House Rules

Basic

Advantages

HP is used as mass. Any situation that requires ST to calculate a mass-based effect should instead use HP. The Massless (+0%) modifier allows HP to not count towards mass purposes, and is an advantage as often as it is a disadvantage.

Personal Appearance

Level	Cost
Horrific	-18
Monstrous	-15
Hideous	-12
Ugly	-6
Unattractive	-3
Normal	0
Attractive	3
Handsome/Beautiful	6
Very Handsome/Beautiful	12
Transcendent	15

All Reaction and skill bonuses and penalties only apply when all of the following are true:

• The NPC can see you, or otherwise has a very clear idea of what you look like (has seen you before, or has a good picture of you, generally)

• The NPC must be reasonably attracted to your species (usually the case for same or closely related species - for Borderlands, assume species within the same group get the bonus unless the NPC is quirky). This doesn't necessarily mean that all (or any) humans are romantically interested in dwarves or vice versa - but they can appreciate each others looks or lack thereof.

• The NPC must be attracted to your gender to be affected by the higher of the two bonuses - this restriction only applies for Handsome/Beautiful or higher levels.

• The NPC is not Unfazeable (Unfazeable characters are always immune to personal appearance bonus/penalties).

Modifiers

The price for Universal is increased to +35% - Universal appearance does not remove the requirement to make visual contact and does not make Unfazeable characters affected by your Appearance, but it does transcend normal boundaries of species and gender. The change in price makes Universal personal appearance cost the same as the "Rules as Written" Appearance advantage.
All other existing Enhancements, Limitations, and 0% "switches" work as written.

Wealth and Influence

The Wealth and Signature Gear advantages continue to be full of issues despite the changes in DF1 . Instead of buying Wealth or Signature Gear, characters may trade CP for cash at the rate of 1 point for $500. The Signature Gear becomes a perk that provides 'plot protection' to a single piece of gear the character owns. The new advantage 'Connections' represents characters who are well connected In Town, while 'Disfavored' is the disadvantage for characters who have a hard time making deals.

Connections

5, 10, or 15 points.

Prerequisite: Net positive reaction modifiers In Town

Your character has connections that allow him to readily sell the proceeds from his adventuring exploits. This may represent knowing a good fence, being a member in good standing of the Merchants' Guild, or being a member of the nobility who is exempt from taxes. The basic rate of return for sold items is 40% of their 'book' value. For 5 points, your character gets 60% of book value; for 10 points, 80%, and for 15 points, 100%.

Special Limitations

Completely legal: You have very few contacts with criminals. Treat your level of Connections as 1 lower when haggling with Streetwise. Also, the GM rolls 3d when you go to market. On a 16+, one of the 4 most expensive items you intend to sell is stolen! -20%.

Underworld: Most of your connections are through the black market. Treat your level of Connections as 1 lower when haggling with Merchant. Also, the GM rolls 3d when you go to market. On a 16+, one of the 4 most expensive items you intend to sell is confiscated! -20%.

Disfavored

-5 or -10 points

Your character, for whatever reason, does not make good deals while In Town. Maybe he doesn't understand negotiation, or he may be disliked by all shopkeepers, or possible he insists on paying his taxes in full and refuses to take tax breaks he's entitled to. For whatever reason, stuff he sells is worth less than normal. The basic rate of return for sold items is 40% of their 'book' value. For -5 points, your character gets 20% of book value and for -10 points he gets 0%. Even a character with Disfavored 2 may attempt Reaction rolls and haggling to get a better price.

Other

Shapeshifting: Alternate Form

Base cost is revised to 25 points. It takes a single Concentrate action to transform, and you do not automatically come with a weakness that forces you back into your native form.

Enhancements and limitations are applied to the 25 point base, not to the total including the template.

If you want a slower transformation, take Takes Extra Time, and if you want something that can force a shape reversion, take a "reverse Uncontrollable Trigger" which turns off your power instead of turning it on. You may have two Triggers: one to turn it on, one to turn it off. See Powers pp. 106-107 for more information.

This makes it slightly cheaper (and simpler) to take an Alternate Form with a 1 second transformation time, a very popular option. It also gives more points back for other common limitations, like a Power modifier, Trigger, Maximum Duration, Costs FP, etc., but charges more points for the very popular Absorbative Change, along with the Reciprocal enhancements. Active Change also costs more, but is less vital with the faster activation time.

