House Rules

Character Creation

Arete

NOTE: Arete has now been replaced with Piety. See below.

From the rules for Mechanical Honor, Unearthed Arcana, pg. 185

Arete (ah-reh-TAY) means 'virtue' in Greek. Specifically it refers to how honorable your character is, based both on her behavior as well as on her beliefs. As according to the book, it is "a measuring stick that reflects your character's worth in society, trustworthiness, decency and loyalty."

Every character will have a statistic called Arete where they will tally their personal honor. Even if their behavior isn't seen by other people who are in a position to do something about it, the gods witness the actions of mortals. Too little Arete and the gods may decide to punish you. Too much Arete and the gods may think you're tempting Hubris, overweening pride.

No one said life was going to be easy.

Your beginning Arete is dependent upon your Alignment:

* Lawful Good: 25
* Neutral Good: 20
* Chaotic Good: 15
* Lawful Neutral: 20
* True Neutral: 10
* Chaotic Neutral: 5
* Lawful Evil: 15
* Neutral Evil: 5
* Chaotic Evil: 0

Additionally:

* If your character is of the Atlantean nobility, add 2 to your Arete.
* If your character is an Amazon warrior, add 1 to your Arete.
* If your character is known to have descended from a famous hero, add 2 to your Arete.
* If your character is known to have descended from a villain or a failure, subtract 2 from your Arete.

Character Arcs and Payoffs

From 'Keys and Buyoffs' in Sweet20 by Clinton R. Nixon.

Character Arcs are motivations, problems, connections, duties, and loyalties that your character has. They're like Feats, but they don't give your character any special powers. In dramatic terms, it's what you're promising the audience will become of your character.

Character Arcs are a way of earning Experience Points that reward you for roleplaying your character's personality and working toward her goals. Whenever your character takes action that is in the spirit of their Character Arc, you earn an XP reward. Make sure to point this out to your DM when you do it, so he'll remember to reward you. Arcs can only be scored upon once per "scene" (as defined by the DM), no matter how often the character acts according to their Arc. An Arc should be scored upon three times per game session at most.

If you act against a Character Arc - that is, you act according to its Payoff - then you can (but aren't required to) get rid of that Arc and earn a 150 XP reward. If you get rid of the Arc, you can never again take that particular Arc (so choose wisely!). You don't get a replacement Arc until you earn another at the appropriate level advancement.

You'll begin with two Character Arcs, and then earn another every odd level that you progress.

Choose two Arcs from the following list, or make your own.

List of Character Arcs

  • Arc of Ambition

Your character has a burning desire to achieve some particular prestigious status, position, office, title, rank, or award. Gain 25 XP every time the character makes progress toward the goal. Gain 50 XP whenever your character overcomes an obstacle or hurts someone in order to make progress. Gain 100 XP whenever your character makes a major personal sacrifice to take a significant step toward the goal. Payoff: Give up your ambition.

  • Arc of the Assassin

You're a calculating tactician who's favored means of combat is a clever ambush. Gain 25 XP whenever you defeat an opponent through guile and stealth. Gain 75 XP when you take down an opponent without giving them any chance to react. Payoff: Lead a frontal attack against your opponents.

  • Arc of the Astral Traveler

Your character is dedicated to a world outside her body, taking hallucinogens in order to change her perception. Gain 25 XP every time your character takes a drug purported to change her reality. Gain 75 XP every time your character separates her spirit from her body. Payoff: Shirk away from an opportunity to see a situation from an altered perspective.

  • Arc of Bloodlust

Your character enjoys overpowering others in combat. Gain 25 XP every time your character defeats someone in battle. Gain 75 XP for defeating someone equal to or more powerful than your character (higher combined CR than your side of the battle.) Payoff: Be defeated in battle.

  • Arc of the Caregiver

Your character finds great worth in caring for the mental and physical well-being of others. Gain 25 XP every time your character heals another character. Gain 50 XP every time your character heals an NPC. Gain 100 XP every time your character heals someone at great personal risk to themselves. Payoff: Decline to heal another character.

