Midgard House Rules:
Rule Books:
The PH may only be consulted to look up your spells or your class features. You may not consult the PH for any other purpose during game play. The DMG and MM are off limits. Failure to adhere to this rule will result in a docking of 10% bonus XP per occurrence. DM May grant exceptions in extreme cases.
Weapons:
No crossbows, longbows, pole arms or exotic weapons without DM’s approval.
Armor:
No locked gauntlets, or armor better than banded mail without DM’s approval.
Attacks of Opportunity:
Attacks of opportunity occur only when a combatant tries to disengage himself from combat with another combatant. It does not matter what means are used to disengage from combat. Engaging an opponent who is fighting someone else or is not currently fighting does not provoke an attack of opportunity. Spellcasting does not automatically result in an attack of opportunity. While in melee, attempting to drink a potion, cast a spell, or pick up a weapon will result in an attack of opportunity. Other situations will be judged according to the circumstances.
Initiative:
Initiative is a group roll modified by dexterity. Actions must be declared before initiative is rolled. The DM may grant exceptions.
Surprise:
Surprise is a situation in which neither side is expecting the other. The DM determines when surprise occurs. No roll is necessary. When the DM determines surprise, he will have the effected players roll for a round of “surprise” combat. The winner(s) of the surprise combat roll will have caught the opponent flat-footed for the surprise round unless they cannot be caught flat-footed.
Combat Round:
A round is 6 seconds. Actions in a round include: attack & move, full attack, cast spell, use a skill, feat or ability (DM is final say on this). Example: Wrestle, grapple, psionics, climb, swim, dive, jump, pick up a weapon, draw a weapon and attack, drink something, use a magic item, bind wounds, throw an item to someone else/or catch an item thrown by someone else. You cannot throw an item at an enemy and catch it yourself unless approved by the DM.
Critical Failure:
A roll of 1 in combat results in a character dropping his/her weapon. This character may either spend a round picking up the dropped weapon (which may result in an attack of opportunity) or draw a new weapon and get one attack for the next round. A roll of 1 with a bow means the bowstring has snapped and a new strong must be strung (1-4 round action), bow experts (a person with at least one bow feat) requires only 1 round to restring a bow.
Quick Draw Feat:
The Quick Draw feat allows you to use weapons thrown to you, drawn by you or picked up by you AND get your normal full attack in the same round. This feat does not allow you to avoid an attack of opportunity if you go to pick up a weapon while in combat.
Damage Reduction:
After much consideration, damage reduction will be handled per PH/DMG.
Druids:
Godar/Godi: Godi have the same ability to convert spells to healing as clerics.
Meta Magic Feats:
Meta Magic feats no longer require extra slots be burned to use them. What’s the point of taking a feat if it has no real advantages?
Skills:
This new ruling is sure to mess up the master-tools software: All cross-class skills cost the 1 skill point just like class skills. A skill listed as “Trained” is still subject to the class restriction listed in the PH.
Poison Rules:
Use of poison on animals is acceptable in Norse society, use of poison on humans, Demi-humans and Pukje is considered cowardly.
Poison Application:
Requires a roll on a d20. On a roll of 1, you may have poisoned yourself. Roll a reflex save DC 15 as per PH/DMG to avoid the poison. If you fail, you must save verses poison. Application of poison is a normal action.
Poison Doses:
One dose will coat one melee weapons or 10 arrowheads. Natural poisons dry out and become weaker with time. Each day the poison is exposed to air, it loses effectiveness at a rate of -5 to its DC rating.
Poison Fumble:
If you fumble a weapon, you may poison yourself. Roll a reflex save at DC 15 as per PH/DMG to avoid the poison. If you fail, then you must save verse the poison.
Combat Poison Use:
The first hit with a poisoned weapon inflicts the poison on the defender at full strength. Each additional strike results in a cumulative +5 to the saving throw. After three hits, the poison is used up and needs to be reapplied. The poison on arrows is used up after a single hit.
Creating Poison:
Magical poisons require Brew Potion and ability to cast Poison or some other version of a Poison spell. Chemical poison requires Alchemy. Natural poisons require either extraction of venom sacs or apothecary skill. The DC of an apothecary or Alchemist’s poison can be no more powerful than the DC roll made in the attempt. Gathering alchemical materials for poison is very expensive. Apothecaries gather rare herbs at special seasons to make poisons and it is also very expensive for them. No poisons may be augmented beyond their natural potency.
Ability Point Drain:
Poisons often have the effect of ability point drain. The ability points are recovered at a rate of 1 point /day, or 2 points per day with full rest as per the DMG.
Multi-Class Characters:
Secondary classes attained by a character must be of a different type from the other classes a character has. For instance, a Godar cannot become a cleric but can become a rogue or fighter. A fighter can become a rogue or Godar but cannot become a ranger or barbarian. A character who does not begin play as a barbarian cannot become one. A character who does not begin play as a Sorcerer cannot become one unless special circumstances occur which the DM indicates have initiated the possibility of becoming one.
Cohorts/Followers:
No cohorts or followers can be gained until the leader has given generously to friends and kin in front of many witnesses. Only one cohort can be had per character. A cohort can be within one level of the character. Followers may not be over half the level of the character. Example a 6th level character equals a maximum 3rd level followers and 5th level cohort. All cohorts and followers gain half XP. Cohorts expect at least half shares of treasure and occasional magic items. Followers expect quarter shares of treasure. Giving followers magic items increases the character’s prestige. To give cohorts and followers less than normally expected and to not compensate them for putting themselves in extreme ganger will result in reduced loyalty and can quickly reduce the reputation of the character. In the Midgard campaign, being constantly on adventures will give you a +1 modifier to your leadership score, unless you have not visited your home base/stronghold in over a year. Fairness and generosity will result in a +3 to +6 modifier to your leadership score. Examples of fairness and generosity: The character is known to give silver bracelets, gold rings, weapons and armor, or other goods to his friends and followers without being asked to do so, and not just when new treasure is gained. The leader steps in to settle disputes when an argument occurs, offering to adjudicate the situation and his is willing to give compensation to those who feel wronged by his friends and followers. If a follower or cohort is landless it is expected that land is provided from his own estate. Aloof characters will have a -1 to -5 modifier to his leadership score. There is little worse than an apathetic Norseman!
midgard_house_rules.docx |