Multiple forms: Do not use the rules from Basic on buying multiple forms. Each form requires purchasing the Alternate Form advantage and the 90% cost of the points delta. Multiple forms should be placed into an Alternate Ability.

Signature Gear

Perk

You have a distinctive, valuable possession. This gear is as much a part of your personal legend as are your reputation and skills.

If you misplace Signature Gear or sell it unwillingly, or an NPC steals or confiscates it, the GM must give you an opportunity to recover it in the course of the adventure. If it is truly lost forever through no fault of your own, the GM will give you back your points (or replace the item with another of equal value). However, should you sell or give away your Signature Gear of your own free will, or fail to successfully recover it when given the chance, it is gone, along with the points spent on it!

Each point in Signature Gear protects a single piece of combat equipment, such as a weapon or suit of armor. Alternately, any amount of non-combat gear can be protected as long as it is integral to the character concept (ie, books for a Scholar or camping gear for a Scout).

You may provide Signature Gear protection for a single piece of non-magical, non-armor clothing as a 0-point feature. This might be a favored fedora, sash, or jacket, for instance.

Disadvantages

Costs Fatigue is now -10% per 1 FP. It is only -2% if the PC has the ability to regenerate/recover fatigue more quickly than normal, and -1% if the PC can regenerate more than 1 FP/second. For a power that normally works indefinitely, “Costs 1 FP per 10 seconds” is a -20% limitation while “Costs 1 FP per second” is a -40% limitation.

Skills

Fast-Draw

Now an Average technique that defaults to weapon skill-4 for both the weapon and ammo associated with the weapon.

Filch

Rolled into Sleight of Hand.

Forced Entry

Now a leveled perk that gives +1 to damage and ST rolls when attacking inanimate objects out of combat, maximum 2 levels.

Garrote

No longer exists, use Judo, Sumo Wrestling, or Wrestling instead.

Knot-Tying

No longer exists.

Pickpocket

Subsumed into Sleight of Hand.

Shadowing

Subsumed into Stealth.

Sleight of Hand

Use for both Pickpocket and Filch.

Speed-Reading

Now just a perk.

Weapon

Fencing Weapons

This is a DX/Hard skill that allows one to use a Main-Gauche, Rapier, Saber, or Smallsword. You may optionally specialize in one of those weapons, reducing the difficulty to Average. The default between the skills if you choose to specialize is -2.

Flails

This is a DX/Very Hard skill that allows one to use One-Handed or Two-Handed Flails. You may optionally specialize in one of those weapons, reducing the difficulty to Hard. The default between the skills if you choose to specialize is -2.

Impact Weapons

This is a DX/Hard skill that allows one to use a One-Handed or Two-Handed Axe/Mace. You may optionally specialize in one of those weapons, reducing the difficulty to Average. The default between the skills if you choose to specialize is -2.

Pole Weapons

This is a DX/Hard skill that allows one to use a Polearm, Staff, or Spear. You may optionally specialize in one of those weapons, reducing the difficulty to Average. The default between the skills if you choose to specialize is -2.

Swords

This is a DX/Hard skill that allows one to use a Broadsword, Force Sword, Jitte/Sai, Knife, Shortsword, or Two-Handed Sword. You may optionally specialize in one of those weapons, reducing the difficulty to Average. The default between the skills if you choose to specialize is -2.

Whips

This is a DX/Very Hard skill that allows one to use a Force Whip, Kusari, Monowire Whip, or Whip. You may optionally specialize in one of those weapons, reducing the difficulty to Hard. The default between the skills if you choose to specialize is -2.

Throwing

Can be used to throw weapons.

Thrown Weapon

Possible specializations for Throwing. Most specialties default to each other at -2 to -4

Templates and Metatraits

• These modifications to the DF3 Races will be used.

• This is a list of example Druidic Alternate Forms

Hazards

Fright Checks

The Rule of 15 is not in effect.

Debilitating Fright Check results are like crippling wounds, and you recover from them in a similar manner. Roll Will after any encounter where you failed a Fright Check and acquired a 'permanent' quirk or disadvantage.

On a success, the disadvantage will fade after the character has a reasonable period of safe rest - a night huddling in camp while Noisy Things move around in the woods outside of your vision probably doesn't count, but a return to a nice safe well-patrolled base camp might, and a week carousing In Town certainly should. ("Bob really had trouble with bugs for a while after that encounter with the slime-spewing tentacled beetle-men, but he got over it once he had a chance to think it through and work out the difference between a mosquito and a Horror from Beyond Time and Space.")

