Topic: Any Crazy Houserules?

[shnar]

Was wondering if anyone had any houserules that are so out there that they're almost embarrased to mention them?

One of our wildest rules is during character creation. We let the players roll THREE D10s and choose AFTER the roll which die is the 10s and which one is the 1s. And we kept the "under 20 reroll" rule (so if you rolled a 3, 5, 1 you could say the outcome was 15 and reroll). And this rule was used during both Normal and Potential stat rolls. Yes, we had a few 101s in our groups. Our logic was that player characters were "heroic" beings and should have this extra boost.

Other odd rules out there?

-shnar

[yammahoper]

Our respective definitions of crazy differ.  Back in my RM2 days, te 3d10 rule was how we generated all our PC's.

lynn

[Balhirath]

When I learned to play rolemaster, the gamemaster added the misc. stat bonus from the background options in Comp 1 to the Stat! (If you had 90 in a stat and rolled a +15 bonus, your stat would be 105) That gave some crazy stat bonuses from time to time. 

Another GM had misunderstood the two weapon combat skill. So when playing with him, you could use one weapon to make a full parry AND make a full attack with the other weapon in the same round..
Nobody in that campaign ever used shields.
(I actually did try to explain how the skill worked, but he kept his own system.)

[Rivstyx]

I have been criticized for letting my players gamble with their characters stats on creation but it is a fun way to do it instead of the 660 thing...

1. Automatically give the character a 100 to start.  I play a high powered game.  If you do not then make them start at step 2.
2. Roll percentile
3. If the roll is <= 20 disregard the roll and go to 2
3a. If the roll is > 20 then go to 3b
3b. The player has the option to either keep the roll (go to 4) or try to roll for higher (3c)
3c. Roll percentile
3d. If the roll is >= to the last roll in 3b go back to 3b.  If the roll is less then the last roll keep the roll and go to 4 (even if it is 20 or less)
4. Repeat step 2 until the player has a list of 10 stats
5. Decide to allocate stats (go to 6) or kill the character at birth (go to 1)
6. Make any stats in profession prerequisites that are less then 90 equal to 90.
   

[shnar]

I suppose some really high-powered weapons could be considered crazy house rules.

One campaign, we found a quiver of 20 arrows with black obsidian arrowheads. The GM refused to tell us what it did, so we were surprised when we fired our first one at an orc to watch him blow up. Apparently the heads were some kind of explosive that did a Burn *and* Energy crit (from SpaceMaster) of equal damage. But the arrow was used up after use, so we only had 20 shots.

-shnar

[yammahoper]

Please...

Back in my power gaming munchkin days, as GM I had a player with a ring of might weilding dual MK5 machineguns, with 100rnd caseless ammo, every clip had various blade runes, from spell runes of fire ball on each bullet, black runes versus specific creatures (mostly demons and undead) and the guns had ye ole +40 (or was it +45?) blade runes, ALL PERMANIZED.

Lets not talk about the Dragon Robes AT20 that were +100 DB versus all elemental, half hits and reduced elemental crits by II...I SAID DONT TALK ABOUT IT

lynn

[vroomfogle]

In my crazy Vroomfogle days we used the Genetic Law list to create a super-race of pan-dimensional goblins.

Shortly thereafter my body was incinerated but somehow my brain survived and I had a new Eog body built for me that had 4 arms and 2 heads (and with rollerskates built into the feet).  I was an Archmage that wielded 4 swords, each one covered with Bladerunes and Spirit Runes(? from RM2 Runemaster I think, or Magus?)

It was a completely whacked campaign, but a whole lot of fun because of it's sheer silliness.

[Balhirath]

In my crazy Vroomfogle days we used the Genetic Law list to create a super-race of pan-dimensional goblins.

Shortly thereafter my body was incinerated but somehow my brain survived and I had a new Eog body built for me that had 4 arms and 2 heads (and with rollerskates built into the feet).  I was an Archmage that wielded 4 swords, each one covered with Bladerunes and Spirit Runes(? from RM2 Runemaster I think, or Magus?)

It was a completely whacked campaign, but a whole lot of fun because of it's sheer silliness.

 

I think we all have been through a period of wild, wild gaming

[Cory Magel]

The Undead Pizza Delivery Man (and, yes, there is a miniature for it - a Skeleton delivering a pizza - that came from some joke set of mini's years ago).