  • Arc of the Competitor

Choose a particular rival person, social group, culture, or species. You gain 25 XP when you outfox your rivals, and 75 XP when you do so against long odds. Payoff: Decline to compete against this rival.

  • Arc of Conscience

Your character has a soft spot for those weaker than their opponents. Gain 25 XP every time your character helps someone who cannot help themselves. Gain 50 XP every time your character defends someone with might who is in danger and cannot save themselves. Gain 100 XP every time your character takes someone in an unfortunate situation and changes their life to where they can help themselves. Payoff: Ignore a request for help.

  • Arc of the Craftsman

Building is what you love to do the most; having some concrete representation of your efforts in life is something you strive for. Gain 25 XP every time your character successfully completes a Crafting project. Gain 75 XP every time your character completes a Crafting project that is met with great appreciation from many. Payoff: Destroy your creations or swear off craft.

  • Arc of Doom

Your character is doomed to a terrible fate. Gain 25 XP every time your character acts without regard to his safety. Gain 75 XP every time your character enters battle against superior enemies (1 or more opponents with higher combat skill or several — 3 or more — opponents with equal skill). Payoff: Retreat from an overwhelming battle or fight, or fight to survive so that you may be with a loved one.

  • Arc of Faith

Your character has a strong religious belief that guides him. Gain 25 XP every time he defends his faith to others. Gain 50 XP whenever this character converts someone to his faith. Gain 100 XP whenever this character defends his faith even though it brings him great harm. Payoff: Your character renounces his beliefs.

  • Arc of the Foolhardy Hero

You live for excitement. As a plaything of fortune, you go around spelunking musty dungeons, fighting corrupt police chiefs, defending impoverished farmers from bandits, and getting duped by court intrigues… simply for the hell of it. Gain 25 XP when you agree to go on a quest (or side-quest, or some other risky venture). Gain 75 XP from any scene wherein the pursuit of this quest causes stress for you. Payoff: Reject the opportunity to go on yet another harebrained mission.

  • Arc of Fraternity

Your character has someone he is sworn to, a friend who is more important than anyone else. Gain 25 XP every time this character is present in a scene with your character (maximum 3 per game session). Gain 50 XP whenever your character has to make a decision that is influenced by them. Gain 100 XP every time your character defends them by putting himself at risk. Payoff: Sever the relationship with this person or the person dies.

  • Arc of the Free Spirit

You're a free spirit who cannot stand to live within constraints. 'Unjust' laws and 'illegitimate' rulers hold no sway over you and you feel those around you should be free of them as well. Gain 25 XP when you liberate yourself or another character from oppression. Gain 50 XP when you liberate another character at risk to yourself. Gain 100 XP when you liberate a large group of people. Payoff: Decline to liberate someone or imprison someone yourself.

  • Arc of Glittering Gold

Your character loves wealth. Gain 25 XP every time you make a deal that favors you in wealth. Gain 50 XP every time you finish a game session with more wealth than you started with. Gain 100 XP every time you double your wealth in one game session. Payoff: Lose or give away over half your fortune.

  • Arc of Glory

Who cares about power or riches? You crave fame! Gain 25 XP when your actions inspire strangers to talk about you insultingly (there's no such thing as bad publicity). Gain 75 XP when your deeds win you acclaim and adulation. Payoff: Adopt a pseudonym or go incognito.

  • Arc of the Guardian

Your character has a ward, someone who depends on him for security and protection. Gain 25 XP every time this character is present in a scene with your character (maximum 3 per game session). Gain 50 XP whenever your character has to make a decision that is influenced by them. Gain 100 XP every time your character rescues them from harm. Payoff: Sever the relationship with this person or the person dies.

  • Arc of the House

Your character is a member of and dedicated to a House or Guild. Being a member of a House has great economic advantages, but requires much of a person. Gain 25 XP every time your character does something to benefit her House. Gain 50 XP every time she does something to benefit her house that causes her discomfort or inconvenience. Gain 100 XP every time she acts to benefit her House at the great risk of her body, reputation, or wealth. Payoff: Act against the interests of one’s House.

