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The Unearthed Arcana (UA) presented a whole host
of variant rules for the game. In the interests of making the system
I use as clear as possible I now list all these offical variants
that I have adopted in the campaign. These variants are available
if the player wants to take advantage of them. I do not endorse
or encourage these variants in any way. Also listed are the variant
rules from the Dungeon Master's Guide just to be complete.
I have also listed those variants I have no adopted and (on the
whole) given the reason why this is the case.
Accepted Official Variants
Variant Races
- Aquatic Races (UA p6): general subrace unique to a particular
region.
- Arctic Races (UA p8): general subrace unique to a particular
region.
- Desert Races (UA p11): general subrace unique to a particular
region.
- Jungle Races (UA p13): general subrace unique to a particular
region.
- Races of Air (UA p16): general subrace unique to a particular
region.
- Races of Earth (UA p16): general subrace unique to a
particular region.
- Races of Firce (UA p16): general subrace unique to a
particular region.
- Races of Water (UA p16): general subrace unique to a
particular region.
- Bloodlines (UA p19): the idea is sound, but I
use different rules to adjudicate it.
- Racial Paragon Class (UA p32): a new class option for
characters of certain race.
Variant Classes
- Totem Barbarian (UA p48): these powers are unique to
certain barbarian tribes.
- Bardic Sage (UA p48): available without restriction.
- Divine Bard (UA p50): yes, but character is a cleric
with bard like abilities.
- Savage Bard (UA p50): available without restriction.
- Druidic Avenger (UA p51): these powers are unique to
certain druidic sects.
- Thug (UA p51): available without restriction.
- Monk Fighting Styles (UA p52): yes, but there have been
some changes to the specifics.
- Paladin Variants (UA p53): each variant is attached to
a different knightly order.
- Planar Ranger (UA p55): rare in most campaigns, but otherwise
unrestricted.
- Urban Ranger (UA p55): available without restriction.
- Wilderness Rogue (UA p56): available without restriction.
- Favoured Environment (UA p65): this is a fantastic idea,
it is now the default ability of the ranger.
- Whirling Frenzy (UA p66): this power is available
to certain barbarian tribes.
- Planar Banishment (UA p67): this power is only available
to certain clerics.
- Aspect of Nature (UA p67): in principle this does exist,
but the mechanics have radically changed.
Building Characters
- Character Traits (UA p86): these are available
although I consider them wholly unnecessary.
- Character Flaws (UA p91): I am very suspicious this these;
will allow for the present.
- Spelltouched Feats (UA p92): available without restriction.
- Weapon Group Feats
(UA p94): this is much better than the normal rules.
Magic
- Recharge Magic (UA p157): this is very rare, but available
to certain new classes.
- Metamagic Componets (UA p139): yes, but may be limited
to certain geographical areas.
- Legendary Weapons (UA p162): yes, I like the concept.
- Item Familiars (UA p170): I see no reason why not.
- Incantations (UA p174): I really like this variant; well
done.
Campaigns
- Taint (UA p189): works very in Iourn - see my
interpretation of the rules.
- Tainted Prestige Classes (UA p191): yes, but there have
been some changes.
- Test-based Prerequisites (UA p210): on the whole this
makes sense.
DMG Variants:
- Sapient Mounts (DMG p23): the mount always acts on the
rider's initiative.
- Striking the cover (DMG p24): this makes sense.
- Massive Damage based on size (DMG p27): I prefer this
variant.
- Damage to specific areas (DMG p27): I have expanded this
variant with my called shot rules.
- Weapon Equivalencies (DMG p27): this makes sense to me.
- Saves with different abilities (DMG p35): sometimes this
is appropriate.
- Spell Roll (DMG p36): this is an option available to
all spell-casters.
- Power Components (DMG p36): yes, I like this variant,
it could be interesting in play.
- What disabling a device means (DMG p70): makes sense.
- New Magic Items (DMG p214): no problems.
Rejected Offical Variants
Variant Races
- Reducing Level Adjustments (UA p18): use my own rules
found here.
Variant Classes
- Cloistered Cleric (UA p50): this variant is already covered
by my new rules for clerics.
- Battle Sorcerer (UA p56): use the War
Mage core class instead.
- Domain Wizards (UA p57): incompatible with my magic system.
- Specialist Wizard Variants (UA p59): use my rules for
specialist wizards
instead.
- Spontaneous Divine Casters (UA p64): see the Mystic
core class instead.
- Level Check Turning (UA p66): retain original rules.
- Prestige Bard (UA p69): retain original core class.
- Prestige Paladin (UA p70): retain original core class.
- Prestige Ranger (UA p71): retain original core class.
- Gestalt Character (UA p72): incompatible with house rules.
- Generic Classes (UA p76): incompatible with house rules.
Building Characters
- Alternative Skill System (UA p79): this system is a pile
of pants.
- Complex Skill Checks (UA p81): I may call for multiple
skill checks to complete a single task, but nothing as complex
as this.
- Craft Points (UA p97): Unnecessarily complicated.
- Character Background (UA p100): please write a character
background, but dear god not like this.
Adventuring
- Defence Bonus (UA p109): no, don't like this.
- Armour as Damage Reduction (UA p111): tried it before,
I prefer the normal rules for combat.
- Armour Damage Conversation (UA p112): very silly.
- Injury System (UA p113): this invalidates most of the
rest of the combat system.
- Vitality and Wound Points (UA p115): no, we'll stick
with simple hit points.
- Reserve Points (UA p119): an unnecessary complication
to the rules.
- Massive Damage (UA p119): use the size-based threshold
from the DMG instead.
- Death and Dying (UA p121): use my version of these rules.
- Action Points (UA p122): this gives too much power to
the PCs - unluck is a good thing.
- Combat Facing (UA p124): no!
- Hex Grid (UA p128): no!
- Variable Modifiers (UA p129): too silly for words.
- Bell Curve Rolls (UA p132): there's a reason why I don't
run GURPS.
- Player Roll all the Dice (UA p133): I'm not going to
dignify that with a response.
Magic
- Magic Rating (UA p135): this makes absolutely no sense.
- Summon Monster Variants (UA p136): use my house rules
instead.
- Spontaneous Metamagic (UA p151): use my house rules instead.
- Spell Points (UA p153): use my house
rules instead.
Campaigns
- Contacts (UA p179): roleplay!
- Reputation (UA p180): roleplay!
- Honour (UA p185): roleplay!
- Sanity (UA p213): use my own rules.
- Level Independent XP Awards (UA p213): use my own rules.
DMG Variants
- Roll initiative each round (DMG p22): too dice heavy.
- Automatic hits and misses (DMG p25): no I prefer the
slim chance of failure or success.
- Clobbered (DMG p27): penalises low level characters too
heavily.
- Instant Kill (DMG p28): no, invalidates the abilities
of some classes, see my called shot rules.
- Softer Critical Hits (DMG p28): no, they are fine as
they are.
- Critical Misses (DMG p28): no, I've never liked that
element to any game.
- Critical success or failure (DMG p34): no, not for skills,
there are somethings PCs cannot know.
- Summoning individual monsters (DMG p37): this blurs the
distinction between summoning and calling spells.
- Free form experience (DMG p39): use my own
system.
- Faster or slower experience (DMG p40): use my own
system.
- Upkeep (DMG p130): this is inappropriate all the time,
see section on money and equipment.
- Seperate ability loss (DMG p290): no use the original.
- Nonmagical psionics (DMG p297): this makes no sense;
psionics must be magical.
- Less lethal falls (DMG p303): no, screw the PCs.
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