a big list is what you are after...

 

I use 4th ed instant Change, Regen, and run damage shields almost exactly the way you do.

I use an odd mix of pre-4th and 5th for ECs. I let just about anything that fits into concept into them, but they have to be tied close enough for the "drain one, drain them all" from 5th - although I don't have the drain have double effect by draining the power and the EC cost.

 

Pools are generally required to have a -1 limiation "active cost of powers in pool cannot exceed pool reserve." A 90 pt reserve can get you 90 pts of active point powers. That's it. Bascially turns it into an "infinite slot multipower" Has worked well in the game.

 

I generally ignore multipower attack, depending on SFX.

 

The skill levels rules I mentioned above.

 

Scholar affects all knowledge skills, and I don't use Traveller.

 

All contacts and favors cost no points, and are considered background material, and in play bonuses. That it just "roleplay" stuff.

[Lord Mhoram]

Re: House Rules Revisited

 

Oh yeah - Something I stole from GURPS. I add an additional Disadvantage type: Quirks. Basically little tiny character defining traits that don't warrent a full psych lim or Distintive features. They get you one point, and you can have 5.

[RDU Neil]

Re: House Rules Revisited

 

Nothing I haven't posted before... but in case you missed 'em.

 

http://www.herogames.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=18994&d=1127410907

 

 

I really need to re-edit this document and clean it up.

 

I'm actually working with some ideas that would most likely be applied to lower level, more "realistic" games... where AE damage is applied to multiple hit locations... making it much more deadly, as it should be. A lot of tweaks I use at the "Heroic" level to create a feel I prefer, but they aren't omnipresent house rules.

[Chris Goodwin]

Re: House Rules Revisited

 

Here are a few of mine:

 

Campaign Guidelines

 

Things like CV and DC maxima may be exceeded if the Powers are extremely limited in usage. For instance, 16d6 in a 12d6, 24 DEF campaign is not a problem if it can only be used, say, once a day. This goes equally for Powers with warning signs, questionable builds, and the like, especially if it is used to fit in with the character's conception or with the Powers Metarule.

 

Powers Metarule:

 

What I want is that any ability that can be described can be modelled in some way using the Hero System and whatever extensions are necessary. Granted, not every single ability will be allowed in a game -- something might be more powerful than a certain campaign would allow, or an ability might not be in genre for a particular campaign. But I don't want to be in the position of having to tell anyone "No, you can't do that because the system won't let you."

 

Psionics:

 

Psionics is a special effect; Mental Power is a game mechanic. Mental Powers are probably Psionic, but not always. A safe assumption is that if a character is a mentalist, his Mental Powers are Psionic in nature (this includes anything bought BOECV Is A Mental Power). Mental Awareness is renamed Psionic Awareness; there is a counterpart called the Sight for wizards. Neither of these senses are provided by any Powers by default.

 

BOECV Is A Mental Power:

 

A Power that is bought with the Based On ECV Advantage may be bought with an additional +1/2 Advantage to make it a Mental Power. It acts in all respects as a Mental Power, but this Advantage does not otherwise change any of the basic mechanics of the Power (thus, in order for Entangle to act as Mental Paralysis, it would still need to be bought so that EGO breaks out, etc.). The power need not be bought Invisible, but gets the benefits of being a Mental Power as regards visibility of effects.

 

Persistent:

 

Persistent may be bought separately from 0 Endurance Cost, if it would make sense for the Power to be bought that way. If the Power is not bought with 0 Endurance Cost or on Charges, it shuts down if there is no Endurance available to power it. Note: This may only make sense for Powers bought on an Endurance Reserve or with Charges, as a character who is at 0 STUN is also at 0 END.

[RDU Neil]

Re: House Rules Revisited

 

I use the Persistant ruling same as Chris.

 

Example: One PC, Coal... has a Damage Shield bought with Persistant, but not Zero END. Coal has Absorbtion vs. EBs that feeds END into the Damage Shield. When he has not been struck recently, he's a big rocky guy with a nice disposition. If he's been tagged by a few energy blasts, he's a big rocky guy with a nice disposition who is glowing hot and burns to the touch.

 

Works for me!

[JmOz]

Re: House Rules Revisited

 

That is a cool idea

[Dust Raven]

Re: House Rules Revisited

 

Something I recently house ruled was on movethrough "followup". By the book' date=' the attacker can choose to ride along with the knockback, no matter how far that is. Didn't make sense to me, so I house ruled that the max you could ride along is up to the remainder of your movement. (ie if you have 15" flight and spend 12" getting to the target, the most you can travel along is another 3", even if the KB was 30")[/quote']

 

To my understanding, that's how a Move Through normally works. You can't move further than your movement would allow regardless of KB.

[Dust Raven]

Re: House Rules Revisited

 

Okay' date=' I have to admit, part of the reason for this thread is to list make a list of my own house rules (and steal yours when I like them 8-) ). So here is the current sheet (after going through 5th edition, next I will be going through the Faq's)[/quote']

 

For a complete list of my current, Champions genre (any campaign setting), House Rules, look here: http://gecko.gc.maricopa.edu/~rwcraigo/tlo3t/houserules.htm

 

Steal anything you like (I notice you already are using a Pushing rule similar to mine).