  • Arc of the Imposter

Sometimes your entire life is a lie. You gain 25 XP whenever you pass yourself off as someone/something you’re not. You gain 50 XP whenever you convince others in spite of serious skepticism. You gain 100 XP whenever your story survives a deliberate "Hey, everybody, look!" attempt to reveal your identity. Payoff: Confess your imposture to those duped.

  • Arc of the Lawful

Your character has a personal commitment to enforcing the law, by brining lawbreakers to justice or preventing others from breaking the law. Gain 25 XP for every game session in which your character enforces the law. Gain 50 XP every time your character enforces the law even though it causes him minor harm or inconvenience. Gain 100 XP every time your character enforces the law even though it causes him great harm. Payoff: Allow others to break the law or break the law yourself.

  • Arc of the Lost Child

Your character has no tribe. They are lost to the Green World, or perhaps decimated in battle. It is her duty to carry on the tribe’s name. Gain 25 XP every time your character tells a story of her tribe. Gain 50 XP whenever your character defends her tribe’s name or lands in words or in battle. Gain 100 XP whenever your character finds a new legend of her tribe. Payoff: Join another tribe.

  • Arc of Love

Your character has a deep love, whether friendly, erotic, or familial, for someone else. Gain 25 XP every time this character is present in a scene with your character. Gain 50 XP whenever your character has to make a decision that is influenced by them. Gain 100 XP every time your character puts herself in harm’s way or makes a sacrifice for them. Payoff: Sever the relationship with this person.

  • Arc of the Manipulator

Your character works behind the scenes, manipulating others in order to be a shadow ruler. Your character must work for or be an advisor of someone in a position of power. Gain 25 XP whenever your character exerts her will over her ruler, even over minor matters - especially over minor matters. Gain 50 XP whenever the ruler accepts your character’s advice over others. Gain 100 XP whenever your character’s influence makes the ruler make a policy change or establish a new policy that works in your character’s favor. Payoff: Accept the mantle of power for one’s self.

  • Arc of the Masochist

Your character thrives on personal pain and suffering. Gain 25 XP every time he is bloodied and 75 XP every time he is broken. Payoff: Flee a source of physical or psychic damage.

  • Arc of the Mission

Your character has a personal mission that he must complete. Gain 25 XP every time he takes action to complete this mission (50 XP if this action is successful.) Gain 100 XP every time he takes action that completes a major part of this mission. Payoff: Complete or abandon this mission.

  • Arc of Mystery

Your character love solving mysteries of all sizes. Gain 25 XP when your character solves a small mystery, such as a puzzle or simple trap. Gain 75 XP when your character solves a big mystery, such as a crime investigation or deciphering an ancient code. Payoff: Allow a mystery to go unsolved.

  • Arc of the Outcast

Your character has lost fellowship or membership in an organization - which could just be a culture, or a specific cross-cultural group. This separation defines your character as much as membership in the organization defines its members. Gain 25 XP every time her status with this organization comes up. Gain 50 XP every time her disassociation brings her harm. Gain 100 XP every time the separation brings your character great pain and suffering. Payoff: Regain membership in the organization.

  • Arc of the Overlord

Your character owns other people or oversees the ownership of others. Gain 25 XP every time your character makes someone else do something against her will. Gain 75 XP every time your character makes someone else do something that causes harm, pain, or despair to that person. Payoff: Free a person under your ownership or oversight.

  • Arc of the Pacifist

Your character has a personal commitment to nonviolence. Gain 25 XP for every game session in which your character does not commit any violence. Gain 50 XP every time your character does not commit violence even though it causes her minor harm or inconvenience. Gain 100 XP every time your character does not commit violence even though it causes her great harm. Payoff: Purposefully harm another sentient creature.

  • Arc of the Paragon

You are certain of something in life; that the ways you were raised to are the best ways, and that you exemplify them. The greatness of your home culture guides you, and you try to find a way to apply it to every situation. Gain 25 XP every time you use a cultural ability to your advantage. Gain 50 XP every time you use a cultural ability in a way that benefits the party. Gain 100 XP every time you convince someone to hold your culture in higher esteem than others. Payoff: Disown yourself from your home culture.