On a failure, the disadvantage will fade after 1d+1 months, assuming similar bad things don't continue happening to the character. Few situations are so terrible that the human mind cracks permanently, and healthy people get over these events as they fade with time. A good therapist can help a lot (GM's judgement). ("It took Jerry a long time to get over the sight of his friends' animated corpses trying to break down the door and eat him; he was suffering terrible nightmares for a long time, and was really easily spooked. He definitely needed that vacation, but Doc Hawkins says he should be okay to return to duty.")

On a critical failure, the disadvantage is truly permanent; therapy and CP expenditure (or magict ) will be needed to repair the character's fractured psyche. ("Eric was never the same after watching that Care Bears marathon on Teletoon. I don't think he's sleeping at all, and he'll barely touch food. He keeps muttering about that STARE.")

Grazes

From Pyramid 3/34. An attack that hits by zero or a defense that fails by one has the following effects:

• Halve basic damage.
• Double DR
• +2 to Resistance rolls and halve effects.
• Change piercing or impaling damage to cutting.

An attack that is a graze is defended against at +2. If an attack is a graze and the defense is also a graze, the effects stack for 1/4 damage, 4x DR, +4 to Resistance, etc.

He Who Hesitates

If an attack roll misses by 1 or 2, it is a hesitation. The attacker doesn't attack, and suffers no consequence for doing so (no depleted ammo, unreadied weapon, etc)

All-Out or Committed Attacks are NEVER hesitations. A failed roll is simply a miss.

Slams and Collisions

For every 2 points by which a slam suceeds, the damage the attacker takes is reduced by 1. See the Slam table for a quick reference.

We will also be using the following, stolen from Luke's website:

Damage: In a collision, both objects take crushing damage as if from a melee attack with a ST given by the HP of the smaller object times the relative velocity of the two in yards per second, divided by 5. Roll damage separately for both objects. The velocity is given by the amount the object would move this turn if it didn't run into anything, not the distance it did move.

Knockback: Damage to the larger object is multiplied by 3 for the purpose of calculating knockback. Damage to the smaller object is multiplied by 3 × the ratio of the larger object's HP to the smaller object's HP. Knockback can never be greater than the relative movement of the two objects. If a moving object is knocked back, the knockback is subtracted from its current Move.

Hard and Soft Objects: If one of the objects in a collision is soft (this includes most people and animals), damage is at -1 per die. Objects that are especially soft give extra DR to whatever collides with them. If the collision is with something very hard, such as a concrete slab or a boulder, damage is at +1 per die.

Sharp Objects: If one of the objects is sharp, it causes cutting or impaling damage, as appropriate, to the other object.

Hit Location: Roll hit location randomly. Damage to the skull or face also causes damage to the neck as a separate wound. Damage to the neck usually means the force was transmitted to the neck from another head blow, also apply damage to the brain as a separate wound. If a limb takes enough damage to cripple it, excess damage is applied to a separately rolled hit location.

Overrunns: If one of the objects runs over the top of the other, it can crush it, causing crushing damage with a ST given by half its HP.

Environmental

A simplified version of environmental hazards will be in effect.

First, random environmental hazards may occur that require the PCs to respond, and survival gear will generally be helpful in resolving these events. These will include events like blizzards, collapsing ice bridges, complications fording rivers, sinkholes, etc.

Second, at the beginning of each combat a HT roll will be required. An appropriate survival specialty may substitute for HT. This roll will be modified for temperature, weather (including high winds), elevation, gear, and special abilities. Success means you take no penalties, failure means you start the combat down 1d-2 (min 1) FP, modified by the severity of the weather, and critical failure means you take 1d-3 (min 1) HP from frostbite.

Cold Weather

The person with highest Survival skill rolls once a week, -1 per person in the party that doesn't have Survival for the appropriate environment, assisting rolls for those that DO have it as normal, and MoS/2 applies to people's roll at the beginning of combat that week as a modifier.  Failure is no effect, crit fail gives everyone in the party -2 for that week.

You make roll against the best of HT or Survival at the start of each combat (modified for equipment, weather conditions, and above weekly Survival roll) to see how many FP you're down at the start of combat, crit fail results in some minor (1d-3, min 1) HP damage from frostbite.