[Richard Logue]

Re: House Rules Revisited

 

I use a modified version of the Deadlands initiative system in place of the Speed Chart. Essentially, each PC pulls cards equal to his Speed. Count down from Queen to Ace (Kings are removed from the deck). Cards can be combined to create bonuses to actions. Red Jokers create bonuses for the players, Black Jokers make bonuses for the NPCs.

[prestidigitator]

Re: House Rules Revisited

 

Persistent:

 

Persistent may be bought separately from 0 Endurance Cost, if it would make sense for the Power to be bought that way. If the Power is not bought with 0 Endurance Cost or on Charges, it shuts down if there is no Endurance available to power it. Note: This may only make sense for Powers bought on an Endurance Reserve or with Charges, as a character who is at 0 STUN is also at 0 END.

That is an interesting take on it, but you do realize that is the way Endurance Reserves and Continuous Charges work already for Non-Persistent Powers in the standard system, right?

[Chris Goodwin]

Re: House Rules Revisited

 

That is an interesting take on it' date=' but you do realize that is the way Endurance Reserves and Continuous Charges work already for Non-Persistent Powers in the standard system, right? [/quote']

 

I believe that Continuous Charges automatically make a Power Persistent, though I could be wrong.

 

Do Powers on Endurance Reserves automatically continue working if the character is Stunned or KO'd?

[CrosshairCollie]

Re: House Rules Revisited

 

I believe that Continuous Charges automatically make a Power Persistent, though I could be wrong.

 

Do Powers on Endurance Reserves automatically continue working if the character is Stunned or KO'd?

 

Continuing Charges make a power Uncontrolled (effectively), which is kinda-sorta the same thing.

 

Powers on ENDReserves shut off when Stunned or KOed, barring appropriate advantages or whatnot.

[Dust Raven]

Re: House Rules Revisited

 

Powers on ENDReserves shut off when Stunned or KOed, barring appropriate advantages or whatnot.

 

Actually, Steve Long posted a ruling on this, either in the questions board or in the FAQ, I don't recall, that a Constant Power drawing END from an END Reserve does not necessarily shut off if the character is Stunned or KOed, but continues working and using END as whatever level it was when the character was hit.

 

Using the search, I couldn't find the actual entry, but here is a question that refers to it: http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15074&highlight=Reserve+Stunned

[CrosshairCollie]

Re: House Rules Revisited

 

Actually, Steve Long posted a ruling on this, either in the questions board or in the FAQ, I don't recall, that a Constant Power drawing END from an END Reserve does not necessarily shut off if the character is Stunned or KOed, but continues working and using END as whatever level it was when the character was hit.

 

Using the search, I couldn't find the actual entry, but here is a question that refers to it: http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15074&highlight=Reserve+Stunned

 

Well ... that's news to me.

 

I sit duly chastised.

[Lucius]

House Rules Revisited

 

I got this one from Amadan na Briona:

 

Variable Power Pool:

The Control Cost is half the Active Points any power can have.

The Pool Cost is the total number of Real Points worth of power you can have.

 

So if you spent little on the pool, but lots on the control cost, you can have high active point powers - but not many, and they must be heavily limited.

 

If you spent little on the control cost, and lots on the pool, no one power will be very powerful, but you can have a LOT of them.

 

This provides much greater possible variety than tightly tying the number of active points possible in a given power to the number of total real points available in the pool - which never made sense to me anyway.

 

 

Lucius Alexander

 

The palindromedary likes that rule.

[Chris Goodwin]

Re: House Rules Revisited

 

I got this one from Amadan na Briona:

 

Variable Power Pool:

The Control Cost is half the Active Points any power can have.

The Pool Cost is the total number of Real Points worth of power you can have.

 

So if you spent little on the pool, but lots on the control cost, you can have high active point powers - but not many, and they must be heavily limited.

 

If you spent little on the control cost, and lots on the pool, no one power will be very powerful, but you can have a LOT of them.

 

This provides much greater possible variety than tightly tying the number of active points possible in a given power to the number of total real points available in the pool - which never made sense to me anyway.

 

I totally like this one and think it should be official in the next edition.

[RDU Neil]

Re: House Rules Revisited

 

I got this one from Amadan na Briona:

 

Variable Power Pool:

The Control Cost is half the Active Points any power can have.

The Pool Cost is the total number of Real Points worth of power you can have.

 

So if you spent little on the pool, but lots on the control cost, you can have high active point powers - but not many, and they must be heavily limited.

 

If you spent little on the control cost, and lots on the pool, no one power will be very powerful, but you can have a LOT of them.

 

This provides much greater possible variety than tightly tying the number of active points possible in a given power to the number of total real points available in the pool - which never made sense to me anyway.

 

 

Lucius Alexander

 

The palindromedary likes that rule.

 

This is really slick. I think my players would jump all over VPPs in this case. I'm too tired to do the math, but is there still a benefit to taking a MP with set slots over this version of the VPP? That would be my only concern.

[JmOz]

Re: House Rules Revisited

 

Yah, MP's are faster to change in combat. The version posted in this thread is kind of light on the rules for it, but the pool itself can never be limited, etc...

 

I posted something similar to it in another thread a while ago, here is a link

 

http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php?p=738287#post738287

[Lucius]

House Rules Revisited

 

I got this one from Amadan na Briona:.

 

Just to be clear, he didn't claim to have invented it. He said it was hammerred out in a discussion among several people here.

 

 

Lucius Alexander

 

So do a lot of people