Here are the House Rules in use for the Just For Fun (JFF) campaign. These are rules clarifications and changes that are in effect when I am running the game. These rules don't mean that your interpretations are wrong. This is only my interpretation, and I will use these when I'm running a game. I ask that you keep the following in mind:
Okay, a few notes about the Player's Handbook 3.5:
Download the errata from the WotC Website. Go through the errata.
Here are some notes regarding rules in the Dungeon Master's Guide 3.0:
1. Download the errata from the WotC Website. Go through the errata.
I keep track of the sourcebooks in use under the Character Creation Rules. To help out with some questions from these extra sourcebooks, here's a mini-FAQ:
Can I take a level in xxxx Prestige Class (PrC)?
If it's a PrC from the Core Rules, yes. Otherwise, let me take a look at it. I may impose some additional restrictions on some PrCs.
Do I get access to all these extra spells in this non-Core Rules book?
No. You do not automatically get access to those nifty new spells in a non-Core Rules book. Some of them are available for research. Others are available to NPCs (and you may be able to take/buy it from them). I will, of course, tell you if it's even possible to research a given spell.
Why are you nerfing my PrC?
Because I see some serious problems cropping up in the game. I will always talk to you about the changes before they go into effect. I will also give you the option to trade out your levels in the Prestige Class with something else if it doesn't work out.
Does my character automatically get access to all those nifty spells in the sourcebook?
No. Some of those spells are horribly broken. Spells from other source books must be researched and DM-approved like any other spell.
Dispelling Your Own Spell. A member of any spellcasting class can automatically Dispel his or her own spell using any of the various counterspell-type magics: Dispel Magic, Greater Dispelling, Disjunction, etc.
Shadow Jump: The Shadow Jump ability presents a few challenges. For game mechanics purposes, I'm using the light table from the PHB to determine what distance usable shadows appear. Low light vision doubles this distance. For example: A human Shadow Dancer (4th level) can Shadow Jump into or out of any shadows within 5' of a candle, the 60' cone of a bullseye lantern, or 60' of the Daylight spell. If he has low light vision (from a spell, for example), those ranges are doubled. The basic concept here is that the ShadowDancer has to see the shadow to use it.
Assuming visibility is nighttime with a clear sky and half moon or better, moonlight and starlight provide visibility up to 5', shadows at 10'.
Attacks of Opportunity. Yes, you can use Cleave, Great Cleave, and all the other feats that apply on an AOO.
Critical Hits. To make life simpler:
Death. See Negative Hit Points below. Please note that magics that can bring your character back from the dead are much more common in 3E than in previous editions.
Death Due To Massive Damage. We're not using this rule.
Negative Hit Points. Under normal circumstances, death occurs at -10 hit points. We're going to use a variant on that. Death occurs at your level + Con bonus negative hit points, or -10, which ever is greater. Don't forget that the monsters get this also.
The following changes or clarifications are made to specific feats:
You can use Cleave on an Attack of Opportunity.
You gain a +1 Dodge bonus to any and all attacks that you are aware of, where a Dodge bonus would normally apply. Trying to keep track of which opponent you've designated is too much of a pain.
See Cleave.
Haste does not allow you to make a full round attack in the middle of your movement action. You CAN move, make one attack, move as your full round action, then attack again as your bonus partial action from the Haste. See also Haste.
Toughness gives you an additional +3 hit points per level. It can be taken multiple times. Its effects stack.
In general, skills are handled as follows:
The following changes or clarifications apply to the listed skills:
Tumbling creates a problem starting at mid to high levels. With a +14 modifier on the die roll, a character becomes immune to virtually all attacks of opportunity while moving through threatened areas and using the Tumble skill. This creates a problem.
I'm changing Tumbling as follows: If you use the Tumble skill to avoid AOO's, your skill roll becomes your AC while Tumbling, or you use your regular AC - whichever is higher. You make one roll for your entire tumble move. For example, if you tumble through four threatened areas, and get a total of 23 on the skill check (die roll + skill + modifiers), every opponent who makes an AOO on you for that movement is trying to hit an AC of 23. In case it becomes relevant, any extra AC bonus you get from Tumbling is considered a Dodge bonus. For example, if your regular AC is an 18, and your Tumble skill check totals to 23, the extra +5 difference is a Dodge bonus. This extra definition is important - there might be an invisible opponent nearby that you may draw an AOO from.
I'm testing out some changes to the way magic items are made:
I'm using the full set of rules from the DMG and Tome and Blood. The guidelines for submitting a new magic item are basically the same as for researching a spell (give me a copy in DMG format, I'll review it and return notes, you respond to the notes, and so on).
The same Do's and Dont's also apply (don't give me your only copy, maximum of 3 items submitted at one time, and so forth).
I'm eliminating the XP cost for creating magic items. Instead, I'm switching back to the previous editions' use of reagents (special ingredients).
Some information about scrolls in the DMG preview in the back of the PHB didn't make it into the DMG. It's rather important.
Under Activate the Spell (PHB, very back, pg 11): "Scrolls are spell completion activation items, and using a spell on a scroll takes the same time as casting the spell would take."
The text in the DMG is unclear about whether you can use a spell trigger item, such as a wand, if the spell is not in your spell list. For example: If you are a sorcerer, and do not have spell xyz in your spell list, can you use a wand with the Arcane spell xyz?
For my campaigns, if you have Arcane spells in your spell list, you can use Arcane spell trigger items (such as wands). If you have Divine spells in your spell list, you can use Divine spell trigger items. Yes, this means that you can get a wand that throws spells not normally on your list. If you have a restriction on what kinds of spells you can cast, that restriction may still apply.
