House Rules

[Thomo]

Hi All,

I thought I'd start this thread to discuss any house rules that I plan on using or you might like to see. To get things kicked off I thought I'd start with this:

Intimidation
Instead of just basing this skill off of Charisma, I think it makes sense that you could use either Charisma or Strength for the modifier. What do you think?

[Protesilaus]

It works better for me at least.

[John H]

I heard this suggestion on the Order 66 podcast and I think it makes sense. Especially in D&D where Charisma is normally the fighters dump stat. Intimidation is more then just being charismatic it would be the totality of the individual. A rogue may have a high charisma score but a huge dragonborn fighter with an 8 in Charisma would definately be more intimidating.

I made this and option for the Star Wars game I'm going to be running.

[Tondi-]

Depends if they do something/or threaten something physical with the intimidation I recon.

[John H]

That's true too.

[Ryowulf]

There is a half-orc feat that lets you switch cha for str

[Mckma]

There is a half-orc feat that lets you switch cha for str

If this is just for Intimidation, I think it's kind of dumb and a waste of a feat, but if it's for all Cha based Skill checks, that would actually be kind of neat. I think I'll go look it up...

[nbjason]

Intimidation can be really powerful though. If you can get an enemy to bloodied, and your intimidate is high enough you can subdue it, pretty nice if you don't want to deal that remaining 1/2 damage.

[Protesilaus]

I believe to do that you need to hit their Will + 10 which can be a pretty tough roll even if you are trained in Intimidate (and using a high stat).

[Thomo]

MOUNTS
Size: your mount must be larger than you, and no smaller than Large size.

Adjacent: You must be adjacent to a creature to mount it.

Willing: You can use a creature as a mount only if it is willing.

Saddles: The rules assume that you ride a creature with a saddle. If you lack a saddle, you take a -2 penalty to attack rolls, AC, and Reflex defence while mounted.

Mounted Combat: Anyone can simply ride along with a beast of burden without using the Mounted Combat feat. The Mounted Combat feat allows you to make the most of a mount's abilities. When you have the Mounted Combat feat and you ride a creature, you gain access to any special mount abilities it confers to its rider. (Not every creature has these abilities.) While you are riding a creature with Mounted Combat, the creature can make any Athletics, Acrobatics, Endurance or Stealth checks using your base skill check bonus rather than its own if yours is better.


MOUNT AND RIDER
Space: You and your mount occupy the mount's space. If it is ever important to determin the precise location within the mount's space that you occupy, you choose.

Targeting: Targered attacks can target you or your mount, as the attacker chooses. A close attack or an area attack affects both you and your mount it its area includes either of you.

Mount Benefits: Many mounts offer special attacks or benefits they can use or grant to their riders. These abilities range from flat bpnuses, such as an AC bonus to the rider to special attacks that the mount can use. The Monster Manual details the benefits that many creatures grant if you meet a minimum level and have the Mounted Combat feat. If you don't meet a mount's prerequisites, you can ride itm but you don't gain the mount's special benefits.

Opportunity Attacks: If your mount's movement provokes an opportunity attack, the attacker chooses to target either you or your mount. If you provoke an opportunity attack by making a ranged attack, the attacker must target you.

Forced Movement: If an attack that forces movement targets you but not your mount, you can choose for your mount to also be affected, so that you and your mount continue to move together. If you don't want your mount to be affects, you can be pushed off your mount if the forced movement carries you out of the mount's space.


MOUNTS IN COMBAT
Mounting and Dismounting: Mounting or dismounting a creature is a standard actaion.

Initiative: You and your mount both act on your initiative count. If you and your mount seperate, you both continue acting on the same initiative count.

Actions: On your turn, you and your mount combined can take a normal set of actions - a standard action, a move action and a minor action. You divide these actions as you wish. Most commonly, your mount takes a move action to walk or fly, and you take a standard action to attack. You and your mount also share a single immediate action. If you and your mount seperate, you still share one set of actions on that turn.

Attacking Mounts: Your mount can use a standard action to attack instead of you. If you don't have the Mounted Combat geat, your mount takes a -2 penalty to all its attack rolls.

Charge: If you charge, you can move your mount's speed and either make a melee basic attack yourself or let your mount make a melee basic attack.

Squeezing: If your mount squeezes, it and you both take the associate penalties.

Mounts in Enclosed Spaces: Mounts native to outdoor areas don't like being cramped into tight dungeon rooms and corridors, and take a -2 penalty to attacks and defences if forced into a confined space. Mounts native to subterranean regions (such as blade spiders and carrion crawlers) don't take this penalty, and the penalty doesn't apply in an underground area large enough to seem like it's outdoors (at least 50 feet in every direction).

Knocked Prone: An attack that knocks your mount prone also forces you to dismount. You move into a space of your choice adjacent to the now-prone mount.
If an attack knocks you prone, you immediately attempt a saving throw to avoid being dismounted. This saving throw works just like a normal saving throw, except you make it as soon as you are knocked prone, not at the end of your turn.
Lower than 10: Failure. You are dismounted and fall prone in an open space of your choice adjacent to the mount.
10 or Higher: Success. You remain in the saddle and are not knocked prone.

(Dungeon Masters Guide, p49)

[Thomo]

Warhorse Level 3 Brute
Large Natural Beast (mount) XP 150

Initiative: +3 Senses Perception +8; low-light vision
HP 58; Bloodied 29
AC 17; Fortitude 16, Reflex 14, Will 14
Speed 8

Kick (Standard; at will; melee basic)
+6 vs AC; 1d6 + 5 damage.

Trample (Standard; at-will)
The warhorse can move up to its speed and enter enemies' spaces. This movement provokes opportunity attacks, and the warhorse must end its move in an unoccupied space. When it enters an enemy's space, the warhorse makes a trample attack:
+4 vs Reflex; 1d6 + 6 damage, and the target is knocked prone.

Charger (while mounted by a friendly rider of 3rd level or higher; at-will) Mount
The warhorse grants its rider a +5 bonus to damage rolls on charge attacks.

Alignment Unaligned Languages -
Str 21 (+6) Dex 14 (+3) Wis 14 (+3)
Con 18 (+5) Int 2 (-3) Cha 10 (+1)

(Monster Manual I, p159)