The campaign was just for fun (well, they all are, but this one was meant to be crazy) and every once in a while the pizza delivery guy would show up at completely random times (sometimes even during a combat). Each time the pizza got more expensive. It had 8 slices. each a different type, and when you ate them they would have random permanent effects on you, 6 good and 2 bad slices, varying from raising/lowering stats, granting special abilities, etc, etc.

Enemies in the campaign were wacky too... I remember fighting the Energizer Bunny for example.

[arakish]

The only crazy one I can remember, which is probably lame, is that we used the Longshot 3d10 for creating stats.

Roll 3d10.
Throw out the lowest.
The highest of remaining two was the 10s.
The other was the 1s.

Repeat for determining Potentials.

Lame.

rmfr

[David Johansen]

When somebody doesn't show up for a session we pass their character on to a volunteer who then gains half of the xp for the session.  You can get a lot of xp for getting beaten to a fine patte...

[munchy]

I posted this once in the Rolemaster Moments but we had the rule once that of you two d10s you had to throw for a percentile roll, you chose AFTER the roll which one was which, so in most cases the higher was the tens, the lower the ones ... no fumble possible and loads of open-ended high rolls in those days ... excellent gaming!

[Temujin]

When somebody doesn't show up for a session we pass their character on to a volunteer who then gains half of the xp for the session.  You can get a lot of xp for getting beaten to a fine patte...

Lol, a firm believer in behaviorism you must be!  I can imagine the poor guy returning to find his character has two broken legs and 3 shattered rips

Have a laugh point.

[David Johansen]

One guy came back to find his character dead and left the group.  Easiest let down / boot out I ever had to do.

[yammahoper]

Back in RM2 days I used a rule called OVerhead Smash.  You could not parry, full OB, gained a +20 OB mod and did x2 hits.  Was a fav against stunned foes.  When combined with adrenal str, it was very nasty.

lynn

[Old Man]

RM2-days - allowing Spell mastered Bolts to have damage multiples and then adding the Spell law optional rule to over-power bolts and Haste giving 3 other bolts a round and ... and ... lol

Exercise is left to the reader...

Ciao,
Old Man

[vroomfogle]

We had a GM once who ran a pretty freeform campaign.   His rule was basically If you could think of it, you could do it (and given enough PP's).    And that is how we created a pan-dimensional race of super-goblins that would call us Masters....

[yammahoper]

In RM2, all PC's and NPC's auto gained 10% of Co stat in hits each level as a measure of natural toughness.  Body dev could still be bought.

I have a ton of these.

lynn

[Mourglin]

Was wondering if anyone had any houserules that are so out there that they're almost embarrased to mention them?

Other odd rules out there?

-shnar

I have a few changes that I'd consider beyond the pale.  I will mention them in brief, and if anyone has further interest I can elaborate by providing more info.
1.  I use the MM Table to resolve everything possible except for spells and combat.

2. I use my own time tracking chart with 'tokens' to track the actions of the pc's and groups of npc's/monsters I run. I have rounded all actions into increments of 10%.  Initiative is based upon [ QU/QU/IN ] / 3 + 2D10.  Highest goes first and does any 1 action regardless of time costs.  That person once done with a single action, slides his token down the time chart to the slot that would have him complete that action.  For example, standing from a prone would be 50% so his token sits at 50% and he is idle.  Once I go through everyone in Init order, each doing 1 action, I consult my time chart which sits on the table for all to see (usually a player will run it for me).  Anyways I return to the chart and allow the person who used the least amount of time to go next.  Then a leap frogging commences until everyone is at 100% or pushing beyond or overlapping into the 2nd part of the chart 100%-200%.  I try not to go beyond 100% but sometimes actions carry over into another round and it is just easier to make a chart with 200% time. 

3.  I have reduced the skill list dramatically and have created a few new ones. I think I'm under 30 primary and maybe 2x as  many secondary skills total. 

All in all my changes are to stream line to my liking and allow for more immersive gaming without bogging down into charts and finding rules.  If I can't resolve it on a MM table, or a normal hit roll in combat or a normal spell effect roll, I make a quick GM call on it and keep going.

[Justin]

I have a few changes that I'd consider beyond the pale.  I will mention them in brief, and if anyone has further interest I can elaborate by providing more info.

#2 is basically like combat by Action Points. Though you use slightly different number generation.