This lets parties full of experienced outdoorspersons with average gear do about as well as a well equipped group with an experienced guide, usually.

Winter and Arctic Clothing

Winter clothing + Boots + Gloves gets you no modifier to resist temps below 35F. 

Arctic clothing is Parka + Mukluks + MIttens. 

Note that both winter clothing AND Parkas (which goes over the top of winter clothing) provide DR, so you're at -1 DX before we even get into any other armor you might be wearing.

I'm ruling that Parka's give you +3 to resist, Mukluks +2, and Mittens +1.  So in full arctic gear you'll be carrying an extra 13 lbs (assuming your normal loadout has ordinary clothes and boots only), be at -1 DX and suffer the normal effects of wearing mittens, and get +6 to resist cold, which will let you make unmodified HT checks to avoid FP loss/frostbite down to an effective temp of -70F (including windchill).

Equipment modifiers per B345 are also in effect, though change the cost multipliers to cost factors, per LT14.  Also, anyone not wearing mukluks or mittens will automatically get frostbite on the least protected extremity if they get frostbite, which MAY end up crippling that extremity, depending on your HP.

Magic

This is PDF containing an eratta for GURPS Magic

Instead of FP reduction being based on absolute skill, it will be based on the MoS for each spell cast. For every 4 points by which a caster succeeds on his skill roll, the spell costs 1 FP less to cast.

Flexible Rituals

Certain levels of magical skill do not automatically translate to more subtle magic use. Instead, the default is that all spells require subtle foot motions (like dance steps), gestures with both hands, and a clearly spoken incantation. However, modifications to the ritual may be undertaken with the following effects on the casting roll.

Foot Motions:

Complicated obvious foot motions: +1

No foot motions: -2

Hand Gestures:

Dramatic, flourishing gestures: +1

Gestures with only one hand: -2

No gestures: -4

Incantation:

Shouted Incantation: +1

Softly spoken incantation: -2

No incantation: -4

Time:

Double listed time: +1

Halve listed time: -5

Important Note: All magical items ignore the rituals for the Foot Motions and Hand Gestures. One must only Concentrate for the required casting time while speaking the incantation. The only modification to a magical item activation ritual allowed is for the Incantation and Time components.

Imbuements

Important change to how multiple imbuement skills work:

Instead of having you roll once for each imbuement skill you use on a single attack, we'll have you make one imbuement skill roll before the attack roll.  Cap is your lowest imbuement skill used in the combo, -2 to the roll per skill being used in that attack after the first.

Instead of having to take a -5 penalty to use an Imbuement skill for no FP cost, it simply costs you 1 FP less per 5 MoS.  If you're using an attack with two skills and make it by 10, it's free, make it by 5, it costs 1 FP, etc.

Clarifications

• When using the Guided Weapon and Homing Weapon Imbuement skills, it is legal to target a hit location.
• Scattershot can be combined with Shockwave
• Project Blow effectively makes a melee attack into a ranged attack, but the resulting ranged attack is not a legal target for ranged imbuments. Consider "Project Blow" as being applied last in the stack, converting it into a ranged attack "at the end".
  • As such, you may combine any melee imbuement with Project Blow.
• We are not using Combination skills
• Knight! and similar are valid "weapon" skill specialties.

Equipment

General House Rules

• See the Equipment page for house rules on equipment prices.
• Use Icelander's horse rules.

Shields

Instead of tracking shield damage, shields may break in three scenarios:

1. A sheild parries a weapons significantly heavier than it. Treat this as a normal weapon breakage situation.
2. An attacker who rolls a crit and is attacking from a direction that the shield could be defending from may choose to purposefully target the shield instead of doing damage to the defender, forcing the shield to roll a HT check or break. Treat wooden shields as HT 10 and metal shields as HT 12. Light shields get -2 to HT.
3. A defender who critically fails a block roll must also roll a HT check for his shield as in scenario 2.

Low Tech Armor

Use the below table instead of the listed values in the armor table on LT110-111

Armor	DR	Base Cost ($)	Base Weight (lbs)
Scale, Light	3/2 (Cr)	320	16
Scale, Medium	4/3 (Cr)	550	24
Scale, Heavy	5	1,100	32
Segmented Plate, Light	3	600	12
Segmented Plate, Medium	4	900	18
Segmented Plate, Heavy	5	1,200	24
Mail and Plates	5	1,400	20