House rules

The rules used are 3.5e D&D.

Spells

Spell components are generally ignored.

Raise Dead, Resurrection, Reincarnation, and similar spells which bring back people from the dead have been removed.

XP cost

Losing XP to do certain things never made any sense to me. Therefore, anything which costs XP (certain spells, creating items, scribing scrolls etc.) no longer costs XP. If people start to abuse the item creation feats and start mass producing items and unbalance the game, then I may need to either a) devise some other means of balancing or b) reinstate the XP cost rules.

Fate Points

• First level characters start with 2 Fate Points. An additional point is gained at 4th level and every 4 levels thereafter.
• If a dice roll would result in a character's death a fate point may be expended to turn the dice roll from fatal to non-fatal.
• For fatal attacks, the character is reduced to -9 HP (and is stabilized) instead.
• For skill checks, the roll can either be considered as successful or the DM may devise an appropriate narrow escape for the character.
• For saves, the roll should be considered as successful.
• Events which would have been fatal regardless of the amount rolled on the dice or require no dice rolls cannot be negated by expending a fate point.

Open Game Content

For example, Vahan the fighter is attacked and dealt a mortal blow by an attack by a giant beetle. Vahan’s player would prefer not to roll a new character and instead expends a fate point. The beetle’s pincers are fortuitously turned aside by his chain mail armour and Vahan takes only enough damage to reduce him to -9 HP.

Later on, Vahan (8 ranks in climb, 14 strength) is climbing down a steep cliff face with the aid of a rope (DC 15). After a failed climb roll, Vahan loses his grip and plunges to his death on the rocks below. Except Vahan’s player again chooses to expend a fate point and Vahan’s backpack straps catch on a bush on the way down and he’s saved.

If Vahan tried climbing the cliff without a rope (DC 25) while carrying a heavy load his maximum climb check roll would be 19 (i.e., the climb is impossible). A fatal fall in this case cannot be avoided by expending a fate point.

Quick Potions

Potions easily accessible in a belt pouch or similar may be drunk as a move action (instead of the usual standard action). Up to two potions can be made easily available in this manner.

No cross-class skills

(For new campaigns only.)

All classes may take any skill as a class skill (i.e., 1 rank per skill point up to character level + 3).

Absent characters gain XP

Every character gains XP at the same rate, regardless of whether the player was present at the session or not.