  • Arc of Power

You don’t even care what you do with it, you just want it. You gain 25 XP whenever you earn a boon from someone important, earn a slight gain in prestige, or make a rival look bad. You gain 75 XP whenever you ruin, kill, or otherwise eliminate a rival, and improve your own position because of it. Payoff: Relinquish your power and position.

  • Arc of the Precious

Your character jealously guards her possessions, afraid that someone will try to take them at first opportunity. Gain 25 XP every time your character gains a new possession by her skills - not when one is given to her or bought. Gain 50 XP every time your character gains a new possession by fighting for it. Gain 100 XP whenever your character successfully defends her possessions against theft. Payoff: Give away your possessions permanently.

  • Arc of Renown

"You must be the worst pirate I’ve ever heard of." "But you have heard of me!" You gain 25 XP whenever you see to it that your name and deeds are known, by bragging about them or making sure there are witnesses. You gain 50 XP whenever you put yourself at risk to do something unnecessary or foolish that will add to your reputation. You gain 100 XP whenever you risk your life to take credit for your actions (bragging that you were the one who killed the Prince’s son, for example.). Payoff: Give someone else credit for an action that would increase your renown.

  • Arc of the Reviled

You are a creature hated and feared by all who hear of you. Your friends are few and far between. Gain 25 XP whenever you befriend someone or make an ally. Gain 75 XP whenever you befriend a large group of people. Payoff: Lose a friend or ally.

  • Arc of the Revolutionary

Your character is dedicated to overthrowing a ruling class, party, or government. Gain 25 XP every time she speaks out against the rulers, or breaks a minor law. Gain 50 XP every time she acts directly against the rulers. Gain 100 XP every time she puts herself in great danger in order to damage the status quo. Payoff: Accept any favor from the rulers in order for your quietude or complicity.

  • Arc of the Sage

You are a collector of rare, esoteric knowledge and seek ways to both learn more and apply what you know. Gain 25 XP every time you learn some esoteric fact. Gain 50 XP every time you put you put yourself in harm’s way or makes a sacrifice to learn some esoteric fact. Gain 100 XP every time you unearth some long-forgotten knowledge from a distant or ancient culture. Payoff: Ignore or cover-up a source of knowledge.

  • Arc of the Thoughtless Madman

You are a berserker, a cauldron of boiling rage! You fight savagely, with no concern to yourself or those around you. Gain 25 XP when your current HP falls below 50% of your total HP. Gain 50 XP when your current HP falls below 25% of your total HP. Gain 100 XP if your current HP hits or falls below 0 HP. Payoff: Kill a friend.

  • Arc of the Tribe

Your character’s tribe is a great part of her identity. Gain 25 XP whenever your character does something to help the tribe. Gain 50 XP whenever your character defends or helps the tribe even though it brings her ridicule or inconvenience. Gain 100 XP whenever your character defends the tribe in battle. Payoff: Leave the tribe.

  • Arc of Unrequited Love

Your character has a love for someone who does not return this love. Gain 25 XP whenever your character has to make a decision that is influenced by them. Gain 50 XP every time your character attempts to win their affection. Gain 100 XP every time your character puts herself in harm’s way or makes a sacrifice for them. Payoff: Abandon your pursuit of this person or win their love.

  • Arc of Vengeance

Your character has a hatred for a particular organization, person, or even species or culture. Gain 25 XP every time your character hurts a member of that group or a lackey of that person. Gain 50 XP every time your character strikes a minor blow at that group or person (killing a member of the organization or one of the person's lackeys, disrupting their life, destroying their property). Gain 100 XP every time your character strikes a major blow at that group or person. Payoff: Let your enemy go or destroy the entire organization.

  • Arc of the Vow

Your character has a vow of personal behavior that he has sworn not to break. This could be a dietary restriction, a requirement to pray at daybreak every morning, or something else like that. Gain 25 XP for every game session in which your character does not break this vow. Gain 50 XP every time your character does not break this vow even though it causes him minor harm or inconvenience. Gain 100 XP every time your character does not break this vow even though it causes him great harm. Payoff: Break this vow.