If your magical weapon has an added ability that inflicts +1d6 [type] damage, go ahead and assume you rolled a 5. For +2d6 damage, assume you rolled a 10.
These items are created by an 8th level caster. Therefore, the Nondetection effect has a DC of 23.
The text in the DMG leaves a few things up in the air, so here are some clarifications for my game. A bead of force creates a 10' radius sphere of force from it's point of impact. If you make your save, you are moved to the nearest unoccupied square at the edge of the sphere (you dived to safety). If you fail your save, you end up inside the sphere. The bead can only encapsulate a creature that can fit inside the sphere. In other words, a bead of force can't imprison an ancient Red Dragon - the sphere is simply too small, and the bead automatically failes to imprison it. By the same token, if there is no possible way to escape the sphere, you're caught: An orc in a 10'x10'x10' room gets no save - there's nowhere for him to run. A pixie (size: Tiny) in a 10'x10'x10' room still gets a save - he can fit in the unencapsulated corners of the room.
See the Scrying spell for some notes.
The following changes affect 3.5 Edition spells:
Mechanics-wise, researching spells is as described in the DMG, and Tome and Blood. To help speed things along, we'll do it this way:
The Brian Rule: You can only have 3 spells submitted to the DM at one time. A spell is considered submitted if the DM has a copy and the spell hasn't been successfully researched or laid to rest.
DO NOT give the DM your only copy of the spell. Accidents happen, and if the DM loses the only copy, it's gone.
DO NOT get upset if an NPC or PC has a spell that looks like yours. A lot of new and original spells have been created for the Avamor campaign world over the years. Some, but not all, are listed on this website. The DM also draws on other online sources for new spells to keep you on your toes. Your character may well have researched a spell that someone else already created, or one like it.
DO list the source(s) for your spell. If you got the idea from a book, saw the spell in the Great Net Book of Spells, or read about one like it on another website, credit that source! Your DM will become very, very irate if you don't.
DO remember that it's your responsibility to write up the spell and make changes to it. The DM is way too busy to do this for you.
DO NOT get bent out of shape if the DM has to alter the spell after approving it. Mistakes happen, and even the DM may forget a rule or miss an aspect that causes problems. If the revision(s) make the spell unacceptable, it gets laid to rest, and your character gets back any money, xp, or other costs for researching the spell.
Dimension Door
See Teleport
Greater Teleport
Greater Teleport is now an 8th level spell.
See Teleport.
Scrying
If the subject of your scrying uses Dimension Door, Teleport, Teleport without Error or similar magic, the subject escapes the scrying. You may attempt to scry upon the subject again.
Well, gameplay has shown scrying is far too easy, even when someone has an Amulet of Proof against Detection and Location. I'm doubling the Scry DCs listed in the PHB (247).
Shadow Walk
To determine what shadows are suitable for use in a Shadow Walk spell, use the table on page 144 of the PHB for light sources. Low light vision doubles the range at which these light sources generate usable shadows. See also the Shadow Jump ability of the Shadow Dancer.
Slay Living
As with the other Save-or-Die spells, a failed save means the target takes 10hp/caster level in damage.
Symbol
This spell's school is listed as "Universal [see text]". The official errata doesn't clarify it any further. Some of the symbols have fairly obvious subschools. So to make things official:
Death: [Death]
Teleport
Teleport is now a 6th level spell.
You cannot attempt to Teleport to a location that you are not familiar with or have not seen. You must, at a minimum, have seen the location at least once - either by direct observation or magical scrying (using ESP, Telepathy, or other mind-reading to view a location from someone else's memory is sufficient for Viewed Once in the teleportation chart). Any attempt to Teleport to an unknown or unseen location will automatically fail and waste the spell.
Teleporting breaks scrying. If a character is scrying on a particular subject, and that subject uses Dimension Door, Teleport, Greater Teleport, or similar transportation magic, the scrying is broken. You can attempt to re-scry on the same subject.
Teleporting breaks spellcasting. If you teleport (Dimension Door, Greater Teleport, or similar transport magic) during spellcasting, the spellcasting is ruined. This includes spells cast from scrolls. Example: Beun is casting Earthquake from a scroll (1 round casting time). In the middle of casting, Willuhm casts Teleport and includes Beun. The Earthquake is now ruined, and the spell is gone from the scroll.
In high-magic worlds, such as Avamor, teleportation magics are well-known. Wards and defenses against teleportation are also pretty well-known. This means that most major cities and castles have methods for preventing teleportation into and out of their walls. You have been warned.
Teleporting an unconscious being: Preliminary ruling - An unconscious being does not get a save against a teleport-type magic. This ruling is open to comments.
True Strike
This spell does not exist in the game.
Web
If you are caught on the edge of a Web spell, and move out of the Web area of effect, you are still under the Web movement restrictions for your first movement action, or move-equivalent action as far as distance traveled goes. For example, if you are taking a double-move, your first move is under the Web spell movement restrictions. Your second move is normal (as long as you don't enter another Webbed square.
If you make your save and attempt to attack someone, your target gets the listed cover from the Web spell.
The following clarifications apply to templates
Lycanthrope: In the Avamor campaign, the contagious form of lycanthropy is treated as a magical disease. If a creature with the contagious form of lycanthropy dies and is brought back (by resurrection, raise dead, or similar magics), the disease is cured in the process and the creature loses the lycanthrope template.
This document makes repeated references to and contains material derived from various publications of Wizards of the Coast (WotC) These references and derivations include, but are not limited to, The Players' Handbook and The Dungeon Master's Guide. WotC retains full rights to these referenced publications. Additionally, certain sections been excerpted from these works, some with alterations, others without, for purposes of editing, clarity and completeness.
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