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Old 12-11-2020, 01:11 PM   #1
larsdangly
 
Join Date: Dec 2017
Default Your all-time top-3 house rules

We discuss a wide range of optional and variant rules for TFT in this sub-forum, but I'm interested in knowing what people really feel like they need and benefit from at the table. So, if you had to winnow all your rules fiddling down to exactly three sharply defined house rules to enact at your gaming table, what would they be? I'm not counting things listed as 'optional' in legacy edition, or things published by SJG's in Hexagram or the Companion - I'm talking about your own house rules.

Here's mine:

1) +1 damage for melee and thrown weapons for every full 2 points by which ST exceeds the minimum for that weapon, up to a maximum of double base weapon damage (omitting bonuses for fine weapons, magic, talents, etc.).

2) The optional 'flaws' from the Companion book can be used during character creation, but the exchange is for talent points not attribute points. I.e., 3 points of flaws yields 3 extra talent points during character creation.

3) you are dead-dead, like really dead, after 1 minute rather than 1 hour if your ST score is reduced below -5.

No cheating by listing more than 3 or giving a vague collection of rules as one house rule!
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Old 12-11-2020, 01:35 PM   #2
hcobb
 
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Location: Pacheco, California
Default Re: Your all-time top-3 house rules

1: Scale health saving throws, XPs needed for ST, and weight carried by creature size. (This is no change for human sized creatures)

2: Replace Roll to miss with wild shot.

3: Creating a gate is an enchantment that takes at least one day.
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Old 12-11-2020, 01:51 PM   #3
Chris Rice
 
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: London Uk, but originally from Scotland
Default Re: Your all-time top-3 house rules

1. Attributes are each split into their 2 main constituents: ST and Hit Points, DX and Skill, IN and Knowledge.

2. Wizards get Spell Points equal to their starting ST score. When these are expended they can choose to wound themselves by using Hit Points to fuel spells.

3. Instead of rolling against a characters own DX, a comparison is made between the opposing DX scores to arrive at a target score. This principle is also used when casting spells; Wizards IN against Spell IN.
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Old 12-11-2020, 01:57 PM   #4
larsdangly
 
Join Date: Dec 2017
Default Re: Your all-time top-3 house rules

Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris Rice View Post
2. Wizards get Spell Points equal to their starting ST score. When these are expended they can choose to wound themselves by using Hit Points to fuel spells.
I like this one; it resembles a house rule I use and would include in a 'top 10' list, but that doesn't make my top 3 simply because players don't take advantage of it enough for me to feel it is really important. Your other two are too radical for me!
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Old 12-11-2020, 02:01 PM   #5
phiwum
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Boston area
Default Re: Your all-time top-3 house rules

Quote:
Originally Posted by larsdangly View Post
We discuss a wide range of optional and variant rules for TFT in this sub-forum, but I'm interested in knowing what people really feel like they need and benefit from at the table. So, if you had to winnow all your rules fiddling down to exactly three sharply defined house rules to enact at your gaming table, what would they be? I'm not counting things listed as 'optional' in legacy edition, or things published by SJG's in Hexagram or the Companion - I'm talking about your own house rules.

Here's mine:

1) +1 damage for melee and thrown weapons for every full 2 points by which ST exceeds the minimum for that weapon, up to a maximum of double base weapon damage (omitting bonuses for fine weapons, magic, talents, etc.).

2) The optional 'flaws' from the Companion book can be used during character creation, but the exchange is for talent points not attribute points. I.e., 3 points of flaws yields 3 extra talent points during character creation.

3) you are dead-dead, like really dead, after 1 minute rather than 1 hour if your ST score is reduced below -5.

No cheating by listing more than 3 or giving a vague collection of rules as one house rule!
How often does (3) come into play? A guy at -5 has to be saved by one physicker and three healing potions or one master physicker and two potions, right? My players don't have that much healing available so far.

Not sure I'm keen on (1) personally.
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Old 12-11-2020, 03:27 PM   #6
larsdangly
 
Join Date: Dec 2017
Default Re: Your all-time top-3 house rules

My house rule #3 comes up for significant NPCs pretty often, though obviously with modest impact on the players. It probably hasn't been important to an outcome for a PC in a couple of years.

What's the problem with the damage bonus for high ST? I don't think it is unbalanced because you are still always better off using the largest weapon for your ST, and it obviates the perceived need for super bizarre equipment choices people might make to benefit from high ST. Like, I'd rather give a really high ST PC reasonably high damage for a mace or war axe if they choose to fight with these obviously good and common weapons, as opposed to painting him or her into a rules corner where they really don't have a smart choice other than double-wielding two halberds or some other similarly nonsense choice.
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Old 12-11-2020, 03:29 PM   #7
Helborn
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Default Re: Your all-time top-3 house rules

1) +1 Dmg / 2 ST above required up to +3 max for Melee or Thrown weapons
2) Starting Wizard gets Aid for free and Literacy if Civilized, or Swimming/Horsemanship/Boating (pick 1) if Barbarian.
3) Starting Character may not have any Attribute above 14 (the same limit as wishes) and cannot have any Expert/Master Talent.
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Old 12-11-2020, 03:32 PM   #8
Helborn
 
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Default Re: Your all-time top-3 house rules

For #1 I have considered including Missile Weapons as well - reflecting a heavier bow being used. but never got around to actually creating the heavier bow table. I would limit it only for the Longbow.
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Old 12-11-2020, 05:48 PM   #9
phiwum
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Boston area
Default Re: Your all-time top-3 house rules

Quote:
Originally Posted by larsdangly View Post
My house rule #3 comes up for significant NPCs pretty often, though obviously with modest impact on the players. It probably hasn't been important to an outcome for a PC in a couple of years.

What's the problem with the damage bonus for high ST? I don't think it is unbalanced because you are still always better off using the largest weapon for your ST, and it obviates the perceived need for super bizarre equipment choices people might make to benefit from high ST. Like, I'd rather give a really high ST PC reasonably high damage for a mace or war axe if they choose to fight with these obviously good and common weapons, as opposed to painting him or her into a rules corner where they really don't have a smart choice other than double-wielding two halberds or some other similarly nonsense choice.
You've a lot more experience with TFT than me, but I just don't see the need for an over-strength rule. I guess I don't see it as a terribly bad rule, but so far it seems like needlessly complicating.

Perhaps I'll see the reason for it some day.

How does it work for dagger or other no ST requirement weapons? Can a strong man do more damage with a thrown rock than a weak man with a sling?
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Old 12-11-2020, 06:46 PM   #10
Shostak
 
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Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: New England
Default Re: Your all-time top-3 house rules

I don't know if these are top three, but they are house rules that are not too similar to those already posted by others:

1. All mundane talents cost 1 point, and characters get one at zero cost curing character generation.

2. All spells are cast against DX; no special case spells cast against IQ.

3. Initiating HTH is always in the action phase, never in the movement phase. (This is part of a more comprehensive overhaul of HTH.)
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