Making Your Own Character Arcs

  • An Arc must involve a motivation, problem, connection, duty, or loyalty.
  • Arcs come in two types: Motivations and Everything Else.
  • Motivations: When the motivation is fulfilled in play, gain 25 XP. When the motivation is fulfilled against good odds, gain 75 XP.
  • Everything else: When the Key comes up in play, gain 25 XP. When the Arc presents a minor problem, gain 50 XP. When it presents a major problem, gain 100 XP.
  • All Arcs have a Payoff, which allows a character to abandon the Arc for an 150 XP bonus.

Piety

From Mythic Vistas: Trojan War, pg. 91-94.

(This rule replaces Arete, above.)

The gods influence every aspect of life. They expect their people to honor them and to abide by their commandments. The people have to follow the codes of their society. This obedience and respect is Piety.

Every person is born with a Piety score of 0, and newly-created player characters also have this score. A character determines how quickly (if at all) his Piety score increases by observing religious strictures and obeying the wishes of his favored god or goddess. Observance is not assumed; characters must maintain their observances. The gods are extremely fickle, and even if someone normally offers all of the appropriate forms, failing even once to show the proper respect can cause him to be cursed until he makes amends.

Sometimes the same observance earns more Piety if performed for all the gods rather than just the character's favored god, and other times it is worth less. This depends upon the nature of the observance. Libations should be offered to every god, because that shows respect for the entire pantheon. Dedicating a military victory to all the gods is too general; dedicating the conquest to your favored god is more specific and means more because you are showing your devotions focus upon that deity.

A Piety score can drop below 0. Negative Piety has numerous consequences including the risk of divine displeasure.

If a character has a positive Piety score, once per game session, he can ask for a divine favor from his deity. This boon may be granted, or it may not, depending upon the character's current Piety score and the god's momentary interests. Possible boons can include (in game terms) Increased Hit Points, Healing, Smiting Attacks, Boosting Saving Throws, Boosting Skill Checks, and Seeking Divinations.

Regional Feats

From Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting, pg. 33-39.

Regional feats give you the ability to further define your character by choosing a region in which your character grew up (or at least gained most of her early experience). Your native region helps define your character as part of the Antediluvian world and gives you additional choices for which feats and equipment you can have.

You may only choose regional feats from your home region. These are not bonus feats, but rather an opportunity to choose from a range of feats that would otherwise be unavailable.

  • Artist [General]: +2 to all Perform checks and to one Craft skill that involves art.
  • Blooded [General]: +2 to Initiative and +2 to Spot checks.
  • Bullheaded [General]: +1 to Will saves and +2 to Intimidate checks.
  • Cosmopolitan [General]: Choose a nonexclusive skill you do not have as a class skill. Gain +2 to all checks with that skill; it is always considered a class skill to you. Note: You may take this feat multiple times. Its effects do not stack; each time you take it, it applies to a new skill.
  • Courteous Magocracy [General]: +2 to all Diplomacy and Spellcraft checks.
  • Discipline [General]: +1 to Will saves and +2 to Concentration checks.
  • Foe Hunter [Fighter, General]: Homeland dictates what type of foe. When fighting one of them, gain a +1 competence bonus on damage rolls with melee attacks and on ranged attacks at ranges of up to 30 feet, and you act as if you had the Improved Critical feat for the weapon you are using. This benefit does not stack with the Improved Critical feat.
  • Forester [General]: +2 to Heal checks and +2 to Wilderness Lore checks.
  • Horse Nomad [General]: Get Martial Weapons Proficiency (composite shortbow) and +2 to all Ride checks.
  • Luck of Heroes [General]: +1 luck bonus on all saving throws.
  • Mercantile Background [General]: +2 to all Appraise checks and +2 to skill checks in the Craft or Profession skill of your choice.
  • Militia [General]: Get Martial Weapons Proficiency (shortbow) and Martial Weapon Proficiency (longspear).
  • Saddleback [General]: +3 to all Ride checks.
  • Silver Palm [General]: +2 to all Appraise and Bluff checks.
  • Smooth Talk [General]: +2 to all Diplomacy and Sense Motive checks.
  • Stealthy [General]: +2 to all Hide and Move Silently checks.
  • Street Smart [General]: +2 to all Bluff and Gather Information checks.
  • Survivor [General]: +1 to Fortitude saves and +2 to all Wilderness Lore checks.
  • Thug [General]: +2 to Initiative checks and +2 to Intimidate checks.

Reputation

From the rules for Reputation, Unearthed Arcana, pg. 180.

Your characters haven't been acting in a vacuum. Their deeds become known and spoken about by the populace, for good or for ill. Since your characters are beginning the campaign at 5th level, they've done a few things that may have earned them some notice.

All characters have a Reputation score. At character creation, this score is determined by their class and level. Thus:

  • Barbarians, Druids, Monks, Rangers and Rogues have a beginning Reputation score of 2.
  • Clerics, Fighters, Sorcerers and Wizards have a beginning Reputation score of 5.
  • Bards and Paladins have a beginning Reputation score of 6.

If your character is multiclassed, speak to me and we'll work out your character's Reputation score.

Reputation-Based Feats

The following Feats can affect your Reputation score:

Low Profile (General)
You are less famous than other members of your class and level, or you wish to maintain a less visible presence than others of your station.
Benefit: Reduce your Reputation score by 3 points.
Special: You can't select both the Low Profile Feat and the Renown Feat. You're either famous or you're not.

Renown (General)
You have a better chance of being recognized.
Benefit: Increase your Reputation score by 3.
Special: You can't select both the Low Profile Feat and the Renown Feat. You're either famous or you're not.

3 x 3 x 3

This isn't mandatory, but if you feel like putting in a little extra effort on your character history (or want to kill some time), it would make things much easier for me as your DM, as well as helping me to make adventures that are based on your characters' life stories.

Create 3 Allies or Friends that your character knows, 3 Contacts or individuals/groups that are neutral toward your character but have some connection to you, and 3 Rivals or Enemies that are hostile toward your character.

For each of these people or groups, define the following:

  • Name
  • Homeland
  • Profession
  • Interests
  • Personality
  • Relationship to your Character
  • Where Last Seen

Traits and Flaws

From Unearthed Arcana, pg. 86-92.

Players may choose up to two Character Traits. They may also choose up to two Character Flaws. I'll bring the list with me to our gaming sessions for those who don't have Unearthed Arcana.

Combat Rules

Automatic Hits & Misses (And The Lack Thereof)

There is no such thing as an automatic hit or miss (unless you're talking about a Coup de Grace).

If a natural 20 plus all a character's bonuses are not enough to hit the target, then the character is simply unable to damage the target with her attack.

If a natural 1 plus all of a character's bonuses cause the character to hit a target, then the character is just that good (or her opponent just that bad).

Coup de Grace

As a full-round action, a character can use a melee weapon to deliver a coup de grace to a helpless opponent. A character can also use a bow, provided that the character is adjacent to the target (the exception to this rule being Sniping).

The attack automatically hits and scores a critical hit. Note that the player must still roll a d20 for the attack to see if the critical hit is an improved critical hit as per the Critical Hits rule below. In essence, assume that the player has rolled a critical threat and roll the die. If the roll is a miss or hit, but not a further critical threat, then the coup de grace is a critical hit.

If the roll is a critical threat, add x1 to the weapon's critical multiplier and roll again, repeating the procedure until the player fails to roll a critical threat.

A Rogue also gets to add the extra sneak attack damage to the coup de grace.

If the opponent survives the damage, he must still succeed at a Fortitude save (DC 10 + total damage dealt) or die.

You can't deliver a coup de grace against a creature that is immune to critical hits.

You can deliver a coup de grace against a creature with total concealment, but doing this requires two consecutive full-round actions (one to "find" the creature once you've determined what square it's in, and one to deliver the coup de grace).

Critical Hits

Whenever a player scores a critical threat (usually rolling a natural 20, but varying by weapon) she immediately makes a critical roll (another attack roll with the same modifiers as the attack roll she just made). One of three things is going to happen with this roll:

#1 If the critical roll is a miss, then the hit is just a regular hit and damage is resolved normally.

#2 If the critical roll also results in a hit against the target's AC, but not another critical threat, then the player's original hit is a critical hit. A critical hit means that the character's damage, along with all the appropriate bonuses, is rolled more than once (the standard multiplier is x2, but varies by weapon). Keep in mind that extra weapon damage (usually from a magical weapon's special ability or a special ability such as sneak attack) over and above the weapon's normal damage is not multiplied when a critical hit is scored.

#3 If the critical roll is both a hit and another critical threat, then the player has scored an improved critical hit. She increases the critical multiplier of the weapon by x1 (i.e. x2 to x3) and rolls again, resolving the roll as above.

The player keeps rolling in this manner, adding further x1 to the critical multiplier for any additional critical threats, until she either rolls a miss or a hit that is not a critical threat.

Experience Point Awards

From Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting, pg. 299.

This method of awarding Experience Points based on monster encounters is a bit simpler than the method presented in the Dungeon Master’s Guide. It also tends not to reward powerful characters traveling with weaker parties (not that this is a problem for us right now).

  1. Determine each character’s level.
  2. Determine each defeated monster’s Challenge Rating.
  3. Use Table 7-1: Experience Point Awards (Single Monster), DMG p. 166 to cross-reference one character’s level with the Challenge Rating of the defeated monster to find the base XP award.
  4. Divide the base XP award by the number of characters in the party. That is the amount of XP that character receives for helping defeat the monster.
  5. Add up the XP awards for all the monsters that character helped to defeat. This is that character’s total XP for the session.
  6. Repeat the process for each character.

Grappling

Repeatedly in a grapple, you need to make opposed Grapple checks against an opponent.

A Grapple check is like a Melee Attack roll. Your Attack Bonus on a Grapple check is:

Base Attack Bonus + STR Modifier + Special Size Modifier - AC Penalty.

Morale

Monsters and other antagonists that you face will not always fight to the death. As a matter of fact, only the most rigidly disciplined, fiercely devoted, or mind-controlled warriors will willingly fight to the bitter end.

In combat, all NPCs and Monsters will make a Will Save versus a DC of 15 or 20 at first blood and 50% casualties in order to keep fighting. Failure means they try to escape or surrender.

This obviously only applies to combatants capable of such independent thinking and a desire or instinct for self-preservation.

Sniping

A character armed with a bow may deliver a coup de grace against an opponent from a distance by sniping. The opponent does not need to be helpless, but he must be unaware of the sniper's presence.

The sniper must have 3 rounds of uninterrupted and unobstructed viewing of the victim. If the victim is ever out of the sniper's sight during those 3 rounds (walks behind a pillar, other people walk in front of him, etc.) the sniper must begin the process all over again.

During this time the sniper can do nothing but study the victim. This action requires the sniper's full concentration; the sniper must remain perfectly still and focus all of his thoughts on the target.

At the beginning of the 4th round the sniper can take the shot; if the sniper does not take the shot at this time, the process begins all over again (she needs another 3 rounds of uninterrupted and unobstructed viewing of the victim to line up another shot).

Taking the shot is a standard ranged attack with all applicable modifiers (such as range, Dexterity bonus, etc.).

If the sniper takes the shot early (before she has completed her 3 rounds of viewing) or if she takes the shot late (after the beginning of the 4th round but before she completes another 3 rounds of viewing) then the sniper has no chance to deliver the coup de grace. Her attack is a standard ranged attack.

Once the sniper has declared that she is taking the shot, she rolls a Concentration check (DC 15) in addition to rolling for the success of the attack.

If the check is successful, the sniper delivers the coup de grace (although she must still succeed at her attack roll). If the check is unsuccessful, the sniper's concentration was broken at the critical moment (the victim moved unexpectedly, someone walked in front of the victim, etc.) and the attack is simply a standard ranged attack (although this can still result in a critical hit or improvised critical hit).

Whether the check is successful or not, a missed attack roll always results in a missed attack.

Using Other d20 Books

I'm all for it. If you've got something from a book beyond what's printed in the Core Rulebooks and you want to use it in game, just ask me. I'll probably say "Sure." We can worry about game balance later; I'm still learning the ropes of this system. Since my gaming group back in California isn't really into D&D as their primary game, I'm all about using all of my d20 stuff while I